Bye bye Astroworld!
Coaster Cynic said:
Its no use. people have their opinions based on one or 2 visits years ago and they will not believe anything else.
When we started getting funded properly and seeing great changes at the park, I always said it has to be a three year commitment at minimal. It is very normal for people to hold on to bad images for years. That's just the way we work. I don't blame any of them. It's just human nature. I am not trying to convince anyone of anything!
Same thing for the locals, hence the declining attendance. Years of bad images stuck in their heads and word of mouth made the affect three fold. Again that's just normaly human behavior. Hopefully some will make the last trip and realize a turn for the better had happened.
Sadly in the big picture none of this really matters. The park is going down. It really should be a sad thing for everyone here wether they liked it or not. Simply because at least standing there was always the potential of SF's failing as we know them, and another great operator taking over and changing the parks.
Astroworld will now never have that chance!
My first trip to SFKK was *almost* as unimpressive....of course, they DID get another chance, I found the park VASTLY improved, and have said as much....read the posts! :)
Honestly, I *never* want to have a bad impression of ANY park...but I only HAD the one chance, over two days. It IS sad to me they're gone, even if I experienced the worst the park had to offer.
It's the hospitality industry, you HAVE to make the most of every opportunity to garner the all-important REPEAT business...what more can I say about it?
Please have compassion when you enter and evaluate the park. I would expect it is going to be very hard for the full time workers to stay emotionally positve when they know their last day is near. Many of our workers are like family to us and each other. Many have devoted many years of their lives at the park. For some over fourty, it was their only job since high school!
The park staff former and current have a strange bond amongst us! Remember this is not only about coasters and rides. This is about people's lives as well!
Fierce Pancake said:
For what its worth, the two rider per row rule on Viper was due to this being a looping rollercoaster with no OTSR or seat divider. For 2005 they added a non-obtrusive seat divider to fix just this sort of problem and allow single riders.
I think that is a silly rule. There are a bunch of Schwarzkopf loopers, and I have never seen/ridden/heard of one with such a rule, they seem to do fine otherwise. That doesn't sound like a good "explanation" to me.
*** Edited 9/16/2005 2:53:36 AM UTC by Jophish***
Jophish said:
Fierce Pancake said:
For what its worth, the two rider per row rule on Viper was due to this being a looping rollercoaster with no OTSR or seat divider. For 2005 they added a non-obtrusive seat divider to fix just this sort of problem and allow single riders.I think that is a silly rule. There are a bunch of Schwarzkopf loopers, and I have never seen/ridden/heard of one with such a rule, they seem to do fine otherwise. That doesn't sound like a good "explanation" to me.
*** Edited 9/16/2005 2:53:36 AM UTC by Jophish***
Well, every park has their little quirks. What could be more silly than SFOG (a nice park, by the way) running 2 trains but only filling one? Or closing the queues early on some nights where it can be hard to plan your closing sequence because you don't know if the ride you want to close on will still have the queue open?
At Astroworld, the queues close AT closing time.
I often visited as a single rider and I was never denied a ride during the time when they had that rule. They always found someone to ride with me. I even learned to use this rule to my advantage, by volunteering to fill in an empty seat if they needed a single immediately after my ride. I've gotten some extra rides on Viper and Greased Lightning that way.
At SFOT and SFOG, you can't ride single on the Antique Cars. At SFOT, you can't even on the log flume.
Every park has their little quirks.
I am not from Houston and Astroworld is not my home park, but I've visited many times over the years.
I can honestly look anyone straight in the eye and say I have NEVER had a bad visit to Astroworld. I've been treated very well there.
To those just hoping to wait and ride the rides at other parks, sure you can do that, but there is no guarantee they'll all be saved, AND you would be cheating yourself out of an opportunity to experience one of the Classic American Theme Parks.
With basically only Disneyland and the first 2 Angus Wynne SF parks as a template, Judge Hoffeinz and his team created Astroworld. Before King's Island and Magic Mountain and Great Adventure and the Great Americas and even the third and final original Six Flags park in Eureka ever saw the light of day, Astroworld was there, in 1968 making guests happy with it's own unique interpretation of the still-new regional theme park concept.
The landscaping is lush and mature, the theming is colorful and charming, the rides are fun and in some cases eclectic and rare.
It's not just a collection of rides, it's the SUM TOTAL of the rides and all of the other components TAKEN AS A WHOLE that is being lost, and that is what makes me angry and sad about this.
Frontrider *** Edited 9/16/2005 4:50:57 AM UTC by Frontrider***
Jophish said:
Fierce Pancake said:
For what its worth, the two rider per row rule on Viper was due to this being a looping rollercoaster with no OTSR or seat divider. For 2005 they added a non-obtrusive seat divider to fix just this sort of problem and allow single riders.I think that is a silly rule. There are a bunch of Schwarzkopf loopers, and I have never seen/ridden/heard of one with such a rule, they seem to do fine otherwise. That doesn't sound like a good "explanation" to me.
*** Edited 9/16/2005 2:53:36 AM UTC by Jophish***
And most of those have seatbelts, which Astroworld's Schwarzkopfs didn't.
Frontrider said:
Well, every park has their little quirks. What could be more silly than SFOG (a nice park, by the way) running 2 trains but only filling one? Or closing the queues early on some nights where it can be hard to plan your closing sequence because you don't know if the ride you want to close on will still have the queue open?
You don't need to tell me how silly those rules are! I'm not bashing the park by any means because of the rule, I am just saying that I find it to be one of those silly rules. By the way, if you go to SFOG anytime soon on light days they usually keep the lines open 'till closing, just as a side comment ;)
I can honestly look anyone straight in the eye and say I have NEVER had a bad visit to Astroworld. I've been treated very well there.
And sadly we had a terrible day there. I enjoyed a good portion of the rides, but the park experience was lacking. Then again, this was a busy August day in Houston, and summer heat often brings out the worst in parks.
The landscaping is lush and mature, the theming is colorful and charming, the rides are fun and in some cases eclectic and rare.
I totally agree on the rare rides thing, but didn't find the landscaping to be all that great and the themeing was about on par with my homepark's USA or Bugs Bunny World sections (old and outdated if you ask me).
Still, some great thoughts and I respect y'all who are losing your homepark (or just a park that you find to be good)
Fierce Pancake said:
And most of those have seatbelts, which Astroworld's Schwarzkopfs didn't.
Maybe its a coincidence, but out of the last three Schwarzkopf loopers that I have ridden (the only three still in good memory), none of them had seatbelts (Laser, SooperDooperLooper, Mind Bender) and yet none of them had a no single rider rule. If it is because of the seatbelts then it's not a very good reason since it seems to work fine at other parks.
coasterdude318 said:
That's exactly the weekend we're looking at going, I believe (Oct 21-23). If anyone else is planning on being there, feel free to PM me.-Nate
I am looking at going that same weekend...flying into Housotn on Friday morning. I want to go to Astroworld Firday night then drive u to SFOT on Saturday/Sunday and then fly out of Dallas/Ft. Worth. Anyone else up for this?
AV Matt
Long live the Big Bad Wolf
AV Matt
Long live the Big Bad Wolf
Here's the link:
If Snyder's group did buy Six Flags is there a possibility the park might be saved?
I just gain much more respect for Snyder and company!!
Guess I better hurry up and tug on his strings. SFI is already in the planning mode to start taking down AW. *** Edited 9/17/2005 2:05:26 AM UTC by Markieb***
What I also find sad about losing SFAW is that it was one of the firstl parks designed by Randall Duell. While originally an art director/set designer/Academy Award nominee for films (Jailhouse Rock, Blackboard Jungle, When Ladies Meet), he started designing theme parks in 1958 including Magic Mountain, the Six Flags parks, the Kings Island and King's Dominion parks, both Marriott Great Americas properties, Opryland, the Universal Tour, Hershey Park, Lion Country Safari and many other American theme parks. I found that info on this site:
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