A new $60 million Wild Rivers water park that has been in the planning stages for more than a decade will finally open after a number of starts and stops in a new location that offers more space, water slides and summer fun.
The new Wild Rivers water park will soft open on Sunday, July 10 at the Great Park in Irvine.
The original Wild Rivers debuted in July 1986 at the Lion Country Safari animal park in Irvine. The former water park closed in 2011 when the Irvine Company decided to build the 3,700-unit Los Olivos Village neighborhood at the location. The old Wild Rivers attracted 10 million visitors during a quarter century of operation.
Wild Rivers owner Mike Reidel has worked tirelessly over the past decade to develop and build the new water park, overcoming a series of obstacles and delays along the way.
At 20 acres, the new water park will be 50% larger than the original Wild Rivers with 3 acres set aside for future expansion. The new Wild Rivers will have a 1940s South Pacific theme that pays homage to the former El Toro Marine Corps air station that operated from 1943 to 1999 at the Great Park location.
About half of the 20 new attractions will be open during the technical rehearsal while employees test and adjust water park operations. Admission prices will be reduced and attraction availability will vary by day and hour during the soft opening. An official grand opening will be announced at a later date.
Let’s take a closer look at all the slip and slide attractions at the new Wild Rivers water park.
Pelican Plunge – A 550-foot-long Master Blaster water coaster with water jets that power riders up slopes
Shaka Bay – The 25,000-square-foot wave pool that reaches a depth of 6 feet
Tomcat Riders – A 6-lane mat racer slide with a 360-degree spiral tube at the start
Cook’s Cove – A 30-foot-tall rain fortress play structure with an 800-gallon tipping bucket
Castaway River – A quarter mile-long lazy river with inner tubes
Aquaconda – A 600-foot-long slide with six-person circular rafts
Bora Bora Boomerang – Raft slide with a 25-foot-tall wave wall
Tortuga – Raft slide that travels through oscillating spheres in the 90-degree corners
Typhoon – Raft slide with a 20-foot-diameter mega tube
Tiki’s Revenge – A 225-foot-long tube slide with a super bowl element
Samoan Serpent – A 400-foot-long serpentine tube slide
Fiji Falls – A 350-foot-long double tube slide
Pipeline – A 350-foot-long tube slide
Tahitian Toucan – A remake of the side-by-side Sweitzer Falls body slides at the original Wild Rivers with a 4-foot drop into a splash pool
Bombay Blasters – A pair of enclosed drop body slides
Tala & Mano – Side by side body slides
Kontiki Cove – Tiny tots pool with five kiddie slides
What attractions are expected to be open during the technical rehearsals? Shaka Bay, Tomcat Racers, Cook’s Cove, Castaway River, Aquaconda, Bora Bora Boomerango, Tiki’s Revenge, Samoan Serpent, Fiji Falls and Pipeline.
What remains closed during the soft opening? Pelican’s Plunge, Tortuga, Typhoon, Tahitian Toucan, Bombay Blasters, Tala & Mano and Kontiki Cove.
Only one of the three food and beverage locations will be open during the soft opening. The Pacific Grille quick service restaurant will offer a limited menu of burgers, hot dogs, pizza, chicken tenders, tacos, pulled pork barbecue sandwiches and Philly cheesesteaks. Island Sweets — serving ice cream, churros and funnel cakes — and the Mustang Bar — with craft beer, wine, frozen concoctions and tropical cocktails — will open at a later date.
Wild Rivers will be open daily from July 10 through Aug. 21 and on weekends through Sept. 25 during the 2022 season.
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During the soft opening, admission is $65 for visitors 48 inches and taller and $40 for kids under 48 inches. Children 2 and under as well as seniors 62 and older get in free.
Season passes are sold out for the 2022 summer season.
Tickets will be available by advance reservation and at the front gate if the water park hasn’t reached attendance capacity. Season passholders are required to make advance reservations.
Parking is $20 to $25, lockers are $18 to $23 and private cabanas start at $350.
