Wild Waves Review | Federal Way, Washington

Located just south of Seattle, this amusement park is home to 4 roller coasters and a decent sized water park. Their signature ride is one of the few S&S wooden roller coasters ever built, called Timberhawk: Ride of Prey!
We made a movie! This is How We Roll is a feature length documentary about the history of Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC). For more information and to get yourself a copy, please visit vimeo.com/ondemand/thisishowwerollmovie
Support the channel and purchase your Coaster Studios t-shirts at www.coastershirts.com. Visit our Redbubble store for Coaster Studios posters, phone cases, stickers, sweatshirts, and more! This is also where you can find any G-Force and This is How We Roll related items. www.redbubble.com/people/Coas...
Follow Coaster Studios on social media!
Facebook: / coasterstudios
Twitter: @coasterstudios
/ coasterstudios
Instagram: coaster_studios
This is How We Roll is also on Instagram: @thisishowwerollmovie
Coaster Studios is also on Discord! Meet other enthusiasts and join the chat now! What are you waiting for? / discord
Got a question for Taylor? Want to share a cool photo you took? Send all comments, questions, and concerns to [e-mail]
Calling all ladies of the coaster community! Coaster Studios is a proud supporter of G-Force, a place for girls to turn to meet one another, offer support, inspiration, and to empower one another. You can follow along on Instagram at @g.force.irl, or join the private Facebook group at / gforcesie
Want to mail us something? Send it to:
Coaster Studios
P.O. Box 1354
Midlothian, VA 23113
MY GEAR:
Sony a6500
35mm Lens
18-105mm lens
18-135mm lens
70-350mm lens
Sony ZV-1
GoPro Hero 7 & 9
DJI Mavic Pro 2
Sennheiser MKE 600
Zoom H1n
MOZA AirCross Gimbal
AT2020
Thanks to everyone who's helps make Coaster Studios possible!
Production, Filming, & Editing: Sarah Anderson
Logo: Kristopher Werner
Intro: Casey Rentmeester
© Coaster Studios. All rights reserved. No part of this video can be reproduced or redistributed without permission from Taylor Bybee, Coaster Studios owner and creator. For permission requests, see email above. Use without consent with or without credit is in direct violation of copyright law. Cropping out the Coaster Studios watermarked logo is strictly prohibited.

[@williamwassmann9349]

As a roller coaster enthusiast who grew up seeing Wild Waves out his bedroom window, I feel personally attacked. As a true roller coaster enthusiast - he's completely right.

[@StamfordBridge]

Interesting. I didn’t see any residential areas near it, but I only visited once.

[@williamwassmann9349]

@@StamfordBridge I could see it from across I-5 I lived up on the hill of Fife Heights. It was small and distant, but I could see the Ring of Fire, the Skycoaster, and part of the Timber Hawk from my bedroom window :D

[@williamwassmann9349]

Few people ever believed me that I could see Wild Waves from my room so no worries at all - and I went to school with those people, and we all lived within 10 minutes of Wild Waves! hahahahaha

[@jammerst1ck125]

@@williamwassmann9349 LMAO relatable

[@acefist5502]

I live in Portland and have sent numerous emails to oaks park to get a new coaster like a sky rocket 2 for the 5 year anniversary of adrenaline peak. Sadly, I feel like it will be 10 years before a new coaster comes. It also hurts to know that one state away, there is the only arrow 4d the only dueling hybrid and a sick giga next year that puts fury 325 to shame

[@ax8te]

just a heads up, wild waves is my home park and timberhawk breaks down pretty regularly. its rare that its closed for the whole day, but usually its down for about 20 minutes once or twice a day.

[@CoasterStudios]

There was no sign of life back there when I went, so I think it was down for something more significant when I went.

[@rct3isepic]

@@CoasterStudios it was. A couple days later after you left it re-opened. I think it was a combo of Maintenance and Staffing issues

[@stitches3092]

I hate Timberhawk. It does absolutely nothing. You didn’t miss out

[@rct3isepic]

@@stitches3092 I disagree. I think it's worth doing at least once just to form your own opinion on it and also for it's rarity

[@zippythinginvention]

@@CoasterStudios I sure do hope you can visit my Zipline Rollercoaster prototype in Oregon, some time.

[@brobergaaron]

Fair criticism. Like others have said, it’s become more of a habit for me to drive 5 hours to Silverwood than to make the 20 minute drive up I-5 for this sad park.

[@cashewing]

Oh hey

[@rachelboltz7944]

Yes we love Silverwood and wild waves is just down the way from me

[@dakotaporter3148]

Not gonna lie, the warm rainy days when no one is there is the best. Lots of great memories here despite being kind of a mediocre amusement park.

[@giiotm8272]

Wild Waves was a staple of my childhood growing up in Tacoma/Federal Way back in the early 2000s, for many summers this is what we would look forward to.. that being said… it still looks the same, literally the SAME exact rides from when I was a kid, I’m almost touching 30 now & to see the park become a shell of its former self is depressing to say the least, it’s long overdue for an upgrade.

[@AirtimeThrills]

I went once in the summer of 2019. The list of rides closed at the ticket booth was almost too long for the window it was located on. Luckily i did get to ride timberhawk and wild thing. Klondike was closed for me also. I didnt care too much, i was combining this day with the state fair but this certainly isnt an all day park

[@NickyG790]

I worked there between 2006-2010 as a rides operator and even with the prior ownership by Six Flags for a few years that saw most of the expansion from before when it was just a small family owned park, it still could have had a bit more love given to it. That being said, because I worked there for 5 seasons, I understand a bit of their limitations. The city it is located in has strict height limits (nothing taller than the trees), and the actual plot of land it’s on is its biggest issue. Every side of the park has some sort of development (housing either housing or the freeway) and building up is easier said than done. The parking area takes up much of the valuable real estate and a parking garage isn’t an option with (I’m assuming) a NIMBY neighborhood next door which restricts the noise the park can make, mostly apparent during Frightfest in October when the Timberhawk must stop operating by 9pm and the rest of the park is open until 11pm (there are also street signs prohibiting parking for Wild Waves in the neighborhood). The terrain also makes development of a good assortment of flat rides difficult as there are lots of steep hills (believe me, I had super calves after my time climbing those). The subsequent owners after Six Flags have not given it as much attention as it needs and it obviously is suffering due to that negligence. In my opinion it should be moved to a larger flatter plot of land as most of the attractions do not utilize the terrain to their advantage. An area where it can expand laterally and has better connections to transit would be preferable, as most of the employees are teenagers.

[@pizzarat3275]

Sadly I don't think it's possible for the park to move. The land in this area is just too expensive to buy the 50-100 acres an amusement park requires.

[@Jarekthegamingdragon]

Portland resident here. You immediately came to the right conclusion. Wild waves is a water park. As a water park, honestly it's surprisingly great. As a theme park? It's pretty garbage. I will say that out of all the years I've never seen timberhawk closed so you got very unlucky. Timberhawk is a pretty decent wood coaster. It's definitely worth riding. It's not like, to 10 coasters or any thing but it's good enough to be more than enjoyable. The rest of the theme park side? EEEEH who cares just go back to the water park. It's definitely worth the money for the water park side. The PNW has a unique lack of theme parks. Like, we just have no real theme park at all. The closest actual theme park is silverwood in freaking Idaho. Even then silverwood isn't exactly cedar point or something. It has some decent coasters, aftershock is fantastic if it isn't closed. Yea driving 7 hours from Portland to go to IDAHO of all places is absolutely not worth it.

[@SplashStrikeOfficial]

Fair, but I personally really enjoy the theme park rides like the DISK O and pirate ship etc.

[@planaraspect9461]

I've lived near this park my whole life, and it's NEVER been much better than what you experienced. In fact, the park's in the greatest state it's ever been, which is not saying much. It's almost a running joke that, for a state known for how much it RAINS over here, there's a water park here at all. It gets some traffic during the summer... but nothing that would warrant investment by those managing it. It's caught in that limbo where there's not enough local interest to provide a reason to invest, and the lack of investment leaves people with little interest to visit. And there's nothing special enough there to warrant a pilgrimage among the typical non-enthusiast crowd.

[@brobergaaron]

Despite the “it rains a lot” jokes (I’ve certainly said my share), the water park is very popular, I’d say. It benefits much more from the free advertising right next to I-5, whereas the dry side is tucked back. If I had to invest millions into the dry side, I’d build a taller coaster over the large pond east of the water park. Unlike Timber Hawk, you’d get tons of hype just from commuters. It would hardly take a mammoth coaster to capture all the records for tallest, fastest, steepest, etc. in the state. Those things go a long way in marketing.

[@DoomPlague]

The rain thing is kind of a myth. Yes, it rains a lot but it rains even more in some other places in the US and rains drops off in the summer time when these parks are open. Seriously, compare rainfall in Mason, OH (Kings Island) to Seattle or Tacoma.

[@planaraspect9461]

@@DoomPlague I wasn't comparing it to anywhere, lol. Key word is 'almost.'

[@Archangel3083]

I do t know, I visited there several times as a kid from Portland in the mid 90’s and I remember the water park being pristine and the dry side looking nice and the rides running without issue. Fast forward to 2019 when I took my kids there and it looks decrepit.

[@bluerayseries]

The 90s & earlier 00s were actually good there, they had a lot more, & where building more. Went down in the 10s.

[@FinesseBTW]

This is my home park and everything you said about the park is right. Quick note: at 1:47 there actually was an attraction in that location in the past. It was a super loop called "Ring of Fire". The water park is actually enjoyable but the dry section isn't worth spending more than a few hours at. I would always go to the dry section in the morning for a bit, then spend the rest of the day at the water park.

[@295g295]

the "Ring of Fire"... a Larson Loop? kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYq5n62Ge8poY5I

[@LeroyFaceTV]

It hurts me to see the state wild waves is in. I grew up in federal way and I went there frequently in 2004-2010. It’s def gone down hill since then. You are 100% right, there are many rides that have been taken out. I use to ride the wild mouse all the time as a kid, it was a absolute back killer lol

[@Eddiotdotzip]

The Gold Rush mouse ride used to be like a game of bracing yourself so you don't fracture your hips LMAOOO

[@LeroyFaceTV]

@@Eddiotdotzip LMAO Facts, that ride was something esle

[@itismytime73]

Others have said it, but I agree that it’s been like this for a long time. Definitely a reason a lot of us claim Silverwood as our home park despite it being a 6 hour drive away

[@StamfordBridge]

When I went in the summer of ‘21, only Timberhawk and Wild Thing were open among the coasters. I agree with your negative review. The only thing I thought was nice was the trees at the top of the hill, where Timberhawk is. And my experience on Timberhawk was that it just runs too slowly for the coaster to do much more than cruise around. I didn’t think it was bad - just not good. And I also found the food options to be just horrible. I ended up eating outside the park.

[@zacharyyamashita8554]

Which is why the Pacific Northwest needs to build a true major theme park, meaning the States of Oregon/Washington.

[@RapidZCoasters]

@@zacharyyamashita8554 I'll just cut my losses and go to Silverwood

[@zacharyyamashita8554]

@@RapidZCoasters Since Silverwood added Stunt Pilot along with another elite coaster in the near future , it will be the premier park in the Pacific Northwest.

[@RapidZCoasters]

@@zacharyyamashita8554 oh shi- I forgot about stunt pilot. But there's still potential to get a sky rocket II or something from premier rides

[@SplashStrikeOfficial]

Sadly, since about 2019 the other 2 coasters have barely been open.

[@Archangel3083]

I went several times in the 90’s when I was a kid and remember the park looking great and the large lagoon with the cannonball water slide and zip line was my favorite. Fast forward to 2019 when I took my kids there and it looks derelict. Slides that are broken are now just rock features, paint is falling off of everything, and instead of fixing the hot tub area they just filled it with dirt 🤷🏻‍♂️. I thing they’re just barely making it year after year with nothing to invest in it which is a waste.

[@damianfatale8503]

I was wondering where the hot tubs were. That used to be legit the best place to rest after a long day of rides.

[@otismcgurk1186]

I’m a coaster enthusiast and have lived in the PNW for 15 years and I still haven’t been to Wild Waves! It’s just not worth it, especially with the price of admission alone. Spend the extra time and go to Silverwood, if you can! That place is legit!

[@Z71_05]

I have been here 10+ times when I was younger. I remember a little ride next to the green and blue disco thing called the fireball. It was probably removed due to the fact that many people lost items because it just went really fast in a circle, turning people upside down. I also remember riding the timberhawk a lot and let me just say, that was my favorite ride of all time at Wild Waves. It's sad to see that this park has really gone downhill, I haven't been there in a couple of years.

[@andysee6996]

The people of greater Seattle deserve a great amusement park.

[@calebreese2311]

It’s honestly a tragedy that Seattle doesn’t have a great amusement park

[@SplashStrikeOfficial]

@@calebreese2311 I agree, but I think that Wild Waves is amazing for the water aspect of it, but for the theme park? It's not the greatest.

[@thesledgehammerblog]

My wife and I bought season passes last year, and even with the pathetic theme park side of things they can still pack this place on just the water park side alone. Most of the decent rides came from the short time Six Flags owned the park, and if they hadn't had to divest it in their bankruptcy I could see a very different story here by now. As it stands, my expectation is that the place will keep running on life support for a few years until they reach a point where they can get more money from selling off the land than operating the park (real estate around here is getting kind of ridiculous) and the whole place will get torn down and replaced with houses. It's not an exaggeration to say that for many people Seattle's "Home Park" would be Disneyland because it's easy and fairly cheap to fly down to SoCal. It also doesn't help that some pretty good flat rides (Paratrooper, Ring of Fire) got taken out and replaced with nothing, and stuff like the bumper cars seemed to be out of order for the entire season last year.

[@shaunamcallister2163]

They took a lot of rides out from when I was young. There used to be a Ring of fire, Falling Star, squirrel cages, Octopus. There was a kids wading pool, giant slides and petting zoo in the enchanted village side that are all gone. The price is only worth it if you get a season pass- $59.99 for the whole season lol

[@damianfatale8503]

The octopus ride was one of a kind and very few existed. It even made it into Roller Coaster Tycoon 3.

[@Kefit]

I've lived in the Seattle area all my life, and visited this Wild Waves for the first time about 30 years ago. It's *always* been like this. The water park has seen consistent improvements, additions, and revitalization over the years, but the amusement park has barely changed at all. If anything, the amusement park has been constantly decaying over all 30 years of my experience with the park, despite the addition of the bigger roller coasters. I remember that when I was a kid the amusement park would always be busy, but it's been a ghost town during my visits over the last decade. Also, Timberhawk isn't very exciting. It was a disappointment for me even before I started traveling outside the Seattle area to ride good roller coasters. The only reason to visit this park is for the water park. I enjoy water parks, and that's the only reason I've ever come here as an adult. It's a pretty good water park, though it could use the addition of some high thrill level vertical drop water slides.

[@bigburgerboi2005]

totally, they used to have some speed slides up until 2013 but they need new ones :(

[@SplashStrikeOfficial]

I agree, I still enjoy the theme park rides though but they definitely should be updated.

[@mikesgirl8304]

Oh this is sad, I grew up in the 80's and 90's and would go here every summer as a kid, it was awesome. Looks really run down now and that they removed A LOT of the rides, it used to be called Enchanted Villiage and the Wild Waves park was separate

[@cheesethrower]

Wild Waves is one of the best examples of how not to run your park IMO. I've been a WA State resident for a couple decades, this is my home park, and it sucks. When I first went 20 or so years ago they had a number of rides in the theme park section; ring-o-fire, magic-carpet, disk-o, dry-turf innertube slides, those are the ones you see the supports for in this video. And it was $20 admission back then, too. Then for some god-awful reason, they thought "Hey let's make this primarily a water-park in a state that is usually cold and rainy". That one decision was the turning point IMO and the start of the downfall of the park. Ever since they focused on the water-park, which is a great water-park to go to for TWO MONTHS out of the year, the entire theme-park section got left in the dust. With better planning and an updated ride-set in the theme park area, this place could actually justify their insanely expensive entry fee, but they choose to focus on the section that can't run for most of the year. Sadly though, it's been too long of a focus on the water park that I can't see any feasible way this place could maintain its finances for much longer. Even the water park is starting to fall apart and they just don't seem to get the attendance to keep it going. I wouldn't be surprised if they closed for good within a couple years.

[@Wolf_Tycoons]

As a Washingtonian, this is so accurate it’s sad.

[@jalenbarnes7888]

As a fellow Washingtonian, 100% all of this, it was SO much better back in the day, now a days? Not so much.

[@damianfatale8503]

And the worst thing is these rich companies don't care. It's just a trading card to them.

[@nxtbestking]

Wild Waves was owned by Six Flags for a very short time and I believe that’s how they even got an S&S Wooden coaster. It’s very sad to see the park this way and investments into the dry rides would help, lots of locals have said the Seattle area won’t likely get any huge amusement investments anytime soon because of how wet it could get in the area. It would be dope to see wild waves get a Chance hyper GTX or something like that.

[@ellaedits4787]

Makes sense why it kinda looks deserted

[@RapidZCoasters]

@@ellaedits4787 this place reminds me of MarineLand over in Canada

[@DoomPlague]

The SeaTac area actually gets less rain, especially in summer, than some places with large, successful parks, like Kings Island and Cedar Point.

[@rct3isepic]

I think they should put a skyrocket II where they formerly had their super loop and keep the name ring of Fire. Maybe give it a black red and orange color scheme too

[@BAKU2K2]

Perhaps, they could also ad a water coaster; something that could fit in with both the water slides and dry rides.

[@Skipatronic]

Wild Waves is literally 10 minutes away from me. I have never been but I probably will never go.

[@bigburgerboi2005]

(Season pass holder here) I live 10 minutes from it too, yeah it sucks but it’s better then nothing

[@Mig__Official]

cool vid, hopefully this park gets more love at some point

[@oregoncoasterenthusiast8564]

I visited this park in late 2014 when I was first getting into roller coasters. It's about 3 and a half hours from my house and I have family in the Seattle area so I went here and I luckily got all 4 credits. But it blows my mind to see the footage of your 2021 visit... it literally looks like the park got smaller and more attractions were removed than added. I haven't been back to the park since, despite going to Seattle at least once a year. I would definitely make the 7 hour trip to Silverwood if I want a great park in the PNW!

[@justinchavez9530]

Wild Waves is an amusement park that I haven't visited yet, and after hearing your points concerning it, I feel that this park is definitely in trouble. This park is considered to be the largest one in all of Oregon and Washington State, and it used to be a Six Flags property. I think that the dry section of the park should get some much-needed investment and make it a much more enjoyable experience. So, with that in mind, here's what I would do: - Renaming the lake in the middle of the park to something other than Mud Lake - Invest in some much-needed park improvements (i.e. improving park infrastructure, adding some new restaurants, repainting some of the rides, placing some nice stone pavers, etc.) - Convert Timberhawk into an RMC Hybrid coaster - Add a six-lane Mat Racer slide to the waterpark section - Add a 200 ft. SkyScreamer and a Zamperla Giga Discovery - Now, on the coaster front, I think you would see an S&S 4-D Free Spin and a Chance Hyper GT-X added to the park Well, what do you think of these suggestions? Can't wait to hear your thoughts - Justin Chavez

[@BertDaMonkey]

As someone who has this as their home park they have restrictions the rides can’t be over 150ish feet and wild waves is in debt anyways.

[@ShadezParks]

@@BertDaMonkey how did they go in dept if they add nothing ?

[@BertDaMonkey]

@@ShadezParks it costs a lot to maintain a theme park even when you don’t add anything

[@ShadezParks]

@@BertDaMonkey you but they don’t even maintain it most of the rides are closed

[@BertDaMonkey]

@@ShadezParks well this year when I went every single ride was open

[@melisa3564]

Wild waves best days were the 90s to early 2000s. Most locals haven't bothered with it in years, really wish there was something better here.

[@bobthebear1246]

You are of course 100% right. As someone who lived in this area for 14 years and is a coaster enthusiast, this video absolutely depresses me. (I now live in Orlando FL.) I was a 2003 season passholder and went to Wild Waves several times that year, enjoying myself every single time. They had just built the TimberHawk. (You can still see my pictures of it (under Bob Schneider) on RCDB while it was being constructed as well as when I rode it. I also took RCDB pictures of the ACE Coaster Classic, then imaginatively called "Coaster Thrill Ride," at the Puyallup Fair around the same time.) What I used to go in 2003, this park - which had been bought by Six Flags 3 years earlier - was pretty happening. The water half of the park of course was already by far more popular than the dry side was, but even the dry side wasn't bad. At that time, a full day pass was $29.99 and so it is very disheartening to me that the price has nearly doubled since then and the rides look to be in pretty poor shape. 😞 Obviously, Six Flags divested itself of this park some time ago, and what it clearly now needs is a new owner who can actually put some TLC into the park, like you said. As you correctly pointed out, there's really not much going-on in the Great Pacific Northwest as far as any type of amusement parks are concerned. (Other than Wild Waves, there's the Silverwood theme park, but that's over 350 miles away in Idaho.) Someone really needs to take over this park and to bring it back to where it should be. Thank you for doing this video.

[@Theb0red317]

This is my "Home Park" and I have not been because of every issue highlighted here in this video. I grew up in Socal and it pains me to no longer have a good park that I can randomly just take a day to visit. PNW Coaster fans need to meet up and take a road trip to Silverwood...

[@ChrisCataluna]

My brother lived in Tacoma. Every time I visited and would drive down from Seattle, we'd pass Wild Waves and it was always closed. To be fair, weather definitely doesn't favor the parks location. Also, Washington State had some of the most strict pandemic policy causing this park to be closed for almost 3 years. Hopefully, they can make up the cash and tidy up this park.

[@trailerfun2008]

This is my home park and I haven't been since 2018. The park is in a sad state right now and during the pandemic they got rid of a few good flat rides they have. I imagine I will eventually visit this park again, but I don't see it happening in the near future. Though I will say Timberhawk kicks ass and Klondike Gold Rusher is one of the better wild mouse's out that I've been on.

[@zaltroth642]

Living in Seattle all my life it really seems like we tend to go there during the summer for all the water slides. Then as September rolls around you go to the Puyallup fair for all your theme park attractions, as for those big empty spots you saw that was the old i5 dive that was basically a big swing set you got strapped into. The other being the Ring of fire which was just a consistently looping track.

[@bigburgerboi2005]

the I-5 Dive itself is still there but its closed off however the Ring of fire, paratrooper and a few other rides are gone :(

[@RollerCoasters62719]

So I live in this area and I went to Wild Waves today, and here is what I have to say: I agree with just about everything you said about the park, they do not care about adding onto it and it's overall kind of jank. I was disappointed that the wild mouse coaster was closed, but I did not realize that it's been closed for years. However, I did get to ride it back in 2017 and I remember it having forceful turns. Since you did not get to ride the Timberhawk, I'll sum it up. It's a good ride, having good floater airtime on the drops, especially in the back of the train, but the final brake run felt too short and slams riders forward uncomfortably. They also did not open some of the rides until 6pm, which bugged me because I wanted to leave around then.

[@HYDRAdude]

I always find it weird when places that far north (i.e. cold) focus so heavily on water parks over their dry attractions.

[@matthewtaylor1785]

As a Wisconsinite I’m still confused as to why we have the waterpark capital of America and not something like Florida or Texas

[@MattMcIrvin]

These waterpark areas in Northern parks (at least in the Northeast) are always packed solid all summer, clearly the most popular areas of most of these parks, so the investment seems to make sense. They're not my thing for the most part, but people love them. I think the increasing demand might be a subtle indicator of global warming.

[@nathanseaman6328]

A lot of people here don't have air conditioning and when it's hot are looking for ways to beat the heat. We have tons of natural water here, a lot is fed by snow melt and rivers in particular can still be quite cold (sometimes dangerously so) even when the weather is hot. The popular season is limited for the water park since we don't get a ton of war months but I'm not surprised at all it's busy during the warmer part of the year.

[@kl8062]

The water park part of Wild Waves seems to always be packed in the summer. It's a pretty good water park, but I totally agree with this review of the rest of it.

[@BenjiNerdyDog]

Hi, nice video as always!

[@bigburgerboi2005]

Even in 2012 just 10 years ago this park was so much better! The water park had more variety such as it having speed slides and many other non inntertube slides along with most of the current ones. The theme park had way more stuff. I feel like 2015 was the beginning of its decline and it has just continued to deteriorate from there it’s so sad! 😔

[@MysTaeryColorful]

I grew up about 45 minutes from this park. as a kid it was the coolest place ever. It was even better when Six Flags bought it, since they added a bunch of new attractions including the boat ride, Timberhawk, and the wild mouse. Their ownership didn't last long though. the location is too wet to make a decent profit most of the year, and theme park fans leave the state during summer when they COULD be making a profit. I visited last year after moving to FL to work for Disney. My brother, who had never been to a big theme park, loved it. I just found it depressing how little of the good old park was left. they've had no significant investment in over a decade. Most northwestern folks are into hiking and "natural beauty" over theme parks. investors don't believe in the area, but I think it would be the perfect spot for a year-round indoor park. the population would support it, and the rain wouldn't be an issue like it is at Wild Waves.

[@charliegriswold1445]

I’ve been to this park a couple times, and it’s not that bad. I did spend a lot of time in the water park, but wild thing is a fun ride that lets you ride twice, timber hawk is, eh, but I had fun. But it could be so much better. Being a new englander, canobie lake is my home park, and it has a similar caliber of coasters. But canobie has some great flat rides, and the charm is unreal. It feels so fun to be there, since the park is beautiful and has so much to look at. There is a lot to do and it truly feels like the owners love this park and take care of it, despite it not getting much investment. It is just a better wild waves, and I would love to see the owners of wild waves put in as much effort and care as canobie’s do. Just some more flats and tlc would go a long way.

[@bigburgerboi2005]

I went yesterday on a Sunday, it was a ghost town even on the waterpark side, this park is so depressing nowadays

[@magiccoasters7674]

I wonder why the northwest doesn’t have like a big theme park. There’s plenty of people especially around the Seattle area and it’s not much colder or rainier than other areas with major theme parks. I’m not sure.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

It's the people that live there, they are hippy trippy safetyism is everything types. Themeparks don't cater to that crowd. Also Washington is a overly regulated blue state, why build there when you can build your park near a growing city in a red state without all the crap?

[@thesledgehammerblog]

At this point land is just too expensive in the Seattle metro area, and they would have to go well outside of Seattle to find enough land for one, much less at a reasonable cost.

[@buck_smith]

I’ve been there a couple times in a row when I ask when a ride is going to be open they say “this rides closed for the summer” I recommend going to silverwood even though it’s a 5 hour drive then go to wild waves

[@roxynano]

It would be nice to see Ed Hart or someone similar to him coming in to save the day here.

[@RapidZCoasters]

Gene Staples would be nice

[@rct3isepic]

The person I’d hope to see do it is Kyle Griffith. He runs the pier in Downtown with the big Ferris wheel and it’s been getting steady enhancements for years. They’re currently extending the pier outward for better outdoor guest flow, they just added a boat tour and are home to the fantastic flying theater Wings Over Washington. But I don’t know if Kyle wants a park. Heads up that this place is also owned by Premiere parks. Which IMO explains a lot

[@bigburgerboi2005]

Timberhawk and Klondike were down today

[@Darkaxelgaming-tt7ip]

Kiddie coaster was closed for a new train from what I noticed. Which is one of the few things that they've kind of improved a little there's some areas that were a little cleaner than last year and the zip line ride it's open finally. Update on wild waves 2023: they will be removing more rides like the big pirate ship ride, gambler ,i5 dive ,activity pool, wagon train and the Ferris wheel. Timber hawk and Klondike were closed for maintenance only wild thing and kiddie coaster were open not much changed but next year there will be less rides according to my friend that works there.

[@BrettClaudio25]

I've lived in Federal Way my whole life. In its current state, Wild Waves is a fantastic place for kids who will have a blast at the water park! As an adult who wants a good theme park, or at least some fun rides, I haven't been to this park in probably 15 years, and it's 5 minutes down the road from where I live.

[@mitchellries256]

This is unfortunately my least favorite amusement park that I've been to. I will confess the waterpark was very fun and Timberhawk is a very underrated wooden roller coaster but the park overall was a dissapointment and this comes from somebody who wasn't expecting much from this park at all. I think this could be a much better location by adding a few extra flat rides for older visitors in those empty spaces (because most rides there are for kids) and maybe a small new roller coaster like a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter or a Zierrer Tower Coaster. I am not saying I wouldn't come here again but I might just pass this on my next Seattle visit unless they add something new and worth checking out.

[@RapidZCoasters]

Even something as basic as a sky rocket II, rmc raptor, doesn't have to be original.

[@Ryzohm0141]

I went to Seattle last week for a vacation and passed by this theme park, and yes it needs some decent funding, staffing, and attraction development.

[@meatballofdeath9846]

Hopefully you can make it to Vancouver and ride the wooden roller coaster at playland. It's out of the way but it is the only ACE coaster landmark in Canada. Despite that it's a 50s built coaster with a short height of 70 feet, you get some insane ejector airtime with some very forceful turns. No seat belt, head rests or even seat dividers. Just a vinyl bench with a roomy lap bar. It is a surprisingly intense coaster, I'd say one of the most intense coasters in Canada. I'd say only Mindbender, Leviathan, Behemoth and wonderlands SLC are more intense. Also this park is expected to get one of the largest expansions ever. They are planning on adding 6 more rollercoasters and an entire park rebuild by 2026. Supposedly an intamin launched coaster is rumored to be in planning.

[@Danrarbc]

Sounds like a really ambitious plan. Hope it succeeds.

[@Joemama..]

Can you do a top 5 worst and 5 best theme parks video?

[@doofer._.]

I'm sad that I love coasters and call this my home park Time to wait for the Washington state fair

[@doofer._.]

@@nosmith0741 BRUH WYD???

[@planaraspect9461]

Yeah, same. I live near Wild Waves yet I legit consider Six Flags Magic Mountain to be my home park because I've been there so many more times due to having family in California.

[@Steven-zf7yp]

Awesome video I’m hoping this park gets some attention

[@nosmith0741]

Yeah, this is my home park, and I go to silver wood more often than this

[@ryanstrembicki5234]

I would really like to visit this park one day but that’s just because my dad grew up riding wild thing when it used to be at rocky point amusement park in Rhode Island way back in the day and I’d love the chance to ride it.

[@davidpabis1799]

Wow, this park makes Michigan's Adventure look like Cedar Point.

[@allisonbergh4429]

You’re lucky you missed the wild mouse coaster. That thing might be the most violent and horrible roller coaster I’ve ever been on (and I’ve been on the Viper at 6 Flags Magic Mountain 😅). Timberhawk is actually pretty cool, if you like old-school wooden coasters, but I came off the mouse one looking and feeling like I’d been in a car accident: bruises all over my hips and thighs and a pounding headache. I used to go to this park 30+ years ago, when it was Enchanted Village, and while it’s gone downhill since then, it was never all that great. It always had a kind of creepy, dilapidated and neglected vibe, and a storybook/fairy tale theme that just made it creepier. It *did* have a cool mini-golf course back then - you used croquet mallets instead of putters - with a giant purple cow by the entrance for some reason. The Wild Waves side of the park is pretty cool - I think 6 Flags put some money into it when they bought the park a few years back - but the most entertaining thing on the dry land side is feeding the absolutely terrifying carp in the artificial lake. 😆

[@maxhagenauer24]

I really hope this park gets some more love. An Arrow Looper and an S&S Woodie as your best rides in one of the only parks in Washington. That's pretty sad. An RMC Raptor would go great here if they could afford that.

[@nikkilev78]

Agreed, not a great park! BUT I will say that I've enjoyed it twice because Timberhawk was open, and I like that coaster a lot. I'm bummed that it was closed when you visited as I would have loved to hear what you thought of it. Airtime Thrills hated it, but I like it.

[@oscarmorris6736]

Took my girls there once, your review in ditto only when you have four very sad little girls, sad cause everything is closed you handle it differently. After just over three hours I decided enough is enough and went to guest services, very hard to find, asked for refund. The first woman asked why it took so long to decide we weren't satisfied, this went on for 15 or 20 minutes it got loud so a second woman appeared and said she'd be happy to help us. Another 15 minutes later and a whole lot of paper work she said we'd receive a check minus the tax in the mail. Luckily we have USAA Visa and the wife had been on the phone with them the whole time. They heard everything and simply voided the transaction. This made the second woman furious and as we left she actually said the next time we're in Washington don't stop by. My oldest daughter 17 at the time, said, "Why would we nothin works" everyone in line clapped and laughed

[@morphman21]

@coaster studios, have you done a review of oaks park in Portland, Oregon USA?

[@silverwolflee6978]

Taylor already did 2 years ago. You can find it if you want to know what he thinks. I won't spoil it for ya

[@natthesillyartist]

So, im no exbert, but I live 7 minutes away and come here often. Come on a hot weekend, PACKED. The rides are pretty fun, but over the years, my favorites have closed down.

[@winfieldwatson6144]

was this once a sf park eons ago?

[@menchiedalaygon2868]

Imma go there at the weekends lol :D

[@rct3isepic]

I do think you need to do Timberhawk at some point and also do the State Fair. And if you have time check out Pier 57 in downtown Seattle. This park is often very popular on weekends in the summer. It’s never so popular that you get lines reaching even the switchbacks, but there will be lots of people there. Also I at least would disagree slightly on the great location thing. Mostly because I don’t drive places since I don’t have a car and live just north of Seattle. To get here by bus is 2 hours each way and a long walk from the nearest street. It’s been in development for a long time but hopefully this year or next year I can finish my video of all the really good and worth it thrill rides in Wa state. But until then, I do hope you try again with Washington’s tiny coaster scene and I hope to cycle you through the ride I operate.

[@thevikingwarrior11]

Accurate. I've lived in Seattle for 30+ years. There was talk in the early 2000s to open up an amusement park down in Lakewood, south of Seattle, past Tacoma, but it never came to fruition. I'm on the same page as you.

[@snowcatcher]

i used to live around the area wild waves was at a couple years ago. me and my parents were really close to visiting it one day in the summer, but something I can’t remember made us decide to not go. glad my parents didn’t spend like $150 for a limited selection of rides and coasters that close down all the time. 🤯

[@elevatoralarmcoasterandarc1214]

This park needs some more thrill rides!

[@colinf2316]

Given the amount of growth the PNW has had in the last 15 years, I have no idea why they don't invest more in this park. I think it could be a gold mine if they tried. They're a little tight on space but I can see parts of the parking lot getting taken away if needed, and that area up by TimberHawk's turn around. Something simple like replacing Wild Thing with a small Euro Fighter or something. Maybe a Hyper GT-x or single rail from Intamin or RMC. Or RMC TimberHawk.

[@damianfatale8503]

The Wild thing definitely needs to be replaced.

[@chiltonschilling2732]

I went to Wild Waves 2 or 3 years ago for the Halloween night ( can't remember what they actually called it) but that wild mouse was open. I was shocked as I had a season pass the year before mainly for the Waterpark and I never saw the Wild Mouse open. Kinda hard going from Magic Mountain as my home park to this. Also the 2 missing attractions you showed was a Larson Loop and some weird slide where you sit on a tube.

[@SplashStrikeOfficial]

A lot of rides are often not open due to a staff issue.

[@jenniferide1280]

I was in Ride Ops in 1995 & 1996 When Enchanted Village & Wild Waves were 2 separate parks. There were more rides operating & the were an abundance of vistiors. In 2016 the Wild Thing was purchased & was on its way from a park in New York. Even before the Wild Thing, Timber Hawk, Timber Axe it was fun. I came back for the 2010 season and was in the Parking dept. The waterslides were more diverse all slides now require you to carry a tube up flights of stairs. The body slides they added in later years to the existing tower were a rush. Enchanted Village opened the same month & year I was born. I rode the train ride as a child & operated as a teenager.

[@BlizzardDaPup777]

Ugh my fiance wants to move to Washington state and I'm like but there's no major parks in the area

[@Atushon]

of note: wild waves was originally owned by enchanted park in oregon and has switched hands between llcs for decades, it was even owned by six flags for a couple years when it got it got some of its more recent water park upgrades

[@xXalleyroseXx]

When I went literally everything was broken, the only rides that were open was the corkscrew ride and the timber axe. AND the freaking WAVEPOOL was also BROKEN! This park is called WILDWAVES! for the WAVE POOL! I was kinda disappointed, I’m a roller coaster person and I was really excited to do all the rides. So if I has to rate wildwaves i would give it probably a 3\10

[@terryf5131]

We bought a 2nd season pass this year...2022..last year was all about the water park....same this year...our 6 year old loves it...the rides last year and this year are just a quick break from the water..they have a big billboard at the entrance saying which rides aren't operating that day...last year they averaged 15 -19 non-operating rides a day..not even mentioning some that are just gone...my boy is 47" tall...so he can't even go on the bumper cars yet..(48"..doh!)...we waited in ' line' this year for them .then he was told no...I didn't want to see him cry..so we got ice cream and went back to the water...rides-wise this park needs help. I asked several employees what's the deal...I kept getting told two things...parts to fix things are unavailable...and #2...short on employees..no one wants to work...they even roped off 'the deep end' of the wave pool one day...not enough lifeguards.😎

[@quintinrice2733]

I'm always surprised that this park survives. I guess it's saved by the Water Park because the dry side was just awful when we went a couple of years ago. I had high hopes for Timberhawk but, when I have Goldstriker at my home park, CGA, it was a huge letdown. If you're looking for a water park, this place is fine but, the dry side is dilapidated and in desperate need of new attractions.

[@SL_Iowa]

Those stone bricks you were looking at near the beginning used to be the ring of fire

[@ShammyWoWLoL]

Been going there since the early 2000s, it used to be amazing. At one point it was a Six Flags property, but even under that ownership it started to show decline. If you look up the wiki, it has gone through various ownership changes. They only hire seasonal so employees/management are always new faces. The park hasn't been able to stabilize and get into a flow of operations in decades. A constant decline and they were suppose to have a new ride near the wave pool before Covid, it was completely scrapped. Many classics like the Ring of Fire, Octopus Ride are gone and the much more popular Falling Star was replaced by that mediocre drop tower. The park has had some slight improvements over the last few years, but it is still in horrible condition. They have a real problem with being short staffed. Most their employees are local high schoolers who are seasonal, so you're not getting a Silverwood type of experience that is for sure.

[@mosswine5417]

Late 90’s to midish late 2000 was it’s peak. I remember growing up and they were getting new rides/expansion every year. The last one was that 4-person orange inner tube slide if I recall, then it just went downhill from there. I’m pretty sure the recession in 2008 didn’t help and quite possibly, was what they never could recover from.

[@bigburgerboi2005]

@@mosswine5417 and the Rip tide in 2011 After the speed slides were removed in 2014 it has just been declining ever since. 2021 being the worst as they removed so many rides with no replacement, only upside was that the wave pool had waves for once

[@tothetop2498]

Fair review of Wild Waves

[@elichristopher2752]

I know it has been a couple months since you posted this video but, I'm from Washington. I am going here next Friday and I can see the park is having a rough time. It used to be a little family park but then a six flags like company got it and put some more rides in qnd some roller coasters and then a different company got it in 2017 and from there it has not changed much other then some really fun rides I liked being removed like the ring of fire. The park has been struggling with being understaffed and I really hope this place and become as good as it used to be

[@SarahG0711]

I went once in the early 2000's. I had to wait in line for 45 minutes to go down a slide. And that was the only slide I went on. Haven't experienced the amusement side.

[@jewellchastain4244]

I would love if my hometown opened up a theme park, Memphis had LibertyLand but it closed in 05 I feel like Memphis needs to open another one. The closest one to me,if I’m not mistaken is Six Flags St.Louis,it’s like a 3 hour drive,there is also DollyWood in Pigeon Forge which is like a 6 hour drive.

[@alexanderkvenvolden4067]

Local here. The two empty plots of land that look like rides used to be there were Ring of Fire (just a back and forth circular loop) and tube slides. They were there last time I went in 2019 and this is the first time I found out that they closed. I'll probably be going again this year, but it's a real bummer for sure. In the before times it got quite busy during the summer, so I'm hopeful that pent-up demand from 2020/21 will make 2022 a big season and give the park the reason and money to upgrade things.

[@bigburgerboi2005]

Well they’re not even making any mentions so I feel like 2022 will just be a joke :(

[@TJOAT]

The park is really lively in the summer, and it also has a special place in my heart and I enjoy the park a lot with friends, and I hate to admit it but without anybody it’s just not too great of a park. A lot of the attractions were closed or removed due to the pandemic and 1 or 2 were cancelled

[@Temptazer]

When I lived in Seattle for 4 years I always begged my parents to take me there because I had seen so many cool advertisements on TV and stuff, but I never went. I drove by it from time to time and was always sad that I couldn't go in there. Looking at it now as an enthusiast for this stuff, I'm glad we didn't spend $200+ tax and food for all of us to go. We wouldn't have even gone to the waterpark.

[@Wolf_Tycoons]

When I was here, one of the ride operators jumped on the front of the train on Timberhawk as a joke. It was really bizarre.

[@braydenboortz5503]

Hey Taylor, been following your stuff for the last few years and wild waves is sadly my home park. It’s so depressing to have literally nothing up here in Washington. Hopefully they can rebound from the pandemic and get some rides here which I doubt they will. But it’s very annoying to be an enthusiast and have a terrible park as my home. Better off going to Silverwood which is 6 hours drive.

[@gael2202]

When are you going to check out emperor at sea world San Diego?

[@CoasterStudios]

probably sometime this fall!

[@Orangechairstudios0520]

@coaster studios this park was at one point under ownership of Six Flags till about 2007 I believe

[@DonaldRump0]

Bro I live in Portland Oregon and I bought a season pass for this place and the thumbnail kinda scared me. I got it for the water park though so it’s good to know they have a great water park😀

[@HondaRedneck16]

As a local most of us go during the summer & we mostly go to cool down during the 30 days of heat we have here

[@goldenrosie5989]

Most of the rides are closed and have been for years it’s my home park and that wild mouse was open for only one of my many visits there that concrete base was for the ring of fire which was a nice space filler until they tore it down most of the rides in the water park have long lines or just aren’t open and a 30 min wait isn’t worth it for a 10 second slide.

[@CrooKed1]

This is where I live and I grew up going to Wild waves every summer. It has slowly deteriorated. Even the water park portion has lost all the rides I used to love as a kid and has been replaced with some meh rides. From what I’ve heard the owners are terrible and just don’t care. I haven’t gone in a few years and I hope it’s closed before my son asks me to go. The reason I hate theme parks is probably because the one I grew up wi the has been so shotty.

[@chris8536]

You're spot on. I worked here in there financial department back in 2010 and they did not know how to regulate their finances for any ideas on expansion getting backed. Does not surprise me that the only thing they did was update those slides in 2012. Sad amusement park. They should probably be shutting down in another 5-10 years without any investments going into the park. I'm contemplating trying the Great Wolf Lodge instead for the old waterpark excitement.

[@bobbylindsey]

I've lived in Seattle for 5 years and have never once visited this park. Its worth it to spend the extra money flying across the country to not be disappointed.

[@tonimiller6492]

This is my fav water park

[@rutznme2144]

I would love to see Timberhawk be converted into a rmc because: 1. It's cheap 2. You don't [really] need to clear land for it 3. Marketability. Market it as the tallest, fastest, longest, and most inversions on a hybrid coaster in the PNW 4. It would give the park a good ride This is all purely my opinion plus the park may have other plans to put something in here (I hope)

[@damianfatale8503]

I like Timberhawk how it is. It's a solid roller coaster. What should leave is the wild thing. Its so dated.

[@SplashStrikeOfficial]

@@damianfatale8503 I loved wild thing.

[@koodoin6310]

Yeah no it’s sad i went to wild waves a few years ago it was super fun I went again recently they got rid of at least 6-7 rides in under 3 years

[@ajhummel9187]

I went to this place once about ten years ago, and while I didn't dislike the park, it definitely felt like a place I never needed to return to (despite missing Klondike Gold Rusher). Sounds like it has only gotten worse since then, which is a shame. With some proper investment, I absolutely think it could be a solid park and likely the best in the Premier chain, but the way it stands now it's probably in the bottom five full-size parks I've visited.

[@Eggagins]

I feel that it isn’t sad, it just has lots of potential

[@Nick50B]

I live in Federal Way making Wild Waves my current home park. My old home parks were Universal/ Islands of Adventure, Sea World, and Disney World. Send help.