Hidden treasures/left overs

[andyuk200523]

It used to be a great place to go and chill by the chained oak, well that was before the internet ruined the location of it by people plastering it around, now there is just loads of rubbish around the base and people have carved into the trunk, haven't been back since I last saw it like this, disgraceful!

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou]

^What a pity. It's a landmark.

[tiger01]

The world can't be perfect. It seemed really cool. Thanks for your imput anyway Andy.

[kidcoaster 2]

Skyscraper at Cedar Point was originally at Valleyfair before being moved to the former. It was inside Wild Thing's outermost turn, and part of the original concrete base for the ride can still be seen there.

 

The control panel still says Valleyfair Amusement Park

[HappyEisentrout]

The last time I was at King's Island, in 2009, I looked at the unload panel for Backlot Stunt Coaster and it still had the original bezel on it that said Italian Job Stunt Coaster. Not sure if they changed it or not yet.

[Mr P]

Alton Towers-wise:

 

-Next to the Lake and Sonic Spinball there is an old building that used to be a cafe, it's now shrouded in trees.

-If you exit the Dark Forest at the far end and follow what looks like a lawn, you end up on an old path (Covered in leaves and layers of dirt). Keep following it around and you end up at some kind of stonehenge built into a rock face, the hinge holes for a gate are also visible as you walk through a rock arch to get there.

-Coming in from Alton Village, heading towards the park, you see 2 former entrances. One is a stone gatehouse adjacent to the former Railway Station, the second is a plain road opposite the Chained Oak Bed & Breakfast. Bot are blocked.

-The buffer stop at the Merrie England station on the park railway is still in place, as is the entrance to the queue (albeit now a Sales & Information point)

-The original roof to "Something Wicked" (The Haunted House's shop) is still their behind the rebuilt one.

 

I'm certain there are hundred more things like this in the park as the estate's history stretches back hundred of years

 

Also, an interesting (And slightly relevant) footnote is that the gardens in the park were never mapped, they were just continually added to. The modern park team find old paths every year and are slowly piecing together a map of them.

 

[G$ Kurt]

^^ Ryan, the last time I was there I saw that too but they had covered it up with a piece of duct tape and in perm marker wrote "Backlot Stunt Coaster". It was really classy.

 

Also about Skyscraper, at cp you can see the remains of Vertigo footers around it.

[HappyEisentrout]

^ That's just the classy stylings of Cedar Fair. They can pay for the billboards to be changed and the Mini Cooper emblems to be taken off, but no way on a piece of plastic. They managed to take EVERYTHING Six Flags out of Geauga Lake in just 28 days. It only took them 3 more years to get everything else out as well.

[R.C.]

At Six Flags Discovery Kingdom one can still see the abandoned Turbo Theater behind Kong. To be honest, it's really well hidden...in plain sight!

 

Also, correct me if I'm wrong here, but wasn't Big Spin's queue covering (over the line, not the station) the station from Zonga originally?

 

I was going to post the same thing about the 3D/4D theater... You are correct. The very long switch back in Big Spin's queue line was the old station for Zonga, minus the air gates.

 

Another hidden treasure/left over at SFDK is the water ski stadium that also housed the Batman stunt show for a while. Some of the set pieces from the Batman show were still floating in the water last Spring...

 

Edit: I remembered another left over at SFDK. When you walk along the path next to the lake, in the back of the park, you may see what looks like an old queue line that leads down to the lake. This was an old boat attraction, like paddle boats or row boats. I don't remember which it was. The train used to go between this queue line and the current path, but now the train is gone too...

Edited February 15, 2011 by R.C.

[WW1 Flying Ace]

At Jurassic Park in IOA there is an exit visible for a defunct boat ride. (Not sure what it was) Space Mountain at MK has a sticker on a suitcase that before the moving platform after the ride that says Mesa Verde on it from the old horizons ride at EPCOT.

[Coaster Cow]

At Jurassic Park in IOA there is an exit visible for a defunct boat ride.

 

I don't think there ever was a boat ride, considering that IOA has only been open for about 10 years or so... Not trying to contradict, but I'd be interested to hear more.

[Mechanic]

Great thread!!!

 

Here's my little addition:

 

What is now a designated smoking area between Matterhorn and It's a Small World at Disneyland was formerly the queue and loading dock for the long-gone Motor Boat Cruise. More recently, in the early 90s, it was named the Motor Boat Cruise to Gummi Glen. It was a mildly themed attraction related to the Gummi Bears. Other than the Gummi Bears themeing elements, which consisted of plywood cut-outs of the Gummi Bears along the boat route, little was different about the ride itself. Personally, I preferred the original version.

 

I particularly remember the old Motor Boat Cruise since it was the last ride I went on during my first visit to Disneyland when I was about 10 years old. That was back in the days of the old ticket books and you'd always seem to have a few of the "A" and "B" tickets left to burn up at the end of a day. That was where I decided to use my last "B" ticket on the last day I was there. I spent the entire ride soaking it all up as much as I could because I knew it would probably be a long, long time before I would be able to come back again. Little did I realize then just how well I really did take it all in and remember it.

 

I was right about it being a long time before I'd make it back. It ended up being about 15 years before I was able to come back to the park I fell in love with as a child. Now, even though it's been over 35 years since that first trip to Disneyland, I can still remember exactly what it felt like to be 10 years old when I go to that certain spot. It's just a smelly smoking area to most people now, but to me it's a connection to a much simpler and far more innocent time in my life. It's like my own personal time machine.

[acq10uaz]

I don't think there ever was a boat ride, considering that IOA has only been open for about 10 years or so... Not trying to contradict, but I'd be interested to hear more.

There was. I think it was called the Island Skipper Tours? It would take you from the Port of Entry to Jurassic Park while giving facts about the other islands. I believe it closed in 2003 because it was sort of useless. I don't know much else about it, I'm sure someone does though.

[downunder]

Pretty much all that's left of the original Luna Park Sydney (opened 1935) is Coney Island at the back, which is possibly the only original 1930's Fun House still operating. It has great wooden slides, rickety stairs, a try-to-stay-on spinning wheel, and so on. It's the best thing at the "park".

[RyanGsatMCO]

Why not jump in. I have lurked here long enough... I worked the past 9 seasons in the SFFT Entertainment Dept. So most of my stuff will be related to that.

 

-The Show Stoppin/Last Chance Legends set platforms were first used in 1995 in Spellbound a magic show. Then used in Legends Live in 1998. Used in Monster Mash Bash 2001,2002, 2003. Then it sat in the Bone yard until 2009 when we reused them for show Stoppin and Last Chance Legends.

 

-Old Blues B-B-Q had a fiber glass bull that use to sit on the rail tracks out side. Weather finally cracked it in 2008, but you can find blues horns being roasted every year at fright fest by a few skeletons that make a fire in the same spot he stood every year!

 

-Some of the props for the new Haunted House came from an old AstroWorld House.

 

-The Dragon Cave wall at fright fest uses fiber glass panels from the Myan Mindbender at Astroworld.

 

-The Scooby Doo Trick or Treat Set uses various old set peices from old shows to give its Egypitan look. The wall panels are again from the Myan Mindbender, The foam Columns are from the FIRST Majesty of Christmas set, and the mummies are from the DC SUPERHEROS LIVE show from 1997

 

-The Theater style seats inside sangerfest halle that were put in in 2008 came from the Zaragoza theather, which opened with nearly 300 more seats then it currently has as there was no center aisle. These were removed in 1993 for a Christmas show and never to return.

 

-Wagon Wheel pannel still says Spinnaker on it from the SFoT days.

 

-Texas States Square has brick around the palm trees with names on it. These are actually all the counties in Texas. in 1991 to promote the park and to have a good story. Under each brick is dirt from each county in Texas. The event was called "The Great Texas Dirt Round Up"

 

-The Sago palm at Texas State square is actually one plant that is now over 150 years old. It is valued at over $500,000 and has an insurance policy to back it up. It was donated from the King William District of San Antonio, a historic area from the 1900s. The tree is protected every winter by a large green house that looks like a present.

 

-The STAR WALK at the back pergola of Texas State Square show cases some of the first famous stars at the park. In early 1992 when the park opened Gaylord Productions put on an Hour long national special that ran on TNN(The old Nashville Network) it was called "Hats of To America from Fiesta Texas" Many stars were in the show such as Don Knotts who played the coach P. Tater from Rockville and the Orginal Mayor Maynot who dedicated Texas State Square. Larry Hagman Played Sam Houston and told the stroy of the park. I have a video of that production that I will have to dig up.

 

I have many more, but that is all I can pull out of my head right now.

 

Ryan

[larrygator]

^That's some great stuff, thanks for posting.

[RyanGsatMCO]

A few more that popped into my head.

 

-Look on top of the clock tower at Sangerfest Halle. You will see a wind vain. It is the styled in the shape of the Orginal Logo. Though it is only the top part and the bottom part with out the words inbetween.

 

- Jake kinda pointed this out kinda early on, but if you look in the Big Spin transfer area all the orginal Joker art work is still on the station wall.

 

-The orginal FT logo can be spotted on a few of the train coaches.

 

-This is something you can sorta see, but not really anynore. THE SANGERFEST STAGE... ok see if you can keep up with this. Orginally it was a round wooden stage in the center of the halle (ala BGW) it was a steel frame and on casters. It had a nice German countryside mural on it. Sometime in 1995 the stage was moved up against the wall it sit on now. (This was for a Christmas Banquet Show) They added a Red Curtain that hung on the back wall and "squared" the back of the stage. Some stairs and ramps were added over time as well. Then in 2001 the Ompha Band was out and a dance show called Carnival International was in. They build around the circular stage to make a larger one. This left a little 3in lip on the main stage that was from the orginal one. Then in 2005 the built up the rest of the stage to level it out and have no lip. In 2007 they build the current more traditonal stage on top of all that. So if you go under there you can find the orginal steel stage with the paintings still on it..,... Basically it is the most perfect support ever hahaha.

 

-There use to be a VIP seating section for the Lone Star Spectacular. It was nearly right infront of the laser booth. It is still there just a large Pave stone pad that has overgrown landscape around it. The use of it was stopped as most the time the wind puts this area in the pyro zone.

 

-If you look on the Candy Storm in Rockville main street side you will see and old faded baner that says "Vote Robert McDermott for Homecoming King" That is of course for the President of USAA when the park opened and for Famous San Antonian General Robet McDermott(the stretch of I-1O in front of the park is called McDermott freeway)

 

-If you Exit the park along the Employee parking lot side you will notice an small rock building. Currently it is used as the main ATT feed into the park, but it is original to the Redland Rock Quarry the only structure on the property form those days.

 

-The Whirlpool in the water park was orginally suppose to be a Dico Bowl, but was cut at the last minute. Infact I believe the press release at the time even reflects that.

 

-When going down the exit ramp on rattler about half way down you will see a bolt on the hand rail that does not meet the struture all the way.. the hand rail prevents them from screwing it in all the way hehehe

 

-Outside the season Pass center you will note some wanted posters. These are of some of the Manager and Director of the park. 3 of the 4 still are there.

 

-Where Boomerang stands use to be a long strolling path around a pond. This was kinda a hidden gem of the orginal park. If you look behind the flash pass center there is a path that goes to nowhere and has railing in front of it.

 

Once again I am sure I have tons more.... But HAHA they all can;t come to me at once.

 

Ryan

[RyanGsatMCO]

On another note about the Sangerfest Stage. The red curtain that was used as a back drop was covered up with many back drops once the Carnival International set went in. When we redoing the stage in 2007 we were in need of a stage curtain. I recalled it from my childhood and upon looking we found it back there and put it to use. It is the red curtain you see today.

[Zingoman]

That is some great stuff about Fiesta Texas. It's really a shame that Six Flags took over that park. It's meant to be so far beyond their standards. It really is such a beautiful park. I wish it had become a Busch park, or Herschend. Considering Dollywood and Fiesta Texas duke it out for shows every year it would be fun if they were in the same company. haha.

[larrygator]

^The quality of the shows at Dollywood are far superior to SF Fiesta Texas. If it wasn't the Golden Tickets it would be quite odd that SFFT continues to win this Golden Ticket year after year. Do they deserve to be in the running? Certainly! Win every year? No way!

[samisthabomb]

I can think of four things off the top of my head:

 

- Somewhere at WDW, there's an abandoned skyride station. Not sure where, though.

 

- At Universal Orlando, the old Hard Rock Cafe is still standing abandoned.

 

- Now this is really, really cool. There's a completely abandoned waterpark at WDW! I think it used to be called River Country. Anyways, there's an entire waterpark just sitting there in the woods of the WDW resort.

 

- I'm sure this is common knowledge, but the Pop Century Resort at WDW was never finished. You can still see the unfinished side!

[SoCalCoasters]

A few things from California:

 

At Legoland California:

 

They have a resturant called the Sports Cafe. It was named after the now defunct sports area which was replaced by Land of Adventure. Some props from that sports area are still backstage and inside the cafe.

 

The Lego Showplace Theater by Duplo Playland has been abandoned for years now, last time it held a show was during a Bob the Builder/Thomas The Tank Engine Weekend several years ago (only time I've seen Technic Coaster's queue completely full besides opeing month)

 

There is a section of the Drivers Ed attraction for kids that is defunct. This back section was closed a year or two after the park opened and consisted of a bridge, and a path back through a little nature area. (strangley, the speakers still play music in that area)

 

The Lego Factory Tour has shelves in the hallways containing models from the defunct New England Harbor miniland area.

 

The building in miniland where the master builders work has a small area with viewing platforms above it. The area used to contain a Lego Art exhibit which consisted of about 20 pieces of artwork turned into Legos.

 

 

 

At the San Diego Zoo's Wild Safari Park (Formerly know as the Wild Animal Park)

 

There is a gigantic sore: The old path for the Wasaga Busch Line Tram is still visable throughout many areas of the park, the track is gone, but the path remains, a reminder of how they killed the best attraction they ever had. (park has gotten worse over the years)

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou]

^I went to Wild Animal...erm, Safari Park, and was bummed that the old tram was gone. The new one is nowhere near as entertaining.

[jray21]

C'mon Jake, it's only because your a Texan and like the "Salute to all America, but mostly Texas," show better! Plus, even if Dollywood has the worst shows in the world, they have cinnamon bread so they win no matter what!

[gdoggy1678]

A few things from California:

 

At Legoland California:

The Lego Showplace Theater by Duplo Playland has been abandoned for years now, last time it held a show was during a Bob the Builder/Thomas The Tank Engine Weekend several years ago (only time I've seen Technic Coaster's queue completely full besides opeing month)

 

In the summer of 2010 the Jumpitz were performing there for about a month. Lucky, You always seem to visit on the good days, i have worked while Technics line has been past the Sports Cafe several times last summer.