Morey's Piers & Beachfront Waterparks

What’s Behind The Winter Fence?

November 19th, 2009

If you come up to the boardwalk in the winter, you will see a fence at the front of each our piers…Do you wonder what we are doing behind the winter fence? Well, here’s just a taste of what we are doing from a few of our departments:

Recruiting – Two of our associates just got back from Singapore and Thailand and hired over 110 students who will start arriving in late March.

Pier Operations – Updating and upgrading training, revising standards, guidelines, policies and procedures to ensure they all continue to meet current ASTM International Consensus Standards, New Jersey State Regulations, and Manufacturer Guidelines

Reviewing hundreds of resumes from students all over the country who hope to secure an internship in operations

Ordering uniforms, supplies, manuals, trashcans, and various other equipment and attending industry training seminars

Marketing – Advertising our Holiday Sales, designing next year’s brochures, and creating our overall marketing strategy for the 2010 season.

Corporate Sales – Trade Show Season! Time to start booking picnics for next summer!

Events & Entertainment – Creating new events like the Curley Fry Festival (May 29) and Beach Lacrosse (July 17-18) and booking entertainment for the Summer Entertainment Series (Thursdays July 8 – August 26)

Executives – Are at the IAAPA Expo (International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions) in Las Vegas to check out what’s new in the industry

Check for more blogs about what’s behind the winter fence!

See you in the spring,
Kristel

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Golden Nugget Farewell Receives a Brass Ring Award at IAAPA

November 17th, 2009

Last night in Las Vegas, we were very happy to learn that the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) honored us with a Brass Ring Award for our Golden Nugget Farewell ceremony as “Best Special Event.” The real honor of the Brass Ring goes to the more than 1,000 people who traveled great distances to pay their respects in freezing weather, see a memorial exhibit, hear eulogies, receive memorial tokens, and warm over clam chowder to view a model of a new coaster. This honor also goes to those who led us in the ceremony, including the leadership of ACE and DAFE, the members of the “Bud” Hunt and John Allen families, and representatives of Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. Finally, this Brass Ring also honors our team, for planning and organizing the event, making the memorial tokens and the exhibit, and serving the refreshments.

The following is the Editorial that ran in our local Press of Atlantic City, following the event:

Golden Nugget ride / A proper send-off
Editorial in the Press of Atlantic City, Published: Feb 08, 2009

So what would prompt about 1,000 people to queue up on a frigid Saturday afternoon along the desolate Wildwood Boardwalk, where the smell of pizza is long gone and the only water ice is on the tips of frozen noses?

Nostalgia, mostly. Memories. That, and the chance to give a proper send-off to a signature attraction: the Golden Nugget Mine Ride, which is finally biting the dust after sitting for nearly 50 years on the edge of the old Hunt’s Pier, now owned by Morey’s Piers Beachfront Waterparks. The ride hasn’t operated in more than a decade.

The Wildwoods have lost a lot from the 1950s and 1960s, including many of the original doo-wop motels that it capitalized on in recent years. When the motels fall - old favorites such as the Carousel and the Tahiti - it’s generally a quiet affair. A classic neon sign or other architectural detail may wind up in the Wildwood Historical Museum.

But last weekend, Morey’s offered coaster fans, local residents and nostalgic baby boomers - some of whom may have been among the first Golden Nugget riders back in 1960 - a chance to see it one last time, have some fun and take a final hokey picture or two among the scary characters that inhabited the faux mine.

So what would prompt about 1,000 people to queue up on a frigid Saturday afternoon along the desolate Wildwood Boardwalk, where the smell of pizza is long gone and the only water ice is on the tips of frozen noses?

Nostalgia, mostly. Memories. That, and the chance to give a proper send-off to a signature attraction: the Golden Nugget Mine Ride, which is finally biting the dust after sitting for nearly 50 years on the edge of the old Hunt’s Pier, now owned by Morey’s Piers Beachfront Waterparks. The ride hasn’t operated in more than a decade.

The Wildwoods have lost a lot from the 1950s and 1960s, including many of the original doo-wop motels that it capitalized on in recent years. When the motels fall - old favorites such as the Carousel and the Tahiti - it’s generally a quiet affair. A classic neon sign or other architectural detail may wind up in the Wildwood Historical Museum.

But last weekend, Morey’s offered coaster fans, local residents and nostalgic baby boomers - some of whom may have been among the first Golden Nugget riders back in 1960 - a chance to see it one last time, have some fun and take a final hokey picture or two among the scary characters that inhabited the faux mine.

It was a nice touch. The backhoes came in after the crowds left, and the rocky landmark is nearly gone now from the Wildwood landscape. But fans can’t say they didn’t have a chance to say goodbye.

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Calling All Teachers!

November 4th, 2009

Visit us tomorrow and Friday during NJEA at booth number 2219! We are happy to announce our Education ExtravaGREENza among our other school program favorites of Class Trips and School FUNdraiser! Stop by and mention this blog for a special gift and our 2010 School Programs Brochure!

See you there,
Kristel

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Special Events in 2010…Look what we have in store for you

October 30th, 2009

While we will still have your old time favorites such as Easter Sunday and our Super Sunday Closing Day Celebration…we are filling up your plates with even more then our regular special events line up. Look for Music in the Parks, Education ExtravaGREENza, Beach Lacrosse and some other brand new events. The 2010 season will host over 40 special events and entertainment shows. Stay tuned for more information!

See you in the spring,

Kristel

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Bringing the BLOG back from the dead…End of the Season Fun!

October 20th, 2009

PHEW! It’s been a long time! We’re not good at this yet, but we are working hard to make this blog more active!

We had a very busy shoulder season bringing scouts camping at Beach Jam, soccer kids and a SUPER Sunday Closing Day Event plus an end of the season party for our staff.

While the weather was a little wet for Beach Jam scouts enjoyed the rides and merit badge programs throughout the weekend. Then, our final weekend included Cape Express soccer kids and Spider Man at Super Sunday along with Sunny C. Gull’s 5th birthday party! As always, we gave away two season passes for next season.

I want to send a special congratulation out to one of our season pass winners at Super Sunday, Morgan Milburn! She came out for the event and celebrated her birthday at the same time! See the picture of her with Sunny C. Gull and Spider-man!

Feel free to email me about anything you want to hear about and I will try and post it at Kristel.Fillmore@moreyspiers.com.

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Hollywood Comes to Morey’s Piers, Now the Tram Car Goes to Hollywood

October 20th, 2009

This past September, you may remember, we were invaded by a bunch of “Hollywood” types to film the Wildwood Boardwalk and Morey’s Piers.

Here’s the rest of the story…Once upon a time, Oscar-winning scribe, Dustin Lance Black (Milk), wrote a screenplay entitled, “What’s Wrong with Virginia.” The film is to star Jennifer Connelly playing a charming, but psychologically disturbed mother of a 16-year old son. She has a 20-year clandestine love with a man running for sheriff (who was to be played by Liam Neeson, but this fell through after the passing of his wife). Now the relationship between Connelly and the sheriff is really tested when her son begins a relationship with his daughter.

As it happens, some of the film’s action is written on a boardwalk, in front of an amusement park, as Jennifer Connelly is driving a tram car! Now, here’s how the story really get’s interesting: Dustin Lance Black had some great times at Morey’s Piers and the Wildwood boardwalk, and so, when he needed a tram car and an amusement park for the film, guess who he calls?

Yes, this explains why TicTock Studios spent a beautiful Indian Summer day driving the tram car up the boardwalk, and a full Saturday night filming on Morey’s Piers. Some of you were called as extras…as you rode the Tram car, the Giant Wheel, the Musik Express, and the Wave Swinger.

All this sets the stage for today’s newspaper story, which explains why the Wildwood Tram car is being sent to a studio in Michigan: See the story here:

Stay tuned, as we follow the story to find out how Jennifer does with the Tram car, and who plays her Sheriff….

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Indie Film Shoot on the Piers this Saturday

January 14th, 2009

This Saturday, September 19th, an independent film company will be on the Wildwood Boardwalk and Morey’s Piers shooting a film (sorry, we can’t tell you the name yet). We can tell you that it involves a tram car being driven by a well known female actor (alas, we will only see the stunt double this Saturday, and sorry, I cannot tell you the name of the actor).

Once we are allowed, we’ll give you the name of the film, because Morey’s Piers will have a starring role!

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Farewell to the Golden Nugget

January 13th, 2009

On a frigid cold day in January we said good bye to the Golden Nugget with over 1,100 guests, countless memories and tons of pictures. Here are some of those memories:

The Golden Nugget was one of those great attractions. It was a joint venture of two giants of the industry, John Allen of the Philadelphia Toboggan Co and Bill Tracy of the Amusement Displays Co. It was one of a kind- part roller coaster, part darkride and totally unique. Supposedly, the Hunts and John Allen had a handshake agreement that PTC would never build another ride like it, ensuring that it would remain special until today.

Rick Davis
DAFE

“The familiar screeching whistle of the Nugget’s trains rounding the outside corner beckons. I look up at my mom and dad, and with tickets in hand, we’re standing on the loading platform ramp of The Nugget waiting for our chance to ride. Not before long, we’re boarding these simple mine vehicles, restrained only by a small door on the side. A release of the manual big ol’ brake lever and off we go. Up the first short lift and a quick turn left to yet another lift, the crackling clickety-clack sound is unmatched after rides on almost 400 coasters later. This lift along the backside of the Nugget’s structure provides an amazing view of the beach and ocean. The ocean breeze is blowing through my hair as my anticipation grows stronger. We’re up at the top now, a slow wind through an old mining town littered with vultures and pan handlers and sounds of the old west. I grasp the train’s grab bar and my father’s hand tighter as I know what awaits me shortly- a perilous plunge down the Bottomless Mine Shaft. To an eight year old boy, this might as well be the first drop on The Great White. Soon the car slows and the drop into darkness begins. Down, down, down and into the screeching whistle turn left, now we climb into the darkness of the Nugget, marked not only by sight but by the familiar salt water ravaged musty smell of the ride’s interior. Here we encounter a smorgasbord of classic Tracy stunts like teetering barrels, collapsing beams, black-lit spiders and bats swooping down from overhead. It’s a feast for the senses. My favorite moment was the seemingly never-ending slow crawl in pitch blackness leading to an instantaneous near head-on collision with another occupied mine car! Somewhere deep into the Nugget’s ominous mine journey was another drop in darkness, a dizzying dive through a glowing spinning tunnel, and of course the sure-to-get-wet waterfall that shuts off just before you pass under it. The light begins the leak-in signaling the end of the experience that I had day-dreamed about throughout 3rd grade classes, but not before one last encounter with an old skeleton, remnants of a past expedition gone wrong. A quick glance at the old barbershop in the ride’s station and the ride is over. With a huge smile and gleaming eyes, I run down the exit ramp and hug my mother. Can I do it again? Can I??”

Adam Revesz
ACE

On a happier note we were very excited to unveil the model of our brand new coaster at the reception after the ceremony (hopefully, they will let me post a picture real soon!). While we are sad to say good bye to the past, we are looking forward to the future and the new rides that it will bring!

Click on the links below to see some amazing pictures of this historic attraction.

Hunt’s Pier
Wolf Set
Falling Timbers
Construction 1
Construction 2
Loading Station 1
Loading Station 2
Panning for gold
Horse and rider
Flying Bat
John Allen, designer of the Golden Nugget

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How To Grade Our Summer

January 7th, 2009

It’s Labor Day, and the season is winding down. We got a call the other day from the media, asking us to comment on our season with a school grade. We replied, “Our CFO would give it a C, our marketing departments would give it a B, and our guests would give it an A.”

The weather was not always working this season for this seaside amusement park. A rainy June, a cool July, and even more rain in August, all conspired to ruin things for our CFO, as ticket booth sales dipped below last year.

As for marketing’s grade for the summer, we like to say, “When things are going well, we credit the weather, but when things are going poorly, we blame marketing.” So we cranked out specials and special offers like mad. We also installed a new customer survey kiosk system. When we learned from the surveys that so many of our guests, even local ones, were not aware that we had TWO beachfront waterparks, we launched a LOCALS ONLY campaign to over 80,000 households in the region, with a FREE pass to our waterparks, free parking, and coupons for food. This was on top of our daytime specials which were very popular.

From the guest point of view (which matters the most!), the season got an unqualified “A.” The park was just as fun, just as clean, and still as safe, but at a greater value to our guests. More people took advantage of our Winter and Spring sales than ever before, and all those weekday specials, and special offers resulted in some VERY delighted guests, according to our surveys.

- The Marketing team

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John Pawlowski Fundraiser - Helping the Survivor’s Fund

January 7th, 2009

This past February, the Philadelphia Police Department lost another one of its heroes. Officer John Pawlowski was killed in the line of duty, leaving behind his young wife and their new baby. On September 5th, Morey’s Piers hosted a public picnic to raise money for the John Pawlowski Memorial Trust Fund and The Fraternal Order of Police Survivor’s Fund.

Morey’s Piers decided to host the event because of their personal connection to the Pawlowski family. John’s sister, Lauren has been a Morey’s Piers associate since 2004, initially as a seasonal employee, but now as a full time member of the team.

“When one of our team faces a tragedy such as this, we all want to help,” noted Will Morey, CEO of Morey’s Piers. Denise Beckson, Director of Operations/ HR for Morey’s Piers, echoed this sentiment. “We value our team members,” says Denise, “our employees are like family here.”