A mythical Kraken sea monster lurking in the ancient sunken city of Atlantis attacks riders who must find a way to escape on SeaWorld San Diego’s aging water coaster after an extensive refurbishment that has added a new backstory and special effects.
The Journey to Atlantis water coaster has reopened after a 10-month renovation and reimagining of the attraction at the San Diego marine park.
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The 2004 Mack Rides water coaster that blends roller coaster thrills with water flume splashdowns has shed much of its original Commerson’s dolphin habitat, theme and show elements over the past two decades of operation.
The reimagining of Journey to Atlantis adds new storytelling that explores the legend of the lost civilization of the powerful island kingdom that sank into the ocean.
The 5-minute hybrid flume-coaster ride reaches a top speed of 42 mph with two splashdowns after climbing to a height of 95 feet, according to Roller Coaster Database.
The new backstory for the Journey to Atlantis takes riders on an epic underwater voyage to uncover the secrets of the long-lost mythical city of ancient wonders and oceanic majesty.
The sunken city of Atlantis has been hiding for centuries in San Diego’s Mission Bay in SeaWorld’s retelling of the story.
Riders will join the daring young crew of the S.E.A. Collective — dedicated to science, exploration and adventure — in a quest to uncover the ancient secrets of Atlantis.
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The new backstory begins in the attraction queue where riders can review S.E.A. Collective research, expedition maps and theories about the rise and fall of Atlantis. Riders learn that mermaids and Atlanteans guard the city from Kraken attacks and other ancient threats.
The S.E.A. Collective has also served as the unifying backstory for the Infinity Falls river raft ride at SeaWorld Orlando and the Hypersphere 360 dome ride theater at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi.
SeaWorld’s S.E.A. Collective is not to be confused with Disney’s S.E.A. society of explorers and adventurers that debuted at Tokyo DisneySea in 2001.
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Journey to Atlantis still begins with riders boarding boats and climbing a coaster lift hill that culminates in a 60-foot-tall splashdown.
The new backstory continues in the mid-ride elevator lift that carries riders up for the second half of the ride.
SeaWorld has added projection mapping, LED lighting and water effects in the pre-lift and elevator portions of the attraction where riders will explore Atlantis.
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The sequence ends with a dramatic Kraken attack when the legendary beast emerges from the sunken city and attempts to drag the boat further into the watery depths.
Riders escape the attack when they reach the top of the lift elevator and their boat descends through a series of coaster twists and turns that end in a second splashdown.