While many theme parks will lean heavily into nostalgia and childhood memories to keep customers returning, occasionally even beloved rides need to be shut down.
Some rides grow dated and too expensive to keep looking fresh, others that were once seen one way become inappropriate for a modern audience while still others simply get phased out to make room for new attractions that are a key part of keeping a theme park exciting for visitors.
The “DINOSAUR” ride at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom closed down permanently in February 2026 while Universal Orlando closed Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Poseidon’s Fury and Dragon Challenge in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter over the last few years to make room for new expansions.
Tidal Wave at Hersheypark to close in September 2026 after one last summer run
This week, Hersheypark east of Harrisburg in south-central Pennsylvania announced that it will be closing its Tidal Force ride after one last summer season run. The theme park itself dates back to the early 1900s when Hershey Chocolate Company founder Milton S. Hershey started planning a theme park on a plot of land near the rapidly-expanding chocolate factory.
The classic log flume ride was added to the park’s offering in 1994 as part of the theme park owners’ plan to have what at the time would be the tallest splash ride in the world with a 100-foot roller coaster-style lift before the log flumes head downhill at 50 miles per hour.
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The Tidal Wave cost $4 million to build at the time.
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“The final tide goes out on Tidal Force at the end of the 2026 summer season”: Hersheypark
“When a vessel takes its last voyage, we believe it deserves a proper send-off,” Hersheypark states on its website. “After 32 years of making the biggest splashes Hersheypark has seen, the final tide goes out on Tidal Force at the end of the 2026 summer season. We invite you to spend the entire summer making tidal waves before we dock the boats permanently on September 7.”
While Hersheypark has not elaborated on its reasons for shutting down Tidal Wave, they almost certainly come down to the high cost of keeping the ride operating safely and looking modern. In 2007, Hersheypark opened and 11-acre water park known as The Boardwalk that now has 15 major water rides.
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Unlike at many major theme parks like Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon or Universal’s Volcano Bay, The Boardwalk does not function as a standalone area with separate entrance tickets but is included in the entry ticket to the rest of the park.
As a result, visitors have plenty of other water rides to choose from although the closure of a classic attraction prompted some waves of nostalgia-related sadness from longtime visitors who remember riding it with friends and family over the years.
“This ride is such an icon to watch as you pass by it when you head to Wildcat or Lightning Racer!” one commenter wrote underneath the Instagram post that announced the closure. “Always a picturesque attraction especially with the splashdown. Gonna miss this one!😢”
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