Six Flags White Water
Encyclopedia
Six Flags White Water is a 69 acres (279,233.3 m²) water park
located northwest of Atlanta
, in unincorporated Cobb County. Originally opening in 1984 as White Water Atlanta, the park became part of the Six Flags
family of parks in 1999. Today, it is marketed as a second gate to Six Flags Over Georgia
, and the two parks often cross-promote each other.
, as a corporate sibling to their White Water
park in Branson, Missouri
, and first opened in 1984. In June 1998, the park was the site of an E. coli outbreak, which sickened at least ten children, including the son of then-Atlanta Braves
baseball player Walt Weiss
. In May 1999, the park was sold to the group of limited partners that own the nearby Six Flags Over Georgia theme park, with the park becoming "Six Flags White Water," and, like its sister park, being managed by Six Flags Theme Parks. Today, the two parks operate together, despite being several miles apart, with each offering promotions for the other.
Six Flags White Water is one of four stand-alone Six Flags water parks, and the only one of the group to not use the "Hurricane Harbor" name.
In late 2010, Six Flags began the process of removing licensed themes from attractions. They terminated several licenses including their license with The Wiggles
. Wiggles Water World was rethemed to Buccaneer Bay in time for the 2011 season.
Wildwater Lagoon includes the park's main entrance and its primary services, including Guest Service and First Aid. It is built around an activity pool, which includes splashdown areas for the three Body Flumes, the two Rapids raft flumes and the two Bonzai pipe slides. The Mutiny Chute plunge slide and Lizard's Tail kids' slides are also located here.
Pine Valley is home to the park's wave pool
, the Atlanta Ocean, and its lazy river
, known as the Little Hooch, named in honor of the nearby Chattahoochee River
. Children can play in the Captain Kid's Cove and Treehouse Island play areas, while their older siblings and parents can slide into the giant blue and yellow funnel of Tornado.
In Slippery Ridge, visitors can experience the high-speed Dragon's Tail speed slides, or "compete" on the six-lane 100-Meter Splash racing slides. Raft riders can enjoy the enclosed Black River Falls and Gulf Coast Screamer slides solo, or share the experience at the Caribbean Plunge. The Bahama Bob-Slide uses large round rafts with up to six riders at once, while the adjacent Tidal Wave body flume lands in a splash pool connected to the Little Hooch lazy river.
Flash Flood Canyon contains the park's tallest single slide, the Cliffhanger, which shares a tower with the Run-A-Way River family raft slide, and includes Buccaneer Bay added in 2010 (formerly known as Wiggles Water World in the 2010 season and rethemed in 2011).
operated next door to White Water, even using the same parking lot. This facility included a number of common carnival rides and other attractions geared towards families with small children. While the park was a separate gate from White Water, the two promoted each other often, to the point of having a connecting pathway between the two park entrances. When Six Flags acquired White Water in 1999, American Adventures was included in the purchase, and the park was considered one of Six Flags' minor parks. However, in May 2008, the park was leased to a new operator, Zuma Holdings, which no longer co-branded the park with Six Flags White Water. In 2010, American Adventures closed its doors for good, citing "circumstances beyond our control."
Water park
A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...
located northwest of Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, in unincorporated Cobb County. Originally opening in 1984 as White Water Atlanta, the park became part of the Six Flags
Six Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
family of parks in 1999. Today, it is marketed as a second gate to Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas....
, and the two parks often cross-promote each other.
History
Six Flags White Water was constructed by Silver Dollar City, a theme park company known today as Herschend Family Entertainment CorporationHerschend Family Entertainment Corporation
Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation is a privately owned themed-entertainment company that operates several theme parks and tourist attractions within the United States....
, as a corporate sibling to their White Water
White Water Branson
White Water Branson is located in Branson, Missouri and is known by most in the area as just White Water. It features a wave pool, a series of tubular slides, a ProSlide mammoth family raft ride, and a slide deck featuring 2 speed slides and 4 "Racing Lanes"....
park in Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
, and first opened in 1984. In June 1998, the park was the site of an E. coli outbreak, which sickened at least ten children, including the son of then-Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
baseball player Walt Weiss
Walt Weiss
Walter William Weiss is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball.Weiss was a member of the National League All-Star Team...
. In May 1999, the park was sold to the group of limited partners that own the nearby Six Flags Over Georgia theme park, with the park becoming "Six Flags White Water," and, like its sister park, being managed by Six Flags Theme Parks. Today, the two parks operate together, despite being several miles apart, with each offering promotions for the other.
Six Flags White Water is one of four stand-alone Six Flags water parks, and the only one of the group to not use the "Hurricane Harbor" name.
In late 2010, Six Flags began the process of removing licensed themes from attractions. They terminated several licenses including their license with The Wiggles
The Wiggles
The Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
. Wiggles Water World was rethemed to Buccaneer Bay in time for the 2011 season.
Park layout
Six Flags White Water is made up of five separate sections, each with a number of attractions. When it first opened, the park consisted of what is today Wildwater Lagoon, Slippery Ridge and Pine Valley. Flash Flood Canyon was added in 1998, prior to the acquisition by Six Flags, and Buccaneer Bay was added in 2010 (formerly known as Wiggles Water World in the 2010 season and rethemed in 2011).Wildwater Lagoon includes the park's main entrance and its primary services, including Guest Service and First Aid. It is built around an activity pool, which includes splashdown areas for the three Body Flumes, the two Rapids raft flumes and the two Bonzai pipe slides. The Mutiny Chute plunge slide and Lizard's Tail kids' slides are also located here.
Pine Valley is home to the park's wave pool
Wave pool
A wave pool is a swimming pool in which there are artificially generated, reasonably large waves, similar to the ocean's. Wave pools are often a major feature of water parks...
, the Atlanta Ocean, and its lazy river
Lazy river
A lazy river is a water ride found in many amusement parks or water parks. They are also found at some resorts and recreation centers. It usually consists of shallow pool that flows similarly to a river....
, known as the Little Hooch, named in honor of the nearby Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
. Children can play in the Captain Kid's Cove and Treehouse Island play areas, while their older siblings and parents can slide into the giant blue and yellow funnel of Tornado.
In Slippery Ridge, visitors can experience the high-speed Dragon's Tail speed slides, or "compete" on the six-lane 100-Meter Splash racing slides. Raft riders can enjoy the enclosed Black River Falls and Gulf Coast Screamer slides solo, or share the experience at the Caribbean Plunge. The Bahama Bob-Slide uses large round rafts with up to six riders at once, while the adjacent Tidal Wave body flume lands in a splash pool connected to the Little Hooch lazy river.
Flash Flood Canyon contains the park's tallest single slide, the Cliffhanger, which shares a tower with the Run-A-Way River family raft slide, and includes Buccaneer Bay added in 2010 (formerly known as Wiggles Water World in the 2010 season and rethemed in 2011).
American Adventures
First opened in 1990, the American Adventures family entertainment centerFamily entertainment center
A family entertainment center , often abbreviated FEC in the entertainment industry, is a small amusement park marketed towards families with small children to teenagers, and often entirely indoors or associated with a larger operation such as a theme park...
operated next door to White Water, even using the same parking lot. This facility included a number of common carnival rides and other attractions geared towards families with small children. While the park was a separate gate from White Water, the two promoted each other often, to the point of having a connecting pathway between the two park entrances. When Six Flags acquired White Water in 1999, American Adventures was included in the purchase, and the park was considered one of Six Flags' minor parks. However, in May 2008, the park was leased to a new operator, Zuma Holdings, which no longer co-branded the park with Six Flags White Water. In 2010, American Adventures closed its doors for good, citing "circumstances beyond our control."