New Owners for Wild Adventures and Cypress Gardens

[TheMTD]

Here's a link to the story -- but its official, both parks are under new ownership.

 

http://www.theledger.com/article/20070925/BREAKING/70925009/1039

 

Herschend Family Entertainment of Missouri bought Wild Adventures for $34.5 million. Cypress Gardens was bought by the unknown Land South Holdings for $16.8 million.

 

I think both parks needed management shakeups. But, I'd imagine the new owners could bring the parks in a new direction. I know Wild Adventures bought a log flume back in 2004 that is still rusting away in a field -- never installed.

 

Considering C.G. just spent 5 million on the Starliner alone -- they really didn't get any of the money they sank into the park (claimed 70 million).

[ParkTrips]

HFEC bought Wild Adventures? wow. That park is like the anti-Dollywood if you ask me. Overpopulated selection of rides, mostly crappy, bad food, lazy staff... what do they see in that place?!?

[DerekRx]

^Maybe they're going to pull a Cedar Fair; operate the park for another year or two then start clearing out the rides. Expect to see the Boomerang heading to Celebration City, SLC to Smokey Mt, and Cheetah to SDC

[CoasterJunkie]

This park being local, I watched Starliner go up and sadly, whenever I go by it, I never see the thing running. There is always people at the station, but you never see the actual coaster on the track.

 

It will be interesting to see what happens with this park. Phobia, the totally lame Halloween event start Friday, and one of the tent houses is already visable from the road. It just looks cheap.

 

Putting in the rides was a nice idea, but a lot of the time, many are closed, and what is open is running at a low load time. This was just never executed properly. Hopefully this new company will spend the money in a better way and make this park something better than what it is now.

[CP_RULES]

HFEC bought Wild Adventures? wow. That park is like the anti-Dollywood if you ask me. Overpopulated selection of rides, mostly crappy, bad food, lazy staff... what do they see in that place?!?

 

Maybe they are looking into turning it around... Id like to be the optimist here and say that this will greatly benefit Wild Adventures.

[sixflagsguy5]

The new ownership will definately benefit Wild Adventures. My guess is that they realized that there is so much room for expansion. The only thing that worries me is how hot it can get at Wild Adventures. I've been there twice and both times it was ridiculously hot out. It will be interesting to see how the company handles this.

[Homer]

Maybe Wild Adventures will finally get that B&M.

 

As for Cypress Gardens, I'm still kind of skeptical, but I wouldn't be surprised if it closes soon. It will be kind of a miracle to make the park "good." But, I doubt it will last a few years as a theme park.

[asr]

With Herschend's reputation and how good their parks look, I think this will be great for Wild Adventures.

[Scaparri]

Wild Adventures seems like a completely logical selection for Herschend to me. I mean, yeah, the rides aren't anything to shout about, but the previous owners made an effort to make the park look nice and throw some theming in here and there. I was really impressed with it during my visit, honestly. With the park's setting around the swamp/lake, I feel like Herschend could over time turn this into an awesome tropical/southern theme park. Plus, as it's been mentioned, there is tons of expansion space around.

More nice settings, plus a decent SLC! Seems like a perfect "fixer upper" for Herschend.

Another attempt at theming

Nice setting

An attempt at theming

[coasterdude5]

I'm glad HFEC only took one of the parks. Wouldn't want them to get overloaded... they're nearly the perfect chain.

 

First order of business: make more-interesting billboards, please.

[BarryH]

HFEC knows how to run a park, so perhaps they can make Wild Adventures a place worth visiting.

[spaceace12]

I actually liked Cypress Gardens for what it was. Sure, it could use a little work and a signature ride when I was there. It got a semi signature ride with Starliner since I was there. But with a little work and some more rides, it could draw in people again, even if just for a credit run.

 

Imagine what a signature ride and better operations could do for the park. I wonder if the new owner is the former skiers.

[Shavethewhales]

After having watched Branson USA be turned into the awesomeness that is CC, I'm really excited to see what happens to WA. After a Herschend re-vamp, this park is going to be a must-stop on the way to Florida.

 

It would kind of be interesting if they took the Boomerang or the SLC out of WA and moved it up to CC, then put something better in at WA.

[CoasterJunkie]

Imagine what a signature ride and better operations could do for the park. I wonder if the new owner is the former skiers.

 

No...the former skier backed out as he thought that he wouldnt be able to earn any money...I agree.

[kraken613]

Im sure Wild Adventures will get improved greatly now!

[Swoosh]

They will definitely add a lot more trees to the park. That was one of the first things they did to Branson USA/Celebration City.

 

It will be interesting to see the conversion to THEIR way of doing theme parks.

[TheMTD]

Imagine what a signature ride and better operations could do for the park. I wonder if the new owner is the former skiers.

 

No...the former skier backed out as he thought that he wouldnt be able to earn any money...I agree.

 

Well, I disagree. I think without the debt of the previous owners -- its a pure profit center. I mean seriously -- if you can't figure out how to make money when a park draws 1.2 - 1.5 million visitors, then the management is retarded.

 

I still think CG has a long way to go -- but its really gone a long way over the past 4 years. It went from totally dead, to at least a blip on the radar for tourists. Starliner is a solid woodie, no Dania Beach Hurricane -- but still. They need to dump the crappy little rides and focus on top-notch attractions. They will never compete with Disney or Universal. So offer stuff neither of those parks have -- possibly some of the unique style rides from Europe. How about a cool Moto-Coaster? I'm no fan of the Volare, but at least Universal or Disney don't have one. I think if they offer something different, people will come.

 

As for Wild Adventures -- I think with H running the place, it will eventually eclipse Six Flags Over Georgia as the state's best park.

[BarryH]

I just hope that Cheetah is demolished at WA and replaced with a cool GCII!

[jten11]

I just hope that Cheetah is demolished at WA and replaced with a cool GCII!

 

Oooh no....I know its rough, but Cheetah is a pretty good woodie (Plus its the first woodie I ever rode). They just neeed a good maintence job (probably some retracking) and it'll be ok.

 

I'm excited that Herchend ending up getting Wild Adventures. I wonder how many changes is gonna happen. I never been to a Herchend park, but from what I seen in TRs and websites they know what the hell they're doing...

[coasterbilly]

this is probably the best news of the day so far, I've always wondered how Wild Adventures was, and with new ownership with that company, it seems they are rising up to compete with some of the bigger industry companies now, which is wonderful. I'm curious to see about the move, in my opinion, this park is back on the map now!

[TheMTD]

this is probably the best news of the day so far, I've always wondered how Wild Adventures was, and with new ownership with that company, it seems they are rising up to compete with some of the bigger industry companies now, which is wonderful. I'm curious to see about the move, in my opinion, this park is back on the map now!

 

You know I was always impressed with Wild Adventures personally. I think they had one of the coolest animal exhibits (dare I say better executed than Animal Kingdom). Their Safari train brought you right into the grazing area -- much closer than Disney's safety buffer. Although, I always wondered if the animals ever got ticked off at the tourists -- they could probably headbutt and kick people on the train (really no protection).

 

Who knows the outcome of CG? Its sink or swim for them. I really hope they "swim" and add completely different offerings than the local big players. But seriously, Orlando's got 7 major players -- 4 Disney Parks, 2 Universal, Sea World.... They need something unique... and I laughed when Universal added a Ski Show last year. Its like a way of Universal slapping CG as the red headed stepchild.

[CoasterJunkie]

Found this article on the local paper website today...

 

Maybe CG will have a chance. I hope.

 

Cypress Gardens Article

 

WINTER HAVEN | A conversation a couple of months ago between Bob Ballard, the state's deputy secretary of land and recreation, and Cypress Gardens owner Kent Buescher paved the way for Buescher's new bosses.

 

Ballard told Buescher that the state wanted to help him save Cypress Gardens Adventure Park.

 

"He (Ballard) said, 'Let's figure out if we can find somebody that will be a good owner and good fit that will help you achieve your original mission,'" Buescher said Wednesday.

 

Ballard recommended that developers Brian Philpot and Robert Harper, of Land South Holdings, take over the bankrupt company.

 

Over lunch at Lakeside Village, Philpot, Harper and Buescher talked about how to save the oldest theme park in Florida. In debt about $135 million, Buescher was worried going into the lunch with the two businessmen.

 

"By the time we finished our day, my mind was like, 'Wow, if these guys somehow get to be owners of the park, there is a real opportunity,'" Buescher said.

 

That's what happened Tuesday in the latest twist in the theme park's history.

 

Harper and Philpot paid $16.8 million for the park at a bankruptcy auction in Georgia on Tuesday. Today, the Middle District Court in Columbus, Ga., is expected to approve the sale.

 

Cypress Gardens' sister park, Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Ga., also was sold Tuesday. Herschend Family Entertainment of Missouri paid $34.5 million for the Valdosta park at the auction.

 

Buescher declined a job offer from Herschend. Instead, he accepted a position as CEO under Philpot and Harper at Cypress Gardens.

 

The Gardens employs about 700 people.

 

Philpot, a Lakeland lawyer, and Harper did not return phone messages Wednesday.

 

An employee at Land South Holdings, located at 5900 ImperiaLakes Blvd. in Mulberry, said the two were in meetings with lawyers all day about the sale.

 

Since the lunch, Buescher has met with Philpot and Harper several times.

 

Buescher's ties to Ballard go back further.

 

It wasn't the first time that Ballard had talked with Buescher about the fate of Cypress Gardens.

 

The two men met in 2003, just before Buescher purchased the Gardens for $7 million.

 

In 2004, Buescher bought the park, which opened in 1936, with the help from the state and Polk County.

 

The deal was arranged by the Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit conservation group.

 

An $11 million conservation easement was divided into two portions.

 

Polk County agreed to buy the 30 acres, which included the original botanical gardens, for $2.5 million.

 

The other 119 acres is "restricted to development as a theme park to promote the Historic Gardens."

 

The state is committed to protecting the Gardens from development.

 

"Conservation will remain in place and protects the land by restricting development rights," said Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Chris Cate. "Any adjustments they want to make will be amusement park related."

 

Rumors have circulated that the new owners will attempt to develop the property.

 

"I know people are apprehensive," Buescher said. "But there is no way I would sign on with these guys if that was their intention."

 

"They were introduced to me by the state of Florida," Buescher said. "They (Florida) want to see Cypress Gardens make it as a park."

 

Bob Gernert, Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce executive director, said it's nice to see local residents running the park.

 

"Yes, they are developers, but in this case they are longtime Polk County residents," Gernert said. "They were the only ones who stepped forward. Without their interests, we would be having a different conversation."

 

Gernert spoke with customers at Richard's, a downtown Winter Haven coffee shop. "There seemed to be a sigh of relief and optimism," Gernert said.

 

Buescher said that the company's freedom from the massive debt will enable him to "take the shackles off" and bring new concepts to the Gardens.

 

Buescher would not yet elaborate on his new ideas for the theme park, but said he would provide more information in about a month.

 

Meanwhile, Philpot and Harper are meeting with lawyers in an attempt to disentangle Cypress Gardens from its sister park. The two parks share accounting, marketing, entertainment and human resources.

 

Cypress Gardens opened with 400 employees in 2004. Now, 700 people work there.

 

Buescher said he's excited about a new opportunity.

 

He won't consider the possibility that Cypress Gardens may fail again.

 

"Over time, this bad chapter that occurred will be forgotten," Buescher said. "There will be more flowers, better shows and Cypress Gardens will be Central Florida's showplace for people who call Central Florida home."

[sam06pr]

I am glad that Herschend Family Entertainment Bought wild adventures. all thought I would of love if they would of bought CG too.

These new owners of CG kind of make me skeptic. Why do they know about running a park? I hope it all works out for CG.

[Team Thriller]

I just hope the parks will last. It would be a shame if the parks closed before any big improvement.