G$ Kurt Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 There is a massive massive difference in attendance being up, and attendance being good and sustainable. It can go from total crap to kinda mostly crap attendance but still be crap attendance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GigaG Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Do you think that if Six Flags never bought Geauga Lake and overexpanded, we would still have it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirkFunk Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Do you think that if Six Flags never bought Geauga Lake and overexpanded, we would still have it? There's so much to it that Six Flags buying Funtime alone isn't going to be the one domino that starts the whole chain of events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GigaG Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Do you think that if Six Flags never bought Geauga Lake and overexpanded, we would still have it? There's so much to it that Six Flags buying Funtime alone isn't going to be the one domino that starts the whole chain of events. Why did the park collapse? It had existed next to CP for decades, through Gemini, Magnum, etc... and still survived. I don't get it. Why did the park suddenly fail? Was it CP's boom in coasters in the early 2000s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halltd Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 My understanding of the situation is that having two separate gates (Geauga Lake AND Sea World) was what kept both parks going. People would come to the area to go to TWO parks, but just one park didn't seem worth it to people. So, attendance spiraled downward. Of course this is just what I remember. I'm sure there were other contributing factors as well, but this seems to be the overall issue. Once Sea World left, the writing was on the wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirkFunk Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Why did the park collapse? It had existed next to CP for decades, through Gemini, Magnum, etc... and still survived. I don't get it. Why did the park suddenly fail? Was it CP's boom in coasters in the early 2000s? Dude, there's so much to it that we're recycling stuff said in this thread and argued about a million times. Do you want me just to message you with my viewpoint to save an intercession? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GigaG Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Why did the park collapse? It had existed next to CP for decades, through Gemini, Magnum, etc... and still survived. I don't get it. Why did the park suddenly fail? Was it CP's boom in coasters in the early 2000s? Dude, there's so much to it that we're recycling stuff said in this thread and argued about a million times. Do you want me just to message you with my viewpoint to save an intercession? Sure. Sorry that I'm not up to date on this, i don't usually delve in to investigating GL's closing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagnumFreak25 Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 I'm going to the water Park tomorrow and was wondering how much of the surrounding land Cedar Fair owns. Everyone who's been there always says they want something new to be built but I don't know where it could be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geauga Dog Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 I haven't been to the water park since it became a stand alone "attraction" in 2008 but based on prior visits during the years GL was open there is still the whole other half of the former Sea World side where the old Shamu Stadium used to be to develop. It was supposed to be part of a Phase II in 2006 that was drastically cut back to just being the Tidal Wave Bay wave pool. There is also the former Happy Harbor area, which is the area behind the Thunder Falls water slides. When you go up the stairs you'll get a good look at the decrepit remains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDipper 80 Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I always wished that they would have expanded the water park further, even after closing the dry side. It's probably the nicest water park in the chain theme-wise (mostly thanks to SeaWorld), and with a few more slide towers it would actually be worth it. I just can't imagine the park sticking around that much longer. I haven't been there in probably three years now. It was so weird seeing all the remains of SeaWorld, I always liked that park more than GL when I was very young. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geauga Dog Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I always wished that they would have expanded the water park further, even after closing the dry side. It's probably the nicest water park in the chain theme-wise (mostly thanks to SeaWorld), and with a few more slide towers it would actually be worth it. I just can't imagine the park sticking around that much longer. Compared to Soak City it is a much, much nicer water park and thankfully CF was smart in keeping some of the Sea World landscape intact when they built it. It's sad, though, that the Columbus Zoo has a much better looking water park with Zoombezi Bay, where they actually have some unique slides. Northeast Ohio has lost a few water parks over the years like Dover Lake and who remembers Wildwood Lake back in the day and I also think WWK's days are numbered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagnumFreak25 Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Is any part of Raging Wolf Bobs still intact? Last year I remember some white wooden structure visible through the trees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Mutts Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I think all of it is still there (same goes for the Big Dipper) if you can get close enough try to get some photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDipper 80 Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Northeast Ohio has lost a few water parks over the years like Dover Lake and who remembers Wildwood Lake back in the day and I also think WWK's days are numbered. Ah, Dover Lake... I still remember the tube slide with the pools at the bottom of the little drops and how it nearly sucked off my trunks every time. Little 8-year-old me was not terribly happy about that. I wonder how many people knew that place had a kiddie coaster credit? I suppose I was "lucky" enough to get it, not that I actively count which coasters I've ridden these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geauga Dog Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I do believe that RWB has been demolished. Big Dipper is the only ride still standing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagnumFreak25 Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I thought it was too but there was definitely something back there. I guess I'll look again when I go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Mutts Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I do believe that RWB has been demolished. Big Dipper is the only ride still standing. Nope if you look at this video you can see RWB still standing (this video is pretty recent within this year) [youtu_be]http://youtu.be/3vh2KcyMDS0[/youtu_be] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GigaG Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I thought they tore down RWB fairly recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thenewzolt Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I drove past the park a few weeks ago, and RWB is completely gone now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geauga Dog Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Just got back from a drive by even though it was something I didn't want to do. As stated Wolf Bobs is completely gone. I took a couple of photos. I did not take photos of Big Dipper though it is still standing but it is amazing how fast nature has taken over the former ride side. I'm sure trees have sprouted up through Dipper's structure by now. I went the back way (Pettibone Rd. to Geauga Lake Rd. to where it ends at Depot Rd.) Raging Wolf Bobs would have been visible from this angle. The old concrete trough of the Grizzy Run rapids ride still remains. This is where the ride platform used to be. Seven years ago you would have seen maintenance buildings on the left, park offices in the distance, and Double Loop's lift hill and Villain from here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterLine Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 There isn't much left. Here is a more recent fly-over from April that shows RWB completely gone. It's very strange to watch and piece together what it used to be. Very sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandallDuell Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 Seems they've been doing some work, huh? Am I losing my mind, or did I not see the one remaining rollercoaster in the aerial video? This is incredibly sad to me. I know many scoff at how romantic some get over closed places like this, but as a guy with zero attachment to this place (I've never been anywhere even near the park) I really do feel for those that had a strong attachment and relationship with the place. I've paid attention to this place since the multiple ownership changes/ride removals/sudden shuttering, but I'm still unclear - was it really "one guy" that decided to bullet the place? I know economies change, and the proof is in the bottom line, but it's amazing how a park with this kind of history is so quickly wiped off the map. This seems to be a similar, yet much larger scale, of the loss of Kiddieland in Chicago. Though that land turning into a Costco was a result of a split in the family heirs, with the distribution of funds from the sale being the only way to settle the estate....not a calculated acquisition/closure like what happened here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagnumFreak25 Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 I'm just really mad that I live 20 minutes away and I never made it to the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netdvn Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 Click here for an interesting (and unbiased) article about Geauga's closure and its history. Its such a shame we lost two parks because of poor management decisions from both Six Flags and Cedar Fair. - Apparently Anheuser Busch attempted to purchase the Six Flags side as it was expanding. I wonder how that would've turned out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philrad71 Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 ^ Not too much in there that I didn't already know, but an interesting read nonetheless - thank you for sharing. It is very sad to see such a historic park (as well as a Sea World) go down the way that it did. Being that Anheuser Busch didn't get it done, maybe Great Lakes Brewery could buy the land and open up their own theme park? I am also wondering how much longer the water park will hold out. Perhaps if they would sink some money into expansion, I would go....but the fact that even Soak City makes this park look good makes me have no desire to drive three hours to get there. I'd rather just continue on to CP...which is certainly what Kinzel would have wanted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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