Thunder Canyon is a river
raft ride found at
Cedar Point in
Ohio,
Dorney Park in
Pennsylvania and
Valleyfair! in
Minnesota. The
Cedar Point version opened in 1986 while the
Valleyfair! one opened in 1987. Both
amusement park water rides were designed by Bahr Manufacturing of Germany. At
Cedar Point the
rafts feature a larger twelve-passenger design, at
Dorney Park, the rafts are slightly smaller and allow eight passengers, whereas at
Valleyfair! the
raft will only allow six passengers for its 20
rafts. All rides pump at least 600,000 gallons of water throughout the entire ride. All
rides feature
waterfalls,
rapids, and
geysers, but it is said that
waterfalls at
Cedar Point drench a person more than the ones at
Dorney Park or at
Valleyfair!. The
Colorado River is supposed to be the
inspiration for the layout and
theming for these specific river raft rides. One may find these rides at
Cedar Point along the
Frontier Trail, at
Dorney Park at the north end of the park or at
Valleyfair! in the very back of the park after the
tunnel after the
waterpark. This is a family ride, but generally the
height requirement for all three rides is around 46 inches (3 ft, 10 in) or accompanied by an adult but it is not as strict as
roller coaster height requirements. In most models of the raft, only one adult can sit close enough to the child to ensure the child's safety, therefore it is a good idea to bring one adult per one child under 46 inches.
Due to hydrodynamics and the lack of a set metal under track in the rides, there is no way possible to guarantee that a person sitting in seat #4 will not get wet, no matter what the ride operator tells you. The only ways to minimize your exposure to water are to:
- not ride at all.
- sit by a larger person who will cover you or block all the water that comes from a waterfall (as 80% of water exposure should come from the waterfalls.
- wear a large sponge as a hat.
- wear a rain poncho, rainsuit or garbage bag (yes, some people do this) over your torso and upper legs.
- lean backward as much as possible and when the waterfall hits you, lean forward quickly. This motion will still ensure water exposure, but the less time spent under the waterfall, the better.
- take off all the clothes that you do not want to get except for some type of non-lycra/non-spandex shorts (swimsuit bottoms are not allowed to be the outermost bottom layer) and for women and men if you want, keep on at least a bikini top or t-shirt as everyone must be wearing some style of clothing top. Put all other clothing in a coin operated locker or keep it with someone that is not riding to keep it dry. Ride operators are not allowed to hold anything on the platform for you due to Cedar Fair policy. Therefore it is a very bad idea to have your bag of a change of clothes with you just before you board the raft. Exception: Dorney Park allows a person to board with only a swimsuit, but due to consistency, this rule may change in the future.
- keep your safety belt buckled, your feet on the floor, your hands inside the raft and do not break any of the rules at the amusement park or Thunder Canyon in case karma or the Thunder Canyon deities wish(es) to deal revenge with torrents of water.
Sources: personal experience, www.cedarpoint.com, www.dorneypark.com, www.valleyfair.com