Help restore Hard Rock Park/Freestyle Music Park

[MontagnaMagica]

What is going on here? I'm so confused!

[simaticable]

Run down is that some guy thinks that his wet dream about reopening a closed down park can happen with the support of a bunch of coaster enthusiasts. No we've turned this thread into a place to quote some movie.

[winningfreak]

I love all your ideas, I like the amount of time and thought you put into this! Very nice post, I would like to know who you are and why did you waste to much of your life thinking of this post then not realizing that the park has failed to make money but hell with it lets toss in 20 new attractions, drive teh debt load way up ( which im sure it is already ) and burn all our investors BEFORE we can even get the park reopened? Sounds like Six Flags motto when they thought they could get a ton of money from Astroworld " Ready... FIRE!!!!, oops AIM!!!! "

[chadster]

Looks like Lance has fallen for this over at screamscape....as the same thing was posted at www.discovermyrtlebeach.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=4172&pid=18126&st=0entry18126

[molemaster43]

^I don't like how the whole plan features the old names from Hard Rock Park...

 

However, Lance did say he'd like to hear about any possible way Freestyle Music Park could be reopened, so this would be one.

[cfc]

^Nothing is impossible, I suppose--but this is highly improbable.

[jedimaster1227]

However, Lance did say he'd like to hear about any possible way Freestyle Music Park could be reopened, so this would be one.

 

No, it wouldn't be.

 

It is simply improbable that this individual can make this park come back to life, let alone even remotely accomplish any of the tasks he set out to according to his presented "business plan." There are tons of flaws in his concept and no one will invest their money in a project that isn't grounded in reality, doesn't have experienced leaders behind the helm, doesn't have a solid business plan and lacks the personal capital to invest. There are about a million different reasons why this project won't happen... But his approach is definitely one of them.

 

The initials for Outback Oasis Park (an ill-conceived, unmarketable concept to begin with) spell out OOP. To me, this whole project, dating back to Hard Rock Park has been one big OOPS.

[molemaster43]

However, Lance did say he'd like to hear about any possible way Freestyle Music Park could be reopened, so this would be one.

 

No, it wouldn't be.

 

It is simply improbable that this individual can make this park come back to life, let alone even remotely accomplish any of the tasks he set out to according to his presented "business plan." There are tons of flaws in his concept and no one will invest their money in a project that isn't grounded in reality, doesn't have experienced leaders behind the helm, doesn't have a solid business plan and lacks the personal capital to invest. There are about a million different reasons why this project won't happen... But his approach is definitely one of them.

 

The initials for Outback Oasis Park (an ill-conceived, unmarketable concept to begin with) spell out OOP. To me, this whole project, dating back to Hard Rock Park has been one big OOPS.

 

I have posted about how the plan was not feasible, in any way whatsoever. It is on one of the first few pages. What I intended was that it would be something Lance would be interested in hearing any plan to reopen Freestyle Music Park, feasible or non feasible. Sorry for the context error.

[chadster]

I'm pretty sure this is Prince Desmond's relative.

[Shavethewhales]

It's not even a plan though, it's just a moronic post that's been cross-posted to a bunch of forums. I think this just shows that Lance is barely even looking at what he's posting these days.

[Fallen Heretic]

I havent looked at the forums for a while. Im really surprised this thread is still going.

[chadster]

I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt that it could have been the first time he's seen the "proposal", plus he does say he's not sure how serious it is, still it's pretty obvious its made up/fake/school project/attention getter/dreamed up/whatever you want to call it. Sometimes it's difficult to weed out the crap in rumors, heck if I posted every rumor I've ever heard about a park I'd been kicked out of here long ago!

[Wes]

^ That proposal was so ridiculous though, like having an Insane Clown Posse halloween event? Either he didn't read it all the way through or something...

[chadster]

Agreed.

[CoasterWeasel]

ICP was my favorite part of the whole thing. Could you imagine thousands of juggalos over running a theme park in clown make up carrying glow sticks. I think that is scarier then anything Universal or Knott's could ever come up with.

[cal1br3tto]

If he was truly down with the clown, he'd know that ICP does not take kindly to being billed to perform without their prior consent. Other than that, I think this proposal is good to go!

[slappybob]

This whole thread is hilarious But I do want to say I've never seen Scott Pilgrim

[Jhcbiinoc]

It's an ambitious proposal, that's for sure, and although I am never one to discourage anyone's dreams I would like to offer some possible alternative suggestions regarding the original idea to get the park back up and running:

 

1. There's no need to buy all of these new rides, attractions and so forth. Fix the core issues-but before doing that, take a look at WHY the park is sitting there gathering dust:

 

This park's biggest challenge IMHO when it was Hard Rock Park-a concept that I think should have made it, was threefold:

 

a.) Not really thinking through some of the attractions when the park first opened. The B&M was smart, the mine train was smart, the dark ride was smart, and some of the flats were. But NO real water rides? A prototype, lower capacity steel coaster? What they needed IMHO rather than Maximum RPM and some of the other attractions was a good flume/water ride and a family friendly but exciting wooden coaster.

 

b.) I thought the edginess of some of the stuff in the park was great-and it would have been IF they had been marketing to an older,teen crowd or if the park had been in Las Vegas (where I think it would have performed better). But they had a ton of family attractions in the park, and seemed to be after the families with young kids demographic. Marketing to families with young kids in a state with mostly conservative views, and then having edgy things like the original photos above the urinals is a recipe for disaster.

 

c.) The utter lack of marketing, and what little there was being extremely poorly executed. There was more hype for the groundbreaking of the park than the opening, and when they finally did do ads, they just did not work:

 

 

This new proposal seems to do what the Freestyle park people were doing: putting band aids on the problems as best they could but not really addressing the issues. From what I have seen of Freestyle Music Park, nothing makes me want to go there other than to ride the B&M. What they did to the dark ride is to me, just embarrassing.

 

What needs to happen more than anything this to give the park a unique and special identity all of its own. A brand like Hard Rock would be great, but that's not happening now. I would seriously think about the proposed theme-not everyone is going to get the Outback theme and I have no idea where you would fit 30 new rides AND all of the wildlife. If anything at all.....make it themed to pop culture of the past few decades, some of the elements are already there. Let the research done be about what themes might work best, what would reach a wider demographic. Seek out potential brands to invest in the project.

 

2. As previously mentioned, cramming the park with a ton of new rides is not going to repair the issues. Look at what assets you already have there:

 

-B&M coaster

-Vekoma Mine Train Coaster

-Several good flat rides

 

Keep those, pay off any debts surrounding them and give them a fresh coat of paint and an overhaul to ensure everything is running smoothly.

 

If you're going to get rid of anything, I would say get rid of the Premier coaster (or fix it up and enhance it somehow) and the roller soaker type coaster and sell those to one of the park chains, or smaller parks. Update a couple of the flat rides. Close the dark ride until it can be redone better as what is there now is just not that good-at least from what I have seen.

 

Rides I think you SHOULD add are water ride(s) and a wooden coaster that is family-accessible yet thrilling.

 

For the wooden coaster, I would go with GCI. You might contact the closed Celebration City in Branson, and see what it would cost to purchase and move this one, as it would be a great fit IMHO for HRP/Freestyle:

 

http://rcdb.com/1888.htm

 

Or, if you wanted a new one, check into one of these from GCI:

 

 

Or, some other small, custom compact layout. I feel sure you could get a decent one for under $6 million-far less than some of the new rides in the proposal.

 

For water rides:

 

There are several parks, including the recently closed Alabama Adventure, with rides in decent condition for sale, including a brand new water ride (Buzzsaw Falls) for $1.2 million:

 

http://www.amusementridesales.com/thrill-rides.html

 

Or, you could purchase a new one:

 

http://www.hopkinsrides.com/

 

If you wanted another thrill coaster, you could always pick up a Boomerang here for about $1.8 million. I personally don't care for them but the GP seems to enjoy them, and that's who you need to market to:

 

http://www.intermarkridegroup.com/images/pdfs/ridesforsale.pdf

 

Finally-the new dark ride. Rebrand it and make it a star attraction. I would say do NOT try to redo Nights in White Satin. Ask around, see if you can partner with a company wanting to show off cutting edge effects, etc. Keep the ride system, redo the inside.

 

And that is really ALL I think you would want to do for any "new" rides. That would give you a good mix of coasters (B&M looper, GCI wooden, Vekoma Mine Train, possibly a Boomerang if you elect to buy one and the Premier if you keep it), water rides and flat rides.

 

3. Marketing. This is where I feel the majority of funding would need to go. Whatever you do, this is the biggest error the HRP made (well, not having a well thought through demographic AND then not marketing correctly).

 

Those are just thoughts. I think it's great that someone wants to save this park, and I think it's possible and encourage anyone to pursue their dreams. Just offering some thoughts that I feel would make it more feasible in the short term.

[Wes]

What's the point of helping what's an obvious fanboy dream? It's like giving detailed campaign advice to a homeless person saying he's going to be president.

[ernierocker]

We do need to get back to quoting Scott Pilgrim, otherwise what is the point of this thread???

[cfc]

Yeah, I think garlic bread would have to be my favourite all-time food. I could eat it for every meal. Or just constantly, without stopping.

 

Back on track, again.

[ernierocker]

That's more like it

[beatle11]

"WE ARE SEX BOB-OMB AND WE ARE HERE TO SEE SCOTT PILGRIM KICK YOUR TEETH IN! ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!"

[chadster]

I had to go look up this Scott Pilgrim character, it all makes more sense to me now...why is it I've never heard of it before? Anyway, heard from screamscape, doubt this fiasco gets anymore airtime over there

 

 

moving on to more important things...

You punched me in the boob! Prepare to die, obviously!

[CoasterWeasel]

I partake not in the meat, nor the breastmilk, nor the ovum, of any creature, with a face.