Wed, Feb 10 2010
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Published June 19, 2008 04:05 pm - Celebration City’s new star attraction is the largest multi-million-dollar ride installation in the amusement park’s history and is drawing families from near and far to take the plunge.  'Awesome!': New water ride, Kids Fest impress Branson visitors w/ animation, links By Dave Woods
dwoods@joplinglobe.com BRANSON, Mo. — John Fitzgerald said he and his family drove more than 10 hours to get to Branson. When he started planning their summer vacation online, the one thing the family agreed on was that they wanted to tackle the new Roaring Falls water ride at Celebration City. “This ride is a great time,” the 28-year-old father of three from Chicago said while dripping in a puddle of water at the base of the five-story attraction. “Even my youngest said he wanted to ride it again and again. It was awesome!” His 8-year-old daughter, Savanna, was not so sure. “It was scary going down that big hill,” she said, wide-eyed. “It’s like falling.” The Kettle family from Sedalia only had to drive a couple of hours to get drenched at Celebration City. “It doesn’t seem like you are going to get wet, but you get wet, really wet,” Adam Kettle, 32, said as he dried himself off after plunging down the steep flume of rushing water. Olivia Smith, 7, a family friend who was along on the excursion, was impressed by the ride, too. “It was awesome,” she exclaimed as she emptied water from her shoe, “I want to ride it again. It makes you laugh a lot.” Kettle’s daughter, Lexi, 8, quickly concurred. “Same as her,” she said, “I want to go on it again.” That was the story you heard time and time again recently as riders disembarked their Roaring Falls river rafts wringing water from their cloths and hair. Celebration City’s new star attraction is the largest multi-million-dollar ride installation in the amusement park’s history and is drawing families from near and far to take the plunge. Twenty people at a time climb onboard river rafts and make the short, but steep climb to the top, then suddenly make the 50-foot, 55-degree drop into the pool below. When the raft hits the churning pool at the base of the ride, a wall of water engulfs the raft, drenching passengers from head to toe. Mary Kettle, 30, Adam’s wife, put in plainly, “You get soaked!” Kids Fest fun 
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