Water Park Expansion

[Paradise]

Okay now I know alot of you would "Rather kill yourself" then have the park expand Hurricane Harbor, but if they were to do so, what would you want them to add? I don't want to hear about how "Oh sfgam doesnt need this and yadayadayada..." Just post what you would want them to add.

For me I'd say put in some of those wicked drop slides! Maybe even a water coaster? I wanna hear your thoughts.

[shockwave guy mark]

In all honesty I really hate the idea, and I have stated very clearly why before ("were not a year round park, THIS IS ILLINOIS!, blah, blah, blah). If we were to get a new expansion to the water park I would hope it would be a water coaster. Its one of the only major water rides I feel we are missing. Also that new looping waterslide would be neat too, it surprisingly takes up a bit of room too.

Again though, there is really no reason to expand the water park as it already becomes extremely crowded and we have PLENTY of slides and attractions already in that part of the park. I would rather see that area be used for a major thrill ride. Plus I just have a gut feeling that they are going to put a new water ride where SWF used to be too, so a waterpark expansion would not really make sense (or would be overkill).

[BrianPlencner]

One thing the water park is missing is body slides. We only have 2. The rest of the slides use tubes, mats, or the bigger 4 person raft things (not sure what they are called).

Something like one of those extreme drop body slides, or maybe a looping water slide.

A water coaster would also be a good idea.

One thing I do like about SFGAm is how "complete" the park is, and I look to see what we are missing. For example, we don't need another wood coaster, as we already have 2. But, we don't have a floorless coaster, or a dive coaster, or a "true" dark ride (Like Scooby-Doo: Mystery of the Scary Swamp @ SFSTL for example, or any other Sally Dark Ride), or a giant ferris wheel. Those are what the park needs to make our park "complete".

So, to me, the same is true for our water park. What types of water park attractions are we missing, or lacking in? That is what I would like to see go in. Not more tube slides, or more mat slides. Put in something we don't already have to make our water park "complete".

--Brian

[Paradise]

[quote="shockwave guy mark"]In all honesty I really hate the idea, and I have stated very clearly why before ("were not a year round park, THIS IS ILLINOIS!, blah, blah, blah). If we were to get a new expansion to the water park I would hope it would be a water coaster. Its one of the only major water rides I feel we are missing. Also that new looping waterslide would be neat too, it surprisingly takes up a bit of room too.

Again though, there is really no reason to expand the water park as it already becomes extremely crowded and we have PLENTY of slides and attractions already in that part of the park. I would rather see that area be used for a major thrill ride. Plus I just have a gut feeling that they are going to put a new water ride where SWF used to be too, so a waterpark expansion would not really make sense (or would be overkill).[/quote

I said to avoid these rants in the topic. Dont really care if you want it or not, just want positive ideas for additions.

[Cole]

Watercoaster, body toliet bowl, drop slide, anything like that.

[Ilovthevu']

Besides fixing the waterpark with having some better designs for some of the slides / lazy river, and having more lifeguards for slides, I would say these are the water stuff I would like to see:

--Dark Voyage slide that is at Noah's Ark, which is just like the ride that is at Raging Waters in Yorkville, IL in which you are in a family raft in the dark the whole time.
--A Water coaster
--Black Thunder ride that is at Noah's Ark.

I know you want just positives, but to me I see the waterpark and water rides as having a bunch of stuff that's not open enough to spend so much money on it, on top of it, these rides have the peak time. Water rides, people for the most part don't want to go on them early enough (Our waterpark opens at 11 am) because it's still a little cold, and than the waterpark is only open to 7 for the same reason. I would absolutely love for our park to expand the waterpark very much indeed, but in my opinion, I think it's better to spend the more money on the regular park with nice rides. On top of that, every pool around the area is competition with SFGAm's waterpark, and you have the Dells, Magic Waters, and the Yorkville waterpark. I forgot about Key Lime Cove Waterpark, Indiana Beach waterpark, and Deep River Waterpark as waterpark competition.

And to base it on attendance, Disney World barely gets people in their waterparks compared to what they are getting for parks like the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT and what not. It's the most for a waterpark at 2 million, but when the Magic Kingdom is getting 17 million people a year, is it worth to put a lot in the waterpark. One park at Disney World is open all year, and it's Disney for goodness sakes with actual themes for the entire waterpark. Noah's Ark which is one of the biggest waterparks is getting 490,000, and they usually put something major every year, and that's hardly any people compared to what theme parks get. So, why put so much into a waterpark even though I would love for SFGAm to get all that stuff I listed, but I look at the business side, and I just don't see a reason for putting so much money into it.

[Paradise]

^Very good point.

I think the park REALLY needs those drop slides though. I think those are soo much fun.

[Ilovthevu']

^ or ^^^What drop slide are you thinking of? Do you have a slide in mind that you can give me a name so I know what you are talking about? Are you talking about like the slides at Blizzard Beach where they race, and they are in tubes, or whatnot?

[acquaz10]

I think he's talking about the ones where you step into the thing standing up, then the floor drops and you slide straight down.

[Paradise]

Like Point of No Return at Noahs Ark.

[6Flags4Evr]

That would be so cool if we got a water slide as tall as the point of no return. That would make me visit the waterpark more often.

[Paradise]

Hell yeah! It's just huge and you go so fast. Loads of airtime as well. When I ride it, it feels like I'm not even touching the slide on the drop. LOL

[6Flags4Evr]

^Exactly why it would be a great addition. In my opinion, best water slide in the world!

[Paradise]

Yeah I agree. If SFGAM got the racing ones like that, it would be great. Hell, even if they got just one, it'd be awesome. Although two would be better for capacity.

[Ilovthevu']

I haven't went on that slide, but I heard those types of slides where you go really fast really get to your body- hurt people's backs.

[Paradise]

No complaints from me or the 20 or so people I know who rode it.

[Viper 88]

Not being a swimmer and even panicking in the shower or drinking a glass of water I would like to see some more slides that end in a runway like the body slides at skull island or the other two. Also whats the deal with them not letting people wear shirts on the slides? In 2005 it was fine but then when I went back in 2006 they were like oh no you cant wear that. This was after I waited in line 1:30 at skull island, which is the main reason I havent been back since, that and a lack of swimming skills lol .

[BLADE]

The only thing I would want to see would be a watercoaster. But I would rather not see any large attractions come to HH for at least the next few years. The operating season is too short and I would rather see them put something into the regular park that could run the whole season.

[SfGaMownz]

As people stated drop slides and water coasters I agree with. I really don't see the complaint with the Hurricane Harbor season being too short, the park is only open weekends til mid May and only open weekends after Labor Day so really Hurricane Harbor is open around 3/4ths of the season, not including Fright Fest. Also, its open the time of the year the park is most crowded, when kids are off for summer.

[Ilovthevu']

^Once the waterpark is open, it's open 8 hours a day compared to 12 of the regular park when the regular park is open from 10 - 10 pm. For the last week of August, it's only open for the weekend. For August the week before the last week, it's only open for 5 hours. That is almost a guaranteed - 4 hours compared to regular park when both of them are open.

So comparing the two, I'm not even talking about the other months, it's not open (September, October, most of May, April), and taking the -4 hours into consideration compared to the regular park, there are about - 30 days (-4 hours * 3 days = 12 hours = 10 -10 pm one regular park day) for the waterpark out of an estimated 90 days the waterpark is open comparing it to the regular park during the same time. Also, it's not open 1/3 of the most packed times at the park which is Fright Fest. Of course, there are reasons for why it's not open as much, but I'm just stating what is the truth about it.

So let's now take into account the other months. For April, September, and October, you can basically group them into one month. You also have to remember that there are some private groups in that calendar that's not listed on the calendar. You think it's closed, but it's really not for them. May let's say is about another 15 days. So, based on time, I say the waterpark is closed about - 75 days worth. Remember, the one - 30 I got from the waterpark being greatly reduced in time compared to the regular park.

This is not to say that people hate the waterpark, and that there are no lines whatsoever. I'm comparing the time between the two. People feel they need to go on water rides because they are hot, and they will enjoy themselves, but there are some days when it's 70 something degrees, and you go in the waterpark, and it's empty because people don't want to freeze with the temperature, and the wind on them. So, even that's a bad thing for the waterpark with temperature, but the waterpark will be open.

This in a way is a sorry subject for me because Deja Vu was open more than the waterpark is, and they took that ride out. And to say I don't like the waterpark is not true, so incase you think I'm anti-waterpark. I like the waterpark, and I go in it a lot. The middle of they day used to be "flat time" for me, but than I started going to the waterpark, and I enjoy it. I still get on flats though, but just not the middle of the day usually unless it's a month that the waterpark isn't open.

[BLADE]

^^^Excellent post Vu. That's pretty much how I feel.

[SfGaMownz]

While I agree with you on the Fright Fest thing, that it's usually one of the most crowded times of the season. Think of how uncrowded it is in April and early May, especially on the weekdays in May. So that's why I really don't see a problem with it not being open for those times. Weekends in September are also usually not that crowded either. Most water parks close by 7 or 8 anyways so its not like its any different than Noah's Ark or something. Your point is valid on that but I don't think that's a big deal since there isn't many water parks open until 10 at night, and there are definitely no Six Flags water parks open until then.

[Viper 88]

While I agree with you on the Fright Fest thing, that it's usually one of the most crowded times of the season. Think of how uncrowded it is in April and early May, especially on the weekdays in May. So that's why I really don't see a problem with it not being open for those times. Weekends in September are also usually not that crowded either. Most water parks close by 7 or 8 anyways so its not like its any different than Noah's Ark or something. Your point is valid on that but I don't think that's a big deal since there isn't many water parks open until 10 at night, and there are definitely no Six Flags water parks open until then.

Yeah but separate waterparks like Noah's Ark open Earlier than SFGAM Noah's Ark 9-7 SFGAM 11-7 so theres a 2 hour difference. which means more ride time, Also Noah's ark is bigger and can accomodate more people than HH.

[Ilovthevu']

I was at the waterpark recently, and it was very hot outside. I usually never go when it's about 90, but I went because the waterpark season is almost going to end, and there have been other days when I thought it was going to rain, so I went. The waterpark was jammed even though it must have not gotten the 7100 capacity because no one said anything about it. For ride times on 3 of the slides, well I made sure to keep track through that clock, and Bahama Mamma (purple and orange slide) was 35 minutes. This was on the stairs, and but almost towards the bottom of the stairs.

For the Tornado alone I didn't get a time, but for the Tornado and 2 tube teal slides, it was a hour. For the 2 times on the tube teal slides though, I had to wait down below to get the tube. So, I'm thinking it might have been about 12 minutes a piece for one time of the tube teal slide, and than the rest of the time was the Tornado of 36 minutes. I base this on the wavepool being on break, than resuming again, and than being on break. That's how long it took for me to go on those 3 slides. And I'm just saying this was an extremely packed day in the waterpark in which almost all the benches were even taking, and that's because of it just being so hot alone.

I went on Superman at a NON-peak time (compared to the middle of the day) at 7:20 pm, and it was 45 minutes plus a 10 minute delay while as I said the most I waited in the waterpark was 36 minutes for a slide. And you wonder why I mention Superman at all? It's because at a non-peak time Superman is still more crowded than a slide I have ridden at peak time at the waterpark.

[david]

Here's my two cents:

There will not be a water park expansion for 2011.

Weber had a chance to get Deluge from Kentucky Kingdom (over RRE), but he didn't. That could have saved himself a great deal of money.