Paramount and Six Flags Great America's Double Deck Carousel

Who made these double deck carousel at these parks?

Thank You,

Jacob

Chance? With Bradley and Kaye horses?

Absolutely Right! Give that man a ceegar! There were actually three of them built, the third one for the aborted Maryland park. It was used for parts until Marriott sold the parks.

Did that park become Six Flags America?

No, the third Great America was never built.

Yes it never was built, from what I understand there was too much opposition from locals. The park was ultimately killed which was a shame.

As was Disney's America. They shoulda came over the border into the Eastern Pan handle of WV where there are large Vallies, friendly people, and no one caring enough to oppose as long as there is economy in WV...

I've heard of the third Great America, but never Disney America? Was it supposed to be built in the beltway?

Disney America (if I remember right) was supposed to be built in Virginia...and feature historical things, mainly (obviously) focusing on the history of America. Am I right?

Yes, but it was to be built in the general area of a Civil War battlefield which upset a great many groups.

And Michael Eisner wanted to build a Steel Rollercoaster that looked like a woodie there...

Yep, it was gonna be on the Va side of D.C.

You mean Michael Eisner was taking cues from Richard Kinzel?

After all, Cedar Point has built several steel roller coasters that look like woodies.......

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Interestingly enough the 3rd Marriot park was to be built in roughly the same location that the failed disney park would've been located at some 20 years or so later.

Marriot had planned to build their third great america park in the Manassas area adjacent to the battlefield just north of I-66 on route 234,when those plans fell through in VA. they tried scouting locations in Maryland but with no results so the developers abandoned the plans for the park& at the same time the site of what would become SFA was still just an animal park under the name wildlife preserve.

Disney's America on the other hand was to be located in Haymarket VA. while not exactly on the same site proposed for the GA park back in 76 it was still cllose enough that the locals fought aggressively against it & so like Great AMerica before it the Disney's America plans were ultimately scrapped.

There was a lot of reason Disney's America never got built not just the proximity to the battlefields, but traffic congestion was a big concern and a number of articles about unkept promises made to the residents of Kissimmee, FL just made the battle more fierce. Teknoscorpion is right, had Disney built the park in the Pan-Handle of West Virginia or Western Maryland they probably would've never face local opposition and cheaper labor costs.

Also, Marriott's Great America tried to build a third park in Howard County, MD and North of Baltimore but faced opposition in both places as well.

There are several good articles about Disney's America on Jim Hill's site: here, here, and here.

Aaron K

Gemini is my favorite woodie Dave. ;)

Actually, Dave, I was speaking of the whole idea behind Cali Screamin'. They wanted to put something similiar(doubt it woulda been LIM, though;)) at the park in VA and 'theme' a steel structer to a wooden coaster.

Edit: Actually, one thing that always intrigued me was that I wonder if Disney did, infact, look to WV to put this park in.

My grandmother for many years was one of WV's top Democrats. She's not in politics any longer, but still has plenty of connections, including Sen. Byrd, Sen. Rockafeller, and plenty of others. There's not a lot in this state thats going on developmentally that I don't usually hear about before it is released to the public because of her 'connections'.

Back in the early 90's, my father, who wasn't in politics, but had connections because of his job, was in Charleston (state capital/capitol for those who don't know) every week on business.

I can remember both him and my grandmother saying that they had it on Good authority that Disney was interested in possibly looking to WV for a new park. I was always excited at this, but of course it never happened.

After all that has happened with DCA, I wonder if they wish now that they had come to WV. With as friendly and hospitible WVians are, it would have been a good fit for Disney, were the park situated in the right part of the state. It would have also have brought in Economy, and the #1 money maker in the state already is Tourism, so it, to me, would have been a perfect fit. Back then WV wasn't the wellfare state it is now, even if it was on the downscale. It could have worked then, but not likely now... *** Edited 12/28/2004 5:50:51 PM UTC by TeknoScorpion***

I didn't know which direction this thread would go after the set-up line I dropped up there.

Now I don't know whether to be proud of this crowd for keeping it clean, or disappointed that nobody went dirty. :)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Wow, Dave trying to hyjack a thread? Who'd a thunk it?;)

I wasn't really trying to hijack the thread. But I saw an opportunity to throw a setup line in there, and I wondered (a) if anybody would take it, and (b) which way it would go. :)

Perhaps you could call it a 'science experiment'.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.