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Retro Photo TR: Cedar Point 1986


pianojohn

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"It was 20 years ago today..."

 

Well, a little more than 20, but I did find some pics from my first summer working at Cedar Point. I will keep looking for more, but for those who don't remember what the Point was like (or were not even BORN yet!) enjoy!!

 

EDIT: I added a few off season pics from 1989 when they were building Magnum. Pretty cool!!

 

Added a few more pics! Enjoy!

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Where it all began! Me playing piano for "Ain't We Got Fun!" at Lusty Lil's Golden Palace Theatre in Frontiertown. Now, it's just the Palace Theatre.

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The view from the skyride. Notice the lack of Iron Dragon, Mantis, Coasters, Power Tower, and Dragster but the PLETHORA of trees!

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Ah....the old Mill Race. In this spot now sits the Raptor. The Midway Carousel was also there before being moved to the main entrance.

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From downtown Sandusky. Back then Magnum seemed HUGE! Amazing what 15 years can do!

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One more pic from the Space Spiral of Corkscrew Midway. Wow...they sure had a lot of trees. This was also in 1986 prior to the closing of the Frontier Lift and the installation of Iron Dragon.

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Ah...the Mill Race.

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A pic of Avalanche Run pre Disaster Transport from the sky ride.

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Nicely done, I've seen you post on here a couple times and always wondered about your screen name. What style of music did you play in the show? I'm assuming stride or ragtime? I played keyboard once for a 60's show at Dollywood, but only as a month-long sub for their normal guy. Props for actually going out and getting a job playing piano. The gigs I've had here in Cincinnati are fleeting because all the piano bars are going away

 

-James Dillaman

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Yes, it was a vaudeville show with mostly show tunes and shtick. I did it for 2 years, then 2 years in the country show (which is now torn down and replaced by Skyhawk) and one year doing a 40's show at Centennial Theatre.

 

Going on 20 years now in theme park entertainment! And looking for more cool pics from back in the day....

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CP did look nice back then, but if you liked the trees you have to understand that CP had a huge expanision over the past 20 years. They had to build big rides to grab the attention of the world and pull more people through the gate. In the end, the park still looks great, trees are still plentiful, but there are 16 (soon to be 17) coaster that take up room.

 

They still plant grass and trees under the rides at least. :cough: SCREAM :cough:

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Nice photos John. I can't believe that I didn't see them till now!

 

I have vivid memories of sitting in the Restaurant near the Blue Streak and watching all the Mill Race boats go right past the window.

 

It is hard to imagine the park without out all the load Primary colors, but it really was a beautiful park back then.

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nice to see how CP was when I was born lol (1986). It looked very nice, and I still think it looks just as nice now. I understand poeple saying its not as charming or shady now, but its all just part of progress and updating. Like said, the have to keep adding to keep people coming and they do so very well while still keeping alot of trees and beautiful landscaping. Sure steel coasters and concrete stand where trees once have, but would CP even be what it is today if that had not happened? Im sure it would still be nice, but it probably wouldnt have nearly as much attention is it does now. I agree some trees and landscaping are VERY important to the whole theme park experience/atmosphere and every park needs them, but if you want a forest, go to a national park (they need attention as well to keep them alive), or just go to Knoebels lol.

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I belive my first visit was to CP either the year of the Demon drop or the Avalanche run. This ptr helped me remember back to those days and what the park used to look like before the major skyline change. We had a blast and continued visiting untill I started working there the summer of 1993 (year before Raptor). It would've been nice had they been able to entertwine the Raptor with the flume, simple yet fun, not too wet. The big ride for that summer was Snake River, and it went through a few changes due to accidents(people hitting their head on the lap bars at the bottom of the drop) and the boats never quite making the splash that was advertised. Oh well, in the name of progress, all hail CP!!!!

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