Hard Rock / Freestyle Music Park Discussion Thread

This "London Cab" breakdance-type ride wasn't bad (even if it made me feel a bit ill).

I love these rides, I really wish Great Adventure still had theirs.

I remember seeing one of those Breakdance rides at Selva Magica. As soon as I saw it operate, my stomach said no.

Thanks for the link to IOE's Facebook page! Fascinating stuff.

So cool that they thought, and are allowed, to promote their company by giving people a glance at the behind the scenes goings-on! That had to be surreal to be in the park, trying to get the ride going and then actually watch cars cycle! Curious if he's by himself, or if they have a maintenance guy with him to help clear the track/controls of weeds etc.

Cool stuff.

I hope the guy is getting paid for his work!

It's for the love of the game.

This was also a cool flat ride:

I hope Six Flags buys that flat and themes it to the Scarecrow villain from the Batman series. They could even make it an indoor ride.

It will be interesting where these rides and coasters actually end up. I also think SF will purchase some of these flat rides, but I'd also think some could be gobbled up and find a home at perhaps Kings Dominion or even a smaller park looking for a good deal. I'd really love to see my home park, Busch-Williamsburg, get a flat ride or two and find a home in the park.

This was also a cool flat ride:

[see last page.] What even are those rides? I rode the one at PNE Playland, and it was fun, but unnecessarily jerky!

^i don't know but hopefully someone here knows.

I believe the top one is a Huss Breakdance and the Bottom one is a Huss Airboat

I guess the only other big ride to speculate about is the mine train. I know it's a bit homer of me, but I could see HFEC picking it up for either Darien Lake or Wild Adventures. Those things are incredibly dynamic with how theming can be applied to them. It's a shame this one was just left in the open.

I would say any smaller park could pick it up if it goes cheap, but it looks like it takes a fair bit of flat land.

Skara Sommarland has both the HUSS Rodeo and Airboat flats posted on the previous page, and I have to say there both pretty awesome to ride.

On another note, am I the only one who actually think it may be a challenge for the park to sell the coasters?

Well, maybe not the roller-skater, but the others.

A coaster usually costs 40-50% of it's investment, so let's say Led Zeppelin was a 15 million dollar ride (it would most likely have a similar price tag if it was sold today, as it did when it was built). The the ride itself would be somewhere around 6-7,5 million dollar. A potential buyer would also have to pay for the removal of the ride, and that costs money like hell.

So in order for the ride to be sold, the price has to be low enough that it will be profitable to buy it and take it down. Then the buyer is also going to want a discount on top of that, otherwise why buy a used ride?

And the question is, is the one who runs the bankruptcy going to want to sell the ride that cheap? probably not.

The same goes for the smaller coasters, but the smaller the ride is, the easier it will probably be to sell I think.

Anyone else have similar thoughts?

I'm assuming there is still no word on whether Time Machine has sold or not? I'm a little behind on the news and rumors...

Last I read on Screamscape was that some park may have bought it, but there's not concrete proof to support it.

And the question is, is the one who runs the bankruptcy going to want to sell the ride that cheap? probably not.

 

The same goes for the smaller coasters, but the smaller the ride is, the easier it will probably be to sell I think.

 

Anyone else have similar thoughts?

I think they will end up selling Time Machine cheap. While I agree they won't want to sell it cheap, it's better to sell it at whatever someone is willing to pay than to just let it sit there and collect absolutely nothing.

I think the real question is whether it's cheaper to sell it to another park, or just scrap it? There aren't many who know the answer to that, but I'm sure they're working to figure that out as we speak.

Earlier in the thread somebody wrote that Time Machine was being sold for 9 million dollars. I don't know if that cost includes deconstruction costs, but with transportation and refurbishment fees the coaster would end up costing 11-12 million dollars total, wouldn't it? I doubt it would cost that much more to get a new and better B&M than to buy the used Time Machine ride.

Thanks for the link to IOE's Facebook page! Fascinating stuff.

 

So cool that they thought, and are allowed, to promote their company by giving people a glance at the behind the scenes goings-on! That had to be surreal to be in the park, trying to get the ride going and then actually watch cars cycle! Curious if he's by himself, or if they have a maintenance guy with him to help clear the track/controls of weeds etc.

 

Cool stuff.

Glad you enjoyed what we posted. It's one of our goals to be able to give everyone a different perspective on the amusement industry. The experience being there was totally surreal. On one side, everything is overgrown with weeds, but yet there's still so much left to the park, it looks like it could open up tomorrow (with a LOT of cleaning that is). I worked with a few great maintenance guys who are helping with the general upkeep of the rides and the park. The rides themselves are still being kept clear enough and I was happy I was able to get RPM up and running.

-Brian

^I got a good laugh out of the Towel dispenser 12 feet off the ground XD

From Screamscape:

Park News - (2/21/14) According to this article the owners of Medieval Times purchased a 4-acre slice of the former Freestyle Music Park site this week. Medieval Times will use the property for the exercise and grazing of their horses, and actually used the same land prior to the building of Hard Rock Park. A new corral has apparently already been installed. Medieval Times may not be done with land purchases either, as they apparently have their eye on a section of parking lot that sits between Medieval Times and the former Ice Castle building.

So here's a question...

It's $51 to go to Medieval Times in Myrtle Beach. The location, which sits on the same property as Hard Rock Park, existed before the park was built and is still open today so I assume it does well enough to keep their doors open.

How the hell do they manage to get people to come spend $50+ for a 2 hour dinner show, but Hard Rock Park couldn't get people to come ride roller coasters???

I can just see the Medieval Times management staring out at the empty HRP parking lot.. "I don't get it... people are coming to OUR attraction!!!"

This is just another perfect example of how much Hard Rock Park screwed up!!!

^Did Medieval Times to do more to reach out to people staying in town via discounts and such?

^^Maybe Medieval Times should buy the park and reopen it as Medieval Music Park. Eat ALL food in the park with only your hands. Be chased around the lagoon by knights with lances and experience Knights in Wooden Badgers: The Ride!

^They could sell medieval Spam on a Stick, too.

I remember driving from Hilton Head back to VA, and I saw ONE billboard for HRP the whole way. I told my mom we should go back to Myrtle Beach and check it out and she said maybe next time... Oh well...

I would imagine that Medieval Times is smart and markets to all the local hotels...

Medieval Times probably only needs about 500 guests per show to make money. While HRP probably needed over 15,000 a day to break even.