News SeaWorld Orlando Project 2027 (?): Survey Proposes Future Attraction Options
- Thread starter paintervision
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Wonder if that Vert Launch might be the 26 addition people are chomping about.
From this survey, the JTA concept art looks further along than the others, and frankly makes a LOT more sense.
I think if SWO was building a huge 2026 coaster we'd know by now.
The first thing that came to mind was Intamin's product, which was made as a skyline decoration really. Makes me wonder if they're perhaps mulling this as a Kraken replacement long term.
Yeah I wouldn’t be surprised if thats already happening.
This sounds like it could be a Mack Stryker with Voltron's vertical launch and surprise track element at the beginning.
My first throught too. Maybe Mack has been pitching something while onsite for Expedition Odyssey...?
it's the one piece of art in that survey that actually looks even slightly realistic!
Kraken is a weird one for me.
It'd always been around when I began learning about coasters at a very very wee young age. Growing up in the Caribbean, going to SeaWorld as a tot back when Manta was still new and Kraken was the other big coaster in the park, later living in Canada full time, the teal beast was just always either on the advertising or in like every other YouTube video whenever you searched up "roller coaster". This is a long way of saying that I knew it to be iconic and was in the background of my coaster interests. I went to a bunch of the big Florida parks for the first time in November during IAAPA and naturally I was quite excited to finally ride it.
To my surprise however Kraken was just... not good. I'm not particularly caring about ride tracking but the profiling felt awkward and the amount of shuffling was quite unpleasant really. I'd ridden Kumba less than 24 hours before (less than a week before it closed lol) and that was much better. I didn't understand, because the layout was cool and the coaster looked even cooler. My second ride was in the front row and it didn't improve, I was genuinely shocked by that point. Most Arrows and SLC's I've been on ran better. My third lap was the second to last train of the night and that was a much better experience, if that'd been my sole ride I might have really liked it.
I'm of the belief that a decent number of B&M's are going to bite it within the decade. Kraken really didn't seem to be in good condition and I know it's seen a few big fixes lately, but if SeaWorld is considering a replacement in the very long term I wouldn't blame them. That's pretty much what I've got to say about Kraken.
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I'm sure Kraken will bite the dust eventually, but Kumba (especially) and also Montu are both older so I think their removal timelines may inform us as to when we can expect Kraken to close.
I don’t expect Montu to go anywhere anytime soon tbh. Unless something catastrophic happens.
A potential curve-ball could be a Zierer Tower Launch Coaster for the vertical launch. United Parks has worked with them several times as of late, most recently for Beach Rescue Racer, and they would probably provide a more cost-conscious pitch than either Mack or Intamin. Just a thought.
I have to agree with the people saying the JTA refresh looks to at least be the most fleshed out concept of the three. Not that that means it's a guarantee or the most likely to happen, but I think it's probably been given the most thought in the past. Unless those renderings were just recycled from that one "master plan" study done in the 2010's that proposed a JTA special effects show, in which case it's anyone's guess. But it's definitely something people have been wanting for years now.
Give how a Journey to Atlantis refresh can be pretty affordable and they are finishing refreshing the one in sandiego and connecting it with a "organization" that they have for the parks... it is completely possible it is in the plans... heck given how long the refurbishment was this year they may have been pre-installing some items for this refersh... I justy don't know where else in the park they can biuild a coaster without moving backstage infrastructure or rehab facilities... unless they expanded in the parking lot.
Expanding into parking would be great long term, but first they will need to build garages to make up for it. That's really the only long term solution.