Can an amusement park make a comeback?

[coasterdude5]

Lately I've been hearing on the news about musical performers and actors making "comebacks" after falling off the map or for a while not doing as well as they once did.

 

Then I got to thinking: has a park ever truly made a comeback?

 

The one example I can think of is Magic Springs. That park closed up shop in 1995 and stayed closed for three years. It wasn't until 2000 that someone bought the park, cleaned it up, added some new attractions, and reopened it. Today it's not a world-class attraction, but it's a good little park that draws alot of people from surrounding states and seems to be doing well financially.

 

Is there another park that you can think of that's made a comeback? I'm sure I've forgotten some.

[kidcoaster 2]

Arnolds Park is on I can think of. But Conneaut is on the up right now. It did close in 1995 and reopened July 4th 1996. So if it did it once I am sure the new guys can do it again.

[dj snow]

Kentucky Kingdom. They went bankrupt and sold off all the rides, then some of the creditors still owed money by the park went and reopened it.

 

Interestingly, the same people behind that comeback were also behind the Magic Springs one.

[FeelTheFORCE]

Perhaps Six Flags New Orleans is in the process of "coming back," but not under the Six Flags name. Who knows.

[spaceace12]

CLP could, but the debt is a big issue. Being 2.4 to 3.0 million in debt is not helping either. It is in the same situation as Cypress Gardens, a smaller park with a major park near it (Hershey Park to CLP). CLP ride package isn't much to boost, but has unique ones you don't see that much.

 

^

If anyone is dumb enough to reopen a theme park in New Orleans, in which the one that didn't make a profit to begin with, more power to them, but I wouldn't invest in a theme park in New Orleans if I had the money.

[montezooma]

Fiesta Texas comes to mind. Attendance at the park was continually dropping until one year when Six Flags added a ton of new rides, coasters and a huge wave pool in the shape of Texas. In that season alone attendance grew by 1 million. I would call that a comeback!

[John Peck]

If we are talking rising esentially from the grave then Coney Island in Ohio... it definatly "came back" from really not much, and Belmont Park is also one of those. Nellie Bly Park is back too, but under a different name after being nearly all sold off, and so is Twin Grove Park in PA.

 

A few other parks that had a few off years and are now doing better are the ones mentioned above as well as Lake Compounce, and Could we include Michigans adventure? They are doing very well now.

 

I wish Geauga Lake Park would come back... thats been really painful.

[coasterdude5]

^ It can go from either extreme. From all the way from closing to having a "slump".

[downunder]

Geauga Lake is making a comeback, just ride by ride in different parks.

[thrillerman1]

Ghost Town in the Sky seems to have gone through an "extreme makeover" after having been closed for 4 years. Everytime I see pics of the park it's packed. Now if Cliff Hanger will finally open, the plastic surgery will be complete.

[Reon]

If we are talking rising esentially from the grave then Coney Island in Ohio... it definatly "came back" from really not much, and Belmont Park is also one of those. Nellie Bly Park is back too, but under a different name after being nearly all sold off, and so is Twin Grove Park in PA.

 

A few other parks that had a few off years and are now doing better are the ones mentioned above as well as Lake Compounce, and Could we include Michigans adventure? They are doing very well now.

 

I wish Geauga Lake Park would come back... thats been really painful.

Coney Island Ohio is definately a comeback park, though I'd say its more like a phoenix than anything. Even though the park has been flooded and mostly destroyed a few times, it keeps on coming back. Better than ever as a 5 star park? Maybe not, but its still a fun park to spend some time in to this day, and it's slowly growing year by year.

[ebl]

Let's not forget Six Flags Magic Mountain.

 

We all know that it came close to meeting the wrecking ball a couple of years ago, and under new management, cleaned up its act and is a whole lot better than in the last ten or so years.

 

But the park nearly closed just a few years after it opened back in the '70s. Originally, it was a joint venture between Newhall Land & Farming and SeaWorld. The park's first few years did not bring in as many people as they had hoped, and SeaWorld even pulled out. NL&F went at it alone, trying to come up with a solution. To try and bring in more people, they went with big name entertainment included with admission in the Showcase Theatre (the original name of the Golden Bear Theatre). Enough people came to not only pull them out of the red, but to be able to add big rides like Revolution (1976) and Colossus (1978).

 

Six Flags bought the park in 1979 and had its ups and downs over the years, but for the most part kept the park from the threat of closing.

 

Eric

[coolhandluke]

Cedar Point.

 

It took a big hit in the Depression (what didn't?), and never really pulled out of the slump afterward. It was sold in the 50's to a firm who decided to build a big housing complex on it (the marina was actually a beginning phase of that). Disneyland's popularity at the time saved it though, as the public fought to keep it as a park.

 

They turned around from that scare OK.

[cathyJ]

Pretty much all of the Denver parks ( Elitches, Lakeside & Waterword ) could be on the list of parks that made a comeback only because of the metro area they are in...Denver !!!

 

Back in the mid to late 1980's, Denver had America's worst economy ( I heard it was even worse that Detroit's current economy ). It was the Oil Bust. I believe at the time while 1 out of 5 was unemployed, 3 out of the remainding four were forced to make less money ( going from 100K a year down to working at Burger King...you get the idea ).

 

Being in Denver in 1988 I remember quite well the rumors ( even by their own staffs ) that all of them, Elitches, Lakeside, etc....well they could be gone by 1990 or 1991. Even though Elitches added rides in the late 80s, they did it more so as a gamble than anything else.

 

Well by the early 1990s under a new mayor, came new types of businesses which took the area away from being depended too much on oil. The new airport, new sports facilities and teams, new attractions...and a whole new Elitches and even Lakeside was starting to add new stuff and look at Waterworld.

 

Well anyway I guess somewhat what goes around comes around...a few months back one of the Denver papers "suggested" that next year Elitches and Lakeside should be open next summer...only on a rotating weekends basis and both should closed during the week. Some of the Denver's papers actually WANT a depression as they think this downturn ....well let the whole damn thing collapse and start over again.

[Capitalize]

CLP could, but the debt is a big issue. Being 2.4 to 3.0 million in debt is not helping either. It is in the same situation as Cypress Gardens, a smaller park with a major park near it (Hershey Park to CLP). CLP ride package isn't much to boost, but has unique ones you don't see that much.

 

^

If anyone is dumb enough to reopen a theme park in New Orleans, in which the one that didn't make a profit to begin with, more power to them, but I wouldn't invest in a theme park in New Orleans if I had the money.

A large scale theme park probably not, but I could see a smaller amusement park being successful there.

 

 

Its too bad Americana/LeSourdsville Lake never made it...

[Philrad71]

It is in the same situation as Cypress Gardens, a smaller park with a major park near it (Hershey Park to CLP).

 

CLP is quite far from Hershey, actually. If they were to open again it would be more competition for Waldameer, which is about twenty minutes up I-79 in Erie. Even if CLP were to re-open, I don't think that Waldameer would be too nervous after the 2008 addition of RFII and the recent ride additions announced for 2009.

 

In fact, Kennywood, CP and about three other smaller parks would be closer to CLP than Hershey. I would say that Hershey is at least three hours from CLP, if not further.

 

Personally, I would love to see CLP open again in the future. It is just so different and quirky to have an amusement park literally plopped down in the middle of a lakeside village. Blue Streak is a classic that I have not had a chance to ride - even though I am only about one hour away.

[Xizor_Racer]

Ok.....totally random, but everytime I see this thread I think LL Cool J....

 

Don't call it a comeback...

 

Now back to your reguarly scheduled thread.....

[TJinPgh]

CLP is quite far from Hershey, actually. If they were to open again it would be more competition for Waldameer, which is about twenty minutes up I-79 in Erie. Even if CLP were to re-open, I don't think that Waldameer would be too nervous after the 2008 addition of RFII and the recent ride additions announced for 2009.

 

In fact, Kennywood, CP and about three other smaller parks would be closer to CLP than Hershey. I would say that Hershey is at least three hours from CLP, if not further.

 

Probably further.

 

I don't really think that Kennywood is a major issue for CLP, but the recent success of Waldameer plus Idlewild could be, however.

 

Kennywood has always been bigger than CLP, so they expect that. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh park goers looking for a small park experience have someplace closer to go in Idlewild.

 

I rode the Blue Streak years ago. Nice coaster. And, certainly better than anything Idlewild has and better than the Comet at Waldameer. But, the addition of the RFII certainly makes the Streak pale in comparison.

 

Best bet would have people coming into CLP for other things in addition to the amusement park rides. Let them pay off most of the debt, clean everything up, then, perhaps, they can look into expanding/replacing a few things to help keep the ball rolling.

 

The big problem with CLP is, being in the middle of a town, there's not much room for expansion. Though, they could possibly stick a few things over by the other parking lot.

 

Might be a novel idea have something go into the lake itself. A coaster over water might sell a few tickets.

[Speeddeamon128]

Clementon Park is slowly coming back. They opened up HellCat in 2004 & upgraded their water park last season. Hopefully they will add a new coaster were Jack Rabbit stood. Not to mention the park is looking cleaner & is feeling a little safer.

[sfgadviperboi]

Great Adventure made a big comeback by 1995. I believe that year Viper was introduced was the largest crowd in their history. It seems recently they have been hovering around the 3mil mark.

[Speeddeamon128]

^Don't forget the coaster BOOM we had the next few years after Viper! Medusa 1999, Nitro 2001, Superman: Ultimate Flight 2003, Kingda Ka 2005, El Toro 2006, & Dark Knight 2008

[socalMAN123]

Knott's...

 

 

Hey, one can hope!

---Brent

[CreditCrazy]

SFMM! It was very gross, and worn out and...just bad. They are definately bringing it back and making it a lot better. Now lets see if they can do the same thing with CGA. Not a bad park, it just has nothing. No excitement, not a lot of good coasters, etc.

[stuartnz]

Luna Park!

 

It opens and closes every ten minutes.

[Shavethewhales]

Great Adventure made a big comeback by 1995. I believe that year Viper was introduced was the largest crowd in their history. It seems recently they have been hovering around the 3mil mark.

 

That surprises me, considering how many millions they invest in that place. SDC has a lot less and they get well over 2 million a year.

 

Celebration City is going to make a comeback soon, once HFEC ponies up the cash to completely re-think that place. On a general basis though, no park can just make a comeback without some serious capital investment. We've seen too many parks slip away to maintain this dream that some have that their local historic park will survive after having to slash operations.