packfanlv Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I much prefer the way this park and Happy Valley Shenzhen look compared to the Beijing Park. I hope they follow this style when they are building the Shanghai park as well. Happy Valley Beijing just did absolutely nothing for me, but I loved Happy Valley Shenzhen and this park looks to be awesome. Thanks for the pics. Oh and the gray skies are sooooo China! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brilinjo Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 ^^"The coasters sure have some odd names!" I bet they sounded sexy in Chinese, they just got lost translating to Engrish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 ^That's exactly what I thought too! Whatever, the name doesn't matter too much as long as it's a great ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRapidsNerd Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Look Rapids Nerd! You can go here and be happy! (does the Snoopy Dance for shout out, new park, and new Rapids, all in that order.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam06pr Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I am so confused...Isn't this park suppose to have a Woodie and DM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 ^You're thinking of Happy Valley Shanghai. That park is still under major construction and is supposed to open this summer. Happy Valley is a park chain in China. They have Happy Valley Shenzhen, Beijing, Chengdu, and soon Shanghai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gutterflower Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Thats Shanghai not Chengdu Shanghai opens later this year i believe and features the Woodie and DM you mentioned. I'm still checking every few days for pics. but no luck Edit: elissa beat me to it. bah... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socalMAN123 Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Wow, that park looks fantastic! Proves once again that the rest of the world is one-upping the US. ---Brent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterdude5 Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Great pictures, the place looks strangely unique and different. I really like the almost-RCT-random feeling of parts of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shavethewhales Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Does anyone have any information on who owns the Happy Valley chain and how they have so much capital to waste on giant monuments surrounding their mine trains? I'm a big fan of theming, but these guys just seem like they piss money everywhere they can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airtime&Gravity Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Does anyone have any information on who owns the Happy Valley chain and how they have so much capital to waste on giant monuments surrounding their mine trains? 1. The Happy Valley parks are held by China International Tourism Hlds, Ltd. (OTC) From Google Finance: China International Tourism Holdings, Limited. (CIHS), formerly Dark Dynamite, Inc., incorporated on December 23, 1988, is engaged in the theme park management and travel related services. CIHS contracts and operates the Theme Park of Qin E Pang Gong (Theme Park), through Shanxi Kai Da Lv You Gu Wen You Xian Gong Si (Kai Da), its wholly owned subsidiary in China. In addition to the Theme Park management, the Company also manages Six-state Hot Spring Resort, one of the components of Theme Park business, which is located inside the Theme Park and built in an ancient Chinese style to match the Theme Park. http://finance.google.com/finance?q=OTC:CIHS 2. The Happy Valley parks are supposedly built cheaply. 3. Why can't they do a good job theming the rides? The have the money, so they might as well make the parks look nice even if the theming looks bad in a few years. (Happy Valley Beijing) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Theming doesn't have to be expensive! Trust me, when you look close up you can see that it's 'cheap', but looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airtime&Gravity Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 ^I tried to edit my post to reflect that, but I was trying to say it in too many words so I gave up. The cheap way the Happy Valley parks are built reminds me of Mt. Olympus as the theming starts to deteriorate quickly. Sure the theming might look great the first year or from a distance, but it just looks bad after a while/when you get up close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 ^Have you been to the parks? Do you have first hand knowledge of the construction process of these parks? Perhaps they were just cheaper to construct because the cost of construction is much cheaper (materials, labor, permits, etc.)? There was an interview in Amusement Today a few months ago with one of their executives...these guys mean business. They want to be THE chain of theme parks in China, and I think they are definitely off to a good start. Having been to the Beijing and Shenzhen parks, I would classify them right below Busch parks in terms of quality. I thought they were VERY nice. WAY above the themeing at Mt. Olympus. They looked like they spared no expense on the things that really mattered, and only went "cheap" on little things like painting some sections of floor/wall as opposed to finishing the rockwork all the way around. And that was only in some sections. The Crystal Wings (B&M flyer @ the Beijing park) section would fit right in at Islands of Adventure. Happy Valley Shenzhen has been open since 1998 and still looks pretty damn good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airtime&Gravity Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 No, I have not been to any of the parks. I based my comments off of what had been said by Elissa and Packfanlv, but the comments by them that I remembered were for the Beijing park. If the rest of the parks in the chain are better, then I apologize for the generalization. The cheap comment was from the report that said that the park would cost $100 million. When released, I thought that it was low, but Packfanlv said the parks were cheaply built, so I figured that they all were. I still think the $100 million price was low. I think the parks look great too, and besides the poor ride operations, they seem like really good parks. I was surprised when I read about them being cheap, because all of the photos that I'd seen didn't make it appear that way. The Mt. Olympus comment was about the cheap worn theming that Packfanlv said about the Beijing park. I did not try to say the theming of Happy Valley and Mt. Olympus was the same, because Happy Valley has superior theming to most U.S. parks. (especially Mt. Olympus) I based my comments off of: Packfanlv: IMO having been to Happy Valley Shenzhen and Happy Valley Beijing, these are some of the worst run parks I have ever been to. Shenzhen does have nice theming, but Beijing, while it looks nice in pictures is really really cheaply done. All of the fake rock work (which is 90% of the park) is already looking worn two years later and they stagger there ride operating times so there is always a line for every ride. Elissa: Thanks for all of the updates guys. I pretty much agree with your opinions on all of the parks except for Beijing Happy Valley. I thought the park was horrible and the theming was cheap and starting to look bad even after two years. IMO Beijing Happy Valley is one of the worst parks I visited in China. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU!!! I was the only one, but something felt SO wrong with that place. Totally trying to be something amazing, but something was just horribly wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packfanlv Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 ^I still stand by my comments. The Beijing park looks horrible with the exception of the B&M flyer. Like I said before in this thread, this new park looks more like Happy Valley Shenzhen than Happy Valley Beijing and I think that is a good thing. While I hated HVB, many TPR members who went on the China trip liked it, so my opinion is just my own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I think we would have had a much better time at both parks had they not had such screwy ride policies of staggered opening times which just meant the same 90 minute line went from one coaster to the next as soon as they would open. I also liked the Shenzhen park more than the Beijing one, but I felt they were both VERY nice compared to some of the other crap holes we saw in China. I kind of felt like the quality of the theming was like "Toontown" in the sense that it was all very nice, and better than most cookie cutter corporate amusement parks, but if it was in a Disney park it would be the "cheapest" land there. --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisco Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I go along with Joey. The parks theming is just below a Busch park. While HVB is no IOA, I did find the park enjoyable. Maybe it has a little to do with the fact there are not many good parks in China. Over all I thought the park was excellent they did tend to do some things on the cheap like Joey said. I wouldn't mind going back and I can't wait to go to the 2 new parks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam06pr Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 ^You're thinking of Happy Valley Shanghai. That park is still under major construction and is supposed to open this summer. Happy Valley is a park chain in China. They have Happy Valley Shenzhen, Beijing, Chengdu, and soon Shanghai. lol...Wow I would never remember these names. Anyways cool pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anfronee Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 This park looks awesome! The coasters look themed well and fun. Even if they are 'cheap' it appears to be the opposite for now. At least the attempted it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packfanlv Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 ^^^^I agree that the ride operation policies were frustrating for us and the day we visited HVB it was mobbed, forcing us into long lines for everything. I do agree that the thought put into the theming is good, I just thought the execution in Beijing was off and much preferred HVS or even Chimelong Paradise. Robb you are absolutely correct that it is better than many of the crapholes that call themselves amusement parks in China. I guess I judge it based on what it is trying to be and for me HVB failed where the original HVS succeeded when it came to theming. Back to the topic of the new park in Chengdu, it looks great and I wish that I could do the China trip with you guys later this year. I also can't wait to see what Happy Valley Shanghai looks like when it opens. With so many large cities in China, I could see them building these parks in dozens of cities around the country! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speeddeamon128 Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 That Intamin looks awesome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DenDen Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I just find is a tad disturbing that the paint is already pealing off the Intamin. But the park does look nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 ^I noticed that as well...Acid Rain perhaps?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerd.muller Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 this park looks very well themed, and when somebody says, the theming looks a little bit strange and weird, you have to remeber that not only chinese, but most of the asians love bright colours, "trashy" looks ( just have a look at godzilla, even it is japanese!) and weird names (...just look at Janfusun Fancyworld´s "飛天潛艇 GA5", which means translated something like flying heaven boat,.. f.e.). but i think is a nice park with some nice rides and it´s surly worth a visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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