Hey guys! I was wondering all of the same things as all of you since it closed around November. Today I was pleased to see it was open for the first time in a while that I have visited, and I rode it and took note of the changes.
I was at the park to see the drained moat and roof work being done, as well as the sign that said “we are working to lift Atlantis from the sea”, but today I saw the differences.
The exterior may have received a paint job, but not much has changed at all. The cracked pieces of the mural above the first drop were not replaced, and I can’t remember if the roof tiles were new compared to the old ones, but it for the most part looks the same.
On the inside, some of the effects returned (so yay, this is sort of a win?!). In the beginning, Hermes does not show up, though when I rode it his door was stuck half open. When you first enter the coral reef, it is apparent that everything has been painted again with new UV paint, but no changes to the reef other than that. The first mermaid statue is being lit constantly, and that whole area is better illuminated. The exit in the back has a water-rippling projection on it, making that whole area brighter. Turning the corner to the temple, it has a new lighting package and no longer does that sort of spotlight thing. The coral reef was also extended a bit past the mermaid statue, with what looked like a cutout covering part of that diorama. What is most confusing to me was the back of that room.
The back of the room with the Roman ruins looks to have been gutted, with the wall seemingly showing the supports inside. This was hard to make out in the dark, but certainly was unusual. I don’t know why they did this, but if I am picturing it correctly this was above the Jewel of the Sea Aquarium, so maybe that’s it? Looking up a little light emits too from the top of where that wall was, but I don’t know if that would be the pre-coaster drop room or not.
It might also be worth noting that a few seahorses were added in late 2024, like the one in the fountain, and another I think by the first mermaid statue.
Past the ruins and under the pots which used to shoot water (they still don’t… only the last one works now), the second mermaid statue does not light up like it originally did. The room with the fountain is lighted differently, and a door is broken in a cartoony style. I don’t know why they did that, but it’s not the same as it was. The room with the crystal ball might be lit better now, less dark perhaps? I don’t fully remember the differences.
The gorgon before the drop had the most change (huzzah!!). Her eyes started glowing green at some point again in 2024, and I believe around August 2024 the tunnel around the first lift had the green spotlight turned back on at the top. This is still on, and now im addition to the glowing green eyes, the statue has a strobe light that activates, then the lights turn bright white and show off the statue, followed by a more colorful projection after that with some purples and pinks in it. This turn off after you get close to her.
Once outside, on the top of the building things are the same. The cracked concrete rocks are still cracked, and nothing there has changed. The final room before the drop also looks the same, with no notable updates (if any… the mural seemed the same to me). The drop itself is the same too, with the bottom possibly changing? The water level was low, but that may have been just something from the day that I went. Second mini-drop is the same, and the next big lift hill is also unfortunately the same too.
This disappoints me most since I was hoping it would see the most work. Once inside, it’s apparent that severe water damage has hurt the building. This is still the case. The ceiling is exposed in spots, insulation visible. The room before the coaster drop is darker than I remember, and still dusty as ever. The final coaster drop does play the sound effect of falling, but this has been the case for a while now.
In the end, the update seems a little less great than I had anticipated, but it shows the park cares about JTA’s future, which is a great sign. The loading station is still used for loading and unloading, and the Jewel of the Sea seems the same to me. Gift shop may have been painted, but I don’t really know to be honest. Hope this clears everything up for you all, I joined this website just to respond to this haha.
