Big Time Dark Ride losses for NY

[robert]

The New York area could be losing FOUR single railed electric cart dark rides after the 2007 season. They are:

Zombie Castle, Rye Playland (park evicting private ride owners)
Flying Witch, Rye Playland
Dante's Inferno, Astroland (park closing for new development)
Ghost Hole, Coney Island (developer bought land)

This is serious. Any fan of dark rides should make a point to go to NY soon. You have one more month to ride these before their fate is decided. We're losing way too many dark rides lately and I think it's due to some hidden agenda with the developers and the towns/cities these parks are located in to either make the parks safer, more family-friendly, remove high maintenance potentially unsafe rides or to close the parks for new year-round development that generates more tax revenue such as high end condos or upscale shops. Whatever the reason, this stinks. Trimper's Rides in OC, MD is in danger, too due to high taxes. Rising tax assessments will cause parks to close and land sold to developers and they will build condos there because condos are the only thing that will give them a return on their investment, amusement parks won't generate enough revenue to pay off their investment and the higher tax bills.

[hauntfan]

You said it Robert. Its all about GREED. Condos are the bain of amusement enthusiasts like us. There is one block on the north end of the boardwalk in Seaside Heights that was already torn down, and a condo built in its place. The large "Pleasure Island" amusement complex block which has been closed for a few years now is also going to be torn down for condos. I was there last saturday, I saw a big sign advertising the new complex.

Thanks for the heads up about Rye Playland. I will be sure to get up there within the next couple weeks to document Zombie Castle and Flying Witch.

I still really miss the Haunted Manor walk through being in Seaside Heights. Seaside had a great 1-2 combination with Stillwalk and Haunted Manor. A great dark ride and a great walk through on seperate piers, it really reminded me of Wildwood in the early 80s.

[robert]

What was Pleasure Island? What was on the block that was torn down? Are they building condos on the BOARDWALK now? When will it stop? Is Seaside turning into WW, that is are old motels being torn down for condos there, too? However, the amusement PIERS in NJ seem to be safe for now, because there's regulations prohibiting private residences being built on the beach or existing amusement piers. The piers must always be used for amusements. But, there was a plan to close Funtown Pier, remove all the rides off it, and build condos on it. But, Funtown says they're not going anywhere. It's the beach parks on LAND, not PIERS that are threatened with extinction because land parks like Myrtle Beach Pavilion or Astroland Coney sit/sat on land that became more valuable in this decade to redevelop into something year-round or that would generate more tax revenue. Since 2004 we already lost TWO major seaside land-based parks, Florida's Miracle Strip, and Myrtle Pavilion. Both had multi-level dark rides, Florida had the Bill Tracy Haunted Castle, built in 1963, and it was torn down 2005 or later but the innards (track, cars, props) were saved and are in the hands of a guy from Birmingham, AL that sets up a Halloween dark ride. Some of the props went to a fire company in western Florida not too far from the old park site. Myrtle's Haunted Hotel was torn down this March and the cars were just sold on ebay. I don't know what happened to the props. Also, Bell's Amusement Park Tulsa, OK is being dismantled to be moved the coaster Zingo is being saved and the Bill Tracy dark ride Phantasmagoria which will be rebuilt as a new dark ride. The old park site looks like a mess now. They were evicted from the fairgrounds after 50 years. Joyland Wichita with the first Bill Tracy Whacky Shack is not open this year and the WS had a small fire (vandals). The Bill Tracy Fright Zone that was at Erieview in Ohio was auctioned to a guy from western PA without the building and the stuff inside was moved to Conneaut Lake Park to be rebuilt inside an existing building but the park is in debt and it wasn't rebuilt yet. Very long story but that is the sad state of dark rides today, there were dark ride removals every year since 9/11. Here is a story about the loss of seaside parks www.parkworld-online.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/483/Coastal_Erosion.html

[hauntfan]

Robert, Pleasure Island was (the structure is still currently standing for now) a amusement building along the lines of the Palace in Asbury Park. It had an arcade, an indoor miniature golf course, indoor batting cages, food etc. It was cool. When I went in though around 2002 it looked, even then, that it had seen better days. It has a real 80s looking futuristic facade on the outside. If I can figure out how to do it I will try to post a photo of it. It was a real unique facility. It looks like it probably had its hey day in the early 80s when video arcades and amusement facilities were all the rage. Now, unfortunately the only thing that means anything to any developer is how much money can be made and so of course it is going to be condos. This is the reason I have spent the last 7 years going around photographing as much as I possibly can before it is all gone.

The other block (which is right next to the Pleasure Island block to the north) I vaguely remember being some kind of a food stand like hot dogs and it was painted orange. I shot photos of that too. I will try to find the pics, scan them and post them if I can find time.

Thanks for posting that Parkworld article, it looks like that is a good summary of the sad Park closings that are ravaging seaside resorts lately.

[robert]

It's a shame about the loss of the Haunted Manor from Seaside, because now, summer 2007 for the FIRST time since before Brigantine Castle was built in 1976 there is no summer walk-through haunt in the old style anywhere on NJ shore. Remember, Castle Dracula Wildwood ran between 1977-2001, then Zombie Xtreme opened in 2002 in Seaside but closed after 1 season due to high rent, then the Haunted Manor existed on the pier from 2003-2006. So, there was a walk-through haunt somewhere on NJ shore every year between 1977-2006. I don't know if Morey's Curse of the Mummy even counts as a haunt. It's just a tent with a false front and currently the only walk-through in Wildwood. There's also the Fun House at Pt. Pleasant Beach, but it's not a HAUNTED house. The only beaches with walk-through haunts now are Virginia Beach (3 of them) and Myrtle Beach (2 of them). Other places with walk-throughs, Niagara Falls, ON, Canada and Lake George, NY both have House of Frankensteins and Niagara has a Castle Dracula as well as others.

[1992]

robert said:

Ghost Hole, Coney Island (developer bought land)

That ride ruled and it was evicted last year in 2006.

[mclunatic4evr]

Summer bummer yo...

[robert]

Um, someone was just up there and rode it (the ghost hole) so how could it be evicted already? Laff in the dark replied back to me and told me it's still there. But, who knows after this year since Thor is buying up land at Coney. The Spook-A-Rama at Deno's Park will most likely be there next year since it won't be in the way of a construction site, but who knows. Oh well, if the governments and developers have their way, there will be only 2 electric rail dark rides in NY area next year. There are currently 6 if Ghost Hole is still there. 2 at Playland, 3 at Coney, and 1 at LI Adventureland. That's 6 dark rides down to TWO in one year! That sucks! The departing dark rides might not be destroyed, but they might find new homes but where, probably some foreign country. At least Playland is keeping the Old Mill. Unlike Dorney Park which tore down the Journey to the Center of the Earth after 1992 when Cedar Fair took over. This picture of the Ghost Hole was taken June, 2007 www.flickr.mud.yahoo.com/photos/wallyg/622176276/in/set-72157600478219471/

[mclunatic4evr]

Who would of guessed it? NY state a sanctuary for dark rides! I thought they'd all gone the way of the tide.

[plokoon]

If realiter developers didnt destroy the darkrides, global warming would of took the tide and destroy them.