Kraken Review SeaWorld Orlando B&M Floorless Coaster

SeaWorld's iconic 7 inversion floorless coaster is sporting a new look, and we think there's no better time to give it a full, in depth review!
Thanks to CoasterForce for providing the POV of Kraken prior to the repaint. You can check out the original video here: • Kraken front seat on-r...
We made a movie! This is How We Roll is a feature length documentary about the history of Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC). For more information and to get yourself a copy, please visit vimeo.com/ondemand/thisishowwerollmovie
Support the channel and purchase your Coaster Studios t-shirts at www.coastershirts.com. Visit our Redbubble store for Coaster Studios posters, phone cases, stickers, sweatshirts, and more! This is also where you can find any G-Force and This is How We Roll related items. www.redbubble.com/people/Coas...
Follow Coaster Studios on social media!
Facebook: / coasterstudios
Twitter: @coasterstudios
/ coasterstudios
Instagram: coaster_studios
This is How We Roll is also on Instagram: @thisishowwerollmovie
Coaster Studios is also on Discord! Meet other enthusiasts and join the chat now! What are you waiting for? / discord
Got a question for Taylor? Want to share a cool photo you took? Send all comments, questions, and concerns to [e-mail]
Calling all ladies of the coaster community! Coaster Studios is a proud supporter of G-Force, a place for girls to turn to meet one another, offer support, inspiration, and to empower one another. You can follow along on Instagram at @g.force.irl, or join the private Facebook group at / gforcesie
Want to mail us something? Send it to:
Coaster Studios
P.O. Box 1354
Midlothian, VA 23113
MY GEAR:
Sony a6500
35mm Lens
18-105mm lens
18-135mm lens
70-350mm lens
Sony ZV-1
GoPro Hero 7 & 9
DJI Mavic Pro 2
Sennheiser MKE 600
Zoom H1n
MOZA AirCross Gimbal
AT2020
Thanks to everyone who's helps make Coaster Studios possible!
Production, Filming, & Editing: Sarah Anderson
Logo: Kristopher Werner
Intro: Casey Rentmeester
© Coaster Studios. All rights reserved. No part of this video can be reproduced or redistributed without permission from Taylor Bybee, Coaster Studios owner and creator. For permission requests, see email above. Use without consent with or without credit is in direct violation of copyright law. Cropping out the Coaster Studios watermarked logo is strictly prohibited.

[@coasterhockygamingboy9549]

0:40 I love how Taylor got off-ride footage of Kraken while riding Mako.

[@maxhagenauer24]

I think it was mounted because how straight it was. It was wobbling at all.

[@ThemeParkAvenue]

I think the new colors definitely fit SeaWorld better. The big SeaWorld coasters look very modern and the new paint colors look modern as well.

[@nathanschall1393]

I agree it really stands out in the skyline now and is very nice right next to mako

[@johnulmer1622]

Kraken, Hulk, and Riddler's Revenge at SFMM are all the same color of green. When I'm scrolling through my photos, they now all look alike at first glance.

[@mr.noride7226]

@@johnulmer1622 Nah, Kraken is more of an ocean green to me. But I agree that Hulk and Riddler’s Revenge have the same green.

[@h1dd3n56]

I appreciate that Taylor takes serious time on these reviews. Waiting until he gets on the ride, riding it a few times, and even going back redoing old reviews. Proper genuine analyzation👌🏻

[@CoasterStudios]

thank you! :)

[@mmouser]

It always surprises me when people say this ride is rough. I rode it several times in the front and back this year and thought it was smoother than Hulk. Must’ve caught it on a good day, but those rides make it my favorite floorless above Medusa.

[@joshuaclark8829]

I dont mind rides that are rough but the Kraken is definitely rough. Definitely couldn't do it multiple times in a row.

[@brycefourn2001]

I remember riding it in December 2012 and actually had a pretty good time on it. :)

[@kylebetz9684]

Superman is definitely better

[@dominicanaaa]

right I was so confused cause when I went on it I didnt even think abt it being "rough"

[@sollamander2206]

The look of a cobra roll just hits me with early 2000s roller coaster nostalgia. As a young coaster fan, almost all of my favorite coasters had one as did my white whale that I never got to ride in Batman and Robin The Chiller.

[@elijahandrae8012]

Just curious, are you ever gonna do a review for ravine flyer 2 I know you said you were going to make one when you made the waldameer review from Erie pa

[@GenesisLover2002]

We need this

[@JamesonThomas24]

I third this motion

[@micoledupicolegaming5444]

Yes pls do this

[@Feuerfr3i]

I’ve been begging for years.

[@braxtonhill417]

This is my favorite B&M floorless coaster! Its layout is strong, has a great sequence of elements, goes in a couple of tunnels and trenches in the second half, and is the smoothest floorless coaster I’ve ridden.

[@ryanmcdonnell5988]

It was good to see you again at SeaWorld

[@ToastGhost]

Great to see my overall number 2 coaster looking so good in it's new colours. I got about 15/20 rides back in 2009 and it was fairly smooth back then.

[@floridamaddogg]

I'm a passholder and I make sure to ride this several times each time. It is really not that rough. It is intense and the elements are snappy making it almost impossible to be smooth like Mako. Hard to compare a coaster focused on Airtime vs a coaster focused on inversions. Maybe I'm more numb to roughness since I grew up with The Predator, but this is not bad at all. Sit in the front or a wheel over track seat (inner seats) for smoother ride if you think it's rough. I've also heard the ride is even smoother now post refurbishment. I heard new wheels were put on. I was hoping this review would talk about the improvements to the ride before and after.

[@inn0version727]

Agreed, this ride is amazing. Especially in the back left seat for the lats on the 0g roll

[@IronGwaziJoseph]

Hmm.. yeah i went today and kraken felt really smooth. Maybe just a really good day?

[@floridamaddogg]

@@IronGwaziJoseph i was on kraken on Dec 22 (back row) and was butter smooth. I will admit it's usually not that smooth, but it's never been rough. If it's a full train, it rides much different than an empty train. People tend to complain about little things just to complain.

[@flaviodessandre]

In 2001 I was 17 and pretty much spent my whole day riding Kraken. Over 20 times. Walk on almost all day. I remember graying out a lot...

[@oceanairboy]

The airtime in the back right of Kraken, going through the roll, is one of my favorite airtime moments on any coaster.

[@yagizinmaceralari1769]

I love rides with seven inversions so much!

[@JamesonThomas24]

Once on the Kraken lift, this girl turned to me, freaking out, and was like, “I’M AFRAID!” And I looked at her, and I didn’t know what to say, and “Well, I’m not,” popped out of my mouth. And she turned away and never looked at me again. I feel like I’ve left this same comment on 10 Coaster Studios videos, but this is the ride where it happened so it must be said

[@starryagent9936]

I rode it in the front back in January 2020 and thought it was glass smooth. It’s currently my favorite floorless over Dominator and Rougarou. Seeing as how my preference is on aggressiveness rather than airtime I’m not surprised

[@stoppropaganda2573]

I rode this opening season and it was glass smooth although really intense. Then went to ride Kumba and it was extremely rough, its since been re-tracted and profiled with new trains so its probably great again. I think the B&M ride quality is very much dictated by age and maintenance ...

[@mattymilazzo2741]

They retracked Kumba? I’d consider going on it if they did. I last went on it 2 years ago and said never again.

[@MrCliffda3rd]

Kumba's track is original, has been repainted few times though.

[@randalheller7460]

I've ridden this about 150 times, past 5 years or so it has its good days where its surprisingly smooth and bad days. Noticed same thing with Kumba

[@kelseylane9710]

I road this over and over again with my grandpa when I was little. I remember him taking a point and shoot camera. I was so nervous he was going to drop it. He’s not with us anymore. I wonder where that old school POV footage is...

[@Lucky_9705]

I love the new mint green paint scheme

[@SiliconBassist]

In 2008, my high school guitar ensemble went on a trip and stopped here on the way back. I loved it. I marathoned this because I couldn’t get enough, though at the time Journey to Atlantis was the only other major coaster there. While not exactly glassy smooth, I don’t remember roughness being a problem at all. I plan on going back before long. So it will be interesting to see how it compares to what I remember

[@masonmusic2193]

I love Kraken! It’s my #2 in the park behind Mako. The new paint job is nice but I’m not going lie, I miss the blue track. It was a such a unique colour for a coaster and now it’s almost the same as the Hulk. Great review!

[@willlima1297]

It was noticeably smoother back in November compared to all of my previous visits going back to 2011. It's still a great ride. Best floorless I've ridden.

[@wickedphant0m]

The new paint job looks GREAT

[@rodrigorocha2935]

Kraken has amazing estrrains, love those B&M over the shoulders.

[@mattqueen4140]

When it first came out, it was butter smooth. I went in 2001 and it was fantastic. Unfortunately it has gotten very rough, similar to how incredible hulk was a headbanger before the retracking

[@harlandeke]

Kraken was butter smooth when it opened...we rode it when it was brand new and then many nany times over the years since we had BG-SW season passes. I still love this ride despite it being not so smooth nowadays.

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

This ride is great, I love B&M loopers and this is one of the best. Also, when I rode, the midcourse was off and I got some insane ejector in the back row.

[@VECTOR_Coasters]

I agree with most of your opinion but the only I would have added is how insanely fast and intense the final corkscrew is, and I love it so much! great video!

[@TKDragon75]

Glad you finally did a review on one of my favorite loopers ever.

[@kinderscoasters]

Ahhh Taylor.. Kraken was SO are-rideable back in 2007.. I marathoned this thing all day and night when I was there. It was one of my groundbreaking coasters when I was young and I was hooked !

[@halesej]

That shot from Mako looking back though…😍

[@WeTheCoasters]

I wonder who’s there at 2:34? Wow that was unexpected but wanted to say it was cool meeting you (sorry I kinda bothered you a little bit when filming for this) but again cool having a quick chat and all that Dillon 🤙🤙🤙 Edited: Also when this coaster first opened yeah it was smooth as it can be. And it has gotten tougher in the last few years. Back row especially Front row is definitely where to get the rides imo.

[@StickellsPlaysNow]

ProTip: Try and ride right before close. They usually turnoff the MBR and it WHIPS and ejects you really good. Same with Mako.

[@MrTheunsungvoice]

Hmm, I rode it about 18 years ago and no one was at the park like at all. I rode it 96 times in a row (was like 4 hours or so worth?) And it was super smooth back then. Honestly was a great ride and my opinion was that it was almost as good as hulk especially on the back outside seats. I rode it late 2021 here and man what a disappointment... almost as rough as the old ninja at six flags over georgia before the retrack. Couldn't really enjoy it, but I'll always hold onto the memory of that one awesome day

[@MrNnacheta]

Rode this back in July, loved it

[@LowgaenSchmidt]

Kraken was one of my first looping coasters. Rode it two days after experiencing Incredible Hulk and Dueling Dragons in 2008. Idk why but I became obsessed with Kraken after one ride. It was a walk on that Thanksgiving and I got in like 20 rides on it.

[@katyisgone]

Me too! Back in the 2000s also I can imagine it has gotten really rough since then but back then it was incredible

[@TrainCoasterFan]

What happened to the review for Kentucky Rumbler? In your Beech Bend review you said you had a KR Review but there hasent been one.

[@bigthunder556]

I feel like you definitely got a rougher day. As my home park, I come here quite often, and every time I ride kraken I always get a slightly different experience. Some days give a really nice ride with minimal roughness while others sometimes leave me with a headache after one ride. I still love it for what it is and people should definitely come out to ride it if they haven’t yet 😄

[@ruscaliso]

I’ve been waiting for that Behemoth review for many years now

[@alekgustafson6483]

Just went there this Sunday with my brother and uncle and I absolutely loved this ride. We mostly rid it in the back 6 times and I did not feel it was rough at all. I thought it was smooth, whippy, intense. I loved the third inversion the most which felt like a downward spiral or corkscrew? (not sure what the name of it is) but I loved the speed and the inversions on this. Its my most favorite floorless coaster in all honesty.

[@jojopebbles]

Back in the day, I rode this thing 14 times in a row. It definitely used to be smoother.

[@pjgs4933]

kraken rocks, that helix-ish sort of turn after the cobra roll is really intense.

[@77AussieRulz]

I have been on it like ten years ago or maybe even more, I remember marathon it and loving it. Pretty sure it was smooth then for I don’t remember any headache or anything from it.

[@sieje]

Beautiful paint job

[@clarkkoford5897]

This ride literally blew my mind when I rode it in the back for the first time. Definitely the second best in the park behind Infinity Falls ;)

[@nathanschall1393]

I haven’t ridden this yet but I will be soon and I think it might be my favorite floorless coaster

[@LeanMrfuzzles]

This was my first inverted coaster. The day before I actually rode it I got in line and chickened out halfway through. Still love this ride.

[@ericw4677]

I don't know how it's aged because the last time I went was in 2014, but each time I've been to Florida 2011, 2012 & 2014 my family and I marathoned this as it's one of our favorites in Florida. We all remember it smooth, so it's disappointing to hear how much it has worn.

[@Nick_Shank]

I definitely understand your view on the coaster. Growing up in around Kraken I always loved the ride and I never thought it was that rough but it is definitely more so nowadays (haven't been on it since the repaint though so maybe they gave it new wheels or something?). I wouldn't to compare it to Mako though considering how different the experiences are. Honesty it is much more comparable to The Hulk and even more so now because of the color. I also noticed they changed the color of the tentacle theming. I was so accustomed to the old color however so the new one still feels weird to me.

[@RexOnTheDex]

I rode it for the first time in 2012, then again in 2016, and again this year (2024). Kraken has definitely gotten rougher over this time. Also, I've gotten older, so I'm less prepared to ride for the sake of it, favouring smooth re-rideables, and there's plenty of good rides in the park I can do that with now. The queues are always short though, so it's still good for a quick one-off credit.

[@JFM_Dimes]

Incredible video! I love this coaster! The new colors look awesome and this ride is pretty intense but I don’t think it’s rough

[@KimberlyBadloo]

I loved Kraken. It was awesome. Manta and pipeline were great but I rode Kraken twice and would have done three but they closed lol.

[@MonsterFlame1]

The color scheme is sick man!

[@Nottoooldtolovecoasters]

Lol…”If you walk off the attraction and You can kind of feel a headache coming on…” That’s why I always pop Advil about a half hour before riding. I never leave home without a couple Advil when I anticipate riding Kraken a few times. For me, it’s more about getting dizzy after a few rides. Especially in the back.

[@tjmthegreat4009]

I'm a tall person and I rode in the front row for my first time without expecting how intense the forced perspective was going to be. It was so hard trying to not keep my feet up given my instincts thinking my bare feet will hit lol. Made it super thrilling and great

[@chris_allupinya5613]

I really enjoyed it when I went in October and preferred that drop over the drop on Scream here at SFMM.

[@natepettigrew8415]

Love the videos

[@llo6868]

Medusa and six flags discovery is honestly really smooth and is a similar clone of this

[@nathanschall1393]

New paint looking good

[@stoli1300]

it was very smooth til about 2013 i've been riding this since it opened. same thing happened to the hulk that they did a major retracking on.

[@Commanders2022]

I think the track color should’ve been an aqua blue with teal supports, but it still looks good

[@evan9902]

Interesting. I rode this in 2019 I found it to be very smooth and I was in the back. Also in the back I got a surprising amount of airtime down the drop.

[@LuRe_KiiNGz]

Love this ride

[@Groundhog27]

This ride is so badass 😍rode it like 10 times in on day once 😊

[@camikelly2356]

I totally agree with your review. I’m not a big fan of that Coaster because I rode it and it was jerky. But I’ve only ridden it once in the back row. So I’ll try it in the front next time I go.

[@Oscar-le9mc]

Love this coaster

[@SouthsideThrills]

i agree with your once a day thing, im a passholder and i always do it once every visit but thats it.

[@thecoasterman682]

This is my favorite b&m floorles coaster but, i like his old colors but, it's features now different colors but i love this ride with all my heart. Since his opening in 2000 it was aqua blue with yellow and now it's sea green with dark blue in 2022. Even though it's features different colors it's stil my favorite b&m floorles coaster in the world.

[@SchrodingersCat8813]

I think it's age. I rode this and it was perfectly smooth BUT that was like....15 years ago lol But I do recall loving the ride, I esp liked the somewhat different layout and all the underground moments. I'll be going to Sea World in April, can't wait to experience Mako, Manta and Kraken. I love a good forceful, intense ride.

[@kylebetz9684]

2nd favorite floorless behind Superman. This ride is a powerhouse

[@coasternut3091]

I think that turn underground is actually good. It's really tight and pulls solid Gs. You also can't really see it coming so it's a pretty neat experience. Plus, then you're whipped into that subterranean corkscrew

[@OklahomaCoasterFan]

I've ridden it a lot from 2011 through 2021. I remember it being smoother in my earlier visits. I sometimes catch it on a smoother day, but it's usually quite rattly. I'm very sensitive to the B&M rattle, so I thought it was just me.

[@VinceHere98]

I kinda do miss the original light-blue with tan supports, I have to admit the green with dark-blue supports look really cool. I hope to go to SeaWorld Orlando one day to get a ride out of Kraken, and maybe even Mako.

[@chaunceymattei5049]

The best part of this ride that is overlooked is - the wait. I’ve never been here and waited longer than 20 min (even during the summer).

[@jacobj2842]

Do a review of Manta at SeaWorld San Diego! I love the theming of the ride and I’m happy that the park is stepping up its coaster collection 🔥

[@fruitsnacksgrapejuice5019]

Completely agree, I went on the last ride of the night in July and I was in the front row, but I still came off thinking I couldn’t ride it again because my head was shaken up.

[@derisleybrittain]

Excellent 👌

[@ThemeParkAvenue]

Kraken is a great coaster. I think it has the best floorless layout, but it is a bit rough and it has one of the ugliest surrounding ground areas I’ve ever seen. It’s a great floorless and my second favorite to the underrated Dominator.

[@noname117spore]

Back when I rode it in 2017 I thought it was really smooth. I'm wondering if the VR and full trains weighed it down which helped make it smoother in some way.

[@WhittEvans]

I agree with pretty much everything said. This thing isn't super re-rideable. I rode this thing once, and I rode mako 16 times in less than an hour. Also, those last two inversions are VERY tight. That loop is pretty short, so it curls your body a lot more than that first one, and that last zero g-roll is very whippy cause of it's tightness as well. I really like the new color scheme, I rode this about a year ago, when it didn't have the new paint, and I liked that paint job, but this..... this is so cool!

[@HugeRMCFanBoY-bx3od]

Definitely My Favorite Floorless

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

The colors make sense now

[@Dan-pv7cu]

Didn’t realise they painted it up till now!

[@GarrettCoopergc]

Kraken is so rough, but I’m glad others are able to ride it and find it smooth. I do think it has one of the best floorless coaster layouts, but the roughness for me really took away from the ride experience.

[@chobo500]

Kraken was my first large scale roller coaster and first one that went upside down, so it has a lot of sentimental value to me, along with The Hulk and Dueling Dragons(RIP). I used to marathon this thing back in the early 2000s all the time, and it was glass smooth back then. It has gotten rougher over the years, which is a shame, but the layout is still fantastic and some of the elements are really whippy, which is what makes the ride still fun. I also don't like many of the changes Sea World has made to it over the years. These have nothing to do with the ride itself, and it's probably nitpicking, but I miss the old Kraken statue and the Kraken eggs you saw when you exited the ride along with a lot of the other aesthetics changed or removed for the Kraken Unleashed Retheme. And while I'm glad the Tentacles match the track color now, I do miss the old track color. But the new color looks good in it's own right, though I hope they can repaint the trains next to match the track. But most of this isn't that important. What's important is that while the ride may be a bit rough now, it's still a fun time!

[@88tibro]

How does the roughness compare to Hulk and Kumba?

[@mattpatti390]

Interesting, never knew this ride to be rough. Of course I last rode it in 2014. And it was super smooth, I went on it 6 times in a row. Can’t believe it seems to be rough now. Starting to think B&Ms don’t age too gracefully…

[@kylebetz9684]

Trust me bro, this thing is not rough at all.

[@kylebetz9684]

Not even in 2022

[@Scout-mp6wi]

at 3:25 it looks like Mako and Kraken are dueling

[@Clittminaj]

I'll give it an 6 as is elements lack re-ride value although, it's damn good for a ride that came out in 2000.

[@moddbailey8270]

when i rode this ride i didnt think it was rough at all. i love the layout and the intesity and i didnt even feel the rattle at all. that may just be because i wasnt paying attention to the smoothness or the fact that i have an extremely high tolerance for roughness. i dont know

[@ezequielambrosio9668]

Me and my boyfriend saw you guys at bush gardens Tampa yesterday. We rode Tigris in the same group and on shiekra it was just me and him alone in the train lol. I was the one wearing a dark hoodie. Hope you all come back to BG soon again for iron gwazi.

[@CoasterStudios]

oh no way! you guys should've said hi!

[@ezequielambrosio9668]

@@CoasterStudios lol I was going to but I was shy at first.

[@saruscrane4953]

When will the trains be colored to match the track?

[@First-Drop-Studios]

I actually got ejector at night on a hot summer day in row 5!

[@Anotherfunnyword]

0:38 Thumbs up for the off-ride shot of Kraken while going down the drop on Mako! 🤣

[@boilercoasters8442]

Idk why but the one ride I got on Kraken in the back row was much smoother than the other two floorless coasters I rode (Rougarou and Bizarro) so I'd say that's my favorite floorless and I also prefer it over Manta.

[@Joypyf]

Great review 👍🏼 Are you a flourless fan overall? Wildfire is really the only one I like

[@tippertip8878]

What does that look like at 1:20? (Sorry I had to say something)

[@dylanmmc]

I rode Kraken twice yesterday and didn’t get any sense of roughness at all. Didn’t hear anyone mention roughness. It felt exactly like Hulk at IOA. I sat in middle both times. I’ll try front and back next time I go.

[@limitless.coasterdoc477]

I was here back in May and after about 10 rides in a day, back row was the smoothest on both trains, just one front row ride gave me a headache, and I have a fairly high tolerance for roughness, consistently got a smoother ride in the back, don’t know why for me

[@solo.digital.gaming]

is this more or less intense than Medusa (SFDK)?