Geauga Lake to remove a "Classic Ride"

I think it's pretty fair to assume at this point, that one of 3 things are going to go.

1: Hydes. it is very unreliable, and guests walk off complaining all the time. it is classic, only because of it's history. Which gives this ride a strong chance at removal.

2: Monorail. reasons for this one going is due to the fact that it could be in the way of their expansion plans for HH. Also, the last turns are a nightmare, so they have to slow it down to a crawl, which is a capacity nightmare. Not to mention it runs along the street which is kinda defeating the purpous of a resort destination. like anyone wants to see cars drive by.

3: Pepsi Plunge. it clusters the midway through there, and it is kinda boring as well. it's pretty drab, and it to is a maintanece nightmare at times. perhaps remove it, then place an all new log flume with a different layout to make for a wider midway. this could be a possibility, but seeing as they just refurbished the fence and stuff around it, is why it is last in line on my list .

If it is Mr. Hyde, I am curious how tall the "Intamin" observation tower is? ;)

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Double post. Won't happen again. *** Edited 6/29/2005 5:34:57 PM UTC by coasterfanatic***

Also, attendance this year so far is stomping last year. I go to the park at least once a week, and everytime there is a nice crowd. Even through weekdays. However not huge crowds. But compared to being there last year, it is doing ALOT better.

Yes, I was there all weekend at the campground, ( now has a new entrance to the south parking lot only a 100 yards away from the camp entrance) and friday, a regular day, was pretty darn busy. Especially the new WWK. I was not prepared for the turnout that was saturday and sunday. Literally lines spilled out onto the midways, it was shoulder to shoulder all day long, u couldn't even think about walking fast to a ride or something due to the packed midways.

X-Flight had two trains , and was still a good 2 hour to 3 hour wait is what I heard from peeps coming off the ride. This was of course CCF days, but there were many regular season pass holders out those days, as well as people on vacation, as well as locals since the weather was superb all weekend long.

It made for an outragous turnout, I couldn't even bare it anymore, and packed up early sunday after being at the park for only two hours and not being able to do anything, I just came home. Both parking lots were full literally. any of the days I went back to camp and came back in, I had to park all the way in the back. It was horrendous.

Totally off the subject, but IMO Cedar Fair made a calculated error charging people the extra admission for Cedar Point and versa vica. Why not just give it to them? Don't you think people from Cleveland area are going to go to Cedar Point anyway?

People tend to spend $$ regardless in a park if they're having fun. I can't remember the last time I worried about buying a drink at Knoebels or ponying up for pizza at Holiday World... hell, Cedar Point for that matter.

The Season Pass pricing is VERY reasonable.
It's exactly what I would charge.

Cleveland is their biggest market.
Next to that, Toledo

They even have a great turnout from Detroit.

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lakecrystal said:
Also, attendance this year so far is stomping last year. I go to the park at least once a week, and everytime there is a nice crowd. Even through weekdays. However not huge crowds. But compared to being there last year, it is doing ALOT better.

It made for an outragous turnout, I couldn't even bare it anymore, and packed up early sunday after being at the park for only two hours and not being able to do anything, I just came home. Both parking lots were full literally. any of the days I went back to camp and came back in, I had to park all the way in the back. It was horrendous.

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If I remember right,wasn't that one of CF's goals when they bought the park? Enough to hold their own on weekdays and then book all of the pavilions with companies and groups and put 20 k into that park?

Whatver their goal, it's working this year. things are definately better than last year so far. Like I said, not a huge tunaround, but it's just plain doing better than last year. I also agree that quite a few GP families are still unaware that GL is the old SF. They have no clue it's open. They truely and honestly believe that it is closed for good. They just don't know what they are missing these days. I had an opertunity to clear this up with a few of them, and now they all have Season Passes. But I can't get to everyone who doesn't know, and neither can any of us, so this may take a while to get out there.

Most people were turned away from the property once SF had it for a few years, mainly the last year it was SF...the place was a dump. CF needs to use their relationship with CP to bring people back to GL. You have a pretty large market with Cleveland, Detroit, Columbus and Pitt to pull from and they are running out of excuses..i mean there is usually almost no1 there.

recently that can't be said, it's been half decent lately. Notice I said half decent. not great. which half decent is better than last year. and thats a start.

By the way, when I started this topic it was about the removal of a classic ride. So lets stay on topic please. Thank you *** Edited 6/29/2005 7:21:15 PM UTC by lakecrystal*** *** Edited 6/29/2005 7:22:02 PM UTC by lakecrystal***

I bet the majority, still thinks it doesn't exist. GL has time to regain its title. I think though the expansions, renovations, removals, ect, will help them regain it, problem is it will cost a lot of money. If they can bring themselves back to former glory it would helpt them bring in profit. Also a classic ride removal would spice up the park introducint a new coaster or thrill....something they can grasp to for advertising purposes. New rides most likely bring people in. Once people visit they will realize its the old SF park and viola.

The problem is sometimes getting things started and striving to bring the park alive can sometimes be slow. I'm just glad its half-way decent. I've seen commercials on TV and all over the radio...I'm suprised nobodoy will visit though. I hope they can bring more in.

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lakecrystal said:
By the way, when I started this topic it was about the removal of a classic ride. So lets stay on topic please.

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Brian did it! ;)

Seriously though, it's a meesage board, these things are always going to "flow"....Americans have short attention spans! :)

I thought the monorail was cool and unique, that's why I'm voting for Mr. (Nasty) Hyde to get voted off the island.....er, outta the park.

I don't understand why they just don't put a blurb at the end of all those obnoxious Cedar Point adds about their other park on the planet. You know, something like "And don't forget to visit our sister park (or would that be red headed stepchild) Geauga Lake and Wildwater Kingdom just south of Cleveland." Oh wait...better not mention Cleveland. ;)

If the company picnics are packing the folks in, then I think GL is doing what it was designed to do. Remember that CF is not marketing the place as a big huge national destination the way SF was trying to do. With that in mind, the infrastructure and quantity of rides and length of queues if you will, are there to support a much larger crowd than CF is probably logically expecting on a day-to-day operation without a company picnic. Basically what I'm trying to say is put 5,000 people in Knoebels with two coasters and what like 15 or so flats (dont know, never been there) and it looks really crowded. Now take those same 5,000 people and put them in the shell of what was to be a megapark with lots of midways, 9 major coaster lines to eat up people, and a lot of flat rides, not to mention a waterpark, the place is gonna look empty.

I think it's a good comparison to Kennywood now. If there's no company picnic, much of Kennywood is a short to no wait on just about everything. If you added 5 more adult coasters, there'd be station waits at best. But, when the big local companies come by, the place is mobbed. Sounds very familiar and I don't see Kennywood complaining about going under ...

5,000 people at Knoebels crowded? You're right...you *have* never been there! ;)

Knoebels is a HUGE park with a lot of rides! Sure, it doesn't have anything launched but you really should visit sometime, Brett!

Very true. thats just it. the place is huge, so it's gonna look kinda empty when your just getting your average crowds. But they do pack the park on picnic days thats for sure.

I've visited Knoebels at least once a year since 1999 - more in some years - and with over 12 visits I *still* haven't experienced all the park has to offer.

Perhaps you should get off of Phoenix once in a while. ;)

Geauga Lake did loose a lot of picnic bookings this year though because they used non-union contractors on the waterpark. Plenty of company picnic bookings have already cancelled from what certain people at the park have told me.

I kinda hope that the flume goes if anything because I don't really think that Mr. Hydes Nasty Fall is the *classic* ride Screanscape is referring to. It's not the best flume even though the drop is nice. But I'm really fearing for the Monorail right now. Dave's right, if they reworked it a little, it could be a tremendous asset to the park. Especially as the park grows over the next few seasons.

Thats a joke(the unions) for staying away from the park because they used some non union workers. Who are they (the unions) to dictate who cedar fair hires for work. Sounds like a bunch of cry babies.

As farr as what ride I think will be removed, Ill have to cast my vote for the monorail. It has had many problems and I am sure it is getting hard to find replacement parts for it as well.