entrance fee

[raggy41]

Hi,
I have followed this campaign with great interest since the beginning. I have many happy memories of Dreamland and would love to see it operating as a succesfull park again.
Two weeks ago I travelled to Kent from North Norfolk for a few days break and was really looking forward to visiting Dreamland again. We arrived at Dreamland at 11.30am only to find it fenced off and closed with no signs saying what the opening times were. My partner and I were really dissapointed and had made this trip especially to visit Dreamland (400 mile round trip).
I really do hope that Dreamland opens again but think that the image that greeted us just looked like a small fairground in a large unfriendly looking car park which really saddened us.
Nigel

[porterm]

Hi Nigel,

I can fully sympathise with your recent experience on your long distance visit to Dreamland. I must admit that I've only managed one visit to the existing facility this year and that was, I believe, over the late May Bank Holiday weekend on a cold very wet day. I too was rather disappointed by the sights that greeted me, especially the chained security fencing and awkward, at the time, entry system.

Suffice to say, I, perhaps rather stupidly bought £20 worth of ride tokens just before my near month long trip to the USA. I ended up just using some on my friend's young son as the Scenic Railway was not operational and I didn't fancy riding anything else in the climate that rain-ravaged day. (Sad to say, but my then pending US trip to various Mid West parks proved a complete contrast in weather terms; it was lovely and warm with near perfect blue skies most days). The weather obviously makes all the difference in most people's enjoyment of any park I feel, but in Dreamland's current guise it is obviously a temporary style interim facility that is being offered. I hope to re-visit the park on its final September weekend.

Martin

[Bob]

Hi,
I have followed this campaign with great interest since the beginning. I have many happy memories of Dreamland and would love to see it operating as a succesfull park again.
Two weeks ago I travelled to Kent from North Norfolk for a few days break and was really looking forward to visiting Dreamland again. We arrived at Dreamland at 11.30am only to find it fenced off and closed with no signs saying what the opening times were. My partner and I were really dissapointed and had made this trip especially to visit Dreamland (400 mile round trip).
I really do hope that Dreamland opens again but think that the image that greeted us just looked like a small fairground in a large unfriendly looking car park which really saddened us.
Nigel

I think it has been a bad mistake to open Dreamland in its current rundown , dirty & neglected state. How many people that have visited it would have gone away with a very bad impression. How many will bother to come back, How many found it closed.
I am afraid in its current state its more probably doing more damage to what little of Margates tourist idustry then good.

Margate & its Council need to think long and hard about whether they want to remain in the tourist business if they do they need to invest in it.

[vince69619]

Hello Bob,

I do agree with you, but the Dreamland Park is privately owned, so it's not actually up to the council beyond the following...

Thanet Council DO have the chance to stand up and disapprove the change of use of the site from an amusement park. The owners of the property want to re-develop the land into more valuable ventures, thereby ruining the main attraction that Margate had. (In my opinion...)

The ONLY reason I even know about Margate is because of the park. Thousands of other people must have Margate in their diaries because of the park. Now let me think how many seaside towns I can visit that have a collection of retail outlets by the coast, oh, come to think about it, all of them! I could even go to Southend and see the folks, on the way take in Lakeside Shopping Centre and I don't even need to go to Margate.

Now how many have a listed roller coaster and the space to put in a really good park (again)... You know what, only one comes to mind!

Hey, I have a great idea, what about retail units with a listed roller coaster in the middle! Isn't that a cool idea? What do you mean no?

Vince.