Lake Compounce Discussion Thread

[Canobie Coaster]

^ I wonder if Sky Rocket's closure at Kennywood could be related to that as well (assuming they already took care of what went wrong last year).

 

I fully expect their water park to get some new additions since they have that large clearing along the lake, but it's still a bummer to see their best slide close.

[coasterbill]

They used a different supplier to apply new polyurethane to the wheels and they have been delayed. I think it’s safe to say they won’t use that supplier again.

 

So basically they're closed because Parques Reunidos is being cheap again because they're a terrible company. Got it.

[Canobie Coaster]

They used a different supplier to apply new polyurethane to the wheels and they have been delayed. I think it’s safe to say they won’t use that supplier again.

 

So basically they're closed because Parques Reunidos is being cheap again because they're a terrible company. Got it.

 

 

Amen to that. Lake Compounce still has that family park feel, but it has the annoying policies/hiccups of a poorly run corporate park due to that company.

[Rai Fox]

-In general the park does not feel like they are ready to handle large crowds and it seems like corners are being cut with ride maintenance. Hopefully things improve in the future.

 

While I definitely agree in general, I'm not sure it's a deliberate cutting of corners or budget. The last time I spoke to the park's GM, he mentioned that the park's head of maintenance had retired, and they were struggling to find anyone in the area with the skills to replace him. Other people were filling in as well as they could, but they really didn't have anyone that they felt was up to being in charge. That was a couple years ago, but it seems like it's still the case.

 

This being my home park on top of the oldest park in the country, it's such a shame to see it all falling apart like this. Their star new coaster being down for half the summer (at least) has to be hurting their bottom line, and the waterpark really can not afford to lose more slides; it doesn't have enough to support the crowds as is. According to the staff I've talked to, they still have nothing in the plans to replace the Sky Ride yet, either. There's just less and less reason to visit right now.

[coasterbill]

The last time I spoke to the park's GM, he mentioned that the park's head of maintenance had retired, and they were struggling to find anyone in the area with the skills to replace him. Other people were filling in as well as they could, but they really didn't have anyone that they felt was up to being in charge.

 

I know it's tempting to grade Lake Compounce on a curve because they're a small park but they're run by a multinational publicly traded corporation that's one of the 10 largest theme park operators in the world by attendance. They own over 60 properties in 12 countries.

 

Could you imagine walking into a Cedar Fair park and hearing that they can't find anyone who knows how to properly maintain the rides? Could you imagine walking into a SeaWorld entertainment park and finding out that Tigris / Electric Eel / Tempesto / whatever is going to be closed for months because they ran out of wheels and can't get any more?

 

Come on.

[CNYCoasterguy11]

It certainly seems like Parque Reunidos is a big problem here. It's sad when it looks like Six Flags is a better run operation. I last visited the park in 2012 and loved it, but from the sounds of everything it has only gone down hill.

On the other hand Story Land is another Reunidos park that is run very well. We have taken our daughter there a couple times the last few years and loved it. You would think if a small park like that can run efficient and we'll then a park like Lake Compounce should have no trouble. It clearly doesn't seem like Reunidos is making a big difference that they were hoping for. Too bad they can't go back to being independent.

[DirkFunk]

Kennywood sold out because the family didn't want to run it and this Spanish firm had a bunch of money fronted to it by european banks. Now they're loaded with debt and are having a difficult time servicing it, leading to nothing but hideous choices by people who clearly have no idea what they're doing.

 

Lake Compounce sucks now. I was 10 minutes away from it this past Memorial Day weekend and felt there's no reason for me to have gone. I'm not going to wait an hour for Boulder Dash because they aren't competent enough to run two trains and can't find maintenance staff or aren't given money to buy OEM parts like everyone else (including SeaWorld, who is in even worse financial shape).

[prospekt88]

Was hoping to finally read some good news when I opened the thread but sounds like it's just more of the same.

 

They clearly are incapable of operating this park, hopefully it gets out of their hands before it deteriorates beyond repair. I enjoyed going to this place just as much, if not more, than Hershey and Great Adventure when I was a kid. I don't understand how this level of incompetence finds its way to the forefront with some of these parks. It's a shame.

[BoulderDash]

Phobia is testing now, will be opening tomorrow if everything goes well.

[SoCalJasonland]

Wow, I missed this thread but Parque Reunidos is also responsible for running our local park, Castle Park in Riverside California, into the ground. Our log ride broke a couple of weeks ago when a log flipped and ejected people and I think there is a rule that at least three of Castle Park's major attractions must be broken at any one time. Our Screamin Demon coaster, fireball, spider and log ride are all broken/closed.

[Canobie Coaster]

Phobia is testing now, will be opening tomorrow if everything goes well.

 

Finally!

[thesman]

Phobia was up and running today, shout out to the ops too they did an amazing job

[roflstomper]

I've lived 2 hours away from this park my whole life and had never been to this park. Went for the first time yesterday. Paid 39.99 to get in. In line with what other parks of similar size charge ie Canobie Lake but still way overpriced. Park was dead. Lot maybe 20 percent full. Revolution was closed per website which I knew, however at entrance they've got a sign that says delayed opening for: Phobia/Boulder Dash/Zoomerang/Downtime and a couple others. Basically everything that wasn't Wildcat or a kiddie ride wasn't open to start the day. Odd. Basically everything opened by 12-1230. Downtime never opened and Boulder Dash opened around 3.

 

Wildcat is awful. Dispatches ranged from 1:45 at the quickest to 4 min at the longest. One train is fine but they've got half the train blocked with a green cone for people coming through the exit. So maybe 8 people get on the ride at a time. For a line that should have taken 10 minutes it was more like 45. One and done on this one. 2/10.

 

Phobia is very good, exceptionally smooth and I was out of my seat the entire time. Had never done a skyrocket before and it was solid. Walk on wait. 7/10

 

Boulder Dash 1 train op but line moved well. Maybe 3-4 train wait. Rode in front and back. Both incredibly rough, like Rougarou rough. No airtime to be had either especially on that back section by the lake. Really surprised me to be honest. I guess I rode this on the worst day it's ever been running. 4/10.

 

Ghost blaster is one of the best shooting rides I have been on. Guns work great and you can tell what you're shooting at. 2nd best ride in the park. Thunder and lighting is also one of my favorite types of flat rides so points there. The natural cut fried are made fresh but they weren't selling enough of them to actually get them fresh to the buyer. Mine were 20 min under the heat lamp for sure but they gave me a ton of cheese so we're good there. Watched some 15 min Catterina Cat/Tigey Tiger or something show for kiddies that was cute.

 

Overall the park just lacks soul. Very bland and characterless compared to a place like Canobie Lake. At 48 bucks a person with no discount I just can't justify ever going back or recommending it to people.

 

Also If it sounds like I hated the park I didn't. I had a fun day and am glad I finally went to experience it, just unfortunately wasn't quite what I was hoping for.

[Canobie Coaster]

I admittedly haven't visited Lake Compounce on a weekday in quite some time, but I've never seen them do delayed openings in the past.

 

That's a shame to hear about Boulder Dash. I thought it was running very well outside of one bump on the outward leg when I rode it in May.

 

As for Ghost Hunt, I used to hate it. But the work they did on the guns made it much more enjoyable.

[coasterbill]

Boulder Dash 1 train op but line moved well. Maybe 3-4 train wait. Rode in front and back. Both incredibly rough, like Rougarou rough. No airtime to be had either especially on that back section by the lake. Really surprised me to be honest. I guess I rode this on the worst day it's ever been running. 4/10.

 

You just summed up our rides on it a few years ago (though there's nothing rough about Rougarou).

 

As for the delayed openings of just about every good ride in the park, I don't want to be the guy that comes into this thread just to constantly pile on Parques Reunidos for being terrible but... lol

Edited July 11, 2019 by coasterbill

[Intamin_coyote]

Hmm. Rougarou rough you say. So I guess it was pretty smooth!

 

(I kid. I'm one of those few crazy people that loves Rougarou )

 

PS: Glad to hear you still had fun though, despite all the shortcomings of the park.

[Canobie Coaster]

As for the delayed openings of just about every good ride in the park, I don't want to be the guy that comes into this thread just to constantly pile on Parques Reunidos for being terrible but... lol

 

Please do. It's just as fun to bash Parques Reunidos as it is CoastRider.

[Chasehat]

I thought BD was running very well when I rode it on opening day. It’s not on El Toro’s level or anything but it’s still very good.

[Canobie Coaster]

I thought BD was running very well when I rode it on opening day. It’s not on El Toro’s level or anything but it’s still very good.

 

You're right it's not on El Toro's level. It's above it.

 

I hope to make it down some Saturday this summer so I can get a rare non-Haunted Graveyard night ride. Those night rides are why I justify putting Boulder Dash above a ton of rides like El Toro.

[ernierocker]

^The night time rides on it during the 2008 TPR trip were amazing. They had also just completed the GCI retracking so the ride was smooth and hauling ass all the way through.

[Canobie Coaster]

Except on the cooler mornings at the start of the year, Boulder Dash never has a problem hauling.

 

The park does its fair share of trackwork on Boulder Dash, but they admittedly wait to retrack a section until it gets pretty bumpy. See the triple down for evidence.

[ctcoastin1]

Delayed openings are very common with this park, especially this year. Boulder Dash almost never opens at opening. You would think they would do whatever work needs to be done during the hours the park is closed.

[Rai Fox]

 

 

Looks like LC is starting to tease something new.

 

Wonder if "by the lake" means waterpark, which desperately needs new rides (or the return of the Lake Plunge slides) or actually something new, maybe up where the skyride was.

[Canobie Coaster]

^ They have all that cleared land around the lake that's just dirt. I could see them literally planting some trees and grass along the loop as they start to fill it in with attractions.

[Rai Fox]

I wouldn't put it past them, at this point, to tease "planting some grass" as a new attraction. But I am hoping for a bit more than that. They so badly need something to make up for losing the mountain skyride.