Visitors are
finding the biggest thrills in Orlando in the most unlikely of
places. With the introduction of a new record-breaking roller
coaster, SeaWorld -- yes, SeaWorld -- has become the place for
thrills in O-town.
The proof?
Thrill-seekers take note: a roller coaster longer and faster than
any other in Orlando ... a combination water thrill ride and roller
coaster that sends guests down a six-story plunge ... a wild simulator
that takes riders on a bumpy arctic adventure... not to mention
myriad opportunities to encounter exotic animals and interact
with fascinating sealife. Bottom line? There is excitement for
every member of the family at SeaWorld.
The newest
thrill is Kraken, a monster of a ride that has the distinction
of being the fastest, tallest and longest roller coaster in town.
This is the ride that will forever change the thrill quotient
in Orlando. Imagine a coaster that sends riders 15-stories in
the air to plunge toward earth at speeds of 65 mph ... and upside
down seven times. Now imagine such a ride without a floor. That's
Kraken.
Best described
as "floorless," Kraken dangles riders high above the track in
open-sided seats, creating a feeling of flying in a chair.
"Kraken answers
the question of what it would feel like to be the hood ornament
on the front of a Cadillac," said park general manager Keith Kasen.
"You feel just as free ... just as open as you would speeding
down the highway strapped to the hood of a car."
SeaWorld Orlando
burst onto the thrill ride scene in 1998, when the adventure park
opened Journey to Atlantis, a water-coaster ride through the mysterious
lost city. Journey to Atlantis was chosen by Disney’s Adventure
magazine as one the nation’s scariest thrill rides and by USA
Today as one of the nation’s top five new attractions for 1998.
Riding in
eight-passenger fishing boats, riders encounter mythical spirits
and pulse-pounding spills, including two of the steepest, wettest,
fastest drops to be found at any theme park in the world. It is
the first attraction in the world to combine the hair-raising
adventure of a high-speed water ride and a careening roller coaster
with out-of-this world special effects and colorful characters.
SeaWorld guests
take a thrilling and chilling ride aboard Wild Arctic "jet helicopters"
for an unforgettable motion-based flight over spectacular, panoramic
views of the frozen North, herds of caribou and families of polar
bears. After narrowly escaping a fierce snowstorm and sudden avalanche,
guests leave the exciting simulated experience to enter the frozen
wonderland of Base Station Wild Arctic - a research station where
they come face-to-face with real walruses, beluga whales and two
famous polar bears named Klondike and Snow.
At the heart-stopping,
extreme games-style "Intensity Water Ski Show", world-class wakeboarders
and record-holding skiers from across America team up for a non-stop
demonstration of dynamic acrobatics, aquabatics, strength, strategy
and stamina. This extreme two-team competition features barefoot
water skiers reaching a sole-searing 40 mph, as well as freestyle
wakeboarders performing gravity-defying stunts. Even contenders
on the ‘Air Chair’ make it look simple as they whip-splash across
the churning wakes.
SeaWorld provides
additional thrills, spills and chills with their spectacular world-class
shows and up-close animal encounters. In Key West at SeaWorld,
guests can experience the thrill of touching or feeding dolphins
and stingrays, or visit Pacific Point Preserve, a natural habitat
where they can feed sea lions and harbor seals.
At the world-famous
"Shamu Adventure," visitors may opt to sit in the stadium’s "Soak
Zone," where Shamu enthusiastically drenches the audience by sending
hundreds of gallons of water toward the audience using his massive
tail and fins. "Cirque de la Mer," another recent addition to
SeaWorld’s spectacular shows, astonishes guests with its new-age
athletic performers and aerial stunts, fire dancing and colorful
lasers.
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World - The Online Guide is not affiliated with, maintained by,
or in any way officially connected with the Walt Disney Company.
Walt
Disney World & it's theme parks, resorts, attractions &
area names are trademarks of The Walt Disney Company. All information
contained in Disney
World - The Online Guide, including prices, dates,
times, availability, is subject to change & not official. Joanne
will not be held liable for any information (valid or invalid) presented
on any page in this site, and will not be held responsible for anything
that happens as a result of following advice or information on this
site, and does not represent the Walt Disney Company in any
manner.
