Geauga Lake's Wild Water Kingdom... Closing?

If it is closing they're being totally subtle about it on social media

Well they were totally subtle about Geauga Lake's closure too so that isn't a very reliable indicator. Since this is yearly speculation though I won't be too concerned unless the season is close to over with no sign of season passes being available for next year.

New for 2017: a 750-acre Meijer.

Wildwater Kingdom gets a 750-acre Meijer and still Michigan's Adventure will get nothing but a price increase.

At least Dorney would get some slides.

I had a strong gut feeling when I was at the final weekend of Geauga Lake in 2007 that the closing was going to happen. On that last day, they were not selling 2008 GL only passes and said pricing had not been finalized yet. You could get a Cedar Fair platinum pass, but they didn't even have a list of the parks it would be valid for. The biggest thing a seasonal park wants to do on the last day of the season is get people excited to come back the following spring and not forget about the place over the winter. Each of the previous seasons, you could get a GL-only pass for the next year on closing weekend.

Since the ride park closure, Wildwater Kingdom has always had WWK-only passes available for the following summer by late August. That, to me, is the thing to keep an eye on.

The GL closure also took place in an age where social media was a thing, but not anywhere near what it is now. Would have been interesting to see if they would have marketed the place on social media in a business as usual way right up until the end.

I was there today. It was somewhat busy but not overcrowded. Not as busy as when I was there last year but that was also on a weekend and this is Tuesday so it's not a fair comparison. Everything seemed about the same as last year except some of the sun shades seemed to be missing over the chairs. I only noticed one. The water was actually a bit too warm. Other than that can't really complain it's a nice little place. Geauga Lake is an even bigger eyesore than it was last year.

What's really disgusting is to drive along Rt. 43 and see how trashy and unkept is the fence and the berm in front of it. I'm sure more than a few locals are pretty unhappy with how CF treats this property, which is along the community's main drag.

They DID expand the park this year!! Well...they did add a new "tanning area" this year....along with a new landscaped fountain. They moved towards the old Bermuda Triangle ride. expanded that way from the little tikes area. They added a circular area with about 100 or so chairs all pointed to the relaxing zen fountain.

No much...but hey it's an expansion!! :-l

That fence along 43 looks awful. If they put a wood privacy fence behind it or something to block the view that may have looked nicer but as it sits now its just a bunch of green tarps and overgrown stuff. Dipper looked worse to me this year. I can't put my finger on why.

Time has just taken its toll. All the winterizing in the world wouldn't have helped it get this far. I still can't believe it will be nine years next month. The GL fanboys want you to believe it just needs a coat of paint and a little track work, but the reality is that it is likely just a good storm away from major structural failure.

Yep. In the beginning I had hope it might find some kind of 2nd life but at this point it's like a never ending wake and the funeral just needs to happen already.

I had hope as well that it would find new life somehow, whether that was in its current location or another park. But at this point I just want it to come down. Love it as much as I do, there is no reason for it to still be standing at this point. It'll still sting when that day comes, but it's past time. I can't even imagine the reaction the fanboys will have when it inevitably happens.

The Dipper is definitely long since toast. Just put it out of its misery already.

Long live six flags worlds of adventure!

SFWoA lived precisely three years.

Didn't someone purchase the Big Dipper at auction? CF's hands might be legally tied. I would love to see the coaster survive, but that doesn't seem possible. Unfortunately another Miller coaster is lost.

The consensus is that the ride deferred back to being owned by Cedar Fair some time ago after the previous owner failed to remove it by a certain date. As far as I know, they own it again.

There's an article on cleveland.com this morning about activities around the park - no mention of the future of the waterpark, however.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/08/whats_happening_at..._lake.html

^ ^ I think what BrettV said to is most likely although I could have sworn in a recent news article it was presented as still belonging to someone else. I can't imagine Cedar Fair not having a clause in the sales contract about a time frame for removal although it's possible they may not "own" it so much as have the legal right to demolish it.

I'm really skeptical here. We know Meijer wants that land, we know Cedar Fair wants to sell it. However, do they just want to sell the parcels for the land in Geauga County and keep everything in Portage County and continue to operate the Water Park?

I can't see Wildwater Kingdom drawing a significant amount of revenue compared to the rest of the chain. I mean hell, on the Investor's presentation, Wildwater Kingdom is only listed as a park they own. Their revenue/real estate isn't even brought up. It can't be anything that the park is valuing. I really think it's only open at this point so that the cost of maintaining the land they do own there isn't just a straight loss.

I feel like they will eventually gut the park and finish it off once and for all. We know there's a Soak City expansion this year at CP. I was under the assumption the park would get dropped last year with the Carowinds expansion but was surprised. This year, I still have that same thought.