Csogi

I do not remember them at all. Could it only have been there in 74?

I know that in 75, Dream Street was really crowded. I think that they might have hit 2.5 million visitors that year. It was so crowded that Kathie and I, as Toy Soldiers, had a difficult time managing our way down the street. The characters were only allowed to roam from the entrance to the fountain, so we were crammed together. This also caused problems when everyone was leaving the park. I think that management wanted to provide additional walkways through the park. Along with the new entrance, the Games Area was built (providing another area for people to walk). Placing the entrance more in the middle of the park allowed for a smoother flow, both at the beginning of the day and at closing. I forget if it was 77 or 78 that part of Dream Street was closed near the Carousel. This was divert people through the Games area. This I did not like. It took away from the site line down Dream Street (Carousel, Fountain, and Giant Wheel) The new entrance had more of the 'wow' factor then the original. That and the improved flow of people makes the new entrance better.

And ther managers could act foolish (after putting up with us all season).

Yes it was. Since it was the last day, there were not many were around.

We worked outside the gates every morning 30 to 45 minutes before the park opened. You would warm the crowd for the park, take their mind off how long they had been waiting, and take pictures. While you could not remember every name or face, it would drive the customers crazy if you caught up with them later in the day, acknowledging them, and inquiring about their day. If you remembered their name (especially with the kids), that was an extra bonus. It's funny that you mention photo-op's. When I think of a photo-op, I see characters in a designated spot at a specific time, with people crowding around them. Every minute that we were on the street was a photo-op.

Another excellent job laying out the history of Strawberry Fair!

The Garden of Eatin?

Wilden Wooley must have been the best fit. There were a few character added in 76 that had corny shows with them.

I would guess by the Runaway Train

For the most part, we worked Dream Street (from the new entrance to the fountain to the original entrance to Kiddie Kingdom). It changed when we had to work the parade. You needed to get to the start of the parade (Gingerbread Fancy) and then back after the parade ended at the Great Arena. Some would go off to other areas of the park, but that made it difficult for the supervisors (not that a clown would slack off). We would start the day outside the front gate, keeping the crowd busy before the park opened. You might find pictures of Street Characters in other areas of the park towards the end of the season. The crowds were so much smaller that you had to do something to keep busy.

That's Sue as Little Red Riding Hood. As you can see, we were not shy about climbing and hanging on anything in site. I wonder how that changed over time?

I know that I bought my mom a clown with a balloon. I will see if I can get a picture.

Yes, that's correct. Before the 1975 season was over, Penn and Teller started to work together (with a third person) as the the Asparagus Valley Cultural Society.

This was taken back by the clown trailer. Since it was at the beginning of the season (and we were rookies) we did not roam much past Dream Street.

I can only remember his first name, David. He was one of the professional clowns hired that year.

I worked in the park during the late 70's and then purchased season passes in the mid 90's when my children were small. How the park changed during that time. In my opinion, the park was run down and dirty in the 90's (both inside the park and in the parking lot). The employees we dealt with were less then courteous (when you could understand them). What did we do? Instead of driving the 15 minutes to GA, we drove 3 hours to Hershey Park. The park was clean, well maintained, and the workers were pleasant and helpful. For a few years, we even purchased season passes to Hershey (sometimes staying at a hotel and others for a day trip). While the park did some expansion, they also kept the 'old standards'. This is why we took that 3 hour ride. The kids had their favorites, with a new exciting coaster coming in every few years. Hershey made it a place for "children of all ages" to enjoy. This is how GA was during the 70's. Sadly, it did not carry forward.

He was on Dream Street between the original entrance and the Carousel.

The employee's had to park in the safari the day of the Andy Gibb concert. We were then bused to the employee entrance. That was one of the days that the park closed, not allowing any more people in. Is there any history on the largest attendance? Or how often the park stopped allowing people in because the crowd was so large? It happened a few times a year in the 70's.

Not sure if it fits here, but I have a charcoal drawing of me from my first day at the park in 75 somewhere in the house. The artist, Brian, told me to take a seat. I was so tired that I fell asleep while he did the drawing.

Yes it did, that's what made the ride great. You did not have time to get yourself focused before being whipped backwards. It was always fun trying to walk a straight line after getting off.

I loved this ride. The first employee party I attended in 75 was in this area. The ride operator would not letting anyone off. Rather, after sending us backwards, he would start it up again (going forward). He did this 3 or 4 times. A great ride at 1 am.

I know that in 1977 they had some problems with the llama's 'enjoying' each others company too much. I think they might have beem removed from Happy Feeling. The llama's were included in the Great Parade. Again, they started to 'enjoy' themselves in the middle of Dream Street during a parade. The clown who was walking them was not very happy.

I believe that a year or so after the Games area was created, they blocked off Dream Street by the shops and the Carousel to force people into the arcade. It was much nicer before that.