Lake McClain Amusement Park - 1988 - Out in the Woods

[cookiecrispwizard]

So, I have a problem, all of my photos that I size down to try and fit the megabyte limit end up being too big. Unfortunately this means I can't post more on ParkCrafters until I figure this out or try to size down my photos even more. The park is up to the year 1989 already, and I really want to continue posting on here, hopefully this can be fixed somehow or the megabyte limit increased.

For now, I'll post what I have on the r/rct subreddit. 

[JB]

To get around the ParkCrafters limit, you can open a free account at imgur, upload you pics there, then embed them in your posts here at ParkCrafters. You can read more about it here:

 

[cookiecrispwizard]

Oh, cool. I already have Imgur. Originally I was going to post from Imgur but I decided against it because posting from ParkCrafters was easier. Probably just be a little more difficult now. I’ll have an update out by Tuesday then.

8 hours ago, JB said:

To get around the ParkCrafters limit, you can open a free account at imgur, upload you pics there, then embed them in your posts here at ParkCrafters. You can read more about it here:

 

 

Edited June 21, 2024 by cookiecrispwizard

[wolfpaw]

Yeah unfortunately when someone uploads their images on ParkCrafters, it eats up our disc space that we also need for our downloads section so there is a limit to every member's attachment uploads. As we grow and our site gets bigger, we can then (hopefully) continue to upgrade our server which will allow for more member space. For now, like JB mentioned, you can upload to any image-sharing site and just embed the images on your posts.

[cookiecrispwizard]

Four years into Michael Thompson and the YCN Corporation’s deal with the township, Lake McClain Amusement Park was ripe with expansion, as only $5 million dollars was spent of the $10 million dollars earmarked specifically to expand Lake McClain when it reopened with Sasquatch as the park’s star coaster. Attendance for the reopening exceeded expectations as 1 million walked through the gates over the expected 950,000 for the small regional park that had lost name recognition when it closed as Great Adventure Park back in 1982.

In 1988 the park opened up a new area behind the Sasquatch coaster, called the Backwoods. The park had dropped the “[Blank] Midway” moniker from its area names and instead went mostly arealess like most regional parks. As such, the Backwoods could be marketed as the first loosely-themed area of Lake McClain, and it proved to be popular.

Key to this expansion were three new flat rides installed in the area: Kite Fight, a kite themed scrambling attraction, similar to Mister Twister but different in that guests lay on their stomachs in kite themed vehicles while the ride spins them around, Ranger, an Intamin Ranger that acted similar to a pirate ship, yet themed to a U.S. Space Shuttle that trained a secret group of space cadets, and the Old Mill Wheel, a ferris wheel replacement themed to a water wheel on the shore of Sasquatch Creek. 
 

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The following is from the private photo album and diary of Michael Thompson, CEO and Park President, Lake McClain. Generously provided for archival to the Lake McClain Historical Society.

In 1988 the YCN Corporation was proud to have made it through our first season of operation at Lake McClain, successfully rescuing the park from being an afterthought in the state of Ohio.

We went back and forth on what exactly we should add in 1988. Some of our group thought that we needed to overhaul the old entrance, but others knew we needed to expand the park out east so that the park would be able to bring something new to guests consistently and curb overcrowding issues.

Another ride we thought of relocating or replacing was Eagle, but it was decided against for being the only major looping roller coaster in the park, and for its reliability so far. In the end, nothing in the entrance square was touched for this year, but look out for the future.

One of our most crowded (and also successful) areas is the Adventure Gardens cafeteria, many guests come here to take a break or get some food. Due to this it brings in sizeable profits for us. We’ve thought of bringing in some local vendors too as a contribution to the community and a sign of goodwill towards the city.

Our most popular attraction by far the past two years has been Sasquatch. This coaster has put us on the map for Ohio coaster enthusiasts, who enjoy an intense ride with strong airtime, especially on the mid-ride drop off the hill and into the final out and back layout before the brakes. Our investment of $2.5 million USD will pay itself off by the end of this year if all goes well.

Here you can see Sasquatch going down it’s first drop.

Our new addition for 1988 is the Backwoods themed area. We purchased three new rides to add to the park, Kite Fight, Ranger, and Old Mill Wheel, and added in a new major dining experience in the Backwoods Barbecue that sits on the shores of Sasquatch Creek. 

Kite Fight is a scrambler attraction where guests lay on their stomachs in kite themed vehicles. Ranger is a standard Intamin Ranger, and Old Mill Wheel is just a relocated Ferris Wheel.

The backstage area and creekside dining area of the Backwoods BBQ. 

Two of our best family attractions are Ted Lasso’s Electric Roller Ride and Erie River Falls. They’re also expensive to operate, but they generate the most attendance, so they always manage to break even, especially during peak season around Independence Day.

The park map for 1988. 

Edited June 29, 2024 by cookiecrispwizard
typo

[cookiecrispwizard]

I've been away for about a month in Michigan, but fear not, Lake McClain shall return soon!

[cookiecrispwizard]

(Archive of Michael Thompson, Lake McClain Daily Post)

COMING IN 1989 "FACE YOUR GREATEST FEARS ON THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE"

Sunday, August 14, 1988 - Written by Norris J. Watters

Lake McClain, OH - President and CEO of the YCN Corporation Michael Thompson made a surprise announcement on Sunday when he announced a new roller coaster coming to Lake McClain Amusement Park in 1989, called the Erie River Monster. The coaster, from manufacturer Arrow Dynamics that previously built Ted Lasso's Electric Roller Ride that opened in 1980, will be the first coaster at Lake McClain Park to go upside down, with two interlocking loops similar to the iconic Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens - The Old Country in Williamsburg, Virginia, ending in a collection of turns and a corkscrew loop.

Thompson said, "Arrow Dynamics has been a great partner to us, always there when we needed parts for maintenance and willing to do upkeep on Lasso for us whenever we needed it. We here at Lake McClain and furthermore, the YCN Corporation trust Arrow Dynamics. We've been making better money than expected off of Sasquatch's opening along with the new Backwoods family area behind it that we decided to be aggressive with an expansion on the east side of the park. In the last quarter of 1988 earnings at Lake McClain went up around 7.5% from last year, along with an attendance boost of around 150,000 that helped us finish out strong after a minor dip in attendance in 1988. But there's nothing to be worried about, we're prioritizing the park's growth to facilitate becoming the family fun capital of Ohio we know we can be."

The end of Thompson's statement to me makes enough sense, as the YCN company has repeatedly stated that they won't try to compete directly with Sandusky's Cedar Point for guests out of state, rather they would compete in-state between Geauga Lake in Aurora and Kings Island in Cincinnati to be a regional power in the state, and so far, the strategy has worked.

The Erie River Monster coaster is expected to open to the public on Memorial Day weekend in May when the park holds its opening ceremonies for the 1989 summer season.

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[JB]

Love those interlocking loops!