TR: Wyandot Lake Park 5-28-04

TR: Wyandot Lake Park As we were heading out to the Erie PA area and more specifically to the world famous Butternut Knoll Bed & Breakfast we needed somewhere to stop and get out of the car about half way through the 6 hour drive. The half way point is Columbus and as I had not been on the Sea Dragon and my Six Flags Season Pass was accepted there we headed on over to Wyandot Lake. After paying to park in the lot that Wyandot Lake shares with the Columbus Zoo we headed on in. Our season passes wouldn’t work with their system but we were let in. We got there about three in the afternoon but the park was empty as they were getting ready for some big festival and the park was to be open until Midnight. First off as you enter the gate is the Starfish which is your standard Eli Bridge Ferris Wheel. No one was riding it and the ride op looked bored so I hopped on for a quick spin. I got a nice view of the park and had a nice thrill when a sudden wind gust tipped my seat forward. After that quick spin we were off to explore the park. Bond was in need of a snack and he had been very good during the drive so a sucker was procured at one of the stores on the midway. Speaking of the midway it was nicely shaded and I liked it how you could literally walk right off of the midway into one of Wyandot Lake’s water rides. Carrie hopped onto the Havoc Harbor Bumper Cars and liked them but wasn’t used to their controls as they were just two levers like a tank instead of the typical bumper car steering wheel. The Sea Dragon was my primary purpose to visit Wyandot Lake and it was nice to finally get the credit. I must have been through Columbus dozens of times but have never stopped to grab a credit on John Allen’s first design. No one was there so after watching a cycle and enjoying seeing a coaster operated in the old school way with levers and pulleys to operate the skid brakes rather than computers and hydraulics. The classic PTC junior trains with buzz-bars were comfortable though I doubt I could have anyone except for maybe Bond riding with me. Bond didn’t ride because he was too engrossed with his sucker and he’s still a little nervous about coasters. If anything he’s coming around because he’s been riding the Howler this year. If you have no idea about the Sea Dragon’s layout it’s a double out and back with the first level in a figure 8 layout. It’s just got a 35 foot drop but it’s a fun little ride. No there aren’t any moments of air but it just feels fun. Coasters like the Sea Dragon need to be copied all around the globe as a nice fun way to break in new (as in little) enthusiasts. Just a question here, would you store a bunch of acid next to a swimming pool or just a foot off of the midway? There is a little hut next to the Zima Falls slide that has the warning “Danger ACID” on it that caught our eye. Being primarily a water park Wyandot Lake has a lazy river that wraps around the Sea Dragon, a wave pool, a Monsoon Lagoon copy and a bunch of water slides. We walked around and checked everything out and if we lived close Wyandot Lake would be a place where we’d visit fairly frequently. Across from the Sea Dragon is as the sign states is a classic Illions Carousel but in fact the City of Columbus which owns that carousel repossessed it and it now sits across the parking lot at the zoo. In its place is an ok little carousel but nothing to write home about. If anything Wyandot Lake needs to change its sign as well as their webpage. From there we wandered back to see the rest of Wyandot Lake’s rides which include a Scrambler, a Octopus, and a Frolic Ride. Bond wanted me to ride the Frolic (which is called Monsoon) but I’m not the greatest at spinning rides so I vetoed his choice and hopped on Wyandot Lake’s Scrambler instead. The Scrambler was fun and Bond had a blast watching me ride (he’s into that right now) but it seriously needs a brake because the slow down was longer than the powered portion of the ride. From there we wandered back towards the parking lot stopping by their kiddy rides to reminisce about their Dune Buggy ride and the cool sound their horns made. In general Wyandot Lake was a really cool little park. It’s weird to think that Six Flags owns this little place but it also feels that it truly is the forgotten child of the chain. IMHO that’s a positive rather than a negative. All in all we had a great hour long visit to Wyandot Lake and if we get stuck in Columbus we plan on stopping back by for another one. Have Fun! Paul Drabek

Funny, I've lived in Columbus for nine years and I've never once been to Wyandot Lake - not even when I had a Six Flags season pass.