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News: Holiday World takes a plunge

Posted at 2:45 PM EDT (1845 GMT)

Aug. 26th, 2008 -- The Indiana park has announced plans for Pilgrims Plunge, billed as the world's tallest water ride.

On August 26, 2008, Holiday World announced plans for a new water ride that just happens to be the world's tallest. Pilgrims Plunge will lift boats full of riders using an open elevator system, and then will hold riders for a short moment. Soon after, the riders will plunge down 131 feet at a 45-degree angle at speeds of 50+ mph, and splash down making a wave of water 45 feet high and 90 feet wide that will drench passengers.

As a classic "shoot the chute" ride, the new attraction will fulfill Holiday World's dream of adding such a traditional kind of ride, said Will Koch, president of Holiday World & Splashin' Safari.

In addition to Pilgrims Plunge, the park announced plans for the HoliWatch program. This new amenity provides a wristband-style radio frequency identification service that will be free for park guests this coming season. Water-proof, these new devices will act as locators for patrons who become separated during the course of their visit.

The announcement of the plans for the 2009 season make it the park's second largest expansion project in the history of Holiday World. Pilgrims Plunge has a price of more than half of the $8.4 million being invested into his family's parks for the 2009 season. Other improvements include Splashin' Safari additions, parking lot construction and other features.

 


Pilgrims Plunge Fast Facts

Tower Height:              165 feet
Elevator Lift Height:      135 feet
Drop:                          131 feet, 45-degree angle
Splash Zone:               Wall of water 90' wide, 45' tall
Boats:                         Five 10-passenger boats
Top Speed:                  50+ mph
Ride Time:                   2 minutes, 40 seconds
Dual entry:                  Board from Holiday World and Splashin' Safari
World Record:              World's Tallest Water Ride



For pictures, videos, statistics and more information on Pilgrims Plunge and other attractions, visit Holiday World.

 


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Comments
James R

Joined: Oct 2001
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The lack of supports makes it more interesting!

8/26/2008 2:58 PM
KY_THRILLBILLY

Joined: Oct 2006
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This will be a great addition for the park. I can't wait to head back there.

Who makes it?

8/26/2008 3:31 PM
Steven

Joined: Jun 2001
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According to the schematic drawings, it's Intamin :(.

I can totally see why it is designed the way it is... and honestly, while it may be thrilling, I think it's a headache waiting to happen, if not anything worse. They have tried to do stuff with minimal supports in the past, and they have always had to go back and add additional supports or extra bracing to minimize structural fatigue (does anyone remember the nightly welding jobs of Wicked Twister?).

It has "Mega Splash" on the schematics, but it doesn't have the steep drop that is typical of that model (like Perilous Plunge at Knott's and Hydro at Oakwood Park in the UK), so I am guessing it's a variant.

8/26/2008 4:08 PM
Phil

Joined: Jun 2002
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I'm worried that this thing could definitely become a headache. It seems like they went too far in trying to make it different/interesting.

8/26/2008 4:19 PM
Wes

Joined: Sep 2001
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It looks like Griffon, but with water. They should just tilt you straight down.

I agree the elevator might be a headache.

8/26/2008 4:51 PM
GAmFanboy

Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 146

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Dang!!! This is big. Scratch that, its big for the Grand Canyon. This Might the ride, I'll have to think twice about.

It looks like it will be a Maintanence Nightmare to me.

8/26/2008 5:07 PM
all4thx

Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 36

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This is newsworthy for all those who were wondering what I think.



Editor's Note: All4thx, comments, compliments and suggestions are always welcome here at TN.

8/26/2008 5:48 PM
Carowinds 73-03

Joined: Apr 2003
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I think it's a great ride but just a bad design. I honestly think (like most of you) the elevator will be a huge problem.

I think the duel elevator was a bad idea. I just don't like the idea of one side holding the track, train & passengers up.


8/26/2008 7:01 PM
I love DW

Joined: Jun 2006
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I'm kinda of excited about the ride, not sure if it will be rough or not have to wait and find out when I ride it. Although they have fixed the roughness the Legend once had so I think they could fix ANY roughness!

8/26/2008 9:37 PM
tedfuzz

Joined: Jun 2007
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How is the elevator portion of "intamin track" supposed to support itself and two boats full of people especially when it looks like it bends in at the bottom. And the slide portion of the ride is only supported by inline supports. This thing will either collapse, or more likely, just be a maintenance nightmare. Great idea but the design is way too complex for what is trying to be accomplished.

8/26/2008 10:41 PM
Steven

Joined: Jun 2001
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All4thx: There isn't any doubt that it's newsworthy... many of us have concerns about it, given Intamin's history with pushing design and technology while sacrificing safety and stability.

Let me put it more this way... I feel more comfortable on virtually any other ride manufacturer's ride (existing or defunct) than an Intamin. The only thing I really have confidence in is their magnetic braking systems on their rides. I don't need to go into detail... Wikipedia has a sample of their incidents for the entry on INtamin... most of them highlight the issues Intamin has had with safety (which doesn't even mention the injury only or non-injury incidents).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intamin#Safety_Incidents

8/27/2008 12:00 AM
Carowinds 73-03

Joined: Apr 2003
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It does look like a nightmare waiting to happen but lets hope it never comes to that and they just have too many problems with it that they have to either change the lift to where both sides support the boat & track or build a lift for it or even take it out a year later.

I honestly don't think this was thought out very well but we could be wrong. Maybe Intamin has spent the last 2 or more years testing this ride.

Either way i'm really not sure if i'd get on it with Intamins sub-par safety record.

8/27/2008 12:00 AM
CHILLERLC1

Joined: May 2001
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I was going to say: "Where's the Griffon holding brake?" hehe. I think it's neat how a two sided elevator converges to a one end on the slide. It alternates between sides of the elevator and it follows a tower's tendency to converge as it goes upward.

I do agree it's a lot of weight to just have one side support.

8/27/2008 2:06 AM
cooliocody12

Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 134

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I think you all need to stop whining about intamin's safety record, most of the time the reason that people have died on their roller coasters have been a ride attendant let a person to big in proportions on, or the person had underlying medical conditions.

8/27/2008 10:33 AM
Chris L

Joined: May 2001
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I don't think anyone falling out of Pilgrims Plunge will be an issue.

The drop is 45 degrees.

The lady and the girl that fell out of Intamin's two other Mega Splash models (Perilous Plunge and Hydro) both have a drop steeper than 70-degrees.

8/27/2008 5:36 PM
amnesiac

Joined: Sep 2005
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Most of the Intamin incidents have been with the T-bar restraint system too. This ride has over the shoulder harnesses I believe.

8/27/2008 7:19 PM
Michael C

Joined: Sep 2002
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This seems like an ok ride. Extreme height on a shoot-the-Chute ride seems more of a gimmick. The splash described sounds like the same size I see from my parks 50 ft Hopkins Chute ride.

8/27/2008 10:09 PM
Brian F

Joined: Sep 2003
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Wow, I'll bet Intamin feels stupid for paying all that money to get expert engineering information from engineers when they could come here and get it for free.

8/28/2008 1:46 AM
Steven

Joined: Jun 2001
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Cooliocody12 and others: We do have the right to have genuine concerns. Just looking at its minimalist structure has me concerned. If anyone remembers how concerned they were for the rides when they had that earthquake a few months back, plus the aforementioned nightly weldings of Wicked Twister and extra work done to Xcelerator...

8/28/2008 7:44 AM
amnesiac

Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 196

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Hey, there are some actual engineers that post here.

8/28/2008 10:57 AM


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