News Runoff Rapids water slides at Blizzard Beach closed for refurbishment

[cheezbat]

Is Runoff really not getting worked on? Granted they're not the most popular slides in the park, but I certainly wouldn't consider them unneeded, especially with summer coming. We were planning on visiting BB this summer, but I may flip to TL if these stay closed. I can't imagine the length of the lines of the other slides with so few offerings. Standing in the reflective heat of all that white concrete is not my idea of fun.

The busier it gets, the longer the lines are for all the slides, including Downhill Double Dipper. Ironic that those two slides are the newest in that park.

 

[Gabe1]

If you ever get a chance to head over to where DDD's queue is and look down into runoff, it is plain to see why it was closed. There are giant areas where the coating has worn down, and it needs refurb. But will it get it...

If it was just a coating it should have been completed long ago.

 

[CTXRover]

Any updates on why these slides were closed? Its been over 5 months. They could have completely replaced those slides in that time frame. Unfortunately, I have the impression no changes have happened yet

 

[Biff215]

I'm also interested in hearing any updates, I assume they're still closed as Disney still lists them that way online. It may sound silly, but it makes the difference in whether I visit BB or not this August. They're among the few options appropriate for my younger son, and no doubt affect lines at all the other slides.

This is beyond embarrassing when Universal just opened VB. Has Disney given up on Blizzard? With the exception of the laughable Frozen stuff for a few months, the park has been pretty much ignored while TL has at least received two new attractions. I guess they're performing at a level Disney is satisfied with, but how long will that last if this is how they run them?

 

[davis_unoxx]

Are the slides open yet?

 

[TheMouseFan]

Are the slides open yet?

They were not when we were there this past Tuesday.

 

[Biff215]

They were not when we were there this past Tuesday.

Any indication of an actual refurbishment or just closed?

 

[TheMouseFan]

Any indication of an actual refurbishment or just closed?

I didn't look that close, but there didn't appear to be anything happening.

 

[cheezbat]

This is pretty ridiculous. Does ANYBODY know what's going on with these slides? Down for five months is insane...especially when we're upon the busiest time of the year for the park.

 

[davis_unoxx]

This is pretty ridiculous. Does ANYBODY know what's going on with these slides? Down for five months is insane...especially when we're upon the busiest time of the year for the park.

Lol I'm going to ride Chapek an email right now asking if he broke the slides.

 

[CJR]

My guess is that they'll be down for the rest of the year, but we'll see. If you email Disney CM's they'll call it a "planned closure" (complete bull).

From what I can tell, they're in need of repairs and no work has been done. They built a whole new water ride at Typhoon Lagoon in less time. It's quite embarrassing, in my opinion.

 

[davis_unoxx]

My guess is that they'll be down for the rest of the year, but we'll see. If you email Disney CM's they'll call it a "planned closure" (complete bull).

From what I can tell, they're in need of repairs and no work has been done. They built a whole new water ride at Typhoon Lagoon in less time. It's quite embarrassing, in my opinion.

Disney really needs to step up their game with this, part of my family visited in Mid-March and said slides were closed. Can't believe they're so cheap they won't fix them, unbelievable.

 

[ljs]

The slides are still closed and I spoke on the phone with an employee who said they would be closed for the rest of July. I asked about next month but he said he didn't have the schedule for August.

 

[Biff215]

The slides are still closed and I spoke on the phone with an employee who said they would be closed for the rest of July. I asked about next month but he said he didn't have the schedule for August.

Thanks for the update. If you're able to get information on August later on I'd really appreciate it as we plan to visit later in the month. I doubt it will change but if Runoff remains closed we will likely go to Typhoon instead. There just aren't enough slides for younger kids at BB with these three closed.

 

[JoeCamel]

Guess it is tough to repair slides and pipes if you build them into concrete

 

[Biff215]

Guess it is tough to repair slides and pipes if you build them into concrete

Or it's just cheaper and easier to leave them closed instead of addressing the problem while the park is closed for two months.

 

[JoeCamel]

But the Runoff Rapids slides aren't build into the mountain.

Then what is the holdup?// looks like they are off the shelf fiberglass slides then?

 

[dman72]

I was there with family last week. Runoff rapids is starting to look like the abandoned slides at river country. They are all overgrown with weeds. Lines were pretty rough when I was there..the family ride was the saving grace as you could get on that in less than 10 minutes. Double dipper was a ridiculous wait because of tubes coming up so slowly. After the usual summer downpour and hordes leaving, we were able to come back and go on slides basically as fast as we could climb stairs from 4PM to 8PM. Kids loved the "training" section. Pre downpour, the park needed the 3 slides that are closed, I'd have left disappointed if not for the thunderstorm.

After the debacle we experienced at Magic kingdom the same week (2 hours waits for thunder mtn and splash water midweek? $115?) Disney is starting to annoy me. They should start pre-selling tickets and limiting capacity..but they won't do that as long as people keep paying.

 

[peter11435]

.

After the debacle we experienced at Magic kingdom the same week (2 hours waits for thunder mtn and splash water midweek? $115?) Disney is starting to annoy me. They should start pre-selling tickets and limiting capacity..but they won't do that as long as people keep paying.

I'm not sure why you wouldn't expect two of the most popular attractions in the busiest theme park in the world to have long lines in the middle of summer.

 

[Biff215]

I was there with family last week. Runoff rapids is starting to look like the abandoned slides at river country. They are all overgrown with weeds. Lines were pretty rough when I was there..the family ride was the saving grace as you could get on that in less than 10 minutes. Double dipper was a ridiculous wait because of tubes coming up so slowly. After the usual summer downpour and hordes leaving, we were able to come back and go on slides basically as fast as we could climb stairs from 4PM to 8PM. Kids loved the "training" section. Pre downpour, the park needed the 3 slides that are closed, I'd have left disappointed if not for the thunderstorm.

After the debacle we experienced at Magic kingdom the same week (2 hours waits for thunder mtn and splash water midweek? $115?) Disney is starting to annoy me. They should start pre-selling tickets and limiting capacity..but they won't do that as long as people keep paying.

Yes I've seen some recent video of Runoff and you can see the vines growing right over into the slides. It doesn't appear that they have any intent of reopening them anytime soon. Either there is something seriously wrong or they simply don't want to pay to operate and staff them, it seems to be anyone's guess at this point. I agree the park needs the capacity, hopefully it means Blizzard sees the next water park addition this winter, but I'm not holding my breath.