oakislander Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 While I agree with a lot of what has been said so far - having a night time ticket, more water rides, I do not really think that price is that much of an issue as most of you seem to think. Let's look at some of the many other attractions at the Beach to do: Myrtle Waves (Water Park) - $30 MagiQuest - (Interactive park think Harry Potter) - $34.99 for 90 mintues Nascar Speedpark (GoKart Racing) - $32 Pavilion Nostalgia Park (Amusment type rides) - 9 Ride Tickets $20.00 & 25 Ride Tickets $50.00 Ripley's Aquarium - $18.99 That's just a few of the many attractions, not to mention dinner shows like Medieval Times, Dixie Stampede etc. So as you can see the park is pretty much inline with many of the attractions in Myrtle Beach. The only extra is the parking fee - which maybe they could drop. I think the biggest problem is competing with all those other attractions - along with the beach, and golf. I agree with you. I think the owners were thinking just like you when they set the original admission price. Everyone that was complaining about the price kept comparing it to other theme parks but never mentioned that HRP was comparably priced to other attractions in the Myrtle Beach area. I think the parking fee was a mistake on their part. If they thought that the entry fee was comparable to other MB attractions they should have noticed that they all provided free parking. I think the damage this did was through word of mouth. The locals trashed this park any time they could and used any thing they could think of to make it sound terrible, including the fact that you had to pay for parking. Hopefully today we'll see what the future holds for the new park. I hope its good news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teacups Make Me Sick Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Being that everyone thinks Freestyle is doomed for failure in one year, why not name it 'One Hit Wonder Park' instead? Just think of all of the possibilities... * Led Zeppelin - The Ride renamed after the Norman Greenbaum 1970 hit 'Spirit in the Sky' * Moody Blues: 'Nights in White Satin' dark ride themed to Paper Lace's #1 smash: 'The Night Chicago Died' * 'Maximum RPM' is now 'Pilot of the Airwaves' based on the Charlie Dore song that taught AM radio a lesson back in the 80's. * 'Slippery When Wet' is now Rick Derringer's 'Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo' * 'Shake, Rattle & Roll' with Bill Haley and the Comets? Not when you could have a themed coaster to Billy Joe & The Checkmates: 'Percolator (Twist)'! * And of course...the new B&M dueling coasters: 'Metal Church vs. Stryper' (Heaven & Hell)! I think this would be perfect for the park not to mention the exclusive rights to use the songs and band logo's would be killer cheap! Imagine the profits, people!! You will have only one problem...people (including myself) will go..."Ummm...I never heard of these songs!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xizor_Racer Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Wow I guess that makes me old...... I know all of those songs!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 So...uhh... Did you hear that Hard Rock Park apparently announced a new kids land today? I sure didn't. Google Freestyle Music Park and a grand total of 4 news stories about this new land come up. Only one of which actually provides vague details. Still can't find a press release on their website. They are off to a great start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHILLERLC1 Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Hardrockparkblog.com said the news conference would have been 3:30 today. The land is called Kids in America. There looks like there will be NEW rides not carnie rides. One ride is called "Life is a Highway." It also sounds like they will have that pedaling flat that debuted at Morey's Pier last year. The park debuted a new updated logo with a guitar pick now. discovermyrtlebeachforum.com/index.php?showtopic=2147&pid=7804&start=0entry7804 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarmor Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Kids in america logo>park logo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHILLERLC1 Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 "Life is a Highway" is a flat-track ride that puts guests in the cab of an 18 wheeler. Each cab has two children seats and two adult seats, allowing families to ride together around the track. "Wheels In The Sky" allows guests to enjoy peddling through the clouds in colorful hang glider carts. Once the ride begins, riders can enjoy the rush as they swoop and fly through the sky. "Fly Like An Eagle" is a traditional kite flyer ride that combines the sensation of free flight with the feeling of ocean waves. It allows parent and child to enjoy flying through the clouds together over "Kids in America." "Get Off Of My Cloud" offers guests a spectacular view of Freestyle Music Park. Consisting of eight festive and colorful balloon baskets for riders, which can each accommodate up to four children and adults. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electerik Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 ^ I'm liking the names. Except that the Journey song is actually called "Wheel in the Sky." /Unless there's some other "Wheels in the Sky" song I'm not familiar with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCoasterCritic Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Fascinating conversation, I just caught up with the whole thread... a couple comments: - The $40 price tag will only work if the deals that they work out with the resorts are super cheap, and if they can flood locals with coupons for the area. As has been pointed out, a $40 price tag won't get most vacationers to change their mind about their plans, and let's face it -- no one going to Myrtle Beach currently with the exception of the people on this board is going to visit FMP. In fact, most of those vacationers have not even heard of it (too bad Hard Rock didn't stick, as they have heard of that). So the price tag has to be so ridiculously good that a family will skip their already made plans to instead go to this park. And without an established brand name, it's going to be really tough to pull them in. Think about it: if someone goes to Tampa and sees Busch Gardens or LA and sees Disneyland, they have probably heard the brand name. But, if you are a Myrtle Beach visitor and hear about this "Freestyle Music Park", price is the *only* way to entice you to go, and unless it is ridiculously cheap I don't see that working with non-locals. So far, as far as I can tell the new management has not fixed the "too little to do" problem, and has created two new problems to overcome. I can't see this going too well. I interviewed the park's President and asked him about some of the same issues you've mentioned. I asked him specifically about how they hope to get those vacationers to change their plans and go to FMP. His answer was that he was going to communicate the value that they provide to guests because of the "tremendous amount of things to do." He also stated that they are definitely going to use the hotels, resorts, etc. to sell tickets and seemed surprised that the previous management did not do that. I don't think the brand name is such a huge deal if they really can communicate every which way possible that there's a lot to do. Making good on that promise is another issue. I also asked about the locals and he said that he was going to work with numerous local groups, but didn't get anymore specific. Here's the part of the interview where he talks about getting people into the park: http://www.thecoastercritic.com/2009/04/interview-freestyle-music-park-president-steve-baker-p2.html Lastly, can someone explain what the park should reasonably be expected to have in it to justify the admission price? I've heard about a thousand times that there wasn't enough to do. I can see that for $50, but for $40 what does the park need to have for there to be "enough" for the average park guest. I'll be honest and admit that I don't generally sample all that parks have to offer so I'm really asking. Is it about 6 to 8 flat rides, 3 water rides, 5 'adult coasters', x number of shows etc? Is it fair to say it should have the ride lineup of a major theme park like SFOGA or Carowinds because it's charging in the same range? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarmor Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 ^ I'm liking the names. Except that the Journey song is actually called "Wheel in the Sky." /Unless there's some other "Wheels in the Sky" song I'm not familiar with. Maybe they arent really going for "exact" song names and since the ride has multiple "wheels" they decided to call it wheels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolhandluke Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 "Life is a Highway" is a flat-track ride that puts guests in the cab of an 18 wheeler. Each cab has two children seats and two adult seats, allowing families to ride together around the track. "Wheels In The Sky" allows guests to enjoy peddling through the clouds in colorful hang glider carts. Once the ride begins, riders can enjoy the rush as they swoop and fly through the sky. "Fly Like An Eagle" is a traditional kite flyer ride that combines the sensation of free flight with the feeling of ocean waves. It allows parent and child to enjoy flying through the clouds together over "Kids in America." "Get Off Of My Cloud" offers guests a spectacular view of Freestyle Music Park. Consisting of eight festive and colorful balloon baskets for riders, which can each accommodate up to four children and adults. Huh. Some of those names are in the same vein as the names I pen in RCT3. In fact, I've used Mr. Cochrane's and Journey's titles myself. Maybe I should enter this business. Though I'm sure the names of the rides are one of the least of their concerns, at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 . His answer was that he was going to communicate the value that they provide to guests because of the "tremendous amount of things to do." Another question I have: when does he plan to start communicating? The park opens in a little over a month and the website doesn't have anything except an old press release. I guess they figure no one uses the internet to plan their vacations in advance? Have they done any local advertising yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakislander Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Personally I don't really get all the excitement over a few kiddy rides. While I think these areas are necessary, do they really bring people into the park? I would think they'd be trying to make the park more appealing to older kids. They are the ones who are going to bug the piss out of their parents to go to the park if they think it will be fun. I don't see that they have done anything to make the park more attractive to this group. I hope the long-term plans are to really add to this park. Hopefully the new owners are financially strong enough to survive a very weak first year instead of going belly up like the previous owners did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netdvn Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 FMP is trying to draw families, not older kids/teens. Most parks today are leaving the high thrills route and adding more family attractions to bring more families through the gate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 The original developers made a half-assed attempt to draw families with younger children with the "Born in the USA" section, which had minimal (at best) theming, a Vekoma Rollerskater, some off-the-shelf kiddie rides, and a teeny tribute to the Banana Splits. Adding some more rides that kids and parents can do together is, at best, a minor improvement. I wish the new operators well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakislander Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 FMP is trying to draw families, not older kids/teens. Most parks today are leaving the high thrills route and adding more family attractions to bring more families through the gate. I agree they needed more to attract families, but these rides are really just to keep very young kids busy. I don't consider them family attractions. I don't think families that have only very young kids are going to spend the money to come to FMP just because they have added these few rides. I still feel what they have done so far will not change attendance in any way. It was just a necessary addition so families that are made up of various aged kids will have something for the youngest to do. The older kids are still not going to be that thrilled with this park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netdvn Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 According to the descriptions, children and adults are capable of riding the rides, which makes them family rides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakislander Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 According to the descriptions, children and adults are capable of riding the rides, which makes them family rides. They can call them what they want, but they are not going to make this park any more popular. The park was pretty much deserted all of last year. If they think saying they are going to be more family friendly and to turn this place around they are going to add 4 kiddie rides I think they are wrong. I agree its a start but not as big a deal as they are making it. From what I understand other than changing some names and changing the shows these 4 rides were the big improvements they were banking on to make this park a success. Its going to be exciting to see what really happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Its going to be exciting to see what really happens. And by "exciting," you mean "hilarious," correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakislander Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Its going to be exciting to see what really happens. And by "exciting," you mean "hilarious," correct? good one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatdan Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Lastly, can someone explain what the park should reasonably be expected to have in it to justify the admission price? I've heard about a thousand times that there wasn't enough to do. I can see that for $50, but for $40 what does the park need to have for there to be "enough" for the average park guest. I'll be honest and admit that I don't generally sample all that parks have to offer so I'm really asking. Is it about 6 to 8 flat rides, 3 water rides, 5 'adult coasters', x number of shows etc? Is it fair to say it should have the ride lineup of a major theme park like SFOGA or Carowinds because it's charging in the same range? It's a great question. It's sort of like the Supreme Court's definition of porn -- I'd know it when I saw it. Unfortunately, I think that is how the amusement industry is, and based on people's reactions here, it didn't have enough last year and the addition of some kiddie rides won't change that for them. In a quick aside, I would define a family ride as a ride the whole family can ride and, more specifically, the whole family would want to ride. Pirates of the Caribbean is a family ride. The train at various parks is a family ride. The observation elevator would be one. A mini-truck is a kiddie ride that adults can happen to ride with their kids. I think a lot of amusement parks overestimate how many kiddie rides they should have, and they underestimate the power of a good, true family ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarmor Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 The plot has been brought to light! It seems the new owners were planning on burning down the park and get away with millions in insurance money. The burning of the park happen but someone tipped off the local authorities and they are now in jail... THe picture... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbcoasterfan Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 ^^^^^^ ahahahaha you dirty bastard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisco Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 I heard on the news about the fires. If the new owners are lucky they have fire insurance and the park will burn to the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterFanatic Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Jarmor, You dirty bastard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now