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Why water rides work for all parks Water rides offer the ability to scale desired theoretical hourly ride capacity (THRC) to footprint, budget, or experience. Log Flumes or Spinning Rapids Rides are typically under 1000 rph, while large 20+ person boats, in some cases, can do 3,000 rph (such as Pirates of the Caribbean). Different ride classes fill different needs in terms of experience, from a fairly tame slow boat ride (such as It’s a Small World) to a very thrilling shoot the chute ride (Jurassic Park: The Ride). Timing to show scenes is also a consideration when determining THRC.
River Raft Ride, VinWonders, Phu Quoc, Vietnam
Speigel explains that things were fast-flowing from then onwards: “Built inside of a mountain, and all of us being young kids at the time, we all came over to see that ride and it was just amazing. If you look at the number of rides built as a result of that, it was in the hundreds. “After the log flumes came the river rapids rides. The first river rapids ride was introduced at Astroworld in Houston Texas in 1980. Intamin sold over 175 of these immediately.”
A theme park favourite
The course was set for water rides; they became a theme park favourite and remain so to this day. Many theme parks’ signature, best-loved attractions include water rides, and the fact that we now see dedicated water parks all over the world further speaks to their popularity. Kelly Sall, general manager, water rides at WhiteWater, elaborates: “Water rides are part of pop culture. Take Pirates of the Caribbean, for example. That was a ride [first opened at Disneyland in 1967] that inspired a movie that inspired a ride. Or what about Jurassic Park: The Ride? Everyone either knows the ride or the movie, or both.” Water rides have become synonymous with storytelling. They can act as the perfect vehicle to tell a story and, as Gerard Pascua, director of technical and safety at VinWonders, acknowledges, the story element has huge appeal for guests. Pascua explains: “With Pirates of the Caribbean, every time a new movie came out these rides were packed because guests wanted to immerse themselves in the story… I think the evolution of the relationship between movies and water rides is historical and significant.”
JUNE 2023 He adds: “At VinWonders Phu Quoc we have a huge aquarium with a mermaid
show, with our water ride adjacent to the aquarium. With the release of The Little Mermaid movie, guests now can’t wait to come and see the mermaid show.” It seems that water rides not only speak to our innate affinity for water but also our love of storytelling and our desire for an immersive experience. They can therefore serve as key anchors within a park.
Finding the balance
Of designing and building parks in the 1970s and 1980s, Speigel says: “We’d draw similarities to shopping centres with anchors at south, north, east and west and we would always put a coaster or water ride as our anchors. We knew people would go to these rides. Then we would fill the park with food and beverages, our other rides, our merchandise, so we maintained the balance of the park.”
Beyond acting as an ‘anchor ride’, there are other ways in which water rides bring balance to a park. Jonathan Smith, corporate vice president, rides & engineering at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, says: “Water rides offer a unique experience that dry rides, roller coasters, flat rides or dark rides can’t offer… Parks need to have a balanced and dynamic attraction mix and, especially in the summer months, water rides really, really help to elevate the guest experience.” Another benefit of water rides is their inclusivity. Unlike lots of roller coasters which are not suitable for many younger guests, water rides can deliver a more accessible experience for the whole family. Accessibility need not be an issue either. There are many options here, and when it comes to designing for ADA and accommodating all guests at SeaWorld, for example, Smith explains: “We
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