Cypress Gardens Closes

[backyardponder]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Cypress-Gardens-theme-park-in-apf-223696413.html?x=0&.v=1

I've never been there, but it is sad to see anything close.

[skier_pete]

Man...you just tripped some serious memory receptors in my brain....things that came flooding back from childhood in the seventies. (Remember, Disney was MK then, and it was a 1-day experience - so a trip to Florida was spread across a lot more attractions.)

-The boat ride through the swamp with all the moss on the cypress trees and the springs. (Am I thinking of Silver Springs and the glass-bottom boat rides there?)
-The underwater mermaid show. (Women that would swim underwater with tails on...not sure how they got air.)
- Something to do with pearls from oysters - I think similar to what Disney does with pick-a-pearl in "Japan".
- The pyramid of water skiers.
- There were these machines which cost maybe 50 cents where it used molten plastic to mold a hollow plastic animal of your choice. The hot plastic would go into the mold, and then it would dip it into water or something, and your plastic animal (maybe 4-6 inches long) would drop out of the slot, still hot and stinking of chemicals. (Not unlike the pressed penny machines of today.) I remember having a tiger and an elephant. Those machines would probably be illegal now.

I remember the gardens, but I don't remember any RIDES per se, except the boat ride.

I can see how it couldn't survive in today's theme park world of Orlando...I would guess it would have to survive on locals, but even they would tend to funnel money towards WDW or Universal.

SkierPete

[rebecca06261]

^ Wow! You did go to alot of parks! You are remembering several parks actually.

-The mermaids are located in Weeki Wachee, FL at Weeki Wachee Springs. They're still there!

-The boat ride in the swamps, depending on how many years ago could very well have been CG.

-You're defly remembering the pyramid skiers at the right park

- The plastic mold machines are at Busch Gardens and returned to the park after inbev dug them out of storage! You can go back and make a new souvenir if you so desire ;)

[ChrisFL]

I think it's closed 4 times in the past few years anyway

[tazdeb]

You can still buy those molten plastic animals at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. The machines must be 50 years old by now.:)

[PatriciaH]

The molds are at Gatorland here too:)

[skier_pete]

^ Wow! You did go to alot of parks! You are remembering several parks actually.

-The mermaids are located in Weeki Wachee, FL at Weeki Wachee Springs. They're still there!

-The boat ride in the swamps, depending on how many years ago could very well have been CG.

-You're defly remembering the pyramid skiers at the right park

- The plastic mold machines are at Busch Gardens and returned to the park after inbev dug them out of storage! You can go back and make a new souvenir if you so desire ;)

OK, the rest may be true - but those plastic molding machines were definitely at Cypress Gardens. I think we only went to Busch Gardens once when I was a kid.

And I can't beleive anyone still has those things. I think the smell of the plastic made me woozy. :crazy:

SkierPete

[Lassie Lynne]

The boat ride through the swap was def. Cypress Gardens.

I remember very well when I went there as a teenager in ummm......1984 :eek: and there were even girls dressed up in hoop skirts walking around (southern belles)....I wanted a job there doing that....oh the dreams of the young :laughing:.

[AnthonyJPreston]

I live maybe, all of 10 minutes away from Cypress Gardens, I remember the days you all are talking about, Swamp ride and all. For a little while it seemed as if Cypress Gardens was actually doing pretty good.

They had (still have set up) a few rollercoasters, a whole carnival type area, a small water park, a concert area, and all the original attractions still (swamp ride, gardens, animal viewing). About a year ago they shut the whole thing down, I guess it just wasnt doing enough business, and for another little while, they opened just the water park, and yeah, that was just recently closed. Probably for good.

Its sad, yeah, it was a small amusement park in my own backyard, but all is well, I still got Disney.

[ChrisFL]

If I ran Cypress Gardens, I would try to give it something that you can't get at the Orlando parks (or Busch Gardens for the most part)...really good, high quality wooden rollercoasters. They started to when they got the starliner, but they needed more than that, make it a destination that the ACErs want to visit (american coaster enthusiasts).

Anyway, maybe Blackstone will buy it with the other Busch/Sea World parks and they'd all be back together again, just like in the 80's

[Michael623]

I agree that FL is underrepresented when it comes to wooden coasters (Dania Beach Hurricane is the only one I'm aware of) but I'm not sure it would be enough to compete with the Orlando/Tampa behemoths.

[ChrisFL]

I agree that FL is underrepresented when it comes to wooden coasters (Dania Beach Hurricane is the only one I'm aware of) but I'm not sure it would be enough to compete with the Orlando/Tampa behemoths.

Cypress Gardens had the Starliner which was moved from a park near Panama City Florida and they also had a small coaster called the "Triple Hurricane"

Busch Gardens has Gwazi as well, but those and the Dania Beach Hurricane are the only ones in Florida I believe

[toonmania]

News of this nature saddens me because I remember being a small child beaming at the idea that I was on my way to a magical destination full of enchanted areas and unique foilage.

I recall my parents pulled into its vast parking lot. I eagerly exited our vehicle, chomping at the bit that after such a long journey and patiently biding my time that I was finally there! I looked around and took it all in, then I lovingly looked at my mother who exchanged the same gaze I had given to her before exclaiming with as much excitement as I was feeling inside of me,

"OMG! THIS ISN'T DISNEY WORLD! WHERE ARE WE?! WHY ARE WE AT A GARDEN? YOU'RE ACTUALLY SERIOUS? WAIT! COME BACK! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!"

Thus my introduction to Cypress Garden. I returned several times to Cypress Gardens through the years, and created fond memories that will last me a lifetime. Farewell C.G., we will miss you.:sad2:

[Mom-to-2-Princesses]

News of this nature saddens me because I remember being a small child beaming at the idea that I was on my way to a magical destination full of enchanted areas and unique foilage.

I recall my parents pulled into its vast parking lot. I eagerly exited our vehicle, chomping at the bit that after such a long journey and patiently biding my time that I was finally there! I looked around and took it all in, then I lovingly looked at my mother who exchanged the same gaze I had given to her before exclaiming with as much excitement as I was feeling inside of me,

"OMG! THIS ISN'T DISNEY WORLD! WHERE ARE WE?! WHY ARE WE AT A GARDEN? YOU'RE ACTUALLY SERIOUS? WAIT! COME BACK! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!"

Thus my introduction to Cypress Garden. I returned several times to Cypress Gardens through the years, and created fond memories that will last me a lifetime. Farewell C.G., we will miss you.:sad2:

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