Maximum RPM! at HRP

What is the status of this ride? Is it testing at all or are they having problems getting it going.

I don't really think they can do anything with it right now. All I know is that the trains are on the transfer track...

On the HRP blog in the MB Sun Times they say they are trying to get the ride open in time for May 9th.

http://thesunnews.typepad.com/hrp/

Scroll down to May 3, "Slippery When Wet Opens" and it's in the last paragraph.

I predict this ride will not last more than several seasons (if that). Prototypes such as this tend to be too problematic and costly, but we'll see. I hope I'm wrong.

Wow the park is going to be open from 10am till 1am, those are some long hours!

My guess is that they will soon figure out that in that town, all the tourists stay on the beach most of the day. I bet before long you'll see hours more akin to Cedar Fair's Halloween Saturday hours, because people defiantly stay out late, they just either don't get up, or lounge on the beach in the morning/early afternoon.

...Or they'll start a discounted 'twilight' ticket.

^Getting people there at night will not be a problem, its getting people there in the hight of the day, I guess they could try an "early bird" special but I dont know how well that would go over with people arriving at the gate that evening (so let me get this straight, I could have come here two hours earlier, and gotten more time at your park, but because I didnt I have to pay more? Screw you HRP, Im going to go spend my money elsewhere, I came here for the beach, what I do during the evenings is just extra.)

Of course they could also go the Indiana Beach route with the two time period thing, and make the early one cheaper, actually that would probably be the way to go if they are bent on being open at 10.

I actually argued what YhemeDesigner said in a new article post.

it is crazy that they don't have an evening special. Other posters are right, at MB during the day you stay at the beach and the pool, then you go out at night.

I am going down for a week in Septemeber, and unless the pricing changes, I will not be going to HRP. There is just way too many other things to do there at a fraction of the cost.

Besides, I will definately get my ride on The Swamp Fox. The tallest and fastest (and only!) wooden coaster in SC!

What sort of big (technical) problem can the ride face? Its just a simple, very small coaster with a different lift.
Mack and Maurer Söhne use elevators for years, 90°, even overhanging lifts and tilting tracks are also nothing new anymore.

A ferris wheel is not exactly a new invention and some parking garages use similar techniques to stack cars:
http://www.techmausa.com/ferris%20wheel.htm

So you guys are saying that because people will avoid the park during the day and show up at night that HRP should discount the nighttime entry?

Really?

Wow.

Touchdown nailed it. If that's the case you offer some kind of early entry discount...you know, incentive to get people there at times they're not coming. :)

Uh...yeah, think about it guys. Why would a park that truly has the greatest demand in the evening make it cheaper to come in the evening? Let's ponder this again for a second...

How close is this park to downtown Myrtle Beach?

And thats fine! Let them give an early entry discount. I could understand why they dont have a discount evening entry.

Though I disagree. I would love to see the numbers from other parks that have evening entry rates, and see how they do.

As far as HRP goes, its easy. I don't see a value in the park to blow a whole day of my vacation there. I wouldn't mind an evening, but no way am I going to pay full price to show up at 6pm. I just won't go, and the other 3 people that are going with me feel the same way.

I know alot of people will just go but how many other customers will they lose because of this?

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Gary B said:
And thats fine! Let them give an early entry discount. I could understand why they dont have a discount evening entry.

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I think you totally missed the point. No one is saying they will or suggesting they should give an early discount. Just trying to explain the concept of when you discount. You reduce price when the demand is reduced. Pretty much everyone posting agrees that the demand will be the highest in the evening hours. You don't discount when demand is up - grade school economics there.

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Though I disagree. I would love to see the numbers from other parks that have evening entry rates, and see how they do.

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What would that have to do with anything? You know why some parks offer that evening discount?

As incentive for people to come to the park when there's only 4 or 5 hours left in the operating day - when demand is low.

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As far as HRP goes, its easy. I don't see a value in the park to blow a whole day of my vacation there. I wouldn't mind an evening, but no way am I going to pay full price to show up at 6pm.

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Yeah, but with operating hours from 10am to 1am - a 15 hour day, I'm not sure they actually expect people to spend an entire day.

You're looking at it entirely wrong - it's not about the 8 hours you missed in the day, it's about the 7 hours you're getting at night. That's the equivalent of a park like SFGAdv or Carowinds that closes a 8pm offering a 1pm discount.

What if they changed their hours so that they didn't open until 3pm? (a 10 hour day like many parks)

Would you still expect a discount at 6pm?

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I just won't go, and the other 3 people that are going with me feel the same way.

I know alot of people will just go but how many other customers will they lose because of this?

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I suppose that remains to be seen. I guess it depends on how many other people are mistaken on the value proposition of a park with such lengthy operating hours each day.

Agreed, Gonch, if anything the park should be wildly applauded for staying open so late. That's one of the reasons I adore going to Disneyland, I can go in the morning, do all the stuff that gets crowded fast and then bail in the afternoon. Then when I come back at 5 or 6 I'll still have 6 whole hours to hang out and do fun stuff. I mean to me that's a really awesome proposition and exactly how I would come at this park, too.

As an aside, in this age of ever-increasing prices and fleecing the Customer, HRP is taking a page out of the Holiday World playbook and offering something totally free:

air guitars!

http://www.jimhillmedia.com/mb/images/upload/Hard-Rock-Park-5-web.jpg

I may be a minority, or I may just be getting old, but I would much rather spend an evening at a park rather than a whole day almost anywhere.

Therefore, I am use to getting the evening discount everywhere else.

Gonch, I actually agree with most of what you say. I understand your point totally.

I am very familiar with the area. I don't think the people that live there will support the park. And as far as people on vacation, I don't think it will be high on their lists either.

I think MB for the most part attracts 2 kinds of people. Golfers and families looking for an affordable vacation. Neither of which do I think we be big on the park, due to price and other available attractions.

Now this year I think they will also attract people that want to experience the park. But after that first experience, will these people keep returning? I am doubtful, but that will remain to be seen.

Is the evening discount really available everywhere else, though? I rarely take advantage of that sort of thing so I don't really know what other parks in the area would offer it.

The only other park in that area is Family Kingdom. You can either buy a wristband or pay as you go. I love that park, and Swampfox, but I don't think it would be a fair comparision to HRP.

I think you are missing the point. The point is you have full admission price for the whole day at $50.00 (I have no idea how much the park costs.), and have twilight price costing $35.00 starting at 7:00 pm. If you aren't going to spend the whole day because it's open so late, than how about offer something like Cedar Fair does? The point is that it's open so darn long, that why not have two prices?