Amusement Park News

Record lengths and unique features are popping up at waterpark attractions throughout the U.S., and the Rise of Icarus at Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park in the Wisconsin Dells has its own major bragging rights: it's the tallest waterslide in the U.S.

The ride, which opened May 25th, has five slides, including The Fall. This behemoth descends from a towering 145-foot-high platform located at the pinnacle of a tower and then wraps around it. Riders need to ascend ten stories to reach the thrilling attraction.

This giant orange slide starts off with a short and sharp descent, then rotates around the tower in a series of more gradual descents. The ride takes approximately 30 seconds until it reaches its end point, picking up more speed until reaching the final slide. Riders descend from the platform's height along a length that runs 780 feet, taking them whizzing along at speeds up to 30 miles per hour.

While the Rise of Icarus – The Fall is certainly the largest new attraction at Mt. Olympus, four other slides are also a part of the new Icarus. They descend from a lower 60-foot-tall platform on the same tower.

Of the four, The Drop is arguably the most thrilling, a straight-running slide whose steepness produces speed that's almost identical to that of The Fall. It includes a short section that is enclosed. This fast mover lasts approximately 15 seconds to splash down. The other three slides are The Voyage, The Flight, and The Journey. Each traverses a winding trail around the Icarus tower and conclude with a big splash. The Flight is the longest of these slides, winding around the right of the tower in four graceful turns. It takes about 25 seconds to complete.

While each slide provides a different experience, they all offer a thrilling watery finish, a great view of the park, and its surrounding area on their descents.

Rise of Icarus – The Fall has now beat out two other slides for the title of tallest in the nation, overtaking Thrillagascar and Jungle Jammer both located in East Rutherford, N.J. at Dreamwork's indoor waterpark.



The Rise of Icarus was created in collaboration between the theme park designers, the Ramaker architectural firm, and Whitewater. It includes four separate Aqua Tubes in all, as well as a freefall. The Fall features a high-speed Aqua Tube.

Mt. Olympus social media marketer Maria Laskaris says, “The Rise of Icarus holds a special place in our family and park as we continually strive to introduce new and innovative attractions to our area.” She says that riders “can't get enough” of the attraction and show “overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic” responses to it.

Marketing director Fofo Backhaus describes all five of the body slides as “fast and exhilarating, definitely worth the wait and anticipation!” Backhaus also relates that riders who sail down one slide quickly climb again to experience another.

WhiteWater's president, Onno Meeter, is pleased with the uniqueness of Rise of Icarus, describing the experience of his company's collaboration with Mt. Olympus owners as “a pleasure. The Laskaris family…has shown time and time again that Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park not only pushes boundaries with its attractions, but also offers one-of-a-kind guest experiences to draw visitors to the region.”

Two years ago, the park opened Medusa's Slidewheel, the first rotating water slide anywhere in the Americas. The slide is described by the park as having a combination movement between that of a “Ferris wheel and the speed and thrill of a waterslide.” The ride was created by Wiegend Waterrides and is based on a description of a slide concept by a 6-year-old boy.



And there's more innovation to come. Later this season, Mt. Olympus waterpark will be opening their new outdoor play area for kids, Icaria Splash n' Slide, from WhiteWater. The attraction features ten slides and a variety of water play features all with younger guests in mind. This new attraction provides an additional 12,000 feet of water fun space for small children to pre-teens.

The opening of this area was planned for July 4th. The space around these new playful attractions will include a larger deck area with lounge chairs, umbrella-shaded tables, and air-conditioned cabanas. Food and bar concessions and a retail locker building are also part of the mix.

Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park first opened in 2004. The family-run attraction continues to grow, adding new indoor and outdoor water and theme park attractions, and a hotel and camp resort with a classic Roman theme over the years. This latest new waterpark expansion will cost $8 million to complete.

Park owner Nick Laskaris is thrilled with it, noting that “The Rise of Icarus will be the ultimate experience for thrill seekers in Wisconsin Dells.”



Backhaus adds that the park owners' intent is to offer waterpark attractions that appeal to a variety of age groups, and The Rise of Icarus fits the bill. “We're truly trying to target everyone,” Backaus attests, “Whether its small children, grandparents watching the kids in the pool, or… for these thrill seekers that love that tall thrilling slide, it just targets all the groups.”

Theme and waterpark tickets are both free with a stay at the Mt. Olympus resort. Park tickets can also be purchased separately, priced at $45 online or $50 at the gate.