Jump to content
  TPR Home | Parks | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram 

Hard Rock / Freestyle Music Park Discussion Thread


Recommended Posts

^^ Or just how about one of the top markets in the US that DON'T have a major park?

 

Houston, Phoenix, or even Seattle or Miami?

 

But yeah, if I were to have put this park in any hypothetical location, it would have been the old Wet N' Wild location in Las Vegas.

 

--Robb

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think what pisses me off more than anything is that the park would have perhaps had a chance if in an area like Las Vegas or even in Orlando if built as a third gate for Universal. (attached to their Hard Rock Hotel property and pitched as their 'adult oriented' park as Epcot competition)

 

But this park may ruin the chances of an 'adult oriented' park ever happening in an area where it could survive as I could see developers siting it as an example of why NOT to build a park. (I wouldn't blame them!)

 

IMO, if Las Vegas were to get a theme park, this would be EXACTLY what they should get.

 

I agree with Robb 100% on this.....when I first heard about Hard Rock Park, the lineup of attractions, and the irreverent humor/rock and roll atmosphere they were going for, the very first thought I had was "Why Myrtle Beach? Something like this would be perfect for Las Vegas!" They could keep it open year round, and it would be big enough for Vegas without being too big. I feel it could have made it there where Grand Adventures unfortunately failed. Heck, they probably even could have even used some of the old rides (rapids and flume) from Grand Adventures to round out the water rides. I feel like the theming would be a much better fit for the Vegas crowd, offering a balance to keep both the adults and kids interested.

 

I really wanted to see this park succeed, and I at least wish I could have made it out there as planned this year. Here's hoping that if they do sell, the B&M will get a good new home at a park that needs it.

 

I do feel bad for the people running it, this was a dream of theirs that so far looks like it just did not make it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, too bad. It seems (or seemed) to be a really nice park with some great rides. Personally, I think the location and economy killed it. The location, while completely stupid, would have been fine if the economy wasn't crap. With gas prices and the such so high, nobody wants to drive there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was surprised to see that even when the park was operating during the summer, there was no mention of it at our local HRC. Not even during the TV promo of other resorts, casinos, etc. I think it was listed at the very bottom of the back of the menu. That was it. Not that advertising in Memphis would bring in that much business, but it would get the name to possible vacation-goers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All I can say is HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

 

This was not a good idea. I'm pretty sure my cats could manage a park better than these clowns. And they want to be paid more money for their failure? Here is a prime example of what is wrong with business today.

 

This park should have never been built. So many things were wrong with this idea, that anyone with the slightest experience in the theme park industry could have pointed out to them.

 

Oh, since it's now SBNO, I expect any day for ACErs that got the chance to ride the B&M to proclaim it the best thing ever. Which I'm sure it is not...

 

dt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"$400 million theme park" ... if that amount were used properly, HRP may not have been in this position. I still don't see that number played out. Licensing?

 

Regardless, the numbers never worked and most of the rides didn't fit the numbers (called this one before the park opened).

 

I feel that much, not all, of the current U.S. amusement industry has lost touch with its core business principles (SEE: Alvey's comments on Asia and Europe parks). Technology happens, but the reason parks exist remains the same. HRP is just another unfortunate example of being "off track".

 

Park fans, especially TPR (seriously), can continue to help the industry refocus ... if the decision makers choose to seek, listen, and learn. It's FREE information. This website should charge a consulting fee.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't be suprised if Mytle Beach would buy the park, then again I have a feeling even THEY wouldn't bother

I agree EPIC FAIL are the words of choice

It's a lesson that could easily fall into economics: like a restaurant building that routinely switches restaurant chains would be a bad choice for a new location. Same thing for any other venue like two entertainment venues fail why not build an amusement park on them? yea that sounds like a good idea oo maybe we shuld spend millions of dollars in an economic crisis too yea great idea!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have to agree that this park should have been built in the Vegas area. Hard Rock Cafe has a huge market out there with the Hard Rock Hotel and everything. I think a Hard Rock Hotel vacation package that included tickets to an amusement park would do pretty well. I mean, even if Myrtle Beach's entertainment/amusement industry wasn't in such a slump right now, how much sense does a Hard Rock Park really make in that area? It's not like South Carolina is a mecca for rock music fans. Las Vegas works for both reasons: It has the market for this kind of thing, AND the area doesn't really have a major theme park.

 

"If you build it, they will come" is not a legitimate business strategy anymore, not in today's economy. That seems to be what HRP's mindset was, though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, since it's now SBNO, I expect any day for ACErs that got the chance to ride the B&M to proclaim it the best thing ever. Which I'm sure it is not...

 

dt

 

It's not.

 

Beemer, I'm willing to bet that these executives already have lucrative consulting contracts lined up. American business isn't about making "stuff" anymore--it's about making deals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The best part about the article is the executives asking for more money!! HAHAHA!!!! At least with all the recent economy stuff and executives everywhere giving themselves bonuses while the government bails them out I hope that they will not be given a dime!!!!

 

Yeah, it's really bizarre how they talk about "lack of funding for marketing" when it was their job to make sure they had money left in the budget to buy ads. Seriously, who builds a $400 million theme park and doesn't leave money over to properly promote it? Retards that don't deserve to be third shift managers at McDonald's. Plenty of smaller parks that could never afford to buy a B&M manage to buy a few billboards and TV spots.

 

I don't believe that to be entirely true. Living in North Carolina, I heard ads for HRP all the time on the radio, and on TV. occasionally back to back! So there is no way that they "didn't have enough funding for marketing" because it honestly got to the point of being annoying hearing all of those HRP ads all the time!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been saying all along the park should've been built in Vegas if anywhere. We would've gladly taken it here in Nashville too.

 

After reading all of these posts I guess I'm alone in my feelings that Vegas would never be able to support a theme park anywhere near the strip. If it was built off the strip you would be right back to the HRP problem. It would be out of the way.

MGM spent what I would guess was millions on advertising along with tons of free advertising from news stations in Arizona, Utah and California and that place was still pretty dead shortly after opening.

This all goes along with what I consider to be Vegas' failed "family experiment." Too many people do not want to go to Vegas with kids in tow. Vegas will always be about gambling, nightclubs and high-end shopping. Just like oil and water they don't go together.

On top of that, many adults consider Vegas to be a major hassle. The traffic sucks and the constant barrage of stripper flyers on the street are a major turn-off to many people.

As for the idea of having an adult park, I think that this is one of the problems facing SFMM. You need kids of all ages to be successful.

Unless you wanted a full-blown Vegas adult park with dancer ride-ops and gambling on dispatch times. That might work. It would be an interesting novelty but novelties by nature always get old.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been saying all along the park should've been built in Vegas if anywhere. We would've gladly taken it here in Nashville too.

 

After reading all of these posts I guess I'm alone in my feelings that Vegas would never be able to support a theme park anywhere near the strip. If it was built off the strip you would be right back to the HRP problem. It would be out of the way.

 

MGM spent what I would guess was millions on advertising along with tons of free advertising from news stations in Arizona, Utah and California and that place was still pretty dead shortly after opening.

 

This all goes along with what I consider to be Vegas' failed "family experiment." Too many people do not want to go to Vegas with kids in tow. Vegas will always be about gambling, nightclubs and high-end shopping. Just like oil and water they don't go together.

 

On top of that, many adults consider Vegas to be a major hassle. The traffic sucks and the constant barrage of stripper flyers on the street are a major turn-off to many people.

 

As for the idea of having an adult park, I think that this is one of the problems facing SFMM. You need kids of all ages to be successful.

 

Unless you wanted a full-blown Vegas adult park with dancer ride-ops and gambling on dispatch times. That might work. It would be an interesting novelty but novelties by nature always get old.

While I actually do agree that a successful park would also be a challenge in Vegas too, I think the reason why Vegas comes to people's mind is that this is exactly the park that *could* have succeeded had it been built, for example, in place of MGM's park. MGM's park was a family oriented park, Hard Rock Park is not.

 

*If* a park would ever work in Vegas it would have to be an adult-themed and oriented park and this is what Hard Rock Park was. There really wasn't much for kids at all at this place and what was there for kids seemed "shoehorned" in at last minute when they realized they needed some stuff for kids.

 

I don't think what they had was really that terrible, it was just completely misplaced. If you're going to build a park that's based on Rock N' Roll, drugs, and alcohol with little for kids to do, then can you think of a BETTER location than Las Vegas? Other than maybe Amsterdam???

 

We'll never know if it would have failed there too, but it's fun to speculate.

 

--Robb

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you're going to build a park that's based on Rock N' Roll, drugs, and alcohol with little for kids to do, then can you think of a BETTER location than Las Vegas? Other than maybe Amsterdam???

 

We'll never know if it would have failed there too, but it's fun to speculate.

 

--Robb

 

When you put it like this I can agree. The best place for this park (certainly better than South Carolina) most likely is Vegas. An adult park still includes the very important 13-17 demographic. What a huge gamble it would be. Even by Vegas standards.

 

On a related note. Does anyone know what the deal is with that empty lot (on Google maps) at the NE corner of Harmon and Koval ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I personally enjoyed the park...even if we were done with it in like 20 minutes.

 

 

But I also think Robb is 100% accurate in his assesement of management. It's obvious they were so out of touch with reality that the park really had no chance. As I said in the other HRP thread, I believe with a different pricing structure the park could have at least been moderately successful.

 

Since I am used to horrible so cal traffic, the 10-15 minute drive from the beach area didn't seem like a bad thing to be...I think the problem was they did absolutely nothing to entice people to leave their beach/golf resorts to make that drive. Charging $50 with no discounts until the end, having a misguided marketing campaign (we saw TONS of billboards...but they were just quotes of reviews and little HRP logos), plus all the other problems that have been discussed over and over again on here simply gave tourists no reason to visit the park. Projecting 30,000 people a day (to put that in prospective: that would be considered EXTREMELY busy at SFMM or KBF), being ridiculously overstaffed, and having such long park hours, and all the other mistakes they made just reinforce the fact they were extremely out of touch with reality.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use https://themeparkreview.com/forum/topic/116-terms-of-service-please-read/