CYPRESS GARDENS

'Cypress Gardens Adventure Park' (formerly 'Cypress Gardens') is a theme park near Winter Haven, Florida in the United States.

Contents

History

Business History

Rides and Attractions

Roller coasters

Thrill rides

Gallery

See also

External links

History

Cypress Gardens opened on January 2, 1936 as a botanical garden planted by Dick and Julie Pope. Over the years, it became one of the biggest attractions in Florida, known for its water ski shows and Southern Belles.
Cypress Gardens is Florida's first theme park, setting the stage for the rise of tourism in central Florida. It is known as the Water Ski Capitol of the World because many of the sport's landmark "firsts" and over 50 world records were broken here. Numerous movies have been filmed at the park, including a string of Esther Williams films and TV specials in the 50's and 60's. Many celebrities and dignitaries have skied and visited at the park, including Elvis Presley, Jordan's former King Hussein and his son and predecessor, King Abdullah II. It was also the site of a Johnny Carson special.

Business History

Competition for guests decreased after nearby Walt Disney World Resort opened in 1971. In the early 1980s, the Popes retired and transferred the park to their son, Dick Pope Jr.
In the 1980s book publisher Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich purchased the park along with SeaWorld, Circus World (later rebuilt as Boardwalk & Baseball) and Stars Hall of Fame, but sold most of the businesses to Anheuser-Busch in 1989. Busch continued to operate Cypress Gardens until April 1, 1995, when a group of the park's managers led by Bill Reynolds bought the property.
Under President and CEO Reynolds the park operated until April 13, 2003, when it closed after a prolonged tourism decline following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. A grass-roots effort to reopen the site soon materialized against plans to develop the property into condominiums.
On February 22, 2004, Adventure Parks Group, owned by Kent Buescher, purchased the property and renamed it Cypress Gardens Adventure Park. The purchase of the amusement park portion of the Cypress Gardens property was part of a larger conservation transaction. In that transaction, the entire 150-acre site was purchased from its previous owner, First Gardens, L.C., by The Trust for Public Land, a national conservation organization (TPL). TPL then sold a conservation easement over the entire property to the state of Florida, while Polk County purchased the 30-acre gardens portion of the property, less the development rights conveyed in the state easement. And finally, Adventure Parks Group purchased the balance of the property, also subject to the conservation easement. Adventure Parks Group also operates Buescher's Wild Adventures theme park in Valdosta, Georgia.
Buescher's plan to reopen the park in September 2004 was delayed by damages created by hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne. Cypress Gardens Adventure Park finally opened in November 2004. One of its new attractions, the Triple Hurricane roller coaster, was named for the tumultuous storm season.
The adjacent Splash Island water park opened in 2005, along with the Galaxy Spin roller coaster.
In September 2006, Adventure Parks Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the Florida site following approximately $30 million in damages sustained by the 2004 hurricanes. The park will operate without interruption during the bankruptcy reorganization.
Starliner, a wooden roller coaster purchased from the defunct Miracle Strip Amusement Park in Panama City, Florida, is scheduled to open in 2007.
April 1st, 2007 will be the day that Cypress Gardens Adventure Park will host the one and only "World's Largest Easter Egg Hunt" with 500,000 eggs. Many prizes will be given up as well as one scholarship to Polk Community College.


June 15, 2007
Cypress Gardens to host TV series by international gardening expert
A television host of an international gardening show
is re-planting his home studio at Cypress Gardens Adventure Park.
On Thursday, Tim Alan said his Christian-themed television series,


"Eye on Gardening," will air directly from the park.
Even though Alan will visit other gardens, various scenes will be shot at the park.
There will be 52 shows created each year
Eye on Gardening airs weekly coast to coast exclusively on
iLifeTV Digital Cable Network,
and Worldwide in Europe on Inspiration Network International B Sky B
and Hotbird 6 Satellite Programming.
Join us weekly for practical tips, inspiration and fun!
You're sure to enjoy this delightful show with a positive message in mind.
This 30-minute Travel/Garden show provides the viewing audience with landscape tips
and advice on caring for their floral gardens.

★ Eye on Gardening


On September 6, 2008, the sale of Cypress Gardens was announced on the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce blog. The article read as follows:


"On Sept. 25, Cypress Gardens and Wild Adventures theme parks will be sold to satisfy requirements under the 2006 Chapter 11 filing by Adventures Parks Group, LLC.
The Chamber has been in direct communication with park owners for several months. In a conversation today, Kent Buescher, CEO of Adventure Parks Group stated there is no chance either park will close. He added there would be no changes in employees and new events and programming would be forthcoming.
He emphasized that annual passes will be honored until their natural expiration at year’s end and new passes will go on sale as usual in November.
It will be business as usual both before and after the sale. Based on our information, there is there are well-qualified, interested buyers in line for both of parks."
Friday, September 7, 2007

Cypress Gardens must be sold because of bankruptcy requirements

On Thursday, Adventure Parks Group LLC,

announced that Cypress Gardens Adventure Park in Winter Haven and Wild Adventures park in Valdosta, Ga.,

will be sold to the highest bidder in a private auction starting Sept. 25.

The sale will fulfill requirements resulting from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing by Adventure Parks Group a year ago,

but it does not mean the end of either theme park.

The opening minimum bid for a package purchase of the parks is $53.25 million, Sumner said.

An opening minimum bid for Cypress Gardens alone is $17.4 million
and the opening minimum bid for Wild Adventures alone is $38.85 million.

In September 2006, Adventure Parks Group filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors seeking payment for $25 million in debts.

Much of the company's financial difficulties can be traced to 2004,

when three hurricanes ravaged East Polk County and left a trail of destruction at Cypress Gardens.

★ Winter Haven News Chief

Rides and Attractions

Roller coasters

Ride	Year Opened	Description
Fiesta Express	2004	A Zamperla kiddie coaster with small hairpin turns.
Okeechobee Rampage	2004	A Vekoma roller skater coaster. Similar to Flying Unicorn at Islands of Adventure.
Swamp Thing	2004	A Vekoma Family Suspended roller coaster.
Triple Hurricane	2004	Martin & Vleminckx Group junior wooden coaster. Named for the three hurricanes-(Charley, Francis, and Jeanne that struck the park in 2004.
Galaxy Spin	2005	Zamperla Spinning Wild Mouse coaster, similar to Primeval Whirl at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Starliner	2007	A classic Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters designed wooden coaster. Originally operated at the Miracle Strip Amusement Park in Panama City, Florida.

Thrill rides

Ride	Year Opened	Description
Delta Kite Flyers	2004	Zamperla Kite Flyer flat ride, riders are spun around while in a flying position.
Disk'O	2004	Zamperla Disk'O flat ride, riders spin around on a frisbee traversing a track.
Inverter	2004	Chance Rides Inverter flat ride. Two platforms spin around and flip people at the same time.
Pharaoh's Fury	2004	Chance Rides Swinging Ship flat ride.
Power Surge	2004	Zamperla Power Surge flat ride, a large spinning and flipping flat ride.
Thunderbolt	2004	An ARM tower ride, similar to Power Tower at Cedar Point.
Yo-Yo	2004	Chance Rides "Yo-Yo" flat ride, a circular "wave swinger" type flat ride.

Gallery

See also

★ List of botanical gardens in the United States

External links

★ Cypress Gardens official site (uses Adobe Flash)

★ Google Map - 6000 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Winter Haven, Florida

★ RCDB's entry on Cypress Gardens Adventure Park

★ ACTWON Un-Official Cypress Gardens site - Photos, news, history

★ Cypress Gardens Unofficial Photos Site - Hundreds of photos, maps news and message board

★ Cypress Gardens book - Published November 2006