When I walked up I noticed first that the park was all decked out for Celebrate America. I also noticed the park was played its old Americana track everywhere. I call it the OLD Americana track, as it is no longer played in Americana, but after hearing it for years, and years, definitely old Americana track. It was, not surprisingly about 1,000X better then the horrendous pop music that they have been playing lately.This is true even in Scandinavia (though a bit odd in Africa I have to say...). In Americana specifically, which has been playing well.. JUNK, its amazing how much it adds to the atmosphere. It just FELT right. In this day and age of homogenization, when the people up at Cedar Point are dead set to make every other Cedar Fair park JUST like them (did we not learn from Six Flags?), I don't expect change back to the old cool themed music in all the sections of the park. However, I have to say it really makes a difference, and with the economy being as poor as it is, and the temperatures being as high as they have been... Amazingly Silver Dollar City was busy. Worlds of Fun is not. Why is that I wonder? Atmosphere I bet has a lot to do with it, and music DOES make a difference.
Okay off that soap box. So before heading in I saw this sign...
Interesting...
Last night my visit didn't start so positively. I stopped at the Grand Carousel first. I noticed almost immediately that the 2nd chariot was AWOL. I am assuming it is out for repair, certainly it can't be to make a 80 year old carousel accessible? Unlike the music in the park there have been a lot of repairs going on around the park as we shall see.
One thing I really wish they would fix, and three months later it is way past the whole "its the start of the season and we can't get everything done" excuse. Hello green towers still?
Now with all of that being said, there are a few good changes happening...
Those old steps in Scandinavia finally received some love. Though I have to say... I find this humorous that you can still see the holes from where the park removed the ORIGINAL hand rails.
Landscaping is one overall department at Worlds of Fun that I have almost no complaints about (the grass is a little brown... but really who's isn't?) Landscaping looks good, truthfully, better then it has in a few years at least. I love these new urns through the park. Plus I am seeing a lot of areas that had several scrubs barely hanging on to life, replaced. This is a good example.
Another thing in Scandinavia I noticed... (and around the park too), does everyone remember how all the water in the park used to be dyed blue? Then they stopped doing that several years ago and all the water started getting all... well you know not smelling like roses.. The blue dye is back. Everywhere. I like it. I don't understand my strange infatuation with the blue water either, just go with it.
More pretty flowers/plants. Unfortunately I think very few people notice it. This is in front of the old Zinger station. Which speaking of...
You know those people that asked why I put up photos of the old Zinger tunnel from 1999 and wondered why I listed it under Construction 2013? Well here is a little explanation... Hmmmm... (If you have no idea what I am talking about see here)
Another look from the old Zinger bridge (from the train), looking down. Definitely something afoot going on here... Its not obvious from the photo but many of the old zinger footers that were left have been removed.
More work going on here, near Prowler.
Last shot in Africa section, the deck near Mummy's Yummy's is taped off and getting part of its deck replaced. Though I don't have photos of it, many of the other various decks in the park have been repaired, most notably the Ripcord/Patriot smoking deck has received some work lately as well. I'm not sure if these were "absolutely necessary" repairs, or "we should get it done since eventually it will need to be done" repairs, either way, its a good thing since they could have just demo'd both. Like that path in Scandinavia...
One last thing... as I am sure some of you know, I haven't been updating this blog as often lately because I am in nursing school. I also haven't been doing a lot of historical blogs, because they take a long time to do, lots of research, and scanning (no digital cameras back then). I am planning on doing a series on the seven original 1973 park rides still operating in the park. I am looking right now for any good stories that people might have about any of these rides (Voyager, Fling, Scambler, Octopus, Depot, Autobahn, Taxi's and Dutchman), either from an employee's or guests stand point. I will not post names if you would like your name to be removed. However, if you have a great story you would like to share please feel free to e-mail me at jlovesee@sbcglobal.net, or send a message to me on Facebook from here. Hope everyone enjoys their week, and hope to see everyone at the park!