Conneaut Lake attendance down 25%

Yea, he told me about that couple months ago.. I pretty much know this is its last year without a miracle.

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Six Flags Worlds of Adventure Online

This situation makes me even more upset now that when I went to stop at Conneaut Lake park this past weekend that they had closed for the day due to storms that had passed by. I really wish we could have stayed in the area now to do our part to help out. Unfortunately we had other places to be so we could not. :(

I hope to get out there sometime this season but the way my work has me scheduled...it wont be likely. :(

Wonder if they are taking donations?

All I can say is that I hope ACE is listening this time!

Too everyone here PLEASE go visit this park. Yes it is small, but it does look like fun!

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Zero G Thrills - Moved and Improved
*** This post was edited by beast7369 7/16/2003 10:11:11 AM ***

What is ACE going to do? They've talked about building a museum for years and they can't get their publications out on a regular basis. Even if they could, are 8,000 members going to pay to support a park 99% of them don't live anywhere near?

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Luau II Cam 7/19
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

That's a good point Jeff. That park needs more support and it has to come from outside the Crawford Co. area. ACE needs to step up to the plate somehow and either get people interested in the park, or at least try and save the coaster. It sure looks bad though...anyway you slice it.

Long live Conneaut Lake Park!!!!!

Wood - anything else is an imitation

This is all so sad. They have got a great little park there. The Blue Streak is a classic. I was there on a Friday in June and they were closed. I was told they were only open on Saturday and Sundays. That is not good.

The sad part is they are so close to SFWoA and no one goes from there. I drove from Kennywood and couldn't believe how close it was either.

ACE should minimally host an event there and soon. That could bring some needed dollars there. Why not have a coaster riding marathon to raise money or something like that.

I hope they survive

They did host a Blue Streak Challenge twice, one in 2001 and 2002. It would be great if ACE did host an event later this year. I do know the Mid Atlantic Coaster Club is having an event, Streak Out 5 on August 23rd. I hope to be able to go to that.

This is indeed very sad. I'll be sure to bring my camcorder, which I just brought a week ago as that may be one of it's last days of operation, unless it does open in 2004, but so far it doesn't look good. Go visit while you still can!

ACE may not be able to raise the kind of money to keep the park operating, but ACE *should* be able to raise AWARENESS about this and other small parks....

Certainly, ACE helped out HW in terms of *exposure* during their initial growth phase, and that can be extremely helpful...

bill, thinks "exposure" and the *Streak Out* maybe shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath....oh well...;)
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It seems today, that all you see, are violins in movies, and sax on TV....

I think you guys are greatly overestimating ACE's role in anything. What is ACE going to do, take out an ad in the Cleveland Plain Dealer? How is that going to compare to the marketing budgets of Six Flags and Cedar Point?

And ACE has had exactly nothing to do with Holiday World's success. The park built a water park and started giving away soda, that's the reason for their success. The fact that a few hundred enthusiasts go there once a year doesn't earn enthusiasts credit. Give the Koch's their due recognition, they made smart business decisions and they've turned an attraction in the middle of nowhere into a destination for Kentucky and Indiana.

None of us want to see the park go away, but market conditions are what they are, and this is a business that requires money to survive. It is not a philanthropic organization. If it dies it dies, and I'd sooner spend time and money for the American Cancer Society or some other cause.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Luau II Cam 7/19
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

Jeff I was merely saying ACE should get involved somehow. I don't think they can necessairly save the park, but perhaps, if anything, bring awareness to it. If it weren't for coasterbuzz I wouldn't have been aware of Conneaut's troubles.

Maybe ACE could host a regional event or like I said a coaster marathon or something. I don't know, but I hate to have this classic wooden coaster become extinct. That is one of the things ACE does is try to preserve coasters, and if ever one needed preserving its the Blue Streak.

Something being done is better than nothing.

If CoasterBuzz disappeared tomorrow it still wouldn't matter. Like I said, I understand nobody wants the park to go away, but if we could all step out of our collective enthusiast shoes for a minute, you'd see that even what we as the enthusiast community could do wouldn't mean a hill of beans outside of that community.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Luau II Cam 7/19
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

The article says that they lost 25% attendance due to rain, but they are still handing out paychecks and paying off debts. Perhaps it will pick up now that the rain has pretty much ended here in PA!

It's still not the end yet. If they auction off the carousel thats usually the final nail in the coffin for a park!

If the weather was a factor then it should be picking up now!

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Signature will be closed today. Sorry for the inconveinance.*** This post was edited by coasterpunk 7/16/2003 3:53:54 PM ***

There really is only one thing we, as enthusiasts, can do: go to the park, bring as many people with you, and spend some money.

That's it, folks. That's what's going to save Conneaut.

mOOSH

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A random Mooshter's Dawntionary listing: Willy Nilly [n.] - impotent.

What I was suggesting for ACE's involvement would be to provide some aid to the ailing park. They gave quite a chump of change to the "museum fund". Frankly I would say Conneaut Lake Park is a more worthy and needy place to send money to at this time. They claim to do whatever they can to "preserve" coasters, well then this is a simple thing that they can do to help the park.

I do however agree with some of what you say Jeff about ACE. Even though I am a proud member of ACE. I am also a proud member of Coasterbuzz.

I am currently working on a plan to go back to Conneaut Lake Park this year in an effort to aid the park in some kind of way. At least I am doing something about it instead of complaining about whether or not we overestimate the power of ACE. I certainly dont count on them doing anything. Even though it would be nice.

Maybe, just maybe, other coaster enthusiast will do what they can to get the word out. A grass roots movement to get the word out is definitely not out of the question and MIGHT do some good.

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Zero G Thrills - Moved and Improved

It's not about me being against ACE... I have no problem with the organization. But ask yourself, where does it stop? I mean, great, in a perfect world (if they had the cash flow) they could help out the park once, but they can't do it every year. Conneaut has been in a downward spiral and the local and state governments have done what they can to help it out, and it still isn't enough.

Again, it's just a matter of business. I mean, I'm an enthusiast within driving distance and can't think of a compelling reason to visit the park. Imagine how John Q. Public feels.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Luau II Cam 7/19
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

Yea, spend the money! I had days were there were alot of people at the park, and noone played the widway games, but on a slow day, we made more money just because of the people willing to play. Oh, and stop at the duck pond!!! Stupidest game there is, but if you want a toy for your wife, g/f, or whatnot, 2$ for small prize, 5$ for anything... Ducks have no role whatsoever, so get a prize ^_^

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Six Flags Worlds of Adventure Online

You know, just because the park seems doomed...doesn't mean the historic rides can't be saved. Yes..I've been to the park a couple times already this year and plan on going back more. Maybe my gesture sounds like a little too late, but I've been going to that park regularly for years. I guess it's time to ask yourself...When was the last time YOU went to Conneaut Lake Park?

Wood anything else is an imitation

I don't think the park is doomed. The bad whether in the Northeast has hit all of the parks bad. What we need to do is visit the park. It is a great park, very unique and charming. And the Blue Streak is a great ride. Jeff, I can't picture a more compelling reason to ride out there then this fantastic old coaster. I live in Philadelphia, no short distance, and I visited once this year, had a great time, and will probably visit again before the year is out.

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They've taken my Dorney Park from me and I want it back!

ACE can't save Conneaut Lake Park but this isn't a park with a whole lot of overhead to begin with. I'm too far away to lend a hand this season but I made it a point to make my first trip to the place back in 2001 because I knew that its days were numbered.

If I can offer some "outside the box" thoughts on what can be done to save the park, for starters, there has to be some kind of effort to sell Hotel Conneaut to a major chain -- one that will keep its rustic charm but upgrade the place (you know, like A/C units in the rooms, bathroom fixtures that aren't 40 years old, etc.) and that owner would have a vested interest in keeping the park afloat for steady summer business.

But let's go a different route. Like Route 66. Hampton Inn has a Save-A-Landmark program that they've run for a few years now. They pick landmarks and get them back on track. Between CLP (and LeSourdsville and Cypress Gardens, etc.) there are plenty of "park" situations where a little corporate muscle and fiscal elbow grease would help. Check the Hampton Inn site press releases to find contact information for the Save-A-Landmark program.

I think part of the probelm is that most people (not enthusiests) don't even know the park is still there, the other problem is that for most people they only travel to a park less than 3 times a year. As for CLP I can't remember a day when they were really packed, they need advertising, word of mouth would be best. Also I hope the park never closes but if it does they need to save the Tumble Bug and Blue Streak. Think Cedar Point could buy them both then demolish the Mean Streak and put them in that area. To bad the history channel couldn't do a special on doomed parks as part of the save our history, Like the Hampton Inn save a land mark program mentioned above.