Hard Rock / Freestyle Music Park Discussion Thread

[lilj4425]

Freestyle Music Park videos from the State newspaper: http://www.thestate.com/breaking/story/797556.html

[slicknixon]

 

I'm betting that this is just another Sally Ghost Blasters.

Then again, that would require new vehicles so could just be a custom update from Sally.

I'm sure the projection tunnel and other effects were recycled in the new ride.

[CHILLERLC1]

The park site says: Now OPEN!!!!

 

The fsmpblog said the Judge sided with FMP to open on time. Thank God.

[DBru]

Did anyone visit the park for its re-grand opening? Anything to report?

[nitrofan]

Did anyone visit the park for its re-grand opening? Anything to report?

I didn't go, but I saw a member on Discover Myrtle Beach who said he/she went and has over 500 photos that they took and will post them in the morning.

http://discovermyrtlebeachforum.com/index.php?showtopic=2304&pid=9141&st=0entry9141

[CHILLERLC1]

Someone on the blog said Roundabout was open. That's great news.

[coasterdude5]

Here are some pictures from The Sun News: http://www.thesunnews.com/724/gallery/911848.html#http://media.thesunnews.com/smedia/2009/05/23/19/21-FreestyleMusicPark020.standalone.prod_affiliate.78.JPG

 

It doesn't look crowded, hopefully it will pick up as the weekend progresses.

[Sir Clinksalot]

 

Video of the Time Machine Coaster.

 

I couldn't pick up on all the songs on the soundtrack but I heard some kind of country thing up the lift, Dick Dale (good) and Pink (not so good).

[Sir Clinksalot]

Also the new fireworks show featuring music from Motley Crue, Van Halen, John Lennon, Aerosmith, Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, a cheap sounding re-make of Van Halen's Panama, Guns N' Roses (the real one, not the new crappy fake one).

 

I couldn't hear some of the songs because the video camera they were using can only pick up one sound at a time, so it's mostly the fireworks. Welcome to the Jungle didn't sound right, so it's totally possible that more if not all of the songs are re-makes, but can't be sure on that.

 

[Guest]

It looked pretty dead, but apparently lots of people there bought season passes.

People lineup to buy season passes to Freestyle Music Park late Saturday afternoon. "We are buying a season pass this year because there is a big difference in the cost from Hard Rock Park season passes, " said Tammy Ryan. Ryan waited in line around 45 minutes to purchase a season pass.

[jedimaster1227]

Some new videos have sprung up on youtube following this weekend's opening including a better resolution recording of the park's new fireworks show, Kiss the Sky.

 

From what I have seen in video, this fireworks show is similar in concept to one of the July 4th shows that Disney puts together at Hollywood Studios (at least from what I can tell) with a large compilation of relevant (and some not-so-relevant) songs to time to lights, pyrotechnics and water effects. After watching videos both for the previous Bohemian Rhapsody show and for Kiss the Sky, I do have to say that I am somewhat partial to the new show because of the larger span of songs selected as well as an impressive arsenal of pyro launched throughout the 8 minute show. My only hitch with the show that I could find when watching the video is that unlike its predecessor, this show's use of the Gibson guitar is limited to the lasers, the outline lighting and some guitar-stroke sequencing; the show is lacking that distinct piece of detail in which each note played corresponds to the lighting of a different string on the guitar in time. Other than that, I didn't really have anything to slam based on the video alone--once I visit the park myself, I'm sure it will be far easier to review.

 

A video (albeit dark) of the Nights in White Satin replacement, Monstars of Rock has also gone online...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj67_aTaPjM

 

It looks much like Ghostblasters, but lacks most of those details that make the above mentioned attraction worthwhile. From what little I can tell from the video, the amount of detail in the attraction is not nearly as present as it was in the previous iteration. While I'll withhold judgement until I see it with my own two eyes, I was definitely surprised (or at least a caught a little off guard) by the negative response to the attraction that I've read online so far...

 

For Freestyle Music Park as a whole, I'm still on the fence about the whole thing. I think I'm pulling for this place to succeed, but I just don't know that I'll really believe it can last. Its weird that I feel so fascinated by the park and its history (mainly the Hard Rock Park stuff), but overall I am drawn to the park because of the history that it seems to be making (for better or for worse). At this point, I'm just hoping it stays open long enough for me to make a trip up to Myrtle Beach to visit it and take enough photos and video for posterity while I can.

 

The one thing that is truly biting me (and worries me) the most is the shocking lack of trip reports anywhere on the net; the amount of reviews and responses to the park itself seem to be reserved currently for media and a few small blogs. Is this a reflection of the park and its audience or does it mean something else? I just can't get over the fact that so little has been said about this place after what was supposed to be a grand re-opening. I find the silence truly uncomfortable, especially with my hopes for the park on such thin wire...

[coasterdude5]

^ It's only been open for a few days now. In time, we should be seeing more trip reports, especially as vacation season kicks into gear.

 

I'm really pulling for this place, too. But I think they're gonna really have to amp it up for them to survive.

[ArizonaGuy]

I hope the park lasts......well at least until I visit.

[monsterfan99]

^^ One other thing to remember about trip reports is Thrills in the Hills was this last weekend at Dollywood. That had to have taken a good number of people away from Freestyle Music Park that have sites with reviews and this site as well.

[Kennyweird]

Monstars of Rock looks absolutely abysmal. I had to stop the video half-way through, it was so awful.

[CHILLERLC1]

I heard the Spice Girls on a partion of the 90's track watching the Time Machine on the park's Youtube page. Their portion comes on right during the MCBR into the corkscrew. I had other meanings for "zigga zig ahhh" before.

[slicknixon]

Monstars of Rock looks absolutely abysmal. I had to stop the video half-way through, it was so awful.

 

Same here. Can't believe the idiots spent more money to get rid of Nights in White Satin and put in this piece of garbage.

I'd rather ride a Scooby-Doo Mansion.

[nitrofan]

I live an hour away from the park, and most people here think the park is closed for good and never re-opened. We were bombarded with Hard Rock Park commercials, but if I didn't watch Screamscape, I never would have known it re-opened.

[slicknixon]

Seems to me that the company who bought the park for a mere $25 million have no idea how to make the park succeed because they simply saw a cheap opportunity to venture into the industry and swept it up only to change everything that was saving the park from being a complete failure.

 

Sure, they had licensing issues to work around, but they could have first of all kept the actual music theme of the park intact. The thing that really makes the park seem so damn stupid is the fact that it seems like they are trying to keep the music theme alive but their creative team obviously know nothing about music. They said they wanted to turn the park into a family friendly park and the way they went about this was taking out anything that made sense with a music theme. CSI Live? Adrenaline Rush? (kids on inline skates). And what the hell is up with music on Time Machine? It's like 5 second sound bites of like 10 different songs in each ride. It just doesn't make any sense. My guess on that one is that it was cheaper to buy licensing for 5 second clips of multiple songs than simply 1 full song.

 

But back to "Monstars" (god, my eye twitches just typing it) what in god's name made them think this was a good idea? Why didn't they just change the theme of the ride and buy licensing for different music? They wouldn't have had to do much to change the "LSD" theme into simply a rock song-themed dark ride like it was really meant to be. So they had this decision to make. They could change the theme or spend most likely 3 times the amount of money to turn it into a completely different ride, which is not only inferior to the original, but inferior to most theme park's dark ride standards.

 

I think when it's all said and done, they wanted to change the park as much as possible in hopes that the reason for the park's initial failure was it's primarily "adult" theme. Well most of us know that this abomination is most likely not going to see a 2010 season and to be honest, I was hoping it wouldn't have made it for a 2009 one. I was kind of hoping I could say that I'd been to a park that was only open for a single (short) season, and that I could tell my grandkids about it, and could talk it up like it was something great (OMG Led Zeppelin THE RIDE, An ACID TRIP DARK RIDE!!!! etc.) but now I will have to tell them about the idiots that tried to revive the park by making it a retarded disgrace. But at least we'll get a laugh at how stupid they were to name it FREESTYLE MUSIC PARK!! (LMAO Grandpa!!)

[wvurdking]

Went to the opening on the 23rd and was pleasantly surprised with the park and some disappointment with other things. Got my pass switched over at about 2:30 when we got there (took about 20 minutes). My partner and I road the time machine about 4 times (longest wait was about 20 minutes). We heard the soundtracks for the 70's, 90's, and 00's. Much better than last year and everyone coming off the coaster seemed to agree. With the IP lawsuit from HR Creative all the shows were new along with the ride names, stores, restaurants, and areas. Adrenaline Rush was a little boring (old Malibu theater), CSI (Globe Theater) was OK, the Ice Show ironically was almost exactly the same as last year, and the Flip5Live we did not watch because we did not want to be around all those screaming kids. The Fab2 were still entertaining from the balcony of Penny Lane's Cafe. There were also bands in the Country USA and at the old Whammy Bar. The living statues were pretty cool in the Across the Pond Section (in front of the former Phonehenge). Monstars of Rock was boring and almost made me cry thinking of what use to be there. But when they lost the rights to use the song they had to do something different. I was told that the animatronics for the ride are on the way and improvements will be ongoing throughout the season. (We can only hope) Iron Horse (Eagles Coaster) was playing Train, Train by Black Foot (?) and the crowd really got into it. It was much better than that Eagles recording they had last year. Rode Round About (Max RPM) at least 4 times. Did not ride Soak'd (partner did not want to get wet). The food was good like last year and I think cheaper. A large drink with season pass discount was $2.83 and last year was about $4.00. The Kiss the Sky fireworks show was MUCH better than last years show. Made you say Hard Rock who? The new children's area was fun. We actually could ride some of the family rides. The one thing I noticed this year that was absent from last year was ALL the families this time with their kids having a great time and spending money. Every restaurant was doing good business (which I never saw last year). Overall we spent 8 hours there on the 23rd and another 4 the next day. Had a great time. The employees were very friendly. Heard mostly positive comments from other guests while there unlike last year. And, all the rides were running!

[bearcut]

Went to the opening on the 23rd and was pleasantly surprised with the park and some disappointment with other things. Got my pass switched over at about 2:30 when we got there (took about 20 minutes). My partner and I road the time machine about 4 times (longest wait was about 20 minutes). We heard the soundtracks for the 70's, 90's, and 00's. Much better than last year and everyone coming off the coaster seemed to agree. With the IP lawsuit from HR Creative all the shows were new along with the ride names, stores, restaurants, and areas. Adrenaline Rush was a little boring (old Malibu theater), CSI (Globe Theater) was OK, the Ice Show ironically was almost exactly the same as last year, and the Flip5Live we did not watch because we did not want to be around all those screaming kids. The Fab2 were still entertaining from the balcony of Penny Lane's Cafe. There were also bands in the Country USA and at the old Whammy Bar. The living statues were pretty cool in the Across the Pond Section (in front of the former Phonehenge). Monstars of Rock was boring and almost made me cry thinking of what use to be there. But when they lost the rights to use the song they had to do something different. I was told that the animatronics for the ride are on the way and improvements will be ongoing throughout the season. (We can only hope) Iron Horse (Eagles Coaster) was playing Train, Train by Black Foot (?) and the crowd really got into it. It was much better than that Eagles recording they had last year. Rode Round About (Max RPM) at least 4 times. Did not ride Soak'd (partner did not want to get wet). The food was good like last year and I think cheaper. A large drink with season pass discount was $2.83 and last year was about $4.00. The Kiss the Sky fireworks show was MUCH better than last years show. Made you say Hard Rock who? The new children's area was fun. We actually could ride some of the family rides. The one thing I noticed this year that was absent from last year was ALL the families this time with their kids having a great time and spending money. Every restaurant was doing good business (which I never saw last year). Overall we spent 8 hours there on the 23rd and another 4 the next day. Had a great time. The employees were very friendly. Heard mostly positive comments from other guests while there unlike last year. And, all the rides were running!

 

 

There's a thing called an enter key...use it...please..

 

Other than that, good to hear the park sounds a little better than last year.

[cgodsey]

Way to raise your ticket prices one week after operation there guys... Talk about alienating your customers early. Get to the park ASAP!

[robbalvey]

Way to raise your ticket prices one week after operation there guys... Talk about alienating your customers early. Get to the park ASAP!

How much did they raise prices to???

[BeemerBoy]

According to Screamscape:

 

Park News - (6/1/09) Even though the park has been open only a week so far, if you check out the current ticket prices on the website you’ll notice a small price increase has gone into effect, bumping up the Adult price from $39.95 to $42.95 and kids tickets rose slightly from $29.95 to $32.20.

[jarmor]

I saw that crap this past fri when I was planning on going. But I can still get the 14.99 rate after 4 until june 5th but I will NEVER pay over 30 for this place...