Sea World
July 10th, 1999
| Sea World July 10th, 1999 |
The concept is this--a sleepy Greek fishing village suddenly finds itself staring at the mythological lost city which is still dripping with water and seaweed. Of course, there's a local named Stavros who everyone thinks is crazy because he warns of the danger lurking inside. Apparently, a fun-loving evil spirit named Allura resides within the gleaming domes of the city and is enticing unwitting souls to a watery grave! Still, not heeding his warnings, we board tiny fishing boats for a peek inside the newly risen city. Stavros sends a magical guide, a cute little seahorse, to escort us safely through. The freakiness begins The little seahorse is staring with terror at something as we round a bend. Well gee, no wonder the little fella is shaking. Allura's eyes peer at us from the ceiling and then, she advances down quickly, baring a head full of serpents and jagged daggers for teeth. Zoiks! The music shifts into high gear and we're climbing upwards towards those hateful eyes, hearing her demonic laughter, enveloped in green, sultry mist, closing in until we break free into sunlight and notice that, hey--this thing isn't moving like a boat anymore. But you can't see anything because the mist hangs thick everywhere, and the vessel hurtles forward, turning around and then encountering a lift. There's plenty of time to contemplate your fate here as the the boat crests the rise and narrowly avoids getting soaked by water cannons before entering the ten-story tower. It's a hair-raising plunge that sends us screaming down into the lagoon outside. It ain't over till it's over In the spring of 2000, JTA will get a next-door neighbor in the form of Kraken, a B&M "floorless" coaster standing 151 feet high, 4,177 feet long and lasting over 3 minutes and 40 seconds. At that point, Sea World will have both a hit and a myth right next to each other.
Over the past ten years, plenty of developments have taken place in the evolution of theme parks, particularly rollercoasters and water rides. Starting sometime around the late 80's, these two thrill mainstays have been combined in numerous ways to create hybrid entertainment unlike anything ever experienced before. I'm happy to say that this is most definitely the case with Journey To Atlantis.
Twinkling bells and a dramatic soundtrack culled from a couple of Danny Elfman compositions greets us as we slip into the palace. A mermaid appears and asks us not to be afraid, golden visions of the kingdom glow in the darkness and an archway opens up into a splendidly decorated room filled with gold curtains and shimmering fountains. A statue's face springs to life and a laughing Allura greets our passing boat, but something is awfully creepy about her face, and as her laughter mutates into a gurgling, awful sound--a blue sheen crawls over her visage and the features drain down the front of her stone body, vanishing into the urn that she carries and then spraying out in a stream over the boat. The stream leapfrogs across the river in which we float until it hits a fountain which Allura's face looms out of. "Now you've done it!" she screams. "You and your little friend are no longer welcome here!" she says, eyes bulging and changing colors. At this point, the paranoia set in and I began peering through the fog to see what was happening next, water was shooting everywhere but somehow we were still dry.
Gaaaah!
This is usually where other rides end, but Allura's just getting started. Floating you past a bank of water guns, she commands guests to shoot you as you're poised like sitting ducks, then we tip over the edge of a raging falls and accompanied by a great burst of music, she informs us that we're not going anywhere. Back up a huge lift, we re-enter the ancient city and are greeted by a spooky setting of candles and corridors. Again, the boat seems to be possessed, free of the water, we quickly pick up speed and careen towards a waterfall directly in our path. Allura screams, "no, NO!" and we drop through the mist and into a diabolic "S"-shaped rollercoaster dive, falling downwards, bounding upwards, whizzing along to a dizzying music cue and finally splashing down into the lagoon once again. Is it over? This time, yes--and believe me--you'll be talking about that last drop for quite awhile. Front seat riders will end up with a lap full of water for certain, dry-seekers should aim for the middle of the boat.
Journey To Atlantis earns high marks for its dramatic theming and spell-binding special effects. Most of the rides over-the-top water effects have been reigned-in due to guest complaints (the last waterfall is simulated, but it sure looks real) but you still get plenty soaked enough to guarantee refreshment on one of those hot Orlando days.