Wendy's First Tea Party

After much hard work and determination, Wendy Bear's new tea cup ride spun for the first time down at the North End. It has been a long time since the first time we laid eyes on the new ride, packed away in a container. But a little elbow grease and electricity was all it took to get Wendy's Tea Party spinning. Take a look at the video below to see for yourself!

The cups and pot look great going in circles but without riders, the cups don't spin very much. Once the first riders choose their cups, they will be able to spin their cups as fast or as slow as they want!

But what about the other two new rides? Wally Bear said he will have his ride ready to rock'n roll very, very soon. And their have been rumors that some people have seen the Flying Swings twirling high up on the bluff. We all will have to wait and see what happens tomorrow...

Stuffed

With all the exciting things happening at the North End, it is easy to forget the other great things at Waldameer. But plenty of work is going on outside the North End to get the park ready for this summer including the first delivery of Waldameer's supply of plush. These stuffed animals and characters will line each midway game wall this summer eagerly waiting for a lucky Guest to "win" their hearts!

Rainbow Gardens looks stuffed with all this stuffed stuff!

All the bags and boxes get unloaded from a full semi truck into Rainbow Gardens where they are sorted and selected before being placed in storage.

The midway games aren't the only thing getting ready for summer. Waldameer's rides are starting to be dusted off and put back together for the summer season.

April showers call for an umbrella!

The first ride ready for summer!

Before you know it, the sun will be shining and Waldameer will be back to doing what it does best... Family Summer Fun!

Passing of the Torch

Even with near freezing temperatures, Waldameer was all smiles today as the new C.P. Huntington train engine and wheelchair accessible coach arrived this morning.

A short track for a new train!

The engine, painted sleek black and maroon, will replace Waldameer's 1971 C.P. Huntington that has been in operation since the early 1970's.

Old and New, side by side.

The new coach, painted bright blue, is equipped with a wheelchair accessible ramp allowing all Guests the opportunity to enjoy a ride on the train.

Brand new and all blue!

This season, the train will seem more colorful than usual, having a maroon engine and a blue coach followed by red coaches. Don't worry! It is not a mistake! Waldameer has plans to purchase a brand new blue engine, complete with three blue coaches this fall. This will allow Waldameer to operate two separate trains on weekends for the 2012 season. The more rides, the merrier!

The North End Blooms

Since the official start of the Spring season, the North End has been blooming with activity and color. All three rides are starting to come together and the North End is beginning to feel like a part of Waldameer. 

Wendy's Tea Party has sprouted up tea cups in beautiful shades of green, pink and red. All that is left is the center tea pot and the ride will be spinning with fun!

The Flying Swings is also blooming for Spring. The top canvas, crown and ceiling panels were installed this past week along with two sections of the center hub displaying colorful, hand-painted scenes of Italy. Soon, chairs will be growing from the ceiling to carry riders around and around!

The North End will be Rockin', Spinning and Flying its way to summer fun sooner than you think!

It's a Sign

No, I'm not talking about Aquarius or Gemini or even Scorpio. I'm talking about signs for the new rides in the North End! Each new ride finally has a great big sign to tell Guests which ride is which. Like I said before, it must be a sign that the North End is getting close to being completed! Take a look below at the colorful works of art.

Wendy decided not to sign this one!

Does it look Wally is trying to use sign language?

Back to the Bronze Age

The North End got a taste of the Bronze Age today as six of the seven bronze statues arrived early this morning. The truck from Randolf Rose statues pulled up to the Skeeball building and out came girls, boys, turtles, puppies and an 8-foot tall white-tail buck!

Playing with a turtle.

Puppy kisses!

Playful pups.

Bambi's father.

These statues will all be featured in the North End in typical Waldameer design. There is only one more statue that has yet to come to finish decorating the North End. We will have to wait and see just what it could be!

Big, Bright and Colorful

It was another exciting day in the Waldameer parking lot today. The final two containers arrived on time filled with tons of colorful paneling to fit on the Flying Swings. All the pieces had thousands of lights and were beautifully painted with bright colors. Some of the pieces even had hand-painted murals of Italy on them!

Stacked and ready to unload.

Colorful tops to crown the Flying Swings!

All of the parts and pieces were stored away until it is time for assembly of the ride.

The metal racks kept the pieces safe during transit.

A for Wendy's Tea Cup ride, we just couldn't wait to put some of the pieces together! The circular track and the rotating platforms were put in place today just to see if they would fit. It all came together like a puzzle!

Something is missing in this picture. Maybe a few tea cups!

Now all that's needed is a few tea cups and a tea pot and kids will be spinning in no time!