Morey's Piers

Morey’s Piers & Beachfront Waterparks is a classic seaside amusement park located on The Wildwoods' boardwalk in Wildwood and North Wildwood, New Jersey. The park has been family owned and operated since 1969 and is currently run by 2nd generation Morey Brothers, Will and Jack. Morey’s Piers has more than 100 rides and attractions across its three amusement piers and two beachfront waterparks.

Great White
Morey's Piers & Beachfront Waterparks
SloganAmerica's Boardwalk
Location3501 Boardwalk, Wildwood & North Wildwood, New Jersey, U.S.
Coordinates38.98557°N 74.80932°W / 38.98557; -74.80932
OwnerWilbert Morey II, Jack Morey
Opened1969
Previous namesWilbert Morey, Bill Morey
Operating seasonApril – October
Websitewww.moreyspiers.com
StatusOperating

Description
The Great Nor'easter

Surfside Pier

Surfside Pier is located at 26th Street in North Wildwood. It was the first of the three piers, opening in 1969 with a giant fiberglass slide that cost 25 cents to ride. The slide was closed at the end of the 2010 season and refurbished as a waterslide at the pier's water park. Surfside Pier includes the Zoom Phloom, AtmosFEAR, The Great Nor'easter, and Flitzer (removed 2018; replaced by Runaway Tram).

Mariner's Landing (formerly Mariner's Pier)
Giant Wheel

Mariner's Landing, located at Schellenger Avenue in Wildwood, is like a traditional amusement park, with classics like the Super Scooters, Teacups, Musik Express, Ignis Fatuus, Sea Serpent and the Giant Wheel, a 156-foot (47.5 m)

tall Ferris wheel built by Vekoma, which opened in 1985.[1] In the early mornings of the summer, breakfast can be eaten on the wheel.[2][3] In June 2011, 11-year-old Abiah Jones died after falling from the Giant Wheel. Since then, a "no single riders" policy was created for when guests ride the ferris wheel to ensure the safety of the guests.

Adventure Pier

Adventure Pier, located at Spencer Avenue, includes Grand Prix Raceway and the famous wooden coaster The Great White, the Skyscraper ride, a The Spring Shot ride, a Screamin' Swing, a Skycoaster, a maze, helicopter tours, and a boat tag game.

Ocean Oasis Water Park + Beach Club

Ocean Oasis Water Park + Beach Club is on the beach behind Surfside Pier. It includes water slides, a lazy river, a hot tub with bar access and a kids area.

Raging Waters Water Park

Behind Mariner’s Landing is Raging Waters Water Park. It includes two unique kiddie play areas at Shipwreck Shoals and Camp KidTastrophe along with speed slides, a lazy river, Shotgun Falls and an activity pool full of challenges.

History

Surfside Pier

In 1969, Bill and Will Morey Sr. purchased two lots of boardwalk in North Wildwood at 25th and 26th streets. They called it Morey's Pier and opened that summer with a giant fiberglass slide called the Wipe Out. Guests paid 25 cents to slide down the ride in burlap sacks.

Mariner's Landing
Giant Wheel at night

The Moreys extended their operation in 1976 when they purchased Marine Pier and renamed it Mariner’s Landing. At the time of purchase, the pier was fire-damaged and seven of the existing 12 rides on the pier had to be thrown away. However, the pier kept growing. In 1984, the Moreys purchased the Sea Serpent roller coaster.

Raging Waters and Ocean Oasis Waterparks

In 1985, waterslides were installed on Mariner’s Landing and called Raging Waters waterpark. The waterpark opened a day early due to the ocean pollution. The project was masterminded by designer and architect Fred Langford. A second Raging Waters was built on Surfside Pier in 1988. This park was overhauled and relaunched as Ocean Oasis Water Park & Beach Club in 2006 and features Bonsai Beach, Endless River and various new waterslides.

Adventure Pier

Fun Pier was purchased and renamed Wild Wheels. The Morey's described it as an "interactive amusement center" with active participation by customers. This pier was later relaunched as Adventure Pier and became home to The Great White, the Skyscraper ride, a The Spring Shot ride, a Screamin' Swing, a Skycoaster, a maze, a boat tag game, batting cages, and the Grand Prix Raceway.

The Old Hunt's Pier

Hunt's Pier was also eventually purchased for more rides and attractions. Hunt's Pier went defunct in 1990 and was then used for maintenance, storage, and tram-car parking. The Golden Nugget remained on Hunt's Pier until 2008 when it was purchased by Knoebels' Amusement Resort and restored in their park as the Black Diamond. Hopefully, Morey’s would plan to use the pier for more thrilling rides and attractions as a major fourth pier to the line-up...

Rides and Attractions

Surfside Pier
Name Opened Manufacturer Type
AtmosFear 2005 Larson Drop Tower
Balloon Race Zamperla Balloon Race
Carousel Bertazzon
Convoy 2018

Unknown (Mariner's Landing)
Cycle Jump
Cygnus X-1 2008 Wisdom Ind. Gravitron
Dante's Dungeon 2005 Bertazzon Dark Ride
Doo Wopper 2005

1998 (Adventure Pier)

 Zamperla Zig Zag Coaster
The Great Nor'easter 1995 Vekoma SLC
It 2011 KMG Afterburner/Fire Ball
Jump Around Zamperla Jump Around
Happy Feet 2012 Zamperla Happy Swing
Kang'A Bounce 2012 Zamperla Kang'A Bounce
Kong 2015 Larson Flying Scooters
Magic Bikes 2008 Zamperla Magic Bikes
Rock and Roll 2001 Bertazzon
Rockin' Tug 2004 Zamperla Rockin' Tug
Runaway Tram 2019 Zierer Force
Tilt-A-Whirl Sellner
Wacky Whip Zamperla
Zoom Phloom 1985 Hopkins Log Flume

Mariner's Landing
Name Opened Manufacturer Type
Carousel Bertazzon
Wave Swinger 2014 Zierer
Balloon Race Zamperla Balloon Wheel
Sea Serpent 1984 Vekoma Boomerang
Crazy Bus Zamperla Crazy Bus
Giant Wheel 1985 Vekoma
Kite Flyer 2002 Zamperla Kite Flyer
Moby Dick 2000 Wisdom Ind.
Musik Express Bertazzon Musik Express
Pirates of the Wildwoods 2004 Reverchon Ind. Dark Ride
Riptide 2012 Chance Rides
Sunny's Lookout Lighthouse Heege
Super Scooters 2009 Bertazzon Bumper Cars
Tea Cups MACK Rides TeaCup Ride
Waltzer Empire Amusements
Rollie's Coaster 1999 Pinfari Zyklon
Pink Elephants Venture Rides
Baby Venice SBF Visa Group
Henekee Henekee
Hangry Seagull Zamperla Jumpin' Star
Kiddie Swings Bertazzon
Airplanes Zamperla Mini Jet
Flying Galleons 1997 Zamperla
Seagull Cycles 1997 Zamperla
Wild Whizzer 2018 SBF Visa Group Spinning Coaster
Ghost Ship 2010 Morey's Piers Walkthrough

Adventure Pier
Name Opened Manufacturer Type
SkyCoaster 1994 Skycoaster Inc. Skycoaster
Skyscraper 2012

2000 (Surfside Pier)

 Gravity Works
Spring Shot 2002 Funtime Slingshot
Boat Tag
East Coast Helicopter Tours 2014
Luna's Lost Labyrinth 2016 Minotaur Adventures
Grand Prix Raceway 1993 Creative Karts
Great White 1996 Custom Coasters Inc. Wooden Coaster
Screamin' Swing 2005 S&S Power Screamin' Swing

Former Rides
Name Opened Closed Manufacturer Type
Breakdance Unknown, lasted until at least 1992 Huss Breakdance
Carousel (Adventure Pier) 2015 Chance Rides
City Jet 1975 1984 Schwartzkoph City Jet
Condor 1988 2011 Huss Condor
Flitzer 1983 2018 Zierer Flitzer
Can Am Raceway 1993 2018 Creative Karts
Dante's Inferno 1980 2005
Dark River Dark Ride
Enterprise 1977
Fireball Express 2002
Haunted House 1972
In Concert 1975
Inverter 2000 2009 Chance Rides
Jersey Junkyard 1996 2011 Dark Ride
Jet Star 1973 1999 Schwartzkoph Jet Star
Jumbo Jet 1975 1987 Schwartzkoph Jet Star 3
Katapult 1985 Schwartzkoph Katapult
King Kong 1971 1980
Maelstrom 2000 2018 KMG
Petersburg Schlittenfahrt 1985
Poseidon Adventure 1974
RC-48 2000 2004 Pinfari RC48
Sea Dragon 2011
Seal Flume 1990 2008 Zamperla North Pole
Shark Bite (Surfside Pier) 1999 2018 Zamperla
Shark Bite (Adventure Pier) 2013 S&S Power
Sky Ride 1997 2011
SkyCoaster (Surfside Pier) 2015 Skycoaster Inc. Skycoaster
Star Trek: Journey to the Planet of the Apes 1975
The Storm 1999
Tilt-A-Whirl (Adventure Pier) 2011 Sellner
Tiny Tea Party 2018 S&W Amusements
Wave Swinger (Original) 1977 2013
Wipeout 1969 2010
Zipper 1970 Chance Rides
Zyclone 1988 1989 Pinfari Zyklon
Zyklon 1999 Pinfari Zyklon
Wild Mouse 1957 B.A. Schiff & Associates Wild Mouse

Incidents

The Great Nor'easter

In August 1995, a 36-year-old employee was picking up trash in a fenced area beneath the ride and was struck in the head by a passenger's foot and killed. Shortly after this accident, Morey's Piers employed a new restricted section which prevents anyone underneath the ride while it is in motion.[4]

Sea Serpent

In June 1998, the Sea Serpent roller coaster suffered its first ever accident, injuring 14 of the 23 riders on board, some of whom were stranded upside down. According to Will Morey, chief executive officer of the Morey Organization, the accident was thought to have been due to a wheel coming off a rear axle, causing the coaster train to jerk to a stop midway through the ride, as it was looping backwards.[5]

Giant Wheel

On Friday June 3, 2011, 11-year-old Abiah Jones, a student at PleasanTech Academy Charter School in Pleasantville, New Jersey, died after falling between 100 and 150 feet from the Giant Wheel. She fell at about 12:30 p.m. and was pronounced dead at 1:14 p.m. at the Cape Regional Medical Center.[6]

Her parents, Twanda and Byron Jones, subsequently filed a lawsuit against the ride's operator.[7]

Investigators were unable to determine how the girl, who was riding alone, got out of the gondola. A report by the state Department of Community Affairs found the ride's restraints to be working properly and suggested that to get out of the car, a passenger probably would have had to stand. The report recommended that children be forbidden from riding the Ferris wheel alone.[7]

Sea Dragon

On August 20, 2011, five people were injured as a result of the center mast on the Sea Dragon breaking. One person was sent to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries, while four others had minor injuries that were treated at the scene of the accident. The spokeswoman for Morey's Piers and Beachfront Waterparks did not answer questions from the media regarding the incident.[8]

For the 2012 season, the Sea Dragon has been replaced with a newer model of the same ride called Riptide.[9]

Zoom Phloom

On July 2, 2010, a child was severely injured on the ride when he had a seizure, which caused him to strike his head on the car he was riding in, making him completely unconscious. Shortly after, the Morey's Piers management forbade guests to ride Zoom Phloom alone.[10]

References
  1. Writers, RICHARD DEGENER and DAN GOOD, Staff. "Ride experts call 11-year-old Pleasantville girl's fatal fall from Wildwood's Morey's Pier Ferris wheel a freak occurrence". Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  2. /humans.txt. "Eat · Morey's Piers & Beachfront Water Parks". www.moreyspiers.com. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  3. Breakfast in the sky offered on Wildwood Ferris wheel
  4. "Archives - Philly.com". articles.philly.com. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  5. Urgo, Jacqueline L. (June 30, 1998). "Investigators Seek Cause Of Ride Mishap It Was The Wildwood Attraction's First Accident. It Will Stay Closed Until Officials Finish Their Work". Philly.com. Interstate General Media.
  6. "Wildwood Ferris wheel accident kills girl from Pleasantville". Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  7. "Parents of N.J. girl who died on Ferris wheel sue ride's operator". Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  8. "5 hurt after NJ amusement park ride collapses". Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  9. /humans.txt. "Media Relations · Morey's Piers & Beachfront Water Parks". www.moreyspiers.com. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  10. "UPDATE: Child Injured on Log Flume Ride in North Wildwood". Cape May County Herald. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  • Wright, Jack (2009). A wild ride : the story of Morey's Piers, Planet Earth's greatest seaside amusement park. Cape May, N.J: Exit Zero Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9799051-5-5. OCLC 430841404.
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