IB Ends 2011 season early...

LostKause said:

I hope they make enough money from the garage sale to be able to open next year. ;)

Otherwise, they'll have to turn to Pepsi!

Since the two threads were already "cross-linked"....contrast this with the incredibly quick return of Knoebels, a park that really would have been justified in cutting their operating season short. Just noting....

Writing is on the wall. Hope they find a buyer.

That is a very quick turn turn a round for Knoebles and I wish them the best of luck as they are an awsome park. As for IB I feel I need to agree with you Chitown. I wish I could get to that garage sale this Saturday. The items they are selling may tell the tale.

Indiana Beach, although never really decked out for Halloween, was always nice this time of the year (even if the hours were limited). Oh well. Guess it'll be Great America that day, instead.

I LOVE holiday world in the fall

I wonder how many showed up to the park today to find it closed.....

Maybe it was the professional thing to do under the circumstances. Just maybe, with all this press about poor safety and picketing employees, a better business option was to close early and state that they are working on a better 2012 season.
Lets say they remained open and an incident occurred, I bet we would be hearing how they should have made the decision to close early with all the bad press.
Damned if you do....

Kev

As a former employee, I really hope they get things straightened out this year, because if not, it will probably be the end of the place.

Aaaand just like that, now they're back online. The posts about ending the season early are gone, though.

I wonder if they had a PR/marketing guy that had serious reprimands for making it a worse mess than what it was.

So not only did they announce cheaper tickets for next year, free parking (still), and the return of 2.50 general admission for non riders. Today they announced (drum roll please)....

They are moving the swings back to where they were!

Another nail in the coffin?

The Director of Operations and another Director were recently laid off. Supposedly, Gary, the COO is on the way to Florida to another job. Also, they recently laid off all but three maintenance people. Power to the park and one of the campgrounds has been shut off (park says it is to conserve energy, rumor is they had a huge electric bill though and the electric company shut it off) and they are working out of the one campground with electricity. They still say they plan to re open next year, but with new management and hardly any people to work on the rides, I don't see how.

That sounds pretty bad. Inability to pay the electric bill is a classic symptom of a park beginning death throes. :(

Half of the IB Campground (NASCAR) is serviced by NIPSCO (the company that shut off all power to IB) the other half is serviced by White County REMC, and they must be in good standing with them to keep it on. With no power in the well houses, no heat anywhere, no power to servers, I don't see how its going to be a good opening next year. I think there won't be a 2012.

Aitch. Eff. Eee. Cee.

Please come to the rescue, this place is RIGHT up your alley!

^ That would be a dream come true for us fans of IB!

rollergator said:
Aitch. Eff. Eee. Cee.

Please come to the rescue, this place is RIGHT up your alley!

Who's that?

Herschend Family Entertainment Co. ;)

I've said it before - they can DO things with that lake, things that make $$$.

P.S. Of course, the ideal scenario would involve some of the Spackman family returning the park to its former glory. Not sure how realistic that might be at this point...

I for one, am just glad I got to experience LoCoSuMo, even if only two times. Hope they get this place back up and running...