Dragon's Den First Major Addition At Sandcastle In 10 Years
HOMESTEAD (KDKA)
There are signs all over the place that summer is just around the corner.
One of those signs includes crews busy getting Sandcastle ready. But this year, for the first time in a decade, you'll find something new at the water park in Homestead.
Despite the sunshine and the lazy flow of the Mon, the water won't flow in the slides for another month and a half, which is about the time they need to complete "Dragon's Den."
Right now, it's just some concrete pilings and a hole in the ground for the landing pit.
When it's ready, you'll climb to the platform, which is about 45-feet above ground, that's two-thirds the height of the Lightning Express platform, that's Sandcastle's highest current platform.
Once there, you will hop on a raft with someone else.
"They'll be paired up when they get in the queue line to pick up their raft," said Damian Dondero, Sandcastle's general manager.
And you're off!
"You'll begin your decent down the flume," says Dondero. "As you come into the bowl, depending on how quickly you're coming down, you may spin around two times, three times or four times before exiting in the center, which leads you into the landing pool at the end."
The initial drop is at a 34-degree angle and drops about 43 feet before you fly into the 35-foot wide bowl almost vertical.
"It's showing that the riders are coming right out of the flume, entering into the bowl and what it really shows is the centrifugal force will keep you on the side of the bowl as your starting to spin around," Dondero said.
The Dragon's Den is expected to become a favorite the day it opens, but it represents more than just a new attraction. It's the first major addition in 10 years, and the first since the park was taken over by its Spanish ownership.
"It says that they care about the facilities and they want to make sure our guests are getting new and unique experiences throughout the years," Dondero added.
He expects the slide to be ready when the park opens for full-time operations June 9.
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