Koala Kanyon was built as
part of the Adventure Rivers expansion in 1991, but survived beyond the
other attractions added at that time. The area operated only during
summer days through the 2005 season, but sat closed for all of the 2006
season before being removed in the 2006-2007 off-season.
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Koala Kanyon was
introduced as part of Adventure Rivers, and featured then state of the
art children's water play elements.
The area had an Australian theme, and featured a small river for wading,
fountains, water cannons, waterfalls, and shaded places for Moms and
Dads to sit and watch the kids have fun. |
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The Koala Kanyon area
like the rest of Adventure Rivers was nicely landscaped and themed.
Trees were planted all around the outer edges to help screen the area
from the surrounding rides and service road.
One of the biggest drawbacks to Koala Kanyon was its remote location,
which was at the farthest end of the park, past every other ride and
attraction. Many guests never even knew Koala Kanyon existed.
Other problems were the short season for the children's water play
area. Many guests who did make their way back to Koala Kanyon found it
closed. In addition, staffing was always an issue since employees
working in Koala Kanyon were required to be certified Life Guards.
With the 2000 addition of Hurricane Harbor, the park's already strained
labor force was further stretched.
The seasonal nature of Koala Kanyon was further exacerbated by the
routing of the parks Hayride as part of the yearly Fright Fest. |
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Eventually, parts of the Koala Kanyon scenery made their way into the
Hayrides. An example of this is the crocodile seen in the picture on
in the upper right corner.
As you can see in this series of pictures, time, weather, sun and
chlorine all took their toll on the Koala Kanyon fixtures, with theme
elements fading, deteriorating, or simply being removed over time.
The park introduced new kid's water play areas with the 2005 addition of
Splashwater Oasis in Balin's Jungleland, and the 2006 addition of a
splashing water tower in Bugs Bunny National Park. |
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When Koala Kanyon was
built, care was taken to add theme elements that would reflect the
wildlife of Australia, including signs posted at the top of the covered
benches.
Over the years, the theme elements faded and deteriorated, with some
pieces being removed. The thatched roofs of the shade structures
offered little shade in the final seasons.
Prior to the 2006 operating season the Koala Kanyon sign was removed
from over the gate, and the attraction sat empty all season long. The
area was completely unused and the shallow pools collected dead leaves
and debris. |
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During the 2006-2007 off season,
Koala Kanyon was removed, leaving a vacant space. The path leading to
it, along with the restrooms and First Aid station were closed off to
the public. For the 2008 season the restroom facilities were opened to
the Looney Tunes Seaport area. |
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