WaterWorks Transforms into Soak City for 2015
- Thread starter Zachary
- Start date
RE: Major WaterWorks Expansion for 2015
Lil' Barefoot Beach is a pretty bad children's area. It basically consists of a small slide, a wading area, some spray noodles, and some swings. It's also quite small and gets crowded frequently. This should help make the water park, particularly the front half, much better for younger ones. It also seems like a decent non-slide addition and maybe it will add some vitality to the "island" it's going into.
Lil' Barefoot Beach is a pretty bad children's area. It basically consists of a small slide, a wading area, some spray noodles, and some swings. It's also quite small and gets crowded frequently. This should help make the water park, particularly the front half, much better for younger ones. It also seems like a decent non-slide addition and maybe it will add some vitality to the "island" it's going into.
RE: Major WaterWorks Expansion for 2015
Given all the major infrastructure upgrades and additions for next year, (new & expanded restrooms/changing areas, new food stand location, plus the new water attractions), I wonder if the park is setting up for more future expansions.
I would think there will be major utility work to run the electric, water and sewer lines to the new restrooms, food location, and the new spray ground and slide complex this off-season. Makes me wonder if the park will extend the electric & water/sewer lines out to potential future new attraction sites in the water park.
Since, the original Hurricane Reef water park opened in 1992, the last two expansions were 7-8 years apart. With the 3rd expansion/renovation set for next year, I get the feeling it will not take another 7-8 years to see something new in the water park. I would not be surprised, if 1 or 2 new slide complexes are added in the next 3-4 years.
Given all the major infrastructure upgrades and additions for next year, (new & expanded restrooms/changing areas, new food stand location, plus the new water attractions), I wonder if the park is setting up for more future expansions.
I would think there will be major utility work to run the electric, water and sewer lines to the new restrooms, food location, and the new spray ground and slide complex this off-season. Makes me wonder if the park will extend the electric & water/sewer lines out to potential future new attraction sites in the water park.
Since, the original Hurricane Reef water park opened in 1992, the last two expansions were 7-8 years apart. With the 3rd expansion/renovation set for next year, I get the feeling it will not take another 7-8 years to see something new in the water park. I would not be surprised, if 1 or 2 new slide complexes are added in the next 3-4 years.
RE: Major WaterWorks Expansion for 2015
Looks like the #KD40 trends are carrying over into the WaterWorks expansion! According to a 1992 map of Hurricane Reef, the water park's original children's area was called Splash Island. So the new children's area is actually a throwback to the Hurricane Reef days!
Looks like the #KD40 trends are carrying over into the WaterWorks expansion! According to a 1992 map of Hurricane Reef, the water park's original children's area was called Splash Island. So the new children's area is actually a throwback to the Hurricane Reef days!
RE: Major WaterWorks Expansion for 2015
Yup. I was not able to get any photos during the day so I did not bother. The entire slide is gone it is only the platform now.
Yup. I was not able to get any photos during the day so I did not bother. The entire slide is gone it is only the platform now.
RE: Major WaterWorks Expansion for 2015
Here's a horrible picture I took.
[Instagram=http://instagram.com/p/u6Pvf7EQJG/]
And here's another one, taken by Instagram user coasterdood16:
[Instagram=http://instagram.com/p/u5SCTrOpIE/]
The entire slide is gone, and its trough is currently sitting in front of Baja Bends. So far this is the only evidence of construction/destruction work in WaterWorks.
Here's a horrible picture I took.
[Instagram=http://instagram.com/p/u6Pvf7EQJG/]
And here's another one, taken by Instagram user coasterdood16:
[Instagram=http://instagram.com/p/u5SCTrOpIE/]
The entire slide is gone, and its trough is currently sitting in front of Baja Bends. So far this is the only evidence of construction/destruction work in WaterWorks.
RE: Major WaterWorks Expansion for 2015
Given that the water park does not open until Memorial Day weekend, I did not expect any work being done until the park closed for the season.
But, given the amount of infrastructure changes needed to expand/renovate the existing bathhouses and add new restrooms, I guess they need to get started now to dig up the ground and lay down new water/sewer lines for those facilities and for the new slide complex and water playground. I assume some areas of existing concrete pathways and plazas will need to be removed for that construction purpose and maybe some of it is just part of the general renovation process.
Plus, we don't know exactly what renovation/refurbishment will occur on the existing attractions in the water park (new paint on the slides, slide splash pools / wave pools surface refinished/re-painted, existing concrete walkways refinished, etc.)
Given that the water park does not open until Memorial Day weekend, I did not expect any work being done until the park closed for the season.
But, given the amount of infrastructure changes needed to expand/renovate the existing bathhouses and add new restrooms, I guess they need to get started now to dig up the ground and lay down new water/sewer lines for those facilities and for the new slide complex and water playground. I assume some areas of existing concrete pathways and plazas will need to be removed for that construction purpose and maybe some of it is just part of the general renovation process.
Plus, we don't know exactly what renovation/refurbishment will occur on the existing attractions in the water park (new paint on the slides, slide splash pools / wave pools surface refinished/re-painted, existing concrete walkways refinished, etc.)
RE: Major WaterWorks Expansion for 2015
The existing slides and water system could use some work. It does look pretty gross at times.
The existing slides and water system could use some work. It does look pretty gross at times.
RE: Major WaterWorks Expansion for 2015
As far as taking down attractions, that should always happen very soon. Then you don't have to worry about it and can solely worry about getting the new stuff in.
I really hope they fix the water temperature in these slides. It is extremely bad.
As far as taking down attractions, that should always happen very soon. Then you don't have to worry about it and can solely worry about getting the new stuff in.
I really hope they fix the water temperature in these slides. It is extremely bad.
RE: Major WaterWorks Expansion for 2015
Kings Dominion just posted 12 photos of the demo of Shoot the Curl slide complex on Facebook.
Shoot the Curl Demo
Kings Dominion just posted 12 photos of the demo of Shoot the Curl slide complex on Facebook.
Shoot the Curl Demo
RE: Major WaterWorks Expansion for 2015
Guys. I think I finally figured out why Shoot the Curl was really removed!
I was examining the former Shoot the Curl area on the map and noticed the queue path leading up to where the slide tower was is still in place. However, it appears to be widened and extended past where the slide tower was, and seems to stretch all the way around to the main entrance plaza, near the Freestylin' slide. See the diagram I made, below.
In the diagram, the purple circled area represents about where the original queue path went, the star is where the slide tower was, and the red circle shows the area of the entire path as it will be in 2015.
This is actually a brilliant move. As of now, the only way to get to any part of WaterWorks is to go past Tornado and cross the bridge into the island between the lazy river. This was especially tedious and created lots of unnecessary bottlenecking and extra walking to get to the back half of WaterWorks. With this new path, guests will be able to bypass the whole "island" area and have a more direct route to the back half of WaterWorks.
This new path will also connect the whole area much better, creating a full circuit in at least the front half of WaterWorks so the whole area won't feel like a giant dead end. Another advantage this will bring is allowing better access to the Freestylin' slide. Right now, the only way to get to this slide is to trek back through the entire "island" area and make your way through the entry pavilion. This slide is so off-to-the-side from the rest of the waterpark that it takes an undeserved amount of walking to reach, and I never feel like leaving the "mainland" to ride it. This new path will lead straight to Freestylin's queue and should definitely better connect this attraction to the rest of the park.
Now, it's just a path, but at least we now see some reasoning behind the removal of the Shoot the Curl slide. Interesting things are happening over in WaterWorks!
Guys. I think I finally figured out why Shoot the Curl was really removed!
I was examining the former Shoot the Curl area on the map and noticed the queue path leading up to where the slide tower was is still in place. However, it appears to be widened and extended past where the slide tower was, and seems to stretch all the way around to the main entrance plaza, near the Freestylin' slide. See the diagram I made, below.
In the diagram, the purple circled area represents about where the original queue path went, the star is where the slide tower was, and the red circle shows the area of the entire path as it will be in 2015.
This is actually a brilliant move. As of now, the only way to get to any part of WaterWorks is to go past Tornado and cross the bridge into the island between the lazy river. This was especially tedious and created lots of unnecessary bottlenecking and extra walking to get to the back half of WaterWorks. With this new path, guests will be able to bypass the whole "island" area and have a more direct route to the back half of WaterWorks.
This new path will also connect the whole area much better, creating a full circuit in at least the front half of WaterWorks so the whole area won't feel like a giant dead end. Another advantage this will bring is allowing better access to the Freestylin' slide. Right now, the only way to get to this slide is to trek back through the entire "island" area and make your way through the entry pavilion. This slide is so off-to-the-side from the rest of the waterpark that it takes an undeserved amount of walking to reach, and I never feel like leaving the "mainland" to ride it. This new path will lead straight to Freestylin's queue and should definitely better connect this attraction to the rest of the park.
Now, it's just a path, but at least we now see some reasoning behind the removal of the Shoot the Curl slide. Interesting things are happening over in WaterWorks!
RE: Major WaterWorks Expansion for 2015
Construction for the new slide complex has begun!
From the Kings Dominion Facebook page.
Construction for the new slide complex has begun!
From the Kings Dominion Facebook page.
RE: Major WaterWorks Expansion for 2015
This slide complex and the rest of the WaterWorks renovations are just what the park needed - although I still wish they were getting one more slide, like a mat-racer along Rebel Yell (opposite side of the path from Tidal Wave Bay).
Oh well, I hope they're just saving money to put towards that 2016 roller coaster....wishful thinking....
This slide complex and the rest of the WaterWorks renovations are just what the park needed - although I still wish they were getting one more slide, like a mat-racer along Rebel Yell (opposite side of the path from Tidal Wave Bay).
Oh well, I hope they're just saving money to put towards that 2016 roller coaster....wishful thinking....
RE: Major WaterWorks Expansion for 2015
As of right now Hurricane Heights is winning by a monumental 12 votes considering only 70 people have voted on it. Both logos remind me of Spongebob, for some really odd reason
You can vote here.
and here are the logos:
As of right now Hurricane Heights is winning by a monumental 12 votes considering only 70 people have voted on it. Both logos remind me of Spongebob, for some really odd reason
You can vote here.
and here are the logos:
RE: Major WaterWorks Expansion for 2015
^Dear Virginia Gazette.....
^Dear Virginia Gazette.....