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  #161  
Old Posted Jul 15, 2015, 6:46 AM
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Damn!! Missed Cannibal by 2 weekends! At any rate, my trip there was my first time ever to Lagoon. The park had a bigger footprint than I expected. It wasn't too shabby. I had some fun. There are some good rides there. The main thing that sucked was waiting in lines in 100 degree heat. Ugh.

I did notice there were people protesting the park's "zoo" when I arrived. I can't say I blame them much after experiencing it.
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  #162  
Old Posted Jul 15, 2015, 11:40 PM
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The zoo at Lagoon has always been depressing... I can't imagine it generates as much revenue as it is worth to keep operating. I wish they would get out of the zoo business and be done with it.
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  #163  
Old Posted Jul 16, 2015, 8:01 PM
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The zoo at Lagoon has always been depressing... I can't imagine it generates as much revenue as it is worth to keep operating. I wish they would get out of the zoo business and be done with it.
I think you're right, I doubt that a single dollar they make is due to the zoo being there. I say get rid of it, sell the animals to some real zoo's and add a new real roller coaster in that space, one that incorporates Pioneer Village and the lake. Put the entrance to the coaster in the Pioneer Village Train Station. at the south end of Pioneer Village. Doing this and they've accomplished three things. 1) Given the animals a better home. 2) Added another real coaster 3) Brought more people into and through Pioneer Village
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  #164  
Old Posted Jul 16, 2015, 8:44 PM
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I think you're right, I doubt that a single dollar they make is due to the zoo being there. I say get rid of it, sell the animals to some real zoo's and add a new real roller coaster in that space, one that incorporates Pioneer Village and the lake. Put the entrance to the coaster in the Pioneer Village Train Station. at the south end of Pioneer Village. Doing this and they've accomplished three things. 1) Given the animals a better home. 2) Added another real coaster 3) Brought more people into and through Pioneer Village
I think that if they did it right, they could get 2 good coasters there. A decent wooden "Mine" ride (like the old wild mouse) and an updated wooden coaster.

Both would be good and fit with the pioneer village themes.
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  #165  
Old Posted Jul 16, 2015, 10:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Future Mayor View Post
I think you're right, I doubt that a single dollar they make is due to the zoo being there. I say get rid of it, sell the animals to some real zoo's and add a new real roller coaster in that space, one that incorporates Pioneer Village and the lake. Put the entrance to the coaster in the Pioneer Village Train Station. at the south end of Pioneer Village. Doing this and they've accomplished three things. 1) Given the animals a better home. 2) Added another real coaster 3) Brought more people into and through Pioneer Village
Not only do they most likely not make a single dollar from the "zoo" in there...I would bet they have lost at least some money from having it there in the points you have made about wasted space, and there are probably a certain amount of people who won't go there because of the conditions the animals are currently kept in.
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  #166  
Old Posted Jul 17, 2015, 2:49 PM
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Depends on the type of animals. The big ones, like the tigers, always seem miserable. Actually, come to think of it, I've never seen a tiger in a zoo that looked pleased to be there. Regardless, I think having some of the smaller animals there is pretty cool.

If the exotic animals have to go, at least keep the smaller ones, maybe the farm animals for a type of petting zoo. Keep it in theme with the Pioneer Village and let them be pioneer farm animals. One of my favorite moments of going to lagoon as a kid was when we discovered their horse-drawn wagon rides that leave from the pioneer village train station. It was partly a moment of discovery, of finding a 'secret ride' that wasn't even listed on the map, and it was partly the immersive effect it had on being in Pioneer Village, of suddenly the place seeming more alive and real by having an interactive element. A farm/petting zoo keeping in that theme would have a similar effect, I think.

A mine-themed coaster fronting the lake would be pretty cool. Re-route the steam trains around the coaster site by going around Pioneer Village with another at-grade crossing at the north end so that they can stop at the old train station on the south end and become a shuttle from Pioneer Village back to the Midway area (Disneyland RR style).

Then, while I'm dreaming, build a monorail out to the parking area, then out to the FrontRunner station so that you can scan your park ticket at the FrontRunner station and ride straight into the park(Disneyland Monorail Style).

Why don't we run lagoon? We've got too many great ideas!
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  #167  
Old Posted Jul 20, 2015, 7:47 PM
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Agreed, and as was stated on a different thread, all of us on here are know it alls, so we could totally run Lagoon. Count me in.
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  #168  
Old Posted Jul 20, 2015, 11:51 PM
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They could incorporate the magic kingdom train (or whatever it's called) into the coasters as well, perhaps have a couple animatronic wild west and/or haunted ghost mine scenes in some sheds below the tracks? Then I might consider riding the train again.
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  #169  
Old Posted Sep 2, 2015, 2:57 PM
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I got bored. Really bored. And then I made this little diagram based on ideas here, and then I forgot about it. Then I got really bored again, and decided to post it. That's my life.

Lagoon Current:


Lagoon Proposed:


1) Relocate the At-Grade crossing near the pirate ship further down the line. This allows for more pedestrian traffic.
2) Build a lot of water-front shops here. Sort of a mini Coney Island.
3) Beside the shops make a boardwalk area out over the lagoon.
4) Put in a nice large fountain, and use if for night-time entertainment. Sort of a bellagio meets Disney's World of Color sort of thing.
5) The miniature train crosses the walking path again, but this time on a bridge.
6) The Mine Train Coaster! It will feature prominently on the east side of the lagoon (and perhaps venture out into it). The entrance will be through the Pioneer Village Main Street, and the queue line will pay homage to Utah's mining past.
7) An old pioneer-looking trestle bridge will carry the miniature steam trains over the entrance to Pioneer Village. This will also serve as an entry gate to this section of the park.
8) Believe it or not, there are already train tracks here along the creek. Before the water park was put in there was a separate train that would stop at the old train station and travel alongside the creek before circling back through the water park area. The new train route will make use of this old alignment.
9) The Pioneer Village Depot. The model trains can stay inside, just wrap the queue around the outside of the building (under the wings). The Wild Kingdom train could be renamed the 'Lagoon & Pioneer Village Rail Road' or something, because its purpose is now to transport passengers between the (current) Midway station and the historic Pioneer Village station. (I'm thinking something like the Disneyland Railroad, where passengers do not have to get off at each stop.)
10) The Pioneer Village Farm. Using the same infrastructure as the old Zoo, farm animals will take the place of the exotic animals that animal rights advocates get so upset about. Make it a petting zoo for children, more like the Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point, and tie it in with the Pioneer Village area better.

At least, this is what I would do if I were in charge of Lagoon Park. If I were bored.
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  #170  
Old Posted Sep 4, 2015, 6:47 AM
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Hatman, I really like your ideas! Anyone know who Hatman's ideas should be sent to?
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  #171  
Old Posted Sep 4, 2015, 5:49 PM
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I like this idea a lot. The last 2 times I have gone to Lagoon, not once did I go into Pioneer Village. There just isn't anything to draw me in for that area. I have never gone on the log ride, mainly because I find the line for it way to long. The only reason I go over there is for Snake River Rapids and the last time I went to Lagoon my wife said she didn't want to go on that ride. I personally think the pond and Pioneer Village to be a very underutilized part of the park. Even if all they took from your ideas is the expanded shops/boardwalk, fountain and expanded train it would help that area immensely.
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  #172  
Old Posted Apr 4, 2016, 7:04 PM
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With the new season now open, does anyone have any information on if there is a new ride this year? I know if there is, it would probably just be a kid ride as those are much cheaper and after spending so much on Cannibal I would understand that. Also would like to know if there are any rumors on what the next big thing is for the park?
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  #173  
Old Posted Apr 4, 2016, 8:49 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hatman View Post
I got bored. Really bored. And then I made this little diagram based on ideas here, and then I forgot about it. Then I got really bored again, and decided to post it. That's my life.


Lagoon Proposed:


1) Relocate the At-Grade crossing near the pirate ship further down the line. This allows for more pedestrian traffic.
2) Build a lot of water-front shops here. Sort of a mini Coney Island.
3) Beside the shops make a boardwalk area out over the lagoon.
4) Put in a nice large fountain, and use if for night-time entertainment. Sort of a bellagio meets Disney's World of Color sort of thing.
5) The miniature train crosses the walking path again, but this time on a bridge.
6) The Mine Train Coaster! It will feature prominently on the east side of the lagoon (and perhaps venture out into it). The entrance will be through the Pioneer Village Main Street, and the queue line will pay homage to Utah's mining past.
7) An old pioneer-looking trestle bridge will carry the miniature steam trains over the entrance to Pioneer Village. This will also serve as an entry gate to this section of the park.
8) Believe it or not, there are already train tracks here along the creek. Before the water park was put in there was a separate train that would stop at the old train station and travel alongside the creek before circling back through the water park area. The new train route will make use of this old alignment.
9) The Pioneer Village Depot. The model trains can stay inside, just wrap the queue around the outside of the building (under the wings). The Wild Kingdom train could be renamed the 'Lagoon & Pioneer Village Rail Road' or something, because its purpose is now to transport passengers between the (current) Midway station and the historic Pioneer Village station. (I'm thinking something like the Disneyland Railroad, where passengers do not have to get off at each stop.)
10) The Pioneer Village Farm. Using the same infrastructure as the old Zoo, farm animals will take the place of the exotic animals that animal rights advocates get so upset about. Make it a petting zoo for children, more like the Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point, and tie it in with the Pioneer Village area better.

At least, this is what I would do if I were in charge of Lagoon Park. If I were bored.
I'm not sure I saw your proposal last year. I really like the ideas, and I'm with you on the need to engage Pioneer Village. Re-connecting the Pioneer Village Train station, and creating the beginning of the line of a ride or two would do wonders for all those shops in the Village. I like the idea of taking the proposed coaster out and back along the south side of the Lagoon. I think there is enough room over there in Pioneer Village and along the south side of the Lagoon that they could eventually install two new coaster. It could become our own little version of Frontier Land.

As for new rides, I think you're probably right, if there is anything new I'm guessing it would be a simple kids ride.
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  #174  
Old Posted Sep 13, 2016, 11:37 PM
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I got bored again.

Then I found this site about the history of Lagoon! It's Awesome:

http://lagoonhistory.com/project/

Specifically, I found this entry for the Pioneer Village Railroad, which provided a map of the route it used to take:

This was back when there were two train rides, one around the lagoon and another around Pioneer Village. Then came the water park, which was in fact designed to go over the railroad tracks:

But the railroad stayed closed after the waterpark was constructed anyway. Apparently there were plans to connect the two railroads and have a big loop, sort of what I proposed a few posts ago:
Quote:
“…instead of one train encircling Pioneer Village and another encircling the lagoon, the two sets of tracks will be joined for one long railroad excursion around both.”
But for some reason this never happened.

So, if I became King of Lagoon, I would resurrect this idea, and combine it with the plan I drew up all those months ago, when I was bored the first time, and get this:



This new loop would have 3 railroad crossings, which is totally allowable. I also added in another station on the north side of Pioneer Village, because that area also needs some foot traffic. Also, there are many old picnic pavilions over there just waiting to be turned into thrill rides.

Now, how do I go about becoming King?
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  #175  
Old Posted Sep 14, 2016, 5:34 PM
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Again I like the idea. However those pavilions make Lagoon a lot of money. I do agree that maybe some of the massive ones could be replaced and they could design the newer ones to function separately as smaller pavilions or as a larger one if two or three were rented by one company.

The idea of the train actually having a purpose besides a really boring ride around the lake and past the pathetic animal enclosures, is just fantastic. Again I fully support the inclusion of the Pioneer Village Station into the mix and adding a northern station is a great idea also. It can still be a boring ride, but now at least it has a little more of a purpose, relaxing, but taking you to other destinations within the park.

I am trying to remember if the old train, the one around Pioneer Village was a bit larger than the "Wild Kingdom" train is, I believe it was closer to an actual train. I would say that the larger version might be the better option.

Reach out to Lagoon, try to get some contact information, or start of find a Lagoon lovers facebook page and get a grass roots campaign going to promote the improvements.
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  #176  
Old Posted Sep 14, 2016, 5:53 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Future Mayor View Post
Again I like the idea. However those pavilions make Lagoon a lot of money. I do agree that maybe some of the massive ones could be replaced and they could design the newer ones to function separately as smaller pavilions or as a larger one if two or three were rented by one company.

Reach out to Lagoon, try to get some contact information, or start of find a Lagoon lovers facebook page and get a grass roots campaign going to promote the improvements.
I agree that the pavilions are key. Where else would I store my cooler full of beer when I go to that glorious BYOB park known as Lagoon.
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  #177  
Old Posted Sep 14, 2016, 10:33 PM
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I thought Lagoon already got rid of the massive ones. I was very distraught to see that the beautiful, old Victorian pavilions had been torn down, except for a few small ones, and cheaper, smaller, ugly pavilions had been built further east.

I remember the train that is no longer being a much smaller train. I don't think adults could even sit in it. The old one was called Bamberger something in homage to the guy who founded Lagoon, which makes it difficult to google info on it as there was also an actual Bamberger railroad that stopped at Lagoon (and is the reason Lagoon even exists).

Last summer, I was thinking Lagoon ought to build a parking garage and expand onto what is now the parking lot.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Future Mayor View Post
Again I like the idea. However those pavilions make Lagoon a lot of money. I do agree that maybe some of the massive ones could be replaced and they could design the newer ones to function separately as smaller pavilions or as a larger one if two or three were rented by one company.

The idea of the train actually having a purpose besides a really boring ride around the lake and past the pathetic animal enclosures, is just fantastic. Again I fully support the inclusion of the Pioneer Village Station into the mix and adding a northern station is a great idea also. It can still be a boring ride, but now at least it has a little more of a purpose, relaxing, but taking you to other destinations within the park.

I am trying to remember if the old train, the one around Pioneer Village was a bit larger than the "Wild Kingdom" train is, I believe it was closer to an actual train. I would say that the larger version might be the better option.

Reach out to Lagoon, try to get some contact information, or start of find a Lagoon lovers facebook page and get a grass roots campaign going to promote the improvements.

Last edited by Stenar; Sep 14, 2016 at 10:53 PM.
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  #178  
Old Posted Sep 14, 2016, 10:57 PM
tygr tygr is offline
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I don't mean to throw this thread off-topic, but it's really interesting to see how the Bamberger RR was a very strong influence in the layout of cities and location of several roads including I-15 along its route.

See route map.
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  #179  
Old Posted Sep 15, 2016, 2:44 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stenar View Post
I thought Lagoon already got rid of the massive ones. I was very distraught to see that the beautiful, old Victorian pavilions had been torn down, except for a few small ones, and cheaper, smaller, ugly pavilions had been built further east.

I remember the train that is no longer being a much smaller train. I don't think adults could even sit in it. The old one was called Bamberger something in homage to the guy who founded Lagoon, which makes it difficult to google info on it as there was also an actual Bamberger railroad that stopped at Lagoon (and is the reason Lagoon even exists).

Last summer, I was thinking Lagoon ought to build a parking garage and expand onto what is now the parking lot.
There was a mini train, that also ran through Pioneer Village, I remember it specifically right at the west entrance of the Village, but I believe there was also a larger train, which is the one that loaded and unloaded at the Pioneer Village Station.
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  #180  
Old Posted Sep 15, 2016, 11:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Future Mayor View Post
There was a mini train, that also ran through Pioneer Village, I remember it specifically right at the west entrance of the Village, but I believe there was also a larger train, which is the one that loaded and unloaded at the Pioneer Village Station.
Yes, I remember it at the west entrance to the village. I've never heard of or noticed any other train in PV when I was a kid.
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