Holiday world pilgrim plunge accident
The Musings of a Guy in Steel City
Cedar Point’s Shoot the Rapids fared poorly the second occasion around. Though touted as the “return” of a flume travel that had long been removed, this iteration only lasted six short seasons.
Given the ever-evolving nature of the amusement industry, it should come as no surprise that a ride/attraction concept or proposal will occasionally not see victory during its lifetime. Recently, Cedar Point announced that its 2010 water ride, Shoot the Rapids, would not be returning for the 2016 season. Plagued with reliability issues and extended downtime (not to mention a much-delayed opening and a 2013 accident that somehow slipped under the radar…probably thanks to the New Texas Giant accident occurring the equal day) prompted America’s Roller Coast to scrap the ride, much like its similarly short-lived sibling, Pilgrim’s Plunge/Giraffica at Holiday World.
Structural issues caused by lack of engineering foresight caused the original Bat at Kings Island, the world’s first suspended coaster, to last only three seasons before being closed. *Photo courtesy KIExtreme
These rides are not the first conc
Giraffica, originally known as Pilgrims Plunge, was a Shoot The Chute built by Intamin formerly located at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, USA. It was the tallest water ride in the world when it opened in 2009. The ride closed in 2013.
History
In August 2008, Holiday World announced that Pilgrims Plunge would be added to the park.[1] It would be located in the Thanksgiving area.
The highest point was topped off in March 2009.[2]
Pilgrims Plunge opened to the public on May 2, 2009.
For the 2013 season, Pilgrims Plunge became Giraffica when the waterpark was expanded.
On April 17, 2014, Holiday World announced that Giraffica would not reopen for the 2014 season.[3] Park Spokeswoman Paula Werne stated "It was down more than it was open, and that's not what we're all about."[4] It was replaced with Good Gravy! in 2024, which re-uses Giraffica's station building.[5]
Images
References
Past Articles
Shoot the Chutes first appeared in 1884, when J.P. Newburgh introduced the world’s first dedicated water ride on a hill in Rock Island, IL. Built on the side of a hill in Watch Tower Park, a 500 feet long greased wooden ramp had large flat bottom boats slide to the bottom and then skip across a large body of water. An employee would ride down with the boat and after it settled, would pole it back toward the ramp, where a steel cable would pull it back up. A turntable was even implanted at the top of some installations to help spin the boats toward the proper direction. It was a very popular attraction, but was eventually supplanted by more modern rides. In those times, parks had a very high attraction turnover and even rides that today would be classified as historically important were routinely torn down. A locally made old style Shoot the Chutes with an employee on board was discovered in Japan in 2004-2005, but has since been torn down sadly.
A further evolution of that attraction dates back to the early 1900’s. Those rides consisted of a fleet of wooden flat bottom boats that floated alongside either a dark tunnel or scenery. It then went up a wooden lift hil
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It was really nice being back home at Holiday World. After a morning full of Thunderbird and Voyage you've got to take a little break and look around a little bit.
Outside of the addition of Thunderbird the biggest change to Holiday World in the last four years has been the removal of Pilgrim's Plunge (I hated when the name was changed to Giraffica). It is not completely gone as the trough, station and boats are still there but the funky elevator lift and drop are long gone and have been sold for scrap. The ride was a maintenance nightmare and with an accident of a similar ride by the same manufacturer at Cedar Point the management at Holiday World wisely decided to scrap it rather than risk an accident. With as much of the ride as there is still sitting there I think the smart bet would be on a similar ride (although probably not made by Intamin) popping up on this site in the near future.
I am thrilled that a swinging ship finally made it into the Thanksgiving section of Holiday
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By Jessie Higgins
Posted: April 29, 20140
Holiday World Splashin' Safari has torn down the ride that was once touted as the world's tallest water ride.
The park management made what they say was a tough decision to permanently remove "Pilgrim's Plunge" earlier this month because it was closed for maintenance more often than it was open.
"It was down more than it was open, and that's not what we're all about," said Paula Werne, Holiday World's spokeswoman. "We didn't want people to be continually disappointed when they come and it's closed."
The park would not comment on what the ongoing maintenance issues were.
"We want to look to the future," Werne said.
That future will begin with a new ride that will open this weekend near where Pilgrim's Plunge had been called the Mayflower.
Werne hinted, though did not confirm, that there may be a new ride built in Pilgrim's Plunge's old footprint, as well.
"The tower is gone but the station is still there," she said. "We're looking to the future. We kept the station."
Werne said the park often drops hints about upcoming changes and new rides on it's blog, www.holidayworld