RollerColester
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Posts posted by RollerColester
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Starting to look like 2020 will just be a throw away year for the park.. If they didn't have the go ahead to move towards opening yet, no way our mighty state leader will allow it with rising cases..
I doubt any new rides are on the table, as following through with Grand Carnivale and other 2020 plans will probably just be moved to 2021..
RMC Raptor in Sioux Falls next year is a nice consolation prize though..
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Date: October 28th, 1981
Graham Lakes Announces New Additions
Two new rides will debut next year for Graham Lakes 1982 season. "Time Portals" will debut and take riders in a circular motion while seated in individual enclosed, futuristic themed vehicles that have the capability to rock back and forth. Also debuting next year is "Ocean Voyager," which riders will board a themed ship and sway back and forth simulating an 15th century journey across the ocean. A new eatery "Sea Cuisine" will also debut near Ocean Voyager and serve guests various sea food.
Photo Update:
Warrior in action the last operating week of the year.
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Thanks man! I really enjoy the financial side of the game and my goal for Graham Lakes is to stick to a timeline with ride additions that lines up with what the industry was offering at that point in time. This is my first park in OpenRCT2, so I've sort of learned some tricks as I've gone on. It has always bugged me seeing RCT2 parks with unrealistic, blocky layouts on coasters, so I'm glad you appreciate the layout! I wish that there was more options as far as degrees of drops, instead of 4 options (flat, 30 degrees, 60 degrees, vertical), but I guess I can't complain about a game from 2002. I'm usually a few years ahead of what is posted on this thread, so currently working on the next coaster! My plan is to take this park to 2020 or Year 50, so much more to come!
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Date: June 13th, 1981
Annual Stockholder's Meeting
10th annual stockholder's meeting was held. The following Year 10 info was presented:
Attendance: 3,443
Park Rating: 999
EBITDA: $13,109.10
In-Park Guest Spending Revenues (Shops/Food/Drink): $17,196.80
Capital Investments: $3,862.00
Employees: 21 (14 Handymen, 5 Mechanics, 2 Security Guard)
Favorite Ride: Logger's Chute
Entrance Price: $42
Awards: Safest Park in the Country
Refurbished/Overhauled Rides: Scenic Tower, Vintage Autos, Twister
Summary:
*Final attendance for park's 10th anniversary season was up 260 guests, an increase of 8.2% over Year 9.
*Park rating remained perfect at 999.
*EBITDA declined by $2,225.30 over the prior season for a 14.5% decrease.
*In-Park Guest Spending rose $627.80, an increase of 3.8%.
*Capital investment of $3,862.00 brought 3 new attractions to Kiddie Utopia for Year 10.
*No new employee's were hired.
*Logger's Chute was voted as the park's favorite attraction by guests for the first time, overtaking long-time park favorite Red Raider.
*Entrance price rose $2 from the prior year to $42.
Our 10th Anniversary season went very smoothly. Guest attendance was up over 8% with the addition of 3 new rides to Kiddie Utopia. In-park guest spending rose slightly, while EBITDA declined after a phenomenal growth in year 9. Our company was able to increase our cash in preparation for a major investment in year 11.
Current Season:
Warrior debuted in the spring of 1981. The new coaster from Arrow Development features 4 inversions and stands at a height of 100 feet. Queue lines for the new ride have been completely full since day 1, which has caused some unhappiness among riders. The ride's location has also presented some challenges with many guests having issues finding the new coaster. Weather has also not been very cooperative for the first half of the year with rain showers a frequent event. All these factors have presented a challenging start to the 1981 season. Attendance figures are in decline so far this season for the many factors above. We are completing plans for a new walkway yet this season, which will hopefully decrease guests unhappiness with locating Warrior. Overall, we are confident that our attendance figures can get back on track with added marketing and operational adjustments.
Photo Update:
Warrior has begun testing. Here are the preliminary stats for the new coaster.
Warrior opened to very large lines, leading to some guest unhappiness.
An emergency path had to be constructed to account for guest unhappiness with available paths to the new ride.
Warrior's layout features interlocking vertical loops, as well as a double corkscrew for a total of 4 inversions.
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Date: October 10th, 1980
New Coaster "Warrior" Coming to Graham Lakes
With Graham Lakes Amusement Park's 10th Anniversary season coming to an end, the park made a major announcement for the 1981 season. The park will debut it's 4th roller coaster, "Warrior." The coaster is an Arrow Development creation, the same company that designed the park's "Logger's Chute" ride a couple seasons ago. Warrior will stand 100 feet tall and feature 4 inversions, including interlocking vertical loops and a double corkscrew. The 28 passenger trains will travel 50 mph over 3,200 feet of track during the 2 minute circuit. The addition will stretch the park's footprint further north along the shoreline of West Graham Lake. A gift shop bearing the name, "Battle Tokens" will be added at the new ride's exit, along with a restroom just south of the new coaster's location.
Both the ride's name and color scheme were influenced by the Graham Lakes GM's alma mater, Winona State University. Marketing signs around the park have also appeared stating, "Prepare for battle!" This comes after the park's GM previously dropped a hint earlier in the season stating, "the 1981 season will be a battle to remember!"
Photo Update:
Late in the season survey markers began to appear north of the Shoreline Railway station.
Concrete foundation work has begun for Warrior's station and the exit's gift shop.
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In honor of Graham Lakes Amusement Park's 10th Season of operation, I thought I'd do a quick timeline recap of park additions by year and a quick photo update of the park.
Year 1 (1971): Graham Lakes Opens!!: Red Raider (classic wooden coaster designed and built in-house), Dodgems, Carousel, Scrambler, American Wheel, Roulette, Vintage Autos, Burger Shack (Burger eatery), Midway Sweets (Various Sweets eatery), Bathrooms (by Red Raider), Entrance Shopper (various shops near entrance gates), Plaza Gifts (various shops near entrance gates), Maintenance Shop A
Year 2 (1972): Skylift, Lakeside Swans, Tilt-a-Whirl, Papa's Pizza (Pizza eatery), First Aid building (by Roulette), Bathrooms (by Dodgems)
Year 3 (1973): Wave Swings, Scenic Tower, Chicken Joint (Chicken eatery)
Year 4 (1974): Shoreline Railway, Depot Dogs (Hot Dog eatery)
Year 5 (1975): Kiddie Utopia debuts: Junior Bug (Kiddie Coaster), Spiral Slide, Tea Party!, Magic School Bus, Monster Truck Dash, Utopia Subs (Sub sandwich eatery), and Red Raider was Re-profiled
Year 6 (1976): Kamikaze, Maintenance Shop B
Year 7 (1977): The Graham Lakes Looper (Schwarzkopf Looping Coaster)
Year 8 (1978): Galaxy Traveler (Huss Enterprise)
Year 9 (1979): Logger's Chute (Arrow Development Log Flume)
Year 10 (1980): Kiddie Utopia expansion: Air Balloon Adventure, Jet Choppers, Graham Trucking Co., and Bathrooms (by Junior Bug)
Graham Lakes Amusement Park has invested approximately $271,734.02 to get the park to what it is currently in Year 10 (1980). It currently entertains over 3,400 guests annually each season. (Money and attendance measures in RCT2 units)
Photo Update:
West end of the park featuring crowd favorite Red Raider, the park's classic out-and-back wooden roller coaster.
A close up of the other attractions the west end of the park has to offer.
The east end of the park features the last two major attractions added to the park: The Graham Lakes Looper and Logger's Chute.
The close up of the other attractions located on the east end of the park.
An overview of the center of the park featuring the entrance plaza and Kiddie Utopia.
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Date: May 27, 1980
Annual Stockholder's Meeting
9th annual stockholder's meeting was held. The following Year 9 info was presented:
Attendance: 3,183
Park Rating: 999
EBITDA: $15,334.40
In-Park Guest Spending Revenues (Shops/Food/Drink): $16,569.00
Capital Investments: $2,371.50
Employees: 21 (14 Handymen, 5 Mechanics, 2 Security Guard)
Favorite Ride: Red Raider
Entrance Price: $40
Awards: Best Value Park in the Country
Refurbished/Overhauled Rides: Red Raider, Dodgems, Wave Swinger, and Roulette
Summary:
*Final attendance for Year 9 was up 259 guests, an increase of 8.9% over Year 8.
*Park rating remained perfect at 999.
*EBITDA grew by $3,278.70 over the prior season for a 27.2% increase.
*In-Park Guest Spending rose $856.50, an increase of 5.5%.
*Logger's Chute was a capital investment of $11,593.50.
*One additional handyman was brought on for the 1979 season.
*Red Raider was once again the park's favorite attraction, continuing the trend of the park's first coaster being the main staple of the park.
*Entrance price rose $2 from the prior year to $40.
*Graham Lakes won "Best Value Park in the Country" for the first time.
*Our maintenance team also completed some major refurbishments on Red Raider's operating system, Dodgems, Wave Swinger, and Roulette. These ride's reliability will be drastically improved in year's moving forward after showing a decline in reliability the last few years.
Year 9 was a very successful year both operationally and financially. The park's attendance showed a nice increase with the addition of Logger's Chute, the park's first water ride. From a financial side, EBITDA out performed expectations greatly as the park has really focused on operational efficiency when it comes to its employees. Expanded food offerings over the years have really started to catch on and play a major part in overall profits as well. Ride refurbishments will continue to become an annual trend moving forward as our selection of rides ages. The park will focus on ride's showing the biggest decreases in reliability when ultimately selecting which rides will be refurbished each year. For our 10th anniversary year, we are setting goals of a 5% attendance increase, 8% in-park guest spending increase, and 10% increase in EBITDA.
Current Season:
The 10th operating season at Graham Lakes is now underway for the 1980 season. To celebrate year 10 of the park, Kiddie Utopia saw the addition of 3 new rides: Air Balloon Adventure, Graham Trucking Co., and Jet Choppers. These new rides have really helped improve capacity in the Kiddie Utopia area of the park, something that has been an issue at times in recent years.
There has been a lot of chatter among Graham Lakes regulars about activity going on north of the Shoreline Railway's station this summer. Park officials have been spotted multiple times in the area appearing to be discussing plans for next year's addition. Arrow Development has been a company thrown around in rumors for the plans due to their recent history with the park's Logger's Chute addition last year. Park officials have been quiet when addressing the rumors with Graham Lakes GM making the statement, "While we do hear rumors and enjoy following them, we are unable to discuss the details on future additions until they finalized and officially announced by the park. Although, I can tell that the 1981 season will be a battle to remember!"
Photo Update:
Overview of Kiddie Utopia showing off the addition of 3 new rides.
New expanded Kiddie Utopia area.
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Date: August 29, 1979
Graham Lakes to Celebrate 10th Anniversary with Addition of 3 New Rides
To celebrate the park's 10th Anniversary, Graham Lakes Amusement Park announces the addition of 3 new rides to Kiddie Utopia, the park's kid's area. Kiddie Utopia will see the ride additions of "Air Balloon Adventure," "Graham Trucking Co.," and "Jet Choppers." All rides are targeted at towards younger guests and their families. "Kiddie Utopia has been one of the busiest, most popular areas of the park since it debuted five years ago. To celebrate the 5th year of Kiddie Utopia and the 10th year of the park, we are happy to announce the expansion of Kiddie Utopia with three new rides for young guests and their families to enjoy," stated Graham Lakes GM. A new restroom will also be constructed in the area of Kiddie Utopia.
Photo Update:
Survey markers have appeared all over Kiddie Utopia.
The Graham Lakes Looper has consistently drawn the longest wait time the past couple years.
East end of the park featuring The GL Looper and Logger's Chute.
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Date: March 26, 1979
Annual Stockholder's Meeting
8th annual stockholder's meeting was held. The following Year 8 info was presented:
Attendance: 2,924
Park Rating: 999
EBITDA: $12,055.70
In-Park Guest Spending Revenues (Shops/Food/Drink): $15,712.50
Capital Investments: $2,371.50
Employees: 20 (13 Handymen, 5 Mechanics, 2 Security Guard)
Favorite Ride: Red Raider
Entrance Price: $38
Awards: Safest Park in the Country
Refurbished/Overhauled Rides: American Wheel, Carousel, Tilt-a-Whirl
Summary:
*Final attendance for Year 8 was up 289 guests, an increase of 11.0% over Year 7.
*Park rating remained perfect at 999.
*EBITDA was decreased, as expected, by $6,954.00 over the prior season for a 36.6% decrease.
*In-Park Guest Spending rose $1,609.30, another steady increase of 11.4%.
*Galaxy Traveler and other minor park improvements were a capital investment of $2,371.50.
*One additional handyman was brought on for the 1978 season.
*Red Raider was once again the park's favorite attraction.
*Entrance price rose $2 from the prior year to $38.
*Graham Lakes won "Safest Park in the Country" for the second year in a row.
*Our maintenance team also completed some major refurbishments on American Wheel, Carousel, and the Tilt-a-Whirl. Investments in these overhauls will drastically improve the ride's reliability that had been decreasing in recent years.
Current Season:
Logger's Chute construction is 100% complete and is set to open soon. Ride testing is in it's final stages and everything is checking out smoothly. We are hoping that the addition of this attraction continues the long trend of double digit attendance increases, along with in park guest spending increasing 10+%. We are optimistic that EBITDA can be grown somewhere in the 2-4% range after the pull back last year from the addition of The GL Looper.
Photo Update:
Ride testing is in it's final stages and Logger's Chute is set to open very shortly!
Aeriel view of the new Logger's Chute attraction.
Boats hit a top speed of 31 mph on the attraction's drop finale.
Q-lines for Logger's Chute have been near capacity all season long!
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Date: October 25, 1978
New Water Ride to Debut at Graham Lakes
Graham Lakes will debut "Logger's Chute" for the 1979 season. This will be the park's first water ride and allow park patrons a chance to cool off on Minnesota's hot, humid summer days. Riders will travel through the winding journey in hollow log themed boats. The journey will feature a splashdown over the lake following a climatic 35 foot drop. Logger's Chute will be yet another outstanding addition to the park's first-class ride offering.
Photo Update:
Survey markers have gone up for the future station area of Logger's Chute.
Logger's Chute will be located along the shores of East Graham Lakes.
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Date: April 3, 1978
Annual Stockholder's Meeting
7th annual stockholder's meeting was held. The following Year 7 info was presented:
Attendance: 2,635
Park Rating: 999
EBITDA: $19,009.70
In-Park Guest Spending Revenues (Shops/Food/Drink): $14,103.20
Capital Investments: $20,837.00
Employees: 19 (12 Handymen, 5 Mechanics, 2 Security Guard)
Favorite Ride: Red Raider
Entrance Price: $36
Awards: Safest Park in the Country; Most Beautiful Park in the Country
Summary:
*Final attendance for Year 7 was up 380 guests, an increase of 16.9% over Year 6.
*Park rating remained perfect at 999.
*EBITDA was increased an incredible $11,199.70 over the prior season for a 143.4% increase.
*In-Park Guest Spending rose $1,540.50, another steady increase of 12.3%.
*The Graham Lakes Looper cost $20,837.00 in capital investments. It was financed with a $25,000 infuse of cash into the operating fund from the company's separate money market account.
*Two additional mechanics and an additional handyman was hired to account for the addition of Graham Lakes Looper.
*Red Raider again reclaimed the top spot as the park's favorite attraction, despite the addition of The Graham Lakes Looper. Long lines for the new coaster may have led to some guest unhappiness overall with the ride.
*Entrance price rose $4 from the prior year to $36.
*Graham Lakes won its first park awards in Year 7. Graham Lakes was deemed the "Safest Park in the Country" and "Most Beautiful Park in the Country."
Year 7 was a big success with the addition of The Graham Lakes Looper. Attendance increased just shy of 17% over the prior year. Our park rating remained perfect with the help of added employees and a continued focus on customer satisfaction. EBITDA more than doubled with the additional of the park's newest coaster. In Year 8, we hope to sustain as much of the EBITDA growth as possible, but would expect some-what of a step back after the major addition in Year 7. We expect Year 8 in-park guest spending to continue to increase near 10%.
Current Season:
1978 brought the addition of Galaxy Traveler, a HUSS "enterprise" ride type. The park is starting to get crowded overall, which is prompting park officials to look into options of how to expand the footprint of the park in order to spread out guests. Operations are handling the crowds well, which can be shown with a constant near perfect park rating.
Photo Update:
New for 1978 was the additional of Galaxy Traveler
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Date: September 28, 1977
New Thrill Ride Planned for Year 8
"Galaxy Traveler" will debut for the 1978 season at Graham Lakes Amusement Park. The new thrill ride is manufactured by German manufacturer HUSS and is their Enterprise model ride. The ride will be located in the empty plot of land by the first aid station on the west side of the park. "Galaxy Traveler will be yet another great, thrilling addition for guests to enjoy here at Graham Lakes," stated Graham Lakes GM.
Photo Update:
Future location of Galaxy Traveler.
Ride profile for The Graham Lakes Looper.
Ride profile for Red Raider.
GL Looper was an incredible success in its initial season.
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I'd support a water park expansion, it's just when and how. If they build it out as planed in 2015 it will have separate park entrance and fees. Effectively two parks instead of the one it currently is.
Nothing would change, it would still be two parks for the price of one. Besides Cedar Point and Knotts, every other park is like this and will likely continue to be like this.
On another post it was said they could add a $25 million coaster and only get a 1% increase in attendance. I think that's extreme.
You're referring to my post when I was referring to when King's Island built Banshee there was only a 1% increase in attendance, and reports that even Steel Vengeance did very little to effect Cedar Point's attendance for that year.
Would a large coaster investment at Valleyfair in today's age be different due to the length of time between coasters, maybe? Nobody will know until its tried. I still believe a cheaper coaster option like an RMC or Gerstlauer will be next at the park versus a B&M.
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Date: May 1, 1977
Annual Stockholder's Meeting
6th annual stockholder's meeting was held. The following Year 6 info was presented:
Attendance: 2,255
Park Rating: 999
EBITDA: $7,810.00
In-Park Guest Spending Revenues (Shops/Food/Drink): $12,562.70
Capital Investments: $6,940.00
Employees: 16 (11 Handymen, 3 Mechanics, 2 Security Guard)
Favorite Ride: Red Raider
Entrance Price: $32
Summary:
*Final attendance for Year 6 was up 271 guests, a increase of 13.7% over Year 4.
*Park rating at year-end was 999, an increase of 6 and a perfect park rating.
*EBITDA was up $1.069.80 over the prior season for a 15.9% increase.
*In-Park Guest Spending rose $1,880.90 or 17.6%.
*Capital Investments in Kamikaze and various park improvements totaled $6,940.00.
*Employee count remained the same as prior year, but efficiency was improved.
*Red Raider claimed the top spot as the park's favorite attraction for the third year in a row.
*Entrance price rose $3 from the prior year to $32.
Year 6's operations were vastly improved over the prior year. Attendance continued to increase double digits and a perfect park rating was achieved. EBITDA was back to positive growth and in-park spending continued to rise at a great clip. In Year 7, with the debut of The Graham Lakes Looper, we hope to increase attendance 20%, along with EBITDA and in-park guest spending increases of atleast 15%.
Current Season:
The Graham Lakes Looper opened late spring of 1977. This is the park's third coaster and the first to go upside down. It was inspired by the Great American Revolution at Magic Mountain. The coaster was an instant hit drawing long lines and an attendance spike. Year 7 performance expectations appear to be right on track with this major addition.
Photo Update:
Guests in the parking lot get a great view of the loop!
The Graham Lakes Looper station and queue area.
Overall layout for the new coaster.
The new coaster is hit with massive crowds drawn to the east end of the park.
Aerial shot of the park.
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Date: October 14, 1976
Looping Coaster Coming to Graham Lakes in 1977
The Graham Lakes Looper will be turning riders upside down in 1977. The new coaster designed by Anton Schwarzkopf will be constructed over the offseason and will be the first coaster to feature an inversion in the upper Midwest. The ride will be just under 3,000 feet in length, travel roughly 47 mph, and feature over a minute and a half ride time. The coaster will be built on the east end of the park, along the parking lot.
Graham Lakes GM stated, "After riding the Great American Revolution at Magic Mountain, I immediately knew that this experience needed to come to Graham Lakes. Along with our park design team, we worked with Anton Schwarzkopf to come up with a ride that will fit our park perfectly. The Graham Lakes Looper will draw people from near and far to the park and we couldn't be more excited about this addition."
Photo Update:
A second maintenance shop is being constructed before the end of the 1976 season.
"Maintenance Shop B" is now complete. Also, an overview of construction markers for The Graham Lakes Looper, set to open in 1977.
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Date: March 25, 1976
Annual Stockholder's Meeting
5th annual stockholder's meeting was held. The following Year 5 info was presented:
Attendance: 1,984
Park Rating: 993
EBITDA: $6,740.20
In-Park Guest Spending Revenues (Shops/Food/Drink): $10,681.80
Capital Investments: $20,190.70
Employees: 16 (11 Handymen, 3 Mechanics, 2 Security Guard)
Favorite Ride: Red Raider
Entrance Price: $29
Summary:
*Final attendance for Year 5 was up 279 guests, a increase of 16.4% over Year 4.
*Park rating at year-end was 993, an increase of 30 and a step closer to achieving a perfect park rating.
*EBITDA was down $2,161.30 over the prior season for a 24.3% decrease.
*In-Park Guest Spending rose $502.20 or 4.9%.
*Capital Investments in the addition of Kiddie Utopia totaled $20,190.70.
*Two extra handyman and an extra mechanic where hired to cover the new expansion area.
*Red Raider again reclaimed the top spot as the park's favorite attraction, according to guest surveys.
*Entrance price rose $3 from the prior year to $29.
Year 5 was a big season for Graham Lakes. Overall attendance continued to increase at an impressive rate of over 16%. Our park rating is nearing a perfect rating with the added employees and customer satisfaction focus. That did come at a cost though as the added staff contributed to a decline in EBITDA. In Year 6, our goal is to show an increase in EBITDA again through better employee efficiency, and continue increasing In-Park Spending at a rate of at least 5%.
Current Season:
Kamikaze debuted for the 1976 season. After a large capital investment year in 1975, this season is intended to be sort of a breather. A short breather as 1977 plans are finalized and approved. The rumor around the park is that the GM of Graham Lakes was impressed with a new coaster on the west coast and is wanting to bring Graham Lakes its own version. With both Schwarzkopf and Arrow debuting inverting coasters in the prior year, which company did Graham Lakes GM prefer?
Photo Update:
The thrill ride "Kamikaze" debuted on the west side of the park for the 1976 season.
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Just got home from the park. I didn't notice any damage to the Superior Stage, but I wasn't really looking. Could of swore I saw it intact.
Crowds were getting to be pretty big. All the kids rides and activities were as busy as I've ever seen.
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It seems lately a park adds a slide complex, it gets a 1% increase in attendance..
A park adds a $25,000,000 coaster, it gets a 1% increase in attendance..
If it's your checkbook, which are you choosing more often then not with those trends? The slide complex is the cheaper, less risky solution for a company that is drowning in debt. And if attendance isn't declining significantly, no need to worry how long it has been since a coaster was last installed at a particular park.
I think this is the trend in the amusement park industry the last few years and why Cedar Fair seems to be trying new cheaper ideas (Grand Carnivale) in terms of generating attendance increases besides adding an expensive coaster at every park.
I don't know exact attendance figures the last 10-20 years, but the south metro area has grown like crazy during that time and I have to think that Valleyfair's attendance has increased in correlation with it even without very many large investments.
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Date: October 28, 1975
New Ride Coming to Graham Lakes in 1976
Graham Lakes Amusement Park announced recently that its latest ride coming to the park will be named "Kamikaze." Graham Lakes GM stated that, "Kamikaze will debut in the spring of 1976. It is a "sky diver" type attraction that will take guests in a circular motion similar to a Ferris Wheel. Riders individual vehicles will also be able to twist sideways 360 degrees, allowing vehicles to travel upside down. Kamikaze will be a great addition to our thrill ride collection and give riders a new high thrill experience when visiting the park."
Investor Finance Update:
Investors were informed in an October letter that $25,000 of the $50,000 set aside for future capital improvements or operating needs, will be transferred into the main operating account in late 1976. The transfer is needed for a major attraction for the 1977 season that is currently in the last of its various approval stages. While the park's current overall earnings have the ability to cover the park's entire operational expenses, larger capital investments at this time will require cash infusion to avoid financing. This was anticipated at the inception of the park and planned for with the $50,000 of initial investment dollars set aside for this exact purpose. $25,000 will remain in that separate fund for future use after the planned transfer in late 1976.
Photo Update:
Construction has already begun in the area Kamikaze will be added.
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I think your right on with the mat race slide coming to that location. Worlds of Fun is adding one next year and I think Carowinds is as well. Would be a nice addition to the water park!
I would put that as the favorite in Vegas for what Valleyfair's 2021 addition will likely be, whether the large parking lot/new entrance expansion comes along with it or not.
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Date: June 6, 1975
1974 Annual Stockholder's Meeting
4th annual stockholder's meeting was held. The following Year 4 info was presented:
Attendance: 1,705
Park Rating: 963
EBITDA: $8,901.50
In-Park Guest Spending Revenues (Shops/Food/Drink): $10,179.60
Capital Investments: $12,140.00
Employees: 13 (9 Handymen, 2 Mechanics, 2 Security Guard)
Favorite Ride: Red Raider
Entrance Price: $26
Summary:
*Final attendance for Year 4 was up 297 guests, a increase of 21.1% over Year 3.
*Park rating at year-end was 963, a slight increase of 0.1% over the prior year.
*EBITDA was up $1,282.80 over the prior season for a 16.8% increase.
*In-Park Guest Spending rose $1,681.90 or 19.8%.
*Capital Investments in Shoreline Railway and Depot Dogs eatery totaled $12,140.00.
*We hired an extra security guard this year, a hire we felt was necessary due to our ever growing crowds.
*Red Raider reclaimed the top spot as the park's favorite attraction, according to guest surveys.
*Entrance price rose $2 from the prior year to $26.
Management is very pleased with the results from Year 4 as we continued to see a 20%+ increase in attendance for the 3rd straight year. EBITDA and In-Park Spending both rose above our targeted goals of 15%. In Year 5, we expect our attendance to top the 2,000 guest mark and EBITDA and In-Park Spending to both rise a minimum of 10%.
Current Season:
The 1975 Season debuted a new children's area titled "Kiddie Utopia". Kiddie Utopia features 5 new rides including a kiddie coaster named "Junior Bug." The 4 other rides include the following child and family attractions: Tea Party!, Spiral Slide, Monster Truck Dash and Magic School Bus. "Utopia Subs" was also added in the center of Kiddie Utopia, which serves sub sandwiches and a variety of drink options. This is the largest expansion the park has added since it's initial opening. Other improvements for the 1975 season include a slightly re-profiled Red Raider layout.
Photo Update:
Kiddie Utopia debuted for the 1975 season. It included 5 new rides and a new eatery.
Junior Bug is the second coaster added to the park's lineup and was an instant hit with guests.
Utopia Subs can be found in the center of Kiddie Utopia.
The second bunny hill and slight turn were modified. This was a very intense area of the ride and was showing drastic wear-and-tear after only 4 seasons. The re-profiled section will help deliver a less intense ride and minimize future maintenance requirements.
The turnaround into the break run was slightly modified with a trim break added.
Overview of the new expansion area.
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Date: October 13, 1974
Children's Area Expansion Coming to Graham Lakes for 1975 Season
An expansion targeting younger guests will debut in the spring of 1975 at Graham Lakes Amusement Park. "Kiddie Utopia" is a new expansion area that will consist of 5 new rides, including a kiddie coaster. Kiddie Utopia will be located in the center of the park and expand the current park's boundaries north under the Skylift attraction. "Utopia Subs" will also debut in the new children's area, serving sub sandwiches and a variety of drink options.
Graham Lakes GM told local media, "Kiddie Utopia is an addition the park has been planning diligently over the past two years and we cannot be more excited for it to debut. It will bring the second roller coaster to the park, along with the addition of four other great rides to add to our park's current line up. While we cannot announce all of the final details just yet, we are confident this expansion will satisfy our younger, milder ride seeking guests in a way the park could not before. We cannot wait to debut this new area for families and guests of all ages!"
Photo Update:
A large amount of survey markers appeared late in the 1974 season.
Kiddie Utopia will be the park's largest expansion since its initial opening.
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Date: April 09, 1974
1974 Annual Stockholder's Meeting
3nd annual stockholder's meeting was held. The following Year 3 info was presented:
Attendance: 1,408
Park Rating: 956
EBITDA: $7,618.70
In-Park Guest Spending Revenues (Shops/Food/Drink): $8,497.70
Capital Investments: $7,502.00
Employees: 12 (9 Handymen, 2 Mechanics, 1 Security Guard)
Favorite Ride: Skylift
Entrance Price: $24
Summary:
*Final attendance for Year 3 was up 343 guests, a increase of 32.2% over Year 2.
*Park rating at year-end was 956, a increase of 6.2% over the prior year.
*EBITDA was up $2,494.90 over the prior season for a 49.8% increase.
*In-Park Guest Spending rose $2,173.30 or 34.4%.
*Capital Investments were mild compared to Year 2 and totaled $7,502.00 for the 1973 season. Wave Swingers, Scenic Tower, and the eatery Chicken Joint were smaller investments overall, but successful in achieving their intended goals.
*Employee numbers remained constant from the prior year, as our prior 2 mechanics were able to take on the two new added additions without any new hires. No new pathways were added in Year 3, so no new handymen were needed.
*Guests voted Skylift as the park's overall favorite attraction for the 2nd straight year, beating out Red Raider by a small margin yet again.
*Entrance price rose $3 from Year 2 to $24 in Year 3, helping grow EBITDA and help move towards the goal of entry fees covering 100% of employee wages, ride operating costs, and expenses relating to marketing and maintenance.
Future:
Year 4 is underway and we have debuted Shoreline Railway along with the new eatery Depot Dogs. We predict Year 4 results will show the continued success and performance factors reported in Year 2 and 3. We are setting goals of a 20% attendance increase and 3% park rating increase for Year 4. We hope to grow EBITDA and total In-Park Guest Spending Revenues by a minimum of 15% each with the new capital investment additions. Year 3 EBITDA would have been negative again when not factoring in In-Park Guest Spending Revenues, but the margin closed compared to the prior year. Entrance ticket prices will again be increased, as we strive further towards our goal of park entry fees covering employee wages, ride operating costs, and expenses related to marketing and maintenance.
Graham Lakes GM noted to investors that Year 5 (1975) is scheduled to bring a large expansion to Graham Lakes that guest survey results have shown a desire for since the park's initial opening. The GM also noted that they are keeping an eye out on two industry companies that are rumored to debut new coaster concepts that involve inversions next year. We have been in contact with both companies and if these projects are successful, we would like to develop our own version of these inverting coasters in the near future.
Photo Update:
Shoreline Railway is the latest addition for the 1974 season.
Overview of the ride's footprint along the shores of West Graham Lake.
Another angle of the new additions of Depot Dogs (eatery) and Shoreline Railway for Year 4.
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Date: September 21, 1973
"Shoreline Railway" headed to Graham Lakes for 1974 Season
Graham Lakes Amusement Park would like to announce its capital investment plans for the 1974 season. "Shoreline Railway" will debut in the spring of 1974. Riders will be able to take a tour of the banks of West Graham Lake on a American style steam engine trains. Guests will hop aboard this near 2 minute journey in covered train cars and travel out-n-back along the lake shores, getting beautiful lakeside views.
Also debuting near Shoreline Railway will be an eatery serving hot dogs and a variety of drinks. "Depot Dogs" will make its debut along Shoreline Railway and give guests another food and drink option to enjoy throughout their day.
3rd annual stockholders meeting is scheduled for April 09, 1974.
Photo Update:
Survey markers have started popping up for the Shoreline Railway addition.
Valleyfair (VF) Discussion Thread
in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Posted
Yes, with masks, social distancing, and other common sense measures that I applaud Cedar Fair for requiring..
Not going to go any further than my comment above, as people stick to their agenda no matter what the actual data suggests anyway..
As a Cedar Fair investor, happy to see what they did issuing a billion dollars in notes due 2025 to essentially not fall behind on current debt and give them some cushion the next few years. While coaster enthusiasts complain about the lack of time in between major thrill rides, Cedar Fair management really is top notch.. Hoping that capital investment plans are not too negatively affected in the next couple years..