Hello from an IOACentral member. (:
JAWS was closed unexpectedly on September 15th. At the same time, many of the fire effects were turned off or toned down in several rides (Spider-Man, Mummy) due to gas prices. JAWS is the most expensive ride in the park to maintain, and it relies heavily on gas. The official word that was given and is still be given to guests is that the ride was down for maintenance. For the first several weeks, no work was done at all on the ride although in recent weeks, there has been some maintenance performed.
There was an article in the local paper at the time that JAWS closed stating that the ride was being turned into a "seasonal" attraction and would be open for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. It is scheduled to reopen December 16th. No word on how long it will be open.
Employees are fairly divided on if JAWS is closing for good or not. Some swear it is. Some swear it isn't. Most people that argue that JAWS isn't going away claim that Universal wouldn't close a ride that is the basis of the themeing in the area (Amity).
Personally, I plan to ride JAWS as much as possible in December because I think it's going to be closed forever soon.
