Whinfell Forest's Tropical Cyclone: coming soon!
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Over the last year, guests at Whinfell Forest will have noticed a gigantic structure taking shape at the Subtropical Swimming Paradise – and we are thrilled to announce that the new Tropical Cyclone ride is now nearing completion.
In this blog piece we look behind the scenes at what it takes to bring a new water slide to life. Months of work has gone into the construction, with over 220 staff involved in creating the new state-of-the-art facility.
The ride is due for completion in spring 2023, with hundreds of thousands of guests expected to try it out in its first year. Will you be brave enough to take it on with your friends and family?
We caught up with Mike Swindle, the Subtropical Swimming Paradise Manager at Whinfell Forest, to hear all about this exciting project.
Are you excited about the Tropical Cyclone?"The opportunity to witness the Tropical Cyclone project first-hand has been so exciting. This new state-of-the-art facility will be fantastic for guests and marks a big step for the progression of the Subtropical Swimming Paradise at Whinfell Forest, with plenty more to come in the next few years. This is a ride we know guests have been wanting for a while. The team of lifeguards and I can't wait to see our guests enjoying the Tropical Cyclone!"
What can guests expect on the new ride?
"The Tropical Cyclone is a four-person raft ride with over 100 metres of twists, turns and gravity-defying drops, and guests can choose from audio-visual themes to enhance their experience. Without doubt, this is one of the most exciting rides that is offered across our villages."
"As long as you’re over 1.22 metres tall and don’t exceed the weight limit, you’re good to go. Center Parcs guests expect us to be innovative, modern and creative – and this ride really delivers on all fronts. It’s set to be our flagship ride in the Subtropical Swimming Paradise at Whinfell Forest, and we can’t wait for it to be up and running!"
What safety precautions will be put in place?
"Projects of this scale present their own challenges, and of course safety is paramount. We’ll be recruiting team members to operate it, and the ride will require daily safety checks. We need to ensure every member of the team is aware of procedures and risks, with each person receiving three to four weeks of training to operate the Tropical Cyclone."We also spoke to the Assistant Manager of SDC Builds, Chris Belshaw, who has headed up the project since it first started.
Chris told us it has been a pleasure to work in such a beautiful location alongside a fantastic group of staff from Center Parcs. "The project hasn’t been without its challenges – such as transporting equipment to and from the village, which of course is in a remote, rural location - but overall, the project has run very smoothly and remains on schedule."
The team are hugely excited to see the ride being almost complete and we can’t wait to see our guests enjoying the Tropical Cyclone next year!
