Central Ohio's new and improved water park will be open for business in late May.
Zoombezi Bay will replace Wyandot Lake as the premier place for water fun in Central Ohio. The 22.7-acre water park will include 15 new slides, a lazy river, an action river and many more warm-weather activities.
"It's a whole new experience," said Jeff Glorioso, director of marketing and sales.
In fact, the park is 90 percent new, said John Gannon, Zoombezi Bay general manager.
Although most of the park is new and improved, some parts of the old Wyandot Lake water park were restored. Mainly, the restored parts include rides that do not involve water, which Gannon referred to as dry rides.
"We kept some of the dry rides, most notably the 'Sea Dragon,' our roller coaster, which will be 52 years old once Zoombezi Bay opens," he said.
Unfortunately, there are extra costs for these dry rides. They are not included in the general admission price, and they will operate on a pay-as-you-ride system, Gannon said.
Among the new attractions, the 15 new slides will be of most interest to Ohio State students, Gannon said.
"We have three towers of slides," he said. "There will be group slides, which Wyandot Lake never had. Visitors can slide on their bodies, mats or rafts."
Another new attraction Gannon said he was excited about were the two new rivers.
"There will be a lazy river for adults only, and there will be an action river that is twice as long and wide. It's more exciting than the lazy river and it has six or seven water attractions," Gannon said.
Action rivers and the "Sea Dragon" do not appeal to Rachael Zinni, however.
"I'm not into water parks," said Zinni, a junior in criminology. "I feel like I'm swimming in other people's diseases."
Zinni compared water parks to the OSU tradition of jumping into Mirror Lake. "It's bad health," she said.
Joey Orizczak does not have the same fears as Zinni.
"I will definitely go to this park," said Orizczak, a junior in theatre. "I'm excited that there will be something like this in Central Ohio."
Billy Ashley can be reached at ashley.56@osu.edu.
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