Trip Report: Waldameer
Erie, PA
September 5, 2021

“Now this is an old school park that I would be proud to have as my home park”

Continuing off of yesterday’s trip to Camden Park, we had foursome today with April and Tony joining us for a trip to Waldameer. The goal was a 9AM departure, and by group standards we did pretty well with a 9:30 departure, part of that taken up by the discovery that the ice machine didn’t make any ice overnight, which we were planning on using for the cooler. While contemplating on how to solve this problem, we first turned the ice maker on and waited a while, until we realized there is a bodega right across the street that sells ice. Bag of ice purchased, part of which went in the cooler, the rest of which went in the freezer. Then it was off, and just one comfort stop along the way we were pulling into Geneva-on-the Lake, OH.

This is a resort town right by Lake Erie, and like many resort towns, has a main drag for the tourist lined with tourist traps like arcades, mini golf, water sports equipment rentals, and more casual dining opportunities than you can shake a stick at. We were lucky to find street parking almost right across from where we were planning on eating. As I hesitated to cross the street, they said “The traffic on this street is constant, but just start to cross and it will stop” Sure, I’ve heard that one before, but in this town it really is true, just start to act like you are crossing and all traffic comes to a halt. It’s that “everybody is on vacation having a fun laid back time” mentality. On the way to our restaurant, I passed another that has taken the news of being rated “The worst breakfast ever” on Trip Advisor, as putting as listing said breakfast on the menu as “Trip Advisors Worst Breakfast Ever” proving no publicity is bad publicity. We passed what looks like a theatre converted into an arcade, but unfortunately all it had was a few crane games out front.

Next up was Eddie’s Grill. This is exactly what you think of when you think 1950’s hamburger stand, you order out front at a window from a simple menu: hot dogs, burgers, sloppy joe, fish, fries or slaw. There is a Dairy Queen in the same building for desert. Oh and craft root beer. We each got us a chili dog with assorted toppings. Cheese comes in the form of slices and is under the hot dog, then the dog, then the chili, then well they have a full toppings bar, go crazy. It’s not Cincinnati chili, so a bit sweeter than I am used to, but it satisfied, unlike the very unremarkable and overpriced fries I got to go with it. I should have known when the more experienced Eddies’ diners amongst us didn’t get any fries. Oh, and the root beer was tasty as well. We ate out on the expansive outside patio, and from where I was sitting you could look down the street and see Lake Erie. They also have a vintage jukebox with booth boxes – and their tactic seems to be they play German oom-pah-pah music unless somebody plays the jukebox, which overrides the background music. As we were finishing up lunch, and with some distance still to travel, there were calls for another type of facility. I heart how those at Eddie’s are small, primitive, and made to be just about as uncomfortable as possible. This led to a small side conversation about how this is a common problem in tourist zones like these. Nobody wants to run restrooms because of the work and cost involved, leaving travelers in a lurch.

After lunch, Dave and I took a walk down the main drag, I peeked in some arcades but I didn’t see any old school type games. Our goal though, was to show me a grass lot tucked behind some businesses. Dave showed me a building. It was a dull gray building with a nice size from porch, but more peculiarly the two single doors are set into what looked to be double doors or wider in their past life, one on each end of the porch. Looking at the concrete porch you could see remnants of a track and grooves worn into the porch. IF that didn’t give it away, looking up towards the roof line, this rather plain building had the traditional haunted house façade on the front of its roof, just painted over in gray. Yep, this was once the dark ride, at what once what Erieview park, as it sat on the lakeside. Next to the former dark ride building is a building with a bunch of service type size windows that might have been games or food, except Dave told me the park didn’t both much with food, seeing as the whole main drag has it in abundance. We walked around with a “this ride used to be here, and this ride there” A pathway marks out what was once the train ride, and at one far end a Ferris Wheel still remains as the last ride, and reminder to this park. Turns out the rest of the group found us, we walked back on the other side of the street, did find and use the public restroom building, which while most vandal proof in design, was a better offering. Lastly, a group photo in front of Eddie’s, and back on the road.

Next up, Waldameer!

We turned into one of Waldameer’s parking lots, and went right past what looked like two overflow lots and found ourselves in a lot right up behind the rides, parked roughly in back of the log flume. Waldameer is operated the old fashioned way, no parking charge, no admission charge, in fact there are gates around the park you can enter and exit through that are no-where near the ticket booths, and these gates are left open and unattended.. As we walked up to the entrance gate, we noted a large sign proclaiming that there would be no on site ticket sales for labor day, all guests must buy the ride pass, and they must do it in advance, and that no tickets would be sold, even on line after 5pm. Luckily that is tomorrow, and we keep heading to the gate. Here is where the effects of the staffing shortage are showing for the park. Of 8 ticketing lanes, only 1 was open. Further signs indicated that due to staffing issues several rides were closed (luckily mostly in the water park), and that others would operate on a rotating basis throughout the day.
Lanes 1-4 are for any customer, and 5-8 are so called Express lanes, this is where people with a pre purchased ticket or season pass can go, essentially anybody that doesn’t need the cashier. As I said only 1 lane was open which meant we were in the same line as other day guests as ourselves and also season ticket holders that just needed to scan in and get their wristbands for the day. We were happy to learn the large family ahead of us were all season ticket holders, that should go quick right? I don’t know what made that so difficult, but that seemed to take forever. How long, well normally you pay the first person, they give you a ticket, then you step down to the next window turn in ticket and they put an armband on you. This group required manager intervention for something, so the manager assisted them at the second window, and we paid and got our armbands at the first window, and when we were done they were still blocking the lane ahead of us, so we backed out and went In through the closed lane ahead of us. Mind you that was with all of us paying for tickets.

(Ride-A-Rama Purhcase price $34 – Value of rides taken so for $0.00) – Note – rides are on a pay per ride basis, or you can get the Ride-A-Rama which is all the rides, or the POP which includes the water park. Rides are priced in “Wally Points” where 1 point = $1.

We get into the park and purposely turn whichever way said family was not going. This led us to the Comet, which is the parks older, smaller wood coater. About halfway between the junior woodies at the old KECO parks and the Stricker’s Grove Torndo., with a track plan that is similar but not an exact match, We get in line and after scanning in at the turnstile, find ourselves in a rather short wait, just the last twist of the queue as it winds its way up to the station. Operations are very efficient, in fact it is not uncommon to see both trains in the station at once, with one in unload and the other in load. In an interesting timing quirk it seems the incoming train is let into the unload station at the same time the lap bars are locked on the loading train. I guess the idea is, that before the trains cold possible collide the riders in the front train are properly seated. It’s a curved station, and out we go, the track is stained wood with red trim. It’s the double out and back with some gentle hills, but it does have a couple pops of air on it. At the end of the ride, the unload ramp mirrors the load ramp, just on the other side of the station, except there are two ramps on the unload side that run alongside each other, one is the exit, and the other is the ADA access ramp. At the end of the exit is one of those old fashioned 4 arm non counting turnstiles that used to be at the entry doors of every drug and discount store to make sure people didn’t back out without going through the check lanes. I guess when those fell out of favor, they were all rounded up and brought to Waldameer. The path with also narrows down where you have to sort of stuff yourself through facing sideways, then as if that isn’t enough, there is a push gate after that. Dave told me to used to this arrangement. I noted the ADA gate is blocked by a mag locked gate.
Wally Points: Ridden: 3 – Points to Break Even: 31
Enough small talk, let’s head to the main attraction. Dave detours me through the Gift House, and well, let’s just say it looks like the day after the red tag sale. I can see I’m not getting anything here either. Why is it the parks where I really WANT to get something, doesn’t have anything Behind the Gift House we find Ravine Flyer II. 2, you may ask, as well you should as the park even has a display about how the parks old coaster was the Ravine Flyer, and this new ride takes up the same park of the park, including the picnic pavilion to your left which was the original station. We enter under the sign, then the pathway goes down a winding downward ramp, under the track, and into what would today be a dis-used queue area. We take the shortest possible path, and headed right up to the turnstile. Here they were only letting one train load at a time onto the platform. Dave and I head to that back seat, no trouble with belts and bars.