They just need to scrap it now. It does nothing for anyone, it's costly, it has a terrible atmosphere with ride hosts shouting down the PA and down megaphones all the time. It's also an awful ride that barely gets you wet. Opening 3 hours after park opening?

Get rid. Not worth the effort. 

I know what you mean, it hardly seems worth it.

 

I have to say though I’d rather it this way until it’s replaced with something rather than it sat there SBNO for ages.

johnny, remember me! yes I'll always remember, and I'll be splashin' in the slosh of the water, until you hear the cry, rumbaaaaaaaaa, remember me!

I don't like lakes, I don't like trees, I don't like tunnels and I'll tell ya why, budgets little rapids loves shortnin' shortnin', budgets little rapids loves shortnin' costs

bye bye rapids, thank you for the splashy splashes

What does everyone think about Rumba's fate then?

There have been people saying the rafts are still stripped down and lined up along the fence in their usual winter spot.

I thought this was always the case around this time of year, and nothing out of the ordinary, but I suppose it could be the end for Rumba?

With all the cost cutting, I suppose it would make sense to ditch an old ride like Rumba given the number of staff it needs, and apparently the amount of energy required to run it.

That said, if they were planning on ditching it, why go through the effort of removing all the boats and stripping them down?

I expect it'll be open again this year, even if it is on reduced hours and only during the summer months (except school trip season). They might as well keep the capacity there while there's nothing lined up to replace it, unless money is just too tight.

I wish they'd just bin it off, riding it is embarrassing these days. The problem is there no obvious replacement in the pipeline (that we know off).

Well if Parm Pap says it is so, it must be true...

It's such a weird one. Subjectively, from a ride perspective, t's pretty rubbish these days. But there's no denying it has a place, or at the very least a use, since it can absorb people. At the same time, it's staff-intensive for comparatively little reward.

I know they've talked about closing it down in the past. And obviously effectively turning it into a seasonal attraction is a by-product of that.

My biggest issue is if they close it without replacement, it seriously dents both the water ride and the 'calmer' ride selection at the park. Okay, it wasn't a great 'wet' water ride, but now you're left with Tidal Wave (overly wet), Storm Surge (equally not a great water ride) and Depth Charge (fine, but not a big player). For a park that just over 10 years ago prided itself on having the best water ride selection in the country, it's a fall off.

Even if it stays, the park are in dire need of a new water ride in my opinion. If it goes, they reach a critical point where a new water is a must.

Rumba is a strange one, considering its a a substandard support/water ride that offers something for groups and less intense, but given running costs (including higher staffing requirements) and risk/safety assessments with such rides, it does seem closure is highly likely, if not imminent.

I have fond memories of Rumba, from its early Ribena years to when I worked on it, during my year at the park. It’s an interesting one with a noticeable amount of history, especially being one of the park’s first major rides as Thunder River in the early/RMC (not that RMC) days. Especially after nearly 40 years of operation.

Should it close permanently, I’d like the park to put in another water ride somewhere, maybe a water coaster. However given current circumstances especially with Merlin, that seems unlikely.