Aww the irony…
In the original Anaheim Disneyland it may be a Small World after all, but that world’s inhabitants are getting bigger and heavier almost by the day. The passengers are getting so much bigger that they are actually causing the boats to bottom out.
Disney has decided to re-engineer the rides so that it can stand the weight of the growing population. When the ride was first designed in 1963 the assumption was that the male adult riders would average 175 pounds and the women about 135, which they pretty much did at the time.
Today, the Small World ride now must accommodate adults who often weigh more than 200 pounds, which it often cannot do. Increasingly, overweighted boats get to certain points in the ride and bottom out, becoming stuck in the flume.
The ride monitors attempt to leave empty seats on many boats to compensate for the hefty, but this routinely antagonizes the hundreds of paying customers waiting in line. When a boat does bottom out, a long line of other boats backs up behind it, their passengers slowly going mad from listening to the ride’s theme song.
The terrifyingly creepy Disney World ride, “It’s a Small World,” has reopened after being closed for renovations. The ride was designed to bring acceptance for different cultures, and now it also showcases Disney’s portrayal of various cultures/species with characters from Aladdin, Finding Nemo and the Little Mermaid. Read more…
GALVESTON ISLAND, Texas, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ — Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark begins the Wasserfest indoor-season this Saturday, September 29 at 10 a.m.
Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark’s Wasserfest indoor waterpark was recently honored by being ranked as the best indoor waterpark in the nation during the 2007 Golden Ticket Award ceremony at Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Nicknamed the “Academy Awards of the Amusement Park Industry,” the Golden Ticket Awards are presented annually by Amusement Today, an industry trade magazine based in Arlington, Texas. The winners are determined by the results of an international survey conducted among hundreds of well-traveled enthusiasts and amusement park aficionados.
“We are extremely honored to earn this new Golden Ticket distinction as having the best indoor waterpark in America,” stated Terri Adams, Schlitterbahn Waterpark’s chief operating officer. “Wasserfest has gained notoriety not only for its state-of-the-art ingenious convertible roof and wall system, but also for the variety of family attractions all under one roof. We’ve got your family covered for fall and winter Schlitterbahn fun.”
“Summer fun continues throughout the winter,” mentioned Ron Sutula, general manager of Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark. “We are excited to offer visiting families a splash of summertime fun even during the coolest months of the year. We are also looking forward to creating new family traditions for our guests this holiday season.”
The 70,000 square-foot indoor waterpark offers more than a dozen heated waterpark attractions including four tube slides, three speed slides, three kids’ activity areas containing a variety of children’s play elements and pint-sized slides, a secluded beach, a hot tub and the Torrent® tidal wave river.
Wasserfest tickets are available at the discounted rate of $25.99 for adult all-day admission and $21.99 for children, ages 3 - 11, and seniors, 55 years or older. Afternoon (3 p.m.) admission tickets are available for $17.99 for adults and $14.50 for children and seniors. Two-day tickets are $41.49 for adults and $34.74 for children and seniors. Taxes are not included in the ticket price.
Wasserfest is scheduled to operate 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and select holidays now through January 6, 2008. Wasserfest will also be open the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 23, and the week after Christmas, December 26 though January 6, 2008. Please visit schlitterbahn.com for the complete 2008 operating dates and hours. Hours and prices are subject to change without notice.
During summer operations, the Blastenhoff, Surfenburg and Wasserfest areas incorporate state-of-the-art attractions including two uphill water coasters, a wave pool, water slides, kids’ playgrounds, whitewater rapids, hot tubs, the Boogie Bahn surf ride and the exclusive Transportainment® interconnected river system.
Summer season passes are currently available for the lowest price of the season by calling the park at 409.770.WAVE (9283) or by visiting schlitterbahn.com.
Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark is the third waterpark in the Schlitterbahn family of parks.
Schlitterbahn Background
Family-owned and operated, Schlitterbahn Waterparks has been a leader in family water entertainment since 1979. The company operates three parks in Texas, all of which offer family amenities that include free parking and free inner tubes. Guests are also welcome to bring a family picnic basket, excluding alcohol and glass containers, into the parks.
Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark, South Padre Island
The 26-acre park opened in 2001 and features more than a dozen family attractions including the state-of-the-art Transportainment® river system. Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark has received the industry’s top awards for design innovation.
Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, New Braunfels
The 65-acre park features more than 40 family attractions, miles of tubing adventures and 238 overnight accommodations. Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort is the most popular summertime waterpark in the United States and has been rated America’s number one waterpark by the Travel Channel. It has been the top-attended seasonal waterpark in the United States since 1995, according to Amusement Business rankings.
Schlitterbahn Vacation Village, Kansas City, Kansas
The company has also announced plans to develop a $750 million groundbreaking, trend-setting retail entertainment destination comprised of multiple shopping, dining, lodging and entertainment venues connected by a Transportainment® River System. In the Vacation Village, manmade rivers carry guests between lodging units and a large summertime Water Resort and a covered Riverwalk with shops and restaurants. The first portions of the project will open in the summer of 2009.
For more information, contact Schlitterbahn Waterparks’ corporate office in New Braunfels, Texas at 830.625.2351 or visit the parks’ media center at schlitterbahn.com/news.
It’s summer. You should be at the beach, munching on a hotdog, sea salt in your hair, strolling the wooden slats of that cherished American beach institution: the boardwalk. Head to Santa Cruz, California, where the 93-year-old boardwalk was named the best in the U.S. by the Travel Channel. The boardwalk’s classic amusement park still maintains a carousel from 1911 and a roller coaster built in 1924.
For more on some of America’s best surf towns click here from Away.com
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