One of our favorite places to visit is Waldameer thanks to the park's great ride selection, scenic views, and the world class Ravine Flyer II. We opted to head up for a lazy Sunday on opening weekend, and that was a great choice. The pictures are a mix of Brit's and mine.
Waldameer's future is looking bright. Waldameer's expansion right now reminds me of Dorney's in the mid 1990s. The new wave pool is going to be huge. This should be a huge hit for the park and help to further increase attendance at the park.
As a part of this expansion, the entire parking lot was paved.
The new entrance is now tucked much further back into the parking lot, with a huge portion of the old parking lot being transformed into the waterpark expansion.
The hot colors painted onto the waterslides look especially great now that they correspond with this new wave pool. The new ticket booth is on the left in this picture. That huge area of empty land should see some exciting things over the next few years.
There is a lot of real estate between the entrance and the wave pool. A family complex of slides is proposed to be built, but expect to see some more surprises over the next few years here.
Those two buildings will serve many purposes for the waterpark, including an eatery, break room for lifeguards, storage, restrooms, and changing facilities.
The wave making building
Now as you walk into the park, you see this view of the Comet straight ahead. Always a welcoming sight.
The recent midway change with a new Musik Express and the revamped Scrambler still looks great.
The rear parking lot has this new entry way.
Now onto the star of the park, Gravity Group's Ravine Flyer II masterpiece.
Front seat ride, first ride of the season!
One more cycle!
Ravine Flyer II is running phenomenally. The state-of-the-art monitoring capabilities of Gravity Group and Waldameer in maintaining this coaster have kept it in top shape. It seems like each of the last three years it has kept topping itself. It rides as well as it did when it was brand new!
There I am on for a backseat ride!
Tremendous airtime as usual. Ravine Flyer II is riding in top form as usual.
Now for a front seat ride!
Our friend Randy did a great job with the further restoration of the Whacky Shack Darkride!
Next up was a ride on the sky ride. We always enjoy riding up and down midways in these and taking in all of the views.
Brit at work!
Beautiful antique Mangels Pony Cart ride.
The landscaping details, like the fountain here, really make this park stand out. It is clear at every corner that the workers really take pride in the park.
The Comet and the Carousel Shelter
An endless ride on the sky ride? I can dig!
Ravine Flyer II, and a hazy view out over Lake Erie
These Larson/ARM drop towers pack more power than towers more than twice their size.
We always have to spend some time in the arcade
Heading out for some lunch at Sara's Drive-In for some delicious burgers and milkshakes and to spend a little time on the beautiful beaches of the neighboring Presque Isle State Park. Photos from there can be seen here.
Our time on the beaches was brief, with a storm cell rushing through. The storm was equally brief, giving way to a beautiful rainbow! After heading out of Presque Isle, we stopped back at the park for some more ride time. I highly recommend taking a day or weekend trip to experience Waldameer, Presque Isle State Park, and everything else that Erie has to offer. We go up at least two or three times a year because it is just so relaxing.
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