Trip Report: Wyandot Lake
Powell, Ohio - 06/08/1996
"Does anyone ELSE want off?!"
Wyandot Lake is located in Powell, Ohio, in the Columbus metro area, adjacent
to the Columbus Zoo.
Wyandot Lake is an odd little park, I believe it is the smallest of the Premier
parks, and it is only about 20 minutes away from my house...meaning that while
its classic wooden coaster is not particularly spectacular, it is the only roller
coaster I can ride on my lunch hour. I was a little bummed out at spending CoasterMania
sitting in a football stadium watching my younger brother receive his Bachelor's
degree, so I needed a coaster fix. I got to the park around 5:30pm.
THE GENERAL STUFF:
Admission is roughly $15, parking is $2. The park is generally open 10am-8pm;
'till 9pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
THE RIDE LIST:
I said the park is odd...it is odd because of the combination of waterpark and
traditional amusement park. Originally, it was the "Zoo Amusement Park"
which was a run-down ride park. Some time in the 1980's, FunTime stepped in and
built a really nice waterpark and upgraded the whole place. Now that Premier has
taken over, further upgrades are obvious, and it will be interesting to see where
this park goes in the next few years. Anyway, the ride complement, with comments
is as follows--
Ferris Wheel (Eli Bridge Co.)
It has been a while since I took a ride on this well-maintained wheel. For those
of you keeping track, Wyandot is now a Coca-Cola park, but the neon "PEPSI"
sign is still mounted on the wheel's axle. It isn't turned on anymore, though.
Bumper Cars (Duce)
These are presently out of service, though work is obviously being done on the
cars. I wonder what else they're up to...
Frolic Ride (King Amusement Co.)
I skipped this one on this visit. This is a rare classic Whirl-&-Hurl, though.
Scrambler (Eli Bridge Co.)
This has gotten a new paint job and a new lighting package in the off season.
It's a good one...it runs smooth, and I clocked it at 12 RPM on the center axis,
approaching 20 RPM on the car-arms...so it is running at top speed.
Rock-O-Plane (Eyerly Aircraft Co/Oregon Rides)
This carnival classic is bouncing around a little more than I remember in the
past, and one car was lashed to the frame. This was running all-out as well.
Spider (Eyerly Aircraft Co/Oregon Rides)
This ride has obviously been almost totally rebuilt. A ride op informed me that
the center oscillator mechanism was replaced, and the pivot bearings are obviously
new. When last I rode this one, it was a disappointing ride owing to really stiff
car pivot bearings. They've loosened up a lot, so the tubs can really get going.
This thing is positively great this year. Of course, when I took my first
ride, there was a slight interruption when three people wanted off before the
attendant had even started the oscillator... 8-}
Sea Dragon (Philadelphia Toboggan Co - John Allen/Frank Hoover)
This 36' tall ACE Coaster Classic still lives up to its honors. The flanged-wheel
cars track beautifully over the figure-8 plus oval layout. The ride runs smoothly,
and in the past two years, the train has been totally rebuilt to meet or exceed
original specifications. I also noticed that the lone operator was exceptionally
attentive, evicting certain unruly guests where appropriate.
I also wandered through the waterpark. The wave pool is, as one might expect
considering all the nasty weather, too @#$! cold and had about eight people
in it. The park also has a really nice lazy river with two access points...one
well within the water area; the other on the main midway. Now, this is useful
as it connects the "old" water area with the "new" water
area, Christopher's Island. This is a large gunite lagoon with three large structures
on it. First, there is what looks a little like a wrecked sailing vessel with
several short (a few feet long) water slides into the lagoon. Second, there
is a waterspout play area relocated from elsewhere in the park. Finally, there
is the new attraction, the centerpiece to the new water area. This is a four-story
treehouse-style structure consisting of platforms and climbing nets (all ages
welcome on this thing) and lots and lots and lots of water. Throughout the complex
there are lots of waterspouts, most of which are controlled by easily-accessible
valves. The whole structure gives visitors a whole bunch of innovative ways
to squirt water at each other. The attraction isn't quite finished...they are
still attaching water slides to it...I think there will be five or six slides
when it is all done. But when it is complete, Wyandot Lake claims that there
will be 99 water activites on board, and that the treehouse can accommodate
five-hundred people at a time! Wow! It's a bit behind schedule, but this attraction
is already obviously popular. If it ever warms up this season, it will be really
popular. I still think they should have installed Geauga Lake's old Corkscrew,
but Christopher's Island is a good addition to the park.
If you're in Columbus and want to get wet, check it out!
Next trip: Holiday World
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--Dave Althoff, Jr.