Hunt's Pier, Dinosaur demise? Why?

[Robert]

OK, can anyone answer this question? What caused the demise of Hunt's Pier and then Dinosaur Beach, too? Poor management? Not enough visitors? Financial problems? It's a shame that Hunt's Pier once the best pier was allowed to decline to the point where it is just a bunch of crap.

[Al Alven]

Robert, you've answered this question many times yourself already, haven't you? Looking for a new perspective there, perhaps?

Anyway, from what I've gathered, the demise essentially came about due to the mismanagement and poor decision-making bungles of the series of organizations that owned the pier following the Bud Hunt era.

That's, of course, the short, generic answer.

If you want to get into specifics, that might be cause for a whole different discussion. Needless to say, Hunt's Pier wasn't built in a day, and it sure didn't collapse upon itself overnight either.

I believe that there were numerous opportunities to revive the pier that were completely missed, even after certain seemingly catastrophic plans had been carried out.

Even today, I believe that the pier has potential... but, again, that's probably a different story for a different time.

[crazyaboutwildwood]

You know by 1984 1985 the moreys were stiring up some major heat on the boardwalk! You know Mr hunt was getting ready to retire. Has anyone ever thought of it this way? All the new people did not have the funds to compete with the moreys or didnt have the right formula. What do you think about that?

[Al Alven]

It's an excellent point, Mike.

I think people tend to either: A.) Discount the impact the Moreys had on the deterioration of Hunt's Pier as we knew it (while, in turn, focusing on the failures of those who owned/operated the entity after Bud Hunt) or B.) Outright "blame" the Moreys for the way history played out.

There doesn't seem to be too much middle ground regarding people's feelings on this.

It's a complicated situation, for sure. The Moreys have done very well in running their business. And, let's face it, that's what it is in the final analysis. Did their moves and decisions play a part in the downfall of Hunt's Pier? Sure, no question.

But, you can't blame the Moreys for doing a good job, continuing to grow their empire while Hunt's floundered following Bud Hunt's retirement.

And I still believe that the subsequent owners of Hunt's made many poor decisions, and did not appear to have a solid gameplan for competing with the Moreys. Dinosaur Beach was an interesting concept, but aside from a few new rides, there wasn't really much substance there.

What the new owners never seemed to grasp was the negative backlash that would fall on them after dismantling the pier so quickly. I honestly believe that had the SKUA, Jungleland, the Wacky Shack and other rides disappered slowly over time (while other unique and exciting rides were added in their place) that the transition process would have gone much smoother, and might even have worked in the longrun.

Perhaps it all just came down to a matter of not having the right people in charge, not having leadership that could match or even compete with the Moreys' savvy, and not having a viable, longterm gameplan that took various aspects of the "rebuilding" process into account.

[wildre]

I'll take a more simplistic position on this. I truly believe it's ALL Roberts fault, he stopped coming!

re

[thelastresort]

I think Dino Beach failed because it was a desperate attempt to capitalize on the flash in the pan success of Jurassic Park in the early 90's, and once the interest faded by the mid to late 90's, it died off like the dinosaurs.

they should have stuck to the more timeless rides, they would have been better off.

That is the problem with fads (like, for example, the 60's ), they come and go, but reality stands the test of time

[crazyaboutwildwood]

Yep the timeless rides! The ferris wheel= moreys.The sea serpent= moreys. The log flume= moreys. 1984, 1985, 198? Sad to say that the morey brothers were putting a hurting on the other boardwalk greats. Before that, Hunts was the king and everyone wanted to be like them. The hunts had great timing and vision and capitalized on it! This is why. Bud hunt was retiring and it was time to sell. He did the right thing like any smart business man would do! If Mr hunt was like 25 or 30 years old and decided to stay on the boards he might have kicked the moreys a$$. We just dont know.

[thelastresort]

wasn't the log flume on Hunt's, right?

[crazyaboutwildwood]

thelastresort said:

wasn't the log flume on Hunt's, right?

The little log flume that got donated to arnolds park from the moreys was on hunts pier. I actually meant the "zoom Phloom" On moreys pier that just dominated. The biggest one in the world most likley) Actually the log flume on hunts pier was a big thing for many years untill the moreys turned up the heat on the boards! Putting in rides like the zoom phloom and the sea serpent and the giant wheel and the condor and the major water park expansions , how could anyone compete with them at the time?

[crazyaboutwildwood]

The moreys could not be matched by anyone in the 80s! They were kicking some major a$$!!

[thelastresort]

I supposed in all honesty I fell a bit out of touch with the boardwalk throughout pretty much the entire 80's, that was the post high-school, college and beyond period of my life, and when I did go to WW, we just wanted to hit the bars (remember the Playpen, etc.?) , and maybe run up for a Genova (near the convention center) for a sicilian with the works before crashing Then, when I grew up and awoke from the dream in like 1990, I found that it was all gone, except I did get on the Castle and Gold Nuggett as late as 1994 or so. Sad, when we are kids, we think everything will last forever.

I know this sounds sappy, but one of my wishes would be to visit Hunt's pier circa 1975 again for just one evening....

[crazyaboutwildwood]

NO thats does not sound sappy. Hunts was a real kick ass treat back in the day!

[MMM]

crazyaboutwildwood said:

The moreys could not be matched by anyone in the 80s! They were kicking some major a$$!!

Not to me. This doesn't take anything away from the Morey's, but until a few years after Hunts was sold and started to get ruined (say 1989+), NOTHING on the boardwalk compared to Hunt's, IMO. I doubt anything ever will. It was as if you stepped into another, much more magical world on Hunt's...

[wildwanderer]

thelastresort said:

I supposed in all honesty I fell a bit out of touch with the boardwalk throughout pretty much the entire 80's, that was the post high-school, college and beyond period of my life, and when I did go to WW, we just wanted to hit the bars (remember the Playpen, etc.?) , and maybe run up for a Genova (near the convention center) for a sicilian with the works before crashing Then, when I grew up and awoke from the dream in like 1990, I found that it was all gone, except I did get on the Castle and Gold Nuggett as late as 1994 or so. Sad, when we are kids, we think everything will last forever.

I know this sounds sappy, but one of my wishes would be to visit Hunt's pier circa 1975 again for just one evening....

I agree with you the 90's time at WW was a strange time. I also was just starting my life after college and when I did go down it was for a day or two. Grown up fun then. Of course I always visited the Castle. But yes it all started to go before I even knew it. Of course I would love to turn back the hands of time and visit Hunts Pier just for one hour even, a day, a moment.

[huntspier4ever]

I agree with many of your posts and opinions about the demise of Hunt's Pier after my grandfather sold it. The group of people who worked for and with Bud made that pier great and I really think it was due to the fact that they wanted to do something special; something that WW could call their own. They didn't rely on fads or trends but they really carried the concept throughout the entire ride.

It makes me sick that the "owners" of Hunt's destroyed the rides and the magic of the pier. So much hard work went right down the drain and it hasn't been duplicated in WW since then! The Moreys now have the monopoly of the amusement rides on the boardwalk and I know they don't want to hear this BUT... they really need some competition! Aside from the financial part of owning a business, the competition would force them to develop some authentic and unique rides so that people would want to go there and experience something special.

I'm not interested in "cookie cutter" things... everyone acting the same way, doing the same things, etc. There is no sense of individuality anymore and it makes me sick. Wildwood is trying to be just like Disney and I'm sorry but it's NEVER going to happen.

Anyway, Hunt's Pier will always have a special place in my heart because it reminds me of my grandfather and spending time with my family. After all, that is what's important... cherishing the time we spend with each other and keeping those memories alive.