Hard Rock Park update - themed areas, ride names, and park rendering

I'll reserve judgement until I see something more than just renderings and ride announcements. Still, it's nice to see this project going somewhere. Most theme park projects never seem to get off the ground.

How are they going to expand? They still need a large non-looping airtime machine and the park looks landlocked. The B&M looks like a good ride but like other people have said not unique enough to make a trip there. Now if they have something like Voyage, El Toro or Goliath @ SFOG or LaRonde than they may have something that warrents a destination.

^There are plenty of very nice parks without a "large non-looping airtime machine."

I find it funny you say the B&M doesn't look "unique enough" and then recommend something "like Voyage, El Toro, or Goliath @ SFOG or LaRonde." Do you want it unique, or do you want it like those rides? This is of course ignoring all the other coasters in the park.

Lastly, how is anybody here able to ask "how are they going to expand?" Has anyone seen the plans for the park? All we've seen is an artist's rendering, which obviously wouldn't show potential expansion areas.

I have no idea how much wiggle room the site has but even if there is near zero room to expand, Indiana Beach, Blackpool, and several other parks have done well without it. Being in a major tourist area, I doubt we're going to see massive amounts of expansion at the park anyway. If we *are* going to compare this park to IOA, check out how much *they've* added in the years since opening.

Geez, guys. If judging a coaster is impossible before riding it, exactly how hard is it to judge an entire park?

People are compalining about all the parks closing. One opens and people are compalining its not good enough.

Myrtle beach needed something like that. Gives people more to do when they are in the area.

3 coasters is great to open with. HEck the amusement park that is opening up here on Long Island will only have one coaster so 3 is great to open with. *** Edited 4/12/2007 11:52:31 AM UTC by majortom1981***

And I'm still counting 4 coasters in the rendering, maybe 5 depending on what the green squiggly thing with the tan supports is.

^^ At least someone gets it!

New amusement parks are announced all the time, but how many actually get built? I'm not sure of the exact number but I know it is very small. Here we have a new theme park that's going to open with coasters and people are still complaining? "It doesn't have this." "It doesn't have that." "There's no room for expansion." "The theming is dull." Geez... will some of you just shut up already? If you don't like how it sounds, don't go... that means there will be fewer people in line ahead of me when I go. Just don't complain the next time a park closes because you're not embracing a new park that's opening!

Yeah people if your going to complain that much about a brand new park with a B & M and other good attractions just don't go and keep it to yourself. There are plenty of parks out there that have been around for years and don't have half of what HRP is going to have when it opens. And room to expand? The property is 140 acres....many parks are smaller than that and have managed to do very well...Carowinds is only like 110 or something like that and it has a lot of stuff. Besides I am a firm believer in quality over Quantity. And going by the ride manufacturer list and the art renderings I am not going to be complaining. Some parks are about the experience more so than how many rides it has.

I think its funny how people are talking about expansions when the actual park itself isn't even open yet! That's like waiting for a movie sequel before you see the first installment.

One thing I just cannot stand -- and it seems to be happening a lot on this site lately -- is when someone gets attacked for having a negative opinion of a ride before it has been built. Not one person has been able to explain why it's ok to heap tons of praise and salivate over a ride when it's announced, but almost criminal to have a negative reaction to it. Both are judging the ride beforehand but one is fine and the other is not.

HOWEVER....

I do not understand the negative opinions in this thread at all. All we have so far is one drawing, one small blueprint, and a couple of ride names. How in the world can you question the quality of an entire park based on so little information? Saying the park is lacking attractions when we only know details on TWO of them seems absurd. For all we know they could have a bunch of dark rides or indoor flat rides, but you certainly can't tell without a complete ride line-up.

Now, after an entire, detailed ride and attraction list is announced you still have a negative opinion I'll be the first one there to say that you have every right to say that. But, sheesh, at least wait for the details before making that call.

Oh, and to respond to this quote -- "Nothing about this park screams originality to me." -- did I miss all of the other parks completely themed to music?

- Aaron K

RCDB has *this* to say about the park currently (sorry, no idea about last update date).

"Hard Rock Park is believed to be getting five roller coasters: 1 B&M, 2 Vekoma and 2 by Premier Rides. What types of roller coasters these are going to be hasn't been said. According to the Sun News, one roller coaster will be called "Maximum RPM!" and another will be called "Midnight Rider". When more specifics become know these roller coasters will be listed here in the normal manner"

Did I miss something?? Because from the looks of it, I can't see where we're getting the idea that the park will open with fewer coasters than those five mentioned.

Wish someone would start talking about IoA expansion, considering the similarities of the two parks...LOL! ;)

---

ColumbusCoaster said:
One thing I just cannot stand -- and it seems to be happening a lot on this site lately -- is when someone gets attacked for having a negative opinion of a ride before it has been built. Not one person has been able to explain why it's ok to heap tons of praise and salivate over a ride when it's announced, but almost criminal to have a negative reaction to it. Both are judging the ride beforehand but one is fine and the other is not.

---

I think it's more the wording of it, and the purposefulness of the complaints that makes the difference.

The majority of the time when someone complains about a ride before they've ridden it, it's usually because of

A. They wish the park had gotten something else
B. Some sort of problem with the statistics (It's too short, it has too many loopies, there's not enough loopies, etc) or
C. It's just thinly veiled complaining about the park itself, and not the ride.

Reason A and C are mostly BS, and B is a somewhat vague area. We all have our own subjective tastes, so I see nothing wrong with saying "Eh, announced coaster X looks a bit on the short side to me" or something along those lines as long as you're sensible about it.

Example - I feel free to bitch about Firehawk going to KI because I think it's a crappy ride, and that's not based on having ridden it before, that's based on riding *other* flyers before.

I'm *not* going to bitch about Firehawk going to KI because they "needed a B&M," something we've been hearing about the park since about 1995.

At the end of the day though, I think you need to only expect someone to say "Well you haven't ridden it yet" when you have criticisms of a new coaster. But as long as you're thoughtful and smart about it and can back up what you're saying I don't think you should have too much to worry about.

Looks cool to me, I will check it out.

Looks cool from what we've seen, but I'll reserve any judgment until I actually see something or step foot in the place. I can at least say this. maybe this is one place I won't have to worry about hearing any rap or crappy pop music strolling around the park, a day at a park with nothing but rock lol.

Great points matt.

I myself don't mind early complaints about a ride or park, It doesn't affect most people's views one way or another anyway.

But I have to chuckle to myself when it hits me that someone's "meh, doesn't impress me much" is clearly a thinly veiled complaint about something else that's not being said. Sometimes you can see right through it.

"Meh, doesn't impress me much=Translation= "If their ain't an airtime filled woodie involved, I don't like it".

In that sense, I at least appreciate Pink Floyd Fanatic's refreshing honesty. ;) *** Edited 4/12/2007 9:54:00 PM UTC by DWeaver***

^ You mean they're getting the 150'+ PnP woodie? ;)

No, they're getting a Gravity Group monster with 6 tunnels and 22 airtime filled hills! ;)

^That's SOOO last season. One-acre undulating twisters are what's hott. ;)

Just to clear up things in the wake of my mini-rant, I'm not against the expression of negative thoughts. I know I can be very critical of certain parks, especially ones like Cedar Point that 95% of the people on this site seem to regard as some kind of model of perfection. If I'm disappointed with a ride or even an announced ride for whatever reason (I was critical of Kingda Ka because I thought it was a mistake for the park to be getting involved with a ride they knew would be a maintenance headache), I don't hesitate to make my feelings known.

But this park? One that we have seen and heard very little about? I think it's a little too early to be saying anything negative about the place. If anything, enthusiasts should be excited about what those five coasters are going to be. Only after it's discovered that they're a Vekoma Boomerang, SLC and a couple of other clones will be all have a right to complain ;)

The article I read on HRP said two coasters, A flume and some shows and memorabilia. It also said 4 year plan but thats what it will open with.

Sorry for seeming a little unimpressed as this is supposed to be a BIG TIME project and improvment over the boardwalk.

Perhaps I'll feel different after visiting, Im certainly not ANTI HRP.

Chuck

Is "BIG TIME project" from their own press releases?

I mean again it's about expectations. My expectation is that we're getting park in a location where there was formerly not one.

If they announced "This park will be better than IOA" or something along those lines, it's a different story, but right now it's the enthusiast hype machine that's working harder than any other here.

Just keep your expectations in line and hopefully you won't be disappointed, and may even be pleasantly surprised.