PREMIERE ISSUE! - Park Model Living Magazine
PREMIERE ISSUE! - Park Model Living Magazine
PREMIERE ISSUE! - Park Model Living Magazine
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Birds fly, right? So, what do<br />
snowbirds do? They ride roller<br />
coasters, see shows, and go to<br />
concerts. And they do it all at<br />
Cypress Gardens Adventure<br />
<strong>Park</strong> in Winter Haven, Florida –<br />
one of F lorida‟s oldest am u sement<br />
parks.<br />
Cypress Gardens, a 70plus<br />
year veteran of the Florida<br />
tourist trade, is the amusement<br />
park w orld‟s “com eback kid.”<br />
Closed down in 2003 due to a<br />
sharp decline in tourism, the<br />
park was snapped up in 2004 by<br />
the Adventure <strong>Park</strong>s Group<br />
owned by Kent Buescher.<br />
Since the grand reopening,<br />
the 150-acre park has<br />
had an amazing renaissance<br />
and no few hard knocks.<br />
Slammed by three hurricanes in<br />
2004, the park sustained more<br />
than $25 million in damages<br />
and was able to collect less than<br />
$7 million from their insurance<br />
company.<br />
Undaunted, the park has<br />
www.<strong>Park</strong><strong>Model</strong><strong>Living</strong>.com<br />
remained open and is going<br />
strong. Since 2004, they have<br />
added 12 new rides and attractions.<br />
The park is adding yet<br />
another ride – the Starliner.<br />
This one is a little different,<br />
th ough becau se, w ell, it‟s n ot<br />
new. The new kid on the block<br />
is actually a 44-year old classic<br />
John Allen wooden coaster that<br />
was acquired in 2004 from Pan<br />
am a C ity B each ‟s M iracle<br />
Strip Amusement <strong>Park</strong> which<br />
closed down that year. The<br />
<strong>Park</strong> <strong>Model</strong> <strong>Living</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> 17
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