Waldameer to announce biggest expansion in its history

The article says that the ride will be the most expensive in the park's history, so I can't imagine what else it could be. I doubt that they are adding a steel coaster or a tower ride (probably "too tall" for the neighbors to approve).

If it is the Ravine Flyer II, I wonder if it will wind up being Gravity Group's first project?

whomever finds out please tell us ASAP????????? K ?

Oh soo sweet...

The biggest expansion in the parks history.
So the neighbors were finally defeated!! After all this time, ol' Gertrude & Phil (names changed for the sake I don't know their real names) have finally lost the long-standing battle that should have never occurred in the first place.

With Waldameer park generating revenue for the city of Erie, PA... there should have never been a dispute. It's really the only "fun" thing to do there besides their indoor waterpark.

I can't wait to see what it's going to be. Their last few years, "new" consisted of new midway games, new bogus shows. I think their last DECENT ride was a Huss Rainbow... their ride after that was a Frog Hopper (kiddie)... so I'm excited, despite only being to the park once back in 1999, I think it was.

I loved their log ride, though... that was one of the coolest I've been on.

what evr they announce, this is a gresat little park. Its right on lake Erie and Prescile and is a very nice little park. For all that have not been there thay have a nice junior coaster and One of the best long fumes going . Very new ,built only a few years ago. If you are planning a Lake erie trip. on The Pa side. Check it out,. And with this mystery exspandion for 2004 . It will make the trip worthy.

Dawgbyte: I'm not sure if the neighbors were defeated... I wish that I could find something on what the annoucement was, since it was supposed to take place yesterday according to the article. I was just saying that I can't imagine the annoucement being anything but the new wooden coaster, since that has pretty much been the owner's dream for the past decade.

If this does come to fruition, then this is looking like a banner year for wooden coasters, with Dollywood, Clementon, the Dells and Waldameer and that ski resort in Canada all getting wooden coasters.

The article said details would be released at 10am today. It's 12:30 in Erie...any news?

UPDATE - my sources indicate Ravine Flyer 2 will NOT be part of the expansion. Looks like a flat or two.

mOOSH

*** This post was edited by Mamoosh 1/15/2004 12:37:05 PM ***

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

:(

I wanted to see this guy's "dream" come true... God knows he's been trying long enough to make it happen!

Naah... couldn't be a flat or two... if it's the biggest expansion in the parks loooong history (it's 108 yrs old, is it not?), wouldn't the log ride have been a big expansion?

If it's the "most expensive ride" ever installed in the Erie area, then it's got to be bigger than the log ride, which in and of itself probably cost upwards of a million or so... so I'm guessing it's got to be a decent ride, and SHOULD be the Ravine Flyer II.

But... for the love of God, I sincerely hope it's not Quantum Loop, which was for sale at Seabreeze in Rochester, NY. It's a big coaster, it's portable, and it was dismantled this year.... and it's not that far from the park.
Please don't be Quantum Loop... Please don't be Quantum Loop.

Or, heaven forbid, Rye's old Windstorm ;)DawgByte - I hope my sources are wrong, too...but they all say RFII is not part of the expansion.

Don't forget, part of expansion costs are infrastructure. And we've overlooked an obvious place for expansion: their waterpark. I interpreted the hint from one source as a flat ride but it could easily describe a waterslide as well.

We'll know soon enough.

mOOSH

*** This post was edited by Mamoosh 1/15/2004 1:07:04 PM ***

But adding to the waterpark or other rides may increase attendance there just enough to pay for RFII if they ever get the approval for it.

Looking forward to the news.

beast7369 - The park has the money for RFII and have wanted to build it for quite a few years now. If they could, they would.

Could this possibly be the Gravity Groups' first official project? This could be very good news indeed!! :) :) :) :)

Wood - anything else is an imitation

No offense, Moosh, but I sincerely hope that your sources are either wrong or are purposely setting you up for a surprise ;)

It could really be just about anything- a Spinning Mouse, a Frisbee-type ride, a bowl-style water slide... the possibilities are endless. But, I assume the ride will cost over $1.5 million since that is what I believe the park paid for the Hopkins flume ride in 1996.

No matter what it ends up being, I'll be there next summer. Waldameer is a great little park with a fun junior Schmeck woodie, a very well-kept dark ride, a rare walk-through funhouse, and the best Chance Gondola Wheel I've ever been on. The view of the Presque Isle area and Lake Erie is simply beautiful.

ray p.

I just got a phone call from an Erie reporter but won't get to call him back until later. He said in his message that it was a roller coaster.

word from SwillNetwork: Spinning Coaster

As much as I would like to see Ravine Flyer II, I doubt that this will be it. IF this is in fact going to be for summer 2004, I believe it is a bit late to start on a wooden coaster installation... especially with the winter weather the shores of Lake Erie gets. If it is a coaster, that Spinning Coaster that has been hinted at or one of those removed from SeaBreeze or Playland make more sense considering the time frame involved.

Playing devil's advocate, I will point out that, ASAIK, Clementon's new-for-2004 wooden coaster has yet to be started.

Also, I wonder if a spinning coaster would cost more than the park's log flume?*** This post was edited by Rob Ascough 1/15/2004 3:47:04 PM ***