Thursday, May 15, 2014
By John Benson
Admit it, there was a point last month when we all truly questioned whether spring would come.
Now that the warmer temperatures have arrived, we can safely look ahead to summertime, which invariably goes by in the blink of an eye. That said, now is the time for families to plan with a budget in mind for day-trips and overnight excursions.
Here’s a look at what regional amusement parks have in store for the summer of 2014.
CEDAR POINT
Address: One Cedar Point Drive, Sandusky.
Contact: Call 419-627-2350 or visit www.cedarpoint.com.
Tickets: Online admission is $49.99 (age 3 to 61, 48 inches and taller), and $34.99 for juniors (age 3 to 61, under 48 inches tall) and seniors (age 62 and older). Note: Tickets are more expensive at the gate. Children age 2 and younger are admitted free of charge.
After Cedar Point unveiled its awesome $10 million wing roller coaster Gatekeeper last year, fans of the popular park on the shores of Lake Erie in Sandusky had to wonder what was planned for an encore.
“Last year, we wanted to target thrill seekers with Gatekeeper, which was the huge success,” said Bryan Edwards, Cedar Point public relations manager. “This year we wanted to come back and offer something for families, especially for families with younger children.”
Cedar Point, which for 16 years running has been named by industry publication Amusement Today as the Best Amusement Park in the World, boasts 364 acres with 72 rides, including 17 roller coasters.
That includes new kid-friendly and classic rides Pipe Scream and Lake Erie Eagles, located in the shadow of the Gemini. The former is considered a hybrid roller coaster-thrill ride in one.
“It’s a thrill ride because you’re sitting on top of this platform that rotates 360 degrees reaching speeds of over 40 miles per hour,” Edwards said. “It rides along a W-shape track. It has lower height requirements than what you’ll see on a traditional roller coaster.”
As for Lake Erie Eagles, it’s a descendant of the old Euclid Beach Rocket Ship ride. However, this throwback attraction offers a surprise that truly makes it special.
“It’s almost like a swing-style ride going around in circles, but the neat thing is there’s a paddle or rudder on your individual ride carriage that allows you to control your thrill level,” Edwards said. “If you turn it one direction, you’ll swing out, turn it another, you’ll swing in. And the faster you make those transitions, the more wild your ride is.”
To make way for the new rides, the entrance to the Gemini Jr. has been relocated inside Camp Snoopy, along with other existing kid rides. Speaking of which, if there’s a hidden attraction at Cedar Point (no, really!), Edwards feels it’s the children’s offerings.
“We now have 29 kids rides at Cedar Point, and that’s almost half of our 72 rides,” Edwards said. “While we’re known for these big, tall and fast rides, there’s still plenty to do for people who don’t like riding roller coasters.
KENNYWOOD PARK
Address: 4800 Kennywood Blvd., West Mifflin, Pa.
Contact: Call 412-461-0500 or visit www.kennywood.com.
Tickets: The regular FunDay price is $40.99, Senior FunDay (55 +) $20.99, Junior FunDay (children 46” and under) $27.99. Gate ticket prices are plus $1 amusement tax.
In terms of classic amusement parks, Kennywood Park continues to combine the old and new for families. Entering its 117th season, the Pittsburgh-area park boasts various ride updates, but it’s the food that has Public Relations Manager Jeff Filicko excited.
“We have a lot going on in a lot of different directions, but it all seems to revolve around food,” Filicko said. “Everyone always kind of looks to the rides and shows, the more exciting things, but at Kennywood one of the great features is being able to eat your way through the park with the Potato Patch Fries and the deep-fried Oreos and those treats you expect to get here and nowhere else.”
Actually, it’s the Potato Patch section that is receiving a complete renovation and revamping. The idea is those long lines waiting for the tasty fries are a thing of the past.
“It’s easily our most- popular stands, and the lines continue to grow every year, so we’re conscious of how long our guests have to wait in line,” Filicko said. “We want to do what we can to minimize that. In the end, it’s really a move to improve guest experience, and it makes that process easier.”
The other big culinary attraction is the addition of a Johnny Rockets, which marks Kennywood’s first full-service restaurant in more than 30 years. The popular food chain will be going into the historic Carousel Food Court, which has been completely renovated.
“We’re kind of combining this century-old structure and giving it new life,” Filicko said.
As far as the rides are concerned, the changes are subtle but important, said Filicko. Kennywood’s classic 1929 Auto Race ride’s two-year renovation is complete, while the park is bringing back headlights to the classic Thunderbolt roller coaster.
“That was a big deal for our guests,” Filicko said. “It’s one of those quirky nuances.”
Kennywood Park first opened in 1898 as a trolley park at the end of the Monongahela Street Railway. Today the tourist destination boasts an 80-acre property with more than 30 big rides and more than a dozen Kiddieland attractions.
That includes Kennywood’s latest thrill ride, The Black Widow, which opened in 2012. Filicko said the park is already looking ahead to its next major ride addition. In the meantime, he’s hoping families remember what the park has to offer.
“Even if you know Kennywood, we try to make a conscious effort to be mindful of how much money a family is spending and to keep it a great value, but also make it a little different every year,” Filicko said. “So we add those twists on the food and the rides so it’s a new and exciting experience year after year.”
KINGS ISLAND
Address: Kings Island Drive, Mason.
Contact: Call 800-288-0808 or visit www.visitkingsisland.com .
Tickets: Online admission: $43.99 adult (age 3-61; over 48”), $36.99 junior/senior (age 3 and up and under 48” and Age 62 and up). Note: Tickets are more expensive at the gate.
Kings Island has water park Soak City, but this year it’s making a big splash with its $24 million new ride Banshee, which is the world’s longes inverted steel roller coaster.
“It’s really two rides rolled into one with the daytime experience and, much like The Beast, it’s totally different at night,” said Kings Island Public Relations Area Manager Don Helbig. “We have textured light and other lighting effects that kind of bring the legend of Banshee to life. It’s nonstop action at 4,124 feet long. It has seven different inversions.”
Banshee marks the 15th roller coaster at Kings Island, which is located in Action Zone area near Delirium and Droptower.
“It’s the type of ride our guests have been asking for since those came out in the mid-’90s,” Helbig said. “I think it completes our lineup, and it’s something refreshing and new.”
Kings Island is located 30 minutes north of Cincinnati. The 364-acre Kings Island features more than 80 world-class rides, 15 of which are roller coasters. Recent upgrades to the venue include the water park Soak City in 2012 and last year an enhanced dining experience including the Reds Hall of Fame Grille.
Another new attraction this year running from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day is the show “Cirque Imagine.” The 30-minute show is all about highlighting strength, balance and athleticism.
“When you come here, it’s going to be a great value,” Helbig said. “We have a water park that is included with park admission. You get two parks for the price of one. For young children, we have a 13-time award-winning kids area with Planet Snoopy. If you’re into thrill rides, there’s Banshee, while The Beast celebrates its 35th anniversary. There’s really something for the whole family.”
SANDCASTLE WATERPARK
Address: 1000 Sandcastle Drive, Pittsburgh.
Contact: Call 412-462-6666 or visit www.sandcastlewaterpark.com.
Tickets: Online admission is $28.99, $20.99 for seniors and children under 46”, with children age 3 and under free (slides not included). Note: Tickets are more expensive at the gate.
Sandcastle Waterpark is spending the entire 2014 season celebrating its 25th year of existence.
“We’re excited to celebrate the summer,” Sandcastle Waterpark spokeswoman Melissa Kelly said. “We’ll be celebrating with different things going on, whether it’s special entertainment, some in-park specials. It’s just going to be a fun summer for us.”
Located along the scenic Monongahela River, Sandcastle Waterpark offers a grassy beach, volleyball area and old-fashioned boardwalk. There are also the 15 water slides, a wave pool and lazy river. For the young kids — remember children age 3 and younger get in free — there are two children’s areas, Wet Willie’s and Tad Pool.
“Sandcastle is so unique,” Kelly said “We are a vacation in a day.”
Among the most-popular attractions is the Dragon’s Den, which opened in 2012 and is billed as a hybrid amusement-park-water ride. Riders shoot down into a bowl followed by two to four revolutions around a dragon that is squirting water before plummeting into a landing pool. It’s kind of like an amusement-park ride meets a water ride.
There’s a reason why Sandcastle Waterpark and Kennywood are often linked together as the perfect mini-vacation destinations. The two Pittsburgh-area sister parks are owned by the same company, which actually means cost- savings to visitors.
“Because Kennywood is our sister park located right up the road, we do a lot of packaging with them,” Kelly said. “The benefit of having a sister park is having discounted tickets to offer. Start your day at Sandcastle and always end at Kennywood.”
WALDAMEER PARK & WATER WORLD
Address: 220 Peninsula Drive, Erie, Pa.
Contact: Call 814-838-3591 or visit www.waldameer.com.
Tickets: Ride wristbands for Waldameer Park are $26 (over 48”); $17 (under 48”). Entrance to Water World is $19 (over 48”); $14 (under 48”). Ride wristbands for both parks are $29.75 (over 48”); $21 (under 48”). The park is closed on Mondays (except Memorial Day and Labor Day).
During the past decade, Waldameer Park & Water World, located at the neck of Presque Isle State Park peninsula, has been consistently recreating its image. The same can be said for this season, where visitors will notice subtle changes.
“This year our basic thing was a total revamping of a lot of equipment,” Waldameer Park & Water World owner Paul Nelson said. “For example, we repainted the whole Drop Tower. We also put on LED lights that are programmable, so on holidays we’ll have a different light show. That cost over $100,000.
“And for our Ravine Flyer II coaster, we brought the people back who built it. We have a way of running the cars with a piece of equipment that can identify the rough spots. When we got done, the coaster was smoother and faster than the day it was built.”
Other attractions include the spinning Steel Dragon roller coaster, the classic wood-built Comet roller coaster, the Flying Swings, the rotating Wendy’s Tea Party and the kid-friendly Ravine Flyer III.
Nelson said years ago the park was running at capacity regarding its amusement rides. That led to an investment in new attractions. Now the same mindset is happening to the water-park area. Nelson said the plan is to put more than $10 million into the expansion of its water park.
“Overall, we’ll finish the entire project in five years,” Nelson said. “We’re going to triple our ride capacity in our water parks. And next year we’re putting in the largest wave pool in the tri-state area. We’ll have two wave pools in one, and that’ll hold more than 1,000 people.”
Even though its attractions are modern, Nelson stresses the Waldameer Park experience is a throwback to a previous era.
“Our big thing is when you come in, you can choose what you want,” Nelson said. “You don’t have to pay for parking, you don’t have to pay for admission into the park. What you do is you pay for only what you need and want. And families like that, because it saves them a lot of money. So we’re drawing more and more people from out of town. There aren’t too many amusement parks with our philosophy left in the country.”
WILDWATER KINGDOM
Address: 1100 Squires Road, Aurora
Contact: Call 330-562-8303 or visit www.wildwaterfun.com
Tickets: Online adult admission is $25.99, while junior/senior admission is $15.99. Note: Tickets are more expensive at the gate.
Did anyone else yearn for the splashing aquatic fun of Wildwater Kingdom during the venue’s appearance in the recently released feature film “Draft Day?” Wildwater Kingdom Regional Sales Manager Lori L. Davis said that was the intended subliminal message. And no, she didn’t meet Kevin Costner.
“I remember Kevin Costner’s assistant was holding his umbrella up for him,” Davis said. “I saw him from afar.”
Water rides, not Hollywood stars, are the main Wildwater Kingdom attractions, which range from family-based to thrill-seeking slides. There’s Thunder Falls and the relaxing float down Riptide Run, as well as the kid-centric areas featuring splashing, climbing and soaking on Splash Landing, Coral Cove and Little Tikes Town.
While the popular water park, located on the shores of Geauga Lake, doesn’t have any new slides or pools, Davis said Wildwater Kingdom creates excitement around special events.
The list begins with opening weekend (May 24-26) when military personnel receive free admission. There will also be $1 hot dogs on Saturday, $1 cotton candy on Sunday and $1 fountain drinks on Monday (while supplies last).
Other special events include: Father’s Day Hole-in-One Challenge (June 15); Rose’s Rescue Day featuring rescued dogs who need a home (June 22); Just Another Day in “Parrotdise” with live parrots (June 26, July 19, Aug. 2 and Aug. 10); Jungle Terry (June 27, July 19 and Aug. 2); Dive-In Movies (July 11, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”; and July 25, “Despicable Me 2”); Kids’ Day (Aug. 2); and Splash Bash — Guest Appreciation Day (Aug. 10).
Considering amusement park Geauga Lake closed years ago, Wildwater Kingdom is sort of like a hidden oasis.
“I do feel like that,” Davis said. “I think one of the reasons is you can’t see it from the road. And people still kind of associate Geauga Lake with the rides. Now that’s gone, they kind of think everything is gone, but we’re still here and we’re fabulous. People who come here love it.”