Abandoned waterpark

[Guest]

Waterpark

 

[Cole Trickle]

pretty cool......

 

[RitcheyRch]

Sad to see all that land wasted for nothing.

 

[hawkes24]

too bad theres no before pictures

 

[Ziggy]

Not much a weed whacker can't fix up in a day

 

[TPC]

You could still see it from our campsite when we were at WDW.
Looked kinda lonely sitting there unused.

Some talk of re-opening it we read a while back. Rumor of course.

I think it used water common with Lake Buena Vista, where the newer two waterparks that replaced it, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard beach, use treated, swimming pool quality water.

It was pretty cool for it's day.

I remember going there some time ago right after WDW's EPCOT opened.
It was superbowl Sunday.
We hit the water park then wanted to see the game.

The only bar in the entire WDW was behind an unmarked, almost secret door from a very quiet lobby.

When we entered the bar the place was on fire with fun.

Now the whole WDW is covered with bars and restaurants.

 

[westair]

There's a huge waterpark that's looks abandon right off the 15 on the way to Vegas, I think it's been like that for years.

 

[Boatfloating]

It reminds me of the show on Nat Geo Life After Humans....

http://www.history.com/content/life_after_people

 

[shueman]

There's a huge waterpark that's looks abandon right off the 15 on the way to Vegas, I think it's been like that for years.

Was Lake Dolores, at one time...insurance nightmare, I heard...

 

[mbrown2]

There's a huge waterpark that's looks abandon right off the 15 on the way to Vegas, I think it's been like that for years.

Yep...abandoned one real close to SoCal...sad that insurance cases/lack of accountability shuts most fun places down.

 

[TPC]

too bad theres no before pictures

[video=youtube;u_ofV8vsk0U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_ofV8vsk0U[/video]

[video=youtube;VArObNa-1SA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VArObNa-1SA&feature=related[/video]

 

[TPC]

There's a huge waterpark that's looks abandon right off the 15 on the way to Vegas, I think it's been like that for years.

[video=youtube;Uuj6_SxlHZI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuj6_SxlHZI[/video]

 

[TPC]

I saw a little PBS POV documentary a student film maker did on the rise and fall of Lake Delores.

This kinda covers the storyline the documentary followed:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Dolores_Waterpark

 

[REDSKIN]

Nice find TPC. I wondered about that park.:thumbsup

 

[westair]

Very interesting story on Lake Dolores, sounds like it could be a movie.

 

[OCMerrill]

Anyone remember the water slide and park in Parker. Built in the shodows of Castle Rock, up on the hill.

Did not last long.

 

[RiverOtter]

When I was in 7th grade my Dad took me to Disney and we did a day at River Country. We had big fun! :thumbsup

 

[Boschma]

anyone ever see the Rob and Big where they skated the waterslide tubes?

 

[Bri'sV210]

Anyone remember the water slide and park in Parker. Built in the shodows of Castle Rock, up on the hill.

Did not last long.

Use to go there as a kid....I think it had a total of four slides? I think you still can make out were they had the slides at.....

 

[rmarion]

they used to hold MX races at Lake Dolores in the 70's thru 90's...

 

[TPC]

they used to hold MX races at Lake Dolores in the 70's thru 90's...

Don't hold me too it, but I think one year they had a Jet Ski race too.

 

[Mrs.Racer277]

Races were held there for two years, once at night under the lights.
It was a real nice place to race, sandy beaches like La Quinta.

 

[Tank]

Terry Christensen is my wifes father (my father in-law). Lake Delores was his whole life for many years. Turning that place into what it was in the late 90's/early 00's was his dream that he got to see come true for at least a moment. It was an exciting time for him and the family, planning, visualizing and building Lake Delores into Rock-a-hoola water park. Terry was a huge fan of the 50's music and life scene and ran with it when picturing his concepts for the new Lake Delores.

Terry was a large developer in the Claremont/Montclare area in the late 70's / 80's and was responsible for building many commercial and residential projects through-out the area.

We had some great times at Lake Delores. As a kid my dad would stop with my sister and me every time we passed. The huge steel stand up slides, the zip line and trapeez were some of the high lights of the park. I've heard more than one story (seemingly anyone that had ever been there) of injuries sustained while visting Lake Delores back in the day.

While Terry was re-building Lake Delores into Rock-A-Hoola and again re-building Rock-a-hoola into Discovery (yes, that was his too, as was the deal with Ron Brown), our family got to spend some really good times there. Park closed down for just family and friends to run rampant.

Terry literally poored his blood sweat and tears into that project for many years. It was a very large rocky roads that reminded me of a bi-polar episode. Many highs and too many lows during the way. The place just seemed to be cursed and every time he'd get ahead with the project something negative would happen.

The lawsuit with the employee was partial to its inevitable final closure but this was by far not the only contributing factor. shady investors that ran amuck was the main problem. Lots of lawsuits that tied the park up for long periods (causing the closures) fuiled the fire of the parks down fall.

In the end, seeing that the water park was not going to regain the glamour and mass appeal it once held, Terry turned his attention to a new project with the land, that included a very large parsel the park is on and a large parsel across the freeway and also included the water rights to the lands which Terry owned (theres a huge water table under the land). This project was going to include a large developement of residences. The developement was going to be aimed at the retired community and would have included the basic layout of the water park (lazy river, recreational area, etc). Included in the project was a strip mall/gas station/ grocery store/ etc. Across the freeway would be an 18 hole golf course and RV area.

Another group invested in the property that had ties to a religious organization out of L.A. who also turned out to be shady and defaulted on their portion of the contract.

Sadly, Terry lost his fight with cancer in Feb of 2009 a week after our son was born. Terry fought tooth and nail to bring something wonderful back to life in the middle of the desert. He came very close several times. His zeal for life and un-wavering determination is greatly missed by all that knew him.

 

[TPC]

Great take Tank.
I would wager we'll never see anything like this again.

 

[rmarion]

Tank

thanks for memories...I went twice to Lake dolores....that slide was AWESOME...with a raft, you'd skim accross the lake to the other side.....

the swing was very intemidateing for a 8 y/o...

the zip line was a hand hold only, you'd carry accross the dirt hillside about 20' (it felt like it) above the ground while hanging on and hoping you don't let go until you were over the water......:skull

FUN TIMES!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tank]

Tank

thanks for memories...I went twice to Lake dolores....that slide was AWESOME...with a raft, you'd skim accross the lake to the other side.....

the swing was very intemidateing for a 8 y/o...

the zip line was a hand hold only, you'd carry accross the dirt hillside about 20' (it felt like it) above the ground while hanging on and hoping you don't let go until you were over the water......:skull

FUN TIMES!!!!!!!!!

Hells yes! Metal slide rivited together, Trapeez two stories up, zip line way Up and over ground before you get to the water and a pole at the end of the line!!

Obviously before lawsuits and lack of accountability wrecked this country!

There is a documentey in the works. My wife and sister in law were interviewed and gave a bunch of pics.