Is it my imagination or has Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk gone downhill?

[DodgerGirl]

I remember when Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was the in theme park for California tourists during the 80's and 90's and they would constantly advertise new deals for the summer through commercials but if you go to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk today you'll notice that it has gone downhill and can't figure it out? Is it because Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk wants to compete with other theme parks such as California's Great America and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom or are they changing to attract a new audience to their park? Because it used to be an Easter tradition of mine to visit the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk every year but ever since they went downhill my family no longer goes there. Take for example I remember when they would have free beach concerts of popular singers and bands such as Tiffany and Fleetwood Mac but if you want to see a beach concert every night of the summer Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk now charges money and tickets to attend the beach concerts at night. Is this their new way of attracting new customers now? A second thing I noticed about Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is how they advertise new rides in their commercials and the "new" ride is just an old ride being updated. Take for instance when it was announced that The Cave Train a popular ride at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was being updated with a new look in 2000 and many fans were anticipating it's new look and when The Cave Train was reopened and rebranded as The Cave Train 2000 it was virtually the same ride and the only difference was the name change and when I rode this new version of The Cave Train I was shocked that Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk would do this to a ride especially a ride that is popular. I find it surprising that Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk hasn't added any new stuff since Neptune's Kingdom was opened in 1992 and what would be great is that they could add more thrill rides. Because it is shocking that the famous Giant Dipper roller-coaster is the only big thrill ride of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and they could add more roller-coaster type rides. I think what Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk mainly wants to focus on is teenagers and couples and not so much on families and I can bet they will give the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk a new renovation in order to stay alive so they can still be the hit attraction of California

 

[barkley]

you are bringing back so many memories to me. i spent every summer there from the mid 60's-the end of the 70's. i saw it go through so many stages-

very family friendly area around/on the boardwalk-private cottages or inexpensive but very clean and safe motels within walking distance. i adored the cave train, the funhouse (spent hours on end in there) and got terrified on the mad mouse (much scarier than the big dipper).

handful of years later-hippie'esq vibe with funky bohemian shops on many corners. it still felt safe though mom and dad were not fond of the smell of weed wafting in the streets.

a few years later-crime ridden/dangerous. the family friendly motels were filled with police busts and your parked as close to the boardwalk as possible/did not venture off into the neighborhood.

resurgence in the 80's, neighborhoods around it were clean and safe again. new motels had been built, nice... but the '89 earthquake realy changed the vibe-with the repairs and renovations to the boardwalk it felt so much more like (as you said) it was trying to compete with great america but failed. it just did'nt realize that it's identity of the beach, the old school rides, the arcade, the free concerts...were a different than marriott experience that people enjoyed. trying to compete was a losing proposition.


last time i was there was when my oldest was about 5 or 6-so about 25 years ago? area around the boardwalk was scary sketchy again-people approaching us (a couple w/2 little kids/obviously tourists) and asking loudly 'you want to score?', then running down the various drugs they could provide

i hope it's cycled back to a better environment again.

 

[DodgerGirl]

Another thing that Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk did that they should've kept was have Popeye as their mascot and in the 90's they even had a Popeye character walk around the boardwalk and it was so cool. What I also think caused Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to go downhill was the prices for souvenirs and they even had a dollar store where you could get good deals on souvenirs but the souvenirs were still pricey even at a dollar. I remember the last time my family went we only spent ten minutes looking at shops at the boardwalk because I got bored and we ended up leaving early and headed to Kmart instead. What I think Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk could do is expand the boardwalk and get rid of Neptune's Kingdom because Neptune's Kingdom is mostly shops and has only one restaurant and expand the arcade of the boardwalk as well and that would help gain more visitors and keep it from going downhill

 

[NorCalFanatic]

When was the last time you were at the Boardwalk? I think it’s your rose colored glasses.

We were there last summer, they’re doing just fine, we go once every summer. Growing up in the area I went a lot in the 80s early 90s.

Our kids loved Neptunes Kingdom. The arcades and the mini golf. It was crowded but not too crowded. Full of families and teens. The stores are touristy for sure, just like you’d find anywhere like that, but not outrageously expensive. Kids also had fun with the carnival games and won a few prizes.

The cyclone isn’t the only thrill ride. There’s another coaster that’s just as thrilling.

 

[DodgerGirl]

What I also think Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has tried to do but they never tried to do is become like Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm by having their own resort and with the many motels across from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk they could make their own resort hotel. Another thing that caused Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to go downhill was the prices of the food and drinks and the quality of the souvenir cups. Because it seemed that the lowest selling food was their ice cream and their hamburgers but if you go in the boardwalk today the food stands seem to focus on nachos and rice bowls and I remember when my mom and I would buy hot dogs and corn dogs for real cheap there and it was good food. But the souvenir cups that Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk had also gone downhill because they were cheaply made. I remember when my parents bought a soda in these cups and they were so poorly made they cracked and soda would spill all over the place in splatters and they could've made better souvenir cups. But as I mentioned a new and improved Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk would do very well with some changes in the future

 

[NorCalFanatic]

What I also think Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has tried to do but they never tried to do is become like Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm by having their own resort and with the many motels across from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk they could make their own resort hotel. Another thing that caused Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to go downhill was the prices of the food and drinks and the quality of the souvenir cups. Because it seemed that the lowest selling food was their ice cream and their hamburgers but if you go in the boardwalk today the food stands seem to focus on nachos and rice bowls and I remember when my mom and I would buy hot dogs and corn dogs for real cheap there and it was good food. But the souvenir cups that Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk had also gone downhill because they were cheaply made. I remember when my parents bought a soda in these cups and they were so poorly made they cracked and soda would spill all over the place in splatters and they could've made better souvenir cups. But as I mentioned a new and improved Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk would do very well with some changes in the future

Where are you getting all of this? Have you attended yourself recently? Or is this like all your similar posts where you haven’t been somewhere in years, just watch you tube videos and then post about how awful something is now and how great it was when you were younger.

So…as someone who grew up in the area and goes at least once or more every year…here’s my observations.

They’ve got a nice big souvenir cup, comes with a tight lid and flexible straw and cheap refills, good all season.

They’ve got a ton of food options not just rice bowls and nachos, and have food festivals. The corn dogs are fantastic and the kids love their chicken tenders. There’s BBQ options, seafood options, pizza, burgers, sandwiches. The ice cream stand by the Carousel still offers giant soft serve cones. Last year we were there during one of the chili cookoffs.

If you’ve been there you know there’s no room for a resort hotel. It’s not really the type of venue that needs a resort hotel, and there are plenty of options in the area if you want to stay near the boardwalk.

 

[gardenrooms]

I am looking forward to going there tonight to see "The Lost Boys" (free on the beach). I love hearing the excitement of the Boardwalk on one side and the sound of the surf on the other as I watch this so fun movie that was filmed there. I feel like Covid kind of killed off the big band concerts on the beach, but they were already past my era (I loved seeing Jan and Dean, The Drifters, Peter Noone and later Three Dog Night, and so many others, but they had moved up to 90's bands, which I was not familiar with). Now they book local groups, which is nice for the groups and if it works for The Boardwalk, great. I also feel like the market changed and some of these old groups were able to find more lucrative bookings (at venues that charged for tickets) so The Boardwalk got priced out. They have free movies on the beach on Fridays throughout the summer. Back in 2010, Corey Feldman came (with his band) to introduce "The Lost Boys" (the year Corey Haim died). Tonight it's "the other Frog brother", not a celebrity but still fun. They advertise acrobats and magicians throughout the summer. The Boardwalk has had its ups and downs. I haven't been since Covid but hoping it is doing ok. When I was young, the rides and concessions were owned separately, I feel like they were almost family owned. The only thing my high school CSF ever did was once a year get us out of school for a trip to The Boardwalk. My last year, I think, around 1966, we came down on a cloudy day in our 2 or 3 buses and - The Boardwalk was closed! No one had bothered to check. But, luckily, someone in town noticed us, rounded up some of the other owners, and they showed up and opened up each ride one at a time just for us. I talked a number of my friends into going on their first ride on The Giant Dipper, which turned 100 this year! Instead of being the disaster it looked like it was going to be, it was the best day ever - we had The Boardwalk all to ourselves.

It did go through a rough patch in the 70's, I guess it was, but it came back again and The Giant Dipper was the first coaster my now 42-year-old son ever went on. I still remember him with his little crew cut spiked as high as possible and a big (but nervous) grin on his face as he got measured. And I love that Laughing Sal, from Playland at the Beach in SF, is now there too - at least I hope she is still there. She used to scare me as a kid, but now when I hear her laugh I start laughing, too, and my old body feels young!

 

[bcla]

I remember going there in high school where students meeting the honor student criteria could go there during a school day near the end of the school year. We'd all go there in 4-5 coach buses and get group ride wristbands. They weren't like the ones purchased at full price, but red strings with a clip. And yeah I remember going on the log ride over and over again with friends, as well as rinding the Giant Dipper and seeing how fast we could get on the next ride. We could more or less ride every other time when they had one train.

I remember my company's picnic was there one year and it was fine. We were in one of the group sites near the front and we had a spot overlooking the beach. We did get there late so the food options were limited because others got to it first.

I did go there last winter during one of the weekend days. We were taking out of town guests to Monterey and Pebble Beach, and stopped by just for a walk on the beach and we walked through the boardwalk although we didn't do any rides. It was fine. It's never tried to be more than a seaside amusement park and it does pretty well when a lot of similar areas in California have long closed.

I do remember when there was a carousel at California Adventure that had little displays of seaside amusement areas in California including Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

 

[gardenrooms]

So much fun watching The Lost Boys at The Boardwalk last night. Great crowd, everyone having fun. Its such a campy movie and you laugh so much more when everyone else is laughing with you. I felt like a "kid" of 50 again (until I had to get up off the sand lol). Beautiful night, brought home some delicious salt water taffy from Marini's.

BTW, for DodgerGirl they are having a free Tiffany concert in September as part of their Pride celebration.

 

[barkley]

my oldest is turning 30 this year and still talks fondly of the one time we went as a family forever ago-remembers esp. the 'caveman ride' and leo the paper eating lion (when we moved to the spokane region and first encountered the still operating expo '74 garbage goat it was like a flashback to leo).

never went on a class field trip there (too far a drive) but i recall lots of busses of kids pulling in over the summer weeks we would spend there. kids with tote bags loaded with swim suits, towels, suntan lotion (oh the overwhelming scent of esp. coconut suntan lotion on the boardwalk mingled with popcorn, corndogs and a waft of weed from underneath ). when my mom passed in 2011 she STILL had drinking glasses i had won as a kid at the dime toss. god knows what kind of chemicals were in those glasses but we all managed to survive many decades using them.

glad to hear good memories can still be made there (though i think any exposure to cory feldman's band should be deemed akin to waterboarding).

 

[StarlitNight05]

glad to hear good memories can still be made there (though i think any exposure to cory feldman's band should be deemed akin to waterboarding).

That's hilarious! For those who are fortune enough not to have heard his music, check out "Comeback King" on YouTube. I almost died laughing when I first saw it. I felt bad doing it, but couldn't help myself I guess you can say he has confidence at least.

 

[ady2glude707]

I remember when Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was the in theme park for California tourists during the 80's and 90's and they would constantly advertise new deals for the summer through commercials but if you go to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk today you'll notice that it has gone downhill and can't figure it out? Is it because Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk wants to compete with other theme parks such as California's Great America and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom or are they changing to attract a new audience to their park? Because it used to be an Easter tradition of mine to visit the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk every year but ever since they went downhill my family no longer goes there. Take for example I remember when they would have free beach concerts of popular singers and bands such as Tiffany and Fleetwood Mac but if you want to see a beach concert every night of the summer Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk now charges money and tickets to attend the beach concerts at night. Is this their new way of attracting new customers now? A second thing I noticed about Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is how they advertise new rides in their commercials and the "new" ride is just an old ride being updated. Take for instance when it was announced that The Cave Train a popular ride at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was being updated with a new look in 2000 and many fans were anticipating it's new look and when The Cave Train was reopened and rebranded as The Cave Train 2000 it was virtually the same ride and the only difference was the name change and when I rode this new version of The Cave Train I was shocked that Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk would do this to a ride especially a ride that is popular. I find it surprising that Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk hasn't added any new stuff since Neptune's Kingdom was opened in 1992 and what would be great is that they could add more thrill rides. Because it is shocking that the famous Giant Dipper roller-coaster is the only big thrill ride of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and they could add more roller-coaster type rides. I think what Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk mainly wants to focus on is teenagers and couples and not so much on families and I can bet they will give the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk a new renovation in order to stay alive so they can still be the hit attraction of California

Yea youre trippin. The Boardwalk has been doing just fine.

 

[gardenrooms]

That's hilarious! For those who are fortune enough not to have heard his music, check out "Comeback King" on YouTube. I almost died laughing when I first saw it. I felt bad doing it, but couldn't help myself I guess you can say he has confidence at least.

lol it was fun to see Corey and a nice tribute to Corey Haim, don't even remember what his band was like. I was there for the movie and this was a nice bonus.