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Conneaut Lake Park (CLP) Discussion Thread


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This park just needs to be put out of its misery already...

 

This thread is like a broken record: "yay, it's open!" and by seasons end "oh crap, it's in trouble again."

So people should just give up on something of value that they enjoy? I will never understand this mentality.

 

The park has a beautiful setting, is historic, holds some great events and has a few amazing rides. But you're right lets just bulldoze the entire property and turn it into a wasteland.

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Neil, We did the same type thing last year on our way to Kennywood. If you know what to expect, you'll be good. And really, you will have fun in a sort of post-apocalyptic sort of way. Blue Streak is a blast and worth re-rides, Tumble Bug too. Devils Den is, well, see note above are as most rides. The craft brew place is good too, and they give samples. How long the park will go on is always the big question. I always say, go to parks like that, enjoy what's there imagining what it was like at one time. It's a part of coaster and amusement park history. Conneaut is on my (taking my life into my own hands ) agenda for this year too.

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But you're right lets just bulldoze the entire property and turn it into a wasteland.

 

Lol at "turn it into".

I was waiting for that one lol. Honestly it's definitely hit and miss but my last visit to the park it was really busy and the line for Blue Streak was pushing 30 minutes. I was surprised but the park really does light up when it's full of people.

 

It's a bit depressing on days when you are one of only 5 people in the park though. What is essentially private ERT on Blue Streak makes up for it.

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Especially when an all day pass costs a mere 10 bucks. After 12 rides on Blue Streak, 4 on Tumble Bug, 2 on Devils Den, and other re-rides on Witches Stew, Trabant, Flyers, Musik Express, etc etc, our cost per ride was about 25 cents per ride. We only planned on an hour or so, but wound up spending a good portion of the day there. My only regret was that we didn't get on the Kiddie coaster. It was the same version that was at Cedar Point when I was a kid. The line was too long with little kids and I wasn't about to be the creepy old dude trying to get on and denying some poor kid the chance to ride. The ride ops for it were sooo cool. They really hyped the ride to the kids on the microphone, telling them to scream and all that stuff. I just had fun and laughed watching them do that.

Edited by djcoastermark
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  • 1 month later...

Just a quick note. It seems the park if finally showing a profit after 20 years of not. Maybe there's hope. The water slides are scheduled to re-open the first week of August too. Blue Streak has lots of new wood including the lift and first hill. An article about the new profit can be found here. http://www.sharonherald.com/news/state/bankrupt-conneaut-lake-park-starting-to-make-money/article_787a57e6-e8c7-5270-9b22-be648a224240.html

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^ Adding waterslides and putting money into reopening their current water attractions is actually a decent sounding strategy for a park that always seems to have rotten luck. With the water park craze that has hit the world in the past couple of decades, I am surprised that they haven't gone this route sooner.

 

I certainly wish them luck, but their is always going to be skepticism - because it IS still Conneaut Lake, after all.

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^Water parks really have been the growing trend in the industry with water destinations thriving despite requiring less of an investment to development. I hope that this is the solution that helps Conneaut Lake Park to succeed and grow. The park certainly has history that most would like to see preserved and expanded upon for many years to come.

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I am so happy about the profit turn around. Keep in mind they still aren't profiting overall, but the fact that summer operations are making money now is a huge step towards being profitable as a whole.

 

I was shocked to see they often bring in over 200 people in the water park. Right now it is literally just a lazy river and a lounge deck. The entire area looks really nice though from the overhead pictures I saw. I know the local community LOVES the water park, and I think any investments in new rides should be in the water park. Between the water park, expanding Camperland, and if they do end up adding an indoor go kart track, I think they can work towards further profitability. They aren't going to find profits in the dry park alone.

 

I also wanted to mention, the separate admission between the dry park and water park seems to really be working in their favor.

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I'm amazed. I'm especially amazed they have been able to do this without their meager watersides being open. I mean, there's like a total of 6 things to do there right now, right?

 

Said it before, will say it again: Profit = Revenue - Expenses. Expenses are more than just labor and utilities costs for Conneaut. In fact, most of it is compounding interest in debt. If the debt is wiped clean by a bankruptcy judge, they have a shot at sustainability. If not, they aren't. Their operating profit is probably without considerations to debt service.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Apparently the water park reopened today. I know I normally make jokes about how this place is a dump, and how the water park is a cesspool that was probably the origin of West Nile Virus, and how the park needs to close and be put out of it's misery before it kills somebody... but today I'm not going to do any of that. Instead I'll just leave this picture here from opening day. As you can see I was clearly wrong and the water is looking pristine...

 

 

No. This is not a joke.

image.thumb.jpg.1e4f08e4e7623286175d3b1ab844d163.jpg

I'll wait for the "Conneaut isn't really that bad, the water park is clean and great and Blue Streak is amazing how could you possibly think it sucks?" crowd to show up. They'll be here soon...

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Lol they put lake water in a water slide complex and didn't put chlorine in it? So during the week does it just sit there like that? yeah you couldn't pay me enough...

 

Looks like they siphoned water from the lake using a string of garden hoses borrowed from the neighbors since they can hardly pay for any utilities.

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The lazy river and "kiddie cove" have super clear water so I'm not sure what's happening at the slide complex but if it is passing inspection it must be fine. I honestly would do the slide without question. Every time I have been to this park I've had an amazing time and while the setting has always been nice, the condition of the entire park has improved drastically. Overhead pictures of the park look beautiful which is surprising considering the condition of the park a few years ago. The water park has been a big saving grace this season and they've even improved to the point of having operational profitability. Sure they are still losing money overall but that's a big leap and the water park has a lot to do with that so good for them! I hope to see the park survive and ultimately thrive, no matter the probability of that happening.

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The water park has been a big saving grace this season and they've even improved to the point of having operational profitability..

 

The facts have said that the park has lost money for every month since filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. The jury is out on July and August, and the warm weather probably has been a huge help. But even with a possible small profit to be made in July and August, is that enough to offset losses every other month of the year? I personally do not think a periodic $5 wristband day along with a weekend only operating schedule will get enough people through the doors to make up for 10 months of significant losses.

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I'm here! 2 words, lake water. I must say tho, the new paint job on the slides does look good. When I saw the slides last year my first thought was - no way are they going to resurrect that disaster of a slide complex.

 

I thought the same thing when I heard that they were going to reopen that slide complex. The color of the slide certainly looks vibrant, but ewww on them if they are using lake water - for sure it will stain that new paint in no time.

 

But to be fair, it looks a hell of a lot cleaner than our local lakes water, which is dirty brown, stinks, is full of seaweed and milfoil with a tinge of blue-green algae thrown in for good measure. I wouldn't let my own worst enemy swim in that cess pool!

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  • 5 weeks later...

http://www.meadvilletribune.com/news/bankruptcy-court-approves-conneaut-lake-park-s-bankruptcy-plan/article_7402876a-744a-11e6-b713-e78fda4398d8.html

 

The financial reorganization plan for Conneaut Lake Park has been confirmed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Western Pennsylvania.

 

The Chapter 11 reorganization plan filed by Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park was confirmed this morning by Chief U.S Bankruptcy Judge Jeffery Deller following a more than one hour hearing in U.S. District Court.

 

The plan, which was given conditional approval earlier this summer by Deller, was subject to an approval vote by the amusement park’s creditors.

 

The majority of the park’s creditors — including its real estate tax creditors of Conneaut School District, Crawford County and Summit and Sadsbury Townships — voted in favor of the plan.

 

Among the plans components are the continued sale of non-essential land to repay more than $1.3 million in back property taxes and continued capital improvements at the park to increase revenue.

 

TL;DR version - Conneaut's got a fighting shot for long term sustainability now.

Edited by jedimaster1227
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