originally posted on 10/2/2020
Photo: Bill Linkenheimer III. View full-sized image.
“Into each life, some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s words written in 1842 certainly seem to apply to 2020. What started off as a promising year for most will end up being possibly the least favorite year in their lifetimes. There are not a lot of good 2020 memories that folks will want to be nostalgic for later.
Similar to the abrupt closure of Clementon Park and its wooden coaster Hell Cat at the end of 2019, Indiana Beach (Monticello) and Fantasy Island (Grand Island, New York) were both quickly closed and faced an uncertain future early in 2020, even when the economy still looked good prior to the pandemic. By mid-March, it felt like the world had changed almost overnight, and the amusement industry came to a surprising and immediate halt.
The salvation of Indiana Beach was one of the biggest preservation stories of 2020.
Photo: Rendell Bird. View full-sized image.
As the summer started to unfold, coaster enthusiasts watched with excitement and anticipation each week as new park openings were announced. But, alas, many parks never opened this year, and some may never open again. A handful of local family entertainment centers closed for good as well this year, and countless regional amusement parks had very limited operating calendars or never opened at all. Even ACE’s preservation efforts to recognize historically significant coasters were thwarted this year when the postponement of Coaster Con 43 delayed the naming of Dorney Park’s Thunderhawk as an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark.
Thunderhawk
Photo: Bobby Nagy. View full-sized image.
Larger park chains with somewhat deeper pockets like Cedar Fair, Six Flags, SeaWorld, Universal and Disney were not immune to the virus and economic uncertainty either. While all SeaWorld, Universal and Disney parks were open at some point this year (even though, as of this writing, the California parks that are part of these chains still have not reopened, other than for non-ride operations at SeaWorld San Diego), several parks in the Cedar Fair and Six Flags chains never opened, including California’s Great America, Carowinds, Kings Dominion, Valleyfair, Six Flags Great America, Six Flags New England, The Great Escape and Six Flags Darien Lake. Others had very limited operating calendars.
“Be still, sad heart! and cease repining; Behind the clouds is the sun still shining.”
One of the benefits of times like these, though it’s often hard to realize, is that they make you appreciate the better times in life and realize that (apologies to Annie), the sun will come out tomorrow. The bad times often inspire us to take action, however we can individually, to bring back those good times. The same is true of the amusement industry and ways that ACEers can play a role in the return of good times.
Amid all the disappointment this year, there also was one of the best preservation stories in years — the resurrection of Indiana Beach. The park that seemed likely to be gone forever suddenly came back to life. It turned out that new park owner Gene Staples had the defibrillator shock paddles to give the park the jolt it needed. The year also saw three other preservation success stories, as Jack Rabbit coasters at Kennywood (West Mifflin, Pennsylvania) and Seabreeze (Rochester, New York) each turned 100 years old, as did Scenic Railway and Dreamland in Margate, England, even if all of these were not able to open this season.
View full-sized image.
Among the preservation success stories that were not able to celebrate a 100th anniversary because of the pandemic were Seabreeze’s Jack Rabbit and Dreamland’s Scenic Railway.
Photos: Tim Baldwin & Derek Perry. View full-sized image.
Moving into 2021, smaller, locally owned-and-run parks like Indiana Beach will need a lot of help to continue to operate. ACE will try to assist where it can with donations from the Preservation Fund, so if you are financially able to help in that effort by making a donation, you will be helping out the industry you love. But the easiest way you can help is to support your local parks with your dollars by visiting them whenever you feel safe to return. Maybe make that extra purchase of food or a souvenir. Any bit will help. Amusement parks cannot survive without their guests. Preservation doesn’t have to just mean saving an endangered roller coaster. Preservation can be simply supporting and visiting your local parks to ensure they stay in business and continue to entertain guests for years to come.
Leap The Dips was able to reopen in 2020, in part thanks to the support of ACE members.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
ACE will continue to look for ways to assist parks with its form of “preventive preservation,” using resources to support endangered parks and coasters. ACE donated $10,000 to Lakemont Park (Altoona, Pennsylvania) this year for the continued operation and maintenance of Leap The Dips. If you know a park or coaster that needs help, remember to let ACE’s History and Preservation Director David Dragun know about potential candidates for ACE’s assistance. It’s never been more important for ACE members to be advocates, supporters and cheerleaders for the industry!
— Jerry Willard, ACE Immediate Past President
@#$%&!
#ACENews