A classic ride that has been in operation at Waldameer Park & Water World for decades will be replaced ahead of the 2025 season with a newer attraction.
At the end of the 2024 season, Waldameer will dismantle the classic Spider to make room for a new attraction called Time Twister.
“It’s always difficult to get rid of an attraction that we’ve had since the 1970s,” said Brian Gorman, vice president of operations at Waldameer. “We know (Spider is) part of Waldameer’s nostalgia and what Waldameer is. We try our best to maintain our rides to the best of our ability to keep those older rides operative, but there’s a life cycle to everything."
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The ride opened in 1977 . It involves more levers and gears for operators to handle compared to newer rides that have more computerized functions.
Gorman said the ride is low-capacity, which made attracting riders difficult.
“If we could keep it and relocate it or had space to keep both we would," Gorman said. "We’re getting more and more limited on space so we have to make those tough decisions as we move forward for Waldameer’s future.”
Coming in 2025 to Waldameer: Time Twister
The new ride at Waldameer is manufactured by Italian company Zamperla .
Time Twister is about 35 feet tall and can hold up to 32 guests at a time. Riders must meet the minimum height requirement of 42 inches.
"It’s a unique ride experience," Gorman said. "It rotates on these arms vertically and then rotates in a circle. It’s similar to Spider as it’s another twisty and spinny ride. It has a great color scheme and great lights for night time. Very fun to watch even if you are not a thrill seeker."
The new ride cost Waldameer about $1.58 million, not including installation fees.
“We’ve been looking at it for quite a while," Gorman said. "Believe it or not, Paul Nelson had looked at it from Zamperla and was interested in it. It just took us time to find the right location and time to do it. It just seemed that this fit well for 2025.”
Nelson, the park's longtime owner, died in May 2023 .
Paratrooper taking a hiatus for 2025
Another classic Waldameer ride going into hibernation for the 2025 season is the Paratrooper.
In order to improve Water World, Waldameer officials will redesign the entrance with a new retail and food building, requiring the space that the Paratrooper inhabits.
Park officials will dismantle and refurbish the ride at the end of the 2024 season. It will remain in storage until they find a new location around the park in 2025.
Gorman did not disclose additional park plans, but says they hope to continue improving Waldameer.
“(Park President) Steve (Gorman) and I have been working to create a nice timeline for our additions so there will be exciting things to come each year," Brian Gorman said.
Contact Nicholas Sorensen at Nsorensen@gannett.com .
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Out with the old, in with the new: Waldameer to remove classic ride for new attraction
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