robbalvey Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Press Release: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Herschend Family Entertainment Closes Celebration City, Explores New Development Concepts in Branson (Branson, MO 10/24/08) Due to a shift in business strategy, Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE) announced today the closure of Celebration City in Branson, Missouri. The company is already exploring various new development concepts for the site including an aquarium, other family attractions, re-theming the current park and also, destination retail and dining. The park will close at end of day on Saturday, October 25, the last scheduled operating day of the season. HFE properties in the region employ more than 2,000 year-round and seasonal positions. Approximately 18 full-time positions are directly impacted by the closure, and the company is able to find new roles for most of those individuals. Seasonal employees will have the opportunity to interview for 2009 seasonal positions at Silver Dollar City, White Water and the Showboat Branson Belle. “As with businesses across the country, we have had to carefully examine our future strategic plans. We need to make smart, forward-thinking decisions in a tough economic climate. HFE has operated attractions in Branson for nearly fifty years and our businesses there have continued to expand with the market growth. We are confident Branson will continue to grow as one of America’s premier vacation destinations for the long-term. As we plan the re-development of the Celebration City property, we will focus on projects with strong appeal to new and returning visitors to the market,” said Joel Manby, president and chief executive officer for Herschend Family Entertainment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So of course the question really is, what is going to happen with the coasters and rides, namely the GCI woodie? FYI - Here is the TPR update we did in 2005 if you would like to know more about this park: http://www.themeparkreview.com/sdc2005/cc1.htm --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corkscrew Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Wow, that's really too bad. The three coasters are fairly new and look pretty nice. Jack Rabbit kind reminds me of that Hi Miler ride at carnivals. The GCI looks like fun, and Thunderbolt is a Hurricane, so it's automatically awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VegasCoaster Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Hopefully they can fit the Ozark Wildcat in somewhere at SDC, though it would probably be hard with all the terrain from what I remember. I wish it had been open when I went to Branson, looked like a fun park, or at least more fun than the many go-kart tracks there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Looks like SDC will be getting a slightly used awesome GCI for next season! (At least that's what I'm hoping!) The rest of the park was not nearly up to Herschend's quality and this doesn't come as the biggest surprise in the world. It seems like a lot of these 'FEC' type places are in trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnage Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I just hope OzCat will be moved. It's the only part of CC that I really liked. The park itself I found to be sort of a tacky permanent carnival feel. SDC was so awesome, that CC by comparison just seemed so bland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted October 24, 2008 Author Share Posted October 24, 2008 If anyone would like some more information on this park, here is the update we did in 2005: http://www.themeparkreview.com/sdc2005/cc1.htm --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airtime&Gravity Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 That is too bad, but like Elissa said, the park while nice, was not up to the quality of other Herschend parks. The coasters looked nice, but I doubt Silver Dollar City will get Ozark Wildcat as the terrain would be an issue. I think a more likely place for it to get relocated to would be Wild Adventures. Hopefully the rides can find new homes instead of just being scrapped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I've never been to Branson, but I think some park just has to adopt that "Rock 'em, Sock 'em Robots" attraction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpengeist04 Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Too bad SFMM already announced their GCI for 2009. Just kidding. Hopefully, the Ozark Wildcat finds a new home quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 ^Whoa Whoa Whoa...Perhaps the Terminators destroyed CC, and now they're shipping the wood to SFMM!??!? I think we've stumbled upon something here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam06pr Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Wait...It also says re-theming ...So could this mean they might keep the rides? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 ^^ Nope. I heard they're giving it to Lake Winnie as an early Christmas gift. Wait, did I hear that or dream that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted October 24, 2008 Author Share Posted October 24, 2008 I did just get an email from SDC that said "nothing's moving" so I'm assuming that whatever they plan to do with the area will keep some if not all the major attractions in place. --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nagro5 Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 As long as they keep the OzCat and their firework show, I'll be happy! Some of the park looked really nice, and I hope they keep those parts. But some things just seemed like a carnival. I can't wait to see what they do with it. Hopefully they'll bring this place up to Hershend's top notch standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveRitalin Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Not the first to close, and unfortunately not the last. This is too bad, but hopefully that GCI gets relocated somewhere. I hear CGA would love to have a GCI... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 So in other words, the place is probably gonna transform into a Kemah Boardwalk.....without the boardwalk and chance of killer hurricanes - but with a much better woodie. Sounds good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holtskee Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Not really much of a surprise. The park never did as well as they hoped it would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterdude5 Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 At first I was sorta bummed, but now with this Kemah-esque idea in mind, this could turn out to be pretty cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterP Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Wow, do I hope SDC gets OzCat! I've only gone to CC once because OzCat is the only good reason to pay that high gate price to CC. If SDC gets it, that will be a top 10 USA park IMO (if its not already)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holtskee Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 ^There's a chance some of the CC rides will remain in place as part of the "new development" HFE is looking at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Mike Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Got there just in time it looks like. I liked the free go carts myself. Peace, Big Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shavethewhales Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I'm very disappointed that the Celebration City concept didn't work out. There was some very quaint theming, and the original idea was great I thought. They just didn't stick to the plan, and the park never found it's footing. I don't agree that it wasn't up to the chain's standards. It wasn't as high-profile as SDC or DW, but I always found it to be a really nice place. If it weren't in Branson it would have gotten a lot more attention and celebration. I'll be happy to see it turn into something more unique though, if that means OzCat stays and SDC is focused on more heavily in the rides department. I'll miss what little quaint theming the place used to have though... I always imagined that it would eventually become something like one of the classic trolley parks of old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBru Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Ugh, I really wish it had been open while I was in Branson... But it seems that changes won't be as extreme as they sounded in the article, so hopefully when I get back there the park will be ever better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steel Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 WTF? What about Coaster Con? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldJJman Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 WTF? What about Coaster Con? As per usual, ACE probably won't even tell anyone about this until after they've got your money. Lord knows that they'll probably break this news in ACE news, sometime in March '09. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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