Lost park: TropWorld (Atlantic City)

Not sure how many of you might remember, but years ago, the TropWorld casino in Atlantic City (now the Tropicana) used to have an indoor amusement park called Tivoli Pier. The two main attractions were a big ferris wheel (complete with gaming wheel motif) and the Tivoli Plunge, which was a small steel coaster. The park closed in the mid-nineties and was removed, probably to make more room for gaming. If you go to the casino, you can still see the raised part of the ceiling where the ferris wheel used to stand.

When the park closed, I remember hearing that the owners of the Dinosaur Beach park in Wildwood had purchased the ride, but it never made an appearance on the pier (I wonder if they had intended to use it inside of the Escape From Dinosaur Beach dark ride?)

Does anyone know what happened to the coaster, the ferris wheel or any of the other rides? Were they eventually scrapped, or are they sitting in storage somewhere?

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

You have quite a knack for thinking up some obscure questions!
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Ripple Rock Amusement Park

Dood...Ripple Rock looks awesome! Any idea if there are plans for a wooden coaster? ;)

mOOSH

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New holiday & all-occasion cards on sale thru Oct 21st. 2004 Wood Coaster Calendar still available. All at S&D Greetings.

Yup, Actually, I made a small wooden guy that was supposed to be operational. It didn't work and it doesn't look all that great, so I left it out of the park. I plan to make another one once I finish the Flying Scooter, clean up the Scrambler, and get the Whip operational (and fall into a pile of money so I can quit my stupid job and have time to do it).

Thanks for comments though :)
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Ripple Rock Amusement Park

Those rides are operational? Holy crap...nice job!

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New holiday & all-occasion cards on sale thru Oct 21st. 2004 Wood Coaster Calendar still available. All at S&D Greetings.

Well, operational in the sense that all the moving parts can move. i don't have aeverything hooked up to a motor (yet). The train actually operates and the walk through fun house is fully operational ;) The Whip tubs are actually just arranged around the platform - they aren't actually connected to anything because i'm still trying to figure out how to make the two bullwheels on either end turn a small chain or cable and how to connect the tubs to it, etc.

Thanks for the praise "dood!" :)

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Ripple Rock Amusement Park
Flying Scooter coming soon!

Obscure and pointless note:

Has this taken the prize for the quickest thread hijacking in history?

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Half of the people surveyed agree, half disagree and another half are unsure.

I think so!

millrace, to comment on your comment: Yes, I do come up with some good ones! They're actually things that come to mind as I go through all of my coaster memoribilia and search various coaster sites... I figure this is the best place to ask my questions because there are so many people on this site that someone is bound to know the answer! Coasterbuzz proves to be a more valuable research tool than all the books and magazines I could possibly accumulate.

And about Ripple Rock, I agree that it could use a coaster, but I can understand their space limitations. Of course, you could always go the Cornball Express-route and build above everything ;)

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

The Coaster is in storage in North Cape May at Catanosa family warehouse. They intended to operate the ride outdoors, but when the bids came back to make new supports for the track, it was more cost efficient to lease the giant Wildcat / Zyklon.

The Escape from Dino Beach sally darkride is also there, alogng with dozens of other ride parts, cars, signs, etc.

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"Step on that lapbar and make it nice and tight!"

The Catanosa family... they are the ones that still own the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, correct?

Why would new supports be needed? Did it have something to do with the fact that the ride was originally designed only for indoor use, or had a special support structure because it was installed in a building?

I had no idea that the Escape from Dinosaur Beach dark ride was a Sally ride... I assume that all of the stunts and props are in storage as well?

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

Maybe the supports had to be cut to pieces to get them out of the building?

Indoor only supports? What are they made of? Stale leftovers from the buffet?

Not sure Ripple Rock would look right with a Cornball Express but maybe the other extreme would work - an underground coaster. It would be a lot easier to build ;)

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Ripple Rock Amusement Park

I was half-joking about a Cornball Express-style ride... that would pretty much "cover" what you built and defeat all of the hard work you put into the details of the park.

How about an out-and-back that runs along two edges of the property?

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

Yeah, i figrured you were joking. I've bveen thinking of a model of the Bertrand island Wildcat. It's an out and back with a double dip.

Problem is that Ripple Rock in the present form is only 4 feet long. Unlike Cedar Point - I DO have a space problem!
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Ripple Rock Amusement Park

A model of the Bertrands Island Wildcat sounds like a great idea... I definitely want to see that if it comes to fruition! Not to nitpick, but I think that the Wildcat actually had two double-dips, although I have only seen one in the pictures I've been shown.

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

Actually, I think you're right about the double dips. The thrid hill out had one and this picture looks like another one on the return leg. I'll have to dig out the POV tonight.

What's weird is the picture linked above shows the structure painted green. That's a surprise to me!

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Ripple Rock Amusement Park

I do recall the ride being very "dark" in photographs, so that could be true. I guess they wanted it to "blend" with the trees?

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

I watched the POV last night and there are indeed two double dips! Most pictures as well as my own fuzzy memory show the ride as being a dark weathered wood color but the RCDB pictures (taken after the park closed) clearly show green.

The name is another mystery - Wilcat or Cyclone?
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Ripple Rock Amusement Park

I think it was actually painted green, opposed to Phoenix which is stained. Come to think of it, I recall reading that Hershey's Comet was originally painted green so that it looked more like part of the landscape instead of standing out.

Suppose it was a PTC thing ;)

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

It probably hadn't been painted in years and years causing most of the paint to flake off. Probably why recent pictures and my memory show rotted wood color!
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Ripple Rock Amusement Park

I'm sure the coaster was in pretty bad shape by the time the park closed. I know that John Allen had done some work on the ride in the sixties or seventies, but that was most likely they last real maintenance that the coaster saw (aside from normal necessary things).

I'm not sure if its true or not, but I heard stories of the lift hill swaying in the wind before the time when Allen came by and did some work. I also remember hearing something about a fire...?

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002