Comments on: Twenty One Ways to Save Cypress Gardens

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Cypress Gardens Reopens | — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:03:46 +0000

[...] Comments Sara Jane Roches on Twenty One Ways to Save Cypress Gardenssure. on Unions the Problem at CSX resort The Greenbrierj on Unions the Problem at CSX resort The [...]

By: Sara Jane Roches

Sara Jane Roches — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 06:04:59 +0000

I was a Southern Belle from 1990-1994. I was mortified when I learned more recent owners had done away with the tradition. While I worked there, Busch owned the park; what a nightmare. Seemed no one could grasp the park for what it was, always trying to compete with other parks. People appreciated the park for what it was without all of the hoopla. Cypress Gardens was one of the best experiences of my life, and I am hoping future generations will have that same opportunity. I still believe it would be a wonderful media stunt to have a “belle” reunion. I miss my girls!

By: Lana Anderson

Lana Anderson — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:35:30 +0000

February 14, 1983 I got the opportunity to visit Cypress Gardens. I am from North Dakota and made this trip to see Disney World and was able to take in Cypress Gardens. This was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. I can still remember how peaceful and seren it felt to walk through the park. I loved seeing the Ester Williams pool. The beautiful girls dressed in their dresses was a real highlight. All tho I have not been back since then, some day my goal is to visit again. Please don’t close the park… Advertise more to let people know what there is to see there. God bless you…Lana Anderson Bismarck ND.

By: Debbie B

Debbie B — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:18:04 +0000

We live in Atlanta but we visit good friends in Winter Haven several times a year. We discovered Cypress @10 years ago, and we have had season passes ever since. We have taught our kids to appreciate nature, and they have always loved the park. They do, however, love the rides and they will miss them.
I don’t know all of the answers. I do know that we often visited with our season passes, and spent several hours in the park without spend a dime. I am sure that other people did the same thing. We often remarked that we did not see how they were staying afloat without more daily revenue. Most all of the locals who visit have a pass.

By: Chuck H

Chuck H — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 17:40:10 +0000

WHAT ABOUT OUR SEASONAL PASS ARE WE OUT THIS MONEY WE COULD HAVE USED THEM WE ENJOYED THE PARK BUT NOW WE ARE STUCK . THEY WERE NOT CHEAP

By: jeff

jeff — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 05:28:12 +0000

we have had family passports for a few years now and loved the place.this move to remove the rides will kill the park again. the rides allowed the kids to have fun while the parents could enjoy the beauty of the gardens. restoring the florida pool and canal boats would have been a great addition but the park will lose out on a new generation as kids aren’t impressed by flowers and gardens but the roller coasters and rides and casual atmosphere had my kids loving the place. what a shame florida loses a great place. we all loved the fact that it wasn’t as congested as disney or universal. just seems as though they wanted to grab what they could to make a buck. i wonder how long before it becomes another mall or housing developement

By: May Hamer

May Hamer — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:49:33 +0000

Great article, Garland. We love Cypress Gardens and supported it with annual passes for the last few years. I have a personal connection to the park as my Mother worked for Dick and Julie Pope in the 1950′s and was also a Southern Belle. She always talked about the movie stars she met while working there, including Esther Williams. Her days at Cypress Gardens were among the best in her life. There is so much history connected to this place and I do hope that it can survive. My Mom’s favorite story was told to her by Mr and Mrs Pope. When they first opened in the 1930′s as a small botanical garden, they said that visitors were very infrequent. They could see them coming with binoculars from some tower they had on the property. There must have been a single road leading to the property back then. Anyway, when they saw them coming, Mrs Pope would put on her southern belle dress to greet them in the garden. They certainly marketed themselves well to grow as they did by the 1950′s and 60′s.
Thank you for your article and let’s hope Florida does not lose a piece of its history.

By: admin

admin — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 04:00:44 +0000

Yo Max! I was hoping to get some suggestions.

I was in error about Baker. But it is obvious that the park is not profitable with the rides, so staying with the current plan won’t work.

The prior years included 2001-2, when tourism completely collapsed in Florida. The original park, pre 1970s, worked fine, with a much smaller staff. The problem is that it turned into a theme park, when the place is basically gardens on a lake with a ski show.

By: Max Reynolds

Max Reynolds — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:51:08 +0000

You simply have no idea what you are talking about.

There is so much wrong or inaccurate information listed above, your “advice” holds little water.

Baker Leisure Group does not run the park, nor have they in six months. The addition of rides tripled attendance after 1 year. The park is not viable without them, either. Returning the park to its 2003 configuration and expecting different results — is lunacy. Cypress Gardens had the gardens, ski show and water park prior to the 2004 revamp — and lost money 6 out of the 8 years prior to its collapse in 2003.

Try doing more research before you give “advice.”