Geauga Lake Discussion Thread

[kraxleRIDAH]

^ Nothing is definite right now...aside from Steel Venom going to Dorney Park.

 

I've been hearing a lot of rumors about where some of the rides may go. Been reading a lot about Dominator posibbly going to Kings Dominion and Thunderhawk into Michigan's Adventure.

 

My assumption is that Big Dipper and Raging Wolf Bobs will be scrapped. The Villain MAY have a chance of being moved since it's a hybrid structure -- but even so, it could also be junked. Double Loop will probably go up for sale.

[coasterdude5]

What I think they should do is send BOTH Headspin and Thunderhawk to MIA. They could either stagger them a year apart or have one big super season. That's the only place I think either one of those would fit.

[Shavethewhales]

 

I've been hearing a lot of rumors about where some of the rides may go. Been reading a lot about Dominator posibbly going to Kings Dominion and Thunderhawk into Michigan's Adventure.

 

 

But how reliable a rumor is this? Anyone think WOF has a shot at getting Dominator? It's a pretty wild hope, but if they are indeed going to move it, why not?

[Darien Laker]

I think KD would make more sense than WOF since WOF just got a major B&M.

 

Kings Dominion has gone many years without a major adult coaster. (Italian Job is a family ride).

[Swoosh]

If they are just going to scrap Double Loop send it to WOF. We could use a classic sit down looper.

[kraxleRIDAH]

Double Loop would be worth more as scrap metal payment than to be relocated and marketed as a new attraction. I'm quite certain that Cedar Fair will put it up for sale or junk it on the spot.

[dravenspirit]

I feel for the fans of this park. Having lost Astroworld back in 2005, this news just stirs up old feelings. Alot of locals are still bitter towards Six Flags, and its become a name you generally dont mention around here. Hate to see this sort of thing happen again. I think people are missing the big picture... these are entire parks that are disappearing. Whether or not youre a fan of GL, its simply not a good sign for the industry.

[Axman]

I want PGA to get Dominator, but there's just no room. PGA needs a coaster almost as bad a Michigan's Adventure.

[larrygator]

I can see why people are upset that a farewell season wasn't announced. Like when the Pavillion closed in Myrtle Beach, it allowed people the opportunity to experience it for one last time (or the first time for non-locals like me).

 

However, business is not always that cut and dry. And while we love amusement parks, everybody has to remember they are a business. I have to say it was pretty clear that GL would not be around forever. The handwriting was on the wall, with the demise of X-Flight and Steel Venom.

[edboxer]

Wow, go away for the weekend .....

 

My perspective on this. I grew up in the Youngstown/Warren, OH area. Every summer, company picnics would be held at Geauga Lake, Conneaut Lake Park or Idora Park. All three were relative small parks (about 30 rides). We lost Idora to fire, we lost Conneaut to bankruptcy, now we're losing Geauga to economics. So the three parks that I grew up at are now gone.

 

Geauga Lake Park, even after it introduced the Double Loop and then the Corkscrew in the 70s, was just another small park. Even those rides didn't bring large crowds. Geauga Lake, Idora and Conneaut were primarily local parks kept alive by company picnics. These parks were basically empty unless there was a company picnic. They were never destined to make a fortune.

 

Back in the 60-80s, NE Ohio was primarily the steel/manufacturing industry - GM, Packard Electric, Van Huffel Steel, Youngstown Sheet and Tube, etc. The steel industries folded in the 70s and the area has never fully recovered from the depression that ensued. Many other entertainment/enjoyment businesses quickly folded one after the other in the late 70s - Kenley Players (summer stock). There was an area of Route 422 in Niles known as "the Strip" - multiple restaurants, bars, etc. Most of that area died in the late 70s. I fled the area in 1982 when unemployment was at 27%.

 

SF's over expansion of GL was idiotic. They only had to look at prior years attendance figures to know that the GL was not going to be a major draw. Even with a bunch of new rides. I went to GL when it was owned by SF. It was a disaster of poor management, hideously long lines, understaffed, dirty, etc. The apex of SF's mismanagement.

 

I went again 2 years ago, the difference was immediate and astounding. Rides running to capacity, clean, etc. Even so, GL could not sustain itself.

 

The Big Dipper was my first adult coaster. And to those of you who say scrap it, I guess you never rode in the front seat for the incredible airtime. I guess you also don't care too much for coaster history. The Big Dipper I will miss. The rest of the generic coasters can go wherever.

[BrownStreak]

I called this on another post a few weeks back that CF would gut the park and sell the rest and people told me I was crazy. It was the same when the former owner of Great Escape ran Fantasy Island for one summer to get his hands on the Comet- no difference. I think that this was in their plans for some time to be honest.

 

The thing here is this- not every park needs to be a headlining flagship park- many parks that I like I like for the fact that they are small unknown parks (like Fantasy Island under Martin's ownership). It was a stupid move by Premier/Six Flags to combine two parks. When it was GL and Sea World people would spend two days and do a day each- when it became one park people just visted the huge park once and people that don't like theme parks but like animal parks just stopped going.

 

It seems that CF is interested in selling off this "prime lakefront property," on the now former rides side and I have seen several sources that claim they are seeking condo developments there (just what the Cleveland metro area needs- not) and I am wondering who is going to thump down $250 K for a view of a gaudy water park across a lake that looks dirtier than Lake Erie?

 

And yes I will say again that if they destroy the Big Dipper I will never again patronize a CF park- its not just because I like it but also CF has no respect for history. CP is well over 100 years old and they have nothing to show for it- their oldest two rides were brought in from elsewhere- and one of the grandest old buildings is not even open to the general public (the ballroom).

 

I seem to be one of the only people who will miss the Big Dipper- I don't know maybe I just caught it on a off-good day or maybe its my size because I used to like CP's BS (Blue Streak) but now I don't. My 1st ever wooden coaster was destroyed back in 1989- Crystal Beach's Giant- often referred to as the Yellow Coaster- if it were operating today it would be the oldest "side-friction" coaster with a train (as opposed to Leap the Dips' individual cars).

 

Maybe I should start playing the lotto and then maybe I can buy it and give it to KG or something.

 

I will close with saying that I have no doubt in my mind that I will never again get to ride the Big Dipper as such I have already erased any though of ever riding Maverick or MF (it was closed the past 3 times I was at CP).

 

Ray "planning lots of trips to Kennywood and beyond next summer" W. Izard

[SpartanTS]

Carowinds calls dibs on Dominator. We have more than enough room for it, and we like used coasters. We have HRP and SFOG to compete with, so it's only fair that we get to have Dominator

[coasterdude5]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but it's a good article:

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20956072/

 

EDIT: 1888 - 2007

 

Whoa... way to go Cedar Fair.

[SpartanTS]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but it's a good article:

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20956072/

 

EDIT: 1888 - 2007

 

Whoa... way to go Cedar Fair.

 

Pretty interesting article, but it was a business decision to close GL. This is the same type of uproar we got down here when the Pavilion at Myrtle Beach closed.

 

The locals will get over it.

[ginzo]

Pretty interesting article, but it was a business decision to close GL. This is the same type of uproar we got down here when the Pavilion at Myrtle Beach closed.

 

The locals will get over it.

 

The author makes a decent case. The locals may get over it just as soon as Geauga Lake closes entirely. I doubt Cedar Point will be affected much though.

[Delirium]

I called this on another post a few weeks back that CF would gut the park and sell the rest and people told me I was crazy. It was the same when the former owner of Great Escape ran Fantasy Island for one summer to get his hands on the Comet- no difference. I think that this was in their plans for some time to be honest.

 

The thing here is this- not every park needs to be a headlining flagship park- many parks that I like I like for the fact that they are small unknown parks (like Fantasy Island under Martin's ownership). It was a stupid move by Premier/Six Flags to combine two parks. When it was GL and Sea World people would spend two days and do a day each- when it became one park people just visted the huge park once and people that don't like theme parks but like animal parks just stopped going.

 

It seems that CF is interested in selling off this "prime lakefront property," on the now former rides side and I have seen several sources that claim they are seeking condo developments there (just what the Cleveland metro area needs- not) and I am wondering who is going to thump down $250 K for a view of a gaudy water park across a lake that looks dirtier than Lake Erie?

 

And yes I will say again that if they destroy the Big Dipper I will never again patronize a CF park- its not just because I like it but also CF has no respect for history. CP is well over 100 years old and they have nothing to show for it- their oldest two rides were brought in from elsewhere- and one of the grandest old buildings is not even open to the general public (the ballroom).

 

I seem to be one of the only people who will miss the Big Dipper- I don't know maybe I just caught it on a off-good day or maybe its my size because I used to like CP's BS (Blue Streak) but now I don't. My 1st ever wooden coaster was destroyed back in 1989- Crystal Beach's Giant- often referred to as the Yellow Coaster- if it were operating today it would be the oldest "side-friction" coaster with a train (as opposed to Leap the Dips' individual cars).

 

Maybe I should start playing the lotto and then maybe I can buy it and give it to KG or something.

 

I will close with saying that I have no doubt in my mind that I will never again get to ride the Big Dipper as such I have already erased any though of ever riding Maverick or MF (it was closed the past 3 times I was at CP).

 

Ray "planning lots of trips to Kennywood and beyond next summer" W. Izard

 

You weren't the only one who loved Big Dipper. Sure its a little on the rough side but that thing is an airtime machine!(well in the front row) If you want an intense ride on a classic woodie, try the back row on this thing. It will have you fearing for your life!

 

I grew up in the small town of Solon, right next to Aurora. This park really was in its prime in the early 1990s and I really hoped that CF would bring it back to its original glory. Its a shame to see them close it down. But I think at the least they should keep their classic rides (big dipper, double loop, merry oldies, skyscraper(if that thing ever runs again) kinda like how Wyandot Lake used to be. The park really had some great potential to be a headline park with the purchase of sea world, but truthfully is was that move that helped kill it. They tried to do too much in too small a time frame. It truly is sad to see a classic park like that (and my first ever amusement park!) be completely gutted. I can only hope they salvage the classic rides

[coasterdude5]

Why didn't they leave the park open if they were going to do this slowly? They could've used the "we're slowly shifting our focus to the waterpark area of the park" rather than this cold-turkey crap.

[Cheesey]

You weren't the only one who loved Big Dipper. Sure its a little on the rough side but that thing is an airtime machine!(well in the front row) If you want an intense ride on a classic woodie, try the back row on this thing. It will have you fearing for your life!

 

You're not kidding. I rode that thing in the back row this season and I pulled the seatbelt a bit too tight and the airtime gave me bruises! Hands down the roughest and most intense experience that I have ever had on a wooden coaster. It made Mean Streak seem smooth.

 

Seriously though, Geauga Lake had this coming. I first went two seasons ago on a Saturday in July and walked on every single coaster. This past season I went on all 7 that were open in about an hour. Point is, the attendence figures just weren't there; the majority of people were in the water park both times I was there. I still hate Cedar Fair for doing this though, as the park had real potential. It would have been cool to see a hyper that went around the lake. Oh well. At least I got all the credits

[Milkchan]

I'm pretty sure quite a few of GL's rides will be going to MIA

[RollerC]

Oh please. Most of the locals thought the park was closed already. Don't go boohooing about how the locals are going to care. If they cared, they would have had their butts in the park and it wouldn't be closing.

 

Mabey if CF cared to add a ride here or there, the locals would of actually gone...no one wants to ride the same thing over and over then come back and find out that the ride was removed...

[kraxleRIDAH]

That park had 10 roller coasters before X-Flight and Steel Venom were ripped out.

 

How many parks out there actually have as many? The whole "people don't want to come back and ride the same old same old" argument is not valid, especially in this case.

 

What kind of company is going to spend millions of dollars in a 10-roller coaster park that couldn't pull in more than 700,000 people in one season? We call that losing money.

 

Cedar Fair did the appropriate investments in Geauga Lake that showed they hoped for signs of improvement. Updating restrooms. Repainting rides. Upgrading restaurants. The kind of improvements Six Flags failed to do. Six Flags dropped 5 new roller coasters and rebranded the park. Attendance rose a little bit for one season. Just ONE season. Then it took a nosedive.

 

So don't pretend to think that Cedar Fair's lack of putting in a new roller coaster caused for Geauga Lake's demise and all its problems.

[Axman]

Man, for all of these GL fanboys, this is turning into "Geauga Lake B*tchfest '07".

 

THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Not to be harsh, but things have caused a much larger wave of intrest than this. Opryland's closure was mourned more than GL's.

 

The best of GL is being re-encarnated at the rest of the Cf parks; all the more reason to visit them all again!

[coaster05]

Gee do you think the Opryland one seemed more important because you are from Tenn? As far as visiting the other park because GL lives through them, no thanks. I'll continue with my plans of spending as little as possible for CF parks.

[RollerC]

That park had 10 roller coasters before X-Flight and Steel Venom were ripped out.

 

How many parks out there actually have as many? The whole "people don't want to come back and ride the same old same old" argument is not valid, especially in this case.

 

What kind of company is going to spend millions of dollars in a 10-roller coaster park that couldn't pull in more than 700,000 people in one season? We call that losing money.

 

Cedar Fair did the appropriate investments in Geauga Lake that showed they hoped for signs of improvement. Updating restrooms. Repainting rides. Upgrading restaurants. The kind of improvements Six Flags failed to do. Six Flags dropped 5 new roller coasters and rebranded the park. Attendance rose a little bit for one season. Just ONE season. Then it took a nosedive.

 

So don't pretend to think that Cedar Fair's lack of putting in a new roller coaster caused for Geauga Lake's demise and all its problems.

Um...more like lack of any notable attractions. Wow cool CF built us a brand new waterpark that has less water attractions and of course we were jipped out of a whole phase. Should we praise them? CF could of invested in some flats but you know...a 20 million dollar half-assed waterpark is obviously where its at. I mean...its going to be open for like what? Half the season...

[ginzo]

That park had 10 roller coasters before X-Flight and Steel Venom were ripped out.

 

How many parks out there actually have as many? The whole "people don't want to come back and ride the same old same old" argument is not valid, especially in this case.

 

What kind of company is going to spend millions of dollars in a 10-roller coaster park that couldn't pull in more than 700,000 people in one season? We call that losing money.

 

Cedar Fair did the appropriate investments in Geauga Lake that showed they hoped for signs of improvement. Updating restrooms. Repainting rides. Upgrading restaurants. The kind of improvements Six Flags failed to do. Six Flags dropped 5 new roller coasters and rebranded the park. Attendance rose a little bit for one season. Just ONE season. Then it took a nosedive.

 

So don't pretend to think that Cedar Fair's lack of putting in a new roller coaster caused for Geauga Lake's demise and all its problems.

 

Huh? Cedar Fair is going to increase attendance by *updating restrooms*? Huh?

 

"Gee Bob we should really get down to Geauga Lake this year. I hear the restrooms really look great."

"Sure thing Martha. I'll round up the kids."

 

Gee do you think the Opryland one seemed more important because you are from Tenn? As far as visiting the other park because GL lives through them, no thanks. I'll continue with my plans of spending as little as possible for CF parks.

 

Amen to that. I view CF parks as strictly credit runs, and I avoid spending any money in them. We did Kings Dominion in 4 hours back in July, and spent $0. It's amazing that they try to pass that place off as a real park with BGE close by.