One Week To Go, Until GL Opening Day Report:

Hello Coaster Fans Who Can't Wait Until Opening Day,

I went and got my season pass today...it seems like I just missed a few people. Anyway, I drove all around the park and here is a few things to report with one week until opening day:

What park is this? There are NO signs ANYWHERE stating that this is GL except a little 3x2 ft flip sign right at the parking entrance. ALL SF signs are removed. So if you're driving to the park and don't know how to get there...you better have some good decent directions. I did find one SF sign right in front of the plaza entrance though...that was the only one around for miles.

GL's new slogan is, "It's Gonna Be Fun!"

Two trains on X-Flight. One being worked on, and one on Storage track.

Villain had it's first turn around being worked on by about 4 guys with a lot of wood being cut up there.

I watched them pull/tear down the big billboard that stated all the events for SFWoA right at the Wild Rides Main gate.

The Words "Six Flags" in bricks have been replaced in front of the main gate...says nothing now. Steel Venom's trains are not on track.

Aquarium has had the words "Aquarium" removed.

Two zebras are still left in the park and grazing...I thought they took all the animals last week?

A BUNCH of stuff from SFWoA is still in the South parking lot.

Canyon Rock climb has been removed...don't know why on that one.

As for just a small glimpse into the park through the gate. The front of the Emporium actually looks nice and you can't tell they use to have huge Looney Toon characters on top of it. I didn't see any flowers planted anywere.

A TON of painting was going on everywhere.

RWB still has the bottom of the first hill up to the first turnaround without wood on it. No one working on it.

New parking lot/overflow parking lot being worked on. Since the rode is finished, construction crews were bringing in gravel and other things and working on the overflow parking...looks to hold a couple hundred cars. Lights have also been installed back there and more were being put up leading to it. A guy said there it would be paved later. This parking lot is behind the trees and can't be seen from the main lot unless you see the lights leading to it (easily seen though from GL road).

Small pine trees are now placed in and growing nicely all around GL road.

LOTS of training going on in the park.

Steel Venom doesn't look to bad with the new supports. And the track still goes up aways without supports.

As for the GL Hotel. There is no signs stating what it is. And if I didn't know it was a hotel before, I wouldn't know now. But I'm assuming signs will be up for opening day.

I sure hope they fix the parking lot flow problem and have it down to a science like CP's parking lot. No markings can be seen yet on the parking lot since winter has erased them all.

The floating bridge has been moved and people are using it.

Rides on South side (by MBT) didn't look ready...looked like they just started coming out of winter. They were being worked on.

I did not see any rides being tested though there were many groups of employees being trained on various things.

Well, that's pretty much it. This park sure has it's work cut out for it by opening day. Can it be done? Yes. But it's going to be tight. I wouldn't expect all the rides to be opened, but they might be. One week from now is opening day!

"The Future of Roller Coasters"
-RollerCoasterGod
http://OhioThemeParks.com

Thanks for the updates! I am sure they will get some signs directing people to the park ASAP. I know it's a bit of a pain to get to, even with signs pointing the way. lol.

I only checked out the website for the first time about 5 days ago. I am sure Cedar Fair will do an awesome job with the park. I dunno when I will be up that way but it will be sometime this year.

-Tina

<----who misses that funky Looney Tunes playground already but will survive. :-)

*** Edited 4/24/2004 6:04:27 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

Have I mentioned that there is no parking lot to the south? The lots are decidedly to the east and west of the lake.

You know that, and I think we all know that, but I think someone should tell the park that. They are clearly telling people who want to redeem their passes, when they show up to, "Go to the South Parking lot." And man, was that confusing the heck out of people who showed up today on the North side. So, I guess that's what people should call it. :)

"The Future of Roller Coasters"
-RollerCoasteRGod

*** Edited 4/24/2004 7:20:34 PM UTC by RollerCoasterGod***

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RollerCoasterGod said:

...you better have some good decent directions.
quote]

I cannot count the number of times that I've had good, but not decent directions. When that happens I always end up at McDonald's. At least when the directions are decent but not good I usually end up at a bar.

Sorry, I just couldn't avoid the temptation on this one.

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So the floating bridge is back to where it was in 2001, during Year #1 of SFWoA...that's funny! That bridge really IS floating back and forth then? hehe!

Jeff, what do you mean no parking lot to the South? The map shows an entrance on the southside still...Is the parking completely different than the past 3 years? The Southside lot is the former Wildlife Entrance , and the Northside lot is the Ride Entrance.

GeaugaLake2004...Everything old is new again?

Speaking of McDonald's...why in Aurora is there a McDonald's sign in front of the Vet Clinic, near the police department????!?!?! WIERD! *** Edited 4/24/2004 6:52:25 PM UTC by midwave***

I'm not 100% sure but what I think that Jeff was stating is that although the lots might be referred to as North and South that they are actually located on the East and West ends of the park.

Oddly enough, the only lot on the north side is the employee lot.

Has anyone heard of discounts for admission. I'm kinda bummed with having CP and SF passes neither of them help. *** Edited 4/24/2004 10:42:07 PM UTC by gecko***

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midwave said:

Speaking of McDonald's...why in Aurora is there a McDonald's sign in front of the Vet Clinic, near the police department????!?!?! WIERD! *** Edited 4/24/2004 6:52:25 PM UTC by midwave***

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it's been a while, but there are 3 ways you can get to mcdonalds, the way off the main road next to the car dealer, next to the parks department building (by the hs), and then theres a way on the street that the church is on, by entering by the shopping plaza.

I drove past the park today on my lunch around 3:00 and on the way to Chipotle I saw Big Dipper running with the water dummies. Then while driving down RT 43 with burrito in hand they had X-Flight running.

i was at the park today for orientation. im excited for this year. I have training all this week!

Come visit me! My Hyde's Nasty Fall...

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Jeff said:
Oddly enough, the only lot on the north side is the employee lot.

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Check out http://sfohio.tripod.com/Park_Maps.htm

Every map **offically** released by the park clearly indicates north pointing to 9:00. That would mean the "Geauga Lake" parking lot is West, and the "Sea World" lot would be East. No way to debate that one, Six Flags messed up.

OT

Ummm...my 2003 and the one above clearly indicates North to be about 5:45? If you go by the 2003 map you can somewhat get away with the South and North parking lot thing since in real life, both parking lots kind of have an "L" shape to them.

I forgot to mention...that little train Depo (or whatever it was) outside the park by RWB is gone. That land is for sale! Now you can really have a park in your back yard. Assuming that land does sell, it's tough to say what can feasibly work there. I could see a nice food establishment going there that is elvated up a little with windows over looking the park.

"The Future of Roller Coasters"
-RollerCoasterGod
http://OhioThemeParks.com

I can see that food establishment being a failure. It's all the way behind an amusement park and no one would come in that far from the main road. That would be one cool restaurant though. Or, it could always just be a house.

Ummm... who cares? I think a real map and a compass are more meaningful than an illustrated map.

That land is a little too expensive for someone to buy. I doubt seeing anything there...