bpmitchell Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 I would of been glad to take the coaster and put it up at our church camp here in VA that is called Watermarks. We would take good care of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillMontu Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 SoB is another coaster from 2000 that G-trains haven't ruined...at least not yet, but that's because it only got the G-trains last year. I'm sure we're all looking forward to the day that SoB falls, but it could only be used for firewood, rather than scrap metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 Wow, I just saw this..... American Coaster Enthusiasts, a group dedicated to riding and celebrating roller coasters, had hoped that The Big Dipper would become the centerpiece of any re-development of the 600-acre park, either next to a mall-like development or as part of a residential development. Just before the 1926 roller coaster was auctioned off, Norton told the crowd that Cedar Fair had offered the American Coaster Enthusiasts the ride. "That's false," a voice from the crowd piped up. The voice belonged to Russell Township resident Carole Sanderson, an ACE past-president. "Get that woman out of here. Security, remove her from the park," Norton shouted back. That's a CLASS ACT right there! --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRapidsNerd Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 The plot thickens. Now who does one believe in this mess? Neither side has a good track record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterdude5 Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 I say get up and move on ACE... Whether or not you had a chance, it doesn't really matter as someone bought the ride. At least that's my take on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiburon503 Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 PS. Why isn't anyone trying to save Villain? IMO, when that coaster was running well is was FAR better than Big Dipper.... I wonder why Cedar Fair didn't relocate the ride? Dorney Park would seem like a prime location for it. Heck, for $30K, it's a steal even with the associated tear-down and reassembly costs, because of its steel superstructure. GCI might have even sold the buyer MF rolling-stock provided they won the re-tracking contract. I'm sure Six Flags could have re-acquired and rebuilt The Villain for much less than one $7.5 TDK (GP boondoggle). Had CF kept the animals in Aurora or built the water park on the rides side of the lake; I think GL might have stood a chance as a scaled down park. The park's fate was sealed the day CF acquired Kings Island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verticalzero Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Big Dipper sold for $5000 (subject to the bid being accepted) and is likely to be re-erected, but not as an operating coaster. Raging Wolf Bobs sold for $2500 to the same bidder. Double Loop $25,000 and The Villain $30,000 were won by scrap dealers. Stories here: http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2008/06/18/front/796350.txt http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=8513965 Slightly different figures quoted here, but a more in depth article http://www.wkyc.com:80/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=91687&catid=3 A sad day for lovers of Geauga Lake. Who know if either of the two coasters sold to the mystery buyer will ever operate again? Five thousand dollars might be all it takes to buy a historic wooden roller coaster -- but that price pales in comparison to the millions it will likely cost to move it. A representative from a hauling company submitted the sole bid Tuesday on the 83-year-old Big Dipper at Geauga Lake amusement park. Officials from Cedar Fair, the park's parent company, have until 5 p.m. today to accept or decline the offer. The bidder, Tom Woosnam of Apex Western Machinery Movers in Akron, made the offer on behalf of someone else and did not elaborate on the coaster's proposed fate. "It will be re-erected, but not as an operating coaster," Woosnam said. Woosnam, whose company specializes in hauling amusement park rides and other equipment, said relocating and reconstructing a coaster of that size could take at least a year with the foundation work involved. He couldn't speculate on reconstruction costs but said it was safe to say it would be a multi-million dollar project. Other rides and memorabilia, ranging from signs and restaurant buildings to water slides and ferry boats, were also sold in the auction conducted by the Michigan-based Norton Auctioneers. Compared to the wooden coaster, two steel coasters attracted much higher bids for their value in metal. The Double Loop coaster went for $25,000, and the Villain went for $30,000 -- both to scrap dealers. Rick Davis, a member of the American Coaster Enthusiasts who attended the auction, said he was sad to see them go. "We had one of our members crying because she loved the Villain so much," the Vienna, Ohio, resident said. For some in the amusement industry, the auction was a chance to browse through a selection of unique rides and restock their parks with necessities, such as overhead doors and trash cans. "We consider the needs of our park, the condition of the items, age and how much work it'll take to get them into tip-top shape," said Russell Melton of PARC Management, a company that owns eight theme parks. "So far, everything has been very reasonably priced." Timothy Bragg, who manages a moving company and came to help transport equipment, said he was pleasantly surprised he was able to buy 28 Thunder Alley racing cars for $4,800. "I'll probably keep a few for my grandkids, refurbish the rest and sell them on eBay," he said. "NASCAR fans love this stuff." For others, the auction offered one last chance for photos and seemed to give a sense of closure. Bill Gartroza of Twinsburg said he still recalls his first visit to Geauga Lake as a 10-year-old in 1932. "It has a lot of history," he said. "I just came to see the end of it." Cedar Fair is still reviewing sealed bids for the park's 400-acre property, spokesman Robin Innes said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiAdventureMan87 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 If a moving company is buying these wooden coasters and then moving them, then why didnt Cedar Fair move at least The Villain or Big Dipper? Cedar Fair can be so lame sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingScooter Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 this is pure speculation, but i think Cedar Fair thinks they have enough headaches already with the Beast, Son Of Beast, MeanStreak and every other damn wooden coaster they put their hands on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingScooter Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Here's the real question...every time I turn around they seem to be collecting money for this "museum." They have been collecting for YEARS. Where is all this money going? There is no "museum" and they can't seem to be able to even buy just ONE roller coaster? Hmm.... --Robb They're not saving money for a museum, they're saving money to visit a buffet everyday of their lives! I really don't think the museum will ever happen. They call themselves "perservers" of coasters, yeah right. Is it likely for a Theme Park Review Amusement park? First coaster, The Big Dipper. -Tatum Good quality Gravy cost money$$$$$!!!! Maybe had the Dippers name been changed to Gravy Rider, ACe would've been all over that like maggots to rotting pork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airtime&Gravity Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Like has been said before, it is almost impossible to know who to believe as neither side is the most truthful. On one side, you have Cedar Fair who have said they intend to keep the park open, and while true, the only keep the water park open. On the other hand, you have ACE, and while all my knowledge of the group comes from this site, I wouldn't believe them right away either. At least the coaster got saved, but it sounds like it is only going to be a lawn ornament. Sort of random, but does anyone else think GL would still be a SF park if Shapiro ran the chain back in 2004? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandaman Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 "The Racer remains an integral park of King's Island..." Well, at least we know the money didn't go to spell check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixflagsguy5 Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I always wondered how much one of the plaques would cost. It's too bad that somebody didn't take the Little Dipper from Geauga Lake, however, I think that the relocation costs would be way too high, especially for ACE. It'll be sad to see this coaster go, but at the same time it's just a part of the coaster recycling process. This has happened many times before with coasters and entire parks and I think it's best to realize that there are still tons of parks out there with great rides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haux Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 ^ But Cedar Fair is trying woodies again with Renegade. And Worlds of Fun looks like it may get a woodie next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParkTrips Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I always wondered how much one of the plaques would cost. A s***load of money. Thousands of dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geaugalakeinexile Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I always wondered how much one of the plaques would cost. It's too bad that somebody didn't take the Little Dipper from Geauga Lake, however, I think that the relocation costs would be way too high, especially for ACE. It'll be sad to see this coaster go, but at the same time it's just a part of the coaster recycling process. This has happened many times before with coasters and entire parks and I think it's best to realize that there are still tons of parks out there with great rides. This did not have to happen. Six Flags sold the park when it drew 2.1 million guests. Cedar Fair dropped that to 700,000. Here in Cleveland we will not forget how this was handled. Cedar Point's attendance is down. Many of us are going to Kennywood. They closed a park that families went to for generations, and lied about it. This may seem like just another park closing to some people. But here in Cleveland this is going to resonate for a long time. Cedar Fair messed this up big, it will take years for them to get their good name back, if ever. They pissed off their local market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixflagsguy5 Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I understand how it is for people in the area vs. people who live far away from the park (like me). When I was really little I used to go to Opryland with my family all the time. My mom grew up going there all the time, so when they decided to gut the park it really sucked for us. I think Opryland was privately owned, but still it left the whole Nashville area without a nearby park (with the exception of SFOG and Dollywood). I know that people could say "hey Cedar Point's only an hour away," but it's not just that the area is in need of some coasters, it's that you cannot experience the same thing as you did at Geauga Lake. Sorry to go a little bit off topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coasterfanatic245 Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I always wondered how much one of the plaques would cost. It's too bad that somebody didn't take the Little Dipper from Geauga Lake, however, I think that the relocation costs would be way too high, especially for ACE. It'll be sad to see this coaster go, but at the same time it's just a part of the coaster recycling process. This has happened many times before with coasters and entire parks and I think it's best to realize that there are still tons of parks out there with great rides. This did not have to happen. Six Flags sold the park when it drew 2.1 million guests. Cedar Fair dropped that to 700,000. Here in Cleveland we will not forget how this was handled. Cedar Point's attendance is down. Many of us are going to Kennywood. They closed a park that families went to for generations, and lied about it. This may seem like just another park closing to some people. But here in Cleveland this is going to resonate for a long time. Cedar Fair messed this up big, it will take years for them to get their good name back, if ever. They pissed off their local market. I think you need to get your facts straight. CP has not announced any attendace figures so why are you going around saying attendance is down? For the record also, EVEN if CP's attendance was down it was not be because of GL. You may think just because a little community called GLT hates CP for no reason means attendance is down because of that. Sorry your wrong again. Everyone is going to Kennywood? Another thing that is news to me. Everyone I know in the Cleveland area will be going to CP this summer. One of my frieds was at Kennywood the other day and said the park was dirty, a lot of rides were down, and it just isn't a fun park. People will be forgetting about GL trust me. Now that the auction and all the talk about BD is over, there is nothing left to talk about. People now from the Cleveland area will begin to go to CP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astroworldfan1 Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 It's too bad that somebody didn't take the Little Dipper from Geauga Lake, however, I think that the relocation costs would be way too high, especially for ACE Wasn't the Little Dipper gone for a couple of decades before the park closed? -Tatum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geaugalakeinexile Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I always wondered how much one of the plaques would cost. It's too bad that somebody didn't take the Little Dipper from Geauga Lake, however, I think that the relocation costs would be way too high, especially for ACE. It'll be sad to see this coaster go, but at the same time it's just a part of the coaster recycling process. This has happened many times before with coasters and entire parks and I think it's best to realize that there are still tons of parks out there with great rides. This did not have to happen. Six Flags sold the park when it drew 2.1 million guests. Cedar Fair dropped that to 700,000. Here in Cleveland we will not forget how this was handled. Cedar Point's attendance is down. Many of us are going to Kennywood. They closed a park that families went to for generations, and lied about it. This may seem like just another park closing to some people. But here in Cleveland this is going to resonate for a long time. Cedar Fair messed this up big, it will take years for them to get their good name back, if ever. They pissed off their local market. I think you need to get your facts straight. CP has not announced any attendace figures so why are you going around saying attendance is down? For the record also, EVEN if CP's attendance was down it was not be because of GL. You may think just because a little community called GLT hates CP for no reason means attendance is down because of that. Sorry your wrong again. Everyone is going to Kennywood? Another thing that is news to me. Everyone I know in the Cleveland area will be going to CP this summer. One of my frieds was at Kennywood the other day and said the park was dirty, a lot of rides were down, and it just isn't a fun park. People will be forgetting about GL trust me. Now that the auction and all the talk about BD is over, there is nothing left to talk about. People now from the Cleveland area will begin to go to CP. Believe me this is Cleveland.We forget nothing. Euclid Beack Park is still missed here. As for attendance, do your homework. WKYC is running newscasts about the attendance at CP. http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=91914&catid=3 Kinzel announced that the attendance was "Soft" http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080611/BUSINESS03/233588633 You CP fanboys can think what you want. Remember, karma is a bitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coasterfanatic245 Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 That link proves nothing. Did you take a look at the webcams today? Cedar Point looks pretty darn crowded. It's still the early season with graduation parties going on and people finishing school. Obviously you have no clue what soft means. That means flat. Kennywood reported down attendance so far so things really arn't looking good for them especially with this new ownership. Cedar Point is going to be around for many more years for people to enjoy and you need to accept that. July and August are the really big months and that is when attendance will show. You GL fan boys crack me up. What left is there to talk about? Seriously what? The auction is over and the park is gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haux Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 That link proves nothing. Did you take a look at the webcams today? Cedar Point looks pretty darn crowded. It's still the early season with graduation parties going on and people finishing school. Obviously you have no clue what soft means. That means flat. Kennywood reported down attendance so far so things really arn't looking good for them especially with this new ownership. Cedar Point is going to be around for many more years for people to enjoy and you need to accept that. July and August are the really big months and that is when attendance will show. You GL fan boys crack me up. What left is there to talk about? Seriously what? The auction is over and the park is gone. It's Saturday. The park is generally busy on Saturdays. Have you been to the park this year? I've been every week, and it doesn't seem as crowded as it has been. As for the Geauga Lake fight, eh. It was a business move. I know some of you think Cedar Fair bought GL to sell it, but that makes no sense. Why would they run it for a few years instead of just shut it down? You know what? Nevermind. This has been ongoing since October. The park's closed. The rides are gone. It's a shame some of them got sold to a scrap dealer. That really sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagnumForce Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 The fact that attendance is soft means nothing. The economy sucks, and the trend for attendance in anything be it movies, sporting events, or amusement park has been on a downward trend. Same goes for TV show viewership. There are just so many options anymore that attendance for everything has slid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carioque41 Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 There is a certain person who posted here who has never been to any other park other than Cedar Point, and therefore feels he reserves the right to criticize and flame any other amusement park out there. So for the most part, I just consider the source. While I loved Geauga Lake and hated to see it go, and certainly bear some hard feelings for the way the closing was handled. I will not go to Cedar Point for a variety of reasons, mainly rising fuel prices and the cost of the whole visit of going there. I live 5 miles from GL and was there almost every weekend last year and the year before. I will go someone else that seems to cater to families rather than to people seeking the thrills. I can do without 17 coasters, 4 kids parks, 3 water parks etc. As for the die hard CP fanboys, enjoy what you have now because nothing lasts forever. As for the GLT people, gotta love you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeti762 Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 If you'd like to see and hear exactly what was said about the coaster being offered to ACE and other groups, here you go http://www.storytellersmediagroup.com/BigDipperAuction/BIG_DIPPER_AUCTION_20080617.wmv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now