Post by robert on Feb 16, 2007 23:57:18 GMT -5
The former Dorney Park's owner's wife passed away. She was the daughter of former owner Bob Plarr. I met Bob Ott at book signings. He wrote an article about the past dark rides for Laff in the dark. Here's an article about Ott. www.funworldmagazine.com/2006/jul/features/where_they_now/wherethey.html Scroll down. Ott and his son Bob walked away from the park in May, 1985 and sold the park to Harris Weinstein and Debora Plarr Weinstein who in turn sold the park to Cedar Fair, L. P. of Sandusky, Ohio in July, 1992. Cedar Fair decided in 1992 to remove the old mill, Journey to the Center of the Earth which was removed after the park closed for 1992. I hated that. That was a fun dark ride. I also hated when Bucket O' Blood burned down Sept 1983, and the Gold Mine walkthrough closed down. I guess Cedar Fair has to modernize the park to keep up with the times and safety issues. They still have the old coaster, Zephyr train, and Whip, though. Bob Ott left Dorney Park only months before Bud Hunt left Hunt's Pier, in 1985. Ott felt it was the right time to sell, plus he was getting older. Same thing like Bud Hunt. It just seems when parks change hands rides get destroyed. It happened with Dorney Park, Hunt's Pier and others.