Geauga Lake Discussion Thread

I wonder if Cedar Fair is in any way regretting the decision to close this park so early now considering that they can't sell the land for "what they feel it is worth." Even if it was making a little money, keeping it open for a 'last season' this year probably would have been a better idea than paying property taxes on a large parcel of land that you aren't doing anything with. And with the collapse of the property markets that we're in right now, I wonder how long Cedar Fair will have to hold onto it to get what 'they feel' is the correct price for it?

Also, I find it interesting that theme park operators always assume the value of their land is so high. That was the biggest reason that Six Flags had for closing Astroworld, and then they received *considerably* less for the land then they had estimated, and as I recall, that was one of the biggest reasons that Shapiro was able to oust the previous ownership.

As for the fate of the Big Dipper, I'm amazed that it hasn't started moving to another park already. I think we saw $1 million estimated for demolition, let's assume that it would cost $4 million to put it back together... wouldn't that still be a reasonably cheap investment into a ride that has an (obviously) long proven track record? As much as I love the new GCIs coming out, I think transferring this somewhere else for $5 million would have a bigger upside than those...

I hope they're regretting it! I really don't see how they saw how they could make as much money as they were expecting... I understand they had their reasons, but I believe there were some hidden agendas going on as well. Just my opinion.

Looks like Cedar Fair is reading a play book written by Burke and Premier parks.

They sure didn't learn from their mistakes. Just amazing to me.

Just a little project I did.

 

Just a little project I did.

The shots from the parking lot in the beginning of the video are actually during the park's busiest operating day under Cedar Fair.

Apparently you never went to the park during Oktoberfest or a company picnic day. Every year the park was packed during that time.

I'm not leaning one way or the other, but they did do decent business. They had what appeared to be one of if not the lowest attendance in the chain, but they still did pretty good business during the heavy season and special events.

Apparently you never went to the park during Oktoberfest or a company picnic day. Every year the park was packed during that time.

 

I'm not leaning one way or the other, but they did do decent business. They had what appeared to be one of if not the lowest attendance in the chain, but they still did pretty good business during the heavy season and special events.

I went in the middle of July twice and the longest wait was for food.

The Cleveland Clinic day (weekend) was the heaviest attendance they had.

Ask CoasterFanatic, he was there.

the parkling lots were over filled, cars parked at the mall across the street.

It was mobbed.

Nice video I never got a chance to visit GL

i wonder what these moving companies will do with the rides. i doubt they'd pay the millions of dollars to re-erect them.

^They scrapped most of them out. Like the Double Loop, worth more as scrap metal than a working ride.

Do you work for Cleveland Movers?

nah, but i used them once for a move and they were pretty good so sometimes i throw in a link just in case someone happens to be looking for a moving company in the area.

That is true. I was just astonished at the fact that the parking lot was half empty today at the park on a saturday in the summer.

 

Its only a few hours to CP, even though it is in a different state, many Michiganders go to CP alot.

Remember watersports is also the major summer pastime in Michigan, and Muskegon and Lake Michigan are not too far from MiA...

-James Dillaman

http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=133933&catid=45

The last ride left standing at the former Geauga Lake Park -- the Big Dipper roller coaster -- is up for sale...again. This makes the third time the coaster has been up for sale since Geauga Lake Park closed Sept. 21, 2007. The Big Dipper was first sold at auction June 17, 2008 to an unknown buyer when an agent representing him made the only bid of $5,000.

 

More than a year and a half later, as the coaster remained in plain sight on the Geauga Lake property and no plans to move it somewhere had been reported, that still unknown buyer offered it for sale again in December, 2009 for $150,000. Now that buyer has a new representative -- Medina County resident Jeff Shimko -- and Shimko says the coaster can now be purchased for $65,000. Reached Thursday, Shimko did not have any idea why the coaster's owner wants to re-sell the Big Dipper.

 

Cedar Fair, Geauga Lake's parent company, has been marketing the 550-acre park for sale for nearly three years but no sale has come through for all or part of the property. Sandusky-based Cedar Fair owns the former Geauga Lake, the adjacent Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom that is still in operation, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Kings Island in Cincinnati, and other amusement parks and water parks in North America.

 

Why the interest in the former Geauga Lake Park and the new price for the Big Dipper now? Late last year, Cedar Fair announced it was in negotiations to have asset manager Apollo Global Management take over Cedar Fair for $635 million. But then Cedar Fair just announced Tuesday that the takeover was off after Cedar Fair shareholders balked.

 

Shimko was asked why the Big Dipper price was dropped. The only explanation he gave was that the owner wants to see the Big Dipper preserved. Shimko said he could not say why the current owner was not undertaking that task himself. In December, the $150,000 pricetag for the Big Dipper was advertised by the Mr. Midway company, Shimko says, and the same price was also listed on amusementtrader.com. Shimko says he's been told by others that Cedar Fair is now very interested in selling the parcel that surrounds the Big Dipper. The 550 acres is being offered for sale as a whole or in three parcels. Shimko doesn't know whether that means a development would go up around the Big Dipper or that it would have to be removed from the site sooner rather than later.

 

At least two of the three parcels that make up the Cedar Fair property have been proposed for mixed-use development, something involving retail and residential. Cedar Fair officials had no comment on any impending sale of the park or any of the three parcels.

 

"(The Big Dipper) is standing, complete, just as it was the day it was sold," Shimko said. "A great time is waiting for the right person or group to step up and return the Dipper to her glory."

 

The Big Dipper was built and opened in 1925 at Geauga Lake. The John Miller-designed coaster celebrates its 85th anniversary this year. It is the seventh oldest coaster still in existence in the United States.

 

But did the Big Dipper really sell for $5,000 that day at the 2008 auction? The short answer now appears to be "no." The Big Dipper was the only item sold during the June 17-18, 2008 auction at Geauga Lake that had the condition that Cedar Fair approve the sale and the sale price, according to Norton Auctioneers, Cedar Fair and Shimko. "After the auction, (another) price and terms were agreed to and the coaster was sold," Shimko said. Shimko said the final sale price was more than $5,000 but he declined to name that price.

 

After the park closed Sept. 21, 2007, Cedar Fair hired Colliers International's Cleveland office to handle the sale of the park land. No purchase prices for the entire property or the individual parcels has ever been made public. On Thursday, Stacy Frole, Cedar Fair's director of investor relations, said Colliers is no longer involved and the sale will be handled through Cedar Fair's investor relations department. "Anyone interested in purchasing the Geauga Lake land may contact Cedar Fair directly," Frole said. "We do not have a 'listed price' for this property."

 

While potential buyers for the park land have not completed a deal to buy the land, interest in the fate of Geauga Lake Park and the Big Dipper has not waned among fans in the two years and seven months since the park closed. There have been "remember Geauga Lake" gatherings earlier this year and last month in Garrettsville by members of Geauga Lake: Today & Forever, Shimko said. In November 2009, the American Coaster Enthusiasts, a 6,000-member organization dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of wooden and steel roller coasts, designated the Big Dipper as an "ACE Roller Coaster landmark." That's a designation awarded only to coasters of historic significance.

 

Shimko said the Big Dipper is still perfectly intact on the Geauga Lake site and Cedar Fair "has been gracious in making possible the opportunity to keep the Dipper where it is." Anyone interested in buying the Big Dipper can contact Shimko at (330) 635-3726.

I really hope somebody buys Big Dipper and gives it a new home as I found it to be a pretty good ride. Unfortunetly, it seems like the fate of this ride is to become firewood.

http://www.wildwaterfun.com/public/news/new.cfm

NEW IN 2010! Take a break from the slides and splashes and enjoy this new lakeside area with activities for the whole family. Play an over-sized game of chess or checkers and contemplate your next move. Or, challenge a friend to a game of tether ball or corn hole.

 

Plus, enjoy a beautiful beach area, toys just for the little ones AND an arcade! Check it out - NEW this summer!

 

Take advantage of The Beach, as well as Wildwater Kingdom's other family attractions all summer long. If you don't have your 2010 Season Pass yet, purchase one today and enjoy a summer full of memories - and super-soaking fun!

Looks great! While I'll most likely never go to Geauga Lake again, it's good to see Cedar Fair still fully supporting it as a water park.

Very creative naming for this one.

OK I HAD ENOUGH. I am going off topic a bit but really? Stop complaining about the names of Cedar Fair. This is all I ever hear anymore anytime they announce a new attraction. What else would you call it. I also kind of bugged me when the Intimidators were announced and all of you guys were like "Wow Cedar Fair, you couldn't think of another name for the other coaster. Instead of adding 305 to the end, why didn't you just call it LaserSnakeHorse On Fire or SPEEDHAWK."

PATHETIC.

How about Batman: The Ride. There are more of those than I can count and none of you say anything about it. Mr. Six Dancing Coaster is possibly THE WORST name I have ever heard. There are also a bunch of other rides that have the same name.

Okay. Rant Over. I was at WWK last year and I actually thought it was pretty nice and I think that this will be a nice addition.

^Can you not count to 11?

Sorry, but I had to lighten the mood after such a fiery response in a previously calm thread. Keep it friendly and others will do the same.

^Heh heh. I knew that that was coming. I just had to let it go after holding it in all this time...

...And after a 20+ point loss to the Celtics.

It's no secret here that the whole Geauga Lake closure completely broke my heart. But it is what it is.

I am glad however, is that Cedar Fair do continue to improve this little park and make it better.

I hope they keep it up.

Just for the record I never said anything about any of the other ride names. I'm just pointing out that "The Beach" is very generic. That's like naming something "The Coaster" or "The Ride." Do I care? No. I will never go back to Geauga Lake unless they get a new coaster (which won't happen). I think it's a good concept even though I'm not really sure how clean that lake is.

I don't consider The Beach as the name of the attraction, I think of it as a generic project name. I mean, it isn't really an attraction anyway. It's a beach!

The idea, anyways, I think is a great one. It's going back to the amusement park roots! It'll bring more families in search of relaxion.

And can the park keep one teacups ride?

Cedar Fair ride names suck.

I like how they painted a checkerboard on some concrete, made a few cornhole sets, trucked in some sand and called it a new attraction. It is nice to see them add something even if they are putting minimal investment into the park. I'm still hopeful the waterpark (the old seaworld side) will survive.