SAN ANTONIO – Journey to Atlantis, the newest addition to the SeaWorld San Antonio skyline will open May 12, according to park officials. The combination roller coaster and water ride, the first of its kind in the U.S.A., soars nearly 100 feet in the air, with a camelback and a twist – riders enjoy a portion of the ride backwards.
"Journey to Atlantis will open two weeks early. This is great news for our passholders and other guests who have been anticipating this new family ride," said Dan Decker, executive vice president and general manager for SeaWorld San Antonio. "The mild San Antonio winter and a great project management team allowed for an uninterrupted construction schedule."
The Journey to Atlantis experience will begin with sixteen passengers boarding boats from a dome-shaped queue building. Traveling uphill, the boats spin on a turntable when they reach the first plateau, rotating up to 360 degrees. Riders experience a breathtaking view of San Antonio and SeaWorld from atop their 100-foot-high viewpoint. After the initial spin, boats are propelled backwards down a reverse camelback. At the crest of the second hill, the boats rotate again before plunging down the final hill and splashing into a lake and through geysers and water spouts. The equilibrium-busting ride lasts 3 1/2 minutes.
"Construction is nearly complete on Journey to Atlantis; we are moving into our commissioning, testing and training phases," Decker said. "As well, our painting, landscaping and merchandise teams are putting finishing touches on the ride area."
The park will host broadcast media to a sneak preview of the ride on Friday, May 11 and open the ride to guests on Saturday, May 12.
SeaWorld San Antonio is open weekends but switches to its daily operating schedule May 25. Days and hours of operation vary with the season; potential visitors should check seaworld.com or call (800) 700-7786 for operating schedule.
SeaWorld San Antonio is an Anheuser-Busch Adventure Park. Other Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks are Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Fla., and Williamsburg, Va.; SeaWorld Adventure Parks in Orlando and San Diego; Water Country USA in Williamsburg; Adventure Island in Tampa Bay; Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pa., near Philadelphia; and Discovery Cove, an interactive animal park in Orlando. Aquatica, SeaWorld's water park, is under construction in Orlando and is scheduled to open next spring. To learn more about the Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks, visit the parks' Web site at www.seaworld.com. | 