Winter ? So What !

Take a look at these photos made a few days ago at the Dutch "Toverland" theme park.
Most of it is indoor, but the outdoor motorbike coaster and the logflume are also running, despite freezing temperatures.

http://themepark.nl/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=460323&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1&nt=3

Operators even mentioned the logflume can operate until -10°C. (14° F)

Winter, ice and snow doesn't seem to bother this park.
There's a video at the end of the first post showing the train of the motorbike just making it over the top of the first bunnyhump. Insane.

The park had a good 1200 visitors that day, not bad. More smaller parks should be open during the winter months.

*** Edited 12/29/2004 9:30:04 PM UTC by Belgian***

You'd have to be nuts to ride a log flume in 50° temperatures. I can't imagine it's good on the roller coaster to run it cold either, is it? The grease would be all gummy.

It would have to be +10 C right? -10 wouldn't be 50 degrees, and that water would have to be moving darn fast to not freeze at those temps!

Not ride a flume at 50? Have you ever been to Cedar Point for the last couple of Halloweekends? The temps get down into the 40s easy and there's always some nut on Snake River Falls all day long!

Impulse: that is true. i saw a guy last year on SR Falls, and this guy's yelling: "it's not the cold air, just the lack of humidity that makes it cold." lol

I rode every water ride at Dollywood back in April in 43-46 degree weather. It was pretty fun too.

Nuts. That's all I'm saying.

I rode Dorney's rapids ride in 48* weather a few years ago. Talk about shrinkage...YIKES! ;)

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FLYINGSCOOTER said:
Impulse: that is true. i saw a guy last year on SR Falls, and this guy's yelling: "it's not the cold air, just the lack of humidity that makes it cold." lol

I was one of those crazy people then as I have done water rides while freezing my butt off.

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Thats the spirit! That is one thing I'd love to do, ride coasters in the snow. I was hoping for it at Dollywood a couple weeks ago, and though we did see a couple snowflakes, it didn't happen. Don't think I'd do the log flume in snow, but definitly the coaster.

Why can't I live near Troverland?:(

Brett, I was just thinking of Snake River Falls as well! You just wonder what in the heck are they thinking? Pneumonia? ;-)

I rode Thunder Canyon one time in mid-October. That was the first and last time. ;-)

-Tina

I DOn't think that there is any doubt the american amument parks could br open during the winter. But it would be a large invest to open the parks in the winter also finding staff might be tricky. some roller coaster would not even operate . For Example TTD it has trouble making it over the tophat on 80 degree days let alone subzero temperatures. Cedar point did try a "Christmas in the park" But itwas just too cold to enjoy it.

Wasn't SRM 2003's Saturday morning ERT in Splashin' Safari in the 40s? Zinga was so much fun I didn't even care...

I wonder why CP puts forth the extra effort to keep the water rides open in unrealistic conditions. I would be curious to see in terms of water, manpower, etc. it costs a day to keep a ride running for some yahoo that just wants to prove a point. I know on some cold overcast days in Pittsburgh, Kennywood doesn't even bother filling the Raging Rapids.

Keeping the water rides open does seem to be a waste... But if they didn't, someone would complain...

And what about the poor CP employee who has to stand on the catwalk above Whitewater Landing's drop all day when it is 40 degrees, windy, and raining...

^ That's nothin'. Try being the guy who has to test-ride Snake River Falls in that weather! I had to do that in 2000... You couldn't pay me enough to do that again.

Actually, I rode Dive to Atlantis in the Dells and it was like 50 degrees, only saw 3 or 4 people other than my wife and I ride it that day.

Vater, yes it was cold for that morning ERT, unless you had on a wet suit like ThemeDesigner and I. :)

At first people looked at us like we were idiots, but soon they were asking to borrow them.

Frank, who thinks that if the ride is open I'll ride it.

Ah yes, I forgot about that....Splashin Safari Saturday morning during ERT. THAT was cold, but it was still fun!

-Tina

sparky - Ha! I remember seeing you guys...part of me was thinking, 'You've got to be kidding...' The other part of me was wishing I had brought one! :)

I thought CP just pumped SRF's water right in from Lake Erie?