Conneaut Lake Park (CLP) Discussion Thread

[FeelTheFORCE]

The Blue Streak WILL be open tomorrow through this weekend! Woo hoo!

 

From their Facebook:

 

The Blue Streak WILL be open starting at 4:00 Thursday and throughout the rest of this weekend! The Blue Streak hours will correspond to regular park operating hours for the holiday weekend. There's a $3 per person per ride fee for the Blue Streak. Tickets will be sold at the regular ticket booth. We have been waiting a LONG time for this, and overcome some tremendous obstacles to make it happen. Go Blue Streak!

[CHILLERLC1]

I rode Cyclone at Williams Grove on Labor Day before and it turned out to be the park's last day ever. Labor Day is special to me coaster wise. Let's do it again. This time Blue Streak!

[saginawhxc]

Did you just call for it to be the park's last day ever...?

[larrygator]

^I think he did!

 

^^Selfish Bastard!

[robbalvey]

Someone please bring us back a nice photo trip report for TPR's front page!

[saginawhxc]

I'm gonna be there on Sunday. I'll have a report up by early Monday.

[thrillerman1]

Looking forward to the trip reports! By the way, it finished #1 in the Pepsi Refresh Project, so it will receive the $50K. Kudos to all who voted.

[Myself]

If all goes well I should hopefully make it up there sometime this weekend too.

[Skycoastin Steve]

While it's absolutely awesome that this coaster will be running again this weekend, it's a little bittersweet since it's only two weeks after I was in that area and could have gotten the credit! Oh well, hopefully it continues to operate for years and I can get the credit down the road sometime.

[FeelTheFORCE]

Did anyone ride it today? I'm hoping to go there tomorrow, pending rain.

[Band-Aid]

I'm curious if this coaster is running as good as it used to, if you rode, please report back.

[ParkTrips]

I really don't understand why it is so important to people all across the country for the park to stay open. It's small, kinda scummy, in the middle of nowhere (Waldameer is only, what, 45-60mins away if you're so worried about the locals not having a park), and the coaster isn't very good. How many times has the park needed to get money to reopen? How many lenders are still owed money by the park?

 

Market economics has spoken: the park should have died long ago. The refresh project is just the latest to succumb to CLP.. but, it's Pepsi, so them losing money is ok by me

My favorite part of the entire park!

[medic738]

I think its great that people from all over the country came together to support this small park that ran into some hard times. What's wrong with giving them another chance to survive? I think its great that they got so much support from all over the country (and possibly the world). I for one would support the efforts of any small park that could use the help even though I may be very far away and not a local visitor.

 

While I agree that this little park is pretty ghetto (at least right now), this may give them a boost to clean up some more of the park and make a go of it.

 

We were up there during ACE Coaster Con. The front part of the park is pretty nice, some of the midway around the kiddie land definitely seen better days, and the back part extending towards the lake really needs major work (no thanks to the local firebug). The atmosphere around this park leaves great potential. The lake is beautiful, the beach club looks like it would be a fantastic palce to enjoy a summer night.

 

My opinion - they have a bunch of historical and one-of-a-kind rides that give this park an appeal to the enthusiast. The repair of Blue Streak just continues this. They will need to make some major changes to attract new, non-enthusiast visitors because the nearby competition is pretty tight (Kennywood, Waldameer and even Cedar Point).

 

But as folks who regularly follow a site dedicated not only to roller coasters but to the entire theme park industry, we need to do whatever we can to help preserve the historic small time, family run parks that are left out there. I don't know about everyone else, but even though they offer the "super" rides, a world full of only Cedar Faire and Six Flags would be pretty boring IMHO.

 

I can't wait to get back up to ride Blue Streak and you lucky riders this weekend better post some cool TR's!

[FeelTheFORCE]

Why so much hostility towards a place meant for people to have fun? I think it's great that people around the entire country care about such a small and seemingly insignificant park. Just goes to show how passionate people are about their hobby.

 

 

I think these reasons play large roles in why people care:

 

-The fact that the park opened in 1892.

 

-Small or not, it's a very traditional park. Imagine Kennywood closing down for good, I HIGHLY DOUBT people would let that happen without a fight. Sure CLP isn't as big, but it's the same concept...Kennywood is a smaller park, is not exactly pristine, has an average coaster/ride collection, has older rides, is not exactly right off a highway exit, and Pittsburgh hasn't exactly boomed, economically in the past decade (as a matter of fact, the City of Pittsburgh, itself was on the verge of declaring for bankruptcy in the early 2000s).

 

-Again, getting back to the traditional aspect, a good percentage of it's rides are older originals, such as the Blue Streak, Tumble Bug (one of only two in the US, the other being at Kennywood...not to mention CLP's is the oldest of all of them in the world), Carousel, Train, etc.

 

-There have been multiple arson attempts, break-ins and such, and a recent owner was convicted of tax evasion, so one could argue that it deserves another chance.

 

 

Also, the Blue Streak "not being any good" is a matter of opinion, and has nothing to do with whether the park should stay closed or not.

[Skycoastin Steve]

But as folks who regularly follow a site dedicated not only to roller coasters but to the entire theme park industry, we need to do whatever we can to help preserve the historic small time, family run parks that are left out there. I don't know about everyone else, but even though they offer the "super" rides, a world full of only Cedar Faire and Six Flags would be pretty boring IMHO.

That pretty much sums it up right there.

[larrygator]

I really don't understand why it is so important to people all across the country for the park to stay open.

 

That's the epitomy of being an enthusiast. You are enthusiastic about your passions. Coaster enthusiasts are enthusiastic about coasters. Theme park enthusiasts are enthusiastic about theme parks. Beer enthusiasts are enthusiastic about beer.

Edited September 3, 2010 by larrygator

[pattheslat]

I was at the park today. The coaster was absolutely wonderful. The park was really dead though, I'm thinking because many schools are now back in session, and word really hadn't gotten out about the Blue Streak reopening. A lot of news stations were there, so hopefully word will spread and more people will come in over the weekend. I'll probably be heading back up myself on Saturday or Sunday. I got a video from the back seat of the first public ride:

Edited September 3, 2010 by robbalvey

[G$ Kurt]

^^

What if i'm an enthusiast of all of those. A coasterthemebeerpark enthusiast. sounds dangerous.

[robbalvey]

I got a video from the back seat of the first public ride:

Wow. I have to ask. Is the ride really that insanely rough or are you just kind of a newb at shooting coaster videos?

 

It's a little bit of a bummer that the first public rides in what, 4 years, were so little publicized that they couldn't even fill the train for the first ride? Or was there a reason why the train was half-empty?

 

I know school is back, but geez, with all the hype about voting every day and it placing #1 in the Pepsi refresh project, I would have figured they could have gotten 16 people interested enough to come get the first rides of it's new life!

 

Not meaning to sound negative, but it was a little surprising to see that half-empty train for ride #1. I hope it does better over the weekend.

 

--Robb

Edited September 3, 2010 by robbalvey

[Philrad71]

Hopefully, they will have this running for the Haunt...if they do, I hope to get down there for a ride or two.

 

In the video, I noticed the old buzz bars...are there seat belts too, or is it just the bar?

[Ccron10]

It kind of looks like the shaking is only at the bottom of the drops, but other than that it doesn't seem that bad.

[Shavethewhales]

I was at the park today. The coaster was absolutely wonderful. The park was really dead though, I'm thinking because many schools are now back in session, and word really hadn't gotten out about the Blue Streak reopening. A lot of news stations were there, so hopefully word will spread and more people will come in over the weekend. I'll probably be heading back up myself on Saturday or Sunday.

 

What's the verdict on the ride experience? Was it as rough as it looks? Does it crawl over the tops of the hills? Is the new section smooth?

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou]

Were you having a seizure at the end?

[Myself]

Unless the Blue Streak's NADs have been modified, I would assume they would have the same restraints as the Thunderbolt's NADs, where it is just a lapbar.

 

I also noticed that the trains need a small bit of TLC as well, but even so, they are in remarkable shape. All that needs to be done that I see is restoring the headlights on the front (where the 'eyes' are as seen on CLP's Facebook page).

[odene497]

This is a fun surprise. I don't know a ton about the park, but considering this super old coaster is just now back up and running, I think I might head down there tomorrow! A 4 hour drive isn't too bad. Maybe I can hit Waldameer and Darien Lake on the way back home too. This all after I get out of work at 11. DOABLE.