October | 2012 | Amusing the Zillion

Archive for October, 2012

Photos of the Day: Sandbagging for Sandy in Coney Island

Posted in amusement park, News, Photo of the Day, Photography, tagged Coney Island, Deno's Wonder Wheel, hurricane, Lola Star, sandbags, Sandy, storm preparations on October 28, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Boutique Owner Lola Star Filling Pink Sandbags as the Storm Blows in. Photo © @Lola_Star_ via twitter

Sandbagging was a popular Sunday pastime on the Coney Island beach and boardwalk in advance of the arrival of mega-storm Sandy. Lola Star boutique owner Dianna Carlin, whose famously fave color is pink, spent the day filling pink sandbags with the help of friends and customers. “Both shops successfully secured with pink sandbags! Now to secure my production/ design studio by the water,” she tweeted. Her neighbors on the Boardwalk, Brooklyn Beach Shop and Tom’s Coney Island, opted for basic black. A double row of white sandbags were placed across the front of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Skee-Ball Arcade.

Sandy Prep: Steve Miller Sandbagging at Brooklyn Beach Shop, Coney Island Boardwalk. Photo © Charles Denson via Coney Island History Project

Lola Star’s adorable pink sandbags and cheerful tweets were a welcome contrast to today’s anxiety-inducing news. This morning, Mayor Bloomberg issued a mandatory evacuation order for Zone A, which includes all of Coney Island, from Sea Gate to Brighton Beach, and other low-lying parts of the City. A significant storm surge is expected on Monday and Tuesday along with possible power outages. Watch the Coney Island Cam to keep an eye on Coney’s beloved Cyclone, Wonder Wheel and Parachute Jump during the storm.

Coney Island’s amusement parks–Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, Luna Park and Scream Zone–had to end the season one day early to prep for Sandy. Park workers removed Halloween props as well as tables, chairs, garbage cans and canvas. Some of the rides like Luna Park’s Brooklyn Flyer and Deno’s carousel were partially dismantled. Other rides were folded up or secured.

Sandy Prep: Sandbags at Skee-Ball Arcade in Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park. October 27, 2012. Photo by Deno’s Wonder Wheel via flickr

Miss Coney Island & Her Cat Dolled Up For Halloween

Posted in Amusement Game, amusement park, tagged amusements, automaton, coin-operated, dancing doll, Halloween, Miss Coney Island on October 26, 2012| 2 Comments »

Miss Coney Island’s Dancing Cat, West 12th Street, Coney Island. October 14, 2012. Photo © me-myself-i/Tricia Vita via flickr

As the sign on the window housing “Miss Coney Island” says: “DON’T POSTPONE JOY.” This weekend is your last chance to spend 25 cents to fall in love with the famed dancing doll and her dancing cat. Located on West 12th Street across from the Steeplechase coaster, the mechanical duo are dolled up for Saturday’s Halloween festivities. There’s no charge to take a souvenir photo, but we suggest you bring a roll of quarters to spend on Miss Coney Island and the neighboring miniature animated rides of “Coney Island Always” and Skin the Wire game before they close for the winter.

Visitors Pose for Souvenir Photo with Miss Coney Island. October 14, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Last Chance to Ride But Coney Island Is Open Year Round

Posted in amusement park, Events, tagged Boardwalk, Coney Island, Halloween, last weekend, winter, year round on October 25, 2012| 2 Comments »

October sunsets in Coney Island have been intense, a last burst of light and color before the Boardwalk amusement parks shutter for the season. This weekend is your last chance to go for a spin on Coney’s rides until next year’s Palm Sunday opener on March 24, 2013! On Saturday ~~and Sunday~~, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, Luna Park and Scream Zone open at 12 noon. For kids, there’s Saturday’s Halloween Parade, the New York Aquarium’s Ascarium, Spook-A-Rama at Deno’s and Game World’s Haunted Arcade.

Coney’s Halloween haunts start at 6pm with Nights of Horror featuring two mazes and unlimited rides at Luna Park (October 26 thru 28 27). Dick Zigun’s play “Dirty Work at the Wax Works” runs hourly at CreepShow at the Freak Show (October 25 thru 31 27, October 31 TBD). Beginning at 9pm on Friday night, it’ll be “Bump Bump Bump Your Ass Off” for the last time in 2012 and possibly forever– though we hope not– at Coney Island’s Eldorado Disco Palace of Bumper Cars. The last ride weekend party continues on Saturday night and into Sunday morning with go go dancers, a Skeeball Contest, unlimited Bumper car rides and a raffle of Eldorado tricks and treats.

Does this mean Coney Island’s beach and boardwalk close after Halloween? Not at all. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club goes for their first Sunday swim of the season beginning in November. The high point of the Polar Bear season is the New Year’s Day Plunge, which attracted a record 3,000 swimmers this year and an even bigger crowd of onlookers.

Owners of a few of the new and the newly renovated Boardwalk businesses including Tom’s Coney Island, Ruby’s Bar, Brooklyn Beach Shop and Lola Star Boutique tell ATZ they hope to stay open year-round. “Already our shelves are filling up with tons of new holiday gift items and there’s lots more on the way. We are in it for the long haul,” says Lola Star’s Dianna Carlin. “We are installing a glass storefront and we’ll be open, weather permitting, all winter long!” Michael and Melody Sarrel of Ruby’s Bar have also ordered a glass front – it’s removable in the summertime — to keep out the wintry wind while preserving the famous view of the boardwalk.