Fascination?

What was Fasination? Before I was old enough to realize what it was, it was taken out. I remember that it was where Johnny Rockets is currently located, and you got tickets for it..but that's it. What did the tickets do, what could you win? Most importantly...what was the game like?

I also have a question. What was their main reason for getting rid of it and replacing it with Johnny Rockets?

What a fascinating question! Sorry...I should have resisted the temptation to make that joke.

It's too bad Dan isn't around any more.....

I, too, was too young to find out what it was before it was taken out. MantisBrian is pretty much spot on about the reasons given for its removal. I think there are still a few around the midwest. I pretty sure I heard about one still at Indiana Beach.

Could you refresh my memory. What exactly was Fascination?

What's with the fascination over Fascination?

Who's on first?

Fascination was a game where you rolled balls into different holes in front of you. Think of it like a small version of Skee-Ball.

~Rob Willi

This site offers a description and some pictures.

What's funny is looking at that first picture (the aerial) and realizing how well Fascination would have fit in with the revamped games lighting on that midway.

I remember reading somewhere once that it was kind of like gambling. I'm not sure if that had anything to do with its removal, though.

I can understand how this game could be addicting as hell. But what exactly did you win?

I played the game during its last year with my dad. It was like skee-ball where you had to roll balls into the holes and get four in a row. I believe you played against every one else and the first person to get four in a row got tickets. The tickets got you things much like an arcade. I think I got 15 tickets and won a small bear. That's all I remember of the game. It was fun and easy and really had that classic amusement park feeling to it.

You could win a LOT of stuff, it was sort of like Dave And Buster's prize claim area. They had everything from VCR's to Lamps, trinkets, souvies, pens, pencils etc... You would win a number of tickets based on your score etc if I remember right. It was a VERY addictive game and airconditioned or fans etc, as I used to go in there with my Mom and cool off. The game was inexpensive to play to, and was in line cost wise with Skeeball. Fun times were had, and you can usually find Fascination tickets on Ebay from time to time. I really miss it, and wish they had just moved it to another area.

Time moves on! I think they should bring it back and use the schwabinchen lady as a centerpiece :-)

Very similar to connect 4 or Bingo. Except you had to use these bouncy rubber red balls, throw them into an opening just wider than the ball... it would bounce around and eventually land in a hole. Get it?

I cannot see why parts would be a factor in it's closing. Plenty of places still have those machines. Lack of players might have made a larger dent in it's demise.

I can't tell you how much I miss Fascination. I always made it a point to spend some time there every trip I made to the park while it was there.

I miss Fascination, too. ("At the sound of the bell--Roll 'em")

Part of the fun was that you played against everyone else in the room, the more players the harder it was to win. When the room was full the games went very quickly.

Play was almost continuous, with a new game starting immediately after the last game was won. You just took a seat, picked up the ball, and laid your money on the glass shelf over your lane. It was ridiculously cheap, like a dime a game. At the sound of the bell you started rolling your ball in an attempt to make 4 in a row, like Bingo. The Fascination girl would come by and pick up your money and make change if necessary. You just left your money on the glass and kept playing till you were out.

Every once in a while we would see a player with a huge stack of coupons on their glass. It made us wonder if they came to C.P. and sat there playing all day. It was particularly big with the older gals and the bus drivers in for the day.

When I worked there we played a lot, and saved our tickets. ("Good day-to-day, month-to-month, season-to-season"). We went shopping on the last day and took back all kinds of stuff to furnish our college apartment, including a coffee pot, toaster, a set of dishes, and a cake stand, all in a lovely 70's avacado green. (That cake stand never, ever saw a cake)

Even if you just won one coupon you could cash it in, either for a small toy or a C.P. souvenir- many of my old C.P. coffee mugs and playing cards came from Fascination.

You could also pay 1 coupon for a pack of cigarettes!

I'm sure another reason it was removed is Johnny Rockets definitely brings in a lot more $$$ than Fascination ever could.

I don't know, if they would have kept Fascination and upped the price to 25 or 50 cents, or even a dollar they could make a killing. Imaging how much they make on skeeball.

**FYI** for all those Canadians who venture to the park like myself, Canadian quarters are accepted in the skeeball machines.
*** Edited 3/1/2006 12:34:34 AM UTC by Vince982***

Upping the price wasn't even an option. They would have been making even less money if they did that. When it comes to $$$ vs. nastolgia, $$$ wins more often than not. Its not personal, its just business.

Fascination was my favorite game at Cedar Point. It took up some valuable space, but I really miss it.