originally posted on 11/26/2019
On Day Three of what the region dubbed as “One Frightful Weekend,” attendees were invited to celebrate Halloween “like a kid again.” The Dark Attraction and Funhouse Enthusiasts (DAFE) and ACE Western Pennsylvania co-sponsored It’s a BOO-tiful Day in the Neighborhood on Sunday, October 13, at Idlewild & SoakZone in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. And it was a daytime event! Members of the Great Ohio Coaster Club (GOCC), which organized Ghostly Gathering at Kennywood the night before, participated as well.
Photo: Dave Hahner. View full-sized image.
At 10 a.m. the 44 attendees met at Pavilion C, where Idlewild graciously provided coffee and doughnuts (plus candy) for anyone who might need to recover from the previous two nights of ghoulish activity. Jeff Croushore, director of marketing at Idlewild, welcomed everyone and answered questions about the schedule.
First on the agenda was a unique walkback through Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, followed by a trolley ride, with the trolley making stops through the neighborhood. ERT on Wild Mouse was next on the schedule, but the mouse was down, so the 1938 Herbert Schmeck-designed Rollo Coaster was substituted. Rides on this 1938 woodie are always fun, but many hoped that Wild Mouse might open later.
Photo: Dave Hahner. View full-sized image.
2019 marked the 35th anniversary of Confusion Hill, and a tour of this popular walkthrough attraction with its gravity-defying illusions followed. As part of the tour, attendees got to see the behind-the-scenes reveal of how this tilt house gets its tilt. The tour was followed by a tasty lunch back in the pavilion. DAFE’s director and co-founder, Rick Davis, thanked Idlewild for its hospitality, and ACE Western Pennsylvania Regional Rep Bill Linkenheimer III thanked DAFE for organizing the event.
After lunch, attendees were free to go trick or treating through Story Book Forest, an activity that the park otherwise limits to kids. Treat bags were provided, and treats were collected by all! Trick or treating marked the end of the official activities for It’s a BOO-tiful Day, but no one was eager to leave this lovely park on such a bright, good-weather day.
Some made their way back to the rides area, and many still held out hope for a spin on Wild Mouse. This popular Vekoma mouse, whose previous homes had been both Wiener Prater (Vienna, Austria) and Alton Towers (Alton, Staffordshire, England), had been down for most of 2019, so there were no guarantees it would run. In addition, it has never operated during the Hallowboo season, but the park was attempting to get it open just for our group. From a distance, attendees could see mechanics working on it, so on the chance that it would open, many lined up at the ride’s entrance. Finally, a smiling employee came down the path to remove the entrance barrier! A long line of eager riders scurried up the ramp, eager to ride. Only two mice made it around the track before the ride broke down again. After a short time, it reopened, but unfortunately, only about four more cars completed the circuit before the park pulled the plug on its operation owing to the ride being especially sensitive to colder temperatures. For the few who got a ride, it was a dream come true.
Photo: Dave Hahner. View full-sized image.
The afternoon flew by, and all too soon it was time for the park to close and the weekend of events to come to an end. Thanks to the staff at Idlewild and to DAFE for planning a fun day at this beautiful children’s park.
— Lee Ann Draud
ACE Publications Director
@#$%&!
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