Where There Is No Off-Season

Walking through the midways of Waldameer and Water World in the winter might give you impression of a place that is quiet, inactive, or even abandoned.  The Raging River raft slide looks like a vacant bobsled course, Showtime Theater is stuck on the "snow dance," clinking sounds of Ring Toss seem like a distant memory, and no one is welcoming all of us Earthlings into Whacky Shack.  While it might seem that Waldameer is in hibernation until May 10th, there are a few places in Waldameer that never sleep a wink.  Join us as we explore some of the many winter activities of Waldameer!

The Park Office may appear to be snowed in, but inside it's humming away with Season Pass Processing, Group Sales arrangements, Picnic planning, as well as strategy development for 2014 and beyond.

Rainbow Gardens stays hopping on the weekends with dances, craft shows, fundraisers, etc.

Perhaps the most active place of the park during the winter months is tucked away into the Western corner.  Back there you will find a large gray building which on the outside it may seem as quiet as the rest of Waldameer and Water World.  Step inside, and Waldameer comes to life.  Put on your safety goggles and lace up your work boots, as we are about to go on a journey through Waldameer's Maintenance Department!

All 30 Dodgem cars are in the garage for inspection and tune up.

The Pirate hesitantly gave up his treasure to be shined up.  I'm sure he will be counting every gold doubloon when he gets it back!  

After being  inspected, all seven Tilt-A-Whirl cars received a fresh coat of paint!

All twelve Spider cars received new paint inside and out.

Steel Dragon car bodies await reassembly as their undercarriage is disassembled, inspected, and cleaned.

All twenty Thunder River boats are dry-docked and undergoing touch-ups to their fiber glass and art details, as well as upgrades to seat cushions and safety features.

Ravine Flyer II's trains have been completely disassembled.  Wow! That's a lot of parts!

Once the cars for both Ravine Flyer II trains are completely disassembled, each individual part is cleaned, inspected, and repainted to look just like new.  This delicate process is critical in making sure each component is in excellent working order in ensuring rider safety.  Comet, Steel Dragon, and Ravine Flyer 3 all undergo similar inspection processes. 

I wonder what this could be?  Looks really sharp! Stay tuned as we learn more!

These are just some of the countless projects going on in our Maintenance Department.  As the weather begins to get warmer, projects will transition from disassembly and inspection to reassembly and preparation for Opening Day.  However, maintenance doesn't slow down one bit once the rides and attractions are back up and running.  Our maintenance team is always the first to arrive in the odd hours of the morning for safety inspections and routine maintenance, and some of the last to leave late at night.  These "Heroes" of Waldameer cannot be thanked enough for their countless hours of dedication keeping all of our attractions safe while they continue to provide family fun for multiple generations.