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Welcome to Theme Park InsiderPlanning a trip to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens or Six Flags? Let Theme Park Insider's award-winning reader ratings and reviews to the world's top theme and amusement parks help you plan your next theme park vacation, while keeping you and your family safe while you are there. Still have questions? Get them answered on our discussion board. TV report fuels rumors of Hard Rock Park demise By J. Dana
Rumors Circulate About Hard Rock Park Future, from WPDE-TV. My transcript:Published: August 7, 2008 at 1:11 PM Rumors about the Grand Strand's first rock and roll theme park are spread-ing all over town. Many have heard that Hard Rock Park is going broke, or that it will become part of a casino project. The theme park's CEO, Steve Goodwin, has gone on record in the past saying it has been a really tough summer for the attraction. However, beyond that admission, not much else has been confirmed. But, the rumors are flying, and, right now, the skeptics are in charge. Local business leaders and industry insiders want Hard Rock Park to succeed, but theme park consultant Dennis Speigel says the park's developers picked a bad summer to open because of high gas prices and a slow economy. Speigel also said the park's high ticket prices and very aggressive projection of three million visitors their first year did not help the matter. "Very few parks, with the exception of Disney World, and possibly Universal, have ever achieved that number," he said. The park's days and hours of operation have been cut back, and their web site has no concerts scheduled af-ter August 30th. According to the rumor mills, that could mean the park will close this fall. But, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce President Brad Dean said while foot traffic at the park is disappointing, no one on the outside knows the true story. Dean said that the skeptics who did not believe Myrtle Beach was ready for a big theme park are having their day. But that it's way too early to talk about Hard Rock Park's demise. "Obviously, they may not hit the projections they were hoping for this summer, but I think the longer term story has yet to be written," he said. Hard Rock Park has not released attendance numbers, citing competitive reasons.
Comments (5) | Submit Comment | Archive Link Will Disney be ignoring all guest comments? By Robert Niles
I've spent quite a bit of time in Busch and Six Flags theme parks this summer, talking with park managers who have made a point of insisting that their companies read and respond to every written or e-mailed guest comment that they receive. I haven't written a guest comment to either company since, well, ever, so I don't have any first-hand experience with whether that is indeed the case. But the managers I spoke with felt strongly enough about the topic that they brought it up.Published: August 7, 2008 at 1:01 PM Now, for the other side... Al Lutz reports on MiceAge this week that Disney won't be even reading comments from its guests anymore. In the section titled "Mickey, Can You Hear Me?" Lutz reports that Disney, in response to lawsuits from guests who allegedly made suggestions that Disney later adopted, won't be allowing guests to fill out comment cards inside the park. Nor will it even read letters about theme park visits sent in by guests. "When [a] letter contains a phrase or sentence that mentions a visit to a Disney park, it is folded closed. Once closed, the visitors letter is attached to a form letter that politely informs the reader that this correspondence has been formally rejected by Disney for liability reasons and has been returned to the sender without further acknowledgement of the company. OMFG. I can't even wrap my head around this one. You've got to be kidding me.
Comments (8) | Submit Comment | Archive Link Kings Island to debut B&M's Diamondback Mega Coaster for 2009By Eli Katzman
It is said to be Kings Island's tallest and fastest roller coaster, and their "meanest". Diamondback is going to be 230 ft. tall, with a 215 ft. first drop, with the heights of 5 other hills ranging from 106 to 193 ft. It's top speed will be a raging 80 mph, and the length will be 2 feet above a mile, including a splash-down finish, like Griffon at BGE and Sheikra at BGA. Published: August 7, 2008 at 10:51 AM  Diamondback is by B&M, and will have the first of it's kind style of seating in the U.S., like Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland. There will be 8 cars of 4 in a car, with 3 trains, with a total of 96 people combined. It's seating is very unique, because each car has 4 across, except the far ends on both the left and right are put about a foot behind the middle two seats.  The investment was $22 million, and will be the most money spent on a thrill ride in the park's 36-year history.
Comments (2) | Submit Comment | Archive Link What's the best thing to eat at a theme park championship: Dole Whip vs. Turkey Legs?By Robert Niles
Well, after all this, the top seeds made it to the finals of our tournament to determine the best single thing to eat at a theme park. So today, we're at the finals, and you'll get to pick between the top seed, the Dole Whip from Adventureland in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom and Disneyland, and the second seed, the Turkey Legs from the MK's Frontierland.Published: August 6, 2008 at 7:21 AM Last call for campaigning, in the comments. On a personal note, having stood an inordinate amount of time near both locations when I worked at Disney World (by the Dole Whip stand while working the Swiss Family Treehouse and by the Turkey Legs while working both Tom Sawyer Islands and Country Bear Jamoboree), let me say this... you're killing me, people.
Comments (8) | Submit Comment | Archive Link What's the best thing to eat at a theme park, round 3: Dole Whip vs. Casey's Corner Hot Dog?By Robert Niles
Yesterday, readers narrowly selected Frontierland's Turkey Legs over the Blue Bayou's Monte Cristo Sandwich in our tournament to pick the best thing to eat at a theme park. Today, in the other semifinal, you'll get to pick between the Dole Whip served in Adventureland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom and Disneyland and the Hot Dog from Casey's Corner in the Magic Kingdom. Rave about your choice in the comments, please.Published: August 5, 2008 at 8:44 AM Tomorrow, we'll match the winner against the Turkey Legs in the tournament final!
Comments (4) | Submit Comment | Archive Link More heat behind the Merlin/Busch takeover rumorsBy Robert Niles
Lots of publications are jumping over the Telegraph's report that Merlin Entertainments Group stakeholder The Blackstone Group is considering a play for Busch Entertainment Corp., the theme park arm of the Anheuser-Busch, said to be for sale after the takeover of the brewer by Belgian conglomerate InBev.Published: August 4, 2008 at 2:18 PM This should be nothing new to TPI readers. Remember, we fingered Merlin as the most likely suitor back in June. The Telegraph story suggests that Blackstone might make a play independent of Merlin, then possibly merge BEC with Merlin... or even Universal Orlando, of which Blackstone owns half. I can't see the UO deal happening, mostly because of the NBC Universal/GE involvement. But, if InBev doesn't sell the parks to the Busch family, then Merlin/Blackstone remains a definite candidate to obtain Busch Gardens and SeaWorld.
Comments (3) | Submit Comment | Archive Link >> August Blog Flume Archive
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