Shavethewhales

There's been some progress here. Water park is supposedly on track for a 2016 opening now. See the updated rendering below. Apparently they had to revise a lot of their traffic and drainage engineering plans. I know from first hand experience how long that can take and am surprised they weren't delayed even more. They just posted some new photos today of a tiny area of clearing, probably within the RV park. Hopefully this means we'll be seeing a lot more action soon. Not the most experienced or PR-minded developer I've watched, but things seem to be chugging along roughly as one would expect. The "fans" are still gratingly annoying. I understand why they don't want to draw attention to their struggles, but I wish someone would tell their doom-and-gloom facebook fans to shut up. It must be part of Texas culture - they think that if everything doesn't go exactly as expected then they must be getting scammed somehow, even if they can't articulate how. FYI, to my knowledge no tax money has gone to this project. They may or may not get some tax breaks after development is truly underway according to some articles from last year.

I was thinking about this today. I had actually forgotten all about it. Sure enough, they've fallen off the grid: http://whnt.com/2015/04/15/two-months-of-silence-after-dreamvision-theme-park-announcement/ I mean, it's just amazing that they put on not one, but two ridiculous shows with mayors and dignitaries dragged in - for nothing! They don't even have land! It's still boggling my mind. I just really want to hear an end story here. Who were they actually trying to fool. Did they ever get that Chinese investment money? Maybe they're already in Brazil.

Joyland and Bell's were truly amazing parks that shared a lot of interesting similarities. It's tragic that they have passed on now, but at least we have the new Miracle Strip park and Fun Spot Orlando that carry on in a somewhat similar fashion. You simply can't replace those Bill Tracy dark rides or authentic pipe organ carousels though...

Ugh, this thread is all over the place. Just to bring everyone up to speed: CNL has publicly stated that they are divesting their theme park properties this year. We already knew that Premier was currently managing them following HFEC's departure months ago. This does not necessarily indicate who will ultimately end up with the properties. Obviously, the highest bidder will end up with them at the end of the day, it just depends on who is still interested later this year and how much. Parques Reunidos could sweep them up for all we know. This Premier and the original Premier that turned into Six Flags have no relation other than the CEO (& original COO) who left SF to start the new Premier. I firmly believe that CNL is the main reason behind most of the park's issues. They haven't been willing to invest big $$$ that the park needs because they're about to divest. What TheDarkMaxim said about the actual people still in place throughout all this certainly seems to be part of it as well. Once the park sells, a lot of stuff is going to finally happen no matter who picks it up. The park is in serious need of a rebirth and realignment with some clear strategic goals, like what HFEC was trying to do, but they've got to get out of this mess first. All we can do is wait.

Every time that I'm reminded that Seabreeze still exists I feel a bit uplifted. We lost so many classic parks in the decade following the new millennium, but Seabreeze is one of the best examples of a classic park that has kept chugging along without many "major" changes in the way it operates. We've really got to treasure the last few places we have like this, because once they're gone they can't be replaced. It's on my fairly short-list to get there, but I've got a few places ahead of it and can only go so far every year.

^^It's not particularly baffling considering it wasn't supposed to necessarily be a bigger version of the park's other giant B&M. There are discussions to be had about the design choices, but airtime hills isn't really what I would focus on here. In other news, is there any truth behind the rumor that the park is considering getting rid of Thunder Road? I'm really looking forward to that one and would hate to loose it. This class of wooden racing coasters is starting to disappear quickly, and that's a shame.

This has basically been my thoughts all along, but I still like to get a feel for new rides based on the experiences of others. I wish we had a way to really discuss rides critically here without the discussion devolving like it always does. Someone always turns even the slightest negative reaction into an affront against all coasterdom. We need to understand that a critical discussion of a ride's plusses and minuses does not equal disparagement. Like you said in your other post, not ranking a ride #1 doesn't imply any kind of hate toward it. I mean, I will ride anything that has a car attached to rails, but at the same time I like to know where to set my priorities time and money wise. So a seasoned enthusiast perspective is very helpful. I guess my advice to everyone is to phrase your criticism in a way that lets everyone know where you are coming from, instead of firing off quick comments about the most critical things you found about a ride. And definitely don't take offense to anything on a coaster board.

the helix had more force than what you would think. it looks slower in video than it actually is. That's very good to hear. I guess it warmed up from the early morning POV that was posted? Every year I tell myself not to judge rides based on POV, but with this one especially it's been challenging. I guess it will be just like Gatekeeper, where some people think it's the bees knees while others think it's par for the course. So much depends on what you want to compare it to. My excitement is picking back up for it though. Interesting to hear Derek and Eric say that it's better than Leviathan.

I suspected all along that this ride was more about being a visual enticement for the park and less about delivering a notable ride experience itself. The drop and the low banked turn over the entrance bridge seem like definite highlights, but the oddly drawn out return hill, slow helix, and general lack of airtime on airtime hills are things you would expect them to avoid by now. Coaster design in general has been getting a lot better, but every once in awhile you can't help but point out when parks put visual marketing above all else. Definitely reminds me of when Silver Bullet debuted at Knotts and enthusiasts were dogging it. A decent ride for sure, but you know what they've left on the table because they designed it to look good for the GP and that was "good enough". I'm still coming from half-way across the country to ride it this summer though.

The news of Manby moving on to SEAS has huge implications for SDC. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it all. HFEC has been growing enormously over the past decade. The attempt to turn SDC/CC into a Disney-light didn't work out so well, but the company has bought up a ton of smaller attractions and they are spending $300 million on Dollywood to turn it into a regional attraction. It's not the same company that it was before Manby, and the Herschends themselves are only getting older. What freaks me out is that Manby was the only CEO who really connected with the Herschend brothers and took considerable time to understand how they wanted the company to be run. He fit the position like a glove. You really have to hope that the next CEO understands what makes the company so special and works to keep it that way.

That is a shock... Joel spent a great deal of time learning the "heart" of HFEC operations from Jack and Pete. A lot of prayer and preparation went into him becoming the CEO of HFEC and it will be difficult to replace him. Not that I expected him to stay forever, and I wish him the best, but after all I've been told about him it is very surprising that we would make this move.

In a park famous for it's beauty, theming, and attention to detail, it's definitely out of place. When you see it in person you'll understand what I mean - it sticks out from an otherwise beautiful and revitalized area. You'd think they would have put a facade on it, but I guess the project scope had to end somewhere. disneyfreak1986, you'll definitely have to come again sometime during the regular season when everything is open. Spring break is called "Spring Ride Days" because the rest of the park doesn't really fully open until April-May. Christmas is a whole additional experience.

It wasn't until Premier acquired Six Flags that we saw all the new coasters, and The Twister. It will be interesting to see if Lightning strikes twice. Without the Six Flags name, and ownership of the park premier will likely not add anything substantial. Face it as long as CNL is in the picture Darien is doomed to status quo. I realize Premier shares the same name and a couple of the same people as the old Premier that used to own DL, but honestly, HFEC is more likely to add major coasters and thrills than Premier if they somehow end up with the park. HFEC has the big $$$ and you'll notice the huge rides that have been added to SDC and DW just in the past decade. Plus they were the ones looking into transforming Predator. Premier is still a pretty small company that doesn't own very many big properties outright. HFEC would come into this wanting to transform the place into a regional resort destination while Premier would want to continue the general trend of building it up as a large amusement park. I think either company would want to get a new headlining attraction into the park within the first few years of ownership, but growth would probably be slower under Premier than HFEC. And just to be clear once again, as long as CNL owns the park, CNL pays for what goes into them, unless I am missing something here. You can't really blame any of the operators for capital expenditures until they actually own the place. They seem to get to pick what the capital expenditure budget is used on, but they don't have much to work with.

^Wow, that's really unfortunate that the temps dropped so low all the sudden. It was supposed to be nice this week... If it isn't warmer or not raining tomorrow, you should really check out the cave. The building you're forced to go through before entering the main square has a place off to the size to line up for it. It's a pretty decent tour. Here are some of my photos from opening day. I won't do a whole big PTR, but I'll go over some of the cooler details. Fireman's Landing really pops out from the rest of the park. One one hand, the architecture and details blend it into the city, but on the other it is just so vibrant and active that it can't help but stand out. The lakefront is much more open and clean now. One of the signature details. Splash pad. The new colors on the balloons are perfect. They picked just the right shades. Looking back towards the entrance from a few steps in. They opened up some area leading into FL.... more on that later. Firefall somehow feels like it really blends into the firestation, even though it is obviously a ride . This is the firewagon that used to be on the main square. The kiddie swings that used to be in Half Dollar Hollar. Still no clue why they moved them here and left an ugly gapping hole in the landscape under the swinging bridge... Best theming for a 'frog hopper' ever. I liked how the other "buildings" next to the firestation were named and themed as well. Important details consistent with SDC's "city" theme. This is a charging station for phones! Another signature detail. Take the pledge and ring the bell. There used to be a ivy canopy that hid part of this garrish backside of the theatre. Not sure why they took all the stuff out of this area. I know they wanted to open everything up, but this is pretty ugly. I think they'll be back to work on this soon. They are pushing this Lucky character so hard. They've also really cleaned out the landscaping. They're not letting areas like this one get so wild anymore. Notice how all the canopies are made out of ladders? Not very good for shade, but neat detail. The firestation is massive in real life. Very imposing in a good way. Awesome atmosphere here. They've replaced a lot of flower beds and shrubbery with wood chips. There will be some plantings to come, since it's only march and most of the flower beds that remained were still empty, but they've taken a lot out. The trees add such a special dimension to this park. Wish they'd keep the new areas covered more.

I completely understand, and agree. It always seemed to me like the BG parks have long been on the verge of becoming really huge destinations. They've always been on the upper tier of theme parks. The wasted potential, especially recently, is staggering. And I just don't get it. Do they not like money? I guess they just don't understand and don't care.

I love SDC in the rain. You'll have the park to yourself almost and the second it clears up they are quick to get PK and the other sensitive rides back open. There's a ton to do at SDC even in the rain, although with it being spring break a lot of the shops are closed and there aren't any big shows... Anyway, today was great. I'll post a few photos tomorrow, but Fireman's Landing is a smash hit as we knew it would be. It's a little more tight in the area than a photo perspective will give you, but you don't really notice all of the rides until you are in the center of it. The firestation building is magnificent, and really turns this area into a thematic experience. There are so many awesome details it's hard to go through them all right now. There's lots of cool little interactive things, neat little details in the theming (like the ladder canopies), phone charging stations, good theming detail inside the buildings and out, and of course the awesome color palette and paint job on the rides. Like I said, the area is beautiful, and it keep up with a lot of SDC theming conventions, including individualized "store" name signs on the buildings next to the fire station. I was annoyed by the soundtrack in the area though. Not because of the music, but because every other minute it was cut with a booming voice that either advertised a nearby park restaurant or made some lame joke over and over again. They need to adjust that, or parents waiting on kids will be driven insane. I also didn't like how they left the toy store. It used to be huge, and I understand they had to do some things due to ADA, but what's left is kind of an ugly Frankenstein building. Taking out the ivy canopy also exposed the backside of the theatre, which is ugly. I feel like they'll revisit this area next year to pretty it back up. Also, as was speculated, Firefall obviously has an issue with capacity. The queue line will perpetually be out the door and down the path into the area. It is a very fun little double shot though. It's a little weird seeing so many rides smashed into a prominent area of the park now. On Lake Silver you can now see all of Fireman's Landing's six rides, plus TGS, Lost River, and Outlaw Run. That's very different than the SDC I grew up with, but I think they've done as much as they can to make it not feel like a run-of-the-mill theme park even with all the ride additions that are now the meat of the park. Fireman's Landing is a whole class above any "family" area of it's kind at any other park.

Unfortunately my season pass didn't arrive yet (procrastinated until early last week), so I have to wait until after the park opens and get a re-print, but I'll be heading to Fireman's Landing just after that. I'll be wearing an orange OSU shirt with an outline of Oklahoma on the front. Don't hesitate to say hello if you see me. Branson is DEAD right now, which is a little surprising... I mean, it definitely is a family town and a lot of people won't start arriving for spring break until tomorrow, but still. Basically everything is closed at 9pm. I've always known it to be constantly crowded, but this is the first time I've come on opening weekend for SDC.

So this "Safety Rule" is spreading from Six Flags now? I still don't get it. I thought I heard an explanation at one point that blamed some stupid insurance liability reason, but it still doesn't make sense. Obviously riding with two people in front or back vs. one doesn't suddenly make the ride safer.

I don't think anyone is deliberately lieing. There's probably simply a disconnect between the people working social media and those working on park, as usual. The GL trains and dragsters might have been sold already and are waiting for the owner to pick them up (which depending on the situation can take a long time). In any case the people working social media seem to think these items are no longer on the books, so effectively they don't exist anymore to them. I don't see them wanting to put the dragsters back in simply for the use of all that space.

^lol, Outlaw Run was basically finished before SDC's off-season even started, IIRC. They started way early on it. I can't remember anything at SDC that didn't open on opening day. I'm sure it's a specific policy set by the Herschends.

^I mean, I enjoyed the old area and so did a ton of people. It certainly looked worn-out, but a lot of that had to do with their choice of paint and the fact that the "rustic" details were overdone. It was supposed to look like an abandoned mansion of some sort that had been taken over by kids... or something. Of course they kept refering to it as a tree house anyway. In any case, it never really captured the SDC feeling like this new area appears to do, so I think all will agree that this is an improvement. All of the new areas since 2007 have been really good at making rides blend into the SDC ambiance. You don't know how important that is until you see it.

It looks like media day was today, I wasn't even paying attention. Here are some photos: http://www.ky3.com/news/local/21048998_31733746 This place turned out even better than I thought. I really, really appreciate how they made it a natural extension of the city. Even though it's full of rides and attractions, it feels thematic and fun to be around even if you aren't doing any of the kid stuff. Such a huge improvement stylistically over Geyser Gulch, and so, so much better than the way the Grand Expo was handled. The indoor area looks a lot better now that it has all the decorations in place too. I'll see you guys there Saturday morning.

So we've got a discussion going on in this thread and this one http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=67166&p=1561976&hilit=adventureland#p1561976 Can we get a dedicated Adventureland thread?

The track is awesome, but the theming really takes this thing a step further. I love the details and the extra wow factor that the tunnels will provide. This is a destination ride, like the Phoenix at Knoebels, or I305 at KD. I'm sure all of us are trying to figure out when we can budget in a trip to Utah. I'm really going to try to make it by September.

Yup, that rumor is also referenced here, a few posts up. It's tough to see log flumes go. I am fond of them, and they aren't going to build them the way they used to ever again. There's just a certain charm to them... I think it's the openness, and the fact that it's such an early concept of a ride and is closely based on something that actually existed. A new coaster will do more favors for the park though, I'm sure. A junior invert would be good.