Splash Adventure

Splash Adventure

Location	Bessemer, Alabama, U.S.
Coordinates	33°22′48″N 86°59′55″W / 33.3800°N 86.9987°W / 33.3800; -86.9987Coordinates: 33°22′48″N 86°59′55″W / 33.3800°N 86.9987°W / 33.3800; -86.9987
Owner	General Attractions LLC
Opened	May 23, 1998
Previous names	VisionLand - 1998 to 2005 Alabama Adventure - 2006 to 2011
Operating season	March through September
Area	200 acres (0.81 km2)
Rides
Total	8
Water rides	8
Website	http://www.splashadventurewaterpark.com/

Splash Adventure (previously known as Alabama Adventure and VisionLand) is a water park, located off Interstate 20/59 in Bessemer, just west of Birmingham and east of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It is owned by General Attractions LLC.

History

Originally known as VisionLand, the park was built largely as a result of efforts by Fairfield mayor Larry Langford. Eleven cities came together to form the West Jefferson Amusement and Public Park Authority and with help from the Alabama Legislature, the group borrowed $65 million to build the park. Construction began in March 1997, and the park opened for business on May 23, 1998. The park opened with four major areas, including Celebration City Theme Park, Steel Waters Water Park, a children's area called Marvel City, and a shopping/dining area known as Main Street.

In 1999, the park expanded, adding Wild River Gorge, a river rapids attraction. Dino Domain, a walk through exhibit featuring animatronic dinosaurs, was built in the woods behind Main Street but closed after the season

In 2001, Wild River Gorge reopened with minor adjustments along with Stratosfear Screamer, an S&S Power twin tower attraction.

The park filed Chapter 9 bankruptcy in 2002, and only operated Steel Waters. It was purchased by Southland Entertainment Group for $6 million, a loss of $59 million in public funds.

In 2003, Visionland (uncapitalizing the "L") reopens with Magic Adventure Theme Park, Splash Beach Water Park, Marvel City, and Celebration Street. Magic Adventure received a scrambler attraction called Wild Scrambler and Splash Beach received a wave pool named Kahuna Waves and a nine-story-tall free fall slide called Acapulco Drop. Starting this season park guests had the option to buy tickets to either the amusement park or the water park or a combo ticket to both parks.

Splash Beach received a new water attraction called Splashdown!, a toilet bowl-style ride in 2004.

In 2005, Magic Adventure opened the first new roller coaster since the park's opening named Zoomerang, a Vekoma Boomerang roller coaster relocated from Sydney, Australia. The park also re-opened one of the former attractions named Cahaba Falls, a log flume attraction. It was later known as Woodchuck Run. The park held naming contests for both attractions on its website. The theme park was visited by approximately 345,000 people, making the park Alabama's second-most popular tourist destination according to the Bureau of Tourism and Travel and trailing only the Birmingham Zoo.^{[citation needed]}

Alabama Adventure logo used from 2006-2011

Southland announced in 2006 the rebranding of the park under the Alabama Adventure name, along with major expansion plans, including a hotel including an indoor water park, an RV park, and other amenities. Magic Adventure was renamed Magic City USA to reflect the new theming strategy. The park also announced plans for a summer concert series, featuring popular musical acts and artists. The number of visitors to Alabama Adventure rose to more than 388,000. It was the winner of Alabama's "2007 Attraction of the Year."^[1]

In 2007, the park added two new attractions, including Vertigo, one of the original attractions of VisionLand, which had been removed in 2003, and Salamander Bay, a re-themed children's play area at Splash Beach formerly known as Quarry Bay. The summer concert series returned to the park and became an annual event.

Southland Entertainment sold the park to Adrenaline Family Entertainment, a group of former executives of Six Flags in 2008.^[2] Southland will concentrate on developing the remaining acreage that it owns adjacent to the park, with plans for hotels, an RV park, and other amenities.^[3]

In 2009, the park announced the first major expansion since 2005, and the first to Splash Beach since 2004. The expansion is to include a new attraction from WhiteWater West called "UpSurge!", a 216 foot flume slide with a vertical half pipe ending in a 25,000-gallon splash pool.^[4] The park also combined both parks into one ticket price.

The park began promoting a casting call for new "indoor theatrical entertainment" called "Beat Street" that premiered in the brand new Star Theater in 2010. The park also relaunched its website, branding the park as Alabama Adventure Water and Theme Park.

Buzzsaw Falls, a SkyTrans Manufacturing Shoot the Chutes ride was added in 2011. It is located between the parks Celebration Street and Stratos Fear Screamer tower ride.^[5]

Adrenaline Family Entertainment sold the park on January 5, 2012, to General Attractions LLC, a company created by the former owners of the park who previously sold the park in 2008. It was announced on April 5, 2012 that the amusement park section would be closed, leaving only water rides. The park will be renamed Splash Adventure for its 2012 opening season.^[6] Also this year they have added three new attractions to the water park. One of their new attractions is called the "Mist-ical Maze" where in this attraction you go through a maze that has trigger water chutes and many other surprises. The second new attraction is a wipeout designed ride from WhiteWater West called "Wipeout Adventure Course" and the third new attraction is a zip-line that goes around the waterpark. There will be a "Dive-In Movie" at Kahuna Waves every Friday night from Memorial Day weekend to the end of July.

In 2014, the former Magic City USA location will open an indoor trampoline park featuring a basketball slam-dunk court, foam pit, freestyle trampoline court, and dodge ball court.

Incidents and accidents

• In 1999, when the park was called Visionland, five people were injured when a raft overturned.^[7]
• In 2001, a boat filled with park employees overturned when the employees rocked the boat. No one was injured.^[7]
• In August 2009, a family of three and one other park visitor were injured when the ride's boat capsized. Witnesses said that the family's boat hit an empty boat and was overturned. The family were underwater for approximately 20 seconds.^[7]
• In June 2011, there was a fight that broke out between several youths and spread throughout the park. One guest described it as a borderline riot. The Bessemer Police were called to the park and no more guests were allowed into the park. It was blamed on a "$10 before 10AM" promotion the park ran.^[8]

Current attractions

Former attractions

See also

• 2012 in amusement parks

References

External links

• Splash Adventure official site
• Splash Adventure at the Roller Coaster DataBase