Indiana Beach (IB) Discussion Thread

[Montumba]

Does anyone have any info on when Cornball Express is expected to open for the season?

 

Dropped by the park on Saturday 05/28, and wasn't able to get an answer on when it would open from guest relations, just that it hadn't run this season - not sure if maybe someone on the boards has new/different info?

 

Thanks!

 

--Matt

[orangecats2]

I certainly hope they are all open when I go in two weeks! It's my first time there and don't know when I'll get back.

[jamesdillaman]

Seriously, IB without Cornball or LoCoSuMo is almost not worth paying to get in...

[orangecats2]

Any updates on the coasters being closed? I'll be there tomorrow and Monday so I'll let everyone know.

[Joe Cool]

Yeah I went last Thursday to Indiana Beach for the first time ever and Cornball Express, Steel Hawg, and Lost Coaster where all closed. Good thing the Best Western I stayed at had $20.00 tickets.

[Homeboy23]

Yeah I went last Thursday to Indiana Beach for the first time ever and Cornball Express, Steel Hawg, and Lost Coaster where all closed. Good thing the Best Western I stayed at had $20.00 tickets.

 

Using club tpr would have been cheaper

[SharkTums]

Ugh, I really want to give these new owners a chance but having three coasters still closed in June, moving those chair swings...I just don't know.

[traincrossin]

Indiana Beach posted this on their Facebook page on Friday.

All coasters are up and running! Lets party at the Adventure Point Grand Opening! Miguel Torres is on site!

[jmicha]

^Obviously the parks' Facebook is saying everything is open, but can anyone confirm this from actually visiting the park? There's a possibility I will be going to this park at some point this coming weekend and would love to be able to get everything in if I do end up being able to go.

[jamesdillaman]

Yeah, I'd like to say I believe IB's facebook page, but having 3 coasters closed and then all opened the next day seems suspect...

[Cameron]

^ Unless the park was waiting for some paperwork (state inspection? permits?) to come through and they finally got the OK today.. (Purely a guess - I don't actually know anything).

 

Back to Elissa's comment - I'm banging my head against the wall trying to remain positive (and to be fair, I haven't even visited the park this year), but it's getting harder and harder with everything I'm hearing. Time will tell, I guess ..

 

Cameron.

[Jojo19799]

I have never been to IB before last Sunday, but being my first time visiting, I had a great time. LoCo was closed, but they were working on getting it up and running. Sadly it didn't open during this visit. Cornball was closed as well. From what we could see a part of it was getting re-tracked. Music Express was moved to it's new location but not running, and Falling Star was in pieces still. I'm sure they'll get to that sooner or later. The park wasn't that crowded either, so it made for very short lines for all the rides. I think the longest we may have waited was 15 minutes for Steel Hawg.

 

I really hope this info helps ease some thoughts about the park. I had a great time, and I hope to go back before the end of the season.

 

EDIT: I just realized I forgot to mention that Splash Battle was closed too. They were training employees on the Adventure Mountain so I'm guessing that might of had something to do with why the ride was closed. I could be wrong though. Wouldn't be the first time.

[jamesdillaman]

^^ Cameron, Steel Hawg was operating when I went the first weekend of May, so it's not a permit issue. I'd imagine if it was a priority to the management, the rides could have been operating by now. LoCoSuMo is such a unique ride that I was wanted a friend I took to be able to get on. We're waiting to use our complimentary tickets (Because only like 12 RIDES were operating that day, with 2 coasters closed) until it's open again...

[JulSki]

Hello! Brand new here !! Found you in a search for adventure point at IB info - I've been going to IB my entire life and I enjoyed the step back in time that it provided - esp when my kids were really small. It's always been a manageable and affordable park for young families, and I liked that it was charming and laid back. I am all for restroom updates and things like that - but I am verrrrrry displeased with the YoYo moving, as well as the falling star. The ropes course and zip line would have been more fitting for the back side where they moved everything else to. If they wanted the zip line to go over the lake - couldn't they have found a way over by the Air Crow somehow? Just very disappointed in that move.

 

On another note, can someone tell me how I find out about what exactly the discounts are for Indiana Beach and for Six Flags Great America with a Club TPR membership? I can't find any specifics.

 

Thanks!!

[deathbydinn]

It's not exactly a silent protest, but former employees of Indiana Beach said they are taking a stand for those that still work and play at the park.

 

 

 

"It's a sad state that the park is in right now and we want to make that aware to the guests," said Protest organizer Darrell Price.

 

Price said he resigned from his job at Indiana Beach on Friday. He said he and other workers are concerned.

 

"There are possible unsafe conditions because of the way they treat their rides. They can not or will not get the parts to keep the rides open and safe properly," said Price.

 

Price said one of the problems is the Saratoga Springs, New York-based Morgan Management, owners of the park. He said last week one of his fellow employees was fired by the owner of the park for what Price said was no apparent reason.

 

"Specific details I'm not at liberty to discuss at this time because of employee privacy," said Gary Quasebarth, Chief Operating Officer of Indiana Beach. Quasebarth said he was hired in the spring to do a major upgrade to the park.

 

"We invested millions of dollars in ride upgrades, repair, maintenance, and new attractions into this park and the park is better right now than it has been in years and safer," said Quasebarth.

 

Quasebarth said the park has always had a great safety record throughout its history. He said this year they were able to hire more staff members than previous years, but he said the protest reflects a larger problem.

 

"I think this is symptomatic of a larger problems in the country right now, employment being what it is," said Quasebarth.

 

Price said some current and former Indiana Beach staff members disagree.

 

"We're explaining why rides are rotating because we're on a budget that forces us to rotate rides. People ask us why the Hurricane or the Cornball are down from the beginning of the season because we don't have the parts to pay for them," said Price.

 

Price said he has yet to receive his last pay check from the park but he said so far the workers have been paid on time. He said the protesters plan to be outside every weekend until the park closes.

 

http://www.wlfi.com/dpp/news/local/Former-workers-protest-Indiana-Beach

[rollin_n_coastin]

Statement from former and current Indiana Beach Employees followed by latest media response.

 

The past four years have been tough on the workers of Indiana Beach. We have faced many hardships, the biggest being that we have had to watch our Family Park turn into something else entirely. We had to sit by while our longtime loyal customers have been tossed aside. The local businesses and communities have been forgotten. It has been like watching an intruder ransack our home from the inside out. Most of us have tried to work on the inside to keep the park true to the Indiana Beach we used to love, but our voices have never been heeded, and we are done being mistreated.

 

This last year has been the worst yet. In attempts to increase profits to pay for their “multi-million dollar expansion” they have forgone even common decency. Loyal employees are fired on a whim. Corporate’s “trusted” are allowed, even encouraged, to drink in uniform, when the rest of us would be terminated on the spot. Employees are fired or suspended for calling in sick. The owner of the park continually calls us all “liars and thieves” on conference calls that can be heard throughout the office as he shouts at and berates the only managers that stand on our side. When a guest comes up with a complaint, we are not even allowed to give refunds or compensation for their problems; we have been left as dart boards for the guest’s ire. Rides are ordered to be rotated to save “budget” and we employees are left to try to explain this to children and families on vacation.

 

If all this wasn’t bad enough, safety and proper procedure have taken a backseat to the deadlines that corporate has set on us. Rides are continuously closed, or many times forced to be open using rigged components because the company will not or cannot pay for the parts that will allow maintenance to fix them properly. Employees have continually pointed out safety concerns that are brushed aside. The accommodations are also in disrepair because of the company’s unwillingness, or inability, to spend money. Our guests are forced to stay in rooms with collapsing ceilings, moldy walls, bug infestations, faulty appliances and broken air conditioning—guests who have been simply told to “deal with it.” During the rush to get Adventure Point open, safety standards have been disregarded outright. The new Zip lines are being run outside of Standard Operating Procedures. The Air Jumper attraction, which was being forced to open despite safety concerns, nearly crippled an employee on its opening night. The employee went without even an apology or expression of concern from management.

 

For these reasons we stand united. We will no longer sit idle as the Indiana Beach we remember wastes away.

 

The Indiana Beach Employees

 

 

The Journal and Courier

 

Ex-workers, Indiana Beach agree to talk

State inspecting rides after issues raised

August 25, 2011

 

Max Showalter

 

MONTICELLO -- Partly in response to a protest last weekend led by a group of former employees, an amusement ride inspector from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security is at Indiana Beach this week.

 

The state inspector is checking the safety and documentation of the approximately 30 rides at this lakefront tourist attraction.

 

And further protests have been canceled following a pledge by officials with Morgan RV Resorts, which has owned Indiana Beach since 2008, to meet with representatives of the one-time workers. They had demonstrated near the park to bring attention to their concerns about ride safety and maintenance, employee treatment and guest relations.

 

The inspections were started last week, after the state agency was made aware of the complaints.

 

"Inspectors are still up there. They're taking their time doing a thorough job," said Emily Norcross, a spokeswoman for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. "Mostly it's a matter of rides. It's a pretty thorough process. They need to go through paperwork."

 

Gary Quasebarth, chief operating officer at Indiana Beach, said ride inspections are conducted annually before the park opens for the season and periodically throughout the year.

 

"Indiana Beach has a great safety record. We work very closely with the state," Quasebarth said. "Obviously we're very transparent when it comes to this stuff -- it's public safety. Our guests and employees are very important."

 

Jordan Trusty, a former employee who helped organize last weekend's sign-toting protest against Indiana Beach, said Bob Moser, president of Morgan RV Resorts, plans to meet with the group "to resolve any and all issues we brought up."

 

Trusty worked at the amusement park from June 2008 until Tuesday of last week, when he said he quit his job.

 

"I feel extremely good that we brought these issues up to the community," he said. "It's unfortunate the people who do the inspections are not fully trained on all aspects of the rides."

 

Originally owned by the Spackman family, Indiana Beach has been a tourist destination since it was opened in 1926. It attracts approximately 750,000 visitors a year and generates approximately $60 million in direct and spinoff business to White County annually, according to Connie Neininger, director of White County Economic Development.

 

The sale price was not disclosed when the property was acquired three years ago by Morgan RV Resorts, which is headquartered in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

 

Quasebarth viewed the upcoming meeting between the owner and representatives of the former employees as a logical step in resolving the protest in its early stages.

 

"I think there is a level of understanding of their concerns and addressing those concerns," Quasebarth said. "What started as a very negative situation is turning into something more positive, which is a good thing."

[traincrossin]

Inspector: IB rides safe

 

After nearly a week at Indiana Beach, an inspector with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security ruled Friday that rides met state approval.

 

The inspection was prompted when former employees protested outside the park on Saturday, saying — among other accusations — the safety of rides had been sacrificed.

 

“They’ve found essentially nothing,” said Gary Quasebarth, chief operating officer of Indiana Beach. “There were some maintenance things, but essentially nothing.”

 

In a report back to the Department of Homeland Security, elevator and amusement ride safety inspector Robert McCutchan agreed mainly minor issues were found.

 

“We spent the week at Indiana Beach doing some periodic inspections and delving a little deeper into how the rides are maintained and operated,” McCutchan stated. “Throughout the week, we found just a few items that are considered daily maintenance items and could easily be repaired on the spot.

 

McCutchan reported that there was one item that needed quick attention, but it was repaired by the next morning and wasn’t an immediate threat.

 

“This is a testament to diligence and dedication of the full-time maintenance engineering group whose combined experience of over 150 years keeps IB’s rides and attractions in working order,” Quasebarth said. “The rides are safe and our maintenance team is one of the best in the country.”

 

He added that the Beach’s maintenance team is certified as required by the ride manufacturers to meet all current safety requirements and attend the same ride safety classes as state inspectors.

 

According to Quasebarth, McCutchan arrived at the park Sunday morning and was there most of the week.

 

The protests by former Beach employees — who contend that not only rides were safe but employees suffered poor treatment — were suspended Wednesday until they meet with Bob Moser, CEO of IB parent company Morgan RV.

 

Protests began a week ago today; in the meantime, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced that she had brought suit against Morgan RV Resorts, LLC.

 

The Massachusetts attorney general alleges that Morgan sales representatives “aggressively solicited homeowners at (manufactured home community) Peters Pond to pay up to $16,000 as a membership fee to remain in the community.” The lawsuit seeks to stop the collection of the improper fees and to recover monies paid by consumers in violation of the Consumer Protection Act and Manufactured Housing Act.

 

Quasebarth stated Thursday that Indiana Beach is a different part of the business from manufactured housing communities and incorporated separately in the Hoosier State.

Article

[ginzo]

From the Indiana Beach Facebook Page:

 

Indiana Beach Amusement Resort has closed for the 2011 season. While this is a few weekends shy of our originally scheduled closing date, we are focusing our efforts on preparation for the 2012 season.

 

Our IB garage sale will still proceed as planned this Saturday at the IB Convention Center from 9 AM until 3 PM.

 

Visit The Ballroom Saturday October 1st for our Oktoberfest Party in partnership with the first annual White County Fall Festival.

 

Compare this to Knoebels who is hoping to re-open this weekend despite horrible flooding.

[SFGAm Shock Wave]

Great. No Steel Hawg credit for me Sunday. This is some serious BS. They don't even try to give any reason. Just hey BTW we're closed already. What a bunch of completely incompetent morons.

[SharkTums]

It's sad, but the comparison between this park and Blackpool carries on. Now this park is also being run by some corporate people that don't care and are just ruining the charm and the whole park.

[TheSchwitek]

^ The worst part is that this same scenario is happening at the majority of parks across the country. The main goal is a quick turnaround and sell, sell, sell.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^In this economy, it seems to make more sense to people to do that. Nobody really has long-term development plans (outside of Zamperla), they're just trying to break even and/or make a profit if they're lucky enough. A lot can be said for park owners who do all they can to stick it out and weather the storm, but too many of them are focused in on right now rather than 5 or 10 years from now. I guess there's no guarantee the economy will get better any time soon, but as we've seen time and time again, there will naturally be another boom in the economy eventually (otherwise we'd still be in the Depression).

 

And it's not just parks that are going through this, unfortunately it's widespread across all industries.

[SFGAm Shock Wave]

And now the park's Facebook page is gone. I guess Indiana Beach couldn't handle the masses that were seeing through their BS, and calling them out, so they just shut down the page.

[Sue]

I was just going to post the same thing about them deleting their Facebook. Guess they can't handle the heat!

[BeemerBoy]

Regardless of how things play out over the coming weeks, months, and years, kudos to the park employees for standing up for what they believe in. How rare is that these days?