It's almost time for Waldameer. Park president shares thoughts about the season ahead.

Summer is still more than six weeks away, but amusement park season arrives in Erie soon.

Waldameer Park & Water World — minus the water park for the first month or so — opens its gates May 4 for what will initially be a weekends-only schedule to kick off its 128th year.

Gearing up for the season takes both time and effort. Construction crews and park employees were busy earlier this month preparing the Millcreek Township park for guests.

The May 2023 death of Paul Nelson, the park's longtime owner, left Steve Gorman, the park's president, in charge of daily operations.

Loss in 2023: Paul Nelson, who made his Waldameer Park & Water World an Erie treasure, dies at 89

In a recent interview with the Erie Times-News, Gorman 63, talked about the upcoming season and plans for the park.

Getting Waldameer ready for the 2024 season

Question: What needs to happen between now and opening day?

Answer: We put away everything in during the winter. Now we have to get everything back out of storage, disinfect it and test everything, get all of our supplies in.

Does it feel like a lot?

It's always a lot. Its a challenge for our few year-round workers We increased the number from 20 to 24 this winter. Hopefully we will increase that total over the next several years.

The search for 600 summer employees

As we sit here today, on April 11, how close are you to being fully staffed for summer?

We would (ultimately) like 600. We are probably at 350 right now. We are a little bit ahead of where we normally are this time of year. I am comfortable right now with our number of returnees.

Why is staffing a challenge?

One of the biggest challenges we face is the staff level that we require seasonally. There are only so many people who live in our area who are of the age that they would like a summer job. Many parks, even our size, get employees who have J-1 student visas in the summer. We have never entertained it but we are starting to think about it more. The big question would be where would they stay. Some parks have built housing. I don't know if it's worth it for a three-month period.

Did raising wages help address staffing concerns?

In 2021, we learned that was the key. We had to increase our wages to compete more easily. I feel a little bad for the smaller businesses that we have taken people from. I do. I can understand how they can't pay what we do. If you are 18 (or older) we pay $15 an hour. If you are 16 or 17 it's $14. Younger than that it's $10.50.

Hours, admission for 2024: How much does it cost for a full-day pass at Erie's Waldameer Park & Water World?

What's new in 2024?

I know you won't be introducing any new rides this year, but are there things visitors should look forward to this year?

We actually spent like a million-and-a-half dollars this offseason, but it won't be very apparent to most customers There is a lot of blacktop taken up to make the park more accessible to people. Thunder River and Ravine Flyer II control systems are being totally redone. They were just getting old and we were having a lot of nuisance faults. That is almost a million dollars. In Water World, we always sell out of our rental cabanas so we are adding six new ones. We realize some people can't afford that and want free shade. We are putting in six new shade structures so people will have an abundance of shade if they want it.

More: Waldameer says residents of Village Mobile Home Park have until Oct. 31 to vacate property

Anything else changing?

The last thing is we didn't increase any of our admission prices. We felt like our prices are high enough right now. We wanted to see what would happen if we kept them the same for a year.

Coming attractions

Do you have plans for any new attractions?

I know what it's going to be for the season 2025. It's not completely solid yet, so I can't tell you.

Wet or dry?

Dry

What else can you tell me?

It's not going to be a roller coaster. In our attraction portfolio, it will be right in the middle. Both individuals and families are going to like it.

In 2021, you expressed concerns about security after issues with a small number of guests causing disruptions. Do you feel like the problem is in hand?

I am hopeful we can continue (operating) where we have a free gate admission. It's really up to the guests. If they come here with the intention of having a good time and enjoying themselves then everything is going to be fine.

A new planning process

Paul Nelson was big on mapping out long-range plans for the park. How has the planning process changed?

The dynamic has changed because Paul had the most experience. He started here at 11, so he literally had 70 years' experience. He was the idea generator and I helped him implement those ideas. Now, I am collaborating with my son Brian and my wife, and Elaine, Paul's wife. We have a meeting once a week and we decide on things together. I don't feel like one person has all the answers. I am a collaborative person. I will say we are trying really hard to make plans for the future. We have the next few years somewhat laid out. We are trying to make sure it all makes sense.

Should people feel confident that this park will remain in the family?

Absolutely. We get offers to buy it by email or in the mail. We just throw them away, like we always have. I am excited about the next three years and what we have in store. I really am.

What's your mood as the season draws near?

It's almost like getting ready for a party. It's exciting and it's rewarding when you work hard and see people having fun when they are here.

Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Waldameer's Steve Gorman expects new attraction for 2025 season