Is the Dania Beach Hurricane a failure?

What I mean by that has nothing to do with the ride quality or experience but rather if it is making a profit or not. I keep hearing about the lack of lines but the ride needs patrons to survive. A newspaper article print during the ride's grand opening mention about DBH's owner's plan to build five more woodies including one in NW FL. Has he given up on the idea? I hope Jules Ross is making enough money to keep expanding his woodie empire. You ca never have too many woodies! :-)

A failure? That's a strong word, though I'm guessing that it hasn't lived up to the kind of traffic they were expecting. Save for weekend nights (and I'm not sure if it's still that way anymore) the coaster is always a walk-on ride.

On the flipside, having all that wood taunting the I-95 drivers has probably helped drive some incremental business to Boomers, so if you add it all up maybe it's not that much of a failure.

What I think would be ideal -- and this is pie in the sky because so many different owners are involved (between the coaster, the grand prix and Boomers) is to buy out the vacant lots that surround the place (and, yes, they are for sale in most cases) add a steel coaster and a few flats and create South Florida's only amusement park.

It's iffy. It's pretty much near the spot where Six Flags Atlantis came and folded and a stone's throw from Pirate's World so maybe Dania is cursed, but Miami and Ft. Lauderdale definitely needs and can support an area park.

South Florida is an event-driven market. Just the coaster wouldn't do the trick, but make it a park and host regular concerts and the like -- that's what works in the area (i.e. -- Dade County Fair Expo is drawing more than 850,000 over its 2 1/2 week run right now).

Dade County Fair Expo (or whatever is the largest fair in Miami) should try a perminent midway like the Texas State Fair, PNE, and SFKK. Build a small park with some good ride including a 125' woodie (or move the DBH) there. And keep it open all year. Actually Boomers and DBH's owners both should try to negotiate a deal to move to the fairground where the current midway is and have some of the same thrill rides that the fair has. BTW I was @ Boomer's just before they started construction on DBH (just after Jan. 1, 2000) and happen to remember a large carnival on DBH's current site. Does anyone know that it was for (a fair?)? Isn't there another large fair in Miami other than Dade County Fair or is that the one I am thinking about which has a big website?

I also wonder because my oldest sister lives about 20-25 minutes away from the park in Pemsbrook Pines and she has said that it is located right next to very rough neighborhood. In fact my oldest newphew have said that a block away from the park he has seen some idiot chasing another person with a basball bat. I wondor if its proximity(sp?) to a bad neighborhood scared people away? In any case I didn't the least bit feel scared when I was there @ Boomer's with my newphews. The only reason I haven't been there since was the lack of cash to make a return trip since it is a long ways from MN.
*** This post was edited by Pink Floyd Fanatic 3/30/2003 2:29:01 AM ***

Why does the Hurricane have to have long lines to be a worthwhile or profitable addition to the park? Perhaps they make enough off the other attractions as it is.

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"God put animals here for us to eat them! I didn't rise to the top of the food chain just to have a salad!" - Bassistist

I'm not familiar with the Hurricane and Boomers, but the whole concept sounds a lot like Thunder Eagle and Race World in Pigeon Forge.

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Eastcoaster

PFF, they do have a seasonal set-up there by Boomers with Christmas lights and a modest collection of flats. It was actually seeing that off I-95 a year ago that reminded me of how it could all work as one cohesive park (and probably the only way any park could ever exist right off the meaty I-95 real estate).

Fair Expo IS the big fair down here in Miami. Until recently it used to be called the Dade County Youth Fair -- and I think most people still call it the Youth Fair anyway. The only other major carnival event here is Santa's Enchanted Forest which is on a strip of land right off the Palmetto Expressway (826) which is leased from Tropical Park (a huge Dade County recreational park). Last year it got some competition when another traveling fair set up Holiday Village in downtown Miami (which also has a Halloween-themed fair). That's a beautiful setting on the waterfront (by Bayside and American Airlines Arena), but, again, on city-owned land leased out for the event.

"Why does the Hurricane have to have long lines to be a worthwhile or profitable addition to the park?"

Moosh, you're right. I don't think you'll ever find much of a line for coasters at places like Knoebel's on a weekday though it's clearly a successful park. But by walk-on I'm talking Conneaut Lake Park walk-on. I've been there on weekend afternoons with a dozen birthday parties taking place (the bread and butter of Boomers) and it's just 3-4 people doing repeat rides on the coaster for an hour. It's walk-on and barren.

I'm pretty sure it covers the operating costs, though at this rate I don't know if it will ever pay back the initial investment. But, you're right, if it's drawing people in to the rest of the Boomer's attractions then it's successful as a loss leader. It looks awfully cool off I-95.

GF, it's very similar in layout to what happened at Race World when it added wood but it's entirely different dynamics.

Race World was built for tourists. Folks will come on in during the Dollywood operating season and the folks strolling Gatlinburg will come in for a peek but the whole collection of miniature golf courses (and Race World) I imagine have a dramatic drop-off when it comes time to depend on the locals to stay afloat in the off-season.

The Dania Beach Hurricane (and Boomers) caters to the local market. It's got a better shot that way, since the population and the per capita income is huge compared to the situation in Pigeon Forge. DBH is open all-year. Set it up in a situation where it's got more of a supporting cast of rides and you can realistically market annual passes and the like to the local market.

Race World has been closed for almost two years if my memory serves me. Race World was not located in a good spot to draw the crowds in to support it.

Thunder Eagle is now just sitting there waiting on to be either saved or waste away.

I think the DBH is turning a profit. With a single ride costing $6.95 and unlimited rides for $10 they are making a profit. At $10 a person they don't need long lines or full trains for a profit. I know maintenance and insurance do cost a lot of money but the coaster is open year round so it makes a decent amount of money. Remember this coaster I beleive only cost about $3.5 million dollars to build which is a decent price for such a nice woodie in my oppinion.

Also I heard from someone the owners of the Hurricane do not have anymore intentions to build other rollercoasters which is too bad because I was hoping this would start a national trend of building wooden rollercoasters at FECs across the country.

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Mike
Favorite Wood: Viper at SFGAM,Shivering Timbers
Favorite Steel: Magnum and Raging Bull

$7 a single ride. Hmm. I was thinking of charging that price for a single ride if I could win a huge a powerball and build myself a $35-40 million wooden Intamin goliath that wood shatter the record for tallest, longest, steepest, fastest woodie. And I would demand the designer to make every single hill to deliver sustaining airtime no matter where you sit. Unlike most record breakers I would demand a good thrilling action packled design from the very first drop to the final brakes. I think people would pay $7 to ride a well maintain giant wooden airtime monster before riding a medium sized woodie. The GP still assume that the bigger the coaster the scarier and better it is. In most cases we know better since I do agree to the fact the most big woodies suck simply not because ot the size but poor design. While I do agree that most of the smaller woodies in the 75-100 foot range including the DBH happens to be the better ride there is absolutely no reason why someone (like me) who is smart enough to want a good design can't build a HUGE record breaker that is totally full of action. Before Intamin's plug N play woodies I'd say it can't be done because of SOB but now if I have the money, I'd have the balls to build a 300+ foot tall wooden airtime monster because now I think it would work.

Kevin - I think you need to change your username from "Pink Floyd Fanatic" to "Intamin Plug & Play Fanatic."

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"God put animals here for us to eat them! I didn't rise to the top of the food chain just to have a salad!" - Bassistist

I live in Miami, and I think that the problem is not with the park, its the people. I'm not saying that we're bad people down here, there just more laid back around here. I mean half the people are so rich they could just by Boomers if they wanted to. And everyone else just tries to act like there rich, and do the same. Oh, just a tip for any South Floridians, today was the last day at the youth fair, and for the last several years I have gone on the last day, and it is always empty. My family and I were the only ones on almost every ride.

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"They want you to take the rolls."- Cory Matthews "Did you know that the hole's only natural enemy is the pile?" -Bart Simpson

Very cool that they had a Crazy Mouse coaster at the fair.

Anyone who thinks DBH is a "failure" is looking at the receipts for the coaster and not at *the big picture* (courtesy of Dr. Doom). In terms of overall income at Boomer's, I'd say that DBH is probably the best advertisement EVER for any FEC...sure it cost a few million to build, but the arcade is PACKED on weekends, and I sure don't remember it being like that before the coaster. While I'd love to say that the coaster pays for itself at $7 and $10 increments for riding the coaster, I'd be willing to say it seems more likely to me that the coaster has ALREADY paid for itself, one gameroom token at a time...*success* depends on how you define it...;)

Rollergator, Good point but I thought Boomers didn't own the Dania Beach Hurricane? So the profits Boomers is making in the arcade is not going to the owners of the coaster.

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Mike
Favorite Wood: Viper at SFGAM,Shivering Timbers
Favorite Steel: Magnum and Raging Bull

Ya know what Dania needs? A huge, airtime-filled Intamin Plug-n-Play! While we're at it Knoebels needs one...and Holiday World...and Lakemont...and Rye...and Arnold's Park...and Adventure City...and Belmont Park...and Fun Forrest...and Oaks Park...and heck, might as well put a second one at Heidi Park, too!

Ya know...Kevin has convinced me that a huge, airtime-filled Intamin woodie is the answer to *everything*:

Bad economy got you down? Buy an Intamin Plug-n-Play and everything will look rosy!

Need a new haircut? Ask your hairdresser for an Intamin Plug-n-Play!

Iraqi dictator won't disarm? Buy him an Intamin Plug-n-Play...it's da bomb!

Girlfriend won't put out? Charm her with an Intamin Plug-n-Play!

Can't get stains out of your clothes? Shout 'em out with an Intamin Plug-n-Play!

Got that "not-so-fresh" feeling? Rinse with an Intamin Plug-n-Play!

Moosh - if you can't *beat* 'em, join 'em ;)

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"God put animals here for us to eat them! I didn't rise to the top of the food chain just to have a salad!" - Bassistist

edited for sarcasm.
*** This post was edited by Mamoosh 3/31/2003 5:33:21 PM ***

Boomer's does not own the Hurricane. A couple of gentlemen own it. They lease the land, as I understand it, from the Boomers folks. Boomers is the sister to the Boomers up in Boca but don't expect them to get a coaster anytime soon. They are immediately next to an airport.

Boomers is a nice FEC with a really great go-kart track. The minature golf is aged and could use some work. Arcades are typical but do have a couple of DDR machines for those that are into that.

If Florida ever legalizes gambling then I wouldn't be surprised if that property became a casino at that time.

Moosh told me that a 250-ft. tall, airtime-filled Intamin Plug-n-Play was the answer for my nasty hemorrhoid problems, but I can't figure out how to get it in there.

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Mike Miller - Head Jackass, just go ahead and ban me now

Oh, and I forgot to add...

"Bassistist

Bassistist

Bassistist!"

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Mike Miller - Harbinger Of Doom - Killer Of Threads - Cheap Rates, Ask About Our Special!