However the water rides typically draw in the longest lines during the summer. Having an extra ride open will increase the likelihood people come to do said rides.
Roman Rapids
- Thread starter Zachary
- Start date
Drachen Fire was SBNO from Fall 1998 - 2002 when it was demolished.
They may close it if they find it's a good option for them. I wouldn't call it really giving up more than making a good business decision. I don't think they will, they've put a lot of man hours into modifying the trough this year. Only time will tell though. It's my understanding there's no plans to remove Rapids
The park REALLY wants to keep it and open it. That said there currently are significant issues that will have to be addressed in the off season and we all know what tge corporate over reach has been on budgeting lately so a call from above to keep it closed isn't impossible but I think it's highly likely it's open in some form by memorial day 2023.
I wrote about the Roman Rapids situation. Spoiler: The problems are... significant.
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I'll take one Infinity Falls please.
Not exactly apples to apples, and it is a different time, but this is the same park that knew how valuable Le Scoot was and opted to undergo extensive refurbishment instead of removal. The park and Intamin have had and will continue to have so much business with each other, they will want it settled as well.
Unironically, Infinity Falls' lift, drop, and runout can fit on the back stretch of Roman Rapids' course. I don't think we're likely to see an investment this large, but if there's ever a time to do it, it's definitely right now.
Infinitus Falls anyone?
(And yes, that is to scale.)
Not to throw cold water on this idea but that outline places it awfully close to Apollo's supports.
You'd have to imagine any significant investment here would obviously keep it closed in 2023 and push the opening of the Spire to 2025? Alternatively you create a version of Roman Rapids that can limp through a 2023 and 2024 season before an honest makeover in 2025.
Yeah, I know, but I'm pretty certain it can be designed to fit without any issue. Worst case scenario though, they have to shorten the runout a little and cut five feet or something off the drop, I don't think anyone would care.
The packed addition schedule is certainly part of the reason I highly doubt something like this would happen.
That said, to play devil's advocate, if DarKoaster opens in February-ish and an updated version of Roman Rapids' were to open in the summer, maybe the park could justify it with a little new attraction marketing double dipping?
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Alternatively and I am not necessarily advocating this maybe the park could pitch a doubling down on BGW over a WCUSA and BGW addition.
I thought about this when I first rode Infinity Falls. They could reprogram the ride so that a certain number of boats would get held at that block brake section behind La Cucina if the elevator lift gets backed up.
Another side to that is, if you think Roman Rapids is down a lot now, that elevator lift on Infinity Falls is what SeaWorld has the most issues with on that ride. Adding it to something that's already faulty is pretty risky. That being said, I don't seeing it being very complicated to add the lift and drop. It's the perfect spot for a potential elevator lift. There is already a path back there for evacuations and everything. I'm all for a ramp up a very boring part of the ride. I do wish there was a way to keep the waterfalls though. I see it being a hazzard if the raft is slowing down after the drop and immediately going through waterfalls. Perhaps if the slowdown part stopped just short of them, it would work great.
With this, I could see updating the restaurant over there, or tearing it and the bathrooms down and starting over. Building something new, indoors, with air conditioning and new bathrooms would be great.
I feel a "Back of Festa Italia Overhaul" concept comin' on @AIR!
Wonder if Intamin would offer a discount for the engineering mishap on the new boats? Sure seems like SEAS is giving them lots of business lately.
I think something like that is probably exactly our best hope. "Hey, since we have to do all this work anyway, want buy a little somethin' extra...?" Seems to have worked once already with DarKoaster.
Since Mach Tower closure is now official, it's worth asking if anyone has heard any updates on Rapids work? Not sure exactly what had to be done with the new rafts and how much time they need to complete required work, but curious if anything knows anything more? Last time I visited the park in late October I did not see any visible signs of work yet. Then again work could start sometime in the spring.
It's still so crazy to me that this ride hasn't been open since 2019! Hopefully, Scott Ross does not interfere with any additional investments needed to finally reopen this ride in May of next year.
It's still so crazy to me that this ride hasn't been open since 2019! Hopefully, Scott Ross does not interfere with any additional investments needed to finally reopen this ride in May of next year.
Last I heard, they were making major modifications to the ride trough and system to make the water deeper and accommodate the newly purchased rafts. The way it ran during testing was not acceptable. There was a short time this past summer where the ride could run for staff training.
As much as I enjoyed the ride as a kid, I don't understand the desire to sink deep costs on upgrades.
One would think for what they're spending they could retrofit one of the newer lift/drop systems and market it as a new ride, though I guess they won't until EfP is dead and gone.
One would think for what they're spending they could retrofit one of the newer lift/drop systems and market it as a new ride, though I guess they won't until EfP is dead and gone.
Very true, it's not the best Rapids style ride with the short length and often long wait times in the summer. Though, I would hope that repairs can be made so that there's 3 water attractions in the summer months (much needed) until a new water attraction is built.
Also long live EFP, would hate to see that ride go as it's a one of a kind shoot-the-chutes ride and such an iconic landmark in the park.
Also long live EFP, would hate to see that ride go as it's a one of a kind shoot-the-chutes ride and such an iconic landmark in the park.
Considering the numerous times Le Scoot was down this summer (was running twice out of my many visits) I hope whatever issues it had this year will be fixed so they'll actually have 3 water attractions running in '23.