greg90

In Michael Moore's film "Roger and Me" - which is about the decay of the auto industry in Flint - Michael takes a tour of Autoworld.

Didn't they have their chance in the late 90s Bob Pittman/Time Warner era?

How many pages CAN you read in 9 and a half minutes? I remember once Rob Einhorn was running the projector (I think it was Rob). I heard an expletive and ran up - the entire booth was covered in film. The rewinder had gone nuts. In fact, that was the most stressful part of working there, rewinding that film. I also remember making a lot of splices with scotch tape! I am sure the film lost a minute or two by then end of the season.

I spent most of 1988 in Cinema 180 - when I wasn't performing the Salty Dog Puppet Show. In fact, I rmember us being so shorthanded that I did both at the same time once in a while. Not bad, since the puppet show was an outside concession - you got paid twice! The best thing about running the projector - other than car=tching up on reading - was flipping on the house lights and closing the shutter at the exact moment of the final "crash". The objective was to see how many people would fall backwards! The weirdest was during Deaf Awareness events. The guests couldn't hear the pre-show announcement, amd had no idea I was about to turn the lights out. The were all chatting away in sign language, when , bam - lights out, show starting. I always felt like I was interrupting all of their conversations.

A couple of things. The hole they dug to build this ride must have been almost as deep as the ride is tall! I was one of the first to ride, albeit dressed as Bogey Orangutan, for some publicilty shots with then Park General Manager Dave Paltzik. They raised and lowered us to all different heights - the photographer was in the next chute. When they rebuilt the Games Square after 1982 - yes they wanted to drive people through there, and Parachuter's Perch was a good way to do it. They also blocked off direct access from the Carousel to the Four Tents with a large mounded garden - forcing people to walk through Games Square. Smart money move, but kind of ruined the big Fairway feel of standing at the Four Tents and looking right up the long street to Carousel - Fountain - and Big Wheel.

I rode this as a kid. The track was not flat, you had to get up that first hill after the start as you turned left. I think there were problems with some cars not making it up. It was a very slight incline, however - and then you came down the hill in the last turn. The Mike Douglas Show went to Great Adventure in the mid 70s - may have even been 74 or 75. I don't remember if it was a whole week, but may have been. One of the segments featured the Grand Prix. I believe Mike raced against someone - Mario Andretti, maybe, No - one of the Unsers, I think. Anyway, you get the idea. It was a cool ride.