Let’s take the plunge into the history of water rides!
Have you ever wondered how the earliest boat rides evolved into classics like Splash Mountain and it’s a small world?
Attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean didn’t just spring up overnight. They have a long history of different types of water-based attractions in their DNA. Here’s a quick look at the history and development of water rides.
A Brief History of Water Rides in Amusement Parks
Let me catch you up fast . . . click on the video below:
Over the past few posts, we’ve looked at dark rides and flat rides and how they developed over the past 150 years (or so).
Old Mills (Tunnels of Love), shoot-the-chutes and toboggan rides were all antecedents to the water rides that we see today. In some cases, what you might think of as a water ride (like Pirates of the Caribbean or it’s a small world) could actually be considered a dark ride.
The first themed log flume ride was built in a famous Southern California park (Knott’s Berry Farm) and was inspired by actual log flumes and chutes used by mill hands and lumberjacks. The first trip taken down a real log flume was in 1875…and there were no safety restraints like an amusement park attraction.
And you can’t forget the river rapids rides that became extremely popular in the 1980s and continue to drench riders today!
Of course, not every water ride can fit into a neat little box, or trough for that matter. You can argue that Pirates of the Caribbean is a modern old mill ride, along with it’s a small world. But what about the Jungle Cruise? Is it simply a boat ride, like Living With the Land at Walt Disney World? Is Jurassic Park at Universal just a shoot-the-chute? There are also Splash Battle Rides, like the Quest For Chi at Legoland Florida.
Watch the video above and let us know which long-gone classics you wish you could ride and what your modern day favorites are.
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So many water rides!
What’s your favorite water ride? And how would you classify modern attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and Splash Mountain?
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