Official: Wildwater Kingdom closing after 2016

My kids would love the slides to go to CP Shores. Personally I just can't do any of that enclosed tube stuff it just gets my claustrophobia going.

The slides obviously aren't going to CP Shores. But I hope they find a new home somewhere. That giant slide tower is pretty cool, I think it's the tallest in Ohio (100 feet IIRC.) Also the funnel slide.

(Considering Knott's Soak City is also eliminating a funnel slide, I wonder what will happen to the two slides?)

By the way, considering that CF seems to want to get going with redevelopment, I wonder if we will soon see Big Dipper's last stand?

I sure hope it can find a new home, though it probably is mostly not in condition for relocation. I still hope it can be moved, overhauled, and hopefully have enough original wood to be considered the same ride. (AFAIK Zippin' Pippin was relocated with mostly new wood due to an extensive SBNO period, to the point of being considered a different ride by RCDB. I think this is the best case for Big Dipper, barring the ride somehow being in better condition after MORE SBNO time than Zippin' Pippin.)

Big Dipper is long beyond the point of salvaging.

djDaemon said:

Big Dipper is long beyond the point of salvaging.

Exactly, that's almost certainly the case. Hence why the best case scenario is for it to be rebuilt with next to none of the original structure used like Zippin' Pippin.

Cedar Fair is not responsible for Big Dipper, as they are not the owner of the structure.

Historical value is the only reason the Big Dipper would have been worth saving. It's not as if it was some mind-blowingly amazing coaster. And there's nothing left to salvage, and rebuilding it with all new materials wouldn't be marketable, to say the least.

GigaG said:

....and hopefully have enough original wood to be considered the same ride. (AFAIK Zippin' Pippin was relocated with mostly new wood due to an extensive SBNO period, to the point of being considered a different ride by RCDB. I think this is the best case for Big Dipper, barring the ride somehow being in better condition after MORE SBNO time than Zippin' Pippin.)

Zippin Pippin wasn't relocated: Green Bay's government bought the plans to the ride and built a new ride, based on those plans, with changes.

thedevariouseffect said:
Cedar Fair is not responsible for Big Dipper, as they are not the owner of the structure.

There is conversation over on Coasterbuzz about this, and the consensus is that Cedar Fair actually has reclaimed ownership of the ride at some point since the past owners never did anything with it in an alloted time.

They may have, but for what I understood this was sold at that auction and no terms were specified about a timeline for it's removal.

Geauga Lake LLC still owns the parcel of land the structure stands on, but no mention of the structure. The last inspection in 2011 listed it as a structure in poor condition waiting to be demo'd. No mention of ownership was stated, but we def. know the owner did own that structure because I believe that was around the time he tried to sell it on eBay (wow I feel old talking about that site).

Interestingly enough too the parcel had a permit applied for a Residential-New Dwelling to be built valued at $10,000 in 2009, not sure what that was for.

I still think he retained ownership. If the bought it back, it was done very quietly, and given the original owner's flamboyant fire sale tactics, I'm surprised we didn't hear anything, unless that was part of the terms of the sale.

I can't imagine a company like Cedar Fair not having some sort of stipulation for a timeline of removal for Dipper when they sold it. I think what is more likely than them "owning" it is that they likely retained the right to demolish if it wasn't moved in a timely manner. Kind of like when someone abandons a car on your property. It may not be yours but through the proper channels you have the right to have it removed from your property.

I was under the impression that Cedar Fair reserved the right to disqualify any bid. Word was that the $5,000 final bid wasn't what the coaster actually ended up selling for. Additionally, APEX Western Machinery Movers, who was the original buyer, made several unsuccessful attempts to get anyone to buy the ride from them. It didn't help that a stipulation of the sale was that the subsequent buyer would have to hire APEX to move it, and they had no experience in the erection of coasters. In last ditch efforts to sell the coaster, APEX threatened to tear down the ride. The last I head anything about them or their affiliation with Big Dipper was in 2010. Additionally, it appears as though APEX went out of business.

There were in fact several times at which it was stated that the time frame of removal was tied to when Cedar Fair sold the property. However, I would be surprised if anyone other than Cedar Fair has claim to the ride at this point.

That was just a fun all around coaster with a simple layout. I wish that Cedar Fair would just have it dismantled and brought to CP after they way that GL was treated by SixFlags AND Cedar Fair. A nice way to save a little face and keep a classic coaster. I remember it being far more intense than Blue Streak and will compliment the park if it is tucked nicely somewhere.

I can't possibly imagine that ride having anywhere near the same experience with ratcheting lap bars and seat dividers.

And return hills that scoop out the ground below them.

thedevariouseffect- I was at Kentucky Kingdom this week and they've put in a nice, long 4 funnel Tantrum slide. The waterpark was closed during state fair time, but it looks like fun.

clevelander said:

That was just a fun all around coaster with a simple layout. I wish that Cedar Fair would just have it dismantled and brought to CP after they way that GL was treated by SixFlags AND Cedar Fair. A nice way to save a little face and keep a classic coaster. I remember it being far more intense than Blue Streak and will compliment the park if it is tucked nicely somewhere.

I would have really liked for this to happen it was my first coaster but at this point I think it's probably time to just put the poor thing out of its misery.

Jason Hammond said:

APEX Western Machinery Movers, who was the original buyer,

Noooooo, remember he merely represented the REAL buyer, who had his first kiss on the Big Dipper and wished to remain anonymous due to rabid fanboys.

...Either that or he thought he could buy the ride cheap and charge an exorbitant amount to have his company move it.

Just going to leave this here. Skip to 15:05 for "information" on the slides.

^Looks like the slides are still intact.

Yes. There is also a drone video on youtube from 3 weeks ago.

From the time stamp that was included, to the end of the video he (worker) says that his boss is going to be there for a few more years. He also says that Cedar Fair is the most undecided company for what they want to do with the site. He said a little after that they were going to demolish things around the park when they tore down the Big Dipper. (sounds like the slides too, possibly for relocations.) So it'll be interesting to see what Cedar Fair is going to do if they really are still undecided.