Details Released about Wyandot Lake Expansion

According to the Columbus Dispatch, the Zoo will be creating "dry" and "wet" sides of the park. There will be a $10 charge for Zoo admission, or a $30 for Zoo and waterpark admission.The ride park will have no admission charge, but will charge per-ride.

The rides will be arranged where the old water rides were, with the new waterpark being added in the back of the park. There will be a new wave pool, new slide tower, refurbished "Shark Attack" tower, and a Tornado or Cannon Bowl as the centerpiece. The waterpark will be themed to a shipwreck / Galapagos Island motif, while the rides will be themed to the Amazon. The Zoo plans to add a spinning coaster and a giant wheel to the rides side, which will have 13 rides in all. No word on if the phrases "Wild Life," "Wild Rides," and "Wild Slides" will be used. See more at Dispatch.com

These are the Wyandot rides the park is keeping:

Lazy River
Shark Attack
Sea Dragon Coaster
Bumper Cars
Christophers Island
Scrambler
Tilt A Whirl

According to the GM who we talked to yesterday, The wave pool and Shark Attack will be on the other side of the Midway (Near Christophers Island)

To me it sounds like Wyandot has conceived a more cohesive plan than GL. It'll be interesting to see how this pans out vs. how GL's plan (is there one?) pans out.

Premierdrum said that already.

If this is executed as well as the Zoo's other recent additions, this will be an awesome experience. Six Flags who?

And by the end of the decade they'll also be adding an entirely new arctic complex over near the far corner of the zoos parking lot. If I remember right, it'll have the penguins, polar bears, etc. over their. And they'll be adding a new corporate office across the road.

So it's safe to say CZ will be a very busy place the next 3-4 years. But I really like what I'm seeing, it was already my favorite zoo before all this, and this all can only add to my love for the place.

I'm a bit perplexed about why they didn't keep more of the existing waterslides. But whatever. It sounds like they have a pretty good plan in place.

I wonder if they will ever offer a POP plan for the dry rides and/or include those rides in the zoo membership (the current zoo rides: carousel, train, boat, pony, are always extra cost).

The Dispatch had a graphic of the proposed new layout. Not a lot of details but it appears the new Wyandot Lake is going to be radically different!

What's the word on the old arcade building? I have a hunch they'll tear it down. That would be a shame, it's a nice old structure.

Columbus Worlds of Adventure, anyone? I will have to check this out. I wish them the best.

Anyone who's been to the Columbus Zoo knows it's a world-class facility, and I'd expect no less from Wyandot. I'm excited about it. I've lived in Columbus for 11 years and maybe I'll finally have a reason to go. :)

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john peck said:These are the Wyandot rides the park is keeping: Bumper Cars

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PLEASE tell me you mean those awesome "dry-land bumper boats"...it was SO cool to see them there (shoot, anywhere outside of the West Coast, LOL).

I wasn't all that enamored with those bumper boats with wheels. Though Wyandot's old bumper cars were much worthless, and at least with the new ones, you don't have as many people twirling around in a circle.

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rollergator said:

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john peck said:These are the Wyandot rides the park is keeping: Bumper Cars

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PLEASE tell me you mean those awesome "dry-land bumper boats"...it was SO cool to see them there (shoot, anywhere outside of the West Coast, LOL).

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Yeah, that's them. I've never ridden them, but they look interesting.

^They go faster backwards....just FYI... ;)

Sounds very promising. My family is moving back to Columbus early next year after being away for several years. I used to go to the zoo fairly regularly, but have only been in Wyandot Lake once, and that was for their Halloween thing many years ago.

I have young kids, so I could definitely see us making several trips to an improved Wyandot Lake. Nice!

They're fun, providing the ride op is with the program. I hope the zoo trains their ride ops to be a little more friendly on the job.

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pkidelirium said:

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rollergator said:

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john peck said:These are the Wyandot rides the park is keeping: Bumper Cars

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PLEASE tell me you mean those awesome "dry-land bumper boats"...it was SO cool to see them there (shoot, anywhere outside of the West Coast, LOL).

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Yeah, that's them. I've never ridden them, but they look interesting.

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It's going to be great, by keeping several existing rides and buildings, the Zoo will be able to build a nearly entire new park without the cost of one.

As for the Arcade building, I have no idea what will happen with it. I know it's not really in the way of the new road, but it could come down just the same.

Arcade building is fine, the new road is going all the way over where the picnic grove was, along the edge of the golf course and around the Zoo parking lots.

I've seen first at hand one of the proposed blue prints at an employee presentation of the future of the zoo. While it did not include a new roller coaster. The Sea Dragon we were told is not leaving no matter which plan they choose. I don't think they plan on leaving much of the park the way it is. They said the park would be expanded as well toward the golfcourse / Wyandot Lake parking lot.

WYANDOT LAKE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE #1:

As of Tuesday, December 19th it looks as all of the mechanical rides sold at the auction have been removed. The Large waterslide complex (Zoome Flume and Jet Stream) which sold for $500, is still standing. All the other large slide complexes are still standing as well. I was outside the park, and could only see a limited amount of things. The Wyandot Lake sign at the front is also gone.

Construction outside included more land prep for the road and entrance and much of the new parking lot has been paved. The restaurant outside the park, along Riverside, looks boarded up, and I would assume will be removed.

The large arcade building, which also housed offices seems to have some busted/removed windows. I have a feeling that this will be removed as well.

Construction equipment was moving around inside the park while I was there.

I will periodically place construction updates within this thread unless instructed to do otherwise.

Thanks John.