Clementon Park's new owners hope to improve experience

Despite living all my 46 years in New Jersey, I didn't know Clementon Park EXISTED until I made my virgin visit there about 5 or 6 years ago. The coaster then known as J2 was a terrific, if way too short, ride. They have one of the better log flumes I've found, and I'd rate their waterpark a little better than average. But I thought the aesthetics of the park...cleanliness, ride placement, scenery, etc...was slightly above the level of a traveling carnival. I wouldn't mind making a return trip. I just wish they had more than one roller coaster..Ring Of Fire doesn't count in my book.

I'm just glad that when they decided not to invest anything more into the ancient Jack Rabbit (hate to see a wood coaster go, but age does take its toll if maintenance lags for a while), I am glad that they decided to go with a coaster like Tsunami... I mean J2... I mean Hellcat. They could have taken the easy way out and replaced Jack Rabbit with a cookie cutter mouse (regular or spinning) to save money, but they chose to build quite a good coaster in Tsunami (now Hell Cat) that would fit in even the best of parks that sets them apart from most parks their size.

Wasn't that coaster even (briefly!) named Puma...or was there just some signage somewhere that led us to that conclusion (PTC tour, perhaps?). Nonetheless, I found Tsunami, the name when we rode, to be absolutely fantastic. I remember filing a brief TR where I said "ride this thing NOW, it's not going to last". Was a little sad to see the John Miller sitting there idle, forlornly awaiting the inevitable wrecking-ball.

The coaster was very solid, we couldn't wait for the train ride (although based on later reports maybe we should have), but yes, travelling carnival was the "understated theme" of the park...one level up from Williams' Grove. There were a couple flats to break up the coaster-riding, but a small spinning mouse or somethnig would REALLY help fill out the line-up.

I went there once when my fathers employer had their company picnic there 20 something years ago. Rode the Jack Rabbit, I think. It wasnt very memorable.

Hm. I didn't get much (other than a headache) out of my 8 rides on Tsunami.

Maybe they should build a hotel there.

billb7581 said:
Maybe they should build a hotel there.

There's two Hampton Inns, a Days Inn and a Wingate all within 6 miles.

:)

But with TWO Hampton Inns so close to each other aren't they afraid they will take business away from the other one?

nary a mention of Clementon Park. Those hotels are there because they are convient to a large city.

LOL! So awesome that someone with such strong opinion about this knows so little and goes out of his way to continuously bend the facts to his advantage.

The Wingate doesn't mention Clementon, true. But the other three I listed do:

Hampton Inn Cherry Hill/Vorhees
To begin with, basketball, baseball, soccer and tennis are all offered next door to our hotel in Voorhees. Stroll over to the Cooper River, home to many rowers, and watch boats cut through the Olympic-distance, 2000-meter waterway. Golf or biking more your thing? The Cooper River Park, at 347 acres, offers both. Just south of our hotel in Voorhees, guests will find a fabulous, 100-year-old amusement park called Clementon Park. From incredibly fast roller coasters to a water park called Splash World, Clementon Park is the perfect family getaway. Speaking of family fun, the New Jersey Aquarium is a 760,000-gallon showplace of sharks, sea turtles and reptiles. It's a can't-miss destination. Lastly, the sights and sounds of historic Philadelphia are just 12 miles from our front door.

Hampton Inn Turnersville
Atlantic City Casinos 45 MI Betsy Ross House 17 MI
City Center 2.1 MI
Clementon Amusement Park 7 MI
Edgar Allan Poe Historic Site 15 MI
Independence Seaport Museum 14 MI
Liberty Bell 17 MI
Wedgewood Golf Course 1 MI

Days Inn Berline
The Exclusive Shops at the Promenade, Marlton NJ.
ATCO RACEWAY less than 2 miles
SAHARAS SAM INDOOR WATER PARK less than 2 miles
Philadelphia zoo
Cherry Hill Mall Includes Nordstrom, Crate And Barrel
Six Flags
Cooper River Park
Camden water front
N.J. State adventure aquarium 9 am to 5 pm
New Jersey battleship 9 am to 5 pm
Clementon amusement park
Wharton state forest
Famous pine valley golf course
Citizen bank field and first union center
Tweeter and Wachovia center
Lincoln Financial field
Philadelphia Flyers training center
Philadelphia Historic district and museum of arts
Close to major Universities and Hospitals
Atlantic city casinos 45 mile

Love that the Days Inn mentions Six Flags. Hotels 40 or 50 miles away mention Six Flags, but there's no need for a hotel next to Six Flags.

Sigh.

Like I said you can't argue with stupid.

These threads are so great. They're such masterpieces, I don't even feel like I can contribute. All I can do is go nuke some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy. :)

Sigh indeed, You're making my point for me Notice how they are convienient to 40 other things. Not the case in the middle of the Pine Barrens. Vorhees, Mt Laruel, Cherry Hill etc are all inner ring suburbs of Philadelphia. When there is a convention in town, these hotels book up. Jackson NJ is no mans land.

Shades said:
But with TWO Hampton Inns so close to each other aren't they afraid they will take business away from the other one?

I assume you're alluding to what the park said about marketing outside of their target area but you're comparing apples to oranges. Hotels aren't amusement parks. Just like there being a Starbucks on every block in the city. Or a McDonalds at every exit on a highway. The argument doesnt compare in any way.

They just need some money from Pepsi and they will be fine.

Bill, what do you do for a living, if you don't mind me asking? Does it have anything to do with the amusement park industry or the hotel industry?

I am a machinist.

Jackson NJ is no mans land.

Argument fail. You only need one highly attended attraction where just enough people are willing to stay over nite to support a hotel. There doesn't need to be anything else there. They already have several million guests coming In each year. Only a few thousand of those would be needed to sustain a hotel.

And again, the park flourished 36 years without the new coaster. Why did they build it? You tend to avoid comments that you can't spin.

Carowinds has been opened longer than GADv and yet they confirmed they're looking at building an onsite hotel. Goes against your argument that if it were needed it'd already be there. And that park beats out Carowinds by a year. So I guess they're lying like the GADv president is lying?

Carrowinds is near Charlotte, no? Situation is not comprable.