Closing Down A Theme Park

[astroworldfan1]

This makes me so mad when a theme park closes for good? Take for instance, Miracle Strip. Miracle Strip closed, was torn down and condos were going to be built in it's place. Then, a year later the companies who were going to build the condos run out of money! Like Astroworld, it's been closed since 2005 and nothing has been built on top of it. Instead of having a theme park with thrilling rides, good food, and history, it just sits untouched for years. Does this make anybody else feel sad inside?

[SharkTums]

Miracle Strip didn't have good food or thrilling rides. I guess it kind of had history, but that whole area is a dump.

 

Everyone hated and made fun of SFAW until it was closing.

 

I'll focus my interest on saving places that should be saved. I don't really care if crappy places close.

[jmccalip]

 

Everyone hated and made fun of SFAW until it was closing.

 

I'll focus my interest on saving places that should be saved. I don't really care if crappy places close.

 

Yeah, try telling that to the people of Houston. Sure we didn't have the best rides, but it was still fun. It's all we had/have. Kemah is not a theme park, and it is not a replacement. Sure it has one decent ride, but that's it. There are no memories and there is nothing special about it.

[SharkTums]

Hey I was one of the few that actually liked Astroworld BEFORE it was announced that it was going to close.

 

It's kind of a bummer that it's gone, but not exactly a huge deal.

 

Miracle Strip on the other hand, that place sucked.

[Wes]

Every single person you've ever met in your entire life will be dead one day.

[SharkTums]

^Is that supposed to make me depressed...that's like the light at the end of the tunnel!

[Wes]

^Is that supposed to make me depressed...that's like the light at the end of the tunnel!

 

Oh I agree completely. Remember that test we took that proved we were both evil, terrible people or something like that?

[astroworldfan1]

^Is that supposed to make me depressed...that's like the light at the end of the tunnel!

 

^That was funny!

 

Well, you also have to think about the people it effects. It effects the kids, adults and the economy. Without anything to do in your area, kids are more prone to be in gangs and get in trouble.

 

Think about all the people who lost their jobs when Astroworld closed. Some employees were there since opening day in 1968. People are laid off. Some people had to move away, just to push a button for a roller coaster. And then when they do move away, they can't get hired.

 

So thats another factor to think about when a theme park closes.

 

And I don't know why people "disliked" Astroworld. What was so bad about it? It had some great coasters at some time. And from the look of Robb's and Elissa's Review of Astroworld, it looked like everybody enjoyed it!

[coaster05]

The lack of theme parks leads to gangs! Wow now I have found the way to help the students I teach. I am not trying to be mean, but I have never heard of anything so far off base. These are just parks people, it is not a life and death decision. The reason we have lost so many parks is that they are a luxary item and when given the choice between parks and food, normal people choose food. Except for Acer's who somehow end up with plenty of both.

[astroworldfan1]

What I mean is having something to do at night keeps teenagers who so to a theme park from vandalizing buildings, robbing old ladies and keeping kids out of jail. Is that more clear? Kind along the lines of a Boy's and Girl's club.

[coaster05]

No it is no where close to a boys and girls club. Those are staffed full of adults and mentors where a theme park is an unsupervised kid breeding ground. Look I am not trying to pick on you or anything, but I live this gang problem everyday of my life and there is NO way you can group one with the other. It trivalizes the gang problem to an insulting level and to be honest I am kind of insulted by the fact that you believe a theme park could solve the problem.

[Goliath513]

I remember when they announced the closure I was shocked. It was just too much for me to handle at the time. I never expected that SF would go as fat to close down a park. I had never been to the park, but some friends of mine had been there. It seems like this is just more of a reality each year for the closure of parks. The latest issue of Roller Coaster magazine discusses the closure of Myrtle Beach Pavilion. Geauga Lake is a different story. The actions in recent years sent the park into a downfall and with the cutbacks by Cedar Fair, it was only a matter of time before they cut the lifeline to the park. Many of the coasters and other rides are being relocated, unlike with SFAW how most ended up as scrap, or rusting away in storage.

[Wes]

Magic Mountain is such a peaceful place for boys and girls of all ages to have fun! No gang problems there at all.

[coaster05]

^Exactly my point. Thanks Wes our fair and city festival also had no gang problems either, since they all had something to do.

[AllenA07]

Back when I was running my site in around 1999-2002, I did get rumors over the closing of Astroworld a few times, in fact the only park I got more rumors about closing down operations was SFEG, which I was getting a decently regular basis. So when the offical annoucment came, I was a little surprised it actually had happened, but was far from shocked.

[Mr Stratosphere]

I really miss MGM Grand Adventures in Las Vegas, It was a nice little park behind the MGM with an Indoor Coaster, Log Flume, Rapids Ride and a few other flat rides. And of course The Sky Screamer 250ft Sky Coaster. Man those were good times! Now all we have in Las Vegas are a couple of rides at a few of the casinos, and the Adventuredome. And for a local the Adventuredome can get old after a while.

 

Since Las Vegas is heading towards more adult entertainment, we've seen a lot of places close like Scandia and Mountasia. I'm surprised that the Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix is still open.

 

I wish that Vegas would have a major park, but again I don't mind heading to California every so often lol!

[Team Thriller]

I think it's a bummer that some of the Golden Age theme parks are gone. (Riverview Park..etc) Those parks where so beautiful and friendly, then they tore them down. Thats sad!

[geaugalakeinexile]

The biggest thing about the Geauga Lake closing was that CF denied it and did not announce the closing until after the final weekend.

Nobody got a chance to say goodbye.

CF did not keep the animal side and removed coasters.

A sure fire way to kill the park.

119 years in business and Cedar Fair kills it.

[SharkTums]

^That's the way CF does stuff.

 

I visited Sea World Ohio, Six Flags Ohio, and Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. I pretty much preferred all of those versions to Cedar Point!

[ebl]

It's funny how much we've picked on Six Flags over the years. Maybe the real villian in ruining parks is Cedar Fair!

 

Or Cedar Fail as I call them.

 

Eric

[coasterdude5]

^ I believe they are...

 

What "geaugalakeinexile" said says alot.

 

119 years of business... 119. I know Seaworld helped but they weren't there all along.

 

I understand that it's a business decision, but it seems that we're so obsessed with preserving our history, I wish the parks could have a share of that as well.

[astroworldfan1]

It's funny how much we've picked on Six Flags over the years. Maybe the real villian in ruining parks is Cedar Fair!

 

Or Cedar Fail as I call them.

 

Eric

_____________________________________________________________

Cedar Fair- 1 down 19 more to go!

 

Yeah I totally agree with Cedar Fair being the villian! Bwa Ha Ha!

[coaster05]

I also believe that what CF is doing to the industry is far worse then anything SF has done. Even the parks that they don't close down look exactly the same and feel exactly the same. I know SF clones a lot, but the parks all have a unique feel even when they have the same DC type areas. I visited six SF parks this summer and they all felt very unique. I visited 5 CF parks and they all felt just about the same. Dorney, VF, MIA should all be the same park.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

The biggest thing about the Geauga Lake closing was that CF denied it and did not announce the closing until after the final weekend.

Nobody got a chance to say goodbye.

CF did not keep the animal side and removed coasters.

A sure fire way to kill the park.

119 years in business and Cedar Fair kills it.

 

Yeah & if CF hadn't bought it from SFI when they did SF execs would've shut it down in 2004 & then systematically relocated the rides to other parks just the same as CF is currently doing & you'd still be complaining about it.

[astroworldfan1]

The biggest thing about the Geauga Lake closing was that CF denied it and did not announce the closing until after the final weekend.

Nobody got a chance to say goodbye.

CF did not keep the animal side and removed coasters.

A sure fire way to kill the park.

119 years in business and Cedar Fair kills it.

 

Yeah & if CF hadn't bought it from SFI when they did SF execs would've shut it down in 2004 & then systematically relocated the rides to other parks just the same as CF is currently doing & you'd still be complaining about it.

 

Huh?

 

I kinda get what your saying, but not 100%. Your saying Geauga Lake sold to Cedar Fair. The rides would be taken out, relocated and we wouldn't even know the difference?