Wisconsin Dells developers want to build $60 million resort in Sandusky

Sweet more parks like Noah's Ark!!!

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BMCOASTER

bmcoaster@wi.rr.com

Let's hope for some variation of a Master Blaster!*** This post was edited by blazerZR2 4/16/2003 9:26:54 AM ***

I submitted a similar article from the Milwaukee Journal. It sounds like they want to build a version of the Kalahari

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Bob Hansen

Operation Wicked Twister
Goal: Lose enough weight (50lbs) to ride Wicked Twister in 2K3
Progress: 25 pounds since 1-1-2003

Maybe Sandusky will find a way to over tax them too.

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Do the Moo Shoo!

That'd be a great alternative to the CP hotels. Their resorts are top notch and a lot of fun.

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NICK

WOOD: It does a body good.

I kinda wish it was the other way around I wish Cedar Fair (even though this dosent have to do with them) would build a Amusement/resort/waterpark in the dells. The dells need a really great amuesment park like all Cedar fairs other parks with actually thrilling and not pain ful rides cough cough Big Cheif. I think that would be great.

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http://groups.msn.com/kylecoasterworld

choose thy fate: freeze or burn

Fly with the Man of Steel in 2003
SFGAm

Sandusky sure is the place to be. With this new resort, and the Great Bear Lodge there, seems Sandusky is the new resort hot spot. Overall, I think its a great addition, as competition only makes people better.

-Mikey*** This post was edited by olympic10086 4/16/2003 11:02:03 AM ***

Holydumb,

You must go to a different Dells than I do because none of the coasters are painful at Big Chiefs that I know about and two of them are very thrilling. There are many unthrilling, painful rides at Cedar Fair parks too. cough cough Mean Streak cough cough

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Bob Hansen

Operation Wicked Twister
Goal: Lose enough weight (50lbs) to ride Wicked Twister in 2K3
Progress: 25 pounds since 1-1-2003

This sounds an awful lot like the Great Bear Lodge, which is itself a lot like a couple of developments in Wisconsin Dells...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

That's the thing - The Great Lakes Company ( http://www.greatlakesco.com ), has already expanded from Wisconsin Dells to Sandusky, among other places. The Great Bear Lodge (Sandusky) and the Great Wolf Lodge (Wisconsin Dells) are owned by the same company. I'm guessing other companies that have hotels in the Dells (like the Kalahari) have seen the success of the Great Lakes Company and have decided to follow them to Sandusky.

-Nate

This is actually going to be like the Kalahari in the Dells. The Great Bear Lodge will finally have some competition so they might have to add on.

I didn't find any of the rides at Big Chief painful and I have Zeus and Cyclops rated higher than either wooden coaster at Cedar Point. Cyclops is in my top five wooden coasters solely based on "The Drop."

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All who think Mean Streak needs a match taken to it say I.

really thats werid cause every time I have rode any of the coasters there I feel very uncomfortable like all the screws holding the car were gonna fall out and the screws were like poking me in the legs.And some of the turns on Pegasus are insane it turns at like a 90 degree angle go pretty fast. I just dont think that there that great of rides but that my opnion.I dont really care that much I just want a really awesome park in wisconsin.

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http://groups.msn.com/kylecoasterworld

choose thy fate: freeze or burn

Fly with the Man of Steel in 2003
SFGAm

To put it bluntly, Zeus and Cyclops rock. They still ride like a dream (surprising, because Big Chief's maintenance department is not so sophistocated). And now that the rides have stations, I think the trains (specifically, the seat padding) will be in better shape due to the lack of getting wet all the time. Pegasus is something else. It was rough as hell last year, has an uninteresting layout, and one very stupid (and sharp) turn at the end. But the other two are fantastic, especially at night.

Perhaps Little-A-Merrick-A suits your tastes better? :)

-Nate

I just stayed at the Kalahari a few weekends ago and it was great! If the new one is going to be anything like the one in the Dells, it will be fantastic.

Hopefully they will put in a pro-bowl and a Master Blaster. The one in the Dells actually had some airtime.

I think that only good things can come from this. Not only would there be a new water park for the area, but this would probably spark some competition from Cedar Point's Soak City to add more water rides and possibly a Master Blaster or Roller Soaker. I say bring 'em on!

If it were me, here is what I would do as Cedar Fair CEO:

Tear down the Sandcastle Suites hotel. That might sound aggressive but the hotel was built on the cheap and is already approaching 15 years old. They have got their money back and then some on that investment.

Build a waterpark/lodge on the property Sandcastle/Breakwater now occupies. Frankly, I think it is the premier piece of property on the entire peninsula. Most rooms would have a water view whether it was the lake or the bay. It could be designed in such a way as to have access to the Soak City wave pool and they could dome the pool in the winter. Sound far fetched? The dome wouldn't have to be much bigger than the one that sits out on Rt. 2 for year round golfing.

To take it a step further, I would build a conference center in what is now Circle B of Camper Village and connect it with the new lodge. The North Coast of Ohio is short on convention space outside of Cleveland and a Conference/Convention Center with a water park would be a big draw. Heck, take the dome concept a step further and dome the Bubbles Beach Bar and the buisness people would go nuts.

If they built the hotel to resemble a lodge it would fit in with the Camper Village concept and they could even rent winter campsites. This would go a long way toward Kinzel's hope of making Cedar Point a year round revenue generator. It probably wouldn't be a huge undertaking to equip the cabins with heat and I know they are looking to expand those next year.

I know that Cedar Fair is watching the success of the Great Bear Lodge closely and if anyone should benefit from year round vacationers in Sandusky it should be the Point.*** This post was edited by wahoo skipper 4/18/2003 1:53:56 PM ***

I like this idea. Hope to see another Noah's Ark! I visit there every summer.

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9 Years working at Valleyfair ! Steel Venom feel the strike in 19 days . Club member 437.