Monday, March 5, 2012

Off Season Tour March 5, 2012

While its been a pretty slow off season for most, and for the park, it has been about exactly the opposite for myself. Since January 2012 I have been in Nursing School and working a full time job... Worlds of Fun has unfortunately taken the back seat. I know... I know... blasphemy. Instead of wondering about the park's 2012 operating schedule... I have spent time wondering exactly what language my Pharmacology book was written in :)

However, I haven't abandoned Worlds of Fun entirely. No I plan to spend some quality minutes writing this blog. So lets get on with it. Jeff (minus myself) got the chance to go out the WOF again today (03/05) for another off season tour... again minus me. So for all of you who would love the chance to set foot in the park during the off season... I feel your pain.

So this is about the only action going on in Scandinavia right now... Just for Girls (previously known as Copenhagen), is receiving a new roof. A good thing for sure, but I am left scratching my head. From what Jeff has told me Scandi Skees still looks more like an arcade then well... anything else. I have to wonder if the powers that be have looked at a calendar and realized the park opens in about a month? I mean its not like they can use the weather excuse this year... We shall see.


This one was a rather surprising positive change. So what is it? Here's a clue its was at its time the park's largest capital expenditure, and hasn't been touched basically... since then. Its Fury of the Nile, and it looks like some work is progressing on the end waterfall.


When I realized I might have to talk about Boomerang in a positive light in this blog... I didn't know what to think. After all I haven't exactly ever put Boomerang in a positive light... for heaven's sake I call it the Giant Cheesepuff. Still it already looks about a million times better with its new paint job.


Another ride that was in dire need of a paint job... Monsoon.


The future home of the ride previously known as Wacky Worm... in 2012 the Cosmic Coaster. Amazing how WOF always gets all these "new" coasters simply by renaming them. Think about it the park has been doing this since almost day one. Its like they did it with Funnicular in 1979 and realized... wow the guests fell for this "new" ride thing... lets keep doing it. Hey it works.



Remember how we discussed all the ADA compliant changes this year? Well here we have some major dirt moving in regards to that. Say goodbye to the Same Day Gateway/Ride and Slide Gateway. Well at least that old, steep, hill. Now in appropriate ADA style the entrance goes down a not so steep hill to the Oceans gate, and then turns toward WOF. In this photo specifically you can see where the old ticket booth used to be (where the concrete path ends)


Last but not least. If we can go back a few years, and remember the first attempted remodel of the bathrooms using drywall? Yes some of us remember that. Drywall... in an amusement park... with 100% humidity and no air-conditioning... (another discussion all by itself). Probably a good thing to re-do them with tile.

So that's pretty much it. Some forward progress, especially with Boomerang is being shown. I have to say I am rather surprised, that more hasn't been done. Opening Day is now only a short 40 days away... Enough time to make a believer out of me, and I hope they can as I am really tired of seeing "This Site Under Construction" signs on opening day.