Knott’s Soak City just put two named 2027 slides on the calendar for Southern California water-park planners. Coral Craze and Kelp Kraze will replace the current Shore Break complex, which means 2026 season ticket and multi-day park decisions should already separate “ride Shore Break this year” from “wait for the 2027 rebuild.”
Knott’s Berry Farm’s official New in 2027 page introduces both attractions as family raft rides debuting in 2027 with never-before-seen thrills for the region. Laughing Place’s same-day report adds the manufacturer and replacement detail: ProSlide is building the pair, and they will take the place of Shore Break after the National Waterpark Day announcement on July 28, 2026.
- What: Coral Craze and Kelp Kraze family raft slides announced for Soak City.
- When: 2027 debut; exact opening date still to come.
- Where: Knott’s Soak City in Buena Park, next to Knott’s Berry Farm.
- Replacement: Both rides replace the current Shore Break slide complex.
- Action: Ride Shore Break in 2026 if it is a must; plan 2027 for the new pair.
What Coral Craze and Kelp Kraze are supposed to feel like
Coral Craze is described as the West Coast’s first triple Family FlyingSAUCER attraction. Up to five riders share a raft that launches into high-speed, steeply banked turns inspired by ski-course energy rather than a simple open flume drop.
The park’s page highlights Flying SAUCER elements that accelerate rafts through sweeping, gravity-defying maneuvers. That language is product marketing, but the capacity and format are concrete: multi-person raft, banked turns, family-oriented throughput rather than a single-rider body slide only.
Kelp Kraze is positioned as North America’s first double Family HIVE attraction and the West Coast’s only Family HIVE, plus the longest Family HIVE ride in the United States according to specialist coverage. Riders move through tight turns and spiraling helix sections designed to feel as if the slide is revolving around the raft.
Translucent walls are part of the Kelp Kraze pitch, with panoramic views of the park below as rafts race along outer walls. For families who want a shared raft photo moment rather than a dark enclosed tube only, that is the traveler-facing difference.
Both rides sit on either side of a raft conveyor in the published concept, which matters for queue flow and how Soak City will re-center traffic once Shore Break is gone.
Why the Shore Break replacement changes 2026 trips
Shore Break is not a minor side slide. Laughing Place notes the seven-story complex includes six waterslide experiences and Aqua-Launch freefall chambers that many Buena Park day guests treat as a must-do tower.
When a park announces a 2027 replacement, the practical question for 2026 is simple: do you still need Shore Break on this year’s visit? If yes, prioritize Soak City on a 2026 operating day before construction removes that tower from the map.
If your party is mostly small children who never rode Shore Break’s launch chambers, the 2027 family-raft focus may be a better match than forcing a 2026 tower day. Match the product to the group, not the press-release excitement alone.
Construction timelines after a July announcement can still shift. Treat “debuting in 2027” as a season goal until Knott’s publishes an exact opening week, ticket packaging, and any temporary closed-zone maps.
Deep Arrival’s Knott’s Berry Farm guide remains the place to plan the dry-park half of a combined day, while Soak City stays a separately gated water park next door.
How to plan Buena Park around a 2027 water-park rebuild
For 2026 visits, check the current Soak City calendar first. The water park’s 2026 season is already framed around select dates from mid-May through early September, so a random midweek in October is not a substitute plan.
If you hold a 2026 Southern California multi-park trip, decide whether Soak City is a full day or a heat-escape half day after Knott’s Berry Farm. Shore Break may still be the best reason to buy a water-park ticket this year.
For 2027 planning, wait for the official opening window before stacking nonrefundable hotel nights only for the new slides. Hotel rates around Buena Park and Anaheim move with Disney and regional events, not only Soak City hardware.
Anaheim remains the larger hotel and transit hub for many visitors who day-trip to Buena Park. Use Deep Arrival’s Anaheim things to do guide when you are building a multi-day base that includes both Disneyland Resort and Knott’s area parks.
Families who need high-capacity raft rides should watch for height requirements, life-jacket rules, and single-rider policies when they publish closer to opening. Those details are not on the teaser page yet and will control whether a five-person raft is usable for your exact group.
If you already bought 2026 Soak City tickets or a combo plan, do not assume the 2027 slides change those tickets. The announcement is a product roadmap, not an automatic upgrade notice for this year’s entry.
Photographers and first-timer families who want the current Shore Break tower skyline should capture it this season. Once the complex comes down for the ProSlide pair, the water-park silhouette and queue paths will change even if the rest of Soak City’s wave pool and lazy river stay familiar.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Want Shore Break freefall launches | Prioritize a 2026 Soak City day before the complex is replaced. |
| Prefer multi-person family raft rides | Track 2027 Coral Craze and Kelp Kraze opening details before booking hotels. |
| Visit only in the off-season | Confirm Soak City operating dates; water-park calendars are seasonal. |
| Are stacking Disney and Knott’s | Keep Buena Park flexible until 2027 hours and ticket bundles appear. |
| Travel with mixed ages and heights | Wait for published ride requirements before promising the new slides. |
- 2026: Shore Break remains the known tower product for this season only.
- 2027: Plan around two ProSlide family raft attractions, not the old Shore Break map.
- Tickets: Do not assume 2026 season passes automatically include unannounced 2027 opening perks.
- Hotels: Hold flexible Buena Park or Anaheim nights until an exact debut window posts.
- Kids: Verify raft capacity and height rules when Knott’s publishes them.
- Exact 2027 open date: Still promised for later months, not yet fixed.
- Construction closures: Shore Break removal timing inside the 2026 or 2027 calendar.
- Ticket packaging: Whether new-slide debut days use special pricing or included season access.
- Height and safety rules: Family raft requirements for Coral Craze and Kelp Kraze.
The clean planning split is year-based. Use 2026 if Shore Break is on your list. Use 2027 when Coral Craze and Kelp Kraze publish a real open week, ride rules, and operating calendar you can trust for hotel and flight holds.
Until that open week is public, keep nonrefundable air and park-hopper style assumptions loose. A water-park debut can slip by weeks without changing the official “2027” label on a teaser page.
When do Coral Craze and Kelp Kraze open at Knott’s Soak City?
Knott’s says both attractions debut in 2027. An exact opening date has not been published yet and is promised for later updates.
What happens to Shore Break?
The new pair will replace the current Shore Break slide complex. Guests who want Shore Break should visit during remaining 2026 Soak City operating days.
How many people can ride together?
Both Coral Craze and Kelp Kraze are described as family raft attractions for up to five riders per raft, subject to final posted rules.
Who is building the new slides?
Specialist reporting identifies ProSlide as the manufacturer working with Six Flags and the Knott’s Soak City team on both attractions.
Is Soak City the same ticket as Knott’s Berry Farm?
No. Soak City is a separately gated water park next to Knott’s Berry Farm, so confirm water-park tickets and dates separately from dry-park admission.
