The following is the original proposal and concept artwork for Great Adventure which was presented to potential investors in the park.   The plans were quite ambitious, and were never fully realized, though some of the earliest concepts appeared in the park in slightly different form when it finally opened in 1974.   The text is verbatim from the original typewritten proposal and is worded and punctuated exactly as it was originally written.   

Click on the attraction name for the description and close-up view:
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Outside Rides (a sampling)


The Flume – a water roller coaster.   A log ride in swirling, churning waters through the forest, past Fantasies, cascading down hills.

NOTE: The concept of the Log Flume was incorporated into the design of the Enchanted Forest that was finally built. It's interesting to note in this rendering that the station building is depicted as a log with a Paul Bunyan type giant figure sitting on it, and a double station design rather than the turntable loading platform that was chosen for the actual ride.


The Runaway Train – a high speed roller coaster through the forest into tunnels, past the Land of the Dwarfs, The Cave of the Goblins, The House of the Trolls, through fire, water, fog, into the mouth of The Dragon, and back to sunshine and safety.

 NOTE: The Runaway Train was another of the original concepts that was incorporated into the final design of the Enchanted Forest.  Like in the rendering here, originally plans for the ride called for underground tunnels but with the constraints of time and money they never came to be.


The Flying Saucer – a gravity defying saucer, spinning and rising to a 70 degree angle, bringing on the appearance of Martians and other space travelers.


The Land of Peter Pan – a ride through space at the ends of a giant pole with Peter, Wendy and the pirates.


Spinning Sombreros – sit in a sombrero and spin through the forest.


The Dumbo Ferris Wheel – a 14-story high Ferris wheel.   A ride with Dumbo and his friends into the sky.

NOTE: The concept of the Giant Wheel was incorporated into the final design for the Enchanted Forest, though without the elephant shaped gondolas.  The 14-story description was even the height of the Giant Wheel when constructed (150 feet).






 


The Grand Prix – drive your own racing go-cart through a thrilling grand prix auto circuit.

 NOTE: The name Grand Prix was used for an attraction in the Enchanted Forest, but for a very different ride.  The design pictured here is more of a typical car ride found in theme parks around the world, with multiple lanes along a twisting course with overpasses.

A similar type of ride was included in the final design of the Enchanted Forest with the Antique Cars, though they were only a single track and ran at ground level throughout.  The name Grand Prix was used for a go-kart style ride featuring electric powered cars that raced around a covered track.


 


The Bumper – drive yourself; bump into everyone.

NOTE: When Great Adventure opened, the Traffic Jam bumper car ride was the largest in the world, though in a much simpler building than what was envisioned here.   


The Totem Pole
– ride wild mustangs into the sky around a 6-story high totem pole.
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Dark Rides – these are rides which take place, for the most part, inside (a sampling)


The Transylvania Haunted Castle – a ride through the rooms and chambers of an enormous haunted castle with ghosts, goblins, Dracula, Frankenstein, the Monkeys of Oz, Witches, Sorcerers, Leprechauns, and all manner of fantastic apparitions.


Man, Time and Space – the creation of the world, the evolution of man, and on to the outer limits of the universe – stars, planets, reflections, lasers, sound waves – an incredible trip into space.


Keystone Cops – a mile-a-minute chase through the streets of New York, into buildings, through walls, crashing, smashing turning, laughing, falling, jumping with the Keystone Cops.


The Land of Oz – a ride into the Emerald City , using magic and a score of new film techniques.

 NOTE: Warner LeRoy had a long time connection to the Wizard of Oz and film making magic, since his father Mervyn was a Hollywood director who had a hand in the Wizard of Oz.  Warner LeRoy was named after Jack Warner, president of Warner Brothers Studios.   


The Arabian Knights – a beautiful trip into the land of genies, harems, treasure caves and jeweled cities.


Down the Wishing Well – a ride with Alice into the Wonderland and the Mad Hatter’s tea party, the castle of the Queen of Hearts, the forest of the Cheshire cat and a party with Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Pigs and others.
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Other Attractions


Arcade – all manner of marvelous games.

 NOTE: The idea of a huge games area in the park came to pass in 1975 with the addition of the Fortune Festival area.  The design of the Fortune Festival closely resembled the configuration of the Arcade in the rendering.











Walk-In Clock – a huge clock with a fantastic movement. 


The Cave of the Oracle – through an echo chamber, a gravity defying room, to the Oracle and your fortune. 


A Motion Picture Theatre with a screen 60’ x 80’, showing spectacular and special short films.

Transportation – climb over, around and in trains, boats, airplanes and cars of the past, present and future.   Ride a double decker bus, a stage coach, a horse-drawn carriage, antique cars, fire engines and a steam engine.


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Water and Flowers
Besides the extraordinary beauty of the land and the lakes, there will be many fountains, some more than 100’ in diameter, some shooting 500’ into the sky. Also a profusion of flowering trees, wild flowers and beds of daffodils, anemones, hydrangeas and other magnificent flowers.

 NOTE: Designs for the park always included elaborate landscaping and fountains.  When Great Adventure opened it did include the world's tallest water jet at the center of the park along with millions of colorful flowers enhancing the natural wooded beauty.



 
Performances


Puppet Show – famous children’s stories such as Madeline, Babar and Pinocchio.

 NOTE: Puppet shows were included in the final design of the Enchanted Forest with a small puppet theater located just inside the gates.




 


Wild West Saloon – a restaurant and show involving singers, dancers, ropers, trick riders and gun fights.

 NOTE: The concept of the western show and the restaurant never came together in the park, though the Great Arena featured the trick riding and the Best of the West featured the cowboy fare. 



Crazy Show – a spiral theatre with insanity taking place in the aisles; pie throwing, water fights, vaudeville jokes, pretty girls and all manner of wildness.


Jousts – outside the Transylvanian Castle King Arthur and his Knights fight for their fair ones.

 NOTE: Jousting along with chariot racing and a western show were incorporated into the shows of the Great Arena.


Lakeside Theatre – for bands, beauty parades, fantasy pantomimes, musical shows, and other entertainment.

  • Fireworks – from a large lake into the sky at night.

  • Performers – throughout the Enchanted Forest there are many performers dressed in fantasy costumes and costumes of famous fairy tale characters such as: Winnie the Pooh high wire walkers, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs acrobats, Snoopy trampolines, Peter Rabbit pole climbers, Superman strong men, Peter Pan flying troops, and many fantasy and fairy tale characters just walking and talking. 

  • Musical Groups throughout the Enchanted Forest – steel bands, drum and bugle corps, rock groups, dixie land band, organ grinder, fiddlers and bagpipers.

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Restaurants


Revolving – a 150 ft. restaurant turning past water, forest and rides.


The Chinese Junk – serving Chinese food.


The Candy Castle – candy, cookies, cakes, sweets, ice cream and snacks.

 NOTE: A similar concept was incorporated into the Enchanted Forest design with the Yum Yum Palace and its ice cream facade.







Tree House – platforms built into the trees serving sandwiches and other snacks.


The Emerald Bridge to the Land of Oz – food served on a bridge across the water.


The Transylvania Banquet Hall – a medieval hall by water’s edge for large banquets and parties.


The Wild West – chuck wagon and barbequed food in a rip-roaring western saloon.

 NOTE: The Conestoga Wagon was constructed in the Enchanted Forest, though it never had the full covering shown here in the rendering.



  • Spaghetti – a restaurant made out of spaghetti, serving Italian food.
  • Stands – serving hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, fruit juices, ice cream, pancakes, french fries, cotton candy, popcorn, caramel apples, health foods, shish kebabs, corn on the cob, frozen bananas, doughnuts, pizzas, fruits, coffee, chicken, bagels, snowflakes, tacos, fudge.
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