Chaos Coming to Waldameer

Waldameer Park & Water World, Erie, Pennsylvania, is adding a new Zamperla Midi Discovery for the 2019 season. To be called Chaos, the pendulum ride will cost $800,000, but construction costs will bring the project cost to $1.2 million. Chaos is the compact version of Zamperla’s Discovery. Suspended from an overhead axis, riders are secured with over the shoulder safety harnesses to their outward looking seats. The deck drops and Chaos begins to swing. After dark, the thrills become illuminated by a dynamic light package.

Chaos will seat 16 people facing outward in a circular gondola with their legs dangling beneath them. While the gondola rotates 360º it will swing back and forth on its axis and eventually in a full circle, making it the first ride at Waldameer to turn riders upside down. But the ride won’t always flip people upside down. According to Paul Nelson, the owner of Waldameer Park & Water World, during daytime hours, when more families are at the park, Chaos might swing back and forth only. During later hours, the ride will go faster so that it builds enough momentum to take riders upside down.

Chaos will be located east of Waldameer’s train station in an area now occupied by picnic tables. Its smaller size means that Waldameer won’t have to remove any of its existing rides. The lost picnic facilities will be relocated to another area of the park.