Runoff Rapids - Blizzard Beach

[Mickeymouseisking]

i just watched a video of TheTimTracker visiting Blizzard Beach, and found out all three Runoff Rapids slides are still closed. Reports earlier this year said they were supposedly being refurbished and were scheduled to reopen in April...which obviously didn't happen.

Does anyone know what's going on? Three slides down make it a much less attractive park.

 

[Karebear]

I am curious about this as well if anyone has any info. Trying to decide between the 2 parks for our upcoming trip and slides being down could make a difference in our decision.

 

[Marshel]

The middle, enclosed slide is my favorite Disney waterpark slide/ride, wet Space Mt., even better if you go down backwards.

 

[oktxregulators]

watching this thread as well since we are planning 1 if not two waterpark trips on our trip next week

 

[Mickeymouseisking]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who loves these slides! Hopefully someone might have som insight for us... @rteetz @hiroMYhero have any idea what's up?

 

[Mr. Drauer]

was there yesterday (as well as 2 Sunday's ago) and they are still closed. They do not appear to even be doing any work on them. We walkded the wheel-chair path down to the Toboggen Racers and you could see the entry point to the slides. No water, no workers, no CM. It looks exactly the same as before.

 

[rteetz]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who loves these slides! Hopefully someone might have som insight for us... @rteetz @hiroMYhero have any idea what's up?

There seems to be some issues similar to I think it was crush n gusher last year. I have not heard a time table for when they could reopen.

 

[Mickeymouseisking]

There seems to be some issues similar to I think it was crush n gusher last year. I have not heard a time table for when they could reopen.

What were the issues with crush n gusher?

 

[rteetz]

What were the issues with crush n gusher?

The issue was with the water pumps.

 

[disneyholic family]

There seems to be some issues similar to I think it was crush n gusher last year. I have not heard a time table for when they could reopen.

i don't understand...they close this park for an extended period every winter..
why don't they resolve the serious ongoing maintenance issues during that very long closure..
clearly they just close it to save money by not having it open rather than actually doing any work to maintain it..

one wonders if this park is going to follow in the footsteps of river country (RIP)...

 

[Shanti]

one wonders if this park is going to follow in the footsteps of river country (RIP)...

Given the heavy visitation Blizzard Beach gets every day in the summer, that doesn't seem likely.

 

[disneyholic family]

i just watched a video of TheTimTracker visiting Blizzard Beach, and found out all three Runoff Rapids slides are still closed. Reports earlier this year said they were supposedly being refurbished and were scheduled to reopen in April...which obviously didn't happen.

Does anyone know what's going on? Three slides down make it a much less attractive park.

thank you for starting this thread...
i had no idea runoff rapids was closed...
those are our favorite water slides at BB....
probably my favorite water slides anywhere.

we always head there first when the park opens and go down the open slides at least once and the closed slide several times...(yeah, lots of stair climbing!!!)..

that's about a third of our slide day at BB....

so glad you brought this up..
this will change our plans for sure..
i think we'll head to TL first and maybe BB after a storm to see how the rest of the park is holding up..
.

 

[disneyholic family]

Given the heavy visitation Blizzard Beach gets every day in the summer, that doesn't seem likely.

river country had nice crowds as well...
we loved that park and went there often..
but disney stopped maintaining it..
the slides were in terrible shape by the end....downright dangerous...

although i believe RC might have had an amoeba problem?.....or maybe alligators?...more than just maintenance, though maintenance was definitely an issue there...

in any case, disney does have an overall QC problem in all of their parks..
they need to hire some serious QC people to get things into shape..
.

 

[Shanti]

river country had nice crowds as well...but disney stopped maintaining it..the slides were in terrible shape by the end....downright dangerous...although i believe RC might have had an amoeba problem?

Blizzard Beach is in great shape. Not run down in any way, even if one set of slides is currently closed for maintenance, which is typical at WDW. All of the parks typically have a ride or two down at any given time...It is possible that the freshwater amoeba was related to river country's demise. I certainly wouldn't feel safe swimming in that water.

 

[disneyholic family]

Blizzard Beach is in great shape. Not run down in any way, even if one set of slides is currently closed for maintenance, which is typical at WDW. All of the parks typically have a ride or two down at any given time...It is possible that the freshwater amoeba was related to river country's demise. I certainly wouldn't feel safe swimming in that water.

they've been down for more than half a year and all reports say that no one is even working on them...they just sit there with vines growing all over them...
not a good sign...

and keep in mind they close blizzard beach every winter for an extended period of time, ostensibly for maintenance..
despite the long winter closure, runoff rapids continues to be closed....for many many months....
this is not at all typical...

.

 

[Capang]

river country had nice crowds as well...
we loved that park and went there often..
but disney stopped maintaining it..
the slides were in terrible shape by the end....downright dangerous...

although i believe RC might have had an amoeba problem?.....or maybe alligators?...more than just maintenance, though maintenance was definitely an issue there...

in any case, disney does have an overall QC problem in all of their parks..
they need to hire some serious QC people to get things into shape..
.

RC was expensive to maintain. They used lake water that was filtered. No alligators. The amoeba thing was in the 70s and the park operated without another amoeba incident until it closed. Plus attendance declined after the other two water parks opened. I was at both water parks this month. TL had a crowd. BB was looking run down and had very few people. Disney has made it difficult to travel to the waterparks for onsite guests and I would be interested to compare attendance numbers from this year to years past.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Sad to hear about Runoff Rapids. Hope they get it resolved by Aug.

 

[Capang]

Blizzard Beach is in great shape. Not run down in any way, even if one set of slides is currently closed for maintenance, which is typical at WDW. All of the parks typically have a ride or two down at any given time...It is possible that the freshwater amoeba was related to river country's demise. I certainly wouldn't feel safe swimming in that water.

I have to respectfully disagree. I frequent waterparks. BB this June would rank pretty low on my list of outstanding waterparks. Theming is cool. Lazy river and wave pool are ok. Those slides that are closed are a mess. They are totally overgrown. It doesn't look like they will reopen any time soon. If at all. The park definitely needs some freshening up.

 

[disneyholic family]

I was at both water parks this month. TL had a crowd. BB was looking run down and had very few people. Disney has made it difficult to travel to the waterparks for onsite guests and I would be interested to compare attendance numbers from this year to years past.

i forgot about the bus issue.....most of the resorts no longer have direct buses to either water park? or just BB? just TL?
i can't remember what i read..

.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

RC was expensive to maintain. They used lake water that was filtered. No alligators. The amoeba thing was in the 70s and the park operated without another amoeba incident until it closed. Plus attendance declined after the other two water parks opened. I was at both water parks this month. TL had a crowd. BB was looking run down and had very few people. Disney has made it difficult to travel to the waterparks for onsite guests and I would be interested to compare attendance numbers from this year to years past.

Between Volcano Bay and resort transportation inconvenience, I bet Disney water parks have a record low attendance this summer.