| |
| |
|
|
 |
| |
|
|
Fortune Festival-- 1975-1976/
Goodtime Alley-- 1977-1981 |
 |
The Fortune Festival was part of the original pre-construction
proposal for The Enchanted Forest area of the park, but the
games area was not added until the park's second season as part of
an overall expansion of park capacity.
The Fortune Festival brought carnival/boardwalk style games to
the park in 1975, as well as additional revenue.
As part of the area, 2 new food outlets were added, which had
various names and changed menus through their history.
The most enduring of these was Mustard's Last Stand, which sold
hot dogs.
Originally, the center court of the building was to be home to a
European Gondola ride. The Gondola is pictured on
the 1975 map, and was off of it in 1976, however the ride
itself didn't make it into the park until 1977 and was gone by
1978. The center court was occupied by varying
free-standing games as well as small stands of trees.
Perhaps the longest lived of the games in the center court was a
giant 4-sided High-Striker game, which was billed as the
largest in the world, and towered over the adjacent buildings.
It drew as many spectators as players as men would come up and
demonstrate their strength. At the time, it was a
game that generally only men would attempt, since it was a true
test of strength, with large sledge hammers and lead weights on
cables, which physically would ring the bell at the top of the
tower.
The games also included all the traditional coin tosses, ball
tosses, and ring tosses as well as skeeball, pinball and video
game machines. A Guess Your Weight booth was also
added to the area, and was also a spectator event as much as a
game.
In the 1981-82 off season, an electrical fire broke out, and
burned the entire structure to the ground. With the
park closed, no one was injured, but the fire was estimated to
have caused $1 million in damage.
|
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
Note: Few pictures seem to exist of the original Fortune
Festival area. Most of the pictures here are from
the employee yearbooks from 1979 and 1980. If you
have pictures of the original Fortune Festival area, we would
love to have them to help complete the spotlight!
Feedback@GreatAdventureHistory.com |
| |
|
|
| Winter 1981, fire
destroys the Games Area |
 |
| |
|
|
The New Goodtime Alley--
1982-1994
Boardwalk-- 1995-Present |
| |
|
|
 |
After the original games area was
destroyed by fire in December of 1981, plans quickly came
together and construction began on a new and improved section
for the 1982 season. In spring of 1982, the area was
still a work in progress, with carpenters and electricians
working feverishly to complete the new buildings and get them
open for the season.
The new Goodtime Alley offered a great improvement over the
original, with an eye towards future expansion.
Unlike the original which was a dead end, the top end was left
open for additional attractions. To help draw
crowds into the area, rides would be added.
Joust-A-Bout was added in 1982, and its colorful lights, height
and motion were a draw and a complement to the lights and sounds
of the neighboring games.
At the time of the construction of the new Goodtime Alley, Six
Flags was owned by Bally Corporation, and the company was making
money in the casino and games business as well as theme parks.
Games became a major emphasis and money maker for the parks, and
Bally's own games were featured throughout. The big
game at the time was Pac Man, and it owned by Bally, so Pac Man
and other arcade games were found throughout the park, including
the new Goodtime Alley.
The original configuration of the games area featured two long
buildings flanking the sides, with a set of six free-standing
games in the center. In 1988, a seventh free
standing game was added, centered at the top end of the section,
and an octagonal Guess Your Weight stand was added in the center
of the lower end.
The lower end of the area, closest to the Four Tents featured
two restaurants. The one towards the Carousel was a
re-built Mustard's Last Stand, which served hot dogs and offered
covered seating. On the opposite side, a mirror
image restaurant served french fries (as the Potato Patch),
funnel cakes and finally cheese steaks in more recent years.
Along the path to Goodtime Alley from the Carousel stood several
small shops, which were later moved. A remote
control car game stood on the side of the path next to the Dream
Street Arcade, and a free standing clown themed Balloon Race
game was right next to the covered patio of Mustard's Last
Stand.
|
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
Over the
years, the games and prizes have changed as tastes and
technology have changed. The park has always stayed
abreast of the latest trends, introducing the newest game
innovations and variations. At the introduction of
the wildly popular Whac-A-Mole, the park also added a
Smack-A-Shark version. When Frog Bog became a "must
have" for games areas everywhere, the park also introduced a
version where rubber chickens were launched into pots on
spinning grills. All these trends have come and gone
along side the standard goblets, ring tosses, milk cans, coin
tosses and shooting galleries. |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
In the 90's Goodtime
Alley started getting a facelift, with fresh paint and new
colors added to the buildings which were beginning to look very
dated. The section was renamed the Boardwalk in 1995
getting some minor improvements in paint and theme. The new red and blue color scheme did little
to enhance the look of the section, and finally in the 2000-2001 off
season the buildings got a comprehensive makeover. |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
The conversion of Goodtime Alley into the
Boardwalk was a massive makeover, and involved removal and
moving of some structures, repurposing of others and an
expansion into the path towards the Carousel.
In March of 2001, during "early bird" Season Pass Processing,
progress was well underway, with the buildings all painted in
the bright new yellow color scheme, and the upper bands of
chasing lights partially refurbished and re-hung around the
buildings.
The seventh of the center free-standing games which had been
located at the top end of the section had been removed, and its
former location was prepared for the pouring of a new concrete
slab. At the other end, the octagonal Guess Your Weight
booth was moved to the edge of the path, out of the middle of
the games area.
The biggest changes involved the construction of two additional
strips of games along the pathway to the Carousel.
The new area featured new textured concrete pavement in colorful
patterns as well as an inlaid "Boardwalk" sign at the entry.
To round out the remodel, additional awnings were added around
the free standing buildings and the new buildings, providing
much needed protection from sun and weather.
With the addition of more games the already stretched staffing
meant that many games would sit closed except on peak attendance
days.
|
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
Another
drastic change came with the addition of Nathan's Famous Hot
Dogs to the corner once occupied by Mustard's Last Stand.
The transformation included enclosing the former open air dining
area and creating a climate controlled restaurant which would
prove popular on hot days and cold days.
Some of the former games which had more or less been abandoned
along the far side of the square were converted into a Virtual
Stock Car Racing upcharge attraction. The spot had
been home to an arcade and a virtual reality gaming center in
previous seasons, but the NASCAR style experience did little to
entice park guests to spend money. |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
For 2002, the
focus of the Boardwalk turned to food, with the expansion and
enclosure of the Cheese Steak stand. Over the early
weeks of the season, work progressed with the framing and
enclosure of the building to create another climate controlled
dining facility.
In the adjoining strip that had once been filled with games, the
space was converted into a food court, run by private
contractors. The new food court brought additional
varieties of food to the park like turkey legs, blooming
onions, and Jamaican patties, plus additional outlets for fried
food of all kinds.
Rows of tables were placed just outside the roof overhang,
creating a place for guests to sit and eat.
By the end of spring, the new Ted's Cheesesteaks was open and
ready to handle the summer crowds, offering a place to cool off
and grab a bite. |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
For the 2003 season, the Virtual Stock Car
Racing was removed, and was replaced with an array of virtual
reality games. Increasingly more coin operated
cranes and other games which required fewer human attendants
were added, creating walls of machines where traditional games
of skill once were.
Over time, the arsenal of attractions at the top of the section,
drawing guests past the games has changed and evolved.
Many of the newest, tallest, fastest, most innovative and most
eye catching attractions have been placed there, luring families
past tempting prizes. |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
Keeping current with the latest trends in characters and games
has maintained the Boardwalk's popularity over time.
Generally whatever the latest trends are in pop culture are
reflected in the prizes.
The games are constantly updated as well, bringing new
technology, and new twists on the traditional carnival games.
Where once games featured mechanical devices, they now feature
more and more electronics. Balloon races that
featured popping rubber balloons are now represented with LEDs
that show a player's progress. Lo-tech pitches and ring
tosses still exist, but seem dated in comparison to the newer
games, and don't have the same kind of appeal to kids who were
raised on video games and other electronics that they once did.
The bright lights and colors capture the eye, as the sounds of
music and attendants do their best to draw the passing crowds.
|
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
Some of the games which used to sit unused with the roll-down
doors shut for days or weeks at a time are used as displays of
prizes, adding color and life to what could at times in the past
have seemed like a ghost town.
With the opening of the pathway to the Golden Kingdom,
additional foot traffic comes through the Boardwalk, and an
additional game building has been added next to the Twister
ride.
To help alleviate the staff shortages, particularly in the
spring and fall, coin operated games have been brought in, and
removed as staff levels ramp up for the season.
|
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
The Boardwalk section of the park truly
offers the sights, sounds and smells of a boardwalk, with greasy
fried food, a cacophony of sounds, and the bright lights and
colors designed to catch the eye of passers by.
By day, the vibrant colors of the Boardwalk are further enhanced
with lush hanging baskets lining the columns. By night,
the section comes alive with the thousands of flashing bulbs
lighting up the night.
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
The games of skill at the Four Tents end
of the Boardwalk include a basketball game, a high-striker, and
the relocated Guess Your Weight booth.
A long time fixture of the area is the cotton candy stand, which
over the years has been remodeled and expanded. For
the 2007 season, it became a Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream stand.
During Fright Fest the Boardwalk area transforms into Circus
Psycho, home to side show acts befitting the Boardwalk theme.
The portals and other set pieces were created to match the
colors of the Boardwalk buildings and were introduced in 2001
along with the makeover of the section.
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
|
|
