Retired Mountain Rafting boats get a second life
Heide Park turned retired Mountain Rafting boats into a new seating area. The old Intamin rafts were partly sunk into the ground and fitted with tables, keeping former ride hardware visible to guests.
More context
In 2023, Heide Park gave Mountain Rafting an unusual afterlife story. The ride itself was not changed, but several retired boats received a new role in the park. Looopings reported that three old rafts from the river rapids ride were partly sunk into the ground on a lawn between Big Loop and Breakdance. Each boat now offers six seats and a small central platform that works as a table.
The idea says something about Mountain Rafting's operating history. The Intamin rapids ride opened in 1992 and later saw a reduction in capacity. Some boats remained available as reserves, others received a safety update, and a number were taken fully out of service. Instead of removing them from view, Heide Park turned them into visible guest facilities. For fans, that is a neat piece of attraction archaeology: hardware from the ride's working life remains present in the park. For regular visitors, it is mainly a practical and popular rest area, with a clear connection to one of Heide Park's classic water attractions.