The popular Paratrooper ride will return to Waldameer Park & Water World in 2026.

The ride was dismantled after the amusement park's 2024 season, leaving riders unable to swoop through the air with their legs dangling this year. The final day for the park's 2025 season was Sept. 1 and officials announced in a Sept. 2 Facebook post that the Paratrooper will return for summer 2026.

Why did the Paratrooper go away?

The longtime ride had been located between the park's main office building and the Water World entrance. The redesign of that entrance for the 2025 season, including a new food building , meant the Paratrooper had to be taken down. It was placed in storage while a new site was selected.

The classic ride had opened at Waldameer in 1973, according to the history on the park's web

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