Extended Ride Closures in 2023

[29yrswithaGApass]

Looking at the park's app, it seems several rides have been listed as CLOSED for the past several weeks.  These include:

 

Air Safari (kiddie plane ride in Jr. Thrillseekers)

Barnstormer (well into its second year of construction)

Houdini's Great Escape (closed at start of the season, briefly opened, and then closed again)

Saw Mill Log Flume (closed the entire 2023 season for refurbishment)

Twister (extended downtime)

 

I wonder which of these, if any, are at risk.

[Yoshi]

I think if any were to be removed, it would be Twister. I think it’s the last or one of last top spins left in the US. 
 

I am glad to see the Saw Mill Log Flume is being refurbished. I don’t like the recent trend of parks removing water rides to the point that parks like Carowinds don’t have a single water ride on the amusement side of the park.

[GAcoaster]

I hadn't thought about it until someone pointed it out the other day, but water rides in general take more staff than just about any ride. The position at the top of the drop is something that may no longer be fully OSHA compliant, but is grandfathered in supposedly. Apparently those are some of the reasons why flumes seem to be an endangered species. That and the lack of restraints on flumes and rapids rides make them more of a guest liability with people doing stupid things. 

[29yrswithaGApass]

Not to mention that the pumps need to run continuously requiring a lot of energy.  

[The Master]

Water rides also require large amounts of water which in turn requires some treatment and replenishment. Restraints can be a drowning hazard if the ride vehicle somehow capsizes. 

[pashacar]

3 hours ago, The Master said:

Water rides also require large amounts of water which in turn requires some treatment and replenishment. Restraints can be a drowning hazard if the ride vehicle somehow capsizes. 

 

I never thought of that. Any idea how it is that some water rides do have restraints?

[Yoshi]

Maybe the insurance companies require it? I have heard others say in Europe, rapids rides don’t have seatbelts because it’s expected that people will remain seated. I haven’t ridden Congo Rapids in at least 7 years but thought they used Velcro seatbelts that were easy to undo. Other parks that use traditional belts with a buckle seem more dangerous.
 

I don’t know if it would be possible for Congo Rapids or not but around 2017 or 2018 at Thunder Canyon at Dorney, the lifeguard chairs were removed every so many feet and replaced with cameras. Now a ride operator sits in a room near the top of the conveyor belt at the beginning of the ride with a lot of monitors watching everything. That probably saves the park from using 3 or 4 less ride operators.

[The Master]

Screamscape reported several years ago that down in the FL parks it was pretty common for riders to attempt to leave the logs on Splash Mountain and Dudly Do Right so they had to install lap bars. 

 

Not water rides but I remember when the roller coasters at Dorney didn't used to have boarding gates up in the stations. Even Steel Force and Talon originally did not have boarding gates.