Red Roof didn't offer a complementary breakfast, instead presenting us with a coupon for specific breakfast items at McDonalds. So the next morning we walked across the parking lot to McDonalds. I got just a bottle of milk; Karen had her usual egg McMuffin (minus the sausage) and a hash brown. After that we drove 20 minutes to one of my favorite parks, Waldameer. The park had gone through a gradual rebranding. It was Waldameer Park for the longest time. When the waterpark became increasingly popular, the name changed to Waldameer Park and Water World. Now it was simplified to Waldameer WaterWorld. And the water park area certainly had expanded over the years. For this season, the park had torn out their old lazy river ride and replaced it with a brand new version. They also added a few new slides. As we were entering the parking area at 9:45, I noticed they had added quite a few more lots. We were one of the few cars in the morning but by the time we left, nearly all the lots were full. We parked in our usual spot near the west entrance. Karen spotted some coaster enthusiasts over by the north west gate, so we headed in that direction.

In past years, we were given the Lakeside Pavilion, next to the entrance to the Ravine Flyer II wooden coaster. It had special meaning for the WNYCC because two of the members were married in that pavilion. It also was the original station of the first Ravine Flyer coaster in the 1930s. But that pavilion no longer existed. Instead we were gathering in the West Lake View Grove pavilion. That pavilion sat on a cliff overlooking Lake Erie. And from there we could clearly see what had happened to the Lakeside Pavilion. It was replaced with a new roller coaster station for a ride that would open in 2027, Eagle's Pursuit. A lot of construction had begun and footers for the ride were clearly visible along the cliffside. Three giant cranes were on site as well. The park's owners and managers, Steve and Tina Gorman, arrived with boxes of fresh donuts. Steve and I chatted for a while. Then Karen and I strolled about the quiet midway. Near our pavilion, Karen spotted the Paratrooper ride that had just been relocated from a different area of the park. It sported a really flashy lighting display. We also noticed the new Time Turner, one of the popular Zamperla NebulaZ rides that have been popping up at numerous parks.

The pavilion gradually began filling up with club members. In total, there were about sixty. At 11:00, we had exclusive ride time on both the venerable Comet wooden coaster and on the classic Wacky Shack dark ride. We started off on the Comet, a Philadelphia Toboggan Company junior coaster that always delivered a fun ride. When we arrived at the station, we noticed another big recent change: the WaterWorld entrance area had been greatly widened. The Potato Patch booth had been removed and a new modern building (now labeled "The Tasty Tater") had been constructed further to the left. In retrospect, it's hard to believe that both the Potato Patch and the Paratrooper occupied that plot of land. We took a couple of rides on the Comet and then headed for one of my favorite rides in the park, the Wacky Shack. I went on it three times in a row, enjoying the silly stunts and the small rollercoaster-like dip in the track. I noticed that the ride had been equipped with colorful lighting underneath each car, which cast an eerie glow in the dark building.

By then it was noon and time for our first "informal takeover time" where the clubs commandeer one of the rides. So we headed for the park's train, the L. Ruth Express.The park was running both of its trains and both carried full loads of passengers all day. We sat together in the back car. The round trip gave us good views of all the progress in the waterpark. Upon disembarking, we headed over for another relaxing trip, this time on the Sky Ride high over the park.

It was then about 1:00 so we headed back to the pavilion for lunch. As usual, there was plenty of food. We had requested a vegetarian meal and had little stars on our name tags. We were give veggie burgers, and there were plenty of other selections to choose from: all sorts of salads, baked beans, sliced cheese, condiments and ice cream. Soon the pavilion was filled with eager diners. After people had eaten their fill, Steve Gorman gave a brief presentation about Eagle's Pursuit, displaying models of the ride that he constructed. Then he took us on a walk-back, which wasn't too far -- just beside the pavilion on the other side of the fence. That allowed us to see up close the massive amount of concrete in the footers and the construction of the station. Steve pointed out that when rolling out of the station in the late afternoon, riders would be watching the sun set over Lake Erie.

After the walk-back, Karen relaxed in the pavilion while I filmed another walk-thru video. Afterwards I took a stroll through another of my favorite attractions, the Pirates Cove fun house. The line for it was long, so I went through it just once. I really liked the tilted rooms and the Bill Tracy figures that are simultaneously creepy and humorous. I did notice one change: near the end there was a jail cell, a stock gag that was common in the 1960s. It was basically a maze constructed of iron bars resembling a dense jail cell. Originally, you would weave your way back and forth through the bars until you got out. Then the park modified it so that the maze could be bypassed. But this time, the maze had been replace with a scene that resembled a cave, with iron bars blocking off the interior. Inside was a large fish net against the left wall that had fish skeletons in it. There were the skeletons of various other creatures on the floor. At the back wall was a large TV screen that showed various pirate-themed scenes. It was a good addition and it allowed them an easy way of changing out the scene in the future if they wanted to.

At that point it was about 4:00. There was going to be exclusive ride time on Ravine Flyer II starting at 9:00 pm. There was no way we'd be able to last that long. So we said our goodbyes and headed back to our hotel.

I still love Waldameer, and I'm glad it's doing well. The park was crowded as we were leaving. The Gormans are good stewards and the addition of Eagle's Pursuit will surely bring in even more guest. And next year, I'll be one of them!