girlafraid Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 Was looking at the weirdest theme parks and just wondering what the strangest/ farthest/ most exotic one you've ever visited? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 Strangest: Williams Grove. Restrooms with tip soliciting attendants. A great magic show where the magician sold coloring books for a dollar to earn most of his pay. So remote, finding it was a chore. (Only Lake Winnie comes close in the US for being hard to find). A wooden coaster with a car removed for riding comfort. The ride improved after a garbage truck hit it! An incredible walk through funhouse with a working rotating horizontal barrel and polished maple slides. Incredible fresh home-made food in the stands. What an odd park. And all...gone. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaiderFTW Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 For strangest/most exotic: Conneaut Lake Park. By far. What clearly used to be an incredibly charming little lakeside amusement park near a charming little lakeside town has turned into one of those closed amusement parks that people break into and take pictures. Only problem is that the employees forgot to stop showing up, so the rides are still running despite collapsed and burned down buildings and light graffiti everywhere. The entrance to their kiddie area scares me more than anything at Halloween Haunt: Source. It's looking into my soul. Okay, I'm being facetious. The place actually is in that bad of shape, but only in certain spots. The park actually has a massive amount of potential. After visiting, I told the friend who went with me that, if I ever had $20 million to spare, I'd somehow invest it into Conneaut. And I mean it. Clean the place up and give Blue Streak love in the form of retracking and paint, and CLP would easily be my favorite park I've ever been to. Easily. I've heard they recently acquired more funds to pay taxes/revitalize the park, so I'm really hoping they can keep their heads above water. For farthest: of Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America, Kings Dominion, and Coney Island (the one in New York), I'm not sure which one is the farthest from home. I'm thinking Coney, but don't quote me on that. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
girlafraid Posted June 29, 2013 Author Share Posted June 29, 2013 Interpreter, was thedark ride at William's Grove the same that used to be at Americana before the fire in the 80's? They both sound amazing. Going to look at some pictres now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Yes. It was an old Laff In The Dark, similar to the one Camden Park also had until the early 1960's. It was a treasure. http://www.laffinthedark.com/articles/pretzelride/pretzelride15.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Cypress Gardens. It was in 1982. There were lots of different things - but the water shows were terrible. Maybe we saw the "understudies" but I could ski behind a boat better than most of those employees - and I've never skied before! Thew girls in the Southern Belle outfits were nice to look at, but when I went to speak with them - taki jestem tutaj *****! (Polish for "what we have here is a *****). I didn't even bother taking a picture of any of them (why waste film). The bird show was awful with none of the birds cooperating. RCDB does not list any coasters there in 1982, but I swear there was one - if I could only find the pictures I took. It was a mine train ride which was no big deal. The food there was terrible and expensive. About the only good things were the trees and flowers I didn't mean to give a trip report, but you talk about strange/weird/exotic - Cypress Gardens in 1982 had it all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 CLP's issues start with location & end with attendance. The locals have grown bored with it. The tourists are more interested in Lake Erie. CLP is too small & too far off the tourist path to compete with newer attractions. It is a sad story. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Hank: Water skiing is much, much harder than it looks. Merely standing up is an accomplishment many never get to. if you ain't done it, don't claim you can. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTW Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 The farthest and most exotic for me was Busch Gardens Tampa. It really wasn't weird at all though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordSkippy Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Yeah, Conneaut Lake Park by far. It's such a surreal place, I almost have a hard time believing I didn't dream the whole thing up.The thing that stands out most in my mind is the carousel. Before the ride began, I had a pleasant conversation with the ride operator (which I find strange in and of itself) but when he went and started the ride, he left. I kid you not, left the carousel building and only came back to stop the ride a good five minutes later. I didn't ride the dark ride at time (Devil's Den, I think?) because I was absolutely frightened by the dilapidation on the facade, a decision I now regret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Hank: Water skiing is much, much harder than it looks. Merely standing up is an accomplishment many never get to. if you ain't done it, don't claim you can. I meant that statement as acutting rank against the employees of Cypress Gardens. That place was supposed to be the epitome of water shows and they were simply terrible. People kept falling off their skis, boats, whatevers. I saw better water shows (no faults) at much smaller venues. I was expecting the finest and I got gypped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTD-120-420 Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Castles n' Coasters in Phoenix. Small and weird. I was only there for the Fiesta Bowl, so it was a nice add on. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Most Exotic would be the Wilds located near Zanesville/New Concord Ohio. Only in Ohio, can you sleep under the stars and hear the lions roar. Open air jeep tours to see giraffes and elephants... If you have never been you need to go at least once... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB1 Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Exotic- Animal Kingdom Weird- I don't know, I go to good parks all around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creed Bratton Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Castles n' Coasters in Phoenix. Small and weird. I was only there for the Fiesta Bowl, so it was a nice add on. Such an odd little park. I visited numerous times during my brief living situation in Phoenix. To me the weirdest park I've ever been to is a tie between Knoebels and Lakemont Parks. Not saying they're bad...it was just odd for me. I wasn't and still am not used to parks like those. Exotic: Uhm. the Columbus Zoo? I don't really know if I've actually been to an exotic park. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jzarley Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Farthest for me is Port Aventura in Spain 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBEASTunchained Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 One could venture to say that Kings Island was once a very exotic park that contained Lions, giraffes, and more...... or from another perspective....Kings Island has somewhat always been an exotic park and still is to this today...Just think about it, There's been all kinds of snakes including a Diamondback and a King Cobra! There are also Beasts that have roamed the park and some Beasts that still do roam Kings Island to this day.... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ride On_17 Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 The farthest is Codonas Amusement Park in Aberdeen, Scotland. It's a small park with small rides, but nevertheless it still had a few little coasters. Coasters are coasters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 That's what jdawg1998 said! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ride On_17 Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Where did jdawg1998 say it? That's funny if I said the same thing as him. I never saw it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 He said "a coaster is a coaster is a coaster" in the Decoding thread. He's been explaining that away since! (He's a good guy, we're just bugging him! ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ride On_17 Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Now I do sort of remember reading that...But I had completely forgotten about it when I wrote my post. I guess as they always say, great minds think alike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Boblo Island, what an odd little park in between Detroit and Ontario. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
girlafraid Posted July 2, 2013 Author Share Posted July 2, 2013 I love that everyone assumes exotic means animals. But on the topic, when that area was Wild Animal Habitat back there, was there an island of monkeys? I remember that there was. But I was small and can't seem to find any mention anywhere. Any oldies here confirm that for me? I thought it was in the middle of that section of the park? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldiesmann Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 Beech Bend would be the most exotic for me. It has a rather odd assortment of rides, many of which seem out of place there (Kentucky Rumbler, Power Surge, etc.), and it's hard to believe this park is in the city, as its location (at the end of a long, tree-lined, two-lane road off a busy highway) makes you feel like you're in a smaller town. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faeriewench Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 Marineland Canada I suppose. I have to admit...KI almost feels exotic if not a bit alien to me now and it is supposed to be my "home park". I guess it's because of the traveling lately :/ I love that everyone assumes exotic means animals. But on the topic, when that area was Wild Animal Habitat back there, was there an island of monkeys? I remember that there was. But I was small and can't seem to find any mention anywhere. Any oldies here confirm that for me? I thought it was in the middle of that section of the park? I believe there are pictures of it on the KIC photo gallery... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XGatorHead 8904 Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 For strangest/most exotic: Conneaut Lake Park. By far. What clearly used to be an incredibly charming little lakeside amusement park near a charming little lakeside town has turned into one of those closed amusement parks that people break into and take pictures. Only problem is that the employees forgot to stop showing up, so the rides are still running despite collapsed and burned down buildings and light graffiti everywhere. The entrance to their kiddie area scares me more than anything at Halloween Haunt: We're planning to go there on August 4th this year. It will be my first visit, but Conneaut and Idora Park were Mrs. Gator's two home parks when she was a girl. One's gone for good, and I want to visit the other before it is too. I love that everyone assumes exotic means animals. But on the topic, when that area was Wild Animal Habitat back there, was there an island of monkeys? I remember that there was. But I was small and can't seem to find any mention anywhere. Any oldies here confirm that for me? I thought it was in the middle of that section of the park? There was a monkey island. I was able to find two pictures of it in the History section of this site, links to the pictures are below. http://KICentral.com/history/photos/displayimage.php?album=14&pos=30 http://KICentral.com/history/photos/displayimage.php?album=11&pos=43 As for me, my parks would probably have to be Sesame Place, since hardly anyone I know has been to it or even heard of it, and Idlewild. We loved Idlewild, it's just odd in the sense that it is so kid oriented. I can't imagine an attraction like Story Book Forest ever being built today, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make Believe trolley ride was also a blast from the past (even though it's relatively newer), and Rollo Coaster is a fun little coaster! We're trying to visit a different PA park every year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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