Park Name: Splashdown San Diego Group Name: The Spider-Men Description:
Water parks are the new theme parks – they’re cropping up everywhere and are becoming the number one family attraction around. One could argue that the water park market is over-saturated (pun intended) – nowhere else more so than South California. The weather is hot, the tourists are visiting – the abundance of water parks is not surprising. Therefore, the pressure to be the best-value park, with the best attractions is all-important.
One water park that has reacted to the recent surge in the market is Splashdown San Diego. It has existed since the 1950s – though admittedly, not as a water park, and instead a small family-owned recreation park. However, it later began to diversify and add water slides to its small attraction line-up. Now a full-blown water park with over 20 splashtastic attractions, Splashdown remains one of the few family run water parks in So.Cal.
However, recently the park has had to invest heavily to keep itself ahead of new competitors. 2007 marks the final installation of a multi-attraction deal Splashdown penned with water-slide hotshots, ProSlide. The contract saw Splashdown add three incredible new attractions – ‘Coriolis’ – two side-by-side Mammoth Bowl Slides, using Cloverleaf technology (installed in 2005) ; ‘Maelstrom’ – a Tornado slide, also utilising the Cloverleaf rafts (opened in 2006) ; and finally, ‘Upsurge’. Upsurge is only the second slide of its type in the world, and the first in So.Cal. It uses magnetic propulsion to power rafts up the flume, creating a revolutionary roller-coaster like ride.
This triple whammy of new attractions has, like the slide’s name, created an upsurge in attendance at Splashdown. These three thrill slides are in addition to the crazy Calypso (where riders drop into a valley-shaped slide) and the whirlwind Hurricane (three speed slides). But Splashdown not only caters for thrill-sliders – there’s a whole Galleon for kids to explore! All-round family fun can be found on the recently-renovated Raging River (a lazy river… with attitude!) and the Lightning Falls tube slides. There’s also those water-park classics: the Lazy River, which travels round Whirlpool Bay – a swimming pool which every 15mins becomes a wave-filled paradise.
However, Splashdown isn’t done there. Even though the 3-slide deal with ProSlide has ended, the old Ice Mountain Splash slides have been closed, ready for removal, as the park gear up to add yet another new attraction. The park is promising a world-first water slide, but like us, you’ll have to wait for the announcement later this year. The future of water parks is certainly looking bright – but it’s looking brightest of all at Splashdown San Diego.
Creator Notes:
- Ok, we took a gamble and made a water park, not a standard theme park. Nowhere in the rules does it say you have to make a theme park for SS2! So yeh, it's a bit of a gamble, especially as the slides don't operate, but it was worth a shot I think.
- The Proslide Tornado doesn't look great, but again, it was worth a go! I haven't seen a decent one created, but I reckon this, although not great, is one of the better ones. You just HAVE to have a Tornado in a water park!
Judges Scores:
Steve K: 18.5/20 Points
Geewhzz: 15/20 Points
Ryan Sickles: 16/20 Points
Ride6: 16/20 Points
