"The Secret Life of Bears"

Wally Bear: Origins - Part III

The bear twitched. The vat gently shook. Two fuzzy ears poked out, followed by two beady eyes. The bear, like a newborn doe, clumsily stood up on wobbly legs, tipping the vat and spilling its contents, leaving a golden sheen on the dark ground.

The bear lay on the floor, at the foot of the chemical vat, his Pinocchio-like transformation complete.

He attempted to take in everything that surrounded him: the sight of busy workers, the deep sound of machinery, the earthy smell of the fertilizer plant. All these new sensations overwhelmed the bear and filled his small fuzzy head with curiosity.

Since he saw no other bears in the plant, only tall humans, the bear felt and understood that he didn’t belong. Therefore, he stayed hidden from the workers’ eyes while he explored the intricacies of the fertilizer plant, large for humans but massive for him. A desk was an unexplored cave, an air vent was a dark tunnel, and the greenhouse was a tropical jungle.

Finally, at the end of the day, when the workers had left and lights had been turned off, the bear fell asleep in the plant storage attic. His bed was made up of outdated fertilizer, much too strong for household use. In fact, it was so strong that it changed plants into trees, turned shrubs into bushes, and would ultimately turn a teddy-sized bear into a real-sized bear.

The bear was content with his hidden life in the fertilizer plant. He watched the workings of the machinery, how the workers interacted, and listened to the their conversations.

The bear lived in the fertilizer plant for years and eventually picked up words and phrases. These phrases became sentences and these sentences provoked his curiosity. Wanting to find answers, he found an abridged encyclopedia and thus his love of learning began. Up until that time, the bear only knew things dealing with the weather, sports, and fertilizer, since these were the topics most of the workers discussed. However, with the encyclopedia, he was able to escape the bounds and limits of the plant and discovered a world that he had yet to experience.

Night after night, the bear slowly grew. He didn’t notice it at first, but soon he couldn’t hide from the workers anymore and could only leave the attic at night. Finally, when he was as tall as a human, the bear decided to leave the plant.

He had entered the plant as a teddy bear in a man’s briefcase and left as a living, breathing, life-size bear, ready to experience the world.

Be the Next Waldameer Idol

No, sorry, we don't have a singing contest at the park that airs on national television.

Well, not officially.

We do have KARAOKE, which is kind of like a singing contest if you have a good imagination, of course.

We don't have judges either; just an audience ready to hear your beautiful voice (You're welcome for the compliment - any time.)

Karaoke began last weekend and it runs 2:30 - 8:30 on Saturdays and Sundays.

We'll be waiting to hear from you!

You Scream for Ice Cream!

According to the "Favorite Walda-Food" survey, you guys (and gals) like your ice cream and funnel cakes! It was still pretty close though.


Here's the breakdown:

1. Ice Cream/Funnel Cake - 35%
2. Burger/Hot Dog/Fries - 30%
3. Cookie/Fudge - 21%
4. Pizza/Pretzel - 13%


I guess Pizza and Pretzel weren't the best running mates. They should've campaigned better.

Thanks for voting!

We Have Friends!

Let it be known to all that Waldameer has friends...

2,391 to be exact. I just checked Facebook.

Fuzzy Update

It started two weeks ago.

The fuzzies attacked.

When there's just one, they're cute and innocent.

But when they run rampant in large numbers, it's bad news.

(Artist's Interpretation)

Luckily, their attack has ceased and we can breathe easily now, literally and figuratively.

"The Curious Case of Wally Bear"

Wally Bear: Origins - Part II

That night, the factory owner couldn’t sleep. His wife didn’t share his problem. On the other side of the bed, she snored like a freight train. Therefore, her husband had no trouble sneaking out of bed and down the stairs.

Opening his briefcase, the factory owner took out what had been troubling him all night. The teddy bear blankly stared back at him, looking quite unkempt, with torn fur, loose stuffing, and the absence of a nose.

Time to get to work, he thought. Minutes later, he had everything he needed laid across the kitchen counter: scissors, thread, pillow, and his pajama bottoms. He leaned in to begin but thought better of it. He closed the kitchen drapes, imagining how strange this scene would look to his neighbors.

Unfortunately, the man was right. Next door, Mrs. Fields pondered every possible explanation for her neighbor’s behavior: nervous breakdown, midlife crisis, compulsive teddy bear kidnapper. Luckily, what she saw would never leave her lips, for no one would believe her.

When the factory owner was done, he stood back and admired his work. Down from his pillow made up the bear’s stuffing. The man’s pajama bottoms were now pajama shorts; the fabric was used for the bear’s patches. The teddy bear also had a nose. It was a button taken off of the man’s pajama top. The once shoddy bear was now an impressive work.

The next morning, the factory owner went to the fertilizer plant where his son-in-law worked to deliver the teddy bear for his grandson. As he walked by an open vat of unrefined mineral compounds, the wrapped box containing the bear slipped out from under his arm and fell into the vat.

The factory owner realized the bear was missing but there was no trace of its whereabouts. After searching, he finally went home, and, due to his lack of sleep, thought the teddy bear had been a dream.

Meanwhile, the box sunk deeper and deeper into the vat. The chemical compounds soon filled the box and seeped through the bear’s thin fur. Suddenly, the bear’s lifeless body became alive. The factory owner’s creation had entered the vat an ordinary stuffed toy and soon exited an extraordinary stuffed bear.

New X Scream Food!

I have been waiting for this day. I finally had the time to go to X Scream Food and try their new desserts (The blog was the perfect excuse to enjoy them!).

So, new this year are...

Funnel Fries

- Powdered Sugar

- Raspberry Sauce and Whipped Cream

Dip 'N' Dot Sundaes

- Banana M&M Split

- Peanut Butter Cup

- Oreo Cookie Crumble

Dip 'N' Dot Floats

- Root Beer

- Orange

I could only carry two things, so I got funnel fries (with powdered sugar) and a Dip 'N' Dot sundae (Peanut Butter Cup). This is what it looked like before I devoured it:

For the record, they were both equally delicious.

A Wet and Wild Tribute

Often people get so caught up in our sweet rides that they forget our awesome waterpark.

Water World

- 16 body and tube slides
- Tad Pool areas for children
- Endless River and Relaxing Pool
- Hundreds of lounge chairs
- Sundeck and Pizza Beach Cafes

As the weather warms up and the sun shines brighter, the waterpark looks pretty tempting from the office windows...

"Wally Bear Begins"

Wally Bear: Origins - Part I


Our story begins in 1902 with President Theodore Roosevelt. Publicly, he was known as Teddy. On a hunting expedition, Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot a captured bear, claiming it was unsportsmanlike.



Two businessmen, on opposite sides of the world, had the same brilliant idea. They would create a new toy called a teddy bear. Production began and teddy bears spread like wildfire.

Children and adults alike loved them. Teddy himself used a teddy bear as his mascot for his 1904 re-election.

In a teddy bear factory in New York, the owner was just getting ready to close up shop. As he was about to turn off the lights, a lone teddy bear caught his eye. The bear was in the "Undesirable" pile in the dusty corner of the factory. The owner had seen the bear before; in fact, the bear had been sitting in that pile ever since production began. The lone teddy bear had a torn nose and various holes in its fur. White stuffing spilled out in a fluffy mess.

The owner hesitated. He leaned against the door frame, lost in thought.

When he got home, the factory owner set down his briefcase and greeted his wife. The couple's cat, Felix, had been waiting all day for him because the man frequently slipped Felix treats when his wife wasn't looking. As Felix rubbed up against the man's leg, his tail knocked over the briefcase, spilling its contents.

"What's this?" the woman asked, holding up a beaten up teddy bear.

"Oh, nothing." Despite the man's reply, this was not the case. The bear was indeed something. He was planning on fixing up the bear for his grandson, born the day before.

As the night went on, the man went through his evening chores: reading the paper, paying bills, reviewing the factory's production numbers. He may have seemed concentrated on work, but his mind was elsewhere. His mind was on the bear.

Wally Bear: Origins

Giant teddy bear. Soft, cuddly fur. Button nose.

We all know and love him. If Waldameer could be encapsulated (don't act like you're not impressed) into one person, one figurehead, one icon...it would be Wally Bear.

Exhibit A:

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We know he wears a constant smile, is physically unable to blink, and loves to wave.

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We don't know: Who is Wally Bear? How is a teddy bear alive? How come he's so big?

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(chuckle) Young padawan, all your questions will be answered.

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The Story of Wally Bear will be told...soon.

Promotions in June

SALUTE THE TROOPS

June 14 (Flag Day)

• Show your US Military card at the Recruitment table
• Receive a voucher (for a free combo) to turn in at Ticket Booth
• Your family members will receive a special discounted Combos ($15 for over 48", $10 for under 48")

4 FOR $54

June 23 - 26 and June 30 - July 2

• Get coupon from our website, the newspaper, or a receipt from Giant Eagle
• Purchase 4 Combos for only $54 ($13.50 each)