pianojohn Posted September 22, 2006 Posted September 22, 2006 "It was 20 years ago today..." Well, a little more than 20, but I did find some pics from my first summer working at Cedar Point. I will keep looking for more, but for those who don't remember what the Point was like (or were not even BORN yet!) enjoy!! EDIT: I added a few off season pics from 1989 when they were building Magnum. Pretty cool!! Added a few more pics! Enjoy! Where it all began! Me playing piano for "Ain't We Got Fun!" at Lusty Lil's Golden Palace Theatre in Frontiertown. Now, it's just the Palace Theatre. The view from the skyride. Notice the lack of Iron Dragon, Mantis, Coasters, Power Tower, and Dragster but the PLETHORA of trees! Ah....the old Mill Race. In this spot now sits the Raptor. The Midway Carousel was also there before being moved to the main entrance. From downtown Sandusky. Back then Magnum seemed HUGE! Amazing what 15 years can do! One more pic from the Space Spiral of Corkscrew Midway. Wow...they sure had a lot of trees. This was also in 1986 prior to the closing of the Frontier Lift and the installation of Iron Dragon. Ah...the Mill Race. A pic of Avalanche Run pre Disaster Transport from the sky ride.
jamesdillaman Posted September 22, 2006 Posted September 22, 2006 Nicely done, I've seen you post on here a couple times and always wondered about your screen name. What style of music did you play in the show? I'm assuming stride or ragtime? I played keyboard once for a 60's show at Dollywood, but only as a month-long sub for their normal guy. Props for actually going out and getting a job playing piano. The gigs I've had here in Cincinnati are fleeting because all the piano bars are going away -James Dillaman
itsme102 Posted September 22, 2006 Posted September 22, 2006 Wow, only being 15 years old and never seeing CP like that before, that's really intresting to me. Who would have known then that where all those trees were going to be the huge array of coasters that they have today..
pianojohn Posted September 22, 2006 Author Posted September 22, 2006 Yes, it was a vaudeville show with mostly show tunes and shtick. I did it for 2 years, then 2 years in the country show (which is now torn down and replaced by Skyhawk) and one year doing a 40's show at Centennial Theatre. Going on 20 years now in theme park entertainment! And looking for more cool pics from back in the day....
SharkTums Posted September 22, 2006 Posted September 22, 2006 Wow, I too am blown away by the amount of trees they used to have. I understand the Cedar Fairzation of parks (lots of concrete and trashcans) even more now. Kind of sad.
TheStig Posted September 22, 2006 Posted September 22, 2006 Cedar Point was beautiful way back when! I remember it being so lush with trees when I was about 5 or 6 and that the whole park had shade (which my mom loved)! Too bad all the replaced it with is concrete and steel phallic devices. Colin C
coaster05 Posted September 22, 2006 Posted September 22, 2006 I agree about the loss of trees. I have been going to CP since I was 6. though the rides have gotten much better the park has gotten Much worse. I really miss the old days at CP. I loved that flume also.
coasterdude5 Posted September 22, 2006 Posted September 22, 2006 Yeah, look what 20 years can do. Nice pictures, these retro tr's are great.
apollo210 Posted September 22, 2006 Posted September 22, 2006 Cedar Point looks nice in those photos. I can't believe how many trees are there!
pkdcoaster Posted September 22, 2006 Posted September 22, 2006 I love Retro TR's thanks I see trees everywhere, More coasters please JEFF
niiicolaaah Posted September 22, 2006 Posted September 22, 2006 Ohhh, I wish the Mill Race was still there! CP looked so much nicer back then...
Carnage Posted September 22, 2006 Posted September 22, 2006 ^ I'd take Raptor over Mill Race any day. Though I really can't remember a whole lot about Mill Race.
niiicolaaah Posted September 22, 2006 Posted September 22, 2006 ^Well, they could have put Raptor somewhere else. Like, not build Mean Streak and put it there. Or Iron Dragon.
scruffy Posted September 22, 2006 Posted September 22, 2006 Wow I missed Mill Race by one year. The ride looks like alot of fun. My mom liked all the trees she would be shocked if I took her this year.
Guest Posted September 25, 2006 Posted September 25, 2006 CP did look nice back then, but if you liked the trees you have to understand that CP had a huge expanision over the past 20 years. They had to build big rides to grab the attention of the world and pull more people through the gate. In the end, the park still looks great, trees are still plentiful, but there are 16 (soon to be 17) coaster that take up room. They still plant grass and trees under the rides at least. :cough: SCREAM :cough:
TheKlockster Posted September 25, 2006 Posted September 25, 2006 Wow! Thanks for the TR! Its great to see the best park out there back in the day. It as many trees as it has now - it had even more back then! Kind of weird to see Magnum under construction!
Olsor Posted September 25, 2006 Posted September 25, 2006 Great retro Photo TR! It's just amazing to see the park so devoid of coasters after all the years of building. I can't imagine how charming Cedar Point must have been back then... you know, before all the concrete and steel was added.
CoasterFanatic Posted September 25, 2006 Posted September 25, 2006 Nice photos John. I can't believe that I didn't see them till now! I have vivid memories of sitting in the Restaurant near the Blue Streak and watching all the Mill Race boats go right past the window. It is hard to imagine the park without out all the load Primary colors, but it really was a beautiful park back then.
deano Posted September 25, 2006 Posted September 25, 2006 Awesome TR, i love seeing what places like CP looked like in the past. MORE PLEASE!
FlyingScooter Posted September 25, 2006 Posted September 25, 2006 Great Retro! Yeah, we have come a ways in twenty years. Imagine the next twenty.
Primogen18 Posted September 25, 2006 Posted September 25, 2006 nice to see how CP was when I was born lol (1986). It looked very nice, and I still think it looks just as nice now. I understand poeple saying its not as charming or shady now, but its all just part of progress and updating. Like said, the have to keep adding to keep people coming and they do so very well while still keeping alot of trees and beautiful landscaping. Sure steel coasters and concrete stand where trees once have, but would CP even be what it is today if that had not happened? Im sure it would still be nice, but it probably wouldnt have nearly as much attention is it does now. I agree some trees and landscaping are VERY important to the whole theme park experience/atmosphere and every park needs them, but if you want a forest, go to a national park (they need attention as well to keep them alive), or just go to Knoebels lol.
PhishyBrewer Posted September 25, 2006 Posted September 25, 2006 WOW! That was awesome John!!! I miss the Mill Race Wally "Cedar Point needs a log flume" Weiss
eddie200330 Posted September 25, 2006 Posted September 25, 2006 I belive my first visit was to CP either the year of the Demon drop or the Avalanche run. This ptr helped me remember back to those days and what the park used to look like before the major skyline change. We had a blast and continued visiting untill I started working there the summer of 1993 (year before Raptor). It would've been nice had they been able to entertwine the Raptor with the flume, simple yet fun, not too wet. The big ride for that summer was Snake River, and it went through a few changes due to accidents(people hitting their head on the lap bars at the bottom of the drop) and the boats never quite making the splash that was advertised. Oh well, in the name of progress, all hail CP!!!!
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