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Post by gary on Nov 4, 2007 12:49:47 GMT -5
Sally corp and Halloween productions have both rethemed a few rides in the recent past. In my opinion? For the worse.
Kennywood's OLD MILL is now Garfield's Nightmare.
Lots of cool wild-west stuff was going on before. Drunken, gunfighting skeletons and bar scenes with dancers. Now it's mostly two-dimensional blacklight scenes with a couple of moving items and sound bytes that repeat too much.
Wildwood's DARK RIVER is now Pirates of Wildwood.
It wasn't too amazing before but now it just sucks. Similar DOWN-grade as mentioned above.
At least these rides still exist... Sally rethemed Haunted Hotel in Myrtle Beach but now that's gone. Do you think they made a good business decision? Have they added value? Are people seeking these rides out? Are today's parents finding new life in these watered-down rides whereas they would not take their little ones on the scarier rides of the past?
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Post by Brandon on Nov 4, 2007 13:50:25 GMT -5
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. The business folk, I am guessing, feel that re-theming a ride is in essence giving birth to a new ride, and will then attract a new set of customers. As we have talked about, the parents of today are against scary imagery—They would rather have “Garfield” or some colorfully lit interactive dark ride as opposed to the “Sawmill” and “Torture Chamber” days of the 60’s and 70’s. On a similar note, when I was in Wildwood this past summer, The Den of Thieves (I think this was a Sally ride..was it?) was deleted and converted into a glow-in-the-dark miniature golf course. I had to play the course, just because that’s how I am, but it makes me wonder what the owners were thinking. Why would they take a dark ride/funhouse and change it to a template-style golf course that came pre-made? Is there more money there? Most of the rethemed rides blow!—There are few stunts if none, and all the so called excitement comes from paintings on the walls. Pirates of wildwood is a perfect example.
It would be like Trimper’s taking the Pirates Cove and re-theming it to Happy Feet Penguins or some crazy unimaginable theme. Just like most parks switch out rides every few years to keep it fresh, I guess they feel like they have to do the same with the enclosed dark rides.
Whether it adds value lies in the eyes of the beholder. Personally, I don’t think so…
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Post by gary on Nov 6, 2007 10:39:37 GMT -5
kennywood's old mill had a few re-themes over the decades and always went back to its origins. locals seem to think it will happen again. although there's no mention of it, i would assume they packed the stunts up and put them into storage, as they've been known to do there. although i heard that the gold rusher props are maybe being donated to a park in the dominican republic? or am i smoking too much ganja?
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Post by Brandon on Nov 6, 2007 21:40:25 GMT -5
The Dominican? Seriously? Someone’s smoking the stuff, but I don’t think its you…
Its like the Trimpers--They just sold the Sling Shot ride to a man in Vietnam. VIETNAM!!!! Supposedly, this ride has to go by boat to Nam. Mind you, this ride, which was manufactured by Chance, has no manual or instruction guide, and is totally in pieces and broken. I’m sure they’ll have a blast. Every now and then, I find a piece of Trimper equipment for sale on Usedrides.com.
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Post by gary on Nov 7, 2007 8:23:52 GMT -5
I really liked the sling shot, too. Katie and I rode it while we were down there and came off smiling. It'll be missed. I also remember the asian operator who was very nice and friendly. I think Trimper's will always be thought of as a fun place because even though they don't have the super-duper stuff that the big corporate parks have, they operate what they have with pride and a big happy smile.
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Post by Brandon on Nov 7, 2007 13:58:06 GMT -5
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Post by 14rollipie on Mar 25, 2008 20:18:43 GMT -5
What was the dark river in wildwood I have ben on pirated of wildwood but I never heard of the dark river
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Post by the TROID! on May 12, 2008 10:01:57 GMT -5
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Post by 14rollipie on May 16, 2008 7:03:57 GMT -5
I have to admit, the inferno was a bit junky but the new one just is stupid. Just look at the facade what fun is a painting of a hill the devil was way cool. with reds and oranges but mow it is like gray? ?
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Post by the TROID! on May 16, 2008 14:06:02 GMT -5
Have you rode this ride before?
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Post by 14rollipie on May 23, 2008 15:55:44 GMT -5
yes
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Post by the TROID! on May 23, 2008 16:40:12 GMT -5
So do you live around Wildwood, or are you local?
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Post by 14rollipie on May 25, 2008 18:56:39 GMT -5
I live in P A but i make a lot of trips there. I love wildwood!!!!
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Post by 14rollipie on May 26, 2008 8:29:06 GMT -5
when do you think the nugget will open up. or do you think it never will. when i was in wildwood in april it did not look that bad the only thing wrong with it was the stuco was missing a few parts
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Post by Brandon on May 26, 2008 19:08:39 GMT -5
The Nugget is not up to code at all, and the majority of the building shows signs of asbestos. In order to get it in working order, hundreds of thousands of dollars would need to be spent for renovations. It would almost be easier to tear it down and build from scratch. The way the Morey's see it, they would rather spend $300K on a new ride like a Freak Out or Inverter than restore a ride such as the Nugget.
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Post by gary on May 28, 2008 15:31:23 GMT -5
What was the dark river in wildwood I have ben on pirated of wildwood but I never heard of the dark river they're the same ride. dark river just had a few gimpy props that were falling apart, so they blew $100K on new art.
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Post by 14rollipie on May 28, 2008 19:31:27 GMT -5
was it that bad
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Post by gary on May 29, 2008 12:14:48 GMT -5
yeah it was mostly just a ... dark ... river... ha!
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Post by 14rollipie on May 29, 2008 19:36:28 GMT -5
sally corp looks like it is loosing business. this is because of dark ridder haloween productions
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Post by Robert on May 30, 2008 0:47:49 GMT -5
I have a video taken inside the Dark River, 1998. Also rare footage of the Castle Dracula exterior across the boardwalk at Nickels. It was a scarier, longer old mill boat ride like the Dark River, built 1919 as ye old mill. It was like Kennywood, rethemed over the years, finally became Dungeon 1976, castle built 1977. The castle walkthrough part was up a ramp on the upper level. Two separate attractions in one. There were live actors in both. www.darkinthepark.com has all the info. The Castle Dracula burned Jan. 16, 2002 to arson. I saw it back in 1980-1983 from the boardwalk at night, and went in it Aug. 95 castle only, and June 1996, and June, 1998 did both boat and castle. I have audio recordings of a few walks through, and the boat ride, but no video of the inside, just the exterior. It played Bach Toccata Fugue in D minor outside repeating on a loop.
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Post by 14rollipie on Jun 4, 2008 7:01:13 GMT -5
is it on youtube?
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Post by the TROID! on Jun 4, 2008 15:11:01 GMT -5
The only park still alive in Wildwood, is Moreys Pier
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Post by 14rollipie on Jun 4, 2008 19:26:23 GMT -5
it is all the peirs in one advanture, surfside and marenres
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Post by mttbrilhart on Jun 7, 2008 13:45:16 GMT -5
Hey Everyone! The Old Mill at Kennywood's Rethemeing into Garfield's Nightmare is the worst theme the ride has ever had to endure! And belive me, because rode it. How could they do such a thing to the oldest ride on there property! It just gose to show were the futuer of darkrides is going! It's horrible! Watch this video I found on Youtube! And this dosn't even show the half of the horrror it provides to us fans of classic darkrides! The ride is experinced while wearing a pair of 3D glasses, making the ride twice as sickining! Beware, Classic darkride fans, your in for a scare if you watch this video! Here it is: uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JU7N8PlxkPU&feature=related
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Post by plokoon111 on Jun 8, 2008 16:04:11 GMT -5
THe potential that ride had, it was so long. I bet Old Mill was better themed and scary.
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Post by mttbrilhart on Jun 9, 2008 14:13:06 GMT -5
Why can't people except the fact that everything in life isn't always so child-freindly. The concept of rethemeing a classic ride at a park who was given the award of national historic landmark, (Why the f**k wasn't Trimpers Chosen for this award? They REALLY Deserve it! ) ,into a gay, kiddie ride, based on Garfield is the most pathetic thing kennywood could have done! And I won't be surprised when Noah's Ark gets themed to somthing like The Wiggles, or Cliford the Big Red Dog. The thing is, why the f**k did they use the Old Mill? Garfeild should have a ride in the kiddie section. And how dose a boat trip through an Old Mill, (If you didn't notice, or have not yet experinced the horror of the ride, they still have the Old Mill themed Facade') , have anything to do with a comic strip cat? It makes no sense! That's why somthing like The Wiggles or Cliford would probobly suite kennywood's fancy for a Noah's Ark Makeover.
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Post by 14rollipie on Jun 9, 2008 15:21:26 GMT -5
it is all the same ... plywood cut outs......... of food!!!!!!!!
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Post by mttbrilhart on Jun 10, 2008 6:53:52 GMT -5
I mean COME ON! WTF was Kennywood thinking? That ride was the oldest operating ride in that park! And they turned it into a Garfield Ride? WTF? Thank God the Trimper's know better then to turn a Bill Tracy Classic into a GAY KIDDIE THEMED RIDE! ;D By the way, Dorney Park sold The Lazer. It must already be gone, because it's in Usedrides.com's lot in Olympia WA! Let's hope they build a YEAR-ROUND Darkride! ;D
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Post by gary on Jun 23, 2008 13:08:03 GMT -5
speaking of kennywood, i think they converted the Gold Rusher to a new dark ride --- another ride & shoot attraction similar to the Sally Corp ones "Ghostwood Estate" trackless ride. must be driven by some kind of sensor mechanism.
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Post by 14rollipie on Jun 24, 2008 21:25:58 GMT -5
a trackless dark ride is like a chocolate chip cookie w no chocolate chips
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