Wild Adventures opened its new season on Saturday, March 15th, with the debut of the new Water’s Edge expansion. Water’s Edge is home to three-family friendly rides, new animal habitats, a new stage and more. Water’s Edge is located along the park’s internal lake and offers stunning views in a tropical fun environment meant to mimic the vibe of a seaside village. This isn’t an expansion in the literal sense, but actually a refurbishment and transformation of the core of the park into a cohesive themed area. Water’s Edge makes better use of the 3 acres along the lake to provide more space for relaxation and fun. With new seating, spectacular views and fun new rides, it really hits the mark in transforming what was largely a “pass through” area into the beating heart of the park.

“Water’s Edge strikes the perfect balance between vibrant and relaxing, creating an environment like your favorite beach side town or waterfront restaurant.”

The first and most obvious thing you notice when approaching Wild Adventures is that the skyline of the park has changed. The Century Wheel has moved from the edge of the park and is currently being transformed into the Horizon Wheel in the center of the park near the lake. This location should provide great views of the whole park while adding a huge kinetic element to Water’s Edge, especially with the new nighttime lighting package. The Horizon Wheel is still under construction, but will hopefully be open later this spring.

The other two very obvious changes are the addition of the Winged Swinger and Boat Parade Family rides. The Winged Swinger looks great with its tropical theme and has a huge rider capacity. It’s a perfect intensity of being fun for adults, but not too intense for kids. It’s also a great kinetic element for the area as it’s in a prominent position along a major traffic route in the park. The way it rises up and tilts coupled with its magical bird design make it tons of fun to watch. Ir’s also a bit of a replacement for the park’s Yo-Yo swing ride that closed down a couple of years ago.

The Boat Parade is definitely the most “kiddie” ride in the expansion, but adults can still ride. I’m just over six feet and it was a tight fit, but managed to make it work. Boat Parade is a typical rotating kid flat ride, but the bouncing effect adds a fun element and the theming is spot on for the area. When we arrived Saturday morning, they were still putting mulch and landscaping around the ride, so I imagine in a few weeks this and the other new attractions will look even better as they get their final touches.

In addition to the new rides there’s also a new reptile house with some great looking artwork on the side. Brews & Bites is still the major food service in the area, but I believe more expanded options are forthcoming. The seating areas are also expanded making this the “hangout” area of the park where you can get a good meal and a drink while watching the activity around you. It’s great to sit along the water and watch Boomerang be released to run its course with the screams in the distance, watch Aviator spin or see Blazer Blast Off shoot into the sky. Granted there was some seating along the lake before to do this before, but what Water’s Edge really did was expand and tremendously plus up the whole area.

Water’s Edge is a great addition to the park. It is an excellent refurbishment and transformation of the heart of the park that was full of life and activity on opening day. The park closed at 7pm, so we didn’t get to see it at night yet, but the Horizon Wheel and other attractions should provide a spectacular light show along the water. On opening day it was in what I’d call “soft launch” or “preview” mode, with more construction to complete in the coming weeks, but you definitely got the vision of what the park was after and what is to come.

If you’re a season passholder or a regular at Wild Adventures you’re going to love Water’s Edge. I envision this being a great people watching and relaxation spot on a summer night with friends. Water’s Edge strikes the perfect balance between vibrant and relaxing, creating an environment like your favorite beach side town or waterfront restaurant. Water’s Edge is the type of addition that might not get the buzz of something like a new coaster, but it is the type of investment that ages well and delivers over time. It puts the “theme” in theme park and makes Wild Adventures the type of place you want to spend time at and return to over and over again.