originally posted on 7/22/2022
Photo: Courtesy of Alabama Adventure. View full-sized image.
Alabama Adventure in Bessemer, Alabama, has been looking for its next big ride for the past few years, and what better way to give the guests what they want than with a new roller coaster. In mid-2021, the park found an opportunity with another family-operated park (Lake Winnepesaukah, Rossville, Georgia) that was removing one of its existing rides and got the coaster wheels turning. Relocating a Wild Mouse roller coaster from another amusement park (just over two hours away) was the project, and the plan started falling into place in the fall of 2021 for what, at the time, seemed like an easy 2022 opening. Removal of the ride went smoothly, and the plan to reinstall and update the ride was in place. The decision to add a completely new control system and a new paint job was also made, a process that was started in late 2021. The project’s timeline was going smoothly; inspections and reinstallation had begun by early 2022. Eventually, it was time to start ordering replacement parts, hire local contractors and get the ride running for a May opening.
Photo: Jay Jacobs. View full-sized image.
It was soon very apparent that the world was not the same when it came to parts ordering and subbing out contractor work. Parts that were ordered in December, with two-week lead times, suddenly turned into two-month lead times (some lead times were even greater). Contractors suddenly became unavailable for work because there were bigger projects offered at other local establishments. The park started doing as much as possible in house, such as a complete ride vehicle rehab (including new fiberglass on the cars with a great new mouse theme), concrete work, motor rehab and brake updates. By April, the ride was completely erected, and then it was up to the will of the world to start getting parts in stock and shipped. This proved to be a monumental task. The park spent days (and nights) on the phone, sending emails and tracking down new vendors that might have the parts needed to get the ride running safely. With the assistance of a couple of key outside contractors, the ride was getting close, but was not ready for its May 2022 debut. By June, most of the parts had finally arrived (with a lot of creative procurement skills), and it was time to start testing. Testing this late into season had its own challenges. Guests did not want to hear “supply chain” issues as an excuse, so the park kept pushing to get things finished. In early July, the new-for-2022 Cheddar Chase finally became a reality and hosted its first riders.
Photo: Jay Jacobs. View full-sized image.
Photo: Jay Jacobs. View full-sized image.
A group of American Coaster Enthusiasts (as part of the annual Rip Roarin' Rampage event) were the first members of the public to ride and left with nothing but positive reviews. Shortly after, the public started taking their rides, leaving the coaster with smiles on their faces, adding comments such as “I was not expecting that!” For a midsized ride such as Cheddar Chase, the park did everything it could to elevate its appeal to the guests. This included its strategic placement on top of the hillside at the back of the park, which gave riders an amazing bird’s-eye view of the park and left them with the feeling of being on the edge of a cliff while taking those classic tight turns through the sky (and giving nonriders a great view of the ride). One thing the past few seasons has proved is that parks have to be more creative, do more with less and still deliver the same amazing product their guests expect. The construction of Cheddar Chase turned out to be a real-life version of cat and mouse, but in the end was a worthwhile project for Alabama Adventure, a park that cares so much about its guests’ positive experience.
— Michael Schwitek, General Manager, Alabama Adventure
Photo: Jay Jacobs. View full-sized image.
Photo: Courtesy of Alabama Adventure. View full-sized image.
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