johnjniehaus

Cool. I didn't see who was in the armor but Sir Pretzel was a cool addition to the cast of phantoms

Could have been. I don't really remember talking to anyone in particular so it was probably someone else but I do tend to ramble on about amusement park history haha. Also I emailed with Debbie Stricker yesterday and she said they are adding a new Tubs of Fun kiddy flat ride for the 2027 season. It's currently being refurbished. I think that will make for a nice addition and is hopefully less problematic from the maintenance standpoint.

Stricker's Grove is such a great park. I was also there on Sunday for the open to the public day and I have never seen it so crowded! I think more people are discovering the park and know that it's a great place for some family fun! As mentioned Tip Top is such a great ride the the two coasters are decent. Also I love the fact they still have some of the old flats from Lesourdsville/Americana. Side note, it appears they poured a new concrete pad where the kiddy Drop Tower was removed so perhaps they are adding a new flat ride for next year?

I'm just happy that all the effects were working during my visit. On the first ride Larry #1 (Are you ready to be an usher) didn't work and that dialogue was missing but on the second ride about 45 minutes later he was working perfectly so idk what was up the first time.

I mean someone is hiding in the old boo Blasters armor suit in the prop room. Far cry from the Centurion but I figured that was what they were trying to reference there

Oh tough question - I really liked the last scene with the rose smell effect but I also think the dressing room with Lionel, Pretzel, and Warble was cool. It's hard to pick just one favorite. I also loved how the original queue bust incorporated but the rest of that scene is pretty boring so can't really pick that one. The "caught in the ropes" and boiler room were very well done. I'd say the least impressive scenes to me were the stage scene just because in footage of the original the set looks much bigger and the prop room honestly is a little dull in the new version - Gargoyle and Centurion characters don't talk. Just more of Hilda's screaming haha. So I know I've rambled but I think the new ride is very good and there's some great scenes but a few of them could probably have been better.

Oh yeah I definitely wanted proof that an agent told me I was allowed to not visit my home park first. I mean these days Six Flags constantly changes their minds and rules and half the employees can't keep up but if I run into trouble I figure I'll pull up my chat with their live agent to back up my actions. I know that SFDK is probably one of the cheapest parks to get a pass from but it is legitimately the closest one to Seattle geographically so I think it should be my home park based on logistics regardless of if I visit it the same amount or more than another six flags property

Ok this is the moment I've been waiting for - My review of Phantom Theater Opening Nightmare! So most of you probably know I relocated to Seattle last year and I was traveling through the area this past weekend and stopped by the park last Saturday and got two rides on Phantom Theater Opening Nightmare. The first ride I just rode through taking in the details and the second ride I used the flashlight to play the game with the ghost notes. First of all the entrance - I don't love the repurposed castle. I feel like they could have done better with that and made it more unique and different however I appreciate that most of the budget clearly went into the ride interior vs a fancy exterior. The que was fantastic. The darkness and the lightning effects were great and really set the tone of an abandoned theater. I was worried the purple wallpaper would be almost Dr Seuss like but the dark lighting makes it look really really good. The audio in the que was loud enough to hear it over all the talking so I was able to hear all the preshow dialogue. The hallway portraits were a nice touch considering that they were a stable of the older version of the ride and are absent from the current version. They actually look much more like paintings in person vs in photos you can obviously tell they are screens. Enjoyed the dialogue loop here as well and it was also loud enough that I could understand what each character was saying The shooting element of the ride I personally found to be distracting. I played the game the second ride through but in a way every target looks the same and I actually found it distracting and hard to take in the actual rooms and characters while chasing ghost notes. I think it's a nice feature for kids who don't appreciate the artistry of a classic dark ride but I personally would probably not play the shooting game on future rides. The sets and scenes were all great and some of the little details are fun - for example I got stopped in front of Hilda's dressing room and noticed all the little fan cards on her mirror (details you miss when just riding past the scene). The did think the stage scene seemed a bit small but loved they payed homage to Phantom Theater Encore. Also, the boiler room was working full force and I love the roses scent at the end of the ride. Hopefully the park will continue to keep all these effects working. Also the original bust on the left after Sir Pretzel was really cool. Glad they were able to incorporate that into the new version of the ride. All in all I really enjoyed the ride and I'd definitely ride it every visit if I still lived in the area. Sounds like I'll have another opportunity to ride it May 2 as my sister is getting married on May 1 this year so I'll be traveling back to Cincinnati then.

Conversation with Six Flags agent via the chat...looks like I'm good to go and I don't have to activate/visit home park first if it's a "renewal"

Does anyone know if you must first visit your home park if renewing a pass? For example I have a SFDK pass (since I'm in Seattle now) and was wondering, if I renew, do I have to visit SFDK first or can I go to fiesta Texas in March next year?

Was just thinking this quote sums up the last few days "The theater is closed... it has been for a long time!" - The Maestro

Anyone up at the park today? Any updates on open/closed status?

Yeah it's gonna suck so bad if it's closed when I'm there. Hoping whatever the issue is can be resolved this week and it's good to go next week

I'm coming in from Seattle and plan to be at the park Saturday August 8 and it would be an absolute travesty if this ride was closed the one time in 2026 I'll actually be at the park. Praying they fix whatever happened before my visit.

Some of the pieces we've been working on. The color scheme is attempting to be faithful to the original colors based on what we can tell - it's very faded. I personally think the color combinations of this carousel will make for one of the most beautiful Dentzel machines. I love how bright colors and muted colors blend and the gold paint (as gold leaf was not in the budget) really pops! I also included some of the pictures of unrestored pieces just to show how much they really pop after the plaster is repaired and given two coats of paint.

At this point it can be moved anywhere as long as they have the resources to transport it. We estimate it would take at least 2 if not 3 semi trailers to move as the mechanism and all the decorative panels are quite large and take up space.

These are pictures when it was still in Chester, WV

Hoping to ride it next Monday, August 3!

Some of you know that I relocated to Seattle Washington last year and I became involved in a restoration group of a 1927 Dentzel Carousel formerly located in Chester, WV. We have more volunteers now than ever before (about 100 people in total involved) however we have hit a major hurdle. The carousel mechanism is currently stored in a warehouse that got condemned. The roof collapsed in one section and we think the carousel needs to be moved before next winter. We don't have the funds to pay for storage space and the local governments that were interested in eventually having the carousel on city park property were hit hard last year with floods and are no longer interested. The carousel is a complete Dentzel mechanism and is missing all the horses as they were sold off when the carousel originally closed back in West Virginia. More information can be found on the website but I'm hoping that someone somewhere on these forums might know of other government entities or non profits that would be interested in carrying this vision forward? I appreciate any and all leads to helping this incredible machine find a new home. https://www.snoqualmievalleycarousel.org/

Wow incredible piece! Hopefully you find him a new home with an owner who will enjoy having this incredible piece of history!

I'm curious what this entails and when will we get more information? Such a tragedy that Kumba is closing. It's one of their best coasters but it's old and seems to have lower ridership most days I've been there.

At least it sounds like they are still making adjustments as the season goes... Crazy how many effects go on and off line tho

Well folks I must report that Wild Waves so far has been running a bit better for their 50th and final season this year. The chance casino and timberaxe rides have been retired officially and will not operate this season but so far everything else has been consistently operational. American Coaster Enthusiasts is hosting their Preservation Conference in the northwest region at Oaks Park and Wild Waves with an optional add on pre-event at Enchanted Forest. The conference falls on Labor Day weekend which will allow attendees to also visit the Washington State Fair and PNE Fair in Vancouver both home to ACE Landmark wooden coasters!

I mean is it the most heavily themed water coaster? No if you are comparing to Journey to Atlantis or Vliegende Hollander at Efteling. However, still a very welcome unique addition to the park. I love the competition between Holiday World and Kentucky Kingdom as it pushes both parks to be the best versions of themselves.