Investing in the future of the ride business
GEDDES -- A trip to this year's State Fair Midway will take you anywhere but to the 'same old place.'
You may have trouble finding your way around. George Weston, the Strates Shows manager, says they've reconfigured the area into a giant 'X' for both ease of getting to rides, and to freshen the look---like rearranging your house, he says.
TIckets are different, too. Strates Shows has invested a half million dollars in an electronic tracking system. Paper tickets are gone, replaced by a Strates card, 'more of what people are used to with the debit card system,' says Weston. The ride all day wristbands are also computer bar coded, which allows the ride managers to see what rides are popular, and also deploy staffers when they're getting a lot of business.
There is a big new ride: The Sky Flyer, a 125 foot high column with swings--'a lot of fun if you like heights,' says Weston (no, we didn't try it). He says it's not as scary as it looks, but we'll take his word for it.
The Giant Wheel has a big upgrade: 190-thousand dollars of LED lights, programmed in an exclusive hour and 20 minute long light show.
