Schlitterbahn Kansas - Verrückt Water Slide

[HARLEYGUYJB]

What I don't understand is that they will only have about 400 people ride it per day. Why is that they can only do 400 per day?

[Midgetman82]

Hehe, everything has a safety net. Even our safety nets have safety nets! Realistically though, getting heat exhaustion from climbing 17 flights of stairs isn't the most fun experience (drink lots of water, folks). There'll probably be a time when slide complexes will become skyscrapers and the way up will be via elevators.

[StealthFan]

There'll probably be a time when slide complexes will become skyscrapers and the way up will be via elevators.

 

Or just ride the boat conveyor to the top

[RandallDuell]

What I don't understand is that they will only have about 400 people ride it per day. Why is that they can only do 400 per day?

 

Maybe it's really 400 groups per day? So that'd be 800-1200 people per day? I can see a raft only being ready to launch/clear once very 60secs.....so if it's doing about 50-60 groups/rafts per hour X 8 operating hours?

[canadianparkfan]

While I'm not suggesting the ride doesn't look like a hell of a lot of fun, I'm kind of not "getting" all the hype around it. Haven't they essentially built a 168 foot tall log flume? You ride in a pretty large sized looking boat with high seat-backs and seatbelts. The track that you ride it looks very "flume-like." And I'm sure it's a lot of fun, but I'd have to think that the 120-foot tall Summit Plummet, which you ride, completely ON YOUR BACK down the slide looks so much more terrifying to me!

 

Most log flumes don't have airtime... oh, wait. Yup, it's a log flume.

 

I'm still mad about the super-neuter. I understand that the original slide was unsafe, but couldn't they redesign the hill in such a way that there's a little airtime? Maybe make the hill just a little less intense and then put up walls and nets like the slide in Italy? That was allowed to operate. I'm sure you could have that much airtime on a 400lb raft and have relatively little flying off the slide. Or would that not affect it, like how "normal" gravity does not depend on weight?

 

But hey, but if it is a log flume, at least Robb has another ride to sing his song on!

Well, if you want airtime, ride a one of those speed slides with multiple drops (other than this one) or a proslide rocket.... Extreme flume sums this up ride perfectly.

[prozach626]

Hehe, everything has a safety net. Even our safety nets have safety nets! Realistically though, getting heat exhaustion from climbing 17 flights of stairs isn't the most fun experience (drink lots of water, folks). There'll probably be a time when slide complexes will become skyscrapers and the way up will be via elevators.

 

We're still talking about stairs, right??? Because it sounds like we're talking about vigorous exercise... NOT... to be confused with stairs.

[KevinM]

I was at Schlitterbahn KC yesterday, and I rode Verruckt. Unfortunately, the 400 riders per day estimate is pretty accurate for the current operational conditions. There are so many little things that slow down the interval that they would only book about 15 groups an hour. Here's why:

 

• There were only three boats in service.
  
• The conveyor belt could only handle one boat at a time, and had to be manually loaded.
  
• The conveyor belt was slow, and appeared difficult to unload at the top.
  
• The air pressure was checked every cycle. I saw them topping off almost every boat up top.
  
• They took their time loading us in the boat, securing the straps, and giving us final safety instructions.

 

Most critically, nothing in this process was "pipelined". Our boat was not even on the platform by the time the slide was clear. This is a shame, because they have a gate preventing the boat from entering the slide until the operator dispatches it. There is so much potential for loading guests while the previous guests are exiting the slide. If they are firing on all cylinders, I can see them sending 60 boats an hour, for a theoretical 180 people per hour. (They are very vigilant about adding single riders, although our group of two was 460 pounds and they could not find a willing third person under 90 pounds.)

 

As for the slide, it is indeed very thrilling, but the trims hit hard. It's surprisingly rough for a slide. I'm glad I experienced it, but until the process gets smoothed out, I do NOT want to go back.

[lk2500]

I was at Schlitterbahn KC yesterday, and I rode Verruckt. Unfortunately, the 400 riders per day estimate is pretty accurate for the current operational conditions. There are so many little things that slow down the interval that they would only book about 15 groups an hour. Here's why:

 

• There were only three boats in service.
  
• The conveyor belt could only handle one boat at a time, and had to be manually loaded.
  
• The conveyor belt was slow, and appeared difficult to unload at the top.
  
• The air pressure was checked every cycle. I saw them topping off almost every boat up top.
  
• They took their time loading us in the boat, securing the straps, and giving us final safety instructions.

 

Most critically, nothing in this process was "pipelined". Our boat was not even on the platform by the time the slide was clear. This is a shame, because they have a gate preventing the boat from entering the slide until the operator dispatches it. There is so much potential for loading guests while the previous guests are exiting the slide. If they are firing on all cylinders, I can see them sending 60 boats an hour, for a theoretical 180 people per hour. (They are very vigilant about adding single riders, although our group of two was 460 pounds and they could not find a willing third person under 90 pounds.)

 

As for the slide, it is indeed very thrilling, but the trims hit hard. It's surprisingly rough for a slide. I'm glad I experienced it, but until the process gets smoothed out, I do NOT want to go back.

 

Nice report, thanks.

 

How did the process for signing up for your ride time work? Do people line up outside the gates prior to 10AM opening and then rush to a certain area to sign up or what? I would assume I would have some sort of advantage if I show up with 3 riders that meet the weight limit vs people that need to find another rider? How long did you have to wait in line to sign up and when was your ride time?

 

TIA,

[KevinM]

We showed up to the parking lot at about 9:15 on Sunday. Not a ton of guests, but a line was forming. We were allowed into the gift shop to get our admission wristbands at 9:30. Ten minutes later, the rope was dropped and there was a mad dash to Verruckt, although most guests were courteous and did not run.

 

We got to the reservation table early enough to ride in the first hour. Unfortunately for us, we were not changed out of street clothes. That essentially forced us to take the first available reservation, which was at 11. The reservation line grew very long and stayed that way until 11:30, when reservations filled up and were officially closed.

 

As for making weight, they will do their best to accommodate you. If your group is too heavy, they will split you up and add single riders as needed. (Single riders are generally in the "walk-up line". Most aren't at the park alone, but they know that the only way to get on Verruckt without a reservation is to volunteer as a single.) If your group is two people and is too light, they will add a single rider to round it out. There can be some tricky situations because the weight range is really narrow, but if you show up on time, they will find you a group.

[lk2500]

We showed up to the parking lot at about 9:15 on Sunday. Not a ton of guests, but a line was forming. We were allowed into the gift shop to get our admission wristbands at 9:30. Ten minutes later, the rope was dropped and there was a mad dash to Verruckt, although most guests were courteous and did not run.

 

We got to the reservation table early enough to ride in the first hour. Unfortunately for us, we were not changed out of street clothes. That essentially forced us to take the first available reservation, which was at 11. The reservation line grew very long and stayed that way until 11:30, when reservations filled up and were officially closed.

 

As for making weight, they will do their best to accommodate you. If your group is too heavy, they will split you up and add single riders as needed. (Single riders are generally in the "walk-up line". Most aren't at the park alone, but they know that the only way to get on Verruckt without a reservation is to volunteer as a single.) If your group is two people and is too light, they will add a single rider to round it out. There can be some tricky situations because the weight range is really narrow, but if you show up on time, they will find you a group.

 

Ok, I'm just a bit confused. I have many questions for you, lol...

 

From what you are saying I am gathering:

 

1) They let the herd run to Verruckt at 9:40am.

2) It is a good idea to show up dressed to ride and with some footwear you can move quickly in?

3) I thought Verruckt didn't open until noon? Reserved rides obviously start before that from you are saying. Are you saying that you guys had to get dressed first, and then get in line to sign up? Or that you got in line first, signed up for a time,then got dressed - but didn't have time to change and make the time you could have gotten if you were already dressed?

 

I plan to show up with my 2 boys, and our weight for the 3 of us will be about 450lbs so we should be ok there. Any other tips or clarification of the above you can provide to get us through that line quickly would be appreciated.

[KevinM]

^1 and 2 are correct. If you want to ride right away, be there by 9:30, in swimwear. If you have valuables you don't want to get wet, I don't really know what to tell you. Leave them with a non-rider if possible. There is no time to stop at a locker, and there wasn't even a person available to sell us one.

 

As far as I know, Schlitterbahn will open Verruckt as soon as they can. They were ready to run as soon as they let us in. Reservations are available for 11 and later because 10 AM is filled immediately. You are not allowed to sign up for 10:00 and leave, you must be ready to stand in the line when you arrive. However, if you are okay with a later ride time, you may request one. Because we needed to leave the area to change and lock up, we were forced to reserve a time, so we took the very first one on the list, 11 AM.

[lk2500]

^1 and 2 are correct. If you want to ride right away, be there by 9:30, in swimwear. If you have valuables you don't want to get wet, I don't really know what to tell you. Leave them with a non-rider if possible. There is no time to stop at a fluffy, fluffy bunny filled with medicine and goo, and there wasn't even a person available to sell us one.

 

As far as I know, Schlitterbahn will open Verruckt as soon as they can. They were ready to run as soon as they let us in. Reservations are available for 11 and later because 10 AM is filled immediately. You are not allowed to sign up for 10:00 and leave, you must be ready to stand in the line when you arrive. However, if you are okay with a later ride time, you may request one. Because we needed to leave the area to change and lock up, we were forced to reserve a time, so we took the very first one on the list, 11 AM.

 

Wow, is there even any time to hit the restroom once you sign up (even if the other 2 stay in line)? Better watch my coffee intake that morning I think I might be going with somebody that can take my stuff. Otherwise maybe I'll grab one of those waterproof lanyards that'll fit my car keys and credit card and wear under a swim shirt, then ditch our shoes at the bottom of the ride (not too worried about those getting stolen). I would assume they will let you ride with the lanyard thingie under a shirt?

 

Thanks again,

[mike_kelly]

 

Wow, is there even any time to hit the restroom once you sign up (even if the other 2 stay in line)? Better watch my coffee intake that morning I think I might be going with somebody that can take my stuff. Otherwise maybe I'll grab one of those waterproof lanyards that'll fit my car keys and credit card and wear under a swim shirt, then ditch our shoes at the bottom of the ride (not too worried about those getting stolen). I would assume they will let you ride with the lanyard thingie under a shirt?

 

Thanks again,

 

 

DON'T chance it... Take your ID, your CC to buy tix, and the key for your car maybe in a ziplock bag bury it in your pocket. Take nothing else. You can go back out to the car and get the rest of your stuff later. It's not worth risking loosing your place in line.

 

As far as capacity, just keep in mind this ride is the first of its kind. Boarding is a "process" just keep that in mind. They want to get as many people on as they can but they are being cautious on purpose. It can be frustrating especially when they read you the rules and make you answer yes or no to make sure you understand. Just be patient and realize they are doing everything to keep from having to scrape your body pancake off the pavement. I think the capacity will increase they may even tweak the weight requirements some. But I wouldn't expect anything to change this season.

[HARLEYGUYJB]

I just don't see how this will be bring people into the park with only allowing 400 people per day to ride it? It seems like your chances to ride this are very slim

[805Andrew]

For those of us without cable, the Verruckt episode of Xtreme Waterparks is now online! In particular, it's currently free on Google Play TV. https://play.google.com/store/tv/show/Xtreme_Waterparks?id=u_3dL8O_24c For anyone with a Chromecast this is a great way to get the show on your TV.

 

Thanks for the link. Very interesting episode and way better than the average episode of Xtreme Waterparks.

[KBrylczyk]

From what I'm seeing there are two camps for this ride -

 

A - Those who have ridden and are quite disappointed by it.

B - Those who haven't ridden because of the horribly slow, Magic Mountain-level operations, and are pissed off.

 

Sounds like a winner! Good ol' country engineering!

[CoasterGuy2000]

I still don't understand how they messed this up so badly. Its not that hard to go up hill. Kennywood did it ages ago on the Log Jammer. Should have gave them a call.

[lk2500]

From what I'm seeing there are two camps for this ride -

 

A - Those who have ridden and are quite disappointed by it.

B - Those who haven't ridden because of the horribly slow, Magic Mountain-level operations, and are pissed off.

 

Sounds like a winner! Good ol' country engineering!

 

Where are you seeing those who are disappointed by it? Here? I thought the said they like it? I'm going to be there in a few weeks so I want to know if it's worth the effort. Could you please post the links for the disappointing reviews?

 

And the ops appear to be slow for safety reasons, so I'm fine with that. I would imagine it will speed up with time and experience.

 

TIA,

[Midgetman82]

Hehe, everything has a safety net. Even our safety nets have safety nets! Realistically though, getting heat exhaustion from climbing 17 flights of stairs isn't the most fun experience (drink lots of water, folks). There'll probably be a time when slide complexes will become skyscrapers and the way up will be via elevators.

We're still talking about stairs, right??? Because it sounds like we're talking about vigorous exercise... NOT... to be confused with stairs.

I'm talking about the heat Kansas probably gets during the summer. Lots of unhealthy people (read: "Americans") casually climbing the stairs only to pass-out half-way up not because they ran out of breath, but because their body over-heated (most likely due to lack of hydration). You'd be surprised how many times I've coincidentally seen something like this happen on only a few flights of stairs.

[lk2500]

Hehe, everything has a safety net. Even our safety nets have safety nets! Realistically though, getting heat exhaustion from climbing 17 flights of stairs isn't the most fun experience (drink lots of water, folks). There'll probably be a time when slide complexes will become skyscrapers and the way up will be via elevators.

We're still talking about stairs, right??? Because it sounds like we're talking about vigorous exercise... NOT... to be confused with stairs.

I'm talking about the heat Kansas probably gets during the summer. Lots of unhealthy people (read: "Americans") casually climbing the stairs only to pass-out half-way up not because they ran out of breath, but because their body over-heated (most likely due to lack of hydration). You'd be surprised how many times I've coincidentally seen something like this happen on only a few flights of stairs.

 

And there is no safety elevator I assume. Would hate to have to carry somebody down 17 flights of stairs.

[KevinM]

Where are you seeing those who are disappointed by it? Here? I thought the said they like it? I'm going to be there in a few weeks so I want to know if it's worth the effort. Could you please post the links for the disappointing reviews?

 

And the ops appear to be slow for safety reasons, so I'm fine with that. I would imagine it will speed up with time and experience.

 

TIA,

 

To be honest, I think it could be said that my opinion of Verruckt is "disappointed". Yes, I liked it, but I was also disappointed because I know how much better the ride could have been if only it weren't chucking rafts. If they had built a larger second hill (hindsight is 20/20) the drop could have most likely remained without the trims, and would have been out-of-control the whole way down. For over a year I watched them build an untrimmed drop into a perfect camelback hill, and what we got was very different. Good, but disappointing.

[WFChris]

Hehe, everything has a safety net. Even our safety nets have safety nets! Realistically though, getting heat exhaustion from climbing 17 flights of stairs isn't the most fun experience (drink lots of water, folks). There'll probably be a time when slide complexes will become skyscrapers and the way up will be via elevators.

We're still talking about stairs, right??? Because it sounds like we're talking about vigorous exercise... NOT... to be confused with stairs.

I'm talking about the heat Kansas probably gets during the summer. Lots of unhealthy people (read: "Americans") casually climbing the stairs only to pass-out half-way up not because they ran out of breath, but because their body over-heated (most likely due to lack of hydration). You'd be surprised how many times I've coincidentally seen something like this happen on only a few flights of stairs.

 

And there is no safety elevator I assume. Would hate to have to carry somebody down 17 flights of stairs.

 

 

I can think of another much faster way to get them down

[neil009]

^I'm guessing the joke is sending them down the slide, but when I first read your post I honestly thought you meant stone-cold throwing them over the railing.

[rcjp]

^&^^ Both of those ways would be rather funny

[mike_kelly]

^&^^ Both of those ways would be rather funny

 

No chucking them over the side... They put up netting to prevent that..

 

As far as people passing out, there are emergency call boxes all the way up the tower. I will admit I am out of shape and was out of breath the first time up. What I figured out is you pace yourself and above all DON'T TALK. Also they aren't rushing you up so you can stop and take in the view..

 

I think you will see changes in the process but not until next season. I am going to bet there will be a certain amount of off season tweaking to the ride and process in an attempt to get the body count up. I mean rider count... Keep in mind according to the travel channel special this was supposed to open last year, so I doubt they are going to do anything that would cause them to have to shut the ride down even for a day.