Bugs at Gurnee Great America

RLAiello · Post by **RLAiello** » Mon May 29, 2006 9:43 pm

I was just browsing around Google and came upon this photo on Wikipedia... it was taken this year (the 45th anniversary sign gives it away, plus that new stage in front of the carousel)... and I see that Bugs is back to wearing his original red, white and blue costume! Now that's a nice sight to see.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Colu ... l_2006.JPG

BrianPlencner · Post by **BrianPlencner** » Tue May 30, 2006 3:43 am

Yes, he has looked that way all season. Here is one I took yesterday of Bugs Bunny walking from the Columbia after the show.

Speaking of yesterday, the park did some stuff for the 30th anniversary. Each of the 14 orginial rides in the park had a "Happy Birthday" sign up at the ride, and some balloons as well.
I won't post all 14 here, but here are two of them.

Loggers Run

Orbit

Also, the employee's who were working those rides wore happy birthday hats, as shown in this picture at Demon. While Demon was new in 1980, the park did celebrate the birthday of the ride as 30 yesterday because of it being Turn of The Century.

In case anyone is keeping track, the 14 orginial rides left at the Gurnee Park are

-- Columbia
-- Rue Le Dodge
-- East River Crawler (aka Lobster)
-- Whirlgig
-- Yankee Clipper
-- Loggers Run
-- Flidders Fling
-- Great American Railway
-- Great American Raceway (aka Barney Oldfield)
-- Demon (ToC)
-- Orbit
-- Hometown Fun Machine
-- Whizzer

I did ride all 14 of these yesterday, as well as every other ride in the park.

Hopefully this week I'll put up a link with all the pictures I took (171). I'll see if I can get to that soon.

--Brian

RLAiello · Post by **RLAiello** » Tue May 30, 2006 4:09 pm

Thanks for posting those pics, Brian. The "Happy Birthday" things seem kinda cheesy... but at least they did SOMETHING.

Back to Bugs... LOVE that costume... always did, always will. And don't you think the escort's costume is a tad retro, too? Kinda like the look.

BrianPlencner · Post by **BrianPlencner** » Tue May 30, 2006 5:07 pm

I do agree on the retro look. I like it as well!

By the way, the same woman who is the escort is also the one that sings the National Anthem every morning LIVE on the stage in front of the reflection pool. I thought that was a nice touch, instead of playing some recorded version.

--Brian

RLAiello · Post by **RLAiello** » Tue May 30, 2006 6:10 pm

Wow... that IS nice. I actually like that little stage in front of the Carousel... it's not all the obtrusive and doesn't take anything away from the reflection pool... a really nice idea, I think.

I REALLY need to get to the park this year.

pjm8071 · Post by **pjm8071** » Wed May 31, 2006 1:44 pm

Wasn't Triple Play also an original Gurnee ride?

BrianPlencner · Post by **BrianPlencner** » Wed May 31, 2006 5:52 pm

pjm8071 wrote:Wasn't Triple Play also an original Gurnee ride?

Yes, Triple Play was original Gurnee ride. Problem is, it's kind of hard to celebrate a ride that is not put together, or all at the same park.

My understanding is that the middle section went to SF Over Georgia. We still have the arms and the cabins.

Hopefully things will all work out, and we will get the middle section back (or a new one) soon.

--Brian

jonrev · Post by **jonrev** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 10:19 am

The middle section is at Six Flags Over Texas

SFGAmfreak4life · Post by **SFGAmfreak4life** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 2:01 pm

I think Triple Play is going to be the new ride for 2007.

that_guy · Post by **that_guy** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 3:32 pm

jonrev wrote:The middle section is at Six Flags Over Texas

Is it part of Crazy Legs, or just there?

UAORDStew · Post by **UAORDStew** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 11:19 pm

"The middle section is at Six Flags Over Texas"

Now...from the story that I have heard is that the Huss Trioka ride from Astroworld was to be taken to SFOT. The truck that was transporting the ride there, crashed and the middle hub part got damaged under a highway viaduct and completely totalled that part of the ride. Since SFOT has been marketing and advertising 10 rides this season, they were in desperate need of a middle section of the Trioka to make this happen. SFGA was the only SF park that has a Huss Trioka in place and was asked to "loan" the middle section out to SFOT. Now, who knows when or if it will come back, but the arms sit in the ride area and the cars are back somewhere in maint. sheds.

SFGAmfreak4life · Post by **SFGAmfreak4life** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 9:07 am

Two weekends ago I saw the cars in the employee lot next to all the old rides. I dont know if the cars are in a shed now but Ill look this weekend.

pjm8071 · Post by **pjm8071** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 2:24 pm

Well my opinion is they should have just taken another Astroworld ride out of the scrap heap until they found a replacement. Triple Play is one of the only flat rides I still go on, and I want it back

Demonlover13 · Post by **Demonlover13** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:47 pm

I saw that bugs was wearing the old marriots red white and blue suit the first time I went but I never saw it again after that. Has anyone seen it this year?

jonrev · Post by **jonrev** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:19 pm

He wears it every morning for the new "Spirit of America" show at the front gate.