Fantasy Island Fun
Written: Jun 27 '00 (Updated Jun 27 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A vast array of activities for all ages
Cons: Food and drink expensive
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| ctinhan's Full Review: Martin's Fantasy Island |
As a young child I remember visiting the local amusement parks on many different occasions, I vividly recall the thrills my brothers, sister and I experienced as we ran from ride to ride. The laughter and fun we had as we scoped out each nook and cranny of the parks made for a lifetime of memories that has stayed with us through our adulthood. Now that I have a daughter of my own, I couldn't wait for her to experience the thrills and enjoyment that I did as a child.
One of the parks we frequented in my own childhood was Martin's Fantasy Island. This park is located in Grand Island, which is a mere thirty minutes from our home and is the perfect distance for a small child to tolerate the ride to.
This past Saturday my husband had the day off (which is rare) and we decided it would be the perfect day to make the first of the many trips we will make this year to Fantasy Island. It was a warm June day which insured that we would be able to take advantage of the water activities as well as the rides that are offered at this park.
My daughter requested that her little friend next door come with us and we readily agreed as it would be more enjoyable for her to have someone closer to her size to enjoy the rides with. With our plans set, we began our adventure to Fantasy Island at eleven in the morning. During the regular summer season the park opens at eleven-thirty daily and closes at eight-thirty each night with the exception of Monday, on which they are closed.
Our first stop on the way up to the park was Wegmans Supermarket to purchase discount admission tickets for the park. By doing so, we saved three dollars off the regular adult admission charged at the gate and two dollars off the regular child's admission. With the money we saved we purchased canned pop and ice to bring with us. Later in my review I will list some of the prices of food and pop which will help you to understand the importance of bringing your own when visiting the park.
The drive to the park was not much longer after we picked up our tickets and to keep my daughter and her friend occupied I began telling them about the many rides they will be able to enjoy. Their excitement was growing as we pulled into the parking lot. Parking is always free at Fantasy Island, which is a nice bonus as we have paid upward of five dollars at some other Amusement parks for this perk.
The walk to the gate built the anticipation the kids had been feeling and they were in a big hurry to get in, we however told them to slow down as we would have plenty of time to do everything they wanted to and more. Upon entering the gates we noticed there were three separate entrances, one for season passes, one for pre-purchased tickets as we had and the last one for people buying tickets at the gate. Due to the tickets we had in hand, we did not have to wait in the long line that was slowly moving to enter the park. Instead we were ushered through another gate where our tickets were ripped, hands were stamped and we were on our way to a fun-filled day.
For those that had not purchased pre-paid tickets from Wegmans the price of admission is as follows:
At the Gate
$16.95 for person's over 48 inches tall
$12.95 for children under 47 inches tall
$9.95 for senior citizens
$6.95 for everyone after 5 o'clock daily
Season Pass
Individual Season Pass-$40.00
Family of four Season Pass-$135.00-If you need more than four on the season pass add $32.50 for each
As you can see from the above listed prices, that it is definitely worth it to either pre-purchase your tickets at Wegmans or if you will be a frequent visitor, to purchase the family season pass.
Immediately after entering the gate there are some noteworthy buildings that a parent should remember in case of emergencies. The first building is the First Aid/Medical Attention center, from what I was told there is always at least one medical personnel there at all times. This building is also used for children who become lost or separated from their parents. Should this happen the children are brought here and then the parents names are announced over the loud speaker. Although my husband and I keep a very watchful eye over my daughter, we still pointed the building out to her and her friend and told them should something happen to go there immediately. If they could not find it, they were instructed to ask one of the workers in uniforms to please take them there. This, thankfully, was not something that we had to experience although we did hear other parents names being announced frequently.
For parents of small children, the next building that may be of great importance is the General Store, here you can rent strollers, should you need to. The rental cost is $5.00 for the day with two dollars refundable when you return the stroller. I thought this was a reasonable charge and served to be convenient for many.
The first part of the park that contains rides is the Kiddie section, here are most of the rides that are suitable for children under 42 inches. The rides are in close proximity to give your child an eyeful and cause them to scamper off to the ride that peaks their interest the most.
The rides located here are mostly merry-go-round type rides and are as follows:
Teacup ride-spinning ride, parents may ride with child
Balloon ride-hanging spinning ride,parents may ride with child
Crazy Bus-similar to the adult ride called the Rainbow,parents may ride with child
Rio Grande-this is a small train that parents may ride with child on
Orient express-this is a rollercoaster suitable for children 30 inches and above and may be ridden by parents also.
Little boats-this ride cannot be ridden by parents
Car and Truck ride-cannot be ridden by parents
Ladybug Run-cannot be ridden by parents
Airplane ride-cannot be ridden by parents, this one actually goes pretty high off the ground and I do not suggest small children ride this one alone
4x4 Truck ride-cannot be ridden by parents
Big Red slide-this is one of my daughter's favorite rides and my husband's least. There are about 60 steps leading up to the three tier slide. Although small children are not required to have their parent with them, I do suggest it because of the stairway and possible falling hazard. Riders fly down the slide in burlap bags.
Carousel-this is a merry-go-round that is beautifully ornamented with mirrors and lights with gold, purple and white trim. Typical music is played, at an easy listening level and is not over-bearing as some parks play theirs. Parents are encouraged to ride this with their small children as the horses that go up and down as the ride goes around are pretty high off the base. The carousel is surrounded by a white picket fence and over looks some rock and flower gardens that are beautifully manicured. There are benches surrounding the white picket fence and carousel with huge trees that provide much shade.
Each of the rides above, with the exception of the Carousel, contain seatbelts and/or bars to provide your child with the safest ride possible. I also noticed throughout our day there that inspections were done to the rides every couple of hours. I inquired what would be done if a ride failed inspection and was told that it would be shut down for the entire day to be fixed and tested.This rigorous procedure made me feel a little better about the risks we were allowing my daughter to take.
Next to the kiddie area is a small zoo, here children can buy a handful of feed for a quarter and feed goats, chickens, turkeys and geese. The goats roam around the area freely and will eat right from your hand. My daughter and her friend were laughing as they did this, until one of the goats sneezed in my daughter's hand and then she was totally disgusted. Needless to say, we immediately left to go wash her hands.
Bathroom facilities are plentiful and strategically placed throughout the park, we never had to walk very far to find one, which is a blessing when you are pregnant. Many of the bathrooms also have dressing rooms for you to change into or out of your bathing suits. I found the bathrooms to be very clean considering the amount of people that use them daily. On many occasions, I walked into a bathroom to find an employee either cleaning or restocking the supplies needed. This I thought was a very important aspect of the overall park experience as we have been to parks that had bathrooms that smelled terrible, were filthy and lacking supplies. I found the rest of the park was kept very clean, as I witnessed many workers sweeping up debris throughout the day.
By this time the kids were very warm and wanted to go to the water park, my husband readily agreed. The walk to the water park gave the kids a look at some of the other rides offered and they quickly became excited at the site of some of them. The water park is one of the main attractions for children and adults on the warm summer days and it was apparent that it was going to be very busy.
As we made our way through the crowd to the bathroom/dressing rooms the kids moved faster than I ever saw them to get changed. Clad in their little bikini's they were now ready to hit the water. The first stop was the kiddie pool, this is a large pool that has a depth of twelve inches. In addition to all the parents present there are also two lifeguards keeping an eye on the children ready to act in case of an emergency. For the children's enjoyment, there are two large mushrooms that tower overhead and spray water on them as they playfully romp through the pool. There is also a large elephant slide that will deliver them gently into the water. My daughter and her friend enjoyed this area for quite awhile before moving onto the section of the water park.
The next area we visited was the highlight of the water park, the Wave pool. This is a huge pool that ranges in depth from 0-4.5 feet. While the pool is refreshing in itself the main feature is the waves that are produced every 15 minutes. This pool is nice for all ages as the different depths provide ample play and waves for any size child. Smaller children tend to stay toward the front end of the pool where the waves are smaller, while the older children and adults will brave the deeper depth to ride the biggest waves. For an extra thrill, as you ride the roaring waves, you can rent an inner tube. The rental fee for each inner tube is 4 dollars for the day of which 2 dollars is refunded when you return the inner tubes. Whether you choose to rent the inner tubes or ride the waves without, it is always best to stay close to your children as the varying depths of this pool could prove dangerous to wee ones or those that do not know how to swim. There are five lifeguards posted at different points of the pool to provide emergency care should the need arise. They keep a watchful eye out for children/adults that are rough housing and will have them ejected if they don't stop.
After the thrill of the Wave pool it was time to take a ride on the Lazy River. This is a pool that is shaped like a four-leaf clover that you float through on inner tubes. Throughout the ride there are different overhead hazards that will spray you with water as you go by. My daughter and her friend laughed each time they were pelted with the water. There are 5 lifeguards present at this pool and as an extra safety measure all children under 48 inches must wear a life jacket. Both the inner tube and life jacket are provided free of charge.
There are two sets of water slides in the park, one for children and the other for person's over 48 inches. The children's slide consists of a five row slide that resembles a large size playground slide. Parents can walk their children up the stairs to the top of the slide but cannot go down the slide with the children. As the children slip down the slide they are deposited into a pool that is twelve inches deep. For this slide it is best to have two parents present, one to walk the child up and one to catch the child at the bottom. There are two lifeguards present at this pool, one at the top helping the children sit down before they slide down and the other is located next to the pool they land in.
There are two enclosed slides for the older children and adults to slide down, these tubes were very high off the ground and contain many twist and turns for the thrill seekers enjoyment. Screams of joy could be heard as people came flying out of the tubes on their mats, landing very hard in a pool that was 30 inches deep. There were two lifeguards stationed at the bottom pool where people landed and two attendants at the top of the slide to help people on and off their mats before they made their way down the slide. The attendants stationed on the top of the slide had metal bars that they used to measure a child's height. The child must meet the height requirement, if they do not they are not allowed on the slide.
Scattered throughout the entire water area are chaise lounges and very large umbrellas, to provide shade from the hot summer sun. The lounge chairs can be moved if you are in a sunbathing mood. The park provides many lounge chairs and even though it was crowded we were still able to get two chairs to relax in.
After nearly two hours in the water park, my daughter and her friend decided they were hungry. Although there is a small snack bar located in the water park, we opted to change our clothes and walk back to the midway. The snack bar offered only a small selection of high priced goods that didn't appeal to my daughter.
Throughout the park there are a variety of food stands and restaurants for you to choose from, however they are all relatively high priced. The restaurants offered inside and outside dining areas while the food stands only offered outside picnic tables with umbrellas overhead.
Food stands and restaurants on the premises are as follows:
Midway Pizza
Slice of C/P pizza-$2.50
Nachos w/cheese-$2.95
Pop-Pepsi products-
$1.85 for small
$2.25 for large
BBQ Barn
Beef on weck-$4.25
BBQ sandwiches-$4.25
Chicken fingers-$4.95
French Fries-$2.50
Pop-same everywhere
Heidi's Gallery
Ball park franks-$2.00
Nachos w/cheese-$2.95
Soft Pretzels-$2.00
Chips-$.75 a bag
Ice cream novelties-$1.50
Slushies-$2.00
Pop-same all over park
Western Town Texas Hots & Tacos
Soft shell tacos-$2.75 each
2 for $5.00
Texas hots-$3.00
Pop-$1.85 for small
$2.25 for large
Midway Fried Dough
Fried dough-
W/choice of toppings-$2.75
Pop-same everywhere
Waffle Tower
Sugar Waffles-$1.00
Funnel Cakes-$2.50
Belgium Waffles-$3.75
Pop-same everywhere in park
Oasis Drink Stop
Pop-same everywhere
Beer-$3.25 for a 16ounce glass
Chips-$.75 for a bag
Yum Yum Shoppe
Frozen Custard-$2.00
Cotton Candy-$2.50 for small
$4.50 for large
Candy/Carmel Apples-$2.00
Popcorn-$1.50 for small box
Sno-cones-$1.50
Basgetti's
Spaghetti-$4.00-$4.95
Lasagna-$5.50
Rigatoni-$5.25
Goulash-$5.25
Meatball Bomber-$3.75
Assorted Submarine-$3.50
Salads-$1.50-$3.25
Pop-same as everywhere
Beer-$3.25 for 16 ounce glass
Bottled Water-$1.75
*This establishment offers the Electric Mice Orchestra for your child's enjoyment. This is an animated show featuring these giant mice singing and playing instruments.
Boppers
Hamburgers-$3.00-$4.50
Hotdogs-$2.00-$3.00
Chicken breast sandwich-$4.95
Chicken fingers-$4.95
Italian Sausage-$4.95
Mozzarella sticks-$4.95
French fries-$1.75
Bottled Water-$1.75
Pop-same everywhere
Beer-$3.25 for 16 ounce glass
Coffee-$1.25 for a small cup
Perry's Ice Cream Parlor
Hand dipped ice-cream cones--$2.00-$3.75
Sundaes-$2.75-$3.75
Milkshakes-$2.50-$3.50
*This establishment offers a song and dance show at four different times of the day while you enjoy the ice cream you purchased.
As you can see by the above choices, food and drink is quite expensive for even a small family. A nice alternative would be to pack a basket and enjoy the park like setting while dining at one of the many picnic tables scattered about. Some of the tables are under shelters and others are strategically placed under big trees to provide shade while you eat. Some of the shelters had built in grills, while others did not. To be on the safe side, if planning a cookout, you should bring your own portable grill.
There are large Picnic Pavilion areas that are reserved for parties of 50 to 200 people. The Pavilion's can be rented for work picnics, family reunions and other functions. Prices very depending on size of party and whether or not you want the event catered. Call ahead for pricing and reservation of dates as these Pavilion's are booked early on usually.
After we spent a fortune on food it was time to hit the other areas of the park. The main drag of the park contained the larger rides, most of which my daughter and her friend were not allowed to ride. For the older child and adults, there are many of the old time favorites. They have the thrill rides that I remember from my childhood, the names have changed in recent years but they still provide the same exciting ride.
The rides housed here are as follows:
Flying Bobs, Sizzler, Sea Ray, Chaos, Patriot, Super Spiral, Antique Cars, Gondola(giant ferris wheel),Wild Cat, Log flume ride, Tilt-a-whirl and their feature ride The Silver Comet.
The Silver Comet is a rollercoaster, it has wood tracks to give you the feel of riding a wooden coaster but the frame is made of steel for more durability. The main drop on this coaster is 95 feet and is breathtaking. The remainder of the ride is filled with dips and turns you take at 65 mph that make you feel as if you are flying through the air. I rode this rollercoaster last year when it first premiered but could not ride this year due to my pregnancy.
A relaxing experience that Fantasy Island has for the whole family to enjoy is a Train Ride that goes around part of the park. We took this ride and found it to be fun and very relaxing as we got a nice glimpse of the park and the nature surrounding it. There is no extra charge for this and there are also three different pick up points in the park to catch the ride.
For the golf enthusiast, Fantasy Island offers an 18 hole miniature golf course that can prove challenging to children and adults alike. There are no fees involved to play and all equipment is provided. This golf course is open the same hours as the regular park.
In addition to the abundant rides and water activities offered at Fantasy Island, they also offer games of chance, an arcade, a boat or canoe ride and many shows geared toward children and adults.
There is a medium sized man-made pond in the middle of the park, here you can either paddle around the pond in a canoe or use your leg muscles and pedal around it. Everyone must wear a life jacket and children must be accompanied by an adult. This service is also provided free of charge.
Some of the shows offered at Fantasy Island are as follows:
Puppet Theater-songs and storytelling, shown at 2pm and 6pm daily
Cinema 180-this was a rollercoaster movie that covered half the area of the dome we were in, the visual and sound effects made you feel as if you were riding the rollercoaster.Shown once every hour
Midway Theater-This is a 1950's style rock and roll shown, complete with singers and dancers who wear the 50's garb.Shown daily at 2:30pm, 4:30pm and 6:30pm.
Wild West Shoot Out-This is a skit of a western shoot out, this year they picked a volunteer from the audience to join them in acting it out. The show is very loud so be careful of little one's ears. After the show, the children are invited up by the Marshall to get deputized. They take an oath to be good little boys and girls and then they receive a small deputy badge.
Overall, I find Fantasy Island to be the perfect Family park, it seems to have a little bit of everything to please a wide array of ages. The park is not as large as other theme parks, but is big enough to provide hours of fun that will be remembered for a lifetime.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ctinhan
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Location: New York
Reviews written: 219
Trusted by: 359 members
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