Seabreeze - Perfect Family park - 2004-06-19

We finally decided to spend a day at one of the smaller parks we pass on our way to SFDL or CP. Seabreeze, in Rochester near the waterfront, is a gem! A full-day pass costs less than $20 per adult and parking is free. But best of all, everyone was happy and polite! Staff and patrons were what made this park absolutely wonderful. Even line-jumpers moved to the back of lines by security staff were appologetic and friendly.

Unlike many theme parks, the thrill rides here are relatively tame, and only four rides have absolute minimum heights (Jackrabbit, Whirlwind, Screeming Eagle and Yo-yo). Kids could ride most other rides as long as they had an adult with them. There were lots of picnics and even barbeques for public use. All-day lockers in the waterpark cost $3, the cheapest I've seen anywhere.

Jackrabbit - Built in 1920, it should be a classic coaster, but it doesn't compare to it's namesake in Kennywood, which is a year newer. While Seabreeze's Jackrabbit has lots of camel humps and dips, but it's too slow to gain any airtime. This may be a result of using a modern train (plastic exterior / molded seats interior) rather than repairing and maintaining trains of the era like Kennywood. It was neat to see manual braking and dispatching, unchanged since 1920. Single train operation was fine considering all day we just walked straight onto the platform. We saw lots of kids taking their first roller coaster ride. :) 3 out of 5.

Whirlwind - What a ride! Riders are locked facing straight forward or back for the lift hill and first dive, then the car unlocks and spins throughout the rest of the curving, diving track. Capacity was good, capable of nearly 1,000 riders per hour, but since the line was short, ride-ops didn't force groups of four -- cars with two riders were common. 4 out of 5.

Bobsleds - Very low capacity, ancient steel coaster. The dives are fun, but the tight curves aren't banked. It takes a long time to safely dispatch, probably 3-4 minutes per 4-person car. It wasn't worth the 30 minute wait (our longest wait of the day). 1 out of 5.

Great flat rides we rode: Screeming Eagle (an inverted floorless pendulum ride) 4/5, tilt-a-whirl 3.5/5, flying scooter 2/5, Sea Dragon (rocking boat) 3/5, tea-cups 4/5, yo-yo (swings) 3/5, bumper cars 3/5, indoor disco-themed scrambler (with a very long running time) 4/5. There were virtually no lines. We waited only one or two cycles for most rides, except bumper cars (3 cycles) and scrambler (4 or 5 cycles).

Other stuff that looked good, but we didn't ride: Beartrax (an ambitious kiddy coaster - adults can only ride with children), log flume (it was too cold to get wet), countless kiddy flat-rides, and a waterpark with wave pool, lazy river, body slides, tube slides, and giant bucket / play area.

*** Edited 6/24/2004 8:32:57 PM UTC by greatwhitenorth*** *** Edited 6/24/2004 8:37:39 PM UTC by greatwhitenorth*** *** Edited 6/24/2004 8:42:09 PM UTC by greatwhitenorth***

Cool to hear you got to stop at Seabreeze! I got a chance to ride the Jack Rabbit two years ago, and although it was fairly slow I got one ridiculous pop of air entering the first turnaround! Glad to see the new caoster is operational!

Sounds good. I currently have Seabreeze listed as an August stop. Lets hope it pans out :)

Same here. When is your trip planned, Gonch?

I'm glad to hear you had a good time at the park. It looks like a nice, laid-back traditional park so I'm obviously excited about it. I've heard more "glowing" reviews of the Jack Rabbit and the Bobsleds, but its good to hear a different opinion.

Nice trip report, but I'll have to disagree with your opinion of Bobsleds. Yes, it is low capacity. BUT, it would get a 4 out of 5 stars in my book for uniqueness alone. The ride was built *in house* back in 1968, and was supposedly modeled after Disney's Matterhorn ride, without the mountain. I haven't ridden it in a few years, but I'd say it was better than some of the *mouse* rides I've ridden.

Did you also know that the park used the same design plans from the "Over the Falls" mill chute at Euclid Beach Park (before it closed). They copied Euclid Beach's chute hill and drop, for their own mill chute at the time. When the park converted the ride to a log flume, they kept the same lift hill and drop. That is why the lift conveyer is covered and the drop is so steep.

Seabreeze is definitely a gem. I'm glad you enjoyed the park. I'm planning a trip later in the season. I need to get back there.

Wood Coaster Fan Club - traditional parks ROCK!!!

Sounds like a nice park, Ive been looking at it for quite a while. Out of curiousity, why is it they removed Quantum Loop? Has anyone ridden it, was it rough?

Great report. I cannot wait until my visit to the park at NAPHA's and DAFE's event there on July 24th. From the pictures I've seen, Seabreeze seems to take great care of their rides and their 125th annivesary logo is very unique.:)

Rob - right now I'm saying Aug 13.

Insert the standard disclaimer that nothing about our trips is final until we actually step through the gate. We've been know to change park/coaster tours on the fly.

Ah, too bad. We're most likely going the first weekend of August (the 7th?) but just like you, I can add a disclaimer stating that could change at any time. We're planning on hitting Sylvan Beach and Martin's Fantasy Island as well. Keep me up-to-date with your plans, just in case we both wind up going the same weekend.

Im glad to hear you enjoyed the park. We loved it! Look for my TR comming soon.

Jack Rabbit to me was a thousand times better than Kennywoods. and to say that coaster don't have airtime, You must not have ridden the front cause we got Four very excellent pops on every ride up front. The first turn around, The hill before the second turn around. The second turn around and the airtime that made this coaster Great to me, A tunnel drop into a valley just before the end rose and flattened to give us airtime that made us swear we were going to loose our hands on the celing of the tunnel. Just a pure fun old coaster that IMHO is totally classics.

Can't beat Whirlwind and Bobsleds for purely fun rides either. The Yo-Yo didn't -Yo cause it didn't tilt.

Chuck, who puts Seebreeze as the surprise of his trip and loved it.

I'am gald you guys have great things to say about my neighborhood park. the park is literally 10 mins from my house.

The Jack rabbit was my first wooden coaster, it is a very unique coaster has aged very, very well. I'am always impressed how the Long family has kept up with the park.

If any of you guys are planning a trip to the park let me know maybe i can meet you there!

I encourge anybody that is out this way to visit the park it is a great park.