This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
PW JAN09 P34-35.qxd 12/18/08 3:27 PM Page 34
Park Profile
www.parkworld-online.com
CYPRESS
GARDENS
The final weekend of fun
When it reopens in Fiesta Express by Zamperla
March, Cypress
Gardens will be a
radically different
park. Minus the
rides and zoo added
some years back by
Kent Buescher, it will
be more like the
Cypress Gardens of
old, which consisted
simply of botanical
gardens and a ski
show in Winter
Haven, Florida. Park
World bids the rides
goodbye
S
outh Holdings LLC, the company that now owns riders at Cypress Gardens Adventure Park.” If only.
the 72-year-old park, plans a renewed focus on The move to eliminate the rides from the park and
three areas including the ski show, the park's expand the waterpark came after what the owners say
original draw, the botanical gardens and the was months of exhaustive analysis. Founded in 1936,
waterpark opened a few years. the park has undergone several changes in
The operating expense of running 38 amusement ownership. In 2004, Adventure Parks Group, owned
rides, a zoo, the botanical gardens, a ski show and a by Kent Buescher, purchased Cypress Gardens for $7
waterpark are considerable," notes Cypress Gardens million and invested in new rides, new shows and the
co-owner Rob Harper. "It is obvious the park cannot waterpark. But the park was devastated by debt
successfully function as four attractions in one." caused by the hurricanes of 2004, and Buescher was
The sale of the rides is being brokered by a group never fully reimbursed
including Rides-4-U, Ital International, Zamperla and by his insurer.
Chance-Morgan. Many of them are travelling rides so
should be easy to move on, but two rides in particular
could prove a little harder to shift, the Triple Hurricane
and Starliner wooden coasters. The latter was the first
ride of its kind in Florida and formerly operated at
Miracle Strip amusement park. A plaque erected last
Ferris Wheel by year proclaimed that, “upgraded and restored in
Chance Morgan 2007, Starliner will have many more years to thrill its
34 JANUARY 2009
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82
Produced with Yudu - www.yudu.com