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NY attorney general looking out for Fantasy Island patrons; park has potential buyers

Sat, Feb 29th 2020 07:00 am

The Fantasy Island amusement park website still lists the park as “permanently closed,” but unlike last week when its closure was announced, the ownership is working on finding “solutions to permanently closing the park,” according to their director of marketing.

Doug Mandell, director of marketing for Fantasy Island, said: “Despite significant effort and a great deal of investment in infrastructure, rides and new themed areas at Fantasy Island Amusement and Water Park in Grand Island, New York, the park’s financial performance has made little improvement. The park’s operator, Apex Parks Group, has been in active discussions with potential buyers for well over a year. Announcement of the park’s closure has sparked interest from new potential buyers and the company is working with Grand Island Supervisor John Whitney, along with other local officials, to help facilitate solutions to permanently closing the park.

“Qualified, interested parties can reach out to local officials or email [email protected].”

Patrons of the park who already had paid for season passes have recourse to try to get their money back through the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James.

A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s office said Friday that, since Feb. 20, members of the public have filed complaints on the Attorney General website. The spokesman said James has received complaints about the closure of Fantasy Island and the resulting financial loss to consumers who bought season tickets.

The Attorney General’s office immediately sent a letter to the owner of Fantasy Island demanding a refund of season passes, meal plans, and other goods and services for the 2020 season for consumers.

Consumers are encouraged to continue filing complaints with the AG’s office “so that we can fight for restitution for Western New Yorkers,” the spokesman said.

“Thanks to responsiveness of the residents of Western New York, my office has received more than 150 complaints about Fantasy Island in the last day,” James said Friday. “That’s why, early this morning, my office took immediate steps, demanding that the amusement park’s owner provide refunds to consumers for season passes, meal plans, and other goods and services for the 2020 season. My office will not hesitate to take further legal action if these refunds are not issued. I continue to encourage every New Yorker affected by Fantasy Island’s closure to file a complaint on our website so that we can continue to fight to ensure every New York consumer is made whole.”

The direct link where consumers can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s office (from the “Regional Office Buffalo” tab on the drop-down menu) is https://formsnym.ag.ny.gov/OAGOnlineSubmissionForm/faces/OAGCFCHome.

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