Page 19 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – May/June 2019

remain from Storytown’s early
years. The Swan Boats offer
guests a relaxing tour down
the River Dee to see the sites
of Timbertown and Storytown
themed areas. The Storytown
Train takes visitors along the
park’s original rail route and
provides a history lesson of
Storytown U.S.A. and Great
Escape. You might even see some of your favorite characters from Storytown’s past along the way. There’s no need to fall down a rabbit hole to visit the characters from Alice in Wonderland, including Alice, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Cheshire Cat and, of course, the Queen of Hearts.
The park was running well through the 1960s and
into the 1970s; in 1977 Wood served as president of
the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, which later would induct him into its Hall
of Fame. Two years later, in the park’s 25th year, in an effort to attract even more guests, Storytown opened its
first water ride, Desperado Plunge. The classic log- flume still runs today, through the trees over Ghost Town.
In 1982, Wood changes the name of the park from Storytown U.S.A. to The Great Escape Fun Park.
To help with the transition, it developed a slogan: “Storytown is The Great Escape Fun Park.” The park continued to expand with rollercoasters and other thrill rides added yearly.
Then, in 1989, 35 years after Wood sat on the hill and doubted his vision, he sold The Great Escape
to the International Broadcasting Corp. for $36 million, half in cash and half in stock. Two years later, the stock became worthless when International Broadcasting Corp. went bankrupt. But Wood saw an opportunity and bought back The Great Escape for less than he had sold it.
An icon was added to the park when The
Comet opened in the park’s 40th year, 1994. This rollercoaster started out at an amusement park in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, in 1927. Its metal frame was rebuilt with wood in 1947 and continued to run until that park closed in 1989. Wood purchased it, stored it for a while and had it rebuilt at The Great Escape. The Comet is considered one of the best wooden rollercoasters in the United States, with an 85-foot drop and a top speed of 55 mph.
A year later, Wood opened Splashwater Kingdom, a waterpark for guests who wanted to get a little wetter than Desperado Plunge was offering. Throughout the
In 1982, Wood changes the name of the park from Storytown U.S.A. to The Great Escape Fun Park.
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