The Hunt's Pier WACKY SHACK!!!

[@DUMBECHOBAND]

Randy! Dude, I’m a huge fan. I’ve seen your hoarders episode too many times to count because I love Wildwood. It’s my favorite place in the world. I really think you’re doing an incredible thing preserving the history of it. I’m so happy I found your channel. Thank you for all that you’re doing!

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@@DUMBECHOBAND did you see the new update episode which aired yesterday on a&e?

[@DUMBECHOBAND]

@ yes! I was so happy to see that you’re doing well. I’m pretty bummed about what they did to the boardwalk mall. I went to wildwood like every year from 5-18 but then in my early 20’s, my grandparents got sick and I became their full time caregiver. It was a pretty hard job and it lasted about 8 years. I was devastated when they passed on. They raised me so it was like losing my parents and it happened so fast, like within a year of each other. I made it back to Wildwood the summer of 2022 for the first time in like 13 years and was surprised about how much had changed yet also happy that a lot of stuff was just as I had remembered it. The boardwalk mall hurts though! It had such a cool old charm to it and now the lower part is some weird cowboy bar that doesn’t fit the wildwood theme at all!

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

It's all about money sadly... That cowboy bar takes in more in one good weekend then the arcade could see in a year. People slap down hundreds of bucks acting cool and the big shit with their friends while getting drunk... But a few quarters is some big deal to spend in the Arcade. Those who are in business to make money don't care about traditions or family entertainment... I am not a good "businessman" because if I were I would close my place and sell everything... But there are few who would do this, and so the world is what you see. Wildwood will have less and less as you remember over the next decade; it is not sustainable at this point, and the condos and bars will take over completely.

[@DUMBECHOBAND]

@@MainStreetRANDYLAND yeah it’s depressing. I also hate seeing all the big corporations on the boardwalk. That decent taco place with a great view of the ocean is now a Domino’s?! Why would anyone want shitty Domino’s pizza when there’s mom and pop places on like every block? I fell to my knees in front of it like Heston in Planet of the Apes crying “Noo! You bastards!!”

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@DUMBECHOBAND the taco place was no asset to the boardwalk; expensive and not so good. While I agree independent ships and eateries are better then chain placed, domino would have been a success and a good addition if they had not tried to get full price, and cut out the app specials. I like Sam's and macks, but I would have had domino all summer if they had kept the 7.99 large pieces 1 topping app order...not paying $16 bucks for the same thing because it's on the boardwalk

[@jeffreykane2133]

Very Good Video Randy!!!!

[@garydefilippis3561]

Agree Randy! Would be great! Loved this episode , many memories of Hunts Pier .. and the Whacky Shack plus the Keystone Cops .. thanks for sharing!!

[@ProfessorKroog]

I went thru Wacky Shack so may times as a kid. One of my absolute favorites. It was spooky but no live actors to jump out at you. The way I like it! 💀🦇⚰

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@@ProfessorKroog thank you! Yes, the live people to jump at you I never cared for. Kills the enjoyment of the ride when you have to be on edge looking out for the next jump out person. There is a place for live jumping people more in a walk through, and even then it's better when they are playing a part in a scene rather than waiting to just jump out and yell to scare you. I mean really, who likes having people jump out to scare you except watching the girls ahead get scared! 😂

[@viccamppinball]

“New Jersey State Amusement Museum” What a great idea! There’s has be someone out there that can make this happen. Like Randy said “It’s a no brainer” Thanks once again for sharing these important informative video’s here on your channel.

[@paulsworkshop4179]

Randy, I always think of Disney as the king of the dark rides. There was a dark ride I rode down the shore as a kid and can’t remember where but it had those types of effects and gadgets. I’m so glad you explained this and made the connections to Disney. Those odd shapes, etc remind me so much of Disney. When you said the going to hell ending, Mr. Toad popped right into my head. Sadly it’s gone from Florida but I rode it this summer at Disneyland.

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@@paulsworkshop4179 yes, Disney wasn't the first .. Disney only did it the best! Mr. Toad and Snow While used a pretzel ride track system almost the same, if not the same, as the pretzel dark rides through the country ... Later they changed the track and cars and it was a different system and much smoother... But the jerking was part of the FUN!

[@SlippinnnJimmy]

Whacky Shack in Waldameer Park (Erie, Pa.) was my first dark ride! That was wayyyy back, earlier than 1983, but it doesn't appear to have changed much at all. My extended family (several families together) would all spend a weekend up there every summer. What a nice little park. If you have complete dark rides, it would be so great to know they're set up and operating.

[@deniseboldea1624]

Maybe start a petition drive? Or a letter writing campaign?

[@Thatfoxatthebowlinglane]

Bill Tracy was such an amazing dark ride and prop creator Spirit Halloween should make animatronics similar to bill Tracy’s like his buzzard or the swamp ghost or the spider

[@rarecoolitems]

Happy Halloween I hope you go trick or treating :)

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@@rarecoolitems no trick or treating for me... 😢

[@deadendust]

Have you ever thought of creating your own dark ride?

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@@deadendust Yes. I have the cars and tracks from 4 pretzel rides, and I thought I would enjoy making that... Never had the place to go it

[@joecampbell7719]

When was the wacky shack taken down?

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@@joecampbell7719 1995 likely was the last operations season; 1996 pulled apart.

[@TheSawdustChronicles]

HA!! In the B&W photo @15:19 the old lady looks like Achmed the dead terrorist!!! SILENCE!!!I keeel you! Side Note: As I was watching this about 5 minutes in, I was thinking a museum needs to be created. Perhaps any contacts from Disney Busch, or Universal would be a good start. Then see what grass roots would do. I would love to see something like this at VA Beach. We used to have an Amusement park on the Norfolk VA waterfront near the Navy base, and what we had on the VA Beach Oceanfront is pretty much gone too. PS: well my question from the other video was answered in this video: "Woolworth" building...

[@cliffcoastcafe]

Some people are working on trying to get funds to rebuild a wacky shack as close to original as possible

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@@cliffcoastcafe there were wacky shacks in several locations but they were not all the same as I recall. Used same names. Where is this going to be?

[@cliffcoastcafe]

@@MainStreetRANDYLAND 3 of my freinds here in europe are trying to recreate one or a mixed wacky shack for a while now. They recently made blueprints for a replica of the clock you showed!

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@@cliffcoastcafe lots of older amusements are well appreciated in Europe