Favourite memories of rides gone by

[Ian]

What rides can you remember from your childhood that are no longer with us? Rides that you actually remember going on but have been removed from the park for several years.

When I was updating the Canobie Lake guide, I saw a ride called "Policy Pond Saw Mill" and that reminded me of the Magic Mill at Thorpe Park, a ride I'd go on every year up to the age of 10.

I remember sitting on a small boat with my mum, brother, my mate and his mum and slowly going round the ride, getting excited over spotting the frogs and gnomes. And then there was the bit that went inside the mill! That bit would always scare me but it was awesome all the same.

(Image from www.thorpeparkinsider.co.uk)

I also remember going to Thorpe at the age of about 7 and sitting on huge hill situated where Inferno now resides and whacking my mate with an oversized Thorpe Park pencil making him cry.

I also remember the 3D cinema and being really small and not being able to see much...although the galloping horses terrified me and I'd hide behind mum.

Also at Thorpe (yes, I spend my childhood there!), there was Wicked Witches Haunt. I remember the part with the dinner table and the chap hanging from the chandelier. My mum would tell me that was Uncle Phil :lol: I was also scared when the cars turned on their own!

So what memories of old rides and parks do you have from you childhood? So this topic is not full of recent memories, only stories from at least five years ago please. The older the better!

 

[marc]

I have some great old memories from Margate from when I was 13. We used to get the train there and I remember seeing the coasters there for the 1st time.

The park for a 13 year old was just ace, simply due to the fact you had a classic coaster which I loved at that age. Then over to the looping coaster which again was perfect for me at that age.

It was also my 1st time on an inverting pirate ship type ride I loved it, as people will remember from the Scotland live I had to ride this again.

So for me Margate actually has the best memories from a younger age.

I have slight memories of Thorpe Park but I was very young maybe 10? But I do remember Space Station Zero and that point I though it was the best coaster ever lol. At that time the Tea Cups were the new attraction and they were building the rapids.

Alton Towers again at a very young age before the huge car park was there and there was no monorail this was being built. The Black Hole for the 1st time with my dad, it's one of the only rides I ever done with him due to his illness so remember it well. The new ride that year was the rapids I think, the entrence was not where it is now it was next to the log flume.

I also remember queueing for the 4 Man Bob which had just broken down. I did not want to go on it due to this but my dad put me on it anyway and bloody glad he did as I would have never got to ride it.

These are all really good memories, I do have more but dont want to bore you.

 

[Pokemaniac]

Some canoes at TusenFryd. Just a water-filled trench where you could grab the sides and push yourself forward. Looked like something you could have bought on IKEA. It was in the "only for those under 120 cm"-category, a true kiddie ride. I must have been six last time I rode it. Can't remember much, but I remember that I thought it was a fun ride.

 

[Rach]

Drayton Manor was where I spent a lot of time between the ages of 2 and 5.

My auntie used to take my mum, me and cousin a lot as it was free for me when I was that age.

One of my first memories that I can remember is the old Log Flume that was removed to put in Stormforce 10.
I must've only been about 3 at the time and I went on it with my aunty and cousin.
The Log Flume had three drops, two of which were smaller ones and one larger one.
I wanted to actually go on the log flume but only on the smaller drops and I screamed my head off in the queue for it as I didn't want to go down the big drop.

I did end up going down the 'big' drop and loved it. It sort of wetted my appetite for log flumes in later life.

With these trips, I remember the construction of Shockwave and thinking that I would never go on it and did about 9 years later. :lol:

 

[Snoo]

I remember Sea World Ohio, gone for quite a while, when I was about 8 or 9. Seeing Shamu and all his little friends, the aquariums, just the overall awesome. Sad day when it was taken over..

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

^ Wait, Sea World Ohio was taken out when you were that young? Why do I remember them having animals there when I was like, eleven or so? Or was that under a different name?

I miss everything at Geauga Lake / Six Flags Worlds of Adventure, because not only did I have tons of fun camping and coaster riding there when I was younger, it's the park that got me into coasters.

 

[Jools]

I remember Pleasurewood in the late 90s when they had the observation tower, and more thrilling rides, and I was too scared to go on Rattlesnake or Cannonball Express :lol:

I also remember my first trip to alton when I cried on Corkscrew and Energizer.

 

[Lucy]

When I was updating the Canobie Lake guide, I saw a ride called "Policy Pond Saw Mill" and that reminded me of the Magic Mill at Thorpe Park, a ride I'd go on every year up to the age of 10.

Ah that brings back memories for me too Ian - I thought the Magic Mill was one of the funniest rides when I first visited Thorpe in 1990

I don't remember Wicked Witches Haunt as I only went on it when it was Phantom Fantasia but I really enjoyed it and had great fun pretending to be scared!

Even though Loggers Leap is still at TP, it deserves a special mention because it was the first ride I got an ORP of - Back in the day when you had to hand the numbered slip of paper into the photo stand and your pic would be sent to you in the post

I also enjoyed the Fifth Dimension at Chessington and although I remember going on it, it's the theme tune that stands out the most

 

[Emmett]

My earliest memory of a park is from BPB around 1988 when my first coaster was the Wild Mouse and I will never forget how frightened I was after riding it. I also remember some of the flat rides which were there but I don't think I tried anything else. I remember one spinning flat ride, all black with black carriages because it looked crazy and intimidating.

Other parks which I can recall are the Ocean Beach in Rhyl and also the old Hafan y Môr Holiday Park in North Wales were they used to have a Vekoma Boomerang. We spent a few holidays up in North Wales as it was quite popular with tourists from Ireland at the time.

 

[Lain]

I remember visiting Blackpool while the PMBO was under construction.

I also remember riding the Grand National and being terrified and holding on as tight as I could all the way around, and riding the Revolution with my eyes closed because it was so scary.

Good times.

 

[coastermac]

What ^ ?

Anyway, I remember going to Flamingo Land and being too small to ride on Crazy Loop (Late '94 I think). I then idolized the ride, waiting and waiting for the day I was tall enough to ride it, and then it was gone! So, yeah. Was quite an important one for me.

 

[HarryBoyy]

The old lying fish was the best now they wrecked it. :x

 

[Dave]

I remember back when Clarence Pier used to be a large funfair and had the Super Loop ride which i used to stare at when I was about 5 years old thinking it was the scariest thing ever. Then my mum would always tell me when they filmed an episode of Mr Bean at the funfair (the episode with the baby)

 

[Snoo]

Wait, Sea World Ohio was taken out when you were that young? Why do I remember them having animals there when I was like, eleven or so? Or was that under a different name?

SeaWorld Ohio closed in 2001, I was about 13? But I hadn't visited the park for quite a few years before that.

It wasn't the same when I visited SFWoA in 2003.

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

I would think most of the londoners remember the Action Man attraction at Chessie before Land of the Dragons came in...

That was actually legendary...

I also remember the Bumper Boats and Dodgems at Thorpe slightly... Now replaced by Inferno and Vortex respectively...

I don't really know much in the way of classic parks, bar really Thorpe's kiddie rides and Samurai being at Chessie with the queue going all the way around to Tomb Blaster... Those were the days right there...

 

[marc]

Does anyone else remember them strange bikes that used to be at Thorpe? they were a strange shape and rode really strange as well. I could only find this
http://www.totalthorpepark.co.uk/features/archive.shtml

Can I mention Thunder Looper has it been gone long enough? Anyway I remember the 1st time I ever went on that, I was so scared even the sound of it was sort of scary. When you were queuing you could see the fear on peoples faces before the launch and the smile when it ended. I will just never forget me 1st go on that, loved it and still miss it.