"They copied Playland!" he objected. I had to explain that Coney Island had opened nearly 40 years before Playland did. Playland was the copy. He had to verify that with me several times while we walked through Wonder Wheel park and up onto the boardwalk. By the time we arrived at Luna Park, he was cautiously telling the staff there that Playland was the copy. (Only one woman knew what he was talking about.)
I'd bought a Luna Card before we met Sarah and her family. Now we had to get to spending it! I encouraged him to try a kiddie log flume there called "The Mermaid Parade". Despite his objections to the name, he loved the ride. He wound up on it some four times. He laughed so hard each time it went down the hill. A tiny hill!
Then he wanted to go on some swings that went up pretty high - for him anyway. I talked him out of those and onto these boats. Boy, was he both sorry that I did and glad that I hadn't let him go on the swings. These boats were "too high" for him.
Poor little guy. He's hanging on for dear life in that video. After these boats, there was no getting him onto any of the more daring rides; not even things he's been on before like the spinning cups or the hot air balloons. (Both at Sesame Place and other locales like Playland or festivals).
We did find another ride he enjoyed a lot. A little tot train.
Then it was time to play some games! We tried a duck game, at which he won a seahorse. Then we tried the fishing-froggy game at which frogs spin around on a circle with their mouths opening and snapping shut. You had to dip a hook into their mouths and lift them up. That took longer than I should admit. He won a little bear there.
Then he wanted to take a walk out to the beach. We stopped for some more ice cream. Then I realized that he would need a new shirt, since he got ice cream all over himself. I was able to get two souvenir shirts for $15 dollars.
We walked all the way past Steeplechase park and the now-well-known-to-him Parachute Jump. There was a gazebo on the beach there right across from another jungle gym, but I was nervous around the crowd that was seated there. I had to rush Alex off the jungle gym. He wasn't happy about it. At the next jungle gym, I realized that it was close to 6 PM. We still had points on the Luna Card and we wouldn't be back soon. I had to get him out of there too.
As we walked back towards the amusement parks, I saw a ride in Deno's Wonder Wheel Park (or is it the Scream Zone) that looked currr-aaa-zy. It was like a yo-yo or a gyroscope, balanced on two wires, bouncing high into the air. In the yo-yo/gyroscope are two seats, intended for passengers. It can be seen here; the black thing in the middle of the two large orange poles.
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| They have to be kidding me. |
But there were more games to play! We stopped at some skee-ball in the Scream Zone.
He rode the Tot Train and the Mermaid Parade one more time each. Then there was one more ride I talked him into: The Beach Shack. This was a shack with seats facing out from its center that spun around on an asymmetrical pivot, like the swings will. He loved it!! He wanted to go back on it, but all of the kiddie rides were closing then. We had 9 points left on the Luna Card, so we played one more game: a water gun race at which we won a purple snake.
The sun was soon setting on Coney Island. I realized that we had to go. We'd get home well past Alex's bedtime at this rate. Alex told me that he wanted to come back there "tomorrow". I had to tell him that it would be much longer from then. The parks are only open on weekends until the third week of October and for some of Sukkoht. After that, they close until May.
He fell asleep on the subway home. I hated having to wake him at Grand Central. He had such a full day.
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