Saturday, July 03, 2004
Coaster Con: Part 2b
Another Geauga Lake Q&A came to mind after I visited the website. Bill got a question about the Geauga Lake dog and then he took a poll to see if people wanted the dog back. Most of the ACE members cheered. He then asked if the dog should appear with some new friends (ie... Snoopy and pals) and it was the same reaction as before. The Geauga Lake Dog as well as Snoopy and pals (and Camp Snoopy too) will be coming back soon.
Friday night was the best night for ERT. They announced that Raging Wolf Bobs would finally be open and that we would be the first to ride it (outside of park management). There was also ERT on Double Loop and the Beaver Land Mine Ride.
The Mine Ride was an amazing kiddy coaster, it was both fast and intense. You really do have to try that ride out for yourself. I was also amazed at how long the train is: Twenty cars! The back is the best.
We walked over to Raging Wolf Bobs where the line of ACErs streaked out the entrance to the ride and down the walkway. It turned out only to be a 15 minute wait though, even with only one train. I hadn't ridden the Bobs in years so it is hard for me the judge the quality of the retracking job but the beginning of the coaster was very smooth. Much smoother than Villain.
On Saturday they only offered ERT in the morning because it was the last day. Villain, Dominator, Thunderhawk, and Double Loop were all available. It was mostly a repeat of the earlier sessions except that the Villain crew allowed people to ride again without going back through the line.
Overall, my thoughts of Geauga Lake are positive. We never got over to the water park because of the bad weather but that section still looked nice when I walked through it.
The Animal side is a sad sight, however. The only thing open there was the kiddy rides, the motion simulator, the 3D movie, and the water ski show. It is also empty. No one goes over there anymore.
I really hope they keep the happy harbor area open. I had great memories of that place as a kid. Right now all the old kiddy things are still open with the exception of a few things still being rehabed.
Mission: Burmuda Triangle is still a little cheesy. Being a certified scuba diver (an a person very interested in submarines) I find the cuts from scene to scene in that film funny. I can't blame Cedar Fair for that though. I hope they can find a newer and better film for next year.
Pirates, the 3D movie is still lots of fun. Not quite as great as Muppets: 4D but still a great experience. We went to the first show on Friday and it was about 3/4s of the way full.
The Water Ski show is a new addition that Cedar Fair made and it does feel a little rushed. Overall though, it was a good effort and worth it to see the stunts. The people were out there even in the cold and rain and I thank them for doing that.
It really is strange to see the Animal side now. All the signs that don't work anymore were covered up and there are walls everywhere. Another special event was going on while we were there so I did get to see that side's entrance and further into the closed areas. Everything is still intact, save a few signs and statues. They also seem to be selling off old animal merchandise at low prices and we picked up a few things.
