2019 closures

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Beverly Hills Boulangerie at Universal Studios Florida

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Bedrock City in Arizona closed this past weekend.

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Scandia Park in Ontario, California

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“Pets Rule” at SeaWorld San Diego, closing March 3

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Post by s***@aol.com
“Pets Rule” at SeaWorld San Diego, closing March 3

SFMM - Green Lantern

Good Riddance. Never rode it, especially after watching the YouTube video. But I stood in front of it shaking my head. Don't plan to ride the S&S versions either unless the line is a walk on.

Screamscape article.

(3/23/19) Screamscape was able to get an official statement from Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Sue Carpenter regarding the fate of the park’s Green Lantern coaster:
The Green Lantern: First Flight roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain is scheduled to be removed at a later, undetermined date to make room for future development. The park has no plans to open the ride before it is removed.
Six Flags Magic Mountain, the “Thrill Capital of the World,” continues to have an unparalleled world-class roller coaster collection. The park is open daily and will debut the world’s first dual racing launch coaster, West Coast Racers, later this year.
So there you have it… Green Lantern: First Flight is officially no more, and we will see the one and only Intamin ZacSpin coaster in the American continent removed. There are currently only three other such coasters, all located in Europe: Inferno at Terra Mitica, Insane at Grona Lund and Kirnu at Linnanmaki.

[s***@aol.com]

Green Lantern at SFMM technically closed in 2017. Finally going from SBNO to being removed here in 2019.

[s***@aol.com]

The Ferris wheel at Fun Spot America Orlando closed apparently yesterday. A new wheel will take its place (no date given yet that I’ve seen).

[s***@aol.com]

Count Around Playground at SeaWorld Orlando. Brand new, closed and removed less than a few weeks after opening. A new kids playground with additional seating is reported to be taking its place.

[s***@aol.com]

Not sure if this is a 2018 or 2019 closure, but just saw this one Facebook:

Pipeline Express coaster at Wild Water & Wheels in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
It was a Bailey Rides auto sled coaster and will be replaced by a new attraction for 2020 (no further info).
I honestly didn’t even realize this existed but it looks interesting.

[CanobieFan]

I went a few years ago to ride it the day before visiting Wonderland. I drove up from my friends house in Buffalo, went to Centreville and then onward to Wild Water. Ride was oddly fun. I was the *only* person there and I rode the coaster 3 times before leaving.

POV -

[Dave Althoff, Jr.]

***@gmail.com wrote:
: On Thursday, February 28, 2019 at 6:50:06 PM UTC-5, ***@aol.com wrote:
: > â??Pets Ruleâ?? at SeaWorld San Diego, closing March 3
:
: SFMM - Green Lantern
:
: Good Riddance. Never rode it, especially after watching the YouTube
: video. But I stood in front of it shaking my head. Don't plan to ride
: the S&S versions either unless the line is a walk on.

I rode it in 2017 and wished I hadn't.

I can think of four coasters whose removals made the world a better place:

Thunderbolt Express, Camden Park
It was past time for the ride to go. Had it still been operational
I would have felt differently, but it was beyond saving and hadn't
run in years. Removing it was a huge improvement for the park.

Son of Beast, Kings Island
A bad idea implemented badly, and one of the worst coasters ever
built, a ride with absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Psyclone, Six Flags Magic Mountain
Maybe I would have felt better about this ride if I had ridden it
before the park stopped caring about it, but when I rode, it was
quite possibly the worst excuse for a wood coaster I had ever
ridden. Worse, even, than the Grizzly at Great America, because
it was in such poor condition.

Green Lantern, Six Flags Magic Mountain
Absolutely terrible ride. An ergonomic nightmare, designed to
beat those who ride it absolutely senseless, in hopes that they
will fail to notice or to forget what a horiffic experience the
ride is from the awkward loading process until its inglorious
end. The smartest thing any park has done is to not build one
of these things.

Somehow I am not entirely surprised that two of those rides were at Magic
Mountain.


--Dave Althoff, Jr.
/X\ _ *** Respect rides. They do not respect you. ***
/XXX\ /X\ /X\_ _ /X\__ _ _ _____
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_/XXXXXXX\__/XXXXX\/XXXXXXXX\_/XXX\_/XXXXXXX\__/XXX\_/XXX\_/\_/XXXXXX
NEW! When emailing this account, include the 'canonical magic word' in
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Dave-

Son Of Beast? Really? While it could’ve and should’ve been better, it really wasn’t that *bad*, just not that *good*. I enjoyed it to a degree when I visited in 2001. Also, if not for SOB and showing the world and inverses ion on a wood coaster is, in fact, possible, things like Mine Blower night not be around today.

Psyclone was pretty bad I agree. Especially since it’s “inspired” by the Coney Island Cyclone.

Never ridden the other two you mention.

I think the removal of Gwazi made the world (especially Florida) a better place. My least favorite of the 93 wood coasters I’ve ridden (yep even ranks below the two mentioned above), and this ride has also turned so many Floridians off to wood coasters completely as it was the only one so many have ridden. They think all wood coasters are that bad, and trying to convince any of them to ride the ones at Fun Spot or even Starliner when it was at Cypress Gardens is/was an impossible feat.

[Marshall]

Post by s***@aol.com
Dave-
Son Of Beast? Really? While it could’ve and should’ve been better, it really wasn’t that *bad*, just not that *good*. I enjoyed it to a degree when I visited in 2001. Also, if not for SOB and showing the world and inverses ion on a wood coaster is, in fact, possible, things like Mine Blower night not be around today.

SOB wasn't that bad...catch it at the right times and it was pretty fun.
Ranks way above the likes of Hercules.

Post by s***@aol.com
I think the removal of Gwazi made the world (especially Florida) a better place. My least favorite of the 93 wood coasters I’ve ridden (yep even ranks below the two mentioned above), and this ride has also turned so many Floridians off to wood coasters completely as it was the only one so many have ridden. They think all wood coasters are that bad, and trying to convince any of them to ride the ones at Fun Spot or even Starliner when it was at Cypress Gardens is/was an impossible feat.

Gwazi was really good for the first couple of years, it only went downhill when they went to single trains then one side then one-side-one-train then "I don't give a fuck" operations. Toward the end Gwazi was dispatching one train on one side at 12 minute+ intervals. I've never seen operations that bad before or since(tho SeaWorld tries really hard to get there)

[Ansley]

Post by Marshall

Post by s***@aol.com
Dave-
Son Of Beast? Really? While it could’ve and should’ve been better, it really wasn’t that *bad*, just not that *good*. I enjoyed it to a degree when I visited in 2001. Also, if not for SOB and showing the world and inverses ion on a wood coaster is, in fact, possible, things like Mine Blower night not be around today.

SOB wasn't that bad...catch it at the right times and it was pretty fun.
Ranks way above the likes of Hercules.

Post by s***@aol.com
I think the removal of Gwazi made the world (especially Florida) a better place. My least favorite of the 93 wood coasters I’ve ridden (yep even ranks below the two mentioned above), and this ride has also turned so many Floridians off to wood coasters completely as it was the only one so many have ridden. They think all wood coasters are that bad, and trying to convince any of them to ride the ones at Fun Spot or even Starliner when it was at Cypress Gardens is/was an impossible feat.

Gwazi was really good for the first couple of years, it only went downhill when they went to single trains then one side then one-side-one-train then "I don't give a fuck" operations. Toward the end Gwazi was dispatching one train on one side at 12 minute+ intervals. I've never seen operations that bad before or since(tho SeaWorld tries really hard to get there)

Gwazi wa easily in my top 15 when it opened in '99. It was by far the best GCI until Thuderhead, but Busch 1) ran it with crazy ops 2) let it get urn down and did minimal track maintenance. It was very good, IMHO for about 5 years. It should have been saved. It was a great design, and Busch was just severely negligent in running and maintaining a wood coaster.

[s***@aol.com]

“Long Shoremen”, a comedy team at SeaWorld Orlando will give it last performance on August 31. They mostly perform together as street performers at the park. Really entertaining and funny shows with non stop quick laughs.

[s***@aol.com]

Big Wave Bay at Kings Dominion. Something new coming in 2020.

[s***@aol.com]

Super Manege at LaRonde, closing August 27

[s***@aol.com]

Regina at Tobu Zoo in Japan has apparently been condemned and last operated over a month ago. Another wood coaster lost.

[David H.--REMOVE "STOPSPAM" to reply]

Post by s***@aol.com
Regina at Tobu Zoo in Japan has apparently been condemned and last operated over a month ago. Another wood coaster lost.

That's the three best woodies in Japan all closed. RIP Aska, White Cyclone
and Regina.



"With the first link, a chain is forged. The first speech censured,
the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us
all irrevocably." -Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
"The Drumhead", _Star Trek: The Next Generation_

[s***@aol.com]

Island Water Works Playground and splash pad at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom

[s***@aol.com]

Key West Rapids at Adventure Island, closes October 1, 2019.

[s***@aol.com]

Regular amusement rides at Coney Island in Ohio will be removed after the last day of the 2019 season on September 21st. The park will be a water park only starting next year.

[sharondbond]

Post by s***@aol.com
Regular amusement rides at Coney Island in Ohio will be removed after the last day of the 2019 season on September 21st. The park will be a water park only starting next year.

It makes sense, but it's still sad to hear. A few years ago there were looking at building a new wooden coaster but that's now kaput. Their ride collection includes some rare vintage rides, so I hope they end up in a good place. Their coaster is not that great, but I think we'll head down there to get one last ride on it and everything else. What I hope is that after they take all the rides down, they save the historic buildings and build more water park attractions where the rides once stood. If they are smart, they'll build at least 1 water coaster because no other water parks in the Cinci area have one.

Sharon

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I feel this may become a trend with a lot of the smaller parks. The water sections are definitely getting more and more popular. Even some large parks are like that- look at Dorney Park.

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Post by s***@aol.com
I feel this may become a trend with a lot of the smaller parks. The water sections are definitely getting more and more popular. Even some large parks are like that- look at Dorney Park.

I think there's a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy with CI Cinci. They added one dry ride in about the last ten years to my recollection, and didn't have anything really large/substantive for either families or thrill seekers. They've got a lot of competition in an ever shrinking market for group sales between KI, KK, and Strickers. They were probably heading to a state in which they'd need to start replacing things, and when push came to shove, the draw of the Pool proved greater than what they otherwise had.

Water parks are also a competitive market there, with three in Mason and Kentucky Kingdom. I won't be surprised if they come back to having a kiddie land again in the future, as this is a pattern the park has been through before post-KI. The pool reopened to the public in 1973, and it wasn't until 1990 that the rides came back. That's 30 years of operation before dialing back to an aquatics facility. Who knows that that market will look like in 2049?

[sharondbond]

Post by a***@gmail.com

Post by s***@aol.com
I feel this may become a trend with a lot of the smaller parks. The water sections are definitely getting more and more popular. Even some large parks are like that- look at Dorney Park.

I think there's a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy with CI Cinci. They added one dry ride in about the last ten years to my recollection, and didn't have anything really large/substantive for either families or thrill seekers. They've got a lot of competition in an ever shrinking market for group sales between KI, KK, and Strickers. They were probably heading to a state in which they'd need to start replacing things, and when push came to shove, the draw of the Pool proved greater than what they otherwise had.
Water parks are also a competitive market there, with three in Mason and Kentucky Kingdom. I won't be surprised if they come back to having a kiddie land again in the future, as this is a pattern the park has been through before post-KI. The pool reopened to the public in 1973, and it wasn't until 1990 that the rides came back. That's 30 years of operation before dialing back to an aquatics facility. Who knows that that market will look like in 2049?

I think it's more than just water parks being very popular. Surf Cincinnati, a fairly good water park, went under. The Beach slipped under, came back, but is shrinking enough to the point where you wonder if it's going to go completely under, this time for good.

What we enthusiasts may not want to admit is that the rides portion of CI is nostalgic but just not enough of a draw. Their ride collection is small and not that thrilling. There are some historic gems there, but the general public is not going to enthusiastically visit the park multiple times a year just to ride a Tempest or a Herschel Bobs. Then add in the flooding issue, and now there are major costs, hitting pretty much every year now, to move the rides and fix what got damaged that couldn't be moved. Now you have the equation that solves to a negative amount. That's why I said it was sad but in the harsh light of reality, a good business decision.

What I think they should do is first, find good homes for their historic rides. Maybe they can sell their historic stuff to Kennywood, maybe Holiday World, or another park that is known for keeping classic rides operating well. After that, build some really thrilling water park stuff that will make the pool an even bigger draw (water coaster!) Maybe build some more picnic shelters. And make use of their historic buildings as part of the expanded water park. Keep up with their off-season themed events, like the fall event (cancelled this year I'm sure so they can move rides out), their Christmas lights drive-thru, and their balloon glow. Maybe even revive the old steamboat excursions from downtown Cinci.

Then the park will be known as the place where you can bring your family for a great water park experience during the day, at a significantly cheaper rate than a day at KI. And it can be followed up with a concert at Riverbend, sometimes followed by fireworks. I think it's a winning situation for them, as sad as it will be to lose the ride portion.

We're probably heading down this Sunday - I'm going to try to find my Conneaut Lake Park shirt to wear, to show support for older, historic amusement parks that are struggling.

Sharon

[s***@aol.com]

Some more 2019 closings- these are for Waldameer Park & Water World:

Showtime Theater and the Water Wars game at Waldameer.

the two single-lane “Speed Slides” located in Water World

[Dave Althoff, Jr.]

sharondbond <***@hotmail.com> wrote:
: On Monday, September 9, 2019 at 3:18:31 PM UTC-4, ***@aol.com wrote:
: > Regular amusement rides at Coney Island in Ohio will be removed after
: > the last day of the 2019 season on September 21st. The park will be a
: > water park only starting next year.
:
: It makes sense, but it's still sad to hear. A few years ago there were
: looking at building a new wooden coaster but that's now kaput. Their ride
: collection includes some rare vintage rides, so I hope they end up in a
: good place. Their coaster is not that great, but I think we'll head down
: there to get one last ride on it and everything else. What I hope is that
: after they take all the rides down, they save the historic buildings and
: build more water park attractions where the rides once stood. If they are
: smart, they'll build at least 1 water coaster because no other water
: parks in the Cinci area have one.

I'm not sure that it makes sense. I think there has been a change in
management and the park is now being directed by someone who perhaps
doesn't understand what business the park is really in. Either that or
that business has changed dramatically since 1997, which I kind of doubt.

Coney Island, as I understand it, is a catering company.

They are a catering company which happens to operate the Sunlite Pool
and water park, and the midway.

They provide parking and concessions for Riverbend, they provide lots of
picnic grove space, they have the Moonlite Gardens ballroom, and the midway
is the differential advantage that sets them apart from every other banquet
hall and picnic grove in the area. That the midway is separate from the
picnic grove distinguishes them from Kings Island and Stricker's Grove
(but Stricker's doesn't matter anyway in this regard because they don't
have any openings available for the next few years).

It doesn't matter that it isn't a particularly spectacular midway. For
picnic business it has bumper cars, mini golf, a carousel, and some kiddie
rides, and that's the important stuff. A Flying Bobs fits very nicely, and
they could use a Wave Swinger or equivalent. They don't need to have a
great midway, but they need to have something to keep the kiddos busy
during the boring parts of the picnic.

The pool really doesn't serve the same function as the midway so far as the
picnic business is concerned. You can move seamlessly from the roller
coaster to the buffet line to the carousel to the bingo game to the bumper
cars to the volleyball match. You can't do that with the waterpark. Plus,
the waterpark is gated away from the picnic grove.

The waterpark is great for season passes and some day tickets, but I really
don't see it driving group sales. And I question how well Sunlite Pool can
compete with Soak City, The Beach, and whatever else is in the area. A
Kings Island Gold Pass purchased in the fall is cheaper than a Coney Island
pass, and represents a much better value. What is Coney doing to change
this by taking out their midway? Sunlite Pool is huge, but they're the only
waterpark in the region that doesn't have a wave machine. Does this
*really* work? As for day tIckets, I might run down there this weekend or
next. But once the midway is gone, it's not likely that I will have any
reason to go back.

This is the strategy that almost killed Conneaut Lake, that killed Geauga
Lake, that will probably kill Lakemont Park, and to me seems like a poor
decision for Coney Island.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
/X\ _ *** Respect rides. They do not respect you. ***
/XXX\ /X\ /X\_ _ /X\__ _ _ _____
/XXXXX\ /XXX\ /XXXX\_ /X\ /XXXXX\ /X\ /X\ /XXXXX
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NEW! When emailing this account, include the 'canonical magic word' in
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Post by Dave Althoff, Jr.
I'm not sure that it makes sense. I think there has been a change in

management and the park is now being directed by someone who perhaps
doesn't understand what business the park is really in. Either that or
that business has changed dramatically since 1997, which I kind of doubt.<

A couple of years ago, I wrote this:

http://www.parkscope.net/2018/01/regional-theme-park-revenue-how.html

The big thing to me that no one had ever told me previously is what has happened to group sales: it's been on a slow, consistent decline since the 90s ended.

Loading Image...

As I understand it in the years since, nothing has changed about that. Coney Island then is actually trying to operate a park capable of drawing locals, and locals probably aren't drawn to a stagnant collection of rides. They could increase the cost of the rides significantly to try and make up for the increasing cost of labor (a very real issue right now) and fringe costs like health insurance, but they probably see that as killing attendance as a whole.

[s***@aol.com]

Wow, the article on group sales was an excellent read.

[s***@aol.com]

I wonder what the chances are that the Python will get sold/relocated. Not exactly a great coaster, but still.

[sharondbond]

Post by s***@aol.com
I wonder what the chances are that the Python will get sold/relocated. Not exactly a great coaster, but still.

Close to 300 positions eliminated (ouch), rides will be sold through a third-party broker (Ride4U - http://www.rides4u.com/Default.asp):

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2019/09/11/coney-island-lay-off-285-workers-sell-rides/2278888001/

https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/coney-island-eliminates-13-full-time-jobs-272-seasonal-positions

They are keeping the paddle boats and the mini-golf.

Sharon

[s***@aol.com]

Hmmm apparently Clementon Park in New Jersey has cancelled their fall festival, shut down social media accounts, told all the regular employees last weekend it was their last day, and the park is up for sale. So that’s a very possible 2019 entire park closing. It seems like they’ve been trying to find a buyer for a while, but with no luck. Let’s hope a buyer is found and the park can reopen.

[s***@aol.com]

According to the 2019 map, this year’s Fiends show at Busch Gardens Tampa’s Howl O Scream will be the last. Interesting to note is that the show did not return to Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s HOS this year.

[s***@aol.com]

Road Runner Railway and the rest of Looney Toons Seaport at Six Flags Great Adventure are closed and have been removed in preparation for the new coaster in that area for 2020. It’s unclear whether the old rides will be relocated elsewhere in the park, and if so, if they will be rethemed or not.

[s***@aol.com]

Vortex at Kings Island permanently closing October 27, 2019.

Official press release from the park:
https://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog/2019/september/kings-island-to-retire-vortex-after-33-seasons

I’m not too surprised. While semi iconic at the park, the ride had a non existent line my visit this year and also my most recent visit before that a few years ago. Only rode once each of those visits, the ride is quite painful. The ride does have a lot of history though, it was the first 6 inversion coaster ever, and stands on the site of the original Bat coaster, and uses the station from that ride.

[Marshall]

Post by s***@aol.com
Vortex at Kings Island permanently closing October 27, 2019.
https://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog/2019/september/kings-island-to-retire-vortex-after-33-seasons
I’m not too surprised. While semi iconic at the park, the ride had a non existent line my visit this year and also my most recent visit before that a few years ago. Only rode once each of those visits, the ride is quite painful. The ride does have a lot of history though, it was the first 6 inversion coaster ever, and stands on the site of the original Bat coaster, and uses the station from that ride.

Except all it would take to fix it is a decent set of new trains without the abusive horse-collars. Its not like theres a bad vibration or deterioration in the track, its just got too many abrupt transitions for that style of restraint... a set of FoF like trains and it would regain most of its ridership.

[s***@aol.com]

Marshall, I’d agree FOF style trains (or possibly other styles, too) would make Vortex a more tolerable ride. It’s one of the better/more interesting multi-inversion arrow loopers, after Drachen Fire and SFGAd’s Great American Scream Machine. I think KI has such a collection of great coasters that Vortex gets overshadowed a lot. That being said, I’m not sure new trains can really save the popularity of the ride. It did nothing for Gwazi.

[Marshall]

Post by s***@aol.com
Marshall, I’d agree FOF style trains (or possibly other styles, too) would make Vortex a more tolerable ride. It’s one of the better/more interesting multi-inversion arrow loopers, after Drachen Fire and SFGAd’s Great American Scream Machine. I think KI has such a collection of great coasters that Vortex gets overshadowed a lot. That being said, I’m not sure new trains can really save the popularity of the ride. It did nothing for Gwazi.

But the problems with Gwazi werent the trains to start with...The problems with Vortex are LARGELY the trains.
Decent new trains without the headbanging restraints and Vortex would have Beast level ridership again, it would at least draw crowds away from Orion...
Speaking of Beast(and Racer)...those two are in an unridable state of repair. THey should keep Vortex for another year at least an put Beast into a MAJOR retracking...

[s***@aol.com]

I don’t live near Kings Island at all so my visits are only every few years (I do go more often than most other parks that aren’t at least somewhat local). I did visit KI this year (2 full days), my most recent before that was 2015. I felt both Beast and Racer were running well. Vortex I gave 1 courtesy ride to on the second day. Both this and my 2015 visit, Vortex was a walk on the entire day and it was the only coaster in the park like that. Racer was the second shortest line this year, a near walk on, but it was running 4 trains.
I’d like to see Face Off go before Vortex (I haven’t ridden that one this or my 2015 visit), but I’m guessing especially with the size of land Vortex takes up, there’s something planned for that spot (though I can’t imagine it being anytime super soon with Orion raving next year).

[s***@aol.com]

That should read ... “arriving next year”

[Marshall]

Post by s***@aol.com
That should read ... “arriving next year”

Rode back seat on the Beast and Racer last month...The bottom of each drop on racer(even the speed hills) is a major pothole worse than SOB ever was. I very nearly lost my lunch from being punched in the stomach repeatedly by the lap bar.
Beast is awful, so much chattering on the straightaways and watching the trains dropping into the helix had all 4 cars going in different directions which led to shuffling so bad that I nearly broke a rib...
I then did a back seat ride on Timbers and didnt touch the restraints or grab bars from top of the lift to the brake run. Its beautiful watching every car on the train follow exactly along the path of the previous one and soooo smooth.

[s***@aol.com]

I always ride in the second to last seat on all wood coasters. I just assume riding on the axle seat is too much.

[skiguy777]

Post by s***@aol.com
I always ride in the second to last seat on all wood coasters. I just assume riding on the axle seat is too much.

Similar story here. Just visited SFoG, checked off Twisted Cyclone from my bucket list. Rode GASM because that was the big ride back in 1977 when I was 13. But oh my, I can't ride that coaster any more. There are pot holes that compress my back and shake my head. I can imagine that re-tracking the entire thing and switching trains would cost too much. Basically at the bottom of most hills, there are pot holes, along with bouncing down each hill before hitting them. Near the end of the ride I was holding myself up using the grab bar.

So besides this ride, SFoG can lose Blue Hawk, didn't even go on it.

[s***@aol.com]

Seems like The Hanging, a staple at Knott’s Scary Farm since the mid 1970s, is ending after this year’s run. With the loss of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure on both coasts a few years ago, and Fiends at the Busch parks now stopping as well, this will leave zero pop culture/parody shows left at the parks for Halloween.

[David H.--REMOVE "STOPSPAM" to reply]

Seems like The Hanging, a staple at Knott’s Scary Farm since the mid 1970s, is ending after this year’s run. With the loss of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure on both coasts a few years ago, and Fiends at the Busch parks now stopping as well, this will leave zero pop culture/parody shows left at the parks for Halloween.

Awww. That's sad news. It was one of the only park shows I enjoyed.



"With the first link, a chain is forged. The first speech censured,
the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us
all irrevocably." -Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
"The Drumhead", _Star Trek: The Next Generation_

[s***@aol.com]

Balloon Tower at Adventureland (New York) is closing when the season ends later this month. No word on a replacement.

[s***@gmail.com]

I've been riding vortex for 20+ years and it has gotten very rough and very very slow. Last time I was on it in 2017 I really wondered if we were actually going to make it through the loops because it was so slow. And in my opinion flight of fear should go bye bye right with vortex cause its rougher than vortex

[s***@aol.com]

I hope they keep Flight Of Fear for a long time, I think that ride is always fun!

[skiguy777]

Post by s***@aol.com
I hope they keep Flight Of Fear for a long time, I think that ride is always fun!

Valleyfair - Looping Starship

I'd say the location of this ride is the problem, being next to the water park. If you look on Google Maps satellite view you'll see it. I don't care to go on these rides.

This park is so whacked the way it's designed. To get to Excalibur, you have to take a path from Renegade. The time I did visit, it was down. Next to that is an Old Skool raft ride they can also remove. Move the maintenance road and buildings to the west to free up more room for the park. And they can lose CorkScrew, an Old Skool Arrow.

Of coarse, they won't do any of this, because the attendance isn't even on my page.

[Marshall]

Post by skiguy777

Post by s***@aol.com
I hope they keep Flight Of Fear for a long time, I think that ride is always fun!

Valleyfair - Looping Starship

I wonder if this is related to BGT's copy being down all year. If nobody can get parts...

[s***@aol.com]

BGT’s has been down close to two years I believe, rumor on the BGT AP Facebook group is that they got parts earlier this year but either they were wrong or another issue came up from them (I can’t recall offhand). The ride is still on the map and signs are up for it in the park still, and it’s just listed as down on the sign out front. Quite strange, I hope it stays, it’s a fun ride and the park is lacking on flats and other non coasters.

[s***@aol.com]

Tower Of Terror II at Dreamworld Australia, closing November 3, 2019. First coaster to reach 100mph.
Drop tower connected to that tower will remain open.

[s***@aol.com]

Mad Mouse at Fuji-Q in Japan closed in late September 2019

Rising Waters (game) closed October 26, 2019 at Adventureland in New York

[s***@aol.com]

Hmmm apparently Knoebels is teasing about an attraction not returning for 2020... any ideas?

[CanobieFan]

Everyone seems to think it's the 1001. A ride I've never seen open any of my visit there.

[s***@aol.com]

I could see that.

[s***@aol.com]

One Ocean at SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Antonio. New show Orca Encounter replaces it at both locations in 2020.

[s***@aol.com]

Knoebels - 1001 Nacht.
Or did it actually close earlier?

[s***@aol.com]

Davis Amusements Cascadia (traveling carnival) has gone out of business.

[s***@aol.com]

Indiana Beach

[s***@aol.com]

Boomers Houston and Speedzone FEC in Texas.

[Heather Kendrick]

Post by s***@aol.com
Indiana Beach

And sadly also Fantasy Island (Grand Island, NY).

[s***@aol.com]

Garfield’s Nightmare at Kennywood. Rethemeing the old mill back to a western theme for 2020.

I get why a lot of people didn’t enjoy the Garfield’s Nightmare version of the old mill, but I thought it was cute. I did ride the old mill back in the ‘90s and in 2001 before it changed to Garfield’s Nightmare. Looking forward to what changes are in store!

[sharondbond]

Post by s***@aol.com
Garfield’s Nightmare at Kennywood. Rethemeing the old mill back to a western theme for 2020.
I get why a lot of people didn’t enjoy the Garfield’s Nightmare version of the old mill, but I thought it was cute. I did ride the old mill back in the ‘90s and in 2001 before it changed to Garfield’s Nightmare. Looking forward to what changes are in store!

On the announcement video from Kennywood, it didn't say whether they were going to keep the new loading arrangement. If they're truly going to go back to the way it was before, it will load from the original loading side and they'll ditch the queue lines in the middle.

Sharon

[s***@aol.com]

I’d guess that would remain the same. I don’t think there’s enough queue space outside to hold the amount of people in the queue. I remember it being almost nothing. I’m assuming this is just a themeing redo with no other real changes.

[s***@aol.com]

Dragon at Adventureland Park in Iowa. New coaster to replace it in 2021 rumored,

[s***@aol.com]

Boomers! Long Island has closed. The park does have a 1999 Zamperla junior coaster.

[r***@gmail.com]

Post by s***@aol.com
Boomers! Long Island has closed. The park does have a 1999 Zamperla junior coaster.

Where did you hear that? I'm looking for a source.

[s***@aol.com]

If you have Facebook, look at the comments on their post from June 3.

[s***@aol.com]

If you have Facebook, look at the comments on Splish Splash’s post from June 3rd (it’s stated in a comment directly from Splish Splash).

[s***@aol.com]

Any news on Clementon Park? Anyone expressed interest in buying the park? Are the rides for sale? Any chance the coaster can be relocated? Anything at all?

[s***@aol.com]

Chamber Of Terror haunted house in Tampa cancels 2020 season and owner decides to retire based on regulations from the industry. 2019 was now its final season of operation.

[t***@gmail.com]

Post by s***@aol.com
Any news on Clementon Park? Anyone expressed interest in buying the park? Are the rides for sale? Any chance the coaster can be relocated? Anything at all?

Highly unlikely it would be relocated. Coaster is partially built over a lake and wasn't really in that great a shape when it was last operating.

[Ansley]

Of course it could be relocated. It is not that old and it has a steel structure right?

[Richard Bannister]

Post by Ansley
Of course it could be relocated. It is not that old and it has a steel structure right?

It could be, but I rather suspect that it won't be. I can't see all that many parks committing to be expansions over the next few years.

[CanobieFan]

Post by t***@gmail.com
Highly unlikely it would be relocated.

Highly unlikely based on how much would you *really* save on on a relocation of a non-compact layout that is somewhat designed for the last in the park it was built for rather than a new build from say... Gravity Group along the lines of Oscar/Warrior/Roar-O


I really really liked J2 when I rode it in 06, but I'm also realistic when it comes to rides that can be moved around.... and thats just not one I see going anywhere.

[Surf Dance Chris]

Victorian Gardens in NYC.

[Surf Dance Chris]

Blackbeard’s Cave in New Jersey

[[e-mail]]

AtPlayAmusements in New York. Supposedly it was supposed to reopen under new management, but now the property appears to be for sale. I’m guessing COVID related for not being able to reopen as planned.

[[e-mail]]

Goliath at Six Flags New England. Park did not open last year 2020, and ride is not on the map for 2021 (parks in Massachusetts still not reopened). Park confirmed on social media that the ride will not open this season.

[Surf Dance Chris]

Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake Park last operated in 2019.

[Surf Dance Chris]

Cliff Diver at Splish Splash on Long Island. The once record breaking slide was removed during 2021.

[skiguy777]

Good riddance. They saw my web page of Old Skool rides and finally realize it’s time for those to go. Probably maintenance issues and lower ridership.

Any coaster that goes there can go to the back of the park.

What gets me is all the people saying it was their favorite. Great, if you love those rides, then go ride them because their days are numbered.

[Dave Althoff, Jr.]

***@aol.com wrote:
: Dave-
:
: Son Of Beast? Really? While it couldâ??ve and shouldâ??ve been better, it
: really wasnâ??t that *bad*, just not that *good*. I enjoyed it to a
: degree when I visited in 2001. Also, if not for SOB and showing the world
: and inverses ion on a wood coaster is, in fact, possible, things like
: Mine Blower night not be around today.

Son of Beast was terrible. It started with a layout that was exceptionally
*boring*, almost certainly rivalling the Grizzly in that department, then
adding a train that was awful to begin with and became worse with
modifications made in the second season. From its first day of operation it
suffered from a nasty jolt at the top of the second hill caused by the same
thing that killed Mean Streak: the train was too slow at the top of the
curve to stay stuck to the outside rail, and it fell to the inside. To its
credit, Son of Beast was the ride that taught me why wood coasters are able
to function with boxcars in spite of the conclusions from my article about
wood coaster cars (http://www.davealthoff.com/tech/coastercar.html
originally posted here on r.r-c about 20 years ago). I guess the other good
thing to come out of Son of Beast was the development of the Premier lap
bar, which, interestingly enough, follows a design that I proposed here on
r.r-c in about 1991, it just took that long for someone to actually try it.
As for inversions on wood coasters, the Gravity Guys over at CCI had
worked out the calculations for doing a corkscrew as early as 1999 and had
based their numbers on the roll rates of a standard PTC train. All they
needed was a customer. There was even talk of doing it on the Voyage; I'm
kind of glad that didn't happen. In any case, that's a development we would
have had anyway.

So I guess we had to suffer Son of Beast to get the fix for Flight of Fear.
That still doesn't make the ride any better. Remember also, in my 'survey'
I'm talking about dropping the ride making the world a better place *at the
time it was done*. Remember when Son of Beast was pulled down, it hadn't
run for a couple of years, and the vertical loop...the only part of the
ride that actually worked, was long gone because the Gerstlauer trains
couldn't navigate it. So given the choice between a terrible, boring,
painful wood coaster that probably should have never been built, and
Banshee...well, Banshee is the clear winner. Tearing down Son of Beast was
probably the clearest signal ever that Cedar Fair was going to fix
Paramount's mistakes. Installing and promoting the Antique Cars this year
sends a similar signal; Paramount would never have installed such a ride,
and if they did they would never have promoted it.

: Psyclone was pretty bad I agree. Especially since itâ??s â??inspiredâ??
: by the Coney Island Cyclone.

Again, I'm talking about at the time of demolition. The one time I rode the
P-Clone, it was easily the worst-running wood coaster I had ever
experienced. Even worse than the 2008 version of the original Cyclone.
Between slow running, lousy trains, poor track condition, and terrible
operations the entire experience was awful. Then as I was exiting the ride
I noticed something on the exit ramp that indicated that the P-Clone had
apprently lived up to its nickname... 8-P

: Never ridden the other two you mention.

Thunderbolt Express was the old Screamin' Demon from Kings Island. The
first production model of the Arrow Launched Loop, so it was historically
significant. But again, by the time they pulled it down it hadn't run in
several years and had become this gigantic rusting hulk of an Arrow coaster
towering over classic little Camden Park. When it was operating nobody
really wanted to ride it because of that 50' stair climb, and by that time
both launched coasters and vertical loops were old hat. Removing the
Thunderbolt Express and the ampitheater, replacing the one with a miniature
golf course and the other with a pond filled with swan pedal boats, was a
clear signal indicating that the revitalization of Camden Park, which had
been crumbling ever since the fire, was finally underway. To be clear, I
actually liked the ride, but at Camden it had outlived its usefulness. I do
hope Elitch Gardens and Frontier City continue to maintain theirs, in all
the ways that Camden couldn't.

As for Green Lantern...ever ride an Allan Herschell Looper? Ride one of
those, only in a severelu unbalanced tub with a maladusted brake band, and
with someone kicking you in the balls continuously. That would be slightly
more pleasant than a ride on Green Lantern.

: I think the removal of Gwazi made the world (especially Florida) a better
: place. My least favorite of the 93 wood coasters Iâ??ve ridden (yep even
: ranks below the two mentioned above), and this ride has also turned so
: many Floridians off to wood coasters completely as it was the only one so
: many have ridden. They think all wood coasters are that bad, and trying
: to convince any of them to ride the ones at Fun Spot or even Starliner
: when it was at Cypress Gardens is/was an impossible feat.

Given that it was SBNO and hulking over the park, I can see how that could
easily be the case. Kind of like Son of Beast in that regard. Like Son of
Beast and Drachen Fire, I'm kind of surprised Gwazi didn't kill anybody
while it was SBNO. I guess that phenomenon was reserved for The Bat.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
/X\ _ *** Respect rides. They do not respect you. ***
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NEW! When emailing this account, include the 'canonical magic word' in
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[Ansley]

: > ā??Pets Ruleā?? at SeaWorld San Diego, closing March 3
: SFMM - Green Lantern
: Good Riddance. Never rode it, especially after watching the YouTube
: video. But I stood in front of it shaking my head. Don't plan to ride
: the S&S versions either unless the line is a walk on.
I rode it in 2017 and wished I hadn't.
Thunderbolt Express, Camden Park
It was past time for the ride to go. Had it still been operational
I would have felt differently, but it was beyond saving and hadn't
run in years. Removing it was a huge improvement for the park.
Son of Beast, Kings Island
A bad idea implemented badly, and one of the worst coasters ever
built, a ride with absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Psyclone, Six Flags Magic Mountain
Maybe I would have felt better about this ride if I had ridden it
before the park stopped caring about it, but when I rode, it was
quite possibly the worst excuse for a wood coaster I had ever
ridden. Worse, even, than the Grizzly at Great America, because
it was in such poor condition.
Green Lantern, Six Flags Magic Mountain
Absolutely terrible ride. An ergonomic nightmare, designed to
beat those who ride it absolutely senseless, in hopes that they
will fail to notice or to forget what a horiffic experience the
ride is from the awkward loading process until its inglorious
end. The smartest thing any park has done is to not build one
of these things.
Somehow I am not entirely surprised that two of those rides were at Magic
Mountain.
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
/X\ _ *** Respect rides. They do not respect you. ***
/XXX\ /X\ /X\_ _ /X\__ _ _ _____
/XXXXX\ /XXX\ /XXXX\_ /X\ /XXXXX\ /X\ /X\ /XXXXX
_/XXXXXXX\__/XXXXX\/XXXXXXXX\_/XXX\_/XXXXXXX\__/XXX\_/XXX\_/\_/XXXXXX
NEW! When emailing this account, include the 'canonical magic word' in
the body of your message for a quicker response.

Really? I rode Psyclone on two different visits and both times it was running great. I got lucky though, it rained both times and a local who was with me said they were some of his best rides in while. These rides were in the '00-'02 time frame. I thought it was above average.

Also, SoB, only managed two rides on the same day in 2002. I heard from a reliable source (Sean Flaharty) that the best seat was 2nd to the back, and being a back seat kinda rider we rode there. Deb and I actually really liked it. It had slight air in two spots, was fast, smoother than the Beast at that time and actually very good and fun. I came away impressed, and I thought it was pretty good, never disliked it, but also it wasn't great. Solidly above average though. Again, limited rides in good seat and I guess on a good day possibly? Sadly, when we returned in 2007 is was SBNO at that time.