I was a ride op on Mariners in '82..

[discoexpressrideop]

ONE HUGE THANK YOU FOR THIS WEBSITE!!!! The memories are incredible. The videos brought tears to my eyes! During my search for Wildwood info I came across several incredible sites with photos and info.

I graduated High School in Chichester in 1982 and during "senior week" I got a job working for Tom and Jerr's Amusements on Mariner's Landing.

I was hired to be a trainee on the "Disco Express" bobsled-style Himalaya ride which was located on the North side of the pier just west of the small metal coaster.

During training I was assigned to op the Tilt-a-whirl and the Kiddie Coaster, which were also T&J rides.

I wonder if anyone has photos of the Disco Express or of Mariner's Landing in 1982/83.

I returned to construct rides in Spring of '83 but did not end up working the whole summer.

I would think that being a ride op, there are probably tons of pictures of me that are in family albums all over the US and Canada! It would be so awesome to happen upon one someday.

[robert]

Hi, I was there in the summers of '82 and '83. We always hit Mariner's Landing. Do you remember Castle Dracula that was across the boardwalk that was on Nickels Midway Pier next to the old wooden coaster that was torn down fall 1984. I don't suppose you remember Hitchcock Manor that was on Mariner's Landing because it burned down Aug 1981. The webmasters of this site rode it back then probably 1980 and said it was one of the scariest dark rides. There is info about it on funchase.com It opened in 1978 I believe. Now, there's a scary boat ride there that used to be called Dark River but recently it was changed to Pirates of Wildwood. Did you visit Hunt's Pier at that time when all the old rides were there and Bud Hunt owned it? I was. And Fun Pier before it burned down in '84? I rode the Lost World dark ride there and the Crazy House fun house and saw Castle Frankenstein walk-through from the outside at night. I was under 10 at the time, born Jan 1974. My dad passed away Mar 1986 and we stopped going to WW until several years later then we went back for a few years. My last visit was June '98 when the castle was there, the Golden Nugget Mine Ride on former Hunt's Pier (Dino Beach 96-98) was open, the theaters, all the motels. Now, old motels are being torn down left and right for new condos, Castle Dracula burned in 2002, the Golden Nugget closed in 1999, new rides added to Morey's, older flat rides retired like the old Zyclon coaster, and 1001 Nacht. My hometown park is Dorney Park and it changed so much. They got rid of all the old dark rides, one of them burned in Sept. 1983, the others were removed following '92 and '93 following the acquistion of the park by Cedar Fair from Ohio. It was formerly owned by local families since 1884.

[Crippled Visions]

Welcome Disco. You probably have plenty of nice memories of working the amusements on the boards. Check www.funchase.com for some good pictures of the Wildwood piers.

And please don't let Robert scare you away from here. He loves to ask people about old dark rides. Don't bother answering him because he will only ask you the same questions again.

[crazyaboutwildwood]

I would like to know more about this tom and jerrs amusements. I know the moreys had other operators on the pier in the past? How did that work back then?

[clnancy50]

Crippled Visions, Fantastic pictures of the Wildwood Piers!! What memories they brought back!

[Crippled Visions]

clnancy50 said:

Crippled Visions, Fantastic pictures of the Wildwood Piers!! What memories they brought back!

Yes..Ralph did a real nice job with that website. Real quality stuff there.

[clnancy50]

I have a question; this Cedar Fair; this is the same organization that bought out Dorney Park, right? I go on Amazon.com and buy alot of books and there was a book there called Cedar Fair Amusements. Is that one and the same? Also, is the Golden Nugget still standing or is it no longer there? Another question (sorry), but what was the cause of all these fires in past years? Were they deliberately set?