What we should DEMAND of Geauga Lake...

It wasn't just a flop--it was a Huuuuuuge flop.

Budget - $80 million

Total Box Office (US and everywhere else) - $54 million

And remember, the cost of production does not include the cost of promotion - like TV ads, radio spots and the cost of the cereal box ads. So it came up wayyyyy shorter than the numbers tell you.

Hey, I laughed my butt off at Mystery Men and it's become a cult classic--but just cuz I like it doesn't anyone else did. Same rule applies for attractions and coasters.

-'Playa

*** Edited 3/14/2004 4:10:44 AM UTC by CoastaPlaya***

I hope they don't try to move any coaster currently at Geauga Lake because they all fit there perfectly to me IMO. I think they sould just fix up the park and make it one of Cedar Fair's top destination like Cedar Point and Knott's. As long as they don't try to change The Villain I'll be glad.

Coasterplay...

Not Cereal Box ADS...FREE PASSES worth 6 bucks each...WB gave away 60 million dollars worth of kids passes in General Mills cereals...and I bought 8 boxes of cereal...LOL

Coasterplay? That sounds dirty......

I'm going to demand that they give me BKF to put in my backyard, and a CP quality staff to run it 24/7.

That's not too unfair is it?

I still vote for the removal of the swamp gas over by TCFKABKF.

I thought that swamp gas was opatr of the coaster? Like structural or somethin ...

Woot for FKA acronyms! (I still don't know what woot means, but I know everyone on here will understand my enthusiasm if I use that word ... )

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midwave said:
Not Cereal Box ADS...FREE PASSES worth 6 bucks each...WB gave away 60 million dollars worth of kids passes in General Mills cereals...and I bought 8 boxes of cereal...LOL

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And that equates to profit how?

Bomb.

You have to remember Jeff, to alot of people, it's not about the company or it's future. It's about what is in it for them. :)

I figure I put a few Demands from my visits to the park.

1. For Heavan's sake put some drinking fountains in the Park. I don't like going halfway across the park to get a drink of water.
2. More Restrooms that are easier to find, or put arrows directing the way to them.
3. Put Hercules's PTC Trains on Villain and Raging Wolf Bobs.
4. Don't lay a finger on Big Dipper Train's.
5. Figure out a way to run X-Flight with one platform and 2 trains without stacking. I bet if they have the staff of 2 platforms on 1, I'm sure it will go faster and the lines will move faster.
6. Don't take Serial Thiller or Ultimate Escape and send it to WOF. We want something better than that.
7. Have a deal for this year where I can get in for a discounted rate on a CF pass. I don't want to go to this park and spend $40 + a huge sales tax and $8 for parking on this park when I could get in to CP for Free. This way it seems more fair to existing Pass Holders who don't want to feel cheated out of a combo deal.
8. Do What Silver Dollar City, White Water, and Celebration City did last year and do a Park Hopper Deal where you can get in to Cedar Point, Geagua Lake, and Soak City as many time as we want to during a given amount of time.
9. Make Future plans to make this park quite distinct from Cedar Point. It will require alot of work but look what SDC did with CC.

That is about all I got to say about this.

I just noticed this in one of the articles from VM...

"Although no capital improvements are scheduled for this year, Kinzel said Geauga Lake may eventually get a steel roller coaster like the Magnum. "

Hmmmm... ;)

It would be nice if they use a part of the former Sea World side for this, perhaps following the diagram of the coaster Six Flags considered that was in The Plain Dealer a while back. Personally, I would like to see them re-stock the aquarium, add a dark ride, and add a mine coaster ride with tunnels over the next couple years.

This year at The New GL is going to be interesting. Only thing is, and I have heard this from many people and for those that listened to the conference call you prolly figured it out yourself, CF has no fricken clue what they are buying. They don't know what all is in the park, they don't know the issues with Bainbridge and to a lessor extent Aurora. 75% of the questions asked in the conference call were given an answer of "We're not sure about that, but we are looking into it".

I know CF will do good things here, but don't expect anything to happen anytime soon. They need to do a HUGE spring cleaning before they sink money into this park.

I have a strong feeling a lot of the rides that used to be in Geauga Lake will be returning, and the're in better shape then you think. Most rides were stored in shipping containers or in one of their off site storage areas. *** Edited 3/16/2004 7:13:23 AM UTC by insider***

If some of the removed rides are in "off site storage areas" are they included in the purchase?

"We're not sure" could also be a polite way of saying, "we know but we aren't going to tell you."

After listening to the call: either they're pretty sincere obfuscators, or they really didn't know the answers to some of those questions.

You know, as other places have said before, these people havn't even been to the park before the announcement! I really think that it was a 'we don't know' thing. I have faith in these guys.

I think that Cedar Fair has a good idea of what's there. I even ran into Janice there two years ago and talked with her about the park. She had some very nice things to say as well as some constructive criticisms. now I find it interestingly odd that she was just walking around the park. I'm probably wrong though.

They may not know all the details yet, but I find it hard to believe that they would blindly buy out the park from Six Flags without first looking into it. They aren't that stupid. Would you buy a used car without first taking it for a test drive, or at least looking under the hood? If you would, then I have a really nice piece of property in Florida I can sell you for cheap, and promises major R.O.I. Honest!!

Look out for the Wood Coaster Fan Club "Sharing a Passion for the Classics"

There is an interesting history between Geauga Lake and Cedar Point. Back in the 80's, Funtime Inc. was formed by some ex-executives/manager types from Cedar Point. They bought Geauga Lake (and later Wyandotte Lake in Columbus and Darien Lake in Northwest New York). Gasper Lococo was the biggest name of the group for the old Cedar Point days.

So, the Cedar Fair people are familiar with the Geauga Lake scene. I am sure Janice was visiting because the company encourages its employees to visit other parks and see what is doing. I think Cedar Fair even used to pay for it's employees to take trips to competitor parks, though that practice is long gone.

There is no doubt that Cedar Fair will keep many key people from Six Flags as they have done when they bought other parks like Michigan's Adventure and Knott's Berry Farm. You can't just go in and clean house...and why would you? There are competent people at these parks who would be an asset to you. Of course, there are some that need to be shown the door.

You know wahoo skipper, your the first person I have seen on this board (besides myself) mention that about the four Cedar Point executives leaving the "Point" to take over Geauga Lake. But I believe it happened much earlier. I remember reading a long time ago, that it happened during the late 1960's or early '70's. I went to high school in Hudson with the son of one of those executives. He told me many times of his days at Cedar Point when he was a child.

I don't recall now exactly when Funtime was formed, but I think it was around the same time. Someone just color photocopied an old brochure from the park for me. It actually shows the old Wild Mouse and Bug along the back midway near the Cuddle Up, taken from the Monorail as it made the turn to go down the back midway. The cover shot actually uses a photo of the Cincinnati Shooting Star with the front plate of the train blotched over. But the most important thing about the brochure, is that it has the wording "Funtime Inc. Aurora, Ohio" across the bottom on the front.

I'm not sure what year this is from, But I'd guess it's from that era I speak of. It mentions "Plenty of parking space for up to 5000 cars, and a brand new kiddieland with plenty of rides" and other seemingly trivial , but classic descriptions of the park's features. I worked at the park when I was eighteen on the Dipper in 1980. I hung around with people who worked at the park for years after. I've always held a special place in my heart for the place. I hope Cedar Fair respaects that and returns the park to it's former glory. Six Flags surely fumbled the ball when it was handed to them.

the Wood Coaster Fan Club

"Sharing a Passion for the Classics"

I too worked the Dipper, though later than you. Maybe it was the 70's that Funtime came in. In any event, when I was at Cedar Point we would get a visit once or twice a year from the Lococo's. One of the offspring is now the GM at Sandusky's Great Bear Lodge I believe.

But my point goes back to those people who think Cedar Fair doesn't have any idea what they have purchased. I can assure you they do.

For seveal years Turtle Beach was considered the premier water play area for kids in the world. The Raging Wolf Bobs helped to revitalize the wooden coaster across the country. There is no doubt in my mind that the executives at Cedar Fair know the potential of this park. It can, and I suspect it will, be brought back to the status of a nice regional park that will make money but will not be in danger of stealing away the Cedar Point thunder.