Lake Compounce announces new car ride for 2007

I guess this answers the question of whether or not these rides are a dying breed. I think it's really neat that smaller parks still add rides like this to their selection.

Who's manufacturing this?

I don't know of any manufactures that are still making these rides, unless it's coming used from some other park. Arrow is the only one I can think that makes these, but I could be wrong.

This gives hope for other parks who don't have one, or who need to make room for another attraction.

The only problem with these types of rides is that they're not that heavily marketable. They're a small family attraction that can only truly be marketed (with positive benefits), by including other similar attractions (same themed area, more family rides... etc).

I think you could market it. Just market it in an attempt to attract families. It would be a different move for some parks however I think it would work. Here's my idea for a commercial. Start out showing a family of today having fun at the park and then do a flashback to when "you" were younger and the fun you had with your family. Then do a scene with the old antique cars. Then come back to present time and show the new corvette style cars and how much fun you and your kids can have today . It shows that the park is modernizing but still cares about the past and the family atmosphere, well showing the new attraction. I think advertised right it could be a great, yet cheap (compared to a coaster) attration, that could draw alot of families.

I imagine theses are coming from Chance-Morgan. Morgan used to manufacture these rides, like the ones at Dorney Park. I think it is a great addition, as I have never seen a family car ride that does not have a queue.

Michigan's Adventure has the Morgan cars, and it shuts down when there are a certain number of cars on the track, all cars beeping their horns.

This is the one thing that the Lake is currently missing that it should have. The car ride will help the park keep its family image. Zoomer's Gas 'N' Go, however, may be the last dry ride for a while.

With the road relocation and the commitment to expand the waterpark, there is unlikey to be anything big in the land part of the park for a couple of years after this. Hopefully in 2010, they will add the coaster that has been planned and which they received clearance to build.

The construction has already started as they are digging around Zoomerang. The real construction is going to begin on Boulderdash as soon as the season is over. For those of you who do not know there is major problems with BD as many of you might have heard that BD has gotten rough this season. The ride is running out of control and is 12seconds faster. They have tried to slow the trains down but without success and its tearing itself apart. They repair a section of track and 2 weeks later its torn up. If anyone is going to LC don't expect 2 trains to be running as they'er trying to make it thruogh the season. This is the company that is going to do the work. http://www.martin-vleminckx.com/index.html I hope next season it is back to its original great ride.*** This post was edited by Ajrides 8/2/2006 4:36:54 PM ***

The new car ride is similar to the one at Dollywood, right? That was a blast, and it goes to show you that even in a park with a handfull of attractions, the cars can still be a good ride. For Dollywood's sake, I would even go so far as to call this an outdoor dark ride, since you didn't actually drive the cars.

I had a lot of fun on Boulder Dash last year on October 30th. Riding that thing in the dark was insane. I mean, I couldn't tell you the layout of the ride, because once you turn away from the park, it just got far enough from the lights to be pitch black. We rode it a lot, too, because they rarely stacked the trains. For me, that puts it right behind the night rides on Voyage from Holiwood Nights. And it's faster now? Sign me up.

Canobie Lake Park in NH has TWO mini car track rides. One features antique cars, the other race cars. They are both very popular attractions with long lines on each. They are both the old breed...you can bump others on the track, etc. I love the exhaust smell....

palwine...Hersheypark offers the same 2 track selection

I guess Plug-In N' Go just didn't have a ring to it? :)

"This is the company that is going to do the work. http://www.martin-vleminckx.com/index.html

Well, since they're AT the park anyway...

M-V, your wood-coaster maintenance/restoration source...bring back the Schmeck-ness!

Sorry for the second reply, "edit" doesn't work right in news...

Anyhow, we just had a lengthy discussion on how car rides aren't "marketable". Guess we'll find out thru the scientific method... Mythbusters! :)

Burma Shave signs -- a nice touch! I remember when Idora Park had them on their car ride.

I believe that every family oriented park that has room for it should have a car ride. I remember back in the 60s when a new car ride could have as much advertising impact as a new coaster at some parks. How times have changed.

I do know that capacity is a problem with car rides at larger parks. Some of these parks can take care of that by having more than one ride ot this type or by having two or more tracks on the one ride that they have. KW kept their old car ride when they added the Turnpike back in the 1960s. Disneyland has multiple tracks on the Autopia ride.