NEWS: The Beach Waterpark Reopens

[ginzo]

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120309/BIZ/303090101

 

MASON — The Beach Waterpark announced Friday that it will close after 27 years in business. It cited the economy and consumers’ “changing entertainment habits.”

 

“The Beach Waterpark management team is extremely saddened to make today’s announcement,” Ralph Vilardo Jr., a company spokesman said in a statement. “We have been proud to provide entertainment and employment to Southwest Ohioans for more than 27 years. Like many businesses these days, we had to make the difficult decision to close after concluding that further investment to support the business cannot be justified.”

 

The 35-acre tropical-themed waterpark has operated at a loss for several years, the company said.

 

Opened in 1985, The Beach employed more than 15,000 people and saw an estimated 7.5 million visitors, the company said.

 

This is a bummer. The Beach was probably the best waterpark in this area. It had an unusual collection of slides and raft rides, instead of the same old Proslide installations most everybody else is buying these days.

Edited February 15, 2014 by jedimaster1227

[Hilltopper39]

That's terrible news, I loved the Beach growing up as a kid and really thought it was one of the best water parks around. I never got to visit it as often as I would have liked but it will be missed. Their rapids water slide thing was one of my favorite slides anywhere, very unique. Definitely going to miss this place.

[ajc47]

Well, this certainly sucks. Another park gone.

[B.A.B]

I only been here a few times. Although this was a really good and fun waterpark. The slides were awesome, way better then all of these newer slides today I think. Anyway it is sad to see it go.

[donkeyman18]

Wow I just looked up pictures looked like a great park sad these things happen.

[FuzzleMonkey]

About time. I'm amazed this park didn't die back in the 1990s when Kings Island continually expanded their Water Works section and am astounded that The Beach somehow managed to survive another decade.

 

I visited The Beach every few years and found a lot to be desired. The atmosphere was very carny, prices were outrageously high, and the selection of attractions was severely lacking. Some rides, like Aztec Adventure and Hidden Rapids, were unique and fun, but the majority were dull and uninteresting body slides without anything to distinguish themselves from one another. Emerald Bay (a collection of nets, monkey bars, etc. over a pool of water) was also a nifty attraction, but still nothing compared to Kings Island's and its abundance of offerings.

 

I foresee this park suffering an identical fate to the late Surf Cincinnati, where it sits abandoned for many years before the land is eventually bought and an uninteresting project (office building, church, etc.) is constructed. I also doubt any of the slides will find new life elsewhere (including the ones which had sit in pieces in a field on park property for several years, having never been assembled).

[Geauga Dog]

That is a bummer since I've never had a chance to go there. IIRC it was one of the best water parks in the country back in the day. Sad to see it go. Going to seem strange not seeing people lined up for the slides next to I-71, especially that tall speed slide that appears to be insanely steep.

[triggernel]

It's really interesting seeing this park close. When KI made their announcements for next year, the Facebook page blew up with people complaining that if they wanted slides they would just go to The Beach. Looks like KI made a great move in choosing slides for next year.

 

Sad to see another waterpark go though...

[DBru]

So no chance of this park being saved?

[-Edge of Beast-]

I remember years ago before I was a member, I read a trip report on this from the Midwest trip in 2007. That Cyclone coaster they had looked magnificent, as well as the slides.

 

I'm glad Oceans of Fun still has a great collection of old slides, these Proslides and WhiteWater West ones are showing up all over, it's a rare occasion to come across an older one.

 

Sad to see this place go.

[chipcoaster]

Donkeyman18 or anyone else - where can you find the pictures of these unique slides? I have tried google, bing and panoramio among other places, and just came up on a couple really small shots.

 

The slides to look really interesting and well themed - some themed to temples.

 

Thanks for the input!

[ginzo]

This story just got even more sad:

 

http://masonbuzz.com/2012/03/21/beach-waterpark-no-refunds-for-season-pass-holders/

 

It’s official: Customers who pre-paid for 2012 season passes to The Beach Waterpark won’t be getting refunds.

 

The now-closed Mason park said Wednesday that it will not be able to reimburse those who purchased season passes and instead announced discounts up to $200 for pass holders at a number of area attractions.

 

“While we regret that we won’t be able to provide refunds to season pass holders, we couldn’t be more proud of how our community partners have come together to support our season pass holders and provide them with valuable experiences,” spokesman Ralph Vilardo Jr. said in a news release.

 

 

Season passes to The Beach most recently retailed for $89.99 for adults and $32.99 for children under 48 inches and seniors.

 

The discounts begin as early as today and include:

 

-One free day pass to Kings Island and the opportunity to purchase a Gold pass at a reduced price

-A one-time discount good toward the Mason Community Center, Lou Eves Municipal Pool or the Grizzly Golf Course

-Two free Sunlite Pool & Classic Rides combo tickets at Cony Island Amusement Park

-A free one week family pass to Countryside YMCA and discounted membership fee

-Reduced admission to the Cincinnati Zoo

-Buy one get one free weekday rental at Morgan’s Outdoor Adventures

-Discounted pricing for zipline tours at Ozone Zipline Adventures

-A credit with purchase of a PowerCard at Dave & Busters

 

The Beach announced March 9 that it will shut down after 27 years in business, citing “a challenging, competitive and economic climate and changing patron entertainment habits” for the closure.

 

Vilardo said the 35-acre, tropical-themed waterpark has operated at a loss for several years and local investors who own The Beach have been unable to secure new financing.

 

The company left open the possibility that The Beach could reopen next year. Vilardo said the park’s owners will keep up the maintenance while they try to secure new investments or possibly sell the park.

 

Since it opened in 1985, The Beach has employed 15,000 people and had 7.5 million visitors, an average of about 275,000 visitors each year.

 

Vilardo said season pass holders will be contacted by mail with full details regarding each offer and how they may participate. Details about the attractions offered have been posted on The Beach’s website at http://www.thebeachwaterpark.com. He referred consumer questions to thebeachwaterpark@northlich.com.

 

Angry consumers took to The Beach’s Facebook page expressing disappointment with The Beach’s offer and saying they prefer a full refund.

 

Longtime pass holder Tina Stroud of Springdale spent $305 on Beach season passes this year. She says the deals to area attractions don’t interest her and that she’s filed a dispute with the credit card company used to purchase the passes

 

“I bought a pool pass,” she said. “Plus these deals are essentially being offered by those companies, not The Beach. They did not pay any money to those companies, but they still took my money. I would never visit The Beach again unless it was under entirely new ownership.

 

A representative from Ohio Attorney General Mike Dewine’s office declined comment on this particular case, but said that anyone who has pre-paid for goods and services not received by a now closed business can file a complaint with them at http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov or by calling 800-282-0515.

[SharkTums]

LOL! The angry customer saying how she'll never visit the Beach again because they wouldn't refund her pass is kind of missing something I think!!

 

Sad to see the park go, but I'm surprised it survived this long across the street from another big water park.

[Millenniumfan94]

I don't understand why the park continued to sell passes right up to the closing. There is no way this was a last minute decision! The owners need to refund the passholders or be charged with fraud...

[tycampbell]

Sad to see it go but you could tell it was gonna happen. Thing Kings Island will try to pick up some of the slides?

[ukfan339]

^No. Why would they? The majority of their slides are OLDER than Kings Island's waterpark as a whole.

 

Besides, none of their slides was something to write home about...The Beach was like a water park "fair".

[jedimaster1227]

http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/beach-waterpark-sued-for-failure-to-deliver-1381437.html

 

Thousands of people who bought 2012 season passes to the now-closed Beach Waterpark could get some money back if a lawsuit filed Friday is successful.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is suing the Mason water park for violating the state Consumer Sales Practices Act. Approximately 8,800 passes were purchased for the 2012 season before the water park announced March 9 it would not reopen for the summer.

 

On March 21, park officials said they were unable to issue refunds to season pass holders because they used season pass revenue to support off-season operations and invest in the park. At the time, officials said they were trying to work out something that would allow the park to reopen. “It’s unfortunate when a long-standing Ohio business closes,” DeWine said in a news release Friday. “But the Beach Waterpark took money from thousands of consumers and never delivered promised services. That’s unacceptable.”

 

Park officials were surprised to learn of the lawsuit Friday morning through news reports, said Ralph Vildardo Jr., spokesman for The Beach. “We have been in communication with the attorney general’s office since early March,” Vildardo said. “We have contacted the attorney general’s office to discuss the matter and cannot provide further comment at this time.”

 

More than 430 people filed complaints and requested refunds in excess of $270,000 spent toward season passes and upgrades for free parking and beverages, according to a Dayton Daily News examination of the attorney general’s records. Instead of refunds, Beach officials offered discounts and day passes to other local attractions, including Kings Island, Coney Island Amusement Park, Countryside YMCA, Cincinnati Zoo and Dave & Busters. Some of the offers could only be used on select dates.

 

DeWine charged the waterpark’s owners and operators — The Beach at Mason Limited Partnership, Water Parks Inc. and Cabana Equities Inc. — with violating the Failure to Deliver Rule under the Consumer Sales Practices Act in a suit filed in Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas in Cincinnati. DeWine argued the offers were not adequate substitutions because they were not similar goods or services and not of equal or greater value to what the consumers ordered. The lawsuit seeks consumer restitution, a permanent injunction and civil penalties.

 

The lawsuit is the 27th consumer lawsuit filed by DeWine in 2012, according to records from his office. Office spokesman Mark Moretti said consumer complaints are reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine whether legal action is necessary.

 

The Beach Waterpark opened in 1985 on 35 acres in Mason. The tropical-themed water park offered more than 50 rides and attractions to visitors.

 

Many season passes were sold at discounted rates and last retailed at $89.99 each for adults. Park officials estimated the free passes offered to other attractions were worth about $200.

 

Shelly Helton, of Turtlecreek Twp. in Warren County, purchased four season passes last August for her family and filed a complaint with DeWine in March.

She said the water park’s compensation plan is “basically useless” to her. “We already had season passes for Kings Island and a lot of the other things they offered, we’re not able to do,” she said. Helton said she is glad the attorney general’s office is doing something about the situation. “I’m hoping that a lot of these people will get a refund back on their money,” she said.

[jamesdillaman]

^No. Why would they? The majority of their slides are OLDER than Kings Island's waterpark as a whole.

 

Besides, none of their slides was something to write home about...The Beach was like a water park "fair".

 

And yet, a day at The Beach watermark was always more fun for many of us than kings islands waterpark. It just had a less hectic atmosphere about it. And the tube "slides" were really good, nothing like it at KI's waterpark. Prices were better and the platinum pass was an awesome deal. Free soft drinks and tube rental if you got there before noon, not to mention prime seating by the wave pool. I'm truly sad to see this park close.

[beatle11]

With Kings Island doing such a large expansion to their water park, I can't say I'm surprised.

[DBru]

Except it's not a very large expansion. They added a wave pool. I don't understand how they can add a second pool and get away with marketing it as "doubling the size of the water park!!!"

[deathbydinn]

Beach Waterpark to reopen under new name, management

 

An area water park will reopen next summer after one year on hiatus. The Beach Waterpark in Mason announced March 9 that it would close, and Ohio's attorney general sued its operators over season passes already purchased by some customers. Adventure Holdings LLC, which operates 17 other family entertainment centers around the U.S., has signed a lease with an option to purchase the 35-acre water park. The operators plan to make significant investments in The Beach, which will be renamed Adventure Landing, before reopening in 2013.

 

This year's season pass holders will be contacted by the new operator with details about redemption of those passes before next season's opening.

After The Beach closed, hundreds of consumers filed complaints with Attorney General Mike DeWine's office, saying they wanted refunds. In lieu of refunds, The Beach offered discounts and day passes to other local attractions, such as Kings Island and the Cincinnati Zoo.

According to the attorney general's lawsuit, the offers were not adequate substitutions, because they were not similar goods or services and they were not of equal or greater value to what the consumers ordered. Substitute offers must be acceptable to consumers.

Link

 

The Beach announced Wednesday that it has a new operator with an option to purchase the Mason-based water park.

The new operator expects to make a significant investment in the park to open for the 2013 season, according to a news release. Details of the purchase price were not disclosed. But the release said 2012 season passes will be honored in the 2013 season.

The Beach will be operated by Adventure Holdings LLC, the parent company of Adventure Landing. Adventure Holdings operates a group of 17 family entertainment centers in Florida, Kansas, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas. Hank Woodburn, the founder and president of Adventure Landing, plans to rename the park The Beach at Adventure Landing, according to the release.

“Today is a major milestone in the Adventure Holdings LLC story,” Woodburn said in the release. “I look forward to welcoming back the dedicated supporters of The Beach in 2013 and hope they enjoy the upgrades and enhancements we plan to make to the park.”

This year’s season pass holders will be contacted by the new operator with details about how to redeem their passes prior to the opening of the 2013 season, according to the release. In the meantime, pass holders can visit their website for announcements and updates.

“As a past employee and new general manager of The Beach, I am excited to welcome Adventure Holdings LLC to the Greater Cincinnati area,” Ralph Vilardo Jr. said in the release. “The Beach has provided the community with years of entertainment and memories and I am proud to see its legacy continue.”

The Beach Waterpark opened in 1985 and is located on 35 acres in Mason. The tropical themed park offered more than 50 rides and attractions. Its owners announced in March that it would not open for the 2012 season. The owners later offered deals at other attractions for 2012 season pass holders rather than refunding their money for the passes. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine in May announced a lawsuit against the owners and operators of The Beach for failure to deliver, a violation of Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act. The impact of the announcement on the lawsuit was not immediately clear.

Adventure Landing and NRP Holdings is headquartered in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., and consists of 17 family entertainment centers around the country. Those parks’ attractions include water parks, video games, go-karts, laser tag, miniature golf courses and batting cages, according to the release.

Link

[Jew]

I suspect the "significant investment" will involve making is more of an FEC and less of a water park.

[Philrad71]

While I was driving through Ohio yesterday on a business trip, I saw a sign at The Beach waterpark stating that they will be open in 2013.

 

Because I hadn't seen the articles posted above, I had to come home and do a check online. After a peek at the website, it looks like it definitely is a go & that they will be honoring anyone that had purchased a 2012 season pass in 2013. Glad to see this park is re-opening with a few new attractions under new management!

 

It will be interesting to see if they can survive & keep adding more new and exciting stuff to draw some crowds from Kings Island - or at least give folks visiting Kings Island an alternative way to spend an afternoon. I'm sure this park draws a lot of locals as well.

 

Even though we planned on staying all of Labor Day weekend at Kings Island in 2012, we were kind of bored with it by day two. Being that my family loves waterparks, this would have been a definite for us had it been open.

 

 

The Beach

[thepoint4life23]

IF i could get some free Tickets i would Try it. But going to the kings Isalnd Water Park This Summer, i must say its really nice. going to be hard to draw People In. Lets Hope The Add A new Slide Of Some Sort

[PKI Jizzman]

Kings Island's water park has had 2 slide additions since the 80's. Proslide Tornado and Mat Racers. Aside from the new parking and 2nd wavepool, the slides are old with a fresh coat of paint. The Beach actually has a speed slide, Schlitterbahn style tube slides, and way decent water play areas and body slides. I'd much rather go to the Beach than KI's park any day of the year. The Beach isn't huge, but there's more to do for a longer time. Who doesn't love jumping off a 15ft deck into the water?! Or doing that by monkey bars, ropes, or zipline.

Sure they haven't added a slide since 2004, but if they add one or two more tube slides or a new Proslide type of ride, that would be awesome.