Before Pompeii

[Shane]

Hello,
So I was walking through the Pompeii area as I usually do, never ride the thing anymore and thought back to my childhood and remembered walking through that area when the construction walls where up and they were building it, unfortunately I have no recollection of what was there before. I find it difficult to imagine walking from Italy back to Scotland and NOTHING being there but trees. This area must have always been there since the addition of Italy that completed the loop. Does anyone remember what was there before? More Gardens and Trees? Does anyone have photos of the area?

 

[jman89]

So looking at a map to jog my memory as I was pretty young or so when Escape opened and my first good recollections of the gardens come from then on (as its about when i started visiting more regularly), I believe it was just nicely landscaped alongside the train. Also, remember that the place that doesn't fit in (edit for clarification: the place that doesn't fit in [to the park] is Elmo), used to be a petting zoo (also a convenient shortcut back to England), so it wasn't as dead as you might imagine if you forget about that.

 

[Pretzel Kaiser]

The zoo was where Elmo is now, not Pompeii.

 

[Chris]

http://bgwfans.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=768

Take a look at the 1987 map, gives you a good idea of what was there (nothing).

 

[jman89]

The zoo was where Elmo is now, not Pompeii.

Elmo = the place that doesn't fit in.

 

[Shane]

I remember the petting zoo quite vividly. Took a look at that '87 map. It looks so out of place with that empty space. Were there allot of tress through there? or was it just nicely landscaped gardens. I am having allot of difficulty imagining walking through that area, that's a long way to walk with nothing there, guess that's why they added the ride.

---

Wow looking at the '85 and '83 maps are really weird. Had no idea that the main entrance to Oktoberfest was between the Carousel and the Waveswinger kind of interesting, looked like it made a great entrance. Can't seem to find any early to mid 90's maps online, those would be my earliest memories as I was born in '87. I'd be most interested in seeing those.

 

[gardener14]

I am having allot of difficulty imagining walking through that area, that's a long way to walk with nothing there, guess that's why they added the ride.

I remember that stretch of area being a long path through a wooded area on one side and maybe some landscaped flower beds on the side of the path adjacent to the railroad tracks. I remember exiting the park at night from Italy, and the petting zoo was closed at night, so it seemed like a long dark walk. The dim lighting at night along that path stands out to me for some reason along with the dark woodsy feel of the site where Pompei sits now.

 

[Unagi]

Hello,
So I was walking through the Pompeii area as I usually do, never ride the thing anymore and thought back to my childhood and remembered walking through that area when the construction walls where up and they were building it, unfortunately I have no recollection of what was there before. I find it difficult to imagine walking from Italy back to Scotland and NOTHING being there but trees. This area must have always been there since the addition of Italy that completed the loop. Does anyone remember what was there before? More Gardens and Trees? Does anyone have photos of the area?

There was nothing there but they did have a few caged animal exhibits along that path. I vaguely remember small monkeys and some exotic birds (I think they had blue & gold macaws and scarlet macaws).

 

[Mushroom]

^ So an old version of jack Hanna's?

 

[Shane]

That's really interesting. I wouldn't mind seeing Pompeii removed and replaced with something else.

 

[Gavin]

How about replacing it with a MACK water coaster?

 

[Haberdasher1973]

I thought this thread was about preceded Pompeii, not what will replace it...

 

[Unagi]

^ So an old version of jack Hanna's?

I wouldn't even say that as Jack Hanna's Wild Reserve is a designated location in the park.

These animal exhibits appeared more like path decorations between Heatherdowns and Festa/San Marco.

 

[Franco]

Pompeii is the anchor of that section of the park, unless you count Apollo, though that's not in San Marco. I can't imagine what that area was like without anything. I would never want to see Pompeii go. It's one of the best full-experience rides in the park. One of the only now. They used to have this ride called Curse of Darkastle that was a great experience like Pompeii, but it seems to have been MIA over the last few seasons.

 

[Shafor]

I can't imagine what that area was like without anything. I would never want to see Pompeii go. It's one of the best full-experience rides in the park.

Bingo. I really never ride it anymore, but just the theming alone is incredible. It's almost like it's own little country. Was only at the park a few times before Pompeii. Can't even picture what that area was like without it.

 

[Unagi]

I can't imagine what that area was like without anything.

Can you imagine any area in the park (where the major attractions and coasters sit) without anything?

It really is hard to remember how some of those places looked.

Look at this land-clearing pic I posted of Apollo's Chariot construction in this thread...

http://bgwfans.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=880

Taken on Sunday, September 20, 1998. And notice how the new parking entrance isn't even there!

 

[Franco]

Can you imagine any area in the park (where the major attractions and coasters sit) without anything?

No, but I can imagine what Aquitaine was like before Griffon. Le Mans Raceway, one of my longtime favorites, sat untouched and undisturbed. It's not Griffon's fault, but I'm still upset.

 

[jman89]

Taken on Sunday, September 20, 1998. And notice how the new parking entrance isn't even there!

Always, feels weird to drive through that huge curve where the old entrance (now buses and employee's yah?) was to the exit when you park in England. I remember sitting in that curve waiting many a morning, haha. Also, I think it's cool how they made the new bridge look quite a bit like the old bridge there; you wouldn't notice if you were gp.

 

[Shane]

Taken on Sunday, September 20, 1998. And notice how the new parking entrance isn't even there!

Always, feels weird to drive through that huge curve where the old entrance (now buses and employee's yah?) was to the exit when you park in England. I remember sitting in that curve waiting many a morning, haha. Also, I think it's cool how they made the new bridge look quite a bit like the old bridge there; you wouldn't notice if you were gp.

Yeah I remember the year that we got the new entrance and our own exit ramp on 64. That was our new "ride" that year.

 

[Gareth]

RE: Before Pompeii

Maybe they had a sundial there. It would really fit.