Splash Adventure (Alabama Adventure) Discussion Thread

[bert425]

On 6/2/2023 at 9:45 AM, CoasterGuy06 said:

And going back to those "Coming Soon" spots on the map last year...they park didn't announce a new attraction for this season.

Per Steve yesterday. . . he said there was a new Slide installed?   or some sort of improvement in the waterpark section?

[CoasterGuy06]

Nope. They had slide pieces on site in 2022 for a 2023 addition but nothing was built. I'm guessing since Cheddar Chase didn't open until July of 2022 maybe they decided not to do another addition and try to use it as still being "new" in 2023? They announced a new slide for this season back on Christmas. It is a four person raft slide and is being built next to Rocket Racer basically where the Giant Wheel was back in the original amusement park. Name is supposed to be announced in the next week or so.

I do not understand how Rampage could be in that bad of shape. They literally re-tracked the entire ride when they reopened it for 2015 and they claimed they spent $1million dollars back in 2022 re-tracking it and upgrading the control system. Granted I haven't ridden it since 2015 (or been to the park since then) so I don't know how it has been running lately. I did do the drive thru Christmas light thing they had this year and they clearly have done a lot of work around the park the past few years but they really have closed in the ride side of the park with the waterpark additions the past few years. Granted the waterpark was way under built when the park opened and the amusement park was over built back then. The fact that they sold season passes for this season and never said anything about Rampage being closed is pathetic though. 

[bert425]

^ yeah .that's it.  He said the slides were "new". . so must be for 2024

I can't recall if he said the name. . but you reminded me - he DID show animation, and a drawing of the slide, because he showed it included a conveyor belt to get the 4 person tube to the top so it did not need to be carried up the stairs . . . using the famous couch/PIVOT scene from "Friends" to get a laugh.

(same thing happened here in Texas - new slides at SFFT were supposed to be for 2023, and are new this year. . . and Catapult Falls at SWSA - announced for 2023, but opening this year as new.)

[The username]

11 hours ago, CoasterGuy06 said:

Nope. They had slide pieces on site in 2022 for a 2023 addition but nothing was built. I'm guessing since Cheddar Chase didn't open until July of 2022 maybe they decided not to do another addition and try to use it as still being "new" in 2023? They announced a new slide for this season back on Christmas. It is a four person raft slide and is being built next to Roc

I do not understand how Rampage could be in that bad of shape. They literally re-tracked the entire ride when they reopened it for 2015 and they claimed they spent $1million dollars back in 2022 re-tracking it and upgrading the control system. Granted I haven't ridden it since 2015 (or been to the park since then) so I don't know how it has been running lately. I did do the drive thru Christmas light thing they had this year and they clearly have done a lot of work around the park the past few years but they really have closed in the ride side of the park with the waterpark additions the past few years. Granted the waterpark was way under built when the park opened and the amusement park was over built back then. The fact that they sold season passes for this season and never said anything about Rampage being closed is pathetic though. 

I rode Rampage in 2019, 2020, and 2023. Besides the first drop after the retracking, everywhere else got progressively worse. Rode it 30 times in 19, could barley do 10 last year.

[ajfelice]

21 hours ago, CoasterGuy06 said:

I do not understand how Rampage could be in that bad of shape. They literally re-tracked the entire ride when they reopened it for 2015 and they claimed they spent $1million dollars back in 2022 re-tracking it and upgrading the control system.

It could be one of several things.

A way to smooth a lot of track length and also limit amount of materials is replacing the top two layers of wood. This method works great for areas that are higher impact and need more regular attention. It's also great for addressing multiple trouble areas at once which can make a rough ride go to smooth in a short amount of time. However, older layers of wood below the new layers can unexpectedly turn into a rotting disaster as the early stages of rot are often hard to detect visually. If unlucky, a lot of newer wood may need to be prematurely ripped up to replace rotting lower layers, so essentially back to square one earlier than expected.

Alternatively, re-tracking can be done by replacing all 8 layers at once which is great for having fresh wood that is all the same age in that section. There is also less risk of lower layers rotting sooner than fresh top layers. Typically, the end result lasts a much longer time compared to only replacing the top two layers. The drawback is the requirement of far more materials and ability to re-track longer stretches or multiple areas of track on the same budget as replacing only to the top two layers.

Lastly, not all retracking is in direct response to roughness experienced by a rider. There could be serious issues that need addressed, but they haven't yet impacted the ride experience. I've seen this firsthand, and it's a huge bummer when it causes downtime as the coaster seems to be running as smooth as ever.

 

[CoasterGuy06]

^Yes but how many other parks are closing their wood coasters for an entire season because of how bad of shape it's in? When they took over the park they brought one of Holiday World's "Coaster Cats" down to oversee the refurb of the ride. I know he was still there in 2015 when it reopened but I'm pretty sure he has since left the park. It makes me wonder if they ever hired anyone else with wood coaster experience since then.