Are log flumes and antique cars passe?

Yes, Incidentalist, they are going to expand it for this season.

You know, I recognize the exhaust problem, but I still really like the gas-powered cars much more than the electric versions. The latter are just too quiet, or something. It will be interesting to see what Disney does with the Cars franchise; their most recent installation (the re-done Autopia at DL, I believe) is gas-powered. Most other recent installations I can think of are electric.

I'll also mention that, of CP's three tracks, the Antique track is my favorite due to the FT setting, but Cadillac is a close second. Turnpike has never been the same since Raptor went in.

As for log flumes: I believe Carowinds just re-themed theirs recently ('03 maybe). It's now really quite good. Not Timber Mountain Log Ride or Splash Mountain, but pretty good.

WWL was one of the few rides that my family tried to hit each time we visited CP. But, with the reduced capacity and the deteriorating theming (read: no more caves) it was getting a bit long in the tooth. I'm anticipating another family-friendly flume ride somewhere in the park in the not too distant future. *** Edited 1/16/2006 6:12:38 PM UTC by Brian Noble***

La Ronde removed their old Arrow electric antique car ride last year. But in that case, it was putting the ride out of its misery... like for the old 1967 Arrow log flume, the town of Montreal let it deteriorate. They only had 3 cars!!! left for the antique cars. They replaced the ride with a restaurant, custom Zamperla Rockin Tug and kiddy submarine rides.

IIRC Carowind's flume only had theme elements in the station. I was expecting something similar to PKI's version but was quite disapointed.

Well, the station and the first maybe 1/3 of the ride. After that, yes, it was "just a flume" and a bit of a letdown. But, even that was better than the "vaguely-sort-of-westernish" log flumes that most parks have.

I was mostly using it as an example of a park investing in a flume, as opposed to removing one.

*** Edited 1/16/2006 6:33:58 PM UTC by Brian Noble***

I think Antique Cars are an important part of a park's collection of rides. It's one of those rides that basically anyone can go on and gives people who don't like anything thrilling at all a chance to ride something. When antique cars, or any type of mild ride is missing from a park (train, monorail etc.), it really seems like something is missing. Like at Great Adventure, there are no cars, no train and no really tame rides (rides that have no restrictions) which I think is a mistake

Ah, right...gotcha!

The park opening north of Wichita will open with a flume, although I believe it is used and not new.

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Dukeis#1 said:

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Swoosh said:

Off hand, the only parks I recall that have scrapped Arrow flumes are Dollywood, Cedar Point, Kings Island, and Six Flags Over Georgia.

What do all of these parks have in common? They all had two flume rides, and just decided that one was all that was necessary in the face of new development. (Minus CP's most recent decision)

Cedar Point has a unique flume history as it has now went through three of them- Shoot the Rapids, the Mill Race and White Water Landing, with the third actually replacing Shoot the Rapids.

Other than Kings Dominion, I don't know of any parks that have removed modern Shoot-the-Chutes.

EDIT: Fixed Paragraphs *** Edited 1/16/2006 9:09:55 AM UTC by Dukeis#1***

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Well actually Right Now SFNE is removing their Arrow Flume from 76' i think it is. And their replacing it with an Astroworld Ride, which I dont really consider a "flume" as its just a raft ride.

Goodbye Poland Springs Plung

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My gf and I ride every set of antique cars and every flume ride we come accross. They are important family rides, good for adults and kids for varying reasons.

As far as the real estate question, take a trip to Indiana Beach (for the cars anyway).

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thrillerman1 said:
Dukeis#1 I don't remember Dollywood ever having 2 log flumes. When was that?

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Daredevil Falls and Country Fair Falls. Country Fair Falls was obviously demolished in 2004 to make room for the new rides. (It was one of the older Arrow flumes, having originated at the 1964 Worlds Fair as part of a single large flume. The other half is at Bell's Amusement Park.)

Daredevil Falls is a Hopkins "Superflume", essentially a log flume kicked up a notch. It is said that the only other example of this type of ride is at Fiesta Texas, though the Disney Splash Mountains have many similarities.

EDIT: fixed link

*** Edited 1/17/2006 7:00:20 AM UTC by Dukeis#1***

Ah ok Duke. I wasn't thinking of Daredevil Falls as a "flume ride", but more as a Shoot the Chutes ride. I was not too happy when DW demolished Country Fair Falls since it was my first log ride back when the park was Gold Rush Junction.

Someone explain the difference between a Shoot the Chutes and a log flume? Does it have to do with the number of hills (2 vs 1?) I allways assumed the two terms were interchangeable.

Duke, SDC's Daredevil Falls, looks to be as tall as Dollywood's.

The shoot-the-chutes predates the log flume by almost 60 years. Here is Dreamland's version dating back to 1906:

http://naid.sppsr.ucla.edu/coneyisland/mapsdocs/dr06-map7.htm

Here is Hopkins' modern version that I'm sure you've seen at many parks:

http://www.hopkinsrides.com/shoot.html

And surely you know what a log flume is but just in case you don't here's a picture of Knoebel's:

http://www.americanmidway.com/pictures/Knoebels/flume1.jpg

Thanks, I allways have used the unscientific and GP label "big boat" ride. In that regards I belive that the modern day version of the Shoot-the-Chutes ride only refers to the four across seating boats, not two across; their still log rides in my mind.

Ah! I forgot about the Fiesta Texas flume. That one is really very good---an excellent use of the WB character license.

By the way, I went through a log flume and cable car phase when I was 12. Surprisingly, there seemed to be a lot more information at the library then than on the web now. But there was a 60 mile flume here in California that was used to transport redwood planks.

The workers used to to get down the mountain which sounds like a lot of fun until you read the stories about the bridges going out. Mind you, they had a neat system of inspection stations with bells that would ring as logs went by. The attendant would know if there was a break when the bells stopped ringing. Then they'd telegraph the sawmill to stop sending logs (and possibly workers) and to send a crew to fix the break.

http://www.webcitypress.com/sanger/flume.html

If you click through, there is a good picture of workers taking a ride.

Longest line i saw at GL last year was the Antique Cars.
It was like a 30 min wait, filled with hyper 5yr olds and frazzled looking parents. :)

Indy Speedway at WDW can be interminably long too; right up there with Dumbo.

SFFT's flume is one of those "DO NOT MISS" attractions...amazing, wish I could've filmed it.

The problem with both of these attractions is capacity...IMO.

bill, happy to have his Autopia driver's license, it even works when I get carded at my local watering hole... :)