But back to Rehoboth and Funland, where they decided to hire artist and former employee of iconic dark ride master Bill Tracy, the talented Jim Melonic. Jim put together a new company years later after Tracy's death, calling it "Fantasies and Dreams." Armed with some Tracy molds, artwork, and months of storyboards of
his own ideas, Jim converged on Funland in 1977 to show off his vision, |
and the perfect team would then construct the new ride along with Venture's track and some heavily modified Cobra Ride cars running on 24-volt motors.
The track was a double version with wheels on both the upper and lower levels for stability, using heavy 80-gauge steel. A steel frame was built over a solid concrete foundation and a reinforced concrete building began taking shape.
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As Funland had been severely damaged just a few months before the Fasnacht family purchased the property and its much smaller attraction by a major coastal storm, no expense was to be spared to protect what would be the park's biggest investment at that time. The biggest hindrance was that the ride had steep grades on the going-up and going-down portions of the track, with no braking system either. That issue took months to work out so the cars could run consistently and smoothly, while Jim began to create his own brand of "Jersey Magic." After months of grueling, often exasperating work, two years later it all paid off, and the iconic ride debuted to what has now become generations of loyal fans.
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