Williams Grove Reopening!

[Homer]

http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2007/03/30/news/news668.txt

 

Basically, the park will reopen as a flea market before it is sold and some of the kiddie rides will operate as a gimmick. Sadly, the Cyclone will not operate.

 

Oh well, a flea market is more fitting for this park.

[snuggles]

No.. Cyclone...

[Airtime&Gravity]

At least some rides will remain open, but the park will probably not get any better than it is now. Maybe in a few years it will probably be on the same scale as Uncle Bernie's.(which doesn't look to be much better)

[Meteornotes]

Hahahaha, oh man, having "experienced" the Silver Springs flea market, this is so fitting a fate for WG. It's the perfect combination that should attract mutants from all over PA. Seriously, unless you were ever three, you have no idea how much of a dump the SSFM was. Buildings stuffed full of old junk that no one would ever buy, and outdoor vendors selling endless amounts of old tires and hub caps.

 

I still say this place would be condoland if the race track wasn't next door...

 

dt

[rollercoastermayhem]

Yeah but shame to be losing the Cyclone, ok its not the best woodie or safest looking coaster you would ever want to ride, but its another historic coaster (and train) we are going to loose and the last to my knowledge built by Oscar Bitler.

[robbalvey]

Why are old crappy wooden coasters that are about to meet their doom all of a sudden considered "historic?"

 

I guess I'm not much of a preservationist, but that ride sucks. I mean, it sucks HARD. I can't even think of one good reason why it should be saved. And I'm glad it's the last of that guy's coasters! I mean, if the rest of them are like that, maybe he shouldn't have been designing coasters in the first place. Just because some guy designs coasters, doesn't mean they design GOOD coasters!

 

It goes back to what I've said about every other crappy wooden coaster (Myrtle Beach Hurricane, Southport Cyclone, SFMM Psyclone, and now Williams Grove Cyclone) that has been demolished this year. I'm not going to miss a single one of those. And in some cases, I'd rather visit the strip mall located on their ground than ride the coaster again.

 

All those rides *SUCK* Had they been demolishing a *GOOD* ride, like Phoenix or Jack Rabbit or something, I'd be upset. But they are getting rid of the rides that *NEED* to be torn down.

 

Just because something is old, doesn't mean it's worth saving!

 

--Robb "Not a good year to be called a Cyclone." Alvey

[Meteornotes]

^Agreed. And the WG Cyclone was in horrible, horrible, shape. The odds of it just falling down on its own were pretty good, based on how I saw it run a few years ago. Even if some sort of magical spell was performed on it, and it suddenly got re-tracked and totally rebuilt, it still would not be a good ride.

 

Not every old coaster is worth saving, just like not every old park is worth saving. WG was a dumpy place when I was a kid, and they never really did anything to improve the place. Without improvements, why would people want to visit?

 

dt

[Jim S.]

By the way, if anybody is a registered poster and hasn't downloaded Robb's video of the Cyclone yet, what are you waiting for? It's a riot!

 

What the heck was wrong with the track that made the train jump like that on the straight stretch? The video was shaking too much to tell

[Mark Rosenzweig]

I guess I'm not much of a preservationist, but that ride sucks. I mean, it sucks HARD. I can't even think of one good reason why it should be saved. And I'm glad it's the last of that guy's coasters! I mean, if the rest of them are like that, maybe he shouldn't have been designing coasters in the first place. Just because some guy designs coasters, doesn't mean they design GOOD coasters!

 

There really wasn't anything about the WG Cyclone that was "OMG Amazing". It's strongest attribute (along with the rest of that classic place) was simple- comic relief. I mean, come on- from the pointed curve off the lift chain to the innocent looking, but devilish bounce track after the far turnaround, that thing was f'n hilarious.

 

The whole park, really. From the train that randomly ran *through* the picnic groves nearly running over random kids to the need to see it to believe it magic show to the "hike 1/2 mile through the woods into some random guy's backyard" Schwarzkopf Wildcat (which reopened this weekend BTW at Adventure Park USA in Maryland) to the "Lazzer Tag" church. Williams Grove flat out rocked.

 

Sure, it illustrated how *not* to run a park in many ways, but come on, that place was a blast with a large group. It felt as though I climbed into a Simpson's episode and had the ability to ride the real life Tooth Chipper!

 

-Mark

[Carnage]

I guess I'm somewhat sadistic in that I actually enjoy finding and riding brutal coasters like the WG Cyclone. (which I didn't get to ride).

 

Maybe it comes from being desensitized? The big coasters don't scare me anymore. The only one's that really scare me are the one's where I think I may actually die on.

[Canobie Fan]

Well... Now it's time for me to be banned from TPR....

 

Balder < WG Cyclone

 

I loved cyclone so much when I rode it back in 2005.. Sooo deadly

[Shavethewhales]

I guess I'm somewhat sadistic in that I actually enjoy finding and riding brutal coasters like the WG Cyclone. (which I didn't get to ride).

 

Maybe it comes from being desensitized? The big coasters don't scare me anymore. The only one's that really scare me are the one's where I think I may actually die on.

 

Dude, that's exactly what I was thinking. I'm not too sorry that it's leaving, but I would jump at the chance to visit WG and ride the Cyclone - for the pure, comic fun of it all. I mean, all these new, modern, super-smooth coasters are nice, but when you really want a fun thrill, rides like the WG Cyclone top all.

[snuggles]

Sometimes the classics are the best though! I would love to ride it, maybe even in its current condition.

[robbalvey]

Well... Now it's time for me to be banned from TPR....

 

Balder < WG Cyclone

 

I loved cyclone so much when I rode it back in 2005.. Sooo deadly

If it was ANYONE but you, BanTron would eat your soul!!!!

 

--Robb

[robbalvey]

There really wasn't anything about the WG Cyclone that was "OMG Amazing". It's strongest attribute (along with the rest of that classic place) was simple- comic relief. I mean, come on- from the pointed curve off the lift chain to the innocent looking, but devilish bounce track after the far turnaround, that thing was f'n hilarious.

I totally see where you're coming from, and honestly, I used to tell people that the WG Cyclone was the "funniest" ride I've ever been on. But even still, I won't shed a tear over it's removal.

 

These kinds of rides are like the "Beverly of coasters" where you tell your friend "OMG, this stuff is SO TERRIBLE....here try it!"

 

It's good for a laugh or two...but that's it. It has no redeeming value beyond the initial "reaction" in an effort to get a laugh out of a friend.

 

My last visit to Williams Grove was very much like that. For about the first 20 or so minutes it was "funny." The Cyclone was "funny." Seeing the church converted into lazer tag, OMFG funny.

 

But then the joke is quickly over and you realize "OMG, we're in this tick-infested, dilapitated disgusting park with rides plopped down in a field of overgrown grass and piles of garbage...can we please leave quickly before one of these insects bits me?!?!"

 

I see your Simpsons episode reference and I do agree, but just like a Simpsons episode, the entertainment doesn't last much more than about 30 minutes.

 

I know a lot of people would call Williams Grove a "traditional park" but in my mind the place is far from it. It's a dump. A "traditional" park in my mind is Knoebel's, Kennywood, Holiday World, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Martin's Fantasy Island, Lake Winnie, Indiana Beach, etc, etc....

 

Those parks have charm, style, and a welcoming atmosphere. Williams Grove had none of that. They had ticks, weeds, garbage, and drunk ride ops (our Twister ride op was driniking a beer!)

 

And Mark, I totally agree that with a group of friends Williams Grove could be a fun place full of comic releif, but then again, with a good group of friends you could make going to your local pizza place fun. (Just see our most recent TR from Pizza Port!)

 

I agree that the Cyclone was full of "comedy" at least for the initial ride or two, but beyond that, I wouldn't lift a finger to help save it.

 

--Robb "Hope that doesn't make me a bad person!" Alvey

[Gnome]

^ double post! n00b! lol

 

Anyways, on a more serious note, yea, I don't see what the big fuss is. It looked crappy imo. Why preserve the crappy? Bring it down and make way for progress. Lets just worry about preserving the good classic roller coasters, and letting the bad ones rot and fade into time like everything else.

[rollercoastermayhem]

Sorry, but if every park and coaster was the same it would be a fairly boring world to live it, to say a coaster SUCKS is ignorant as some people enjoyed riding it.

Im not saying the Cyclone should be saved, as you are correct it is a bad coaster now, but it was not when it first opened, the years have simply not been kind and the lack of repairs over the years have resulted in one of the most bizzare rides around.

As for not being into the history of coasters thats fine, but what would you say if the Phoenix was removed. Its people like the Knoebels family that do look at history, saved the Rocket and now are giving us a change to ride a Flying Turns, something i thought i would never get the chance to ride.

So goodbye to the Cyclone, and heres to all the great and not so great coasters out there

[robbalvey]

Sorry, but if every park and coaster was the same it would be a fairly boring world

I agree. And if every movie, TV show, and song were the same it would be boring as well. But just because there needs to be variety doesn't mean that EVERY movie, TV show, song, and yes roller coaster is going ot be "good."

 

to say a coaster SUCKS is ignorant as some people enjoyed riding it.

So I'm not allowed to have an opinion about coasters?

 

Tell me, in your perfect world are people allowed to have opinions about movies, books, music, etc and not be "ingorant" for having those opinions?

 

If so, why are roller coasters, which is simply yet another form of entertainment, any different?

 

--Robb "An ignorant person is one who doesn't respect the opinions of others..." Alvey

[rollercoastermayhem]

It is in the context that you use the words Rob, thats all. Of course its ok to have an opinion.

 

I just get tired of people simply of writing off parks, coasters, rides these days without giving them the respect they deserve. History is history and we should be proud of it, without these original designers (lets remember they built these coasters without the aid of super computers...) and parks we would not have so many great traditional parks to visit today.

 

It has happened in the UK, the big corporate parks have driven the old traditional parks out of business and its happening more and more in the US. We all need our local 'starter' park to cut our teeth on. Just a shame that the corporate parks can not live side by side with the traditional.

[robbalvey]

I just get tired of people simply of writing off parks, coasters, rides these days without giving them the respect they deserve. History is history and we should be proud of it, without these original designers (lets remember they built these coasters without the aid of super computers...)

But just because something is "old" and was made with different technology does not make it "historic." At least not in my mind. In order for it to be "historic" it needs to have some significance.

 

Remember that a roller coaster is an "entertainment piece" just like a movie, a song, etc.

 

If a ride is not "entertaining" it has no significance regardless of who made it and with what technology that existed at the time.

 

Again, this is all debatable, but I just didn't see anything about William's Grove being "historic" or "significant."

 

and parks we would not have so many great traditional parks to visit today.

That's where your logic is flawed. Williams Grove was not a "great traditional park." It was a field full of ticks and garbage, and oh yeah, there were a couple of dilapitated roller coasters there too.

 

There ARE some "great traditional parks" as I listed above. I would be sad if any of those closed because in my mind those parks are significant because they offer great entertainment, which is what their intention is.

 

William's Grove? Not so much. Everyone in this thread has pretty much agreed that the park's greatest entertainment value was that people would laugh at it.

 

And that doesn't equal a historic place to me. That equals a "joke" which is what William's Grove was.

 

--Robb "Like I said, it's all debatable, and that's only my opinion." Alvey

[rollercoastermayhem]

Then the Cyclone must have some significance:

 

Last surviving coaster of Oscar Bitler

Operates the last remaining train from the Palisades Park Cyclone

Listed as an ACE Classic Coaster.

 

Have to agree that the park was ahem 'unique' and was never going to be turned into a Dorney... but im always sad to loose any woodie.

 

Just out of interest Rob, whats your opinion on the likes of Libertyland, Joyland, Bells.....

[coaster05]

I am sad I never got a chance to visit WG. I go to PA a lot, but it was just put off the first couple times and now it is too late.

 

That being said if it was a "great traditional park" then why is it not still in business. Traditional parks can succeed alongside the big parks if they have a freaking clue as to what they are doing. Knoebels, IB, Adventureland in Iowa all seem to be doing great. Somehow Lakemont park stays in business, but this place closed. That has to be saying something.

[Meteornotes]

^Exactly. WG was NEVER a great park. Or even a good park. This place was always a scary sort of permanent carnival, with run down rides and scary operators. I grew up in Harrisburg, and trips to WG were a regular event as a child, and even then it was a pretty scary place. And the years have not been kind to the park.

 

Traditional parks can thrive, but they need to have owners that want to invest in them and keep them in prime operating condition. Knoebel's is a perfect example of this. The amount of money seemingly invested into WG over the years might buy you a case of beer. In fact, given some of the things I had seen at the park over the years, that's probably what they did spend their money on!

 

I think this is one of those things where the park was there for years and years and no one paid any attention to it, but now that it's closed all of the sudden everyone has this sense of false nostalgia and are acting like a great historical treasure has been lost. If your idea of a historic landmark is a park where the operators regularly would have to kick the cinder blocks holding up the rides back into place throughout the day, and where the drinking of beer seemed to be a requirement of law for guests and park workers alike, well then I guess something has been lost. To me, this announcement is about the same as the announcement that your local mall won't be having their parking lot carnival any more...

 

dt

[Ccron10]

^ You're right. When you usually go to Knoebels, it feels like you're in a company-owned park like Six Flags and others, but you're not. WG is just a junked up field and a flea market could probably be the best thing that will happen to the park in nearly 30 years as far as I'm concerned.And as for the Cyclone, just because it's old, doesn't mean it should be kept.

[CoasterFanatic]

I kind of have a special place in my heart for Williams Grove and the Cyclone. Catrina and I made a short stop a couple of years ago and I thought that the Cyclone was hysterical. I love coasters that have little quirky things that set them apart from the rest and Cyclone certainly had that. A ride so volatile that every ride was different and safety was but a pipedream.

 

I will shed a tear when the ride is eventually cast into the abyss know as the Yellow Breeches creek. Not because it was a classic or historical woodie, but instead because it gave me a memory that I won't soon forget.

 

// as I cry, Catrina will cheer loudly at her least favorite park's demise