originally posted on 8/5/2022 2:07:00 AM
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
Any ACEer can describe the letdown
that happens at the end of Coaster Con. After living and breathing coasters for
six days, it’s hard to turn off the fun of seeing friends and riding those
scream machines every day. To ease the pain, ACE Western Pennsylvania offered
two regional post-Con events on June 25: ACE Goes IdleWILD at Idlewild and
SoakZone in Ligonier and Allegheny Mountain Madness at Lakemont in Altoona and
DelGrosso’s in Tipton. Although the compact schedule was perhaps not ideal for exploring
all these parks have to offer, the regional rep team chose this itinerary to
accommodate as many postconvention plans as possible, and the proximity of the
three parks made a one-day visit doable.
First on the schedule was
Idlewild, the third oldest amusement park in the United States. The 132 attendees
arriving on this sunny but not too hot day drove through the gates toward
parking lot D, and from there, it was only a short stroll down a path where
Idlewild Director of Marketing Jeff Croushore waited to greet them and point toward
ACE’s pavilion, where doughnuts and coffee were waiting.
Photo: Lisa Mohr. View full-sized image.
Rollo Coaster.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
An hour of morning ERT included
Herb Schmeck’s wood Rollo Coaster (1938) plus the one and only Vekoma Wild
Mouse and Flying Aces, a flying scooter ride. An overlapping half hour of
ERT was held on Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and the Adult Hand Cars — always a
hoot when adults get competitive.
Wild Mouse.
Photo: Brandon York. View full-sized image.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
Fleming Cook and Reverend Cliff Herring enjoy the Adult Hand Cars.
View full-sized image.
Photos: Sarah Windisch. View full-sized image.
The park opened at 10:30, and
attendees were on their own until the picnic lunch at noon, which left plenty
of time to check out popular attractions such as the Loyalhanna Limited
Railroad, Confusion Hill and Story Book Forest.
Bill Linkenheimer III.
Photo: Sarah Windisch. View full-sized image.
Everyone gathered back at the
pavilion for a lunch of traditional picnic favorites including hamburgers,
pulled pork, baked beans and cole slaw. Regional Representative Bill
Linkenheimer III welcomed attendees and thanked the rep team and all the
volunteers for their help in organizing the post-Con events. In describing
Idlewild for those who had never visited, Linkenheimer mentioned that, unlike
most parks where visitors park their cars but then have to enter the park
through a gate, Idlewild’s distinction is that once visitors drive in and pay at
the admission booths, they are actually in the park.
Confusion Hill.
Photo: Lisa Mohr. View full-sized image.
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.
Photo: Brandon York. View full-sized image.
Croushore stepped up to welcome
attendees and introduce Idlewild’s new general manager, Tim Heger, who was
previously general manager at Adventureland in Altoona, Iowa. Given that many
in attendance were first-time Idlewild visitors, Croushore provided a brief
history of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, formerly Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Since most attendees would be leaving early either to travel home or head to
Allegheny Mountain Madness, Croushore surprised attendees with the gift of a
complimentary ticket to return again in the 2022 season.
Jeff Croushore.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
In closing, Linkenheimer called
out two authors of books on Idlewild who were in attendance (Croushore and
Jennifer Sopko) and reminded attendees of upcoming regional events and those in
nearby regions. A group photo by the Hillside Theater followed.
After lunch, no official activities
were scheduled at Idlewild, so those who didn’t have plans requiring them to
leave early were able to cool off in the park’s SoakZone waterpark. Attendees
were grateful for the opportunity to wind down a busy week in this beautiful,
shady park in the Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania.
— Lee Ann Draud, ACE Publications Director
#ACENews