Hi everyone, just wanted to say I made a mistake in this video - the current record holder for the largest drop on a rapids ride is Mystic River Falls at Silver Dollar City, which opened in 2020 and stands at 45 ft tall. Thanks to those of you that pointed it out in the comments :) This is only 5ft/1.5m taller than Infinity Falls though, so I think the points I made in the video still stand. Thanks for watching, and have a great day!
ever since that rapid flipped at drayton you cant go on a rapids ride without hearing "Please sit down" over the soundtrack, and 10 billion staff watching you.
So true! For me that was the last nail for most of the uk rapids, there all so old and outdated and now they cut back a lot of the scenery for “safety reasons” and added 10 huts for staff just bring u right out of the immersion
Yeah, it's a shame that it's come to that, but the parks are rightly just trying to make sure it doesn't happen again, and (although this is slightly more evil corporation like) if it does, they can't be found at fault for it.
@MiltonKeynes1 We do meed some better rapids in the UK tbh, but at least Towers have started to make Congo River Rapids less like a lazy river over the last few seasons. Although i cant think of any parks that could afford a good rapids ride and don't already have one other than maybe Blackpool (and I just can't see them getting one in general) so I think we'll be waiting a while
@CourtMcCheese there's been quite a few nasty accidents on these tbh. Dreamworld's is probably the worst, but a kid died at Drayton Manor in 2017 because she stood up and fell out of the boat, and that triggered the changes the OP was talking about
that half-pipe looks like it could have been photoshopped it looks so mental, honestly, i dont really want too many river rapids to incorporate these kinds of elements because these elements are what makes waterslides unique and gives them a selling point and i dont really want the two to become too similar, that said however, i do think that adding these to some rapids in small amounts is a good idea. you never know, maybe intamin will shake the world of launches again with a launched rapids? they have done every other ride type with a launch before like their log flume in seaworld and all of the accelerator coasters, now that would be truly crazy. I hope you're having a good day btw :)
It does look a bit fake, doesn't it! Maybe it's all AI... ;) That's an interesting take, but I can see where you're coming from. Hahaha it is the next logical step isn't it! I think the issue with a launched rapids would be what you do after it though. At least on the log flume they have that speed hill thing, but I'd imagine that would be a lot harder to do for rapids because they don't have rails and wheels. I guess you could launch into one of these half pipe elements, but I don't think it would be quite the same as the drop into it. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens! Thanks, you too!
It's very much real and also the biggest problem of the ride. Some of the time they go too fast and other times to flume doesn't reach the end. It does spin you around way more. It would have looked way better if they themed it more like a giant leaf and branches and the boats more like tree frogs. They could have had some exibits around the attraction and info over these animals. This park is half zoo anyway.
One thing I'd like to see with river rapids is more variety of theming. Most of the ones I've seen are just "whitewater rafting in a controlled environment". A few do go more heavily into theming, but they're usually just treated as a typical themeless thrill ride with some nice scenery on the side. These have lots of potential for theming and I'm surprised parks haven't taken advantage of it.
Yes! There's a dark ride / river rapids at Chessington in the UK, and that was brilliant (they slowly made it worse with each retheme). It is weird that we don't have the river rapids equivalent of the jurassic park boat rides, and I agree that they would be really good of parks did them more often
For me the appeal of a "River rapid" type ride is I want to get wet, they're for hot days when I need to be cooled off, I don't need a thrill, I don't need to feel any zero-g moments (or the opposite), just get me wet because it's hot, and if they can make the it look scenic then all the better. So all those things like a lift tower, or half pipe, unnecessary. You were really spot on with your assessment, there really is no reason to innovate this type of ride.
Yes, although the special moments are cool, I don't think I would be any more or less likely to ride something because of them. Like you said, I just want to get a bit wet
River quest at phantasialand was supposed to have a drop track back then. In Germany, however, they would have to have seat belts in the rafts for this, which is why it wasn't done :(
It's crazy that they were considering that way back in 2002, and although a shame, iit is understandable why they didn't go for it - I think a seatbelt would ruin the rapids slightly tbh
@@coaster_shark The combination of seatbelts and a river rapids ride would have been illegal. The drop track is still in place, but in a permanent down position. You can see it here.www.ummet-eck.de/Bilder/poi/678/river-quest-phantasialand-202204.jpg
I do think waterslide elements wil eventualy be on river rapids, but it wil take a long time. This simple half pipe element caused Amazonia to have an extended closure of almost 2 months.
I see the arguments that incorporating waterside elements musses the point of the rapids, but ignoring the possibility of a mild and wild rapids in the same park, I would think the bowl at least could be an interesting way to give the ride a whirlpool effect that wouldn't have to be particularly intense. If you want to be particularly thematic, but a siren animatronic in the center.
Honestly I think having more control over the rapids themselves is the way to go. You could control the speed of the rapids dynamically with each cycle. Similar to how drop towers can be “randomized”. You could create launch sections using water jets. you could create whirlpools guests get “stuck” in. Play with g forces in the ride. What makes roller coasters so great is that nothing is left up to chance. You get the illusion of feeling out of control when in reality every element has been thought out and designed meticulously. Rapids need to be less meandering in general imo.
I get what you're saying, and one of the main benefits or rapids is how unpredictable they are, so that would definitely add to that vibe. It would probably be a nightmare to design and run though...
@@coaster_shark I agree it would be overly complex if you were to add all those things 😂 lol but just having some of that would be awesome for rapids rides of the future. I’d love to see a Universal or Disney push something like that. One thing I don’t understand though is why we haven’t seen a rapids ride similar to Pirates of the Caribbean or Splash Mountain? You could still have those out of control rapid sections and drops in between the slower well themed scenes.
@@tormentorox1 can't control the way the riders look. If you look the wrong way on pirates or splash (when it was still around) you see a whole load of nothing, and the already loose narrative that's been set up works even less. You pretty much half to pay twice as much for theming, when your average rider will only see half of it lol
There was one at Chessington in the UK, but it's just got progressively worse over the years unfortunately (via a few bad rethemes). I never really understood why they weren't more of a thing either, although @RedPandaStan raises a valid point about cost
What’d be really fun would be a way for the people in the ride to change the rotation of the vehicle. Back when I went on Kali river rapids as a kid, it always felt like a game of roulette of who was gonna get the most wet.
My first rapids ride was in the summer of 1984 at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. My family went on it multiple times, and we fell in love with rapids type rides. The rapids ride had the best name then, too, Whitewater Rampage. My family still calls it that even though it's been renamed a few times. Adding water park features sounds like a natural transition for rapids type rides. Maybe add the giant filling water bucket as you're going up the return lift hill before getting off with the chance to get dumped on, lol. Thanks for the video.
Oooo whitewater rampage is such a good name! The 80s and 90s definitely produced some of the most iconic ride names out there in my opinion! Oh my days, that bucket would be absolutely brutal for the 1 boat it gets it, I love it!
This is a very weird idea but what if they made a spinning water coaster and the trains are river rapid floats and it starts as any other river rapids ride with the classic rapids and water pipes and stuff but then there’s a chain lift and it turns into a rollercoaster with airtime moments, turns, and maybe inversions
Belwaerde did amazing, I’ve ridden the rapids and it is something else! It’s so different to our uk rapids with 0 water getting you wet and lifeguards, speakers etc…
the only innovation river rapids rides needs is a redesign of ride vehicles that protects your feet from getting wet. your shoes and socks getting wet is a great way to ruin your day at a park and is the #1 reason to skip these rides. having vehicles with a dedicated place to put your feet then something that seals them into that place and covers them from getting wet would be absolutely game changing for these rides. Everything else on your body getting wet is fun. but your shoes and socks getting wet just sucks
I think what they really need is just some way to allow you to go on them barefoot and then have lockers for your shoes. I'd rather go barefoot than have to fiddle with some sort of contraption.
There are family dryer. You can take ab extra pair of socks.shoes and socks dry great using those hot air hand blowers in the toilets. If it's not hot / sunny they usually don't run the rapids at full speed (less water spilling over you). Did 20 rapid runs in multiple theme parks over the last month and didn't even have to change socks 🤷♂️
As a former ride op at SWO I can assure you the new pumping technology does not make them easier to run or more reliable. Infinity Falls goes down anywhere from 1-15 times per day, sometimes resulting in extended closures. It's not always the pumping system, it's often the optical sensors or elevator as well, but the pumping system is quite complex. It's 3 separate systems from a common reservoir fed to 3 separate levels. I think the real innovation for IF is the inventive ways they direct the water flow in the flumes to get you wetter than most of these things are capable of. No mention of Grizzly River Run in this video makes me sad lol. That one is really good and it is the only one I've ridden that has a turntable at the top of the final drop that spins the raft as it drops. It's pretty unique. There's one at Silver Dollar City that has a little water slide that leads to the final drop too.
Oh fair enough, I think Infinity Falls is definitely one of the more complicated rapids rides out there, but fool on me for thinking new technology was to make stuff better! ;)
I didn't know about Grizzly to be fair, I'll have to check it out! That's one of the downsides of not living in America I suppose, a lot of your cool rides just never get a mention over the pond
One of the innovations you missed imo was the flexible Boats on the vekoma rapids, as Rio grande in walibi Holland had untill they changed to the current boats. Those where made out of segments with flexible rings between them making the boats shape following the flow of the water more, and having these gaps inbetween where water could come up.
The reason that River Quest at Phantasialand is the best River Rapid ride, is mainly because of the theming all around the ride. Nevertheless you should never forget about the drops (espacially the first one that follows after a spiral) they are crazy. I don't think that the half-pipe will be a competeter, because it takes pretty much space and is hard to theme
Phantasialand's theming is on a whole other level isn't it! That's fair enough, I think there are a few ways you could theme it but I won't deny it would be difficult...
river quest was my first ever rapids, I was disappointed when I found out other rapids are mostly much more boring/less creative. Set the bar pretty high haha
I really enjoy rapids rides, there's such a communal feel to them of like oohhhh whos gonna get wet. I wish they'd lean into that more, maybe add some interactive elements where you can choose a path or vote who's gonna go backwards for the drop. I know that's hard to do even on rollercoasters though, so I doubt we'd get it for rafts anytime soon lol.
It is crazy how communal they can be, even when you're on with strangers it's still a lot of fun. Those would be very cool, but yeah might be a tad complicated ;)
I would like to see more safety. Maybe consider some kind of rider restraint system? I get that no restraints makes it feel more thrilling but the same would be true for rollercoasters.
I am genuinely surprised they don't at least have seatbelts to be honest! Would be better than having a speaker telling you to sit down every 5 seconds...
Oooo that would be crazy, although it's harder to see how they would incorporate it into the experience because I imagine it would be difficult to put a speed hill or something interesting after the launch other than just a big splash
I feel Amazonia isn't aiming to be the next step for traditional river rapids ride. The waves, turbulent sections, waterfalls, etc. that characterize those rides are missing, and overall it feels more water slide-like than river-like. The Spinning Rapids rides developed by Whitewater West (such as Thorpe Park's Storm Surge) are a much more fitting comparison to me. It is interesting to note there are previous Spinning Rapids rides that have elements similar to Amazonia's (Haichang Ocean Park's rapids ride for example), so Intamin strikes to me as wanting to compete with Whitewater West over these "modern" rapids rides for now. But I don't think this is intended to change the traditional rapids ride. Even then, I can't really think of a major change for traditional rapids rides. For one, it already feels like most modern amusement parks already have a river rapids ride, so there isn't much opportunity to even add a new one. I also think it's fair to say that they... maybe don't need a big change at all? The big appeal of rapids rides is that they are unpredictably predictable by design. Everyone onboard knows they will get wet by the end, but how they'll get wet and how much they'll be soaked is all up to the amusement park gods. It is a simple premise, but it's what makes these rides both universally fun and re-ridable by design, and you can't really put much of a new spin on that, you know? If I had no choice but to wish for at least one new change for these rides, I guess would like for them to feel less... artificial? There's something about the more natural appearance of Astroworld's Thunder River from the footage in your video I really appreciate, and it leaves the visible fake, narrow troughs from newer rapids rides a bit unimpressive in comparison. I'm not sure if such a change would have a heavy cost in ride design, though.
Yeah I think amazonia on its own isn't, but u think with better integration between the different sections and better rapids sections, intamin definitely could do something that fits that brief. Yeahh I think the theming and the artifical feel is probably the only thing you could say is needed, but that's up to the parks more than the manufacturers...
@@coaster_shark (Apologies for the late reply. RUclips's notification system can be rather fickle.) Thinking more about this, I think an interesting idea that unifies traditional and modern river rapids rides is to follow SeaWorld Orlando's Journey to Atlantis and its log flume-roller coaster hybrid ride design. So the ride is advertised and begins like a normal rapids rides, where the raft is journeying through a natural river channel with rapids and waterfalls scattered about. But then midway through, the raft travels up a lift (could be chain or elevator), which transitions the ride into the modern rapids ride. Now the raft is traveling down a slide, experiencing drops and other crazy elements like the half-pipe. The ride ends with a notably big drop, and the raft soon returns to the station. Add in some competent landscaping and theming (in particular, I would like the second half to be completely hidden to make it a surprise), and you could get something pretty cool here.
That could be interesting, but I think half the fun is seeing other people on the boat get soaked, so I'm not sure I would want to face outwards to be honest. You would also definitely need restraints in that scenario, but I can't imagine they would need to be much more than a seatbelt
Doesn't the fishbowl element also already exis in a tame way in the hafema rapids? Bobbejaanland has something like that, or even River Quest from Phantasialand also has it.
I guess it kinda does, but I'm not sure I count it because its not as uncontrolled as a waterslide fishbowl - although it looks the part you're essentially just doing normal rapids but in a tight circle
I’ve been going to parks since I was 4. Avid enthusiasts. I could care less about these things. Idc about their safety that’s not the concern. They just get you absolutely drenched and have the longest line for a water ride. A lot of parks allow bystanders to douse you with the hose gun. Sometimes you have to pay so nobody does but if they’re free someone just gonna blast you. They are boring rides even if you like water rides. Log flumes waaaaay better tbh. May not get you as wet but better rides. I never got the appeal of being drenched like you jumped in a pool fully dressed and sitting in water for the duration of the ride. Then having to walk around a crowded park all day.
1:53 a bit of wrong information but infinity falls drop is 40 ft (12.2m) while Mystic River Falls is 45 ft (13.7m) so that has the world record I think
Ah, that's odd. I definitely remember Sea World marketing Infinity Falls as the record holder... someone somewhere probably stretched the truth a bit ;)
Interesting video but these rides suck if you get too wet. Popeye's Water Rapids soaked me to my skin. Like a full submersion. Mae the rest of the day miserable with wet clothes, shoes, blisters, chaffing… flumes are better in every way
Haha it's quite funny seeing everyone's different opinions to getting wet! When it's not a nice day it's not pleasant being wet though, and wet shoes and socks are the worst
Hi everyone, just wanted to say I made a mistake in this video - the current record holder for the largest drop on a rapids ride is Mystic River Falls at Silver Dollar City, which opened in 2020 and stands at 45 ft tall. Thanks to those of you that pointed it out in the comments :) This is only 5ft/1.5m taller than Infinity Falls though, so I think the points I made in the video still stand. Thanks for watching, and have a great day!
ever since that rapid flipped at drayton you cant go on a rapids ride without hearing "Please sit down" over the soundtrack, and 10 billion staff watching you.
So true! For me that was the last nail for most of the uk rapids, there all so old and outdated and now they cut back a lot of the scenery for “safety reasons” and added 10 huts for staff just bring u right out of the immersion
Did you mix Drayton up with Dreamlands accident?
Yeah, it's a shame that it's come to that, but the parks are rightly just trying to make sure it doesn't happen again, and (although this is slightly more evil corporation like) if it does, they can't be found at fault for it.
@MiltonKeynes1 We do meed some better rapids in the UK tbh, but at least Towers have started to make Congo River Rapids less like a lazy river over the last few seasons. Although i cant think of any parks that could afford a good rapids ride and don't already have one other than maybe Blackpool (and I just can't see them getting one in general) so I think we'll be waiting a while
@CourtMcCheese there's been quite a few nasty accidents on these tbh. Dreamworld's is probably the worst, but a kid died at Drayton Manor in 2017 because she stood up and fell out of the boat, and that triggered the changes the OP was talking about
that half-pipe looks like it could have been photoshopped it looks so mental, honestly, i dont really want too many river rapids to incorporate these kinds of elements because these elements are what makes waterslides unique and gives them a selling point and i dont really want the two to become too similar, that said however, i do think that adding these to some rapids in small amounts is a good idea. you never know, maybe intamin will shake the world of launches again with a launched rapids? they have done every other ride type with a launch before like their log flume in seaworld and all of the accelerator coasters, now that would be truly crazy. I hope you're having a good day btw :)
It does look a bit fake, doesn't it! Maybe it's all AI... ;) That's an interesting take, but I can see where you're coming from. Hahaha it is the next logical step isn't it! I think the issue with a launched rapids would be what you do after it though. At least on the log flume they have that speed hill thing, but I'd imagine that would be a lot harder to do for rapids because they don't have rails and wheels. I guess you could launch into one of these half pipe elements, but I don't think it would be quite the same as the drop into it. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens! Thanks, you too!
It's very much real and also the biggest problem of the ride. Some of the time they go too fast and other times to flume doesn't reach the end. It does spin you around way more. It would have looked way better if they themed it more like a giant leaf and branches and the boats more like tree frogs. They could have had some exibits around the attraction and info over these animals. This park is half zoo anyway.
Ohh yeah, that themeing would have made such a difference!
One thing I'd like to see with river rapids is more variety of theming. Most of the ones I've seen are just "whitewater rafting in a controlled environment". A few do go more heavily into theming, but they're usually just treated as a typical themeless thrill ride with some nice scenery on the side. These have lots of potential for theming and I'm surprised parks haven't taken advantage of it.
Yes! There's a dark ride / river rapids at Chessington in the UK, and that was brilliant (they slowly made it worse with each retheme). It is weird that we don't have the river rapids equivalent of the jurassic park boat rides, and I agree that they would be really good of parks did them more often
For me the appeal of a "River rapid" type ride is I want to get wet, they're for hot days when I need to be cooled off, I don't need a thrill, I don't need to feel any zero-g moments (or the opposite), just get me wet because it's hot, and if they can make the it look scenic then all the better. So all those things like a lift tower, or half pipe, unnecessary. You were really spot on with your assessment, there really is no reason to innovate this type of ride.
Yes, although the special moments are cool, I don't think I would be any more or less likely to ride something because of them. Like you said, I just want to get a bit wet
there is a fun randomness of who will get wet by a certain element.
I was soaked in water tho... on that ride.
@@Raveyardbe Well sure, because at the heart of it it still is a rapids ride, and you roll the dice every time on how wet you'll end up getting.
River quest at phantasialand was supposed to have a drop track back then. In Germany, however, they would have to have seat belts in the rafts for this, which is why it wasn't done :(
It's crazy that they were considering that way back in 2002, and although a shame, iit is understandable why they didn't go for it - I think a seatbelt would ruin the rapids slightly tbh
@@coaster_shark The combination of seatbelts and a river rapids ride would have been illegal. The drop track is still in place, but in a permanent down position. You can see it here.www.ummet-eck.de/Bilder/poi/678/river-quest-phantasialand-202204.jpg
I do think waterslide elements wil eventualy be on river rapids, but it wil take a long time. This simple half pipe element caused Amazonia to have an extended closure of almost 2 months.
Damn I didn't know that, but I guess every new technology has its teething issues. Hopefully future iterations are a bit less painful!
I see the arguments that incorporating waterside elements musses the point of the rapids, but ignoring the possibility of a mild and wild rapids in the same park, I would think the bowl at least could be an interesting way to give the ride a whirlpool effect that wouldn't have to be particularly intense. If you want to be particularly thematic, but a siren animatronic in the center.
That's a good point, and the idea of the siren is really cool!
Honestly I think having more control over the rapids themselves is the way to go. You could control the speed of the rapids dynamically with each cycle. Similar to how drop towers can be “randomized”.
You could create launch sections using water jets. you could create whirlpools guests get “stuck” in. Play with g forces in the ride.
What makes roller coasters so great is that nothing is left up to chance. You get the illusion of feeling out of control when in reality every element has been thought out and designed meticulously. Rapids need to be less meandering in general imo.
I get what you're saying, and one of the main benefits or rapids is how unpredictable they are, so that would definitely add to that vibe. It would probably be a nightmare to design and run though...
@@coaster_shark I agree it would be overly complex if you were to add all those things 😂 lol but just having some of that would be awesome for rapids rides of the future. I’d love to see a Universal or Disney push something like that.
One thing I don’t understand though is why we haven’t seen a rapids ride similar to Pirates of the Caribbean or Splash Mountain? You could still have those out of control rapid sections and drops in between the slower well themed scenes.
@@tormentorox1 can't control the way the riders look. If you look the wrong way on pirates or splash (when it was still around) you see a whole load of nothing, and the already loose narrative that's been set up works even less. You pretty much half to pay twice as much for theming, when your average rider will only see half of it lol
There was one at Chessington in the UK, but it's just got progressively worse over the years unfortunately (via a few bad rethemes). I never really understood why they weren't more of a thing either, although @RedPandaStan raises a valid point about cost
Ive really never thought about it but you make great points, keep up the great content!
Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it :)
What’d be really fun would be a way for the people in the ride to change the rotation of the vehicle. Back when I went on Kali river rapids as a kid, it always felt like a game of roulette of who was gonna get the most wet.
Oh the absolute snakery that would go on to get people soaked would be insane hahaha
You went to the wrong Disney park for that. Disney's California Adventure's Grizzly River Run has a drop that does exactly what you described.
Damn, get me some plane tickets right now!
My first rapids ride was in the summer of 1984 at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. My family went on it multiple times, and we fell in love with rapids type rides. The rapids ride had the best name then, too, Whitewater Rampage. My family still calls it that even though it's been renamed a few times.
Adding water park features sounds like a natural transition for rapids type rides. Maybe add the giant filling water bucket as you're going up the return lift hill before getting off with the chance to get dumped on, lol.
Thanks for the video.
Oooo whitewater rampage is such a good name! The 80s and 90s definitely produced some of the most iconic ride names out there in my opinion! Oh my days, that bucket would be absolutely brutal for the 1 boat it gets it, I love it!
This is a very weird idea but what if they made a spinning water coaster and the trains are river rapid floats and it starts as any other river rapids ride with the classic rapids and water pipes and stuff but then there’s a chain lift and it turns into a rollercoaster with airtime moments, turns, and maybe inversions
Oh god that would be a nightmare to design haha. Would be very cool though
Belwaerde did amazing, I’ve ridden the rapids and it is something else! It’s so different to our uk rapids with 0 water getting you wet and lifeguards, speakers etc…
It is nice just to have something a bit different to the norm sometimes isn't it
the only innovation river rapids rides needs is a redesign of ride vehicles that protects your feet from getting wet. your shoes and socks getting wet is a great way to ruin your day at a park and is the #1 reason to skip these rides. having vehicles with a dedicated place to put your feet then something that seals them into that place and covers them from getting wet would be absolutely game changing for these rides.
Everything else on your body getting wet is fun. but your shoes and socks getting wet just sucks
Now that's a genius idea, maybe you should get it patented to sell ;) squelchy shoes are the worst though
I think what they really need is just some way to allow you to go on them barefoot and then have lockers for your shoes. I'd rather go barefoot than have to fiddle with some sort of contraption.
There are family dryer. You can take ab extra pair of socks.shoes and socks dry great using those hot air hand blowers in the toilets. If it's not hot / sunny they usually don't run the rapids at full speed (less water spilling over you).
Did 20 rapid runs in multiple theme parks over the last month and didn't even have to change socks 🤷♂️
As a former ride op at SWO I can assure you the new pumping technology does not make them easier to run or more reliable. Infinity Falls goes down anywhere from 1-15 times per day, sometimes resulting in extended closures. It's not always the pumping system, it's often the optical sensors or elevator as well, but the pumping system is quite complex. It's 3 separate systems from a common reservoir fed to 3 separate levels. I think the real innovation for IF is the inventive ways they direct the water flow in the flumes to get you wetter than most of these things are capable of.
No mention of Grizzly River Run in this video makes me sad lol. That one is really good and it is the only one I've ridden that has a turntable at the top of the final drop that spins the raft as it drops. It's pretty unique. There's one at Silver Dollar City that has a little water slide that leads to the final drop too.
Oh fair enough, I think Infinity Falls is definitely one of the more complicated rapids rides out there, but fool on me for thinking new technology was to make stuff better! ;)
I didn't know about Grizzly to be fair, I'll have to check it out! That's one of the downsides of not living in America I suppose, a lot of your cool rides just never get a mention over the pond
One of the innovations you missed imo was the flexible Boats on the vekoma rapids, as Rio grande in walibi Holland had untill they changed to the current boats. Those where made out of segments with flexible rings between them making the boats shape following the flow of the water more, and having these gaps inbetween where water could come up.
The other rapids in Bellewaerde, Bengal Rapid River, still has those rafts.
Everland in Korea has an old Hafema with similar boats. They feel amazing.
Oh wow, I hadn't hear of those before! They sound pretty cool though - do you know why they were replaced?
Grizzly River Run has a final drop that completely spins the raft during the slide.
The reason that River Quest at Phantasialand is the best River Rapid ride, is mainly because of the theming all around the ride. Nevertheless you should never forget about the drops (espacially the first one that follows after a spiral) they are crazy. I don't think that the half-pipe will be a competeter, because it takes pretty much space and is hard to theme
Phantasialand's theming is on a whole other level isn't it! That's fair enough, I think there are a few ways you could theme it but I won't deny it would be difficult...
River rapids are named what they are for a reason...it's not meant to have waterslide elements.
Fair enough, you have to innovate at some point though...
True and those things limit the capacity of the ride. Less boats on the track.
Rubber dinghy rapids bro
Fast track at alton towers!
@@coaster_shark life’s like being stuck in the queues at Alton towers 🤣
Now that's an oof
Fucked up rabbits with no ears
Honestly i love my river Rapids without Trill elements. But thats just me. I always love when parks get creative.
Creativity is such an underrated feature with theme parks I think
river quest was my first ever rapids, I was disappointed when I found out other rapids are mostly much more boring/less creative.
Set the bar pretty high haha
Hahaha I can imagine!
I really enjoy rapids rides, there's such a communal feel to them of like oohhhh whos gonna get wet. I wish they'd lean into that more, maybe add some interactive elements where you can choose a path or vote who's gonna go backwards for the drop. I know that's hard to do even on rollercoasters though, so I doubt we'd get it for rafts anytime soon lol.
It is crazy how communal they can be, even when you're on with strangers it's still a lot of fun. Those would be very cool, but yeah might be a tad complicated ;)
I would like to see more safety. Maybe consider some kind of rider restraint system? I get that no restraints makes it feel more thrilling but the same would be true for rollercoasters.
I am genuinely surprised they don't at least have seatbelts to be honest! Would be better than having a speaker telling you to sit down every 5 seconds...
Infinity Falls isn’t the highest drop on a river rapids, it’s actually Mystic River Falls at silver dollar city
Yeah, that's my bad. I completely forgot about mystic river's drop when making the video - sorry
We need a strata rapids.
Hahahaha can you imagine!
Its a very interesting subject - never crossed my mind - enjoyed the video - thanks for sharing
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it :)
Imagine in the future we have river rapids that could launch like log flume at Seaworld
Oooo that would be crazy, although it's harder to see how they would incorporate it into the experience because I imagine it would be difficult to put a speed hill or something interesting after the launch other than just a big splash
@@coaster_shark if they could add a launch after that could be water slide elements like turns or hills. I would love to see that
I feel Amazonia isn't aiming to be the next step for traditional river rapids ride. The waves, turbulent sections, waterfalls, etc. that characterize those rides are missing, and overall it feels more water slide-like than river-like. The Spinning Rapids rides developed by Whitewater West (such as Thorpe Park's Storm Surge) are a much more fitting comparison to me. It is interesting to note there are previous Spinning Rapids rides that have elements similar to Amazonia's (Haichang Ocean Park's rapids ride for example), so Intamin strikes to me as wanting to compete with Whitewater West over these "modern" rapids rides for now. But I don't think this is intended to change the traditional rapids ride.
Even then, I can't really think of a major change for traditional rapids rides. For one, it already feels like most modern amusement parks already have a river rapids ride, so there isn't much opportunity to even add a new one. I also think it's fair to say that they... maybe don't need a big change at all? The big appeal of rapids rides is that they are unpredictably predictable by design. Everyone onboard knows they will get wet by the end, but how they'll get wet and how much they'll be soaked is all up to the amusement park gods. It is a simple premise, but it's what makes these rides both universally fun and re-ridable by design, and you can't really put much of a new spin on that, you know?
If I had no choice but to wish for at least one new change for these rides, I guess would like for them to feel less... artificial? There's something about the more natural appearance of Astroworld's Thunder River from the footage in your video I really appreciate, and it leaves the visible fake, narrow troughs from newer rapids rides a bit unimpressive in comparison. I'm not sure if such a change would have a heavy cost in ride design, though.
Yeah I think amazonia on its own isn't, but u think with better integration between the different sections and better rapids sections, intamin definitely could do something that fits that brief. Yeahh I think the theming and the artifical feel is probably the only thing you could say is needed, but that's up to the parks more than the manufacturers...
@@coaster_shark (Apologies for the late reply. RUclips's notification system can be rather fickle.)
Thinking more about this, I think an interesting idea that unifies traditional and modern river rapids rides is to follow SeaWorld Orlando's Journey to Atlantis and its log flume-roller coaster hybrid ride design. So the ride is advertised and begins like a normal rapids rides, where the raft is journeying through a natural river channel with rapids and waterfalls scattered about. But then midway through, the raft travels up a lift (could be chain or elevator), which transitions the ride into the modern rapids ride. Now the raft is traveling down a slide, experiencing drops and other crazy elements like the half-pipe. The ride ends with a notably big drop, and the raft soon returns to the station. Add in some competent landscaping and theming (in particular, I would like the second half to be completely hidden to make it a surprise), and you could get something pretty cool here.
What if we flipped the seats around and face outward instead of inward. Or even seats that rotate.
That could be interesting, but I think half the fun is seeing other people on the boat get soaked, so I'm not sure I would want to face outwards to be honest. You would also definitely need restraints in that scenario, but I can't imagine they would need to be much more than a seatbelt
Doesn't the fishbowl element also already exis in a tame way in the hafema rapids? Bobbejaanland has something like that, or even River Quest from Phantasialand also has it.
I guess it kinda does, but I'm not sure I count it because its not as uncontrolled as a waterslide fishbowl - although it looks the part you're essentially just doing normal rapids but in a tight circle
Nice video keep up the good work👍
Edit: also very underated channel
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
The river rapid ride at Universal Orlando is my favorite. Literally a 100% chance you're getting soaked on that ride. the way it should be.
Hahaha yeah it's absolutely brutal for that
Intamin + water + innovation = I'll think about riding it if it doesn't kill anyone after 10 years of service.
Oof
It isn't part of this theme but his voice soubd like a guy who talked abt building a waterwheel
Haha fair enough
Excellent video
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
I’ve been going to parks since I was 4. Avid enthusiasts. I could care less about these things. Idc about their safety that’s not the concern. They just get you absolutely drenched and have the longest line for a water ride. A lot of parks allow bystanders to douse you with the hose gun. Sometimes you have to pay so nobody does but if they’re free someone just gonna blast you. They are boring rides even if you like water rides. Log flumes waaaaay better tbh. May not get you as wet but better rides.
I never got the appeal of being drenched like you jumped in a pool fully dressed and sitting in water for the duration of the ride. Then having to walk around a crowded park all day.
That's fair enough. I'm always glad when the water guns are paid for because they're absolutely brutal when someone uses them on you!
what is the difference between ambient outdoor and indoor temp in this building, at peak heat, each day?
Oooo good question, I hate to think how warm it gets with all the machinery in there...
fantastic video really good
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
1:53 a bit of wrong information but infinity falls drop is 40 ft (12.2m) while Mystic River Falls is 45 ft (13.7m) so that has the world record I think
Ah, that's odd. I definitely remember Sea World marketing Infinity Falls as the record holder... someone somewhere probably stretched the truth a bit ;)
@@coaster_shark It maybe once was the tallest but mystic came afterwards and took that title away
Ahhh yeah good point, my bad
Why not a Wave Turn?
Nice
So, the tech itself is nothing new, but the application is.
Pretty much
If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
Exactly!
NGL not really interested on these rides since the Dreamworld accident
Yeah that's fair, it's enough to put anyone off
@coaster_shark with that said I do indeed love popeye's at universal IOA defo my favorite of this attraction
It's so well done!
An inversion
You might be waiting a while for that!
There only cleaned like once a year and even filled with lake water so there really nasty.
Yeahhhh I wouldn't recommend keeping your mouth open on these rides - you probably don't want to be accidentally drinking the water!
No one noticed because that thing isn't fucking open
Hahaha well I guess that's one reason!
Looks so ulgy in the skyline tho
Yeah it's not particularly a pretty slide is it
Interesting video but these rides suck if you get too wet. Popeye's Water Rapids soaked me to my skin. Like a full submersion. Mae the rest of the day miserable with wet clothes, shoes, blisters, chaffing… flumes are better in every way
Haha it's quite funny seeing everyone's different opinions to getting wet! When it's not a nice day it's not pleasant being wet though, and wet shoes and socks are the worst
A loop
Hahaha I think you may be waiting a while for that one ;)
Boring ride but great if you want to cool off and squish around in wet shoes the rest of your day. 😁
Wouldn't be a visit to a theme park if you didn't get soggy shoes ;)
First :)
Legend
@@coaster_shark thanks! Made a new Rollercoaster RUclipsr friend along with BackRowBlitz: Q4Coasters so that’s cool :)