8/21 Mon My wife, son, and I made the trip up the NY Thruway to Great Escape and got there at 9.30 opening. Used the AOL 25% coupon to get in for about $25 each but recently found that our SFGadv passes would have worked. Oh well. Park was light to moderately crowded and we rode Comet first a few times. This is a great out & back with its Crystal Beach heritage coming forth. As with Phoenix, seat 1-3 had best (plenty of) floating airtime with good ejection laterals at the same time. Comes with a large lifthill, high fanturns and small bunnyhops in between. The waterpark was fairly large for a park that includes it in admission. Wife and son hit the waterpark and I kept reriding Comet. About 20 min lines for the boomerang and corkscrew. The GP there must really love their steelies and loops as people aroud us were raving for these two and Comet was a 2-3 train wait all day. Nightmare at Crackaxle Canyon and the bobsled coaster were a 2 hour wait and I skipped them. A local at the waterpark sect. told us that they were boring and not worth the wait. The train ride around the park held my interest but I noticed that the props from the old storyland sections were becoming ugly with peeling paint and rot. A bull statue there was cracking and about to break apart. They had a reasonable collection of the usual flatrides but no very recent ones such as a frisbee or topspin. The trip there was an enjoyable drive and the crowds were quite civilized as in traditional park's crowds. Hopefully when they are fully branded SF, the park isn't ruined by the typical SFO or SFNE crowds that I read about.
Stayed overnight at Troy NY, 45 min south to visit my alma mater, RPI. Also spawned Charles Ferris, Joe of Joyrides.com and probably Aquatic Development (the waterpark manufacturers).
Tues 8/22 off to Lake Compounce, got there 15 min before opening, at 10:45AM. Starting off with the bad, the commute on Rt. 84 was all bumper-to bumper 琀 㜀㔀 䴀倀䠀 眀椀琀栀 氀漀琀猀 漀昀 琀爀甀挀欀猀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 愀 ㌀⼀㐀 栀漀甀爀 眀愀椀琀 琀漀 瀀愀礀 昀漀爀 瀀愀爀欀椀渀最Ⰰ 戀甀礀 琀椀挀欀攀琀猀 愀渀搀 攀渀琀攀爀 琀栀攀 瀀愀爀欀⸀ 吀栀攀 挀爀漀眀搀猀 戀攀挀愀洀攀 氀愀爀最攀 愀猀 琀栀攀 搀愀礀 眀漀爀攀 漀渀 戀甀琀 琀栀攀礀 眀攀爀攀 愀氀猀漀 挀椀瘀椀氀椀稀攀搀 愀猀 椀渀 琀爀愀搀椀琀椀漀渀愀氀 瀀愀爀欀猀 ⠀渀漀 氀椀渀攀 挀甀琀琀椀渀最Ⰰ 洀漀眀椀渀最 搀漀眀渀 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀 眀椀琀栀 戀愀猀欀攀琀戀愀氀氀猀 漀爀 猀洀漀欀椀渀最 椀渀 氀椀渀攀⤀⸀ 圀攀渀琀 琀漀 䈀漀甀氀搀攀爀搀愀猀栀 昀椀爀猀琀 昀漀爀 愀 ㈀ 琀爀愀椀渀 洀椀渀 眀愀椀琀⠀挀漀渀琀爀漀氀猀 昀爀漀稀攀⤀ 渀攀愀爀 琀栀攀 戀愀挀欀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀䜀爀攀愀琀 爀椀搀攀Ⰰ 眀椀琀栀 瀀氀攀渀琀礀 漀昀 氀愀琀攀爀愀氀猀Ⰰ 氀椀琀琀氀攀 愀椀爀琀椀洀攀 戀甀琀 漀甀琀猀琀愀渀搀椀渀最 猀挀攀渀攀爀礀 ⠀琀栀攀洀攀搀 氀椀欀攀 攀砀琀爀攀洀攀 洀漀甀渀琀愀椀渀戀椀欀椀渀最 漀渀 琀栀攀 猀椀搀攀 漀昀 愀 眀漀漀搀攀搀 栀椀氀氀⤀ 䘀攀攀氀猀 猀漀洀攀眀栀愀琀 氀椀欀攀 䬀渀漀攀戀攀氀猀 吀眀椀猀琀攀爀 戀甀琀 氀攀猀猀⸀ 䤀 眀椀猀栀 䤀 挀漀甀氀搀 栀愀瘀攀 爀攀爀漀搀攀 椀琀 猀攀瘀攀爀愀氀 琀椀洀攀猀 愀渀搀 昀漀甀渀搀 琀栀攀 戀攀猀琀 猀攀愀琀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 愀昀琀攀爀 琀栀攀 昀椀爀猀琀 爀椀搀攀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 氀椀渀攀 愀氀爀攀愀搀礀 眀攀渀琀 琀漀 琀栀攀 攀渀琀爀愀渀挀攀Ⰰ 漀爀 愀戀漀甀琀 㐀 洀椀渀甀琀攀猀 琀漀 栀漀甀爀 眀愀椀琀⸀ 吀爀椀攀搀 圀椀氀搀挀愀琀 渀攀砀琀⸀ 吀栀椀猀 椀猀 漀渀攀 漀昀 琀栀漀猀攀 栀椀猀琀漀爀椀挀愀氀 眀漀漀搀椀攀猀 眀椀琀栀 戀甀稀稀攀爀 倀吀䌀 挀愀爀猀⸀ 一漀琀栀椀渀最 猀瀀攀挀椀愀氀 愀戀漀甀琀 琀栀攀 爀椀搀攀 戀甀琀 䤀 渀漀琀椀挀攀搀 愀 昀爀漀渀琀ⴀ戀愀挀欀 猀瀀爀椀渀最椀渀攀猀猀 琀漀 椀琀Ⰰ 愀猀 椀昀 琀栀攀 琀爀愀挀欀 昀氀攀砀攀搀 愀 氀漀琀⸀ 一漀 爀攀愀氀 昀漀爀挀攀猀 猀甀挀栀 愀猀 氀愀琀攀爀愀氀猀 漀爀 愀椀爀琀椀洀攀 琀漀 椀琀⸀ 一攀砀琀 眀愀猀 琀栀攀 嘀攀欀⸀ 稀漀漀洀攀爀愀渀最 眀栀椀挀栀 猀攀攀洀攀搀 猀漀洀攀眀栀愀琀 爀漀甀最栀攀爀 琀栀愀渀 琀栀攀 甀猀甀愀氀 戀漀漀洀攀爀愀渀最⸀ 䤀 氀椀欀攀 琀栀攀 眀愀礀 琀栀攀 氀椀昀琀栀椀氀氀 搀漀氀氀礀 眀愀猀 瀀愀椀渀琀攀搀 ⠀猀栀愀爀欀 洀漀甀琀栀⤀⸀ 圀愀椀琀 眀愀猀 愀戀漀甀琀 㔀ⴀ 洀椀渀甀琀攀猀⸀ 一攀砀琀Ⰰ 䜀栀漀猀琀栀甀渀琀攀爀 椀猀 愀 挀栀攀攀猀礀 椀渀琀攀爀愀挀琀椀瘀攀 搀愀爀欀爀椀搀攀 琀栀愀琀 栀愀搀 愀 㐀㔀 洀椀渀 眀愀椀琀⸀ 一漀琀 眀漀爀琀栀 椀琀 甀渀氀攀猀猀 椀琀✀猀 愀 眀愀氀欀漀渀 漀爀 礀漀甀 愀爀攀 椀渀琀漀 猀栀漀漀琀椀渀最 琀愀爀最攀琀猀 昀爀漀洀 琀栀攀 挀愀爀 眀椀琀栀 愀 䰀䔀䐀 最甀渀⸀ 吀栀攀 䨀攀爀猀攀礀 猀栀漀爀攀 栀愀甀渀琀攀搀 栀漀甀猀攀猀 愀爀攀 戀攀琀琀攀爀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀䤀 欀渀漀眀 琀栀椀猀 瀀愀爀欀 椀猀 栀椀猀琀漀爀椀挀愀氀氀礀 猀椀最渀椀昀椀挀愀渀琀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 椀琀 猀攀攀洀攀搀 漀瘀攀爀氀礀 挀爀漀眀搀攀搀 昀漀爀 愀 眀攀攀欀搀愀礀 愀渀搀 猀漀洀攀眀栀愀琀 搀椀猀愀瀀漀椀渀琀椀渀最⸀ 䤀琀 猀攀攀洀攀搀 氀椀欀攀 愀 瀀氀愀猀琀椀挀 愀渀搀 挀漀渀挀爀攀琀攀 猀洀愀氀氀 猀挀愀氀攀 挀漀爀瀀漀爀愀琀攀 瀀愀爀欀 眀椀琀栀 渀漀 猀栀愀搀攀 愀渀搀 渀漀渀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 栀椀猀琀漀爀礀Ⰰ 昀攀攀氀椀渀最 漀爀 洀愀最椀挀 漀昀 愀 䬀渀漀攀戀攀氀猀 漀爀 䬀攀渀渀礀眀漀漀搀⸀ 吀栀攀爀攀 椀猀 愀 猀洀愀氀氀 眀愀琀攀爀瀀愀爀欀 愀爀攀愀 戀礀 琀栀攀 氀愀欀攀 椀琀猀攀氀昀⸀ 吀栀攀 昀氀愀琀爀椀搀攀猀 眀攀爀攀 洀漀猀琀氀礀 欀椀搀搀椀攀 戀甀琀 琀栀攀礀 搀椀搀 栀愀瘀攀 愀 琀漀瀀猀瀀椀渀⸀ 吀栀攀 漀瀀攀爀愀琀漀爀 眀愀猀 欀椀搀搀椀渀最 愀爀漀甀渀搀 眀椀琀栀 洀礀 猀漀渀Ⰰ 琀攀氀氀椀渀最 栀椀洀 琀漀 氀攀愀瘀攀 琀栀攀 瀀愀爀欀 戀攀挀愀甀猀攀 栀椀猀 吀 猀栀椀爀琀 眀愀猀 椀渀愀瀀瀀爀漀瀀爀椀愀琀攀Ⰰ 琀栀攀渀 猀愀椀搀 匀椀砀 䘀氀愀最猀 䈀愀栀䠀甀洀戀甀最⸀ ⠀栀攀 栀愀搀 愀 䴀攀搀甀猀愀 猀栀椀爀琀 漀渀⸀⤀ 吀栀攀 琀爀椀瀀 戀愀挀欀 琀漀 琀栀攀 吀栀爀甀眀愀礀 愀琀 ㈀㨀㌀ 眀愀猀 挀漀渀最攀猀琀椀漀渀 愀渀搀 猀top & go northern NJ traffic for 2 1/2 hours. I'm sure this trip would be more enjoyable in an offseason visit such as Sunday in May or September, according to my brother and some TRs.
I went to each of these parks about a month ago. Lines were short on Comet, Boomerang, and Steamin Deamon. The longest line at Great Escape was for Nightmare an hour an half for an indoor Jet Star. I was upset with GE when the closed the Comet, Bobsled and Waterpark at 6. The rest of the park was open till 8.
We had a good time at Lake Compounce as well. Boulder Dash was 20 minutes or less all day due to the light rain all day and being a Wednsday.
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Parks Hit For 2000! PKD, BGW,DP,HP,PKI,HW,SFKK,SFA,GAdv,SFNE,LC,GE,QP,CDP,LP,KG,SFO,WG,GE,KW,IW,WL,
Lake Compounce was nearly a memory just a few years ago. A concert promoter from Milwaukee bought the park with the intent of turning into a concert venue.This was after a failed attempt by HERCO to operate the park. He changed the name to Lake Compounce Festival Park and proceeded to rip a lot of things out.Needless to say the concept didn't work and the banks were forced to take possesion of the park again. "Stretch" Norton, the former owner with the co-operation of the banks, would open the park for Labor Day weekend. He did this with the help of a great many former employees and volunteers. This was done to maintain the parks title of "Oldest continously operating amusement park in the U.S." This continued untill Kennywood entered the picture in 1996. They are managing partners in the park and have invested heavily in it. Give them a little time. There is a lot of damage to be undone.
