Wildebeest (ride)

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Coordinates: 38°07′27″N 86°54′49″W / 38.1243°N 86.9136°W / 38.1243; -86.9136
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Wildebeest
Coordinates
38°07′27″N 86°54′49″W / 38.1243°N 86.9136°W / 38.1243; -86.9136
StatusOperating
CostUS$5,500,000
Opening dateMay 7, 2010 (2010-05-07)
General statistics
TypeWater coaster
ManufacturerProSlide Technology
ModelHydroMagnetic Rocket
CourseCustom
Lift systemConveyor belt lift hill and 8 uphill launches powered by linear induction motors
Height64 ft (20 m)
Drop38 ft (12 m)
Length1,710 ft (520 m)
Speed24.5 mph (39.4 km/h)
Max vertical angle45°
Capacity720 riders per hour
Duration2:30
Boats14 boats. Riders are arranged 1 across in 4 rows for a total of 4 riders per boat.
Height restriction42 in (107 cm)
Single rider line available
Must transfer from wheelchair

Wildebeest is a

Golden Ticket Awards, which are presented annually by Amusement Today
magazine. Wildebeest was also awarded the Golden Ticket Award for "Best Waterpark Ride" in 2010, 2011, and 2022.

History

Development

On August 13, 2009, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari announced Wildebeest, a ProSlide HydroMagnetic Rocket that was to be built to the north of Bahari Wave Pool. Unique to Wildebeest was its use of a

National Geographic Channel's World's Toughest Fixes visited the park to document the progress.[3]

Wildebeest opened on May 7, 2010. When the HydroMagnetic water coaster opened, it operated with fourteen 4-passenger boats. The riders in each boat are seated toboggan-style, rather than facing each other as on most traditional water slides.[4]

Characteristics

Station

Wildebeest features two stations: a station for loading and a station for unloading. To enter the station, guests walk through the ride entrance and up the ramp. Guests then navigate a multitude of queue switchbacks. After passing through the switchbacks, guests approach the loading station. The loading station is split in half by the conveyor belt that eventually takes the boats up the lift hill. On the side of the station closest to the queues there is a grouping area, where riders from the main line and single riders line merge to ensure every seat is filled. The side of the loading station opposite the queues is the location of the ride operator's controls. At the end of the ride, boats enter the unloading station, at which point riders unload. The empty boats then pass over a series of rollers arranged in a curve that carry the boat back to the loading station.[5]

Boats

Wildebeest uses 14 orange 4-passenger boats. Riders are seated toboggan-style in each boat, with individual seat backs separating each rider. Each rider has two handles to hold on with, one on the left side of the boat and one on the right side of the boat. To allow the linear induction motors to interact with the boats and propel them uphill, a magnetic metal plate is attached to the underside of every boat.[4]

Track

The track on Wildebeest is made out of numerous pieces of molded, red and yellow fiberglass supported by concrete pillars. The total length of the track is 1,710 feet (520 m) and includes seven drops, with the largest being 38 feet (12 m), in addition to two

underground tunnels. The track features a conveyor belt lift hill as well as eight linear induction motors that propel the boats back uphill.[4]

LIM technology

The technology on HydroMagnetic Rockets utilizes linear induction motors (LIMs) to propel boats uphill. An alternating magnetic field beneath the slide surface interacts with a steel plate mounted on the underside of each boat to push them uphill smoothly and quickly. Because the magnetic field under the slide surface needs power in order to be activated, boats will not be able to make it uphill in the case of a power outage. In that case, all of the boats throughout the course will roll back, causing each boat to valley at the bottom of a hill. LIM technology is commonly used on launched roller coasters.[6]

Experience

An overview of Wildebeest

The total ride experience on Wildebeest lasts approximately two minutes and thirty seconds.[6]

Dispatch to First Tunnel

The ride begins with riders facing away from Bahari Wave Pool. After dispatch, the boat travels up a slight incline where it waits until there is adequate spacing between it and the boat in front of it. When the ride's system has determined there is adequate spacing between the boats, the boat moves forward and onto the

underground tunnels.[7]

First Tunnel to End

At the bottom of the drop inside the tunnel, the boat passes under the ride's lift hill before it is immediately sent back uphill and out of the tunnel. At the crest of this hill the boat exits the tunnel and makes a small drop before traveling uphill thanks to the fourth LIM. The boat makes a right turn while slightly descending. At the conclusion of the turn, riders are sent back uphill again. At the top of the hill the boat makes a left turn before being sent uphill, where the boat passes over the lift hill. At the top of this hill the boat immediately drops back down and into the second underground tunnel. At the bottom of the drop, the boat is once again launched uphill and out of the tunnel. At the top of this hill the boat completes a left-turning helix before making a slight turn to the right to line up with the unloading station. Once the boat has made the turn to the right, it makes a small drop and is launched onto the end-of-the-ride conveyor belt with the help of a small LIM. The final conveyor belt brings the boat to the exit point, at which time riders unload.[7]

Operation

Wildebeest operates with water and in heavily-wooded areas. Due to these factors, Wildebeest closes when there is lightning or high wind in Holiday World's immediate area.[8]

In addition to weather conditions, some riders may be prohibited from boarding. Although there is no age limit, riders must be at least 42 inches (110 cm) tall to ride Wildebeest when accompanied by an adult who is 18 years of age or older. To ride unaccompanied, riders must be at least 48 inches (120 cm) tall. In addition, there is a weight limit of 800 pounds (360 kg) per boat. Due to this restriction, some riders may be required to split up. All riders must abide by Splashin' Safari's dress code, which includes wearing modest swimwear or clothing, in order to ride. In addition, riders must leave all loose items in the station; riders who refuse to leave their loose items in the station will not be permitted to ride.[4]

Each year, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, in coordination with the

Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center of Southwestern Indiana, publishes an accessibility guide for guests with disabilities. It is recommended, though not necessarily required, that all guests with the following conditions refrain from riding Wildebeest:[9]

  • Back, Neck, or Bone Injury
  • Heart Trouble
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Pregnancy
  • Recent Surgery or Illness

Awards and records

In addition to other awards, Wildebeest was voted the world's "

Golden Ticket Awards.[10]

Golden Ticket Awards
: Best Waterpark Ride
Year 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Ranking
1[10]
1[11]
1[12]
1[13]
Preceded by World's Longest Water Coaster
May 7, 2010 – May 10, 2012 		Succeeded by

References

  1. ^ "Holiday World Unveils Wildebeest". Evansville Courier & Press. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  2. ^ "Mammoth". Holiday World. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  3. ^ "Nat Geo". Holiday World. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d "Wildebeest". Holiday World. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  5. ^ "Wildebeest Station". Holiday World. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Wildebeest Fact Sheet". Holiday World. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  7. ^ a b "YouTube: Wildebeest". Holiday World. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  8. ^ "Rain". Holiday World. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  9. ^ "Accessibility Guide" (PDF). Holiday World. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  10. ^ a b "GTA 2010" (PDF). Amusement Today. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  11. ^ "GTA 2011" (PDF). Amusement Today. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  12. ^ "GTA 2012" (PDF). Amusement Today. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  13. ^ Baldwin, Tim (2013). "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2013" (PDF). Amusement Today. Retrieved July 22, 2014.

External links

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