Geauga Lake - Breakout Year

This is the year for Geauga Lake, this will be their breakout year. If they don't do it this year, then forget it!

With gas prices as they are, many people may opt to just go to Geauga Lake for the day and save the gas and extra cash!

We will see!

Hopefully, the folks at Cedar Fair don't share your thinking and won't just 'forget it'. This may prove to be a very challenging year for the Little Lake that Could. With three rides yanked out in the off-season, including two big coasters, no new rides and not a huge amount of visible new investment being made, more than a few customers may just take a summer off. (But not me.)

However, I like your enthusiasm! And use of exclamation marks!

Seeing as how I'll be at Cedar Point Saturday and Kings Island Sunday. I'm leaving Monday open for Geauga Lake. I can't wait to ride Villian.

^^ Mike, you sound like a judge on American Idol or something. "However, I like your enthusiasm!" LOL!! That cracked me up.

Well, I did want to give him consolation points for verve. ;)

You know even though they took out 2 major coasters they still have 2 very popular Steel coasters over by Raging Wolf Bobs. They are Dominator and Thunderhawk. The lines for them this year could be longer if the gas prices continue to sky rocket and people decide to have fun closer to home.

Even if attendance stayed the same as last year, I would assume the queues would get longer. Since there are two less coasters, you have less queues to spread out the people.

^ But you also have two more reasons not to come to the park.

We decided the only way to keep GL open and running is to visit it.

We'd love to come up to CP for Maverick's opening but instead we're going to show our home park some support and go there on Saturday.

I hope some more of you have the wowness, that's right, wowness, wear off about Maverick's opening and join us at the Lake on Saturday!

Maverick will be there for a LONG time, can we say the same for Geauga Lake? Only if we visit her.

I thought your home park was Conneaut Lake? I bet if you went there on Saturday you would find very few lines for anything.

Wow, that was harsh.

It's about the same distance to both, give or take 10 minutes.

So Mike, are you going to GL's OD?

*** Edited 5/25/2007 4:00:10 AM UTC by Loopy***

I just can't bring myself to go back to GL ever again. Once Sea World was torn down, it was like a portion of my childhood was ripped out. We went there so much as kids, I can vividly remember all the shows, the beautiful landscaping, the kick-a$$ animals, how amazingly clean the park was and how friendly all the employees were. I even worked there one summer and had a blast. Actually, both of my brothers worked there at least one summer too.

We were never allowed to go to GL as kids, so when I finally did go on my own, I was just sorta let down. All my friends in school kept raving about the place so when I went I was expecting a lot. But, after growing up with Cedar Point and Sea World, GL was a huge let down.

I went in 2000 because I had a Six Flag's season pass to another park. It was ok, but I still wasn't impressed. I went once again because someone was visiting and wanted to go. But, now that the Sea World side is basically gone forever, I don't think I'd have all that much fun at the park. It's sorta like a "been there done that" park to me since it doesn't hold any specifically fond memories for me like other parks do.

It's not like I live in Ohio anymore, so I wouldn't be a frequent visitor anyways, but it's still sad.

Eh, I wasn't intentionally harsh. I'm saddened and disappointed by CLP closing, though I understand the economics and all that. I finally visited the park three years ago, and I fell in love with the place. Went twice last year, buying a good bit of the limited merchandise that was available and taking pictures like a madman because I suspected it wasn't long for. It's just so sad, all these little, independent parks with all their history and character, closing up by the dozens every year.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox.

Don't let anybody hear this, but I'm planning on going to CP Saturday. (Opening Day was an incredible mess for me, and I still feel badly I didn't make it after promising to be there.) I would go to GL, but I think I want to be there for Mr. Scott. I'll probably hit GL one afternoon next week, if I can slip out of work early.

We should try to get a group up for GL sometime, though.

^I know how you feel, Tim. It's still hard to go through the area between Happy Harbor and the waterpark and pick out remnants from Sea World. But Geauga Lake -- in any of its recent incarnations -- hasn't deserved the rap it's gotten. It still is many ways a very nice park. I love it especially for its collections of woodies, particularly RWB after the rehab. Slow, no air time, yet still somehow tons of fun.
*** Edited 5/25/2007 4:14:08 AM UTC by Ensign Smith***

The only woodie I ever really liked at GL was The Villian when it was new. The next time I rode it I swore it off for good it was so bad. RWB and Big Dipper did nothing for me. The only coasters I really liked at GL were Dominator, X-Flight and Steel Venom. I don't really see the need to go to the park now just for one coaster - which I hear isn't as good as it once was anyways.

I'll keep pumping my money into CP when I come to Ohio to visit. :)

I knew the CLP comment wasn't intentional. :)

I considered the Red Cross rides on Saturday morning but there's no way we'd make it up that early anyhow since we aren't staying the night before.

My Grandparents used to own the Cowshed and Stable Pit and Pub in Conneaut Lake. I have the original bull horns that hung above the doors there before the fire, they're in my basement as well as a large part of the top of the bar. My Dad grew up there EVERY summer of his childhood. I spoke to him on the phone (he lives in OK now) and he is confident that the park will open again. I told him I hoped he was right.

OK, enough about CLP on a CP/GL website. I hope some people are still planning on showing GL some support this weekend.

*** Edited 5/25/2007 4:20:48 AM UTC by Loopy***

I really hope that they aren't pinning all their hopes on bad gas prices to boost the parks attendance. Even if the Ohio parks have had some of their better years during slight economic downturns, I can't see people going back until they think its worth their time and money.

I must also say that i never had any sort of attachment to Sea World. And after my experience with that park as an employee in 2001 I rather enjoyed watching it get deconstructed. But that's just me...

^^^ I would be up for some kind of get together at GL. I want to see the park prosper so bad that I like to go there at least a couple times a year (job permitting).

I'm new to the area (moved here in January) and have never been to GL. I'll definitely be getting out there soon, although it's possible I won't be able to visit before Coastermania on the 16th as I'm very busy for the next three weeks.

..Al

You know, there's something I don't think anyone here has even brought up. Average Joe Public probably won't even know the rides arn't there until they get to the park. And some people may not know at all. As far as what CF is trying to do (turn it back to a family park) I think they're headed in the right direction. Some people are intimidated by big rides like those and they had them stuck righ on the road. Now, when you drive up I think the park is more visualy appealing.

Loopy said:
We decided the only way to keep GL open and running is to visit it.

We'd love to come up to CP for Maverick's opening but instead we're going to show our home park some support and go there on Saturday.

That's my plan as well. GL tomorrow was always my plan. I'll hit CP sunday morning...especially since I need to be in Huron later that day anyway ;)