Python Plunge |
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Statistics: Manufacturer: New Wave Rides (Arlington, Tx) Number of Slides: 4 (2 serpentine and 2 speed slides) Length of Slides: Serpentine: 435 feet, Speed: 285 feet Ride Height: 40 feet Maximum Speed: 40 M.P.H. |
The lead investment of the 1.6 million expansion for the 1988 season was Python Plunge which cost $1 million itself. Usually just referred to as The Plunge, a name it assumed in 1992, park guests seemingly had a love-hate relationship with this attraction. The Plunge was composed of a total of four, forty-foot tall water slides, that guests experienced in two-seat rafts and required 11,200 gallons of water to operate. Probably a better fit for Oceans of Fun? Likely. According to General Manager of the park at the time, John Hudacheck Hunt Midwest felt it was a good response to the request for both more dark rides and water rides in the park.
A dark ride? Yes, at least partially. Two of the four slides were enclosed, offering a 435-foot-long journey through a dark twisting "serpentine" tunnel. The other two hydro flumes were speed slides, offering a 285-foot-long, double dlp ride down, advertised as reaching speeds up to 40 mph.
Manufactured by New Wave Rides of Arlington, TX, Plunge was certainly popular when it first opened but had its Achilles Heel, guests had to physically carry their raft up one of the two 40-foot towers. Carrying a wet, hot, half-deflated raft on a hot muggy summer day is not what most guests think of as a good time, still as mentioned Plunge had its fans. Fascinating enough it also had its own drink stand too, Python Potions, which last was listed on the park map in 1995 (Its structure and signage were re-used as part of Camp Gonna Gitcha). Plunge gave its last ride in 1999, but would continue to stand, standing but not operating (SBNO), until 2001, when it was partially destroyed by an electrical fire and was entirely removed after that point. An interesting factoid is that Plunge's remaining footprint would be used by one of the park's first haunts, Camp Gonna Gitcha starting in 2003. Today, the site of Plunge is currently occupied by Prowler's queue line and the Zombie High haunt building.