Geauga Lake: Today & Forever
 

   Geauga Lake History

   2003
    Several new attractions debuted this year. Noteworthy were Hurricane Mountain and Shark Attack, the first additions to the water park since 2000. Hurricane Mountain, from White Water West, would be the largest with seven slides (three enclosed body slides and four innertube slides). It was billed as the largest waterslide complex in Ohio. To make room, the Musik Express was scrapped (after being relocated here in 1997). Shark Attack, which was located on a former sand volleyball court across from Hurricane Bay wave pool, added three more innertube slides. Both slide complexes double the capacity of the water park. Also with the location of Hurricane Mountain it unofficially put Skyscraper and the Bellaire Express monorail in the water park.

     Two new family rides are added to the Wild Life side of the park. Starfish, a themed Chance Wipeout from Six Flags Marine World, and the Thriller Bees, a Huss Bee Bee from Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, are located near the Sea Lion Stadium and Lakeside Cafe. Meanwhile Silver Bullet, the park's Huss Enterprise, is removed in July.

     The floating bridge is relocated to the other side of the lake to connect Hook's Lagoon with the Asian Adventures shop near the Killer Whale Stadium. For the first time ever the layout of the park would be complete circle.

     With Six Flags in financial woes due to the massive debt they were in plus talk of the park having declining attendance since 2001, rumors surface that the park might be for sale late in the season.

       2004
     
In March Six Flags sells the park to Cedar Fair for $145 million and changes the name back to Geauga Lake. With the late purchase Cedar Fair does not have time to make the necessary changes to get rid of all Six Flags indicia on rides and signage. The animal park is closed down as Cedar Fair states they do not run animal parks. Six Flags retains the animals and ships them off to other properties.

     Several rides and attractions would receive new names. Batman Knight Flight becomes Dominator. Superman Ultimate Escape becomes Steel Venom. Serial Thriller becomes Thunderhawk. Hurricane Harbor becomes Hurricane Hannah's. Mind Eraser becomes Head Spin. Gold Rush, the log flume which would receive several renames to sponsors during the Six Flags years, becomes Pepsi Plunge. Looney Tunes Boomtown is renamed Kidworks Playzone and all rides receive new names. Fright Fest would become Halloween Haunt.

     Cedar Fair does not honor the "Read To Succeed" tickets promised to kids by Six Flags but later rescinds their decision after a public outcry. The tickets would only be good on certain days.

     The park begins the task of repainting the park's buildings. The season was a total disaster, only bringing in 700,000 guests. The park also adds a water ski show which fails to attract guests.

     The floating bridge is relocated back to its former location by Raging Wolf Bobs. The land bridge behind Wolf Bobs is closed off thus making everyone take the floating bridge to Happy Harbor.

     Cedar Fair announces Wildwater Kingdom will open in 2005 on the former Sea World side. To be billed as the largest water park in the region, it would be built in two phases. Demolition of many old animal attractions and buildings begin. Neptune's Falls, Hook's Lagoon and the Stingray speed slides are demolished as well.

    Cedar Fair continues the re-track started by Six Flags on Raging Wolf Bobs, this time focusing on the turn after the first drop.

    2005
    The park's name would change once again to Geauga Lake and Wildwater Kingdom. Cedar Fair brings Snoopy and the Peanuts characters to the park. A Snoopy Boutique opens across from the Main Gate. Thunderhawk gets repainted from red track/teal supports to orange track/yellow supports. It stands out on the lakefront.

    Starfish and Thriller Bees, two Six Flags additions that were missing in 2004, are relocated in the park. Starfish would be moved next to Steel Venom and Thriller Bees would open near the Yo-Yo in Happy Harbor.

    The Big Dipper would turn 80 this year. Raging Wolf Bobs, which ran with one train, receives a second train. The black train originally ran on The Legend at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana.

    Unions boycott the park because Cedar Fair used non-union employees to build Wildwater Kingdom. On August 6th, a hydrochloric acid spill forced a temporary closing of the ride side gate area thus redirecting traffic to the water park gate. Guests were rerouted around the closed area via the public picnic area between Double Loop and Villain.

       Wildwater Kingdom opens late, mid-June, and becomes popular. Hurricane Mountain is moved to the new water park and renamed Thunder Falls. Part of the old Dolphin Harbor is retained and used in Coral Cove, a teen activity area. Splash Landing, a larger and much more improved version of the old Hook's Lagoon, is built near the Water Ski Stadium. The star attraction, Liquid Lightning, a ProSlide Tornado, is built where Tiger Island used to be. Hurricane Hannah's, which is now just the Hurricane Bay wave pool, Calypso Creek lazy river and Shark Attack slides, are all the remnants left open for one last season. Turtle Beach is closed and walled off.

    The park adds the Lakeside Catering Pavilions where Neptune's Falls and Hook's Lagoon once stood. "Robots of Mars" would replace the long running "Pirates 4D" at the Harbor Theater. It would run for two seasons. Next door, the long running Mission: Bermuda Triangle would be replaced with Dino Island II: Escape from Dino Island simulator film.

    It would be the end of the line for the Halloween Haunt after this year and Mr. Hyde's Nasty Fall would fall no more and be demolished in January 2006.

    2006
    Wildwater Kingdom's second phase is drastically cut back and only a wave pool is added, the 30,000 square foot Tidal Wave Bay. It would be located on the same site as the former Sea Lion Stadium. Along with the new wave pool were sixteen new cabanas that could be rented for the day. The former Hurricane Hannah's is fenced off and left to rot.

    The ferry boats are taken out of commission and the floating bridge is relocated once more through the middle of the lake. This time it connects Kidworks Playzone with Wildwater Kingdom behind Splash Landing. Two golf carts, which hold up to ten people, are added as a shuttle service between the two sides. They would run along the back path behind Raging Wolf Bobs.

    Speaking of Raging Wolf Bobs, Cedar Fair completed the final phase of the re-tracking by redoing the high banked turn at the mid-point of the ride. With all the new track in place, the ride seemed to run a bit faster than it had in recent years.

    The park installs the 3-Point Challenge game on the former site of Silver Bullet, which remained an eyesore since the ride was removed in 2003. It proved to be a popular addition to the park.

     Lexi Robinson, Public Relations Coordinator, is let go as Cedar Fair begins streamlining operations and market the park out of Sandusky. Meanwhile Kennywood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania begins to market in the Cleveland area.

     A lumberjack show was featured in the Water Ski Stadium and there was music on the midway with the Boogie Down Band. The park installs a video screen on the main gate for a new night time show called "Freedom", which is filled with patriot music and images.

     Several rides were out of commission this year. Bellaire Express only operated for a few weeks before finally closing for the year. Skyscraper also went down early in the year, never to reopen again. Steel Venom has a major malfunction before opening for the day back in July and would never reopen for the rest of the season. Three big rides closed in one area created a major dead zone in the 50's midway in 2006.

     Cedar Fair purchases the five Paramount Parks for $1.24 billion. This includes Kings Island, which is 20 miles north of Cincinnati. This gives Cedar Fair a monopoly of parks in Ohio.

     Very late 2006 rumors circulate that X-Flight was going to be removed. No one seemed to believe it until November when a van is spotted inside X-Flight's footprint. The van would belong to a surveying company from Cincinnati. Shortly thereafter, Cedar Fair confirms the ride is being relocated to Kings Island. Removal of the ride begins in December.

     2007
     Little did we know that things were going to drastically change this year and never improve as the year went by. After watching X-Flight come down through the winter we find out that Steel Venom is also going to be removed. The dismantling of Steel Venom began in March with the final pieces being removed in June. The ride would be rumored to be heading to Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

     In the February 5th issue of Crain's Cleveland Business, an article on Geauga Lake appears to address the changes going on at the park since two coasters were being removed. Jack Falfas, Chief Operating Officer for Cedar Fair, is quoted as saying (along with other remarks from the article)

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     "Our intent is to clean up that whole front area...They have a large number of roller coasters and rides in there. It's more than what the guest demand is (justifying) right now." (regarding removal of the X-Flight, Steel Venom, and Monorail)

     "It has become clear that Geauga Lake's appeal lies as a cozy, regional attraction rather than a thrill-seeker's paradise."

     "I think, at first, some people assumed - and maybe we did ourselves - that Geauga Lake was "Cedar Point East"..."It's not going to be a Cedar Point East. It's a local park, it's a great picnic park, it's a community thing."

     "Mr. Falfas notes that Cedar Fair isn't abandoning the rides side of Geauga Lake: He notes that the company has invested in a lot of repainting an sprucing up of existing rides and has rebuilt the Raging Wolf Bobs coaster. He also says there are plans for new attractions but wouldn't offer any details."

     "Despite Geauga Lake's flat attendance, Cedar Fair insists there's reason for optimism. Company spokeswoman Stacey Frole said with fewer operating days in 2006, Geauga Lake brought in the same number of guests as in previous seasons - something the company sees as a mark of growth."

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     The park shortens the 2007 season even further by opening the park on Memorial Weekend instead of the first weekend of May. Despite the reduction of operating days, the park is the busiest it's been since the Six Flags days.

    The Bellaire Express monorail would also be removed this year, with new light posts installed where track supports used to be. The removal of the monorail makes the 50's midway look more open than it used to. Skyscraper would remain closed all season.

     The Villain's trick track, which was becoming a painful part of the ride, is straightened out. Villain also receives new track in other sections of the ride as well as braces to adjust the track gauge if needed.

     Jukebox Cafe gets a makeover. Thunderhawk gets an on-ride video system placed on the trains. Texas Twister gets a bright yellow and orange paint scheme.

     "Lego Racers 4D" replaces "Robots of Mars" in the Harbor Theater. The Tidal Wave Bay area receives sixteen more cabanas. The park adds an All-American Cornhole game near 3-Point Challenge.

     Raging Wolf Bobs suffers a derailment in June and remains closed the rest of the season.

     Rumors begin to circulate by mid-summer stating that Dominator and Thunderhawk were going to be removed from the park. By the end of August rumors of the park's demise begin to filter out. Park administrators are tight lipped and/or even lie about the rumors when asked.

     September 21, 2007, not even a full week after the park closes for the season, Cedar Fair announces that Geauga Lake will be downsized to just a water park as the rides side will remain closed for good. This news is a major blow to Northeast Ohio. The park would be auctioned off the following June.

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