Exclusive Q&A With Quassy Amusement Park!

 Quassy is a family owned amusement park located in Middlebury, CT. The park has a mixture of family and thrill rides, along with a waterpark. Quassy mixes Classic rides with modern machines with its unique lineup of attractions, featuring a Gravity Group Wooden Coaster, a Paratrooper, an SBF Reverse Time, and more! Quassy is a great park and we thank them for taking the time to answer our questions!

The park just announced that you're adding two new family rides. How were these decided?

   Based on the footprint of the area previously occupied by two Hampton Umbrella rides, the park had to work within those perimeters. That meant we could replace the two umbrella rides with attractions that had about the same diameters, or a single ride that would occupy the space of the two previous rides. Since the park’s recent focus has been on expanding its experiences so children can ride with parents/adults, a broad-based search of new and some used equipment took place over several months. The SBF/VISA Group (Italy) Pirate Jet – which Quassy has named Skipper’s Clippers – was the first ride the park committed to in the late summer. The decision allowed the supplier to have the ride built and shown at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo last month in Orlando. Just before the IAAPA event, the park settled in on a second new piece: a Zamperla Samba Balloon, which Quassy will call Up, Up & Away. Adults may accompany children on both of these interactive rides. Skipper’s Clippers was a hit among those in attendance at IAAPA, drawing phrase for not only its colorful appearance and theming, but the many interactive elements it provides during the ride: music, sound effects, lift and drop individual control of each ship.

How has the park changed since the addition of Wooden Warrior? 

   Simply said: Wooden Warrior put Quassy on the international map. Since its opening in 2011, the park hosts no fewer than two coaster events each year with guests from around the world (here to experience the coaster). As many coaster enthusiasts know, the park was the first in all of North America to feature a Timberliner train from GravityKraft, the sister firm of The Gravity Group – designers of Wooden Warrior. It was a gamble on Quassy’s part to embrace the new train, but the gamble paid huge dividends. Thanks to the state-of-the-art train, the coaster features some tight turns and other elements a traditional coaster train would have struggled with. The park owners are also quick to point out that track maintenance has been virtually non-existent following six hard seasons of running – much of that attributed to the Timberliner train. It simply is not beating up the track. Yes, our safety department does inspect the track daily on operating days. No wood replaced as yet on Wooden Warrior! The ride continues to be rated among the Top 50 Wood Coasters in the world by industry experts. That’s quite a accolade considering its 1,250 feet of track and lift hill of 35 feet. Bottom line: the ride was a game-changer for the family-owned property.

Are there still plans to further expand the water park? 

   Yes. The park announced in 2015 that eight new waterslides would be coming to Quassy’s Splash Away Bay waterpark. Five of the slides opened in the spring of 2016 in an element titled Slide City (all for children). The three huge ProSlide waterslides unveiled during the 2015 press conference are on schedule to debut in 2018. This past season, the park surprisingly announced the addition of another major ride not earmarked in the 2015 plan. REVERSE TIME from SBF/VISA Group made its debut in April. The opening marked the first REVERSE TIME ride in all of North America and the piece was a hit among our guests.

Is there a new roller coaster in Quassy's future? 

   There has certainly been talk of adding another “family” coaster. Our safety team has done an outstanding job in maintaining the park’s 1952 Allan Herschell Little Dipper. While it’s still a very popular ride, don’t be surprised if it is retired in coming years, but the waterpark expansion will be on the front burner.

What separates Quassy from other parks in the area? 

   Quassy is the last of the family-owned parks in the region. In fact, 2017 will mark 80 years of ownership by the same family! Since the family oversees daily operations of the property, there is a lot of personal pride in what has been accomplished over the past 15 years (since Saturation Station interactive family water play area was introduced). The regional large theme parks – one only 15 minutes from our doorstep – do a great job in offering mega-coasters and attractions geared toward the teen market. Quassy’s focus remains on creating experiences families can share together. The park has also been very successful in mixing its new attractions with its tried-and-true lineup. Guests sill love the classic Paratrooper, Music Fest and Tilt-A-Whirl rides. As for something a little more extreme, the park added FRANTIC in 2015, the first 360-degree pendulum ride of its type if all of New England (SFB/VISA Group). Also unique is that the park charges no general admission to walk around the “ride” area of the lakeside property. However, guests do need to pay to enter the waterpark/beach, which is included in the all-day wristband or available as a separate admission.

Is there anything else that you would like our readers to know about Quassy? 

   The park has purchased century-old taffy making machinery (totally refurbed by an expert in North Carolina) and will debut a new candy shop and pizzeria in the spring along with the two new rides.

Thank You very much to Ron Gustafson of Quassy Amusement Park for answering all of our questions and providing great photos and great insight of the park! I cannot wait to visit in 2017!