Decades-old coaster at SeaWorld is getting a major update – San Diego Union-Tribune

SeaWorld San Diego’s very first roller coaster — Journey to Atlantis — will be getting an update in 2025, a year after the ride celebrated its 20th anniversary, the theme park announced Friday.

Details so far are skimpy, but the park said that the ride, while staying true to its original concept, will add new elements “to create a more exciting and immersive experience than ever before.” That means a refreshed storyline, as well as new water elements and special visual effects.

SeaWorld spokesperson Tracy Spahr said Friday that the park would share more details on the ride makeover once they’re available. Part roller coaster, part flume ride, the attraction ends with a downward plunge and modest splash of water. It’s currently down for planned maintenance, she said, and the refresh of the coaster will happen at the same time, meaning that it will not reopen until the makeover debuts in 2025.

Meanwhile, a new park attraction that was supposed to debut this year — Jewels of the Sea: A Jellyfish Experience — has been postponed until next year. SeaWorld said Friday that it will now open in spring of 2025. Housed in the park’s former Clydesdale barn near Journey to Atlantis, it will be designed to allow visitors to see up close the tentacled creatures in a three-room gallery that will be enhanced with special lighting and theming. SeaWorld describes it as a first-of-its-kind exhibit for any of the three marine parks.

“While we hoped to introduce this exciting new aquarium to our fans this year, sometimes it takes longer than expected to bring things to life,” Spahr said. “We know the experience of Jewels of the Sea will be worth the wait, our guests have been asking for another animal exhibit and we listened, and we want to make sure every detail from floor to ceiling is exceptional and exceeds expectations.”

The exhibit will feature one of the nation’s tallest jelly cylinders in the country at 18 feet tall, as well as a touchable globe of cascading water and jellyfish.