AN OLD roller coaster at SeaWorld Orlando has been given the ultimate makeover, turning it from a 17-year-old ride into a cutting edge virtual reality experience.

By attaching headsets and earphones to the old Kraken ride, the theme park has turned an already terrifying coaster into a heart-stopping journey to the bottom of the sea.

Facebook / Orlando Informer

Kraken Unleashed is Americas first virtual reality roller coaster, where guests are chased by hungry sea monsters while riding at 65mph for real on a leg-dangling coaster.

As riders fly along the powerful track, complete with dives, corkscrews and seven loops, an immersive VR story unfolds in perfect sync with the rides movements.

Guests can now scream their way through a fantastical voyage past gigantic underwater beasts, including the legendary Kraken sea monster.

Facebook / Orlando Informer

The virtual voyage begins in a futuristic underwater laboratory, then plunging guests into the deep sea.

At first things seem peaceful, with a pod of dolphins following you up a steep underwater canyon before it all takes a terrifying turn for the worst.

As the ride speeds up, guests encounter angry giant crabs and other massive monsters, then finally coming face to with the mystical ancient Kraken.

The ride is over in a matter of minutes but with so much happening on screen and multiple viewing angles depending on which way youre looking, most guests will want to dive right back in.

Facebook / Orlando Informer

SeaWorld expect the ride to be wildly popular, so in keeping with the high-tech theme, holidaymakers will also be able to skip the queue by waiting in line virtually with a new app.

Called Spot Saver, the mobile site will allow thrill-seekers to join a queue with a smartphones and turn up when its their turn to ride.

Brian Morrow, Vice President of Theme Park Experience and Design said:By creating a custom digital overlay and using technology to tell the story, we developed an entirely new virtual reality coaster.

The result is a seamless and completely unique expedition on a well-loved roller coaster.

If riders arent ready to brave the deep, theres also the option to enjoy the ride the old school way.

Link:

SeaWorld's new ride combines virtual reality and a REAL roller ... - The Sun