Our DownUnder™ Becomes Muskoka Plunge at Canada’s Wonderland’s Splash Works – the First of Its Kind at Canada’s Wonderland
Canada’s Wonderland, a Cedar Fair property, spans a whopping 330 acres and is the largest theme park in the country. It’s located 25 miles north of Toronto. Within Canada’s Wonderland is a 20-acre waterpark called Splash Works. When park officials wanted to add an exhilarating waterslide to their Splash Works attractions, they contacted U.S.-based Splashtacular because they liked our waterslide products’ quality and customer service.
Nothing screams exhilarating like our DownUnder™ that uses a unique design with a curved back riding surface, so there is no harsh transition – just an extremely smooth and ergonomic ride. This high-thrill DrenalineDropTM capsule’s “trap door” opens at 100 mph, allowing riders to reach speeds up to 40 mph on their backs before the ride ends in a run out.
At Splash Works, our DownUnder™ is named Muskoka Plunge. It has a 60 ft. (18 m) tall waterslide tower and four speed slide DrenalineDropTM capsules. Riders enter in a “castle” themed area with mood music and the adrenaline rush begins as they step into an enclosed launch chamber waiting to plummet into a high-speed free fall through S-curves and 360° loops. Staff can trigger the trap doors to open simultaneously, sequentially one-at-a-time, or roulette style. Each of the slides takes riders down a different path from 300 feet at the top to the bottom.
Canada’s Wonderland opened in 1981 and Splash Works opened within it in 1992. By the time Splashtacular embarked on the Muskoka Plunge, both parks were well established. Despite Canada’s Wonderland being the largest theme park in Canada, the construction site for the Muskoka Plunge was tight and real estate within the park was a premium. This slide is located in the middle of Splash Works, which added a layer of complexity. First, we tackled weaving Muskoka Plunge’s components through existing park rides. Second, we maneuvered a crane in the middle of the park.
Muskoka Plunge opened in the summer of 2017. Our modeling and finite analysis, which predicts what used to be unpredictable, ensured all the new and existing structures didn’t interfere with one another. Splashtacular’s team brought this exhilarating waterslide project from concept to life without a single modification necessary in the field.
