Shoot the Rapids still not running fully loaded boats

Bluestreaker said:
Then build a true flume ride...

Ride On_17 said:
...it would be amazing if it was replaced with a traditional log flume.

That's easy to say when you don't have to justify the maintenance costs associated with a "traditional flume".

And frankly, I think too many of you view WWL through the rosiest of glasses. It was a nice ride, but it wasn't terribly popular in its later years.

JW Addington said:
I'm curious to what the cost of a traditional flume (WWL size) would've been compared to the "over-engineered" product they purchased.

Maintenance costs would likely have been much higher over the ride's life.

I miss riding WWL, especially in the evenings. No line...

What? I don't understand! WWL was literally the best amusement park attraction in the history of known Universe! It is often said that a ride on WWL was no less spiritually-fulfilling than saving the lives of a bus load of orphans! And you're saying there was no line? How could that be?!?

;)

Before Maverick, What ride in the back of the park had any kind of line in the evening? ;) It was usually dead back there in the evening!

Exactly. WWL wasn't that great of a ride, considering it didn't draw folks back there. :)

If drawing people to an area of the park is the criteria for a good ride, then STR isn't drawing anyone either. People will ride it on the hottest of days to cool off. No one is going to CP saying, "I can't wait to ride STR!" Half the time I walk by, I see it running empty boats. I think the same was true even in 2010 when it first opened. I agree that the ride has not delivered what they were probably hoping it would. As soon as they announced the really high height requirement, it was sort of obvious that it wouldn't serve as a family friendly replacement for WWL. My kid and I rode the log flume at Busch Gardens Tampa last summer when he was three repeatedly and had a blast. It's still probably my fondest memory in a park with him. That's something he can't do at CP. There is other stuff he enjoys doing, but I agree they sort of missed the mark with STR.

Also, some might forget that it was around 2002 or so when some sort of "incident" occurred with two boats at the bottom of the drop of WWL and their "fix" was to use one chute instead of two, essentially cutting the capacity in half. The turntable on WWL was supposed to spin about twice as fast as it did during its last few years. If there was a big drop off in ridership, that is most likely the reason.

No, I agree that they missed the mark with StR. I just think the idolatry of WWL has reached absurd levels.

Agreed. It either needed to go or needed some major work done to it in order to stay. It was an okay flume ride, but I've experienced better.

Detroit Basketball said:
I know this is just my opinion, but isn't it sad that White Water Landing was a much better ride all around than Shoot The Crapids?

The failure here is White Water Landing wasn't removed for Shoot The Rapids, it was removed for Maverick.

Personally, I don't see why STR is getting the flack people give it. I think it's a fun ride

The things I think CP is desperately lacking right now is a flume ride, or at least some water ride that can cool you off without getting you soaked. That's why I like WWL and other flume rides like this so much. I don't usually like going to an amusement park and getting completely soaked, and walking around in drenched clothes for a while after. And no, I won't pay to use one of those dryer things. Traditional log flumes are great since they're relaxing and don't get you soaked. It's a nice break from extreme rides and coasters, and if it's hot, I would rather ride a log flume than something like SRF. I'd rather have a nice gentle splash of water and get cooled off just enough rather than be pounded under a tidal wave. Plus traditional log flumes are true family rides. Currently, I wouldn't call any of CP's water rides true family rides.

^this one doesn't like to be pounded, just get kinda wet and be relaxing

I love puns

Haha I guess I should have worded that differently.

Indeed

Shoot the Rapids needs more theming for it to be more enjoyable.

Maybe they should erect a structure around Shoot The Rapids and make it an indoor flume ride. Change the boats to something that God couldn't sink and go from there.

I say give it the Disaster Transport treatment. Knock down the lifts and build a building around it. Boom! You get your dark ride and you don't get wet. Where's my check?

~Rob

Lets see, a dark ride in the water, you don't get wet and there are no lifts--the "old folks" would call that the Tunnel of Love.

Removing WWL and a couple years later "replacing" it with STR, is the equivalent of removing the CP & LE Railroad and replacing it a few years later with a John Deere tractor pulling vehicles that you sit strapped in a seat with dividers between everyone and you enjoy your 1mph ride through a concrete path with no scenery. There is also a 72 inch height requirement. And instead of enjoying your scenic ride, there are speed bumps every 1 1/2 feet. Welcome back riders, how was your ride!!

"Oh stop making the CP & LE Railroad out like it was some awesome ride. It was crap! The train ride at Michigan's Adventure was WAY WAY better than the crap CP had..." :)

That comparison would hold water if CP&LE weren't consistently an order of magnitude more popular that WWL was.

I wonder if there would be a way to get new boats (again) for STR so they didn't soak riders. Then STR wouldn't be too bad.

I still don't get this whole getting soaked thing. I get wet on the ride but never soaked.

I was always under the impression that they had a way to control the water level and control how wet riders got.