Fading favorite flat rides

LostKause said:
I'm talking about the Rock-o-Plane, thanks to Moosh's links (Thanks Moosh ;) ).

For those that like the rock-o-plane there's an excellent one at Upper Clements Park in Nova Scotia. If it's not busy, and it rarely ever is the operator said just let me know when you've had enough and I'll stop it. It's good times! The ride is hidden behind some trees in the back corner of the park, very odd arrangement.

Just rode a Rock-o-plane at the Ohio State Fair yesterday. There is also one at Coney Island in Cincy. I had my first ride on a zipper. Wow that was fun.

The Fly O Planes was horrible! Guarantee injury every time! Geauga Lake had one back in the day ... I still have a bad shoulder thanks to that thing!

Arthur Bahl said:
What ever became of the Cuddle-Up? I don't know of any being around now but maybe someone is aware of a park that still has one. I used to ride this ride at both West View and Kennywood when they had them back in the 1950s and 60s.

I remember that one of the casualties in the big fire at Kennywood in the 70s was a Cuddle-Up. Several years later the park installed a new one in a different location.

If there were ONE flat ride I would like to see make a come-back it would be a multi-disc Cuddle Up. The last one I remember was the one at Dorney Park back in the early 90's.
Here's a YouTube video of an old one in action.

So Knoebel's Satellite is a Roll-O-Plane?

Since somebody mentioned Twisters, does anyone know whatever became of the one from Williams Grove? I had some intense rides on that one.

I hear rumors from time to time that Hershey still has their Coal Shaker in storage. Any truth to those rumors?

The Cuddle Up was one of my favorite rides, and I have great memories of discovering my first one at Cincinnati's Coney Island when I was in high school. It was a multiple disc ride that ran in a long straight line, and fit perfectly in the trio under the same roof as the Whip and the Dodgem. My first 5 table "square" ride was at old Geauga, and later I found the same model at both Kennywood and Dorney. Many parks on the east coast and in the midwest had Cuddle Ups, and the ride is a testament to the engineering oddities that were the flat rides of the 20's and 30's.

The good news is that the ride is making a comeback of sorts. I've always heard that PTC still lists the ride and offers parts and service. (To accomodate, I suppose, the number of 2-disc Crazy Daisys that are still out there. Knoebel's has one) But Zamperla also offers a modern 2 disc version billed as Demolition Derby that instead of cups or daisys has 2 seater miniature automobiles that spin. I once spoke to a Zamperla rep at a trade show and he said the company was ready to custom any sized configuration, including a retro version similar to the original rides.

Now enter Disney who apparantly has used Zamperla's concept in their Cars Land areas, with Cars Race Rally at Disneyland Paris and the upcoming Maters Junkyard Jamboree at DCA. The French version is essentially a double dose of the 2 disc ride laid out side by side with two-seater stylized Cars vehicles that spin. The California version will be enlarged to 4 continuous discs, I think, but the 22 vehicles will be stationary tractors that travel around the discs and pull "trailers" behind with passengers in them. They will have a whip-like action as they weave back and forth, rather than spin. Close calls and near misses will still be part of the fun, though.

So here's hoping that some park somewhere out there will recognize that the Cuddle Up still provides a certain thrill and either orders a new one or refurbishes an old one laying about in storage ! Might be a good project for nostalgia-conscious Knoebels.

RatherGoodBear said:
So Knoebel's Satellite is a Roll-O-Plane?

That is correct. Likewise, that thing that Kennywood had for a few years in Lost Kennywood next to what is now the Phantom exit was also a Roll-O-Plane.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

RCMAC said:
The good news is that the ride is making a comeback of sorts. I've always heard that PTC still lists the ride and offers parts and service. (To accomodate, I suppose, the number of 2-disc Crazy Daisys that are still out there. Knoebel's has one) But Zamperla also offers a modern 2 disc version billed as Demolition Derby that instead of cups or daisys has 2 seater miniature automobiles that spin. I once spoke to a Zamperla rep at a trade show and he said the company was ready to custom any sized configuration, including a retro version similar to the original rides.

I think this is what you're talking about.

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/56562.aspx?id=791616

Yessir it is. It's a fairly active ride, and the two seater arrangement is interesting. The front seat is pretty much directly over the hub and provides a tight spin while the back seat pulls more g's, if you will. That Zamperla rep told me the ride was designed for kids and parents to ride together and they suggest putting the kids in the front seat and the grown-ups in the back.

Here's Disney's version from Paris:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC09LRyWiNo

and here's a preview of the different version at DCA.:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUOxDJjX9tA

I'm only assuming that Zamperla is the supplier for these rides but it seems likely.

...;Kind of the same idea as with the long cars on the Chance Twister. If you can't stand the higher forces, sit in the front seat.

(that belt is supposed to go UNDER both arms, by the way)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

RatherGoodBear said:
I hear rumors from time to time that Hershey still has their Coal Shaker in storage. Any truth to those rumors?

Never heard that rumor; that would be kind of cool. What year was Coal Shaker removed? I loved that thing as a kid.

For the life of me I can't seem to remember Star Voyager at Cedar Point. Anybody have links to pics of it, or of rides like it.

This may have been covered somewhere back, but Star Voyager was the final moniker for the old Satellite Jets which occupied several spots during it's life at Cedar Point, starting with the center of the Funway in the 60's and ending in the spot next to the Blue Streak, where the Calypso is currently living out it's days.

Here is a pic of another, similar model that operated at Whalom:

http://www.angelfire.com/nh/whalom/images/whalom18111302.jpg

and here is a home movie from the Skyride in 1964 that shows the Sattelite Jets in their original spot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL7YHRWpKis

Vater said:

RatherGoodBear said:
I hear rumors from time to time that Hershey still has their Coal Shaker in storage. Any truth to those rumors?

Never heard that rumor; that would be kind of cool. What year was Coal Shaker removed? I loved that thing as a kid.

According to wikipedia, it was removed in 1990. I think Dorney's wasn't removed till a few years after that.

RCMAC: Star Voyager must be the name that came with the longer tubs with the inline seating, as opposed to the older ones with the side-by-side seats.

I rode one of those rides at Lakeside a few years ago and it was a bit scary because the tilt frame was detached and the ride's center column was wobbling just a little.

Just a little. Multiplied by the length of the sweep meant that the rocket was BOUNCING.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I think the reason you don't see many rides like the roll-o-plane, Spider, and the skydiver at parks is because of their loading and capacity. The roll-o-plane could only take 8 riders at a time, and could only load four at a time. The same thing goes for the Spider and the Sky diver.

Most parks have rides where the entire ride can be loaded at one one time, which means less stopping and starting. If you have ever been on the monster at Cedar Point, it takes them forever to load the ride, and it is nowhere near as fun as the Spider or Octopus is. I have ridden all three rides, and the Octopuss is probably the most intense, followed by the Spider, then the Monster.

Another ride I haven't sen in a long time is the Cobra. That looked like it might be a lot of fun. The last time I saw one was at the Ionia free fair many years ago. But, have not seen this ride anywhere else. As for the Skydiver. I would love to ride one of those!

^I think it's a Cobra that runs at Fun Spot in Kissimmee. ....Just double checked, yep. Venture Cobra. Reminds me of the Watkins' Tempest (with inverted seating).

P.S. Double ferris wheel at that Fun Spot too....as well as the newer but rare Surf's Up and Extraordinary Bike. And they're getting the former Galaxy Spin from Cypress - something I really felt would have been welcome at legoLand.

Lusse Auto Skooters! Not many are left... and I know this list is dated because Bushkill Park is defunct

http://www.ridezone.com/rides/bumpercars/lusse.htm

Yup, that's a Cobra at Fun Spot in Kissimmee. A couple of years ago, Wisdom came up with a modern version, but I have only seen it a couple of times and it wasn't doing real well.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I've rode Cobra many times at many carnivals, when I was younger, in WV, OH, and PA. I haven't seen any Cobra's in a while. I remember it being a great ride.

I wish the fairs around here brought interesting rides. My county is having a Fall Festival this weekend, and all they have set up for it is a one-trailer darkride, scrambler, kiddie swings, and round-up. This fair sucks!

Wouldn't it be awesome if someone made a SimFair computer game?