Wild Rivers is Closing...for Real This Time!!

[RocketJet94]

Seemingly every summer since summer of 2005, Wild Rivers has claimed that they are closing down and that they will not be returning the following summer. Well, finally...6 years later, this has actually turned out to be true. There are several reasons why this is happening but I also think that this may not be the end for the waterpark itself....at least in some way.

 

Wild Rivers Waterpark has quite possibly the best location for any water park ever! It is the meeting place of two of California's largest freeways and is directly adjacent to a major Mall. It has good weather in the summer as it is just far inland enough to not be as affected by June Gloom. Thus, in theory, it should be an incredibly successful waterpark. So why wasnt it?

 

Ultimatly, it was succesful when it first opened and then again in the laste 90's The park had a very strong early lineup with tubes lik the Liquidator, Abyss, and Bombay Blasters. In the 90's this extended to the amazing Patriot and the Bazooka Bowls. Although the rest of the park is very average, the park had several very good years. In fact, the park was in great shape during my fist visit back in 2002. Since then however, the park has gone downhill. In late 2003 early 2004, a morbidly Obese individual was allowed to ride The Liquidator and drowned in the tube. This resulted in the ride's permenant closure and as it was arguably the best slide at the park, it was a major blow for parkgoers as it was left up, but closed till this day. Over the next few years, sanation got very bad, paint got old, and certain special touches the park used to have like the special effects on rides like the Abyss and Chaos were allowed to deteriorate. Today, the park is just a shadow of its former self. Decreasin attendance over the past few years may be a very good reason for why its lease was not renewed.

 

Thus with its closing this summer, I have hopes for what happens witht his park. I want someone else to buy the parkand turn it into a success once again. Change the colors of rides that can obviously be savlavged such as:

 

1) Serengetti Surfhill

2) Wahtubee

3) Nairobe Express

4) Bombay Blasters

5) Schwietzer Falls

6) Wipeout

7) The Cobras

8) Congo River Rapids

 

and simply repaint (the same color) the newer slides including

 

1) The Patriot

2) Bazooka Bowls

 

What can change is the rest of the park.

 

First, the tower holding the Abyss needs to be extended upwards where the Abyss can still operate normally while removing the Liquidator entirely. On the platform which can be rasied at least 50 feet can include something of what Soak City has where they have a banked drop slid in addition to a vertical drop slide, each where a single individual can ride. The Big One can be called Niagra and the slightly shorter banked slide can be called Viagra:) Each could land where Liquidator did in the past.

 

Second: The Lazy River needs to recieve an overhaul, new theme, more tress, and interesting features

 

Third: The Platform containing Chaos can be removed and that whole area can be the spot of a watercoaster like the one at Typhoon Lagoon at Disneyworld

 

Fourth: The two wavepools need to be put together and expanded outwards to allow more people some breathing room, and the wave machine needs an overhaul to have larger waves

 

Fifth: Bazooka Bowls needs to be modified to have the entry to the bowl be completely smooth so that riders do not bang their heads upon their violent entry to the bowl

 

So what do you think? What would you like to see happen?

[6flagsbrad]

Well, from what I know that site will be transformed into housing facilities in the near future. Though I did hear that a number of the attractions are going to be relocated. I thought it was really interesting to see they added a large water play structure the last season that it's open. This will still always be my favorite water park in California. Rest in Peace Wild Rivers, and thanks for all the wonderful memories.

[ABW]

That's horrible! I took my first visit to Wild Rivers this past month and loved it! Nothing comes close to how good their slides! Not even close! I know this might not be anything new for some people who've heard the false alarms before, but honestly. I was looking forward to going back there next summer! This is what I get for living in California...

[6flagsbrad]

I was right, the site will be used for apartments.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/05/wild-rivers-water-park-closing-in-irvine-at-end-of-summer.html

[Jew]

The owners of the park are looking to move to a new location (possibly the Great Park). Irvine Land Co. isn't renewing their lease. Irvine Meadows (now Verizon Wireless Amplitheatre) will likely be closing in 2016 or 2017 when its lease expires as well.

[rcdude]

It's really unfortunate that this park is closing, as it is one of the more unique waterparks. Many of the slides there are not what you would expect to find in the average waterpark, which is the main reason I love the park. Rides like Congo River Rapids, Serengeti Surf Hill, Wahtubee, Bombay Blasters...in fact, any of the concrete and foam slides just aren't built anymore. From what I have heard, the park is being closed to build houses/condos on the land (which I think is pointless until the amphitheater closes), but a new park will be built somewhere in Southern Orange County (most likely in the Great Park or elsewhere in Irvine, although I heard they were considering Laguna Niguel as well). There is no current timeline for this new park, but it will most likely happen and will contain new attractions, not relocated ones. As for Wild Rivers, I've been going there at least once per year for the past fifteen years since I live only ten minutes away. I still have to get my final visit in this year (probably the week before or weekend after Labor Day), and it will be sad to see it go, but I figured it would happen sooner or later. The park isn't the most popular anymore, and the whole area around it is being developed for residential/business purposes.

 

By the way, there is a little bit of misinformation in the first post. Nobody ever drowned on the Liquidator slides, and I doubt it would be possible as the attraction doesn't even involve a pool. When the rides opened, they were known as the Edge and Ledge and one slide featured a steep 3-story drop at the bottom. They were among the most popular slides in the park. At some point (I think about 10 years ago), there was an injury on the Edge (steep drop side) where someone injured themselves by flying up into the top of the tube due to weightlessness (at least that is what I heard from an employee). I never rode the slide back when it was the Edge, but as the upper portion of the drop was enclosed and riders were moving at a pretty good speed, I could definitely see that happening. The ride was closed for the remainder of that season and modified during the off-season to remove the drop. It reopened the next year as the Liquidator, but was never very popular after the accident (I'm guessing it was a combination of the modifications and Bazooka Bowls opening around the same time). I never saw more than ten people in line for the ride, and never waited more than a couple minutes for it. The second season after the modifications, the ride was only open on weekends and holidays to lower park staffing requirements, and after that season it was closed for good. According to a different employee, it was scheduled to be replaced for 2006, but since the park started getting 1-year lease renewals that season, the plan got cancelled. Over the years since then, the ride has become abandoned. The tubes were bolted shut (at least at the bottom), the runout area was walled off and allowed to be overgrown, and the upper canopy was removed, along with the stairs to the platform being taken down. The abandonment of the Liquidator, instead of its replacement or removal, was really the first sign for me that the park didn't have much time left to live.

[ABW]

^I heard it had major valve problems. Can this be confirmed?

[RocketJet94]

So where is the talk of relocation concerning? Are we talking about the Patriot/ Bazooka Bowls because that seems like the only portable piece of the park. As for the Liquidator story, I was unaware of the original Edge and Ledge but there was a fatality in summer 2003/2004 where a morbidly obese woman became trapped within a part of the slide and drownded within the slide somehow...dont ask me details because I dont know the details. This is entirely differant form an earlier injury as I am sure there were many.

[the ghost]

Good riddance! Just kidding... sorta... I worked there for 3 years and have seen the best and worst the park has to offer. Also I remember the "good old days" especially the slides with effects... but because of the constant threat in closing they are just not investing much... so this will give them a "fresh start." I like the park a lot though... just not as much after working there. Patriot and BB(maybe Abyss?) are the only things I see coming back... everything else is built into the parks terrain for the most part. I see this as a good thing in a way, because maybe we can get the new AWESOME looking water slides like an Aqualoop or an Aquablaster... stuff like that. I VERY much hope there is some way to make something like Bombay Blasters however... cause that was my favorite slide in the park... so fast and that "shootout" on that thing is INSANITY!

 

Thanks for the memories.

[805Andrew]

I'm going to down to OC for the Epicenter concert on Sat Sept 24 at Verizon Amphitheater. I was already thinking of doing Wild Rivers the day after and almost have my friend convinced to go there, and now since it will be closing down after this season, I am definitely going there on Sun Sept 25. I have never been there before (and I lived in Irvine from 1981 to 1989) so I this will be my last chance to visit Wild Rivers. Even if it reopens in a different location it will not be the same since most of the old school slides they have are concrete and not portable (and those are the good ones there I heard). It won't even have the same name if it reopens.

[6flagsbrad]

So am I the only one that thinks it's dumb to build apartments when there's an ampitheater right next door. Sure some people would enjoy free music from their roofs every once in a while...but I'm sure most people would not be happy living with concerts going on every weekend.

[JJ728]

^I heard it had major valve problems. Can this be confirmed?

Narobi Express has the valve problems for sure, which is why it's hardly ever open.

[RocketJet94]

How long will the park stay open in the fall?

[ABW]

^Until the end of its normal season in late September.

^I heard it had major valve problems. Can this be confirmed?

 

Narobi Express has the valve problems for sure, which is why it's hardly ever open.

 

I know that, but I heard that a valve actually burst for liquidator and that's what closed it down.

[JJ728]

^Until the end of its normal season in late September.

^I heard it had major valve problems. Can this be confirmed?

Narobi Express has the valve problems for sure' date=' which is why it's hardly ever open.[/quote']

I know that, but I heard that a valve actually burst for liquidator and that's what closed it down.

I don't know anything about that, I've just heard the standard GP rumors. "Someone fell out and died!" "Someone got stuck, clogged the tube, and drowned!"

[RocketJet94]

Im sure the park tried to keep that REALLY quiet for the sake of not scaring of visiters but I have not heard of the ride running since 2004

[BlueFireCoaster]

Take this for what it's worth, but the Wikipedia page on Wild Rivers says there has never been a confirmed death at Wild Rivers, and I know it doesn't make it a fact but they're usually pretty good about that stuff. I used to visit the park a lot and have always heard of the park closing down for years, so I've always been informed about what goes on in the park...I had never heard of a death at the park as well. However I think the ride closed due to its intensity.

 

I used to ride the Edge several times on my visits and it was my favorite waterslide in Southern California. It was awesome because you would be going around the circle for what seemed like forever, then would see the light at the end of the tunnel and wonder when the huge drop was coming. I used to get so much air on the drop just based on the speed I picked up while going down the slide. In fact, my dad who is 6 feet tall, who rode one time was going so fast, clipped his toe on the top of the tube just before he shot down the Edge slide and ended up spraining his toe and busting off the nail. It was bad, and he was taken to the First Aid at the park. I think things like this happened all the time with this ride, which is why they tamed it down to have a final covered drop like the Ledge. Apparently that wasn't a good enough fix and the ride closed soon after.

 

I loved this Water Park and will try to make 1 last visit before it goes to take some photos and remember it for the future. If anyone has any good shots of the Ledge and Edge drops when they first opened and would post them on here to bring back memories that would be awesome. A great park with great slides that I have great memories from and will always miss!

[805Andrew]

So am I the only one that thinks it's dumb to build apartments when there's an ampitheater right next door. Sure some people would enjoy free music from their roofs every once in a while...but I'm sure most people would not be happy living with concerts going on every weekend.

 

I think its dumb too, not only because of being next door to a amphitheater but because there is excess housing and we're in a housing slump.

[Jew]

They're not going to develop anything until after the lease w/ the amplitheatre expires as well. They just want to start the approval process now (EIR, clearing land, re-zoning, etc.), so Wild Rivers has to be a casualty of that.

[RocketJet94]

and its not like we dont have enough housing there. They just finished a HUGE project of apartments and condos right next to the Irvine Spectrum....its so silly