less than three months after its grand opening. Operation 1900s Because of the success of Luna Park, competition for visitors ramped up on Coney Island. Former state senator William H. Reynolds announced plans in July 1903 to build a hippodrome rivaling Luna Park, and Reynolds opened a third large-scale park, Dreamland, the next year. Reynolds wanted Dreamland to surpass Luna Park in every way. As such, Dreamland featured several times as many lights as Luna Park, an even bigger central tower, more refined architecture, and (according to one source) more "high-class entertainment". At Coney Island's peak in the mid-1900s, Luna Park, Dreamland, and Steeplechase Park competed with each other and with many independent amusements. Dreamland survived until 1911, when it was destroyed in one of the many conflagrations that were common on Coney Island during the early 20th century. Thompson and Dundy were constantly changing the park's attractions. Ahead of the 1904 season, Thompson and Dundy expanded Luna Park by , bringing its total area to . The expansion included replicas of additional locales, a Japanese tea garden, a replica of a Himalayan mountain above the Coney Island Creek, and a $250,000 reproduction of the Delhi Durbar. Thompson and Dundy also added several shows, including "Night and Morning", as well as a series of pageants hosted on a stage. A second deck was added around the central lagoon, increasing the park's capacity by 70,000. George Kessler of the Sea Beach Land Company agreed to buy the land under Luna Park in June 1904 for over $1 million; the sale did not affect Thompson and Dundy's lease of the site. Kessler initially took an option on the site; he decided to exercise his option in September 1904. At the time, Luna Park had already accommodated two million guests. For the 1905 season, L. A. Thompson (who was not related to Fred Thompson) added a scenic railway-style roller coaster to Luna Park, replacing the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction. Luna Park added several shows ahead of the 1906 season, as well as two slides. Dundy died in early 1907, leaving Fred Thompson as the sole operator of Luna Park. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle said that Dundy's death "was a severe blow to Mr. Thompson". Nonetheless, Thompson continued to make improvements to the park, employing four elephants and 700 men during the off-season. For the 1907 season, Thompson added a carousel called