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Hard Rock / Freestyle Music Park Discussion Thread


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I just got this from my homepage. It's an article by Thrillnetwork about Hard Rock park's subpar attendance. Here it is: http://www.thrillnetwork.com/stories_view.php/2271/hard_rock_park_rocky_start.html

 

Personally, after seeing the PTR by Rob, I knew that would happene. You look at the aprk and it's just so random. Bland park with a rock theme... somewhere.

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Personally, after seeing the Photo TR by Rob, I knew that would happene. You look at the aprk and it's just so random. Bland park with a rock theme... somewhere.

 

By that logic, how do you explain Visionland or most Six Flags Parks? The music themes are carried out very well, and the park is an overall solid, professional attraction. The problem is simply the dynamics of their marketing. As Lance said on Screamscape, many people still don't even know the park exists yet.

 

Say what you want about what attractions the place needs, but most parks half it's size and magnitude have fared better just by sending out tons of annoying radio ads. It's all a marketing thing.

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They really need to lower their prices. There isn't enough there for the $50 gate price.

 

I don't know if they could pull it off but I think if they did a pay per ride system with free admission and sold wristbands for those who want unlimited tides, they would get a lot more visitors.

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Saying that it's sub-par is absolutely not true. They're a very small step below a Universal park (minus Knights in White Satin). It's just that the prices are rediculous, as said before. It just dosen't even out. I think you shouldn't make inferences about parks you've never been to.

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If it's this dead during the summer, I'd hate to see it in the off season. I have not been, but would like to try it out.

 

Living in Florida, we have not seen anything for the HRP. This is understandable, as I'm in Orlando, and advertising here is stupid for them. HRP should advertise all over the Carolina's, Atlanta, Virginia, and possibly Maryland and WV.

 

I hope the park survives, they have a good idea that they can build on. I'd like to try it out soon.

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Location, location, location.

 

That's quite true.

 

I said it from day 1 (I'm not going to bother looking up where I said it though.), this park will fail.

 

Reason - That area of the country CAN NOT support a quality amusement park.

 

They could barely support MBP. MBP was losing money. plain and simple. The locals couldn't support it enough to keep it alive. The owners saw an opportunity to sell, and did. It is now my understanding that the condo towers that were supposed to go up there, have stalled due to lack of sales. (i.e. NO MONEY coming in.)

 

The property that HRP was built on, (IIRC) or near, an ABANDONED shopping mall. It take quite a lot to kill an indoor shopping mall!

 

If the local economy can kill a shopping mall, what chance does an amusement park have?

 

Look at the demographics: it's damn close to being a retirement community. No other real points of interest (unless you LOVE playing golf!) that could bring in the tourist dollars needed to make it survive, because the locals can't support it. It just won't happen.

 

Myrtle Beach IS NOT a major tourist destination anymore!! It will never be that way again.

 

Scott is right. It all boils down to location. The Hard Rock people made a POOR decision by building the park in Myrtle Beach. Especially, considering the initial investment made by the Hard Rock company. It would be interesting

 

You can argue that "Where else would they go?"

 

There's plenty of available land in SoCal or Orlando that could have been looked at. That way they could have been a year 'round operation. Even with the stiff competition, they could've had a fighting chance. Especially with so many more attractions to draw people in, and (very important I might add) better, larger airport accessibility.

 

The first year, IOA didn't do all that great. I believe that USF still outdraws IOA in sheer numbers. But IOA is gaining ground. Plus, it's open all year to keep up with the Disneys, and other attractions down I-4.

 

Think about it, with no real competition, HRP is falling way below expectations. They have nothing else to offer.

 

I see the park opening next year, and the same thing happening. By then the locals will have already have that "been there, done that" syndrome.

 

After that, I seriously doubt that they will be open for a 3rd season.

 

 

JJ

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I just think they are unaware of what a theme park should be. Yeah the dude work for universal or what not but its not like he working in the creative department. It goes to show just cause you worked at a theme park doesn't mean you know how to run a theme park...

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i agree with the location.

 

No one in the Mid Atlantic (New York, Phily, Baltimore, DC) wants to pay all the money to travel to South Carolina. It costs to much flying and gas is way to much. Our family for example used to go to Myrtle Beach, but now with how much that would cost to drive, we just go to Ocean City or a more local beach. Local beaches are striving. You can't tell there's any dip in tourism in places like Ocean City NJ or MD, Atlantic City, or Rehobeth.

 

Im sure people in Florida don't want to waste the money to drive up to SC to go to Myrtle Beach, when they have their own beaches there.

 

It would be the perfect park in the Mid-Atlantic. Every park with the exception of SFA strives around here. Hardly any competition if they place it in a location like Ocean City Md. or even Rehobeth or Atlantic City. Philly, Baltimore, NYC, and Washington DC are all within reasonable drives of those areas

 

And heck, im not paying 50 bucks to only ride one quality coaster and a few flats. Rip-Off.

 

I would second guess paying $30 for a visit there.

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i agree with the location.

 

No one in the Mid Atlantic (New York, Phily, Baltimore, DC) wants to pay all the money to travel to South Carolina. It costs to much flying and gas is way to much. Our family for example used to go to Myrtle Beach, but now with how much that would cost to drive, we just go to Ocean City or a more local beach. Local beaches are striving. You can't tell there's any dip in tourism in places like Ocean City NJ or MD, Atlantic City, or Rehobeth.

 

Im sure people in Florida don't want to waste the money to drive up to SC to go to Myrtle Beach, when they have their own beaches there.

 

It would be the perfect park in the Mid-Atlantic. Every park with the exception of SFA strives around here. Hardly any competition if they place it in a location like Ocean City Md. or even Rehobeth or Atlantic City. Philly, Baltimore, NYC, and Washington DC are all within reasonable drives of those areas

 

And heck, im not paying 50 bucks to only ride one quality coaster and a few flats. Rip-Off.

 

I would second guess paying $30 for a visit there.

 

Forgot one...Kings Dominon !!!

 

Fredericksburg, VA is considered a suberb of DC and that city is only one hour away from Kings Dominion.

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i agree with the location.

 

No one in the Mid Atlantic (New York, Phily, Baltimore, DC) wants to pay all the money to travel to South Carolina. It costs to much flying and gas is way to much. Our family for example used to go to Myrtle Beach, but now with how much that would cost to drive, we just go to Ocean City or a more local beach. Local beaches are striving. You can't tell there's any dip in tourism in places like Ocean City NJ or MD, Atlantic City, or Rehobeth.

 

Yeah, people aren't going to drive all the way down to Myrtle when they can just go to VA Beach, or a similar place farther north, closer to home, and, as you said, mostly everyone south of Myrtle has their own beach locally.

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I dont know if im alone here, and I know it's early but they should of atleast built another big coaster. One big coaster isn't enough to make the enthusiast or the GP coaster riders come back. The park is theemed to be "edgey, rock and roll, and for teens and thrill seekers" And they have one noteable coaster. 100 years ago that would work, but not anymore.

 

People won't come back after only riding Zep. That's the other downfall of the park I think.

 

Cedar Point, SFMM, SFGADV, Kings Island, Hershey Park, SFOG, Kings Dominiton, BGA are all within reasonable driving distances of huge cities. This park isn't.

 

South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia are no where near the top of the list of most populated areas, and with the state the park is in now then no one will be repeating a visit or visiting at all (cite http://www.prb.org/Datafinder/Topic/Bar.aspx?sort=v&order=d&variable=395)

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If they are going to succeed then what they need is a resort!

 

A hotel or two, a 'Downtown Disney' or 'City Walk' type area, a few restaurants, a water park etc. From what I have gathered there is very little else to attract people to that area so if they are going to succeed they need to make sure they have plenty of stuff to attract the masses!

 

I haven't seen any advertising at any of the Hard Rock Cafe's either, let alone at Travel Agents or anything like that, but that's the problem, until it's a proper destination then they can't justify advertising it around the world because the tourists just won't come! However if I was to look in a Virgin brochure and see holidays advertised (like they are for Disney and Universal Resorts in Florida) for the Hard Rock Resort then I would fly there just for that.

 

It comes down to, Marketing and Location as everyone is saying, good marketing will help but you also need to be in a location people will want to travel too, and people won't travel long distances just for one park!

 

Matt

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South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia are no where near the top of the list of most populated areas, and with the state the park is in now then no one will be repeating a visit or visiting at all (cite http://www.prb.org/Datafinder/Topic/Bar.aspx?sort=v&order=d&variable=395)

 

The only problem with that is the fact that all three of those states are in the top half for the nation, and those numbers are based on a per square mile basis. That just tells you how dense of a population there is in that area. The District of Columbia is hardly the most populated state/district in the nation, it just has a lot of people in a small area.

 

I will agree though that Myrtle Beach wasn't the best choice of location. There really isn't a major city within a short distance of it where as the other major parks usually have an hour or less driving distance to the nearest major city.

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The park is struggling because the local population can't support it and there are not enough tourists to compensate this. Do you really think that putting the park in area with less locals and NO tourists would have really helped it?

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The park is struggling because the local population can't support it and there are not enough tourists to compensate this. Do you really think that putting the park in area with less locals and NO tourists would have really helped it?

 

There is people in the mid-west. If you put it near a big city don't you think the attendance would be decent. You would also get tourists at most big cities.

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I think they should have built HRP in the mid-west. There really isn't a whole lot of amusement parks in states like Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, etc. I know it probably wouldn't fit there, but a central location and a lot of marketing could make this a nice park.

 

There is a reason why there aren't that many parks out there. There are lower populations, and nobody going out there to visit. It is the same reason why there aren't a lot of larger corporations, like Wal-Mart, setting up shop in low populated areas. There is no business out there.

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