Geauga Dog

It's not very often we see a new racing/dueling coaster and even though this is a Gravity Group design it sure looks like they took some inspiration from Lightning Racer in certain sections. This is truly an amazing looking coaster however the test will really come when we see how well maintained these Chinese parks keep their wood coasters. That "High Five" element looks sick, in a good way, in the second rendering.

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Here's the latest at Midway Park. Attendance and revenue have steadily increased over the past few years that the park has seen numbers it hasn't seen in quite some time. The aggressive marketing of the park, especially since we added Turmoil, which gave us a great shot in the arm to move forth with our five year plan, have lead to much word of mouth well beyond the local region. This update covers the next four years 2013-2016. Welcome back. It's now 2013 and it's going to be the wettest season in park history. Splash Dasher, a custom Hopkins chutes ride, debuts this season. Kind of fits in with Raging Seas, which is on the bottom of the photo. To some riders the splash is not TPR acceptable. 2013 also meant the demise of Macabre Manor. A big farewell weekend was given in late August resulting in long lines. We also offered guided walk through tours for guests to get a chance to get up close to the props and some last photo ops. 2014 saw the debut of Perilous Peak, an S&S Turbo Drop. 2015's new attraction was placed on the former location of Macabre Manor. While not exactly a "kiddieland", Family Kingdom added four smaller rides the family can ride together. What a contrast from the dark and ominous look of Macabre Manor. Jumping Jack, a Moser Spring Ride, seems to be the most popular ride. Based on the crowds it is a very welcomed addition to Midway Park. We are already discussing expanding the area in the very near future. 2015 also saw the end to Patriot. After 34 years of service we decided to remove the attraction and ready the spot for 2016's new ride. We auctioned off the last rides, which benefited the local children's hospital. Now it's 2016 and this view of the main midway was taken the evening before we opened for the season. New for 2016 - Intrepid, the biggest ride addition in Midway Park history. This Bolliger and Mabillard sit down coaster was conceived back when Turmoil debuted in 2012. It features five inversions. Intrepid makes a bold statement on the West Midway. The folks at B&M were a little apprehensive at first with creating a ride for us since we are still a relatively small park and weren't sure if we could fully pay for the ride.

I have always thought that Predator was one of the good Dinn/Summers coasters. That's quite a bit of coaster in a narrow footprint. It was those old trailered trains that made the ride so brutal.

For the longest time I thought Batman Knight Flight/Dominator was supposed to go to SFKK.

I never expected an Impulse but I think you made a great choice. The skyline shot is awesome and V2 does fill it in quite nicely. Do you know of any hotel deals near the park? Now you can market the park as being the first with three coasters that hang from the track.

That's a great article, Shane. Congrats on the success of Cowabunga Bay. I'm surprised at how fast it went from concept to reality.

I'm moving ahead into the future... It's 2012 and adrenaline is once again flowing through the park. New for this year is only the third installation of this type of ride in America - the Intamin Half Pipe. It's name - Turmoil. To put Turmoil in we had to relocate the Thunder Bobs, which we placed across from the Enterprise. We wanted a big ride but in a small footprint to help draw more guests to the North Midway. The following are a few pics from the 2012 season. There is something new in the park skyline. This photo taken on Media Day. The view from the queue. This is a still photo from footage taken on-ride by the local television station. Turmoil graces the front of our brochures this year. The tag line used in our radio/TV promos is "Things are about to get vertical." Macabre Manor has seen another reprieve though rumors continue to persist. One thing we strive for at Midway Park is that we look to add unique rides not found in many other parks, like the Mad Mixer. A postcard view of Patriot. A train load of Thunderbolt riders on the first drop. Finally an overview of the park showing how Turmoil makes it's mark on the skyline.

The Freeway system was a joke. You only were able to get two stamps and that was it. And the lines to get those stamps in the morning were just as long as some ride lines. If anything they could have used the five ride card system that SFGAm used prior to going electronic. You could use those cards on any ride that it was on the list for the day. I'm glad that Dick is finally going, mainly as stated already that he was running the parks with a 1980/90's mentality. I look forward to seeing what his replacement will do with the company.

Thanks for the comments. Sorry I didn't respond sooner as I was prepping for the park's 2011 season. Speaking of which, no new rides will debut in 2011, figuring the Motocross coaster could still be very marketable for another season. Midway Park is responding to the many guest surveys they conducted this past season and the overwhelming consensus is that the guests want more variety in the food department therefore that is the direction they are taking. Not to worry, a major ride will be debuting in 2012. This is the site of one of the two new food locations as of the end of the 2010 season. It didn't take long for the crews to clear the site. On that site will be Crosby's-on-the-Midway, an all-you-can-eat buffet. Here's a peek through the window at Crosby's. We are also opening a Chinese restaurant, the Mandarin Cafe, behind the Tagada (just don't eat then ride immediately after). We are also going to open a large gift shop, the Midway Mercantile, across from the carousel. An evening view of Midway Mercantile, probably one of my better buildings. The building is currently empty. Anyone know of any good gift shop CSO?

After doing America's Wonderland I decided to create a smaller traditional style park where only coasters and certain rides will actually get a customized station. To be honest I don't have as much patience in creating buildings as many of you might be and they usually come out average at best. With that said I bring you Midway Park. The main gate with the park's iconic Giant Wheel in the distance. This is actually the inspiration for the park's logo. The view down the main midway. The view from the Giant Wheel end of the main midway. Before I continue here is the lay of the land. Both major midways have an anchor attraction at each end. A secondary midway makes a complete circle around the park. Central Fountain is the crossroads. The South Midway consists of the main gate, carousel, Macabre Manor, and this, the Garden of Eatin' outdoor food court. Macabre Manor is a park original and has entertained guests for almost 50 years. Rumor has it the ride may be removed. Maintenance costs and vandalism have increased over the past several years. The North Midway is home to the Athenian Ballroom. A major stop during the Big Band era, the building is now used for special events and private outings. Mill Race was added in the late 70's in an effort to modernize the park. To give the park more visibility the Midway Giant Wheel was added in the mid-1980's and anchors the North Midway. The East Midway consists of an Eyerly Loop-o-Plane, the Scrambler, Cosmic Chaos (Huss Booster), and Zierer Wave Swinger. Anchoring this midway is the Thunderbolt wood coaster. T-Bolt was built in the 40's and has seen some considerable upgrades like air brakes and new trains. A multi-year retracking is planned to begin next year. Because of its modest size, T-Bolt is the most popular ride in the park. View looking towards the West Midway. This midway is home to the Paratrooper (moved to make way for Mill Race), a Polyp, Huss Enterprise, and the anchor attraction, Patriot. The owners took a risk adding Patriot. This Arrow loop screw paid off for them when they added it in 1981. Other attractions at Midway Park include the Par 3 Adventure Golf. Parkwood Amphitheater Raging Seas, a Mack Sea Storm. The Tagada, a first for an American park. After a looong dry spell in the coaster department, the owners added the Motocross Turbo Bikes for 2010. While many of the younger guests wanted something bigger and more thrilling, the park opted for something more family friendly. It's been a big hit.

Sky Rocket does die off after the corkscrew/flatspin. The wavy track does nothing for the ride and there doesn't seem to be as much speed on the bunny hills. I do agree that the ride does have amazing air time on that top hat. That was a big surprise.

If they intend on keeping it like RCT3 then they need to seriously address the lag problem when the park gets too big/a lot of guests/during night mode. That's also another reason I'm all for going back to RCT2 style play - never had an issue running the game when my parks were large and/or had a lot of guests.

I can't believe I just read all 102 pages of this thread. You have done a fabulous job with this park and I envy your talent in making it look so unbelievably real. Congratulations on your park! The rise/fall/rise/fall/and stratospheric rebirth as SFSC has been very well written. I have greatly enjoyed all the drama (though I was shocked and surprised you picked Funtime Parks as a past owner). SFSC has been with one wood coaster since the 70's so right now we're about at the time CCI was at their peak. GCI was starting to make a name for themselves. A wooden twister would be a nice complement to the out and back Derecho, which I would like to say the first three hills remind me of Shivering Timbers for some reason. For those who clamor for a stand-up - it doesn't fit this park. A double twisting Impulse is a possibility. I'm surprised that Roadrunner is leaving as that will remove a decent family coaster. I think Vulture is a gonner. I can see a mid-sized Intamin Rocket/Accelerator in the near future.

^^It's all good. I do have a sense of humor but sometimes a joke goes a little too far and gets old too quick, i.e. Prince Desmond, and it seems that GL is always being picked on for some reason, even when it was still a living, breathing amusment park. I don't think the Intamin cable joke will ever get old.

Are you accusing me of being a spy? If I had an issue with a post or poster on this site I'm not going to run over to GLT and post it there. There are some people over there who haven't totally gotten over the whole ordeal, yes three years later, but I have and I've moved on. Now back to our regularly scheduled topic.

^^ and ^Gee, thanks for those comments. Much appreciated - not. I thought it was Kinzel trying to erase important documents before he retired so that Q Funding doesn't find out his real plan for the company.

Loved the Demon Drop update. IIRC that was also the year they took out the Sky Wheel double Ferris Wheel that was located nearby. While reading the info I flashbacked to when we used to wait 1.5 to 2 hours for it in the baking sun. I also liked the Mean Streak S.O.P. How large is that manual? Seems to almost be the size of a novel. How much of that did you have to memorize?

Thanks for posting those calendar photos. I remember having that as well. Even though it has snow I always loved the December photo, probably taken from Mr. Hyde. Mandarin Buffet was probably the best place to eat in the entire park.

A Zacspin at CP would be a nice addition despite the capacity and would easily fit in the spot left by Demon Drop. Who cares if Magic Mountain gets one first as the vast majority of the GP could care less. It would be something unique that you can't find anywhere else in these parts. As much as an S&S version would be sweet I don't see it happening and it will be interesting to see what becomes of the B&M prototype. You know CF loves their Intamins. BTW, capacity didn't stop them from adding Wicked Twister.

If you're thinking of a more compact, twisty layout that delivers you might be inspired by GCI's Evel Knievel at Six Flags St. Louis. It's not a big coaster but it's everything a great twister coaster should be. As for an out and back nothing, to me, beats the Voyage but if you want something that is not as intense or as long then a ride like Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer would be up your alley. It literally put Waldameer on the map and is the best wood coaster in my neck of the woods. From the top of the lift to the final brake there isn't a dead spot on the ride. It's like a mini-Voyage.

^Thanks for the suggestion. I sort of wanted to go with Raging Bull's colors as I like the orange/wine color scheme and I really wanted to avoid using what is termed the Cedar Fair colors (red/yellow) which would have easily fit the ride. I also didn't want to use black since Banshee has the black supports so I changed it to dark red . We've also developed a marketing jingle. "There's no land like America's Wonderland Where fun and laughter both go hand in hand From the biggest coasters to the smallest rides The thrills are waiting for you inside So grab the family and make your plans To spend the day at America's Wonderland" Another view of Khan with the dark red supports.

It's been 15 years since we, that is the company, purchased America's Wonderland and did a total transformation of the park for its 25th anniversary. We've done some expansion since then, adding a new Asian themed section, two coasters, a river rapids ride, a train ride, and greatly expanding the Americana Corners section. The Antique Cars were removed, slightly relocated and redesigned to allow access to the new areas. Also Wicked Woods was connected with the Asia area with a path under Banshee. Here's an aerial overview showing how the newly expanded areas in the back relate to the rest of the park. An aerial overview of the new expansion areas. Heading into the Asia area from Wicked Woods. To the left is Ninja Star (Chance Chaos) and towering ahead is Khan, our largest coaster at 150 feet. Close up of the Asia area. View from if you were coming from the new Americana Corners expansion. Overview of entire the Asia section. On the bottom right is a panda habitat. To celebrate the opening of the Asia section China let us loan two pandas for a temporary exhibit. Khan, our king of coasters, is an Intamin mega that might be Elissa approved. The Americana Corners expansion includes a glass train station and the Turn of the Century Arrow coaster. Raging Thunder Rapids sort of connects Americana Corners with Coyote Creek with its western inspired rugged landscape. Turn of the Century is a double loop corkscrew that has some inspiration from KI's Vortex.

^I like that idea. I loved VertiGo when it was at CP. The suspended coaster never saw its full potential (well except for Eagle's Fortress based on Robb's POV) and I'd like to see the concept revived. Beef up the track and supports so that there won't be as much stress as on the older models.

Kings Island. When you exit I-71 south at Kings Mills Road and you stop at the light you get a nice view of the Eiffel Tower, Drop Tower, Son of Beast lift and Diamondback. Another favorite view is as you pass the Warren County water tower while going on I-71 north and the park's high rides just pop up in the distance. SFGAm as you approach the Grand Avenue exit from I-94 north with Raging Bull and American Eagle's helix. SFStL is quite impressive when you exit off I-44 with the hill behind Screamin' Eagle. SFMM is also very impressive from I-5.

While several people have stated that SFMM and SFGAdv get most of the newer rides to their parks, also take into account all of the rides they have lost over the years. So SFA has lost a lot of rides but the two aforementioned parks have lost a lot more in comparison. All those flat rides Great Adventure added in '99 are pretty much gone. I've never been to SFA but would like to sometime if I ever get back down in that area again. I get the impression that the park is not in the greatest of areas. By adding big time coasters and such wouldn't that draw the clientele that seem to keep families away?