Kraken is the ride that put SeaWorld Orlando on the coaster map. It’s a steel floorless roller coaster built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and designed by Werner Stengel, opening to the public on June 1, 2000, after a soft opening in late May of that year. It was named for the legendary sea monster said to be caged beneath the park by Poseidon, and at its debut it was billed as the second-longest floorless coaster in the world.
This guide breaks down every number riders search for — top speed, height, drop, track length, ride duration, and how intense it actually feels — plus who can ride, what’s changed since 2000, and where to check current hours and tickets.
Quick Answer
Kraken reaches a top speed of 65 mph, stands 153 feet tall, and drops 144 feet. The track runs 4,177 feet long and the full circuit takes about 2 minutes 2 seconds. It’s a Bolliger & Mabillard floorless steel coaster with seven inversions at SeaWorld Orlando, and riders must be at least 54 inches tall to board.
How Fast Does Kraken Go at SeaWorld?
Kraken’s top speed is 65 mph, reached as the train plunges through its first drop and carries that momentum into the opening vertical loop. Because riders sit in floorless, open-air seats with nothing visible below their feet, that speed feels considerably more intense than the number alone suggests — there’s no floor or car body to visually anchor you, so the ground, water, and track rushing past register directly.
The 65 mph top speed also powers Kraken through its underground trenches, where the train dives below grade — in one case passing beneath one of the park’s waterways — before rocketing back up into the next inversion. Speed bleeds off gradually across the seven inversions and the finishing helix, so the ride’s back half is noticeably gentler than the launch into the first loop.
Kraken’s Height and Drop Height
Kraken’s structure stands 153 feet tall, making its first drop 144 feet — the difference accounts for the height of the lift hill’s crest relative to the drop’s bottom, which sits below entry-plaza grade near the ride’s underground trenches. Some older references list Kraken’s height as roughly 149 feet, a small discrepancy that comes from measuring the support structure versus the highest point of track; 153 feet, matching the ride’s own engineering specifications, is the figure most consistently cited today.
That height and drop made Kraken the tallest roller coaster in Florida when it opened in 2000, a title it held for six years until Expedition Everest surpassed it in 2006. Within SeaWorld Orlando itself, Kraken was later overtaken by Mako, a 200-foot hyper coaster that opened in 2016.
How Long Is the Kraken Ride? Track Length and Duration
Kraken’s track measures 4,177 feet long, and a full circuit — from lift hill to final brake run — takes about 2 minutes 2 seconds. That’s a long ride time by steel-coaster standards, driven by the sheer amount of track packed into seven inversions and three underground trenches rather than any single long straightaway.
When it opened in 2000, Kraken was marketed as the second-longest floorless coaster in the world, a distinction tied to its era rather than a permanent record, since other B&M floorless coasters have opened worldwide since. Locally, it remains one of the longer rides in the SeaWorld Orlando lineup, outlasting most of the park’s other thrill coasters in total ride time.
How Intense Is Kraken? G-Forces and Restraints
Neither SeaWorld nor B&M publishes an official peak g-force figure for Kraken, so treat any specific number you see cited elsewhere with some skepticism. What’s verifiable is the design: riders sit in floorless, open-sided seats mounted on a pedestal above the track, held in place only by an over-the-shoulder restraint, with nothing below their dangling feet but air and track. That seating design is what makes Kraken feel more forceful than many similarly sized coasters — there’s no car body or floor to soften the visual sense of speed through the loops, corkscrew, and underground dives.
The most intense moments come in the first half of the ride: the opening vertical loop right off the 65 mph first drop, followed by the dive loop and zero-g roll, which produce a brief moment of weightlessness. By the finishing helix, forces have eased considerably compared to the ride’s opening sequence.
Is Kraken a Hyper Coaster?
No — Kraken is not a hyper coaster. In the roller coaster industry, “hyper coaster” specifically refers to a coaster with a height or first drop of at least 200 feet, a classification introduced by Cedar Point and Arrow Dynamics with 1989’s Magnum XL-200. At 153 feet, Kraken falls short of that threshold; it’s classified instead as a floorless coaster, a B&M design where riders sit in open, legs-dangling seats mounted above the track rather than straddling a traditional floored car.
SeaWorld Orlando does have a true hyper coaster on-site: Mako, which stands 200 feet tall and reaches 73 mph. If you’re comparing the two, Kraken delivers its intensity through inversions and underground dives rather than sheer height, while Mako is built for long airtime hills and out-and-back speed typical of the hyper coaster category.
The Ride Experience
Kraken’s layout includes seven inversions: two vertical loops, a dive loop, a zero-g roll, a cobra roll, a corkscrew, and a flat spin, all taken with an open floor beneath riders’ legs. The course also drops through three underground trenches, some passing beneath the park’s waterways, which intensify the sense of speed for riders seated in the open-air trains.
Three trains, each carrying 32 riders across eight rows of four, cycle through the station to keep the line moving at a theoretical capacity of about 1,500 riders per hour.
Height Requirements and Who Can Ride
Riders must be at least 54 inches tall to board Kraken, and it uses an over-the-shoulder restraint rather than a lap bar, so riders need to fit securely within that harness — SeaWorld’s height/weight guidance at the ride entrance is the final word if you’re close to the limit. Guests using wheelchairs must transfer to the ride vehicle; SeaWorld’s accessibility staff at the entrance can walk you through boarding.
SeaWorld Orlando sells Quick Queue upgrades that grant unlimited front-of-the-line access to Kraken and other major rides, which is worth considering if you’re visiting during a busy period. Exact pricing and availability change by season, so check the official SeaWorld Orlando tickets page for current options.
History and Changes
Kraken cost an estimated $18–20 million to build and, at its 2000 debut, was the tallest and longest roller coaster in Florida. It later earned a spot in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards steel coaster rankings, peaking at #23 in 2004.
From June 2017 through the summer of 2018, the ride operated as ‘Kraken Unleashed,’ adding virtual reality headsets with an original orchestral score. The VR overlay was ultimately removed after it caused slower dispatch times and longer queues. In 2022, the coaster received a fresh paint scheme, repainting the track seafoam green with dark teal supports.
Planning Your Visit
Kraken operates during regular SeaWorld Orlando park hours, which shift seasonally and around special events, so it’s worth checking showtimes the day of your visit rather than relying on a fixed schedule. General admission includes Kraken at no extra charge; the optional Quick Queue add-ons exist purely to skip the standby line, not to unlock the ride itself.
For current operating hours, ticket pricing, and any temporary closures, check the official SeaWorld Orlando Kraken page, which is the most reliable source for up-to-date park information.
Kraken SeaWorld Orlando stats FAQs
How fast does Kraken go at SeaWorld?
Kraken’s top speed is 65 mph, reached during its first drop and carried through the opening vertical loop.
What is Kraken’s height?
Kraken stands 153 feet tall. Some older sources list it at around 149 feet, depending on whether the support structure or the track’s highest point is measured.
What is Kraken’s drop height?
Kraken’s first drop measures 144 feet, which sends the train straight into its opening loop at close to top speed.
How long is the Kraken ride?
The track measures 4,177 feet, and a full circuit takes about 2 minutes 2 seconds from launch to final brake run.
Does Kraken have strong g-forces?
SeaWorld and B&M don’t publish an official g-force figure for Kraken, but the floorless, over-the-shoulder restraint design makes the seven inversions and first drop feel more intense than the raw speed and height numbers suggest.
Is Kraken a hyper coaster?
No. Hyper coasters are defined as having a height or drop of at least 200 feet. Kraken, at 153 feet, is classified as a floorless coaster rather than a hyper coaster. SeaWorld Orlando’s actual hyper coaster is Mako, at 200 feet.
What is the height requirement to ride Kraken?
Riders must be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall to board Kraken.
Does Kraken still have virtual reality?
No. The VR overlay used during the ‘Kraken Unleashed’ period (2017–2018) was permanently removed due to slower ride dispatches.
How many inversions does Kraken have?
Kraken has seven inversions: two vertical loops, a dive loop, a zero-g roll, a cobra roll, a corkscrew, and a flat spin.
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