Roman Rapids

[Merboy]

Roman Rapids is massively under-themed, has a terrible layout featuring massive straight lines and 30 minutes of sitting in the sun before returning to the load platform, and is located at a dead end behind a gift shop and a terrible restaurant.

It needs removing please.

This sums it up concisely and I agree that all of these points are perfectly valid justification for the removal of RR, but even so losing that ride would break my heart. It's been there forever, which I know is not a reason for keeping it, but it has such a place in my heart. Couldn't at least some of these issues be resolved? Keeping the queue line out of the sun, adding better theming elements, fixing the broken waterfalls and such, opening the dead end (possibly to a hypothetical Spain?), and reconfiguring the layout? I mean the rotating platform alone is a ride unto itself. Watching people walk like drunks is half the reason I ride.

 

[Lord Robert]

I actually don't mind Roman Rapids as some on here are, but I do agree that some things about it could be so much better; but like Merboy said, it seems to be an easy fix.

 

[James]

It's saving grace is its location. But I never want to see it go. To me even though it's not the best ride in the park, it's still something that makes me feel and see the old BGW I knew as a kid. So for that reason I always want it to stay.

 

[Thomas]

The Soviet Uniom existed when some of us were kids so let's bring that back too.

 

[Ghost of Pretzel Kaiser]

The Soviet Uniom existed when some of us were kids so let's bring that back too.

I've got some good news for you then...

 

[SLC Headache]

In light of the recent announcement of the closure of a different ride with steep staffing requirements, high maintenance costs, inconsistent ridership numbers, and a limited operating calendar, I just want to say something about Roman Rapids:

Fuck this ride. Everything about it is bad. It is one of the worst rapids rides I've ever ridden and, somehow, the park keeps managing to make it even worse. How Roman Rapids outlived DarKastle, I'll never know.

That is all.

While I agree some reasons why I think it managed to stick around:
- Little profit in selling the parts.  Rapids rides are rapidly (pun intended) being pulled from parks.  There's little reason for a park to buy the parts.  Meanwhile the technology in the parts from DarKastle is still worth something.

- Cost of removal of the ride.  With DarKastle, with the building staying, it's not that expansive to empty, as opposed to Roman Rapids, which would require taking out all the pipelines, cement barriers, pathways, and other items like that.

- Disturbance to Apollo.  Taking out RR at this point may effect the footers of Apollo.  This one is my biggest guess of the three.

Trust me, I would rather see RR go before DK, but I would think at looking at cost of keeping vs cost of selling off parts, the gain from DK is greater than the gain from RR.

At the risk of sounding completely ignorant, couldn't they just fill it all in if they close it? Only needing to rip out water features, not the actual path the ride took.

 

[warfelg]

At the risk of sounding completely ignorant, couldn't they just fill it all in if they close it? Only needing to rip out water features, not the actual path the ride took.

Theoretically they could. But with national S4W (Storm water management) guidelines, even underground that's an impermeable surface which would mean storm water management elsewhere if they ever wanted to pave some more in that area they would have to take it out. To add in, if they ever wanted to rebuild over it with something else, they would also have to most likely remove the path out.

 

[Celticdog]

Imagine if they would take the ride and utilize the trench for Howl-o-scream. A creepy and claustrophobic pathway with stuff hanging down from above. Things dropping in, stuff jumping over. It could really be a frightening experience.

 

[SLC Headache]

Imagine if they would take the ride and utilize the trench for Howl-o-scream. A creepy and claustrophobic pathway with stuff hanging down from above. Things dropping in, stuff jumping over. It could really be a frightening experience.

Would they even need to permanently close the ride for this? I could see them closing it on Labor Day and having enough time to set up a trail.

 

[Shane]

At the risk of sounding completely ignorant, couldn't they just fill it all in if they close it? Only needing to rip out water features, not the actual path the ride took.

That's what they did with the one that was at the former Operyland Themepark before they decided to close the park and build a shopping mall. A good portion of the rapid's ride channel was left and is now mostly covered by dirt, parts of concrete retaining walls are still visible in several places.

Imagine if they would take the ride and utilize the trench for Howl-o-scream. A creepy and claustrophobic pathway with stuff hanging down from above. Things dropping in, stuff jumping over. It could really be a frightening experience.

Would they even need to permanently close the ride for this? I could see them closing it on Labor Day and having enough time to set up a trail.

You know what, normally I would say they couldn't do this due to the ride's water supply system and other obstacles that are in the layout, but after seeing the park put a haunted house inside DarKastle and working around the rides guide rail, I think they totally could do something like that. They'd have to build a structure to get you own into it and out of it again though. I don't think they'd let you climb out on that conveyor.

 

[wombat96]

Imagine if they would take the ride and utilize the trench for Howl-o-scream. A creepy and claustrophobic pathway with stuff hanging down from above. Things dropping in, stuff jumping over. It could really be a frightening experience.

Just saying Kennywood Fright Nights does have a house in the troughs of their rapids themed to a bayou and it looks extremely atmospheric. I think the main problem would be getting guests from the conveyor area back to the turntable. Although, the park has proven to be very slick in finding ways to squeeze in houses in places we least except.

 

[tursiops]

Does anyone know if Roman Rapids will be open anytime soon? It had no water in it today.

 

[Zachary]

Does anyone know if Roman Rapids will be open anytime soon? It had no water in it today.

Roman Rapids is open seasonally these days (read: when the park is busy). It was open last Sunday. May not operate during the week until crowds get heavier.

 

[Jahrules]

Roman Rapids is open seasonally these days (read: when the park is busy). It was open last Sunday. May not operate during the week until crowds get heavier.

It was also 95 degrees on Sunday. Temps do play a factor since fewer people want to get soaked when it's cooler out.

 

[gardener14]

No waterfalls yesterday or today. Both the one at the statue near the beginning and the ones off the long wall at the end are off. Does anyone know what's up?

 

[The Quist]

Clearly the Gods aren't happy after being cut-off from the live stream on Tuesday.

 

[Lord Robert]

Clearly someone in park management is going to have to please Neptune somehow.

 

[jonfin826]

Honestly I kinda wish they would close this ride and just try again. It's so bland compared to the one at KD.

 

[Lord Robert]

At has better theming and get's me soaked more in comparison to WWC at KD. Just sayin'.

 

[GrandpaD]

Honestly I kinda wish they would close this ride and just try again. It's so bland compared to the one at KD.

So many big dollar additions coming and some needed (someone say dark ride?) but after seeing what Knott's did, hopefully this antique is on a rehab list somewhere. (Probably for BGW's 80th anniversary)