Rumba Rapids was originally open in 1989 as Thunder River. Thunder River was rethemed in 2001 as part of Merlins Ribhenna sponsorship I. Which The ride was renamed Rhibenna Rumba Rapids. However the Rhibenna part of the Name was dropped when the sponsorship ended. Although the ride itself stayed the same apart from a few minor changes. Rhibenna  also Sponsored Berry Bouncers at Chessington this ride is know known and themed to the Jungle Bouncers.

In the opening year of Thunder River a 11 year old boy Named Jonaphen White was thrown out of his boat and subsequently lost one of his ears!

My cousin Natasha now aged twenty-Five went on this ride in 1998 with my grandparents.

 

So does anyone know what the rides future looks like? or when reopened will it have a different theme or have a a touch up. I really don't want this amazing Rapids ride to be closed and lost for ever. Please answer the above questions to the best of your knowledge and if you have heard amŷ rumours please let me know about them also.

 

 Many thanks Theme Park Fanatic!

On 26/09/2017 at 9:20 AM, Theme park Fanantic said:

Rumba Rapids was originally open in 1989 as Thunder River. Thunder River was rethemed in 2001 as part of Merlins Ribhenna sponsorship I. Which The ride was renamed Rhibenna Rumba Rapids. However the Rhibenna part of the Name was dropped when the sponsorship ended. Although the ride itself stayed the same apart from a few minor changes. Rhibenna  also Sponsored Berry Bouncers at Chessington this ride is know known and themed to the Jungle Bouncers.

In the opening year of Thunder River a 11 year old boy Named Jonaphen White was thrown out of his boat and subsequently lost one of his ears!

My cousin Natasha now aged twenty-Five went on this ride in 1998 with my grandparents.

 

So does anyone know what the rides future looks like? or when reopened will it have a different theme or have a a touch up. I really don't want this amazing Rapids ride to be closed and lost for ever. Please answer the above questions to the best of your knowledge and if you have heard amŷ rumours please let me know about them also.

 

 Many thanks Theme Park Fanatic!

It's spelt Ribena. ?

 

The rumour mill right now says that there is a big revamp for Rumba in the coming years. Though every year during closed season, at least 1 silly fanboy is convinced that "this year will be the year of the rapids", which never comes to fruition, so don't wait up. 

So the ride itself will stay just with a new theme. I hope the new theme is Jungle biased or the Thorpe Park Rangers!

24 minutes ago, Theme park Fanantic said:

So the ride itself will stay just with a new theme. I hope the new theme is Jungle biased or the Thorpe Park Rangers!

We don't know if it's staying with a new theme or if anything is happening at all. What most people here are guessing is that if there was to be work done on the Rumba, the park would not get rid of such a staple ride - they'd just give it some new life. 

And about your second point: yes, most likely will be Jungle based, seeming as it is in an area called 'The Jungle' and has been loosely themed within one. And the Rangers making a comeback is just not happening. We all need to let. It. Go. Personally also think that Thorpe should create some new mascots for the kids, but if they're anything like those terrible voodoo dolls they sell, scrap the idea immediately because they're ugly as hell.

Good hope you right regarding the Jungle theme. They could add attractive the theming like the spraying elephants at Chessingtons former dragon falls or Legolands Boating School?

10 hours ago, Theme park Fanantic said:

I really don't want this amazing Rapids ride to be closed and lost for ever

33 minutes ago, Theme park Fanantic said:

They could add attractive the theming like the spraying elephants at Chessingtons former dragon falls or Legolands Boating School?

 

 

Does anyone know or has anyone herd any romourers as to what if anything Thorpe are doing with this fantastic classic this closed season in time for next season?

Probably getting a horror IP retheme.  Either that or it'll be closed for a redevelopment.  Either way I'm sure it will make a splash back soon.

Do you think it's realistic that it'll return for next season?

10 minutes ago, Theme park Fanantic said:

Does anyone know or has anyone herd any romourers as to what if anything Thorpe are doing with this fantastic classic this closed season in time for next season?

There were pictures of a Rumba boat up at towers - it looks like they are looking into modifications to the boats after what happened at Drayton earlier in the year - I expect we will see some of these modifications done to all the boats for the new season. 

 

Rumba was running pretty well this year, nice to see it running more pumps than It

has done in recent years giving abit of a better ride, I hope to see a few more bits of

theming towards the jungle theme it going for, it’s nothing spectacular but certianly

fits in abit more.

 

 

Photo credit Towers street.

So it'll definitely return then!

Yes it will return

Rumba Rapids was originally open in 1989 as Thunder River. Thunder River was rethemed in 2001 as part of Merlins Ribhenna sponsorship I. Which The ride was renamed Rhibenna Rumba Rapids. However the Rhibenna part of the Name was dropped when the sponsorship ended. Although the ride itself stayed the same apart from a few minor changes. Rhibenna  also Sponsored Berry Bouncers at Chessington this ride is know known and themed to the Jungle Bouncers.
In the opening year of Thunder River a 11 year old boy Named Jonaphen White was thrown out of his boat and subsequently lost one of his ears!
My cousin Natasha now aged twenty-Five went on this ride in 1998 with my grandparents.
 
So does anyone know what the rides future looks like? or when reopened will it have a different theme or have a a touch up. I really don't want this amazing Rapids ride to be closed and lost for ever. Please answer the above questions to the best of your knowledge and if you have heard amŷ rumours please let me know about them also.
 
 Many thanks Theme Park Fanatic!

It originally opened in 1987.

Quote

it’s nothing spectacular but certianly fits in abit more.

My problem with the changes is that it's dead, dead boring. Fun should come over whether it fits in - the surrounding area is hardly jungle themed anyway, its just the recycled European square painted different colours, with a volcano next door. It's a themed area in name only.

 

The old Rumba theme was often berated for being one of the most garish themes Tussauds came up with (it was) but somehow they made it worse with this cheap redo, by making it boring & brown. I think they've lost sight of what makes a fun theme park, in a poor budgeted attempt to introduce themed areas, using only tins of paint.

You never know over the closed season Thorpe might put more jungle theme in and around the ride/area

As far as I'm aware, there isn't any plan for any more theming to be added to the ride.  They tweaked it a bit last closed season with some paint and a slight tidy up of the area, but there was never plans for it to go much further than that, I don't think it will.

18 hours ago, Theme park Fanantic said:

You never know over the closed season Thorpe might put more jungle theme in and around the ride/area

Do you wanna mention the jungle theme again or nah? ?

 

Also, you realise the little theming it currently has, is already supposed to be a jungle theme....

I love the Lazy River Rap..

 

I mean, the Rumba Rapids, yes, um, great ride *ahem*

 

Nah though, they need to scrap it, if they're going to use Loggers Leap's site for something new, they've got the space for a new one where it sits, just imagine a log flume drop looking at Stealth's top hat element.. Look at me, getting my hopes up over log flumes not becoming completely extinct in UK theme parks...

15 hours ago, RobPHolt94 said:

I love the Lazy River Rap..

 

I mean, the Rumba Rapids, yes, um, great ride *ahem*

 

Nah though, they need to scrap it, if they're going to use Loggers Leap's site for something new, they've got the space for a new one where it sits, just imagine a log flume drop looking at Stealth's top hat element.. Look at me, getting my hopes up over log flumes not becoming completely extinct in UK theme parks...

This it totally true we need to bring the log flumes back to our UK parks.

With those modifications they'll actually have to bother parking the boats like at Alton Towers rather than expecting people to climb over the seat backs!

Does anybody know if the Rumba boats that are at Alton Towers will come back to Thorpe?

11 minutes ago, Theme park Fanantic said:

Does anybody know if the Rumba boats that are at Alton Towers will come back to Thorpe?

I certainly hope they will...

It could well be back as I saw it on the back of a lorry just before Christmas

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So when are they going to burn the boats to match the forest fire theme they’re going with?  Those new boat flaps are going to be a pain for loading / unloading though. Wonder if Towers is doing the same with theirs? I suppose they can’t add seatbelts incase of another Dreamworld type incident.

How would it be a pain? Got an offload and onload position anyway, they just actually have to do something now...