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Moreys Piers Discussion Thread


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Here's a short blog post from yesterday:

 

Today, three strange men were spotted meeting with Jack. The conference room was covered in blueprints and these men kept walking back to the new attraction site alongside Jack. Jack also cancelled an important internal meeting today due to our new visitors. Could this encounter by related to the Project 5292010? Also, our longtime waterpark architect extraordinaire, who designed and built most, if not all, of the slides at Raging Waters, visited the piers today. What does Jack have up his sleeve now?

 

Giggles

 

“What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.”

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I don't remember hearing anything other then rumor about the woodie project. It was a good gossip last summer but I never heard any kind of announcement or official type notice about it. One of the gossip bits I heard was that it'd go in to replace the loss of the Golden Nugget before the official sale to Knobels was annouced.

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While I know nothing about this project and very little about the piers out there in New Jersey, I read the thread and something came to mind... what if they did a dark ride as a waterpark attraction? Something like a lazy river through the various scenes instead of an omnimover/walking?

 

Just giving my thoughts, but let's be honest here, I could be way out in right field...

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There are (were, at least) go-karts under the Pier right where those boardwalk construction pictures showed. And it looks like they sealed up the steps. And that was, IMHO, the best go-kart track layout in Wildwood too.

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  • 1 month later...

http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/article/60144-morey’s+piers+unveils+four+new+experiences+2010

 

While Morey’s major new amusement attraction still remains shrouded in mystery, four other new 2010 experiences are no longer a secret. During this, Morey’s 41st season, guests will find a new mirror/laser maze attraction, enjoy a new boardwalk restaurant and receive invitations to a new beach sporting event and a new annual boardwalk food festival.

 

As previously announced, a major new mystery attraction is coming to the site of the old miniature golf course, located on Morey’s Mariner’s Landing Pier. All employees associated with “Project 5292010” have signed “secrecy agreements.” Soon a curtain will cover the work site until the opening event to ensure that the nature and type of attraction remains a mystery until some time around Memorial Day.

 

Those who make their way up the “boards” to Morey’s Surfside Pier, located on 25th Street, will find a new contemporary boardwalk family restaurant called Joe's Fish Co. The menu, under the direction of Executive Chef Wally Jurusz, will emphasize local and regional finfish and shellfish but will also offer a variety of non-seafood items. Entrées include brick oven pizzas, hearty salads, sharable appetizers and Morey’s famous "Curley Fries." In addition, sandwiches like panini, burgers and wraps will be served. Joe's Fish Co. will also offer a variety of drink options. Besides a selection of sodas and the boardwalk's celebrated "Lemon Shake Up,” there will be bottled and draft beers, wine by the glass and bottle, and Joe's Fish Co.'s signature drink, the Margarita. Look for Joe’s Fish Co. on (or perhaps a little after) Memorial Day.

 

Speaking of boardwalk food, Morey’s Piers will bring the first annual “Curley Fry Food Festival” to the Wildwoods Boardwalk, starting at noon on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, May 29, at Morey’s Surfside Pier. The festival’s marquee event is a 90-minute Major League Eating show starting at 1:00 pm, including “amateur” and “professional” Curley Fry eating contests. Besides enjoying a variety of featured boardwalk fare, the kids can enjoy face painters, stilt walkers and other entertainment.

 

All of this boardwalk food calls for some beach exercise, and this season Morey’s Piers will expand its Beach Sports to include the first annual Beach Lacrosse Summer Tournament, Saturday, July 17 and Sunday, July 18. Billed as one of the only Beach Lacrosse Tournaments in the world, the event will draw lacrosse players of all ages to the Wildwoods for a new “beach” version of the sport. The games are five vs. five, with four field players plus a goalie, and a maximum of 10 players per team. Each team will play three games, with a possible fourth Finals game (weather and other unforeseen conditions permitting). Divisions will run from U9 – U18, Men’s Open and Women’s Open. Visit http://www.moreyspiers.com/s4/140/beach-lacrosse for more information.

 

A final addition to this dizzying maze of new experiences is a new mirror and laser maze attraction! Morey’s Piers is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement with Bob Masterson, former CEO of Ripley Entertainment (“Ripley’s Believe It or Not”) to host a first-of-its-kind Adventure Mirror Maze, designed by Adrian Fisher of the United Kingdom, the king of mazes. It will also contain "The Vault" Laser Maze Challenge and a self-serve bulk candy shop. Look for this new attraction around Memorial Day Weekend.

 

For more information about What’s New at Morey’s Piers in 2010, please call 609-522-3900.

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you look at this picture

 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/5292010/228522644313?ref=search&sid=1636058659.477743998..1#!/photo.php?pid=5015644&id=228522644313

 

They appear to be framing out the hull of a ship, like the original artist's renderings.... but I'm not sure what to make of the rusty steel and rivets in the new logo. The original concept was more like a pirate ship

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  • 1 month later...

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/top_three/article_548dd804-6618-11df-a70c-001cc4c03286.html

 

The electrical control box, marked “zombie in stand up chamber,” makes it clear this is no ordinary Boardwalk attraction. Not that the headless body in the captain’s chair wasn’t a dead giveaway.

 

“This isn’t a buy-it-off-the-shelf attraction,” said Will Morey, president of Morey’s Piers. The more than $1 million attraction he’s referring to has been shrouded in mystery, and red tarp, for months.

 

In fact, everyone associated with the project signed confidentiality agreements banning them from speaking of the attraction. But now, with Memorial Day weekend just days away, the Ghost Ship is about to make its debut. “It’s like a first date. You don’t want to screw that one up,” said Jack Morey, the 49-year-old executive vice president of Morey’s Piers, as the pier operator readies for the attraction’s grand unveiling at 12:01 a.m. May 29.

 

For months, billboards, pamphlets and other advertising have heralded the coming of “Ignis Fatuus,” the code name given the ride at the start.

The phrase has two meanings — a flitting phosphorescent light believed to be due to the spontaneous combustion of gas from decaying organic matter — or something misleading. Both play a role here, as the Ghost Ship presents a new twist on the fabled Philadelphia Experiment, the famous conspiracy theory surrounding an experiment that supposedly made a U.S. naval ship invisible in 1943.

 

The story has inspired a new form of Boardwalk entertainment that Jack Morey calls “not for the faint of heart.” It is not recommended for children under age 12. And on May 29, hundreds of amusement enthusiasts and industry leaders will be the first to decide just how scary the Ghost Ship really is.

 

Off the drawing board

 

Construction began on a cool January day as a miniature golf course on Mariner’s Landing Pier started its transformation into a major new Boardwalk attraction. “My brother is the driver behind this,” Will Morey, 52, said of the effort to turn the golf course into something very different. “I commend him for seeing that we were underutilizing this space.”

 

Over the next five months, construction workers of all trades built the Ghost Ship from the ground up, creating winding, cavernous walkways that move from one frightful scene to the next. The contractors included four designers, four architects, four animatronics and prop creators, 25 carpenters, 10 painters, six electricians, and two heating and cooling installers. All told, about 100 workers will have taken part in the attraction’s construction, Jack Morey estimated. “This will be a fully immersive experience that triggers all five human senses, and maybe a sixth sense,” Jack Morey said during a tour with a Press reporter and photographer who were allowed to document the ride’s construction.

 

He demonstrated as much during a tour weeks before the opening, when he invited a Press reporter to look more closely at a seemingly innocuous wall panel. The panel suddenly opened to reveal another person on the other side. A scream followed — and that was in broad daylight.

In a much darker setting, visitors will pass through a not-so-inviting galley, a gruesome infirmary and a less-than-hospitable crew’s quarters.

 

Along the way, a bevy of actors and high-tech animatronics will greet visitors as they move from Wildwood 2010 to an aging World War II-era vessel. “Each room is sort of a 12-second event,” Jack Morey said. And from the faded red life buoy marked IGNIS FATUUS to the worn, wooden desk in the captain’s quarters, no detail has been ignored. “Mayday, Mayday. Come in. Come in,” the voice desperately calls. “You have no need to be here,” responds a mysterious voice. “Ignis Fatuus (scream) Ignis Fatuus, come in ...”

 

The Moreys and Wildwood

 

The detail harkens back to the pier operator’s start in 1969 when brothers Bill and Wilbert C. Morey opened a giant slide, the Wipe Out. Last year, the company marked its 40th anniversary with the publication of “Fab-O-Rama! The Story of Morey’s Piers.” According to the book, the Moreys started as real estate developers, building 55 of the famous doo-wop motels that became iconic symbols of Five Mile Beach including famed locations such as the Caribbean and the Satellite. They were inspired to bring a slide to the Boardwalk after spotting a slide attraction on a trip to Florida. The amusement empire was born.

 

The brothers went on to build more attractions on Surfside Pier, such as the Haunted House and Jumbo Jet roller coaster. The company eventually expanded and the business was carried on by the next generation as Will and Jack Morey, sons of Wilbert Morey, took over. The tradition may continue as the next generation looks into the industry.

 

Will Morey said his sons will be spending their summer in Germany at Europa Park, a family-owned operation, to learn more about the amusement industry. He pointed to the company’s past as an inspiration for its future. “There was a lot of customization. Very Wildwood, funky, zany, unique. Ultimately, that’s what people remember,” Will Morey said of the rides of the time. “This is absolutely unique for the New Jersey shore, a one-of-a-kind attraction.”

 

One of a kind

 

Will Morey said an attraction such as the Ghost Ship has been missing for many years from the Boardwalk. He recalled some of his favorite rides of the past such as the pirate ship Skua, which once sat on Hunt’s Pier. “That was an absolute standout to me. It was a defining piece and it was there as if a ship had crashed into the pier. In many ways, we’ve tried to borrow from that. Its presence was phenomenal and this has the opportunity to be absolutely like that,” Will Morey said.

 

Jack Morey said the company has been in the mood for something like the Ghost Ship for several years now. “It’s been 33 years since the New Jersey shore has seen this kind of attraction,” he said. While the Moreys have made a name for themselves in thrill rides such as the Sea Serpent and the Great Nor’Easter roller coasters, Jack Morey said non-roller coaster attractions definitely have a place on the Boardwalk. “It is not a roller coaster, but I believe it can be as appealing,” Jack Morey said.

 

Terry O’Brien, the Ghost Ship’s manager, hired the actors, who began rehearsals about three weeks before the grand opening. “When I am not managing things, I’ll be in costume, scaring people, because I like to do that,” said O’Brien, an actor who has worked in dinner theater, television and movies, serving as a stand-in for Burt Young in the feature film, “Rocky Balboa.” O’Brien, who grew up reading Stephen King and Dean Koontz, crafted much of the material used in the Ghost Ship. It will be up to the actors to take the Moreys’ vision and O’Brien’s direction and turn it all into the experience the Moreys envision. That experience will begin as visitors wait to enter. Costumed actors will prepare the crowd just slightly for what’s to come. But, O’Brien noted, no English will be spoken, only German in keeping with the ship’s mysterious nature.

 

Opening night jitters

 

With just a few weeks before the big opening, O’Brien said he was “50 percent overjoyed and 50 percent terrified” as opening night approached. The actors will resemble Humphrey Bogart in “The African Queen,” in terms of dress. “That is the template and you add blood and guts and zombies,” O’Brien said.

 

Just a week before the big opening, the actors and O’Brien moved from scene to scene, each taking a turn at being their scariest. The screams could be heard throughout the attraction. O’Brien simply has one goal in mind. “We’re going to go in there and scare people,” he said. That combination, along with the structure itself and the assortment of animatronics should make the attraction the memorable experience the Moreys are hoping for.

“We really hope and trust that it will bring first-time visitors to the Wildwoods,” Jack Morey said. He admitted that the opening, at least for him, could be as scary as the attraction itself. “I want them to love it,” he said of the anticipated reviews. “I want them to say, ‘You won’t believe what’s been built in Wildwood.’”

 

What’s been built is a collaborative effort between the Moreys, their staff and designer Russell Bethea. Bethea, who began his career in the amusement industry in 1971, said the Ghost Ship was the equivalent of a big stage, “so all the actors are really going to be the key elements.”

Bethea has watched as his designs, still hanging next to some of the various scenes on the attraction, have moved from paper to reality.

The final product, he said, “is a corporate concert between the tradesmen, the owners and myself.”

 

Is it scary?

 

“I was in here one night at 10 o’clock by myself and even though I designed it and knew where everything was ... just the mere ambience. It has a presence,” Bethea said, adding, “Once the soundtrack is activated, along with the actors, I think it’s going to be scary.” Bethea said it was complex to lay out given its position next to other attractions such as the pier’s skyrides, but once the movement of visitors was determined, the rest fell into place. “It has a very good maze quality about it,” Bethea said, adding that he enjoyed working on the project with Jack Morey. “His enthusiasm has been almost like a fuel,” Bethea said.

 

Will Morey said the amusement industry has been supportive of the effort and “this is exactly what they’ve been looking for.” “This is really a ride that we think’s been missing,” Will Morey said, recalling the haunted castle that once sat on the Boardwalk. “You’ve got to have great rides, but attractions such as this can be different every time you go through it.” The Ghost Ship experience is not only unique for its look, but for its length. “A typical attraction is 2 minutes. This will be over 10 times that,” Jack Morey said. “It’s the longest attraction on the Boardwalk by far and may be one of the longest attractions in the amusement business anywhere.” And the most expensive at 12 tickets a visit, the equivalent of $11.40.

 

Groups of 10 will travel through the attraction and at one point reach an opening that looks out on the pier before returning to the horrors inside.

Jack Morey smiled as he noted the one final surprise that may or may not appear as visitors exit. “When they find the right girl, a real screamer, they’ll start coming after her,” he said.

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As someone who grew up going to the Jersey Shore and being terrified with the Haunted Mansion at Long Branch, Brigantine Castle and numerous shorter walk thrus at Seaside Heights with scare actors I'm very much looking forward to this.

 

I really want this attraction to succeed and didn't understand the magnitude of the project until this article.

Edited by larrygator
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“Ghost Ship” Has Come In to Morey’s Piers

 

Revealed to Guests on Saturday, May 29, at Noon

 

The Wildwoods, NJ – May 28, 2010 – On Saturday, May 29, at noon, guests of Morey’s Piers can experience a “Ghost Ship” for the first time. The new attraction, shrouded in mystery and code named “Project 5292010,” is now revealed as a frightfully haunting walk-thru known as “Ghost Ship.” The attraction is a 14,000 square foot cargo ship named “Ignis Fatuus,” the result of a “Philadelphia Experiment” gone horribly wrong, that apparently crash-landed into Morey’s Piers, at the site of the former miniature golf course. Ghost Ship is a completely immersive experience featuring costumed actors and animatronics – an attraction not seen on the Wildwood boardwalk or the Jersey Shore in a number of years.

 

“The Ghost Ship was reincarnated from the original Seaport miniature golf course that our father, Will Morey Sr. and architect Fred Langford, dreamed up in the early 80s. Numerous ideas came forth, but in the end we decided to get back into the custom-built, classic boardwalk attractions business,” noted President Will Morey.

 

The construction began in January 2010 under the direction of Jack Morey. Over 100 designers, technicians, and builders took part in the formation of Ghost Ship, costing well over $1 million to construct.

 

“To the Dreamers and Dream Builders, we cannot thank them enough. From concept artists, architects, engineers, graphic designers, writers, scenic painters, special effects experts, actors, and artisans to carpenters, electricians, steel workers, laborers, and numerous other trades that all came together for one specific purpose: to build the world’s best haunted walk-thru attraction right here in Wildwood, USA,” says Jack Morey, Executive Vice President.

 

Ghost Ship presents a new twist on the “Philadelphia Experiment,” the famous conspiracy theory about an experiment that supposedly made a U.S. naval ship invisible.

 

Lasting nearly half an hour, Ghost Ship involves live actors (the total number of which will remain a mystery) in a haunted setting. The ride is included as part of the Morey’s amusement wristband. Without a wristband, the ride will cost 12 tickets per visit, or $11.40. The ride is NOT recommended for children under 12 years of age.

 

Asked if the attraction was really scary, Jack Morey replied, “We just may need to hand out ‘Depends’ upon boarding!”

 

###

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So Friday night/Saturday morning I was one of the first to experience Morey's Pier's Ghost Ship.

 

Unfortunately, I was not able to get many good pictures. It was very crowded during the announcements so I could not get close to the stage, my camera is not great at night shots, pictures are not allowed inside the attraction.

 

A little after 11:45 those which VIP Boarding Passes were allowed to enter Mariner's Landing Pier and were given a flashlight and Preview Booklet as keepsakes. As the crowds (I estimate 250-300 people) neared the attraction a couple of sideshow entertainers were there to work the crowd. After 15 minutes two members of the Morey family spoke to the crowd saying that Jack Morey would discuss the attraction in more detail soon.

 

Pre-opening action alternated between the sideshow entertainer performances and a couple of characters appearing with Jack Morey to set the storyline.

 

The characters included the wisecracking taskmaster of a captain, his bumbling engineer and a scientist from North Atlantic Paranormal Society trying to stop the Grand Opening until he could further investigate paranormal activity on the ship.

 

In a nutshell, the Ingus Fatuus is a relic of the Philadelphia Experiment urban legend. The legend being that Einstein's theories were used during World War II in an attempt to make a ship invisible. Now we have a dilapidated ship that has irradiated residents aboard.

 

The attraction is shoehorned under some of the water slides. Although I did not see the Ghost Ship in daylight, it is a very impressive sight at night. Personally, I was really looking forward to the ride, as the Jersey Shore used to be home to multiple walkthrough of a substantial nature, the Haunted Mansion at Long Branch and Brigantine Castle come to mind. In the end the attraction did not disappoint. It took about 15 minutes to walk through and the scare actors did a great job.

 

Around 12:30 they started letting guests enter the queue as green smoke/fog was emanating from the ship (not sure if the smoke/fog was only for the preview event) Just as the attraction will normally operate, they let only 10 people in at a time (every 3-5 minutes) to keep groups separated to maximize surprises. The first room has a video introduction from a member of the Paranormal Society warning you about the ship and then you start your journey. Detailing inside the ship is excellent, not to the degree Universal Haunt Events with Easter Eggs, but Moreys is working with a much smaller budget. Some rooms have animatronics, some have live actors and some have both. Scare actors with props and shaker cans pop out from above, below and all sides when not utilizing drop windows. Some actors roam around, some are behind bars and some are able escape from their rooms just as you think you are safe. If I had to guess I would say they had 15-20 scare actors working last night. Air blasts, strobe lights, disorienting rooms also fit the bill of adding extra scare factor.

 

Afterwards Morey's Pier had bottled water and appetizers set-up at no charge to snack on.

 

My apologies for the quality and lack of quantity of the pictures.

PICT0264.JPG.453a00b56d26387ce7ed5c252a79419a.JPG

Crowds started gathering well before the announced 11:45 opening time.

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Don't believe everything you read.

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Not real fire nor toxic fumes, just special effects.

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One of the sideshow entertainers warming up the crowd.

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A blurry picture of the Paranormal scientist, bumbling engineer, gruff captain and Jack Morey doing their schtick.

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The fireeater's act allows me to capture the ride sign and the ship. Yes, they built the ship around the suspended sky gondola, but I don't recall the gondola being visible when you are doing the walk through.

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Green fog escaping from the ship.

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Exterior of the Ignis Fatuus

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Menu of the free appetizers provided.

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These are the Screaming Tuna Melts. The olives were arranged to make it look like a screaming face.

Edited by larrygator
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  • 2 weeks later...

http://www.amusementtoday.com/

 

Morey’s Piers has opened a brand-new contemporary boardwalk family restaurant known as Joe's Fish Co. at Morey’s Surfside Pier, located at 25th Street in North Wildwood.

 

Joe's Fish Co. is named after the late eatery entrepreneur, Joe Marchiano – the founder of Curley’s Fries. The new boardwalk eatery, under the direction of Executive Chef Wally Jurusz, expands upon the Curley’s Fries location in front of Morey’s Surfside Pier in North Wildwood and offers a wide selection of menu options for hungry boardwalk patrons.

 

“Joe's will serve locally caught fish, locally grown produce, by our local Executive Chef Wally Jurusz,” notes Executive Vice President, Jack Morey, “but the beer, wine, and tequila for our specialty margaritas will all be international.”

 

Jurusz intends to emphasize local and regional finfish and shellfish, and will also offer a variety of non-seafood items. Entrées will include brick oven pizzas, hearty salads, sharable appetizers and Morey’s famous "Curley Fries." In addition, sandwiches like panini, burgers and wraps will be served. Joe's Fish Co. will also offer a variety of drink options. Besides a selection of sodas and the boardwalk's celebrated "Lemon Shake Up,” there will be bottled and draft beers, wine by the glass and bottle, and Joe's Fish Co.'s signature drink, the Margarita.

 

Notes Morey’s Executive Vice President, Jack Morey, “Joe's is designed to celebrate both the Shore and the Boardwalk in a fresh and re-inventive manner. Our goal is to make the boardwalk a destination for great amusement attractions and great food.”

JoesFishChefWally.gif.63f45298cf1b28126d67a7ba8ebc79bd.gif

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http://www.shorenewstoday.com/index.php/wildwood-mainmenu/wildwood-leader/1623-mega-coaster-in-the-wildwoods-future.html

 

On the ECC’s next visit to the Wildwoods, it may be enjoying a new, state-of-the-art roller coaster. The company is in the last stages of planning an elaborate coaster that would start on Surfside Pier, near the Nor’easter, and work its way across that pier, the adjoining beach, and a portion of Hunts Pier before returning to Surfside.

 

Interviewed some months ago, when the plan was winding its way through local approvals, Mike Porch, who was then Executive Director of Main Street, praised the new attraction. “This will help surrounding businesses, and will help maintain the Wildwoods as a first-class tourist designation,” Porch said. “It may even spearhead us through the present economic crisis. “There's a lot of competition out there – what’s the best, hottest new roller coaster, and some people actually plan their trips around these rides.”

 

According to the Morey Organization’s Clark Doran, the company enjoyed “smooth sailing” in obtaining local approvals from North Wildwood’s planning board approval and Wildwood’s zoning board, and now is awaiting a CAFRA permit. “We’re optimistic about that last approval,” he said. “We’re very excited about the project, and boardwalk merchants are thrilled.” Doran said that the multimillion-dollar project will take approximately a year “in fabrication,” and a year of on-site construction.

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