Big Dipper May Be Purchased Next Week... but not by ACE

Interesting article. ACE was offered the Big Dipper for free but turned it down. They had to cover the cost of removing it and relocating it. A very interesting move on the part of Cedar Fair.

http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=91337&catid=3

It's a nice gesture, but let's face it, there was no way according to the cost mentioned in the article that ACE could afford to move it. A lot of ACE members are heavy travelers, and I can't imagine that they have a whole lot of money left after a season of traveling to event after event (or park to park).

ACE does have a coaster preservation fund. I don't know if there is enough money in the fund for Big Dipper, or how exactally they use the money.

On another note...

Looks like the perfect opportunity for Holiday World to pick up a cheap Pirate Ship! Mayflower, anyone? :)

Question for those who have attended these auctions in the past...

My younger brother has expressed an interest in getting a piece of memorbilia from Geauga Lake -- I'm guessing something like a ride sign, etc? Not sure exactly what he was thinking.

Are those types of things usually sold the first day, or the second, some both or does it vary?

Thanks in advance for any input. :)

Well at least no one can complain about them tearing it down now.

It was offered for free and they didn't want it.

I have slight reason to believe that ACE was probably given notice that the ride has to be down in 1-2 weeks. I don't know if a woodie like this could be dismantled in that time frame especially with the budget and manpower that ACE has.

I would think the only way it could have been done if there is plenty of experience workers, and /or a coaster manufacture, or another amusement park got involved in moving it. *** Edited 6/14/2008 7:01:39 PM UTC by Sawblade5***

Would M&V help, because I know that they were trying to sell the coasters a while back?

Super Loopy, it wasn't offered for exactly nothing and it was not that they did not want it.

^ Care to elaborate?

Mike

^^ It absolutely was offered for exactly nothing. At least the ride itself was. Once ownership is transferred to ACE, it would then become 100% their responsibility to move it.

When you buy groceries, do you want the store to pay for your gas to drive them home, and send a bagger to bring them in and stock your cupboards for you, too?

Seriously. It was above and beyond for the company to even offer the ride for free. WTH else are they supposed to do, gift wrap it and FedEx it to ACE headquarters?

How irresponsible of a roller coaster club not to be able to come up with the hundreds of thousands of dollars (maybe into the millions) necessary to dissassemble, move, and reconstruct the ride. It's not like Big Dipper consists of many thousands of parts requiring carpenters, engineers, cranes and scaffolding to complete the job.

Obviously ACE must only be pretending to care about BD. The stinkers.

Sarcasm supplied for free!

ACE has aproximatly 100K in the preservation fund. I don't think they use the money to directly purchace or save coasters as much as they try to convince owners to keep them or help find new owners for them.

Ace keeps taking money from the Pres fund and giving it to the museum fund.

But I digress. Big reason I quit em as they've been offered several locations reasonable for a museum also but no, they gotta have the multi million facility

---

matt. said:
Seriously. It was above and beyond for the company to even offer the ride for free. WTH else are they supposed to do, gift wrap it and FedEx it to ACE headquarters?

---

Now that would be hysterical. They can do that for me if they want. I'll take it! I just MIGHT have enough room. ;)

-Tina

I just copied this from the comments section related to that article;

---

As secretary of American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE), I am writing from our annual convention in Atlanta, on behalf of ACE's Executive Committee, to notify you that the president, vice president, nor any of the other 10 Committee members here are aware of being offered Geauga Lake's Big Dipper at no cost.

---

Is it possible that a news reporter embelished there story. NAH! That never happens.

ACE says "no cost" and then ends the sentence. The news story says "at no cost, other than dismantling, re-locating, and reassembling."

Interesting all around anyway.

---

Charles Nungester said:
Ace keeps taking money from the Pres fund and giving it to the museum fund.

---

Monies pledged to one fund cannot legally be transferred to another. I don't know where you are getting your information from Chuck, but your statement holds no truth.