Some crazy questions...

With Michael Jackson dying, they were talking about on the news how he used to rent out amusement parks and things like that? Is that really possible to do or must you be famous? How much would it cost roughly? I figured it was worth asking on here maybe....

Anyone can rent out a park for the right amount of money. Dorney usually has a lot of company buyouts in September when the park would have been empty anway. I have no idea how much it costs though.

Buyouts happen all the time at parks. Whether it be a corporation renting the park out for its employees, or a wealthy individual willing to pony up the cash for their family and friends.

Yeah, in the past SFGAdv would rent out sections of it's park for "after hours VIP events" (not referring to the ACE or other enthusiast ERT times here, no...) I've known of the park having blackout dates as well when the employees would work a normal shift...

Okay, another oddball question: Will we see the Nerverland Rach opened to the public as a Graceland-esk museam/"Kiddie Park?" Or would that be too creepy?

Hopman: Yes to both your questions.

Just because it is creepy, doesn't mean they won't do it.

Didn't the rumor mill say that MJ was due to do a buy-out at Cedar Point in September of 2001 but ended up canceling due to the events on September 11th?

I wonder if you have to guarantee (or pay for) a certain number of admissions. I would think it's more difficult nowadays for one company to buy out an entire park.

First, many companies aren't as large and centralized as they used to be. Years ago, you'd have a company like Bethlehem Steel or Mack Trucks with 6,000 employees in one location. So you could easily have 15,000-20,000 people attending a company picnic. Few companies have that many employees in one city anymore. A few years ago, I spoke with a woman at Hersheypark (in a very slow moving line for Roller Soaker) who told me she was from Massachusetts and worked for M&T bank. The bank was going to be having a company picnic on one of the buyout days (Sunday) in September. She said nobody would be coming from that far away-- especially since they had to work the next day. Point being that banks might have thousands of employees, but they're spread over half a dozen states of more.

Second, parks themselves have grown so large in the past 20-30 years, that it's almost impossible for one company to fill them anymore. Capacity is easily 50,000 people in the large parks, and not that much less in some of the mid-sized parks.

I think what some parks are doing is having a buyout day, but hosting several companies that day. A place like Hershey could easily do that with its multiple catering areas. They could have a decent crowd and still keep their staff busy.

I even remember during a "coaster enthusiast event" at Knotts a few years' back when half the park was designated for the ACE event and the other half of the park was hosting another buyout. One of our people even got lost somehow and ended up riding with the other group until he realized the mistake and got reunited with our group.

I've seen trip reports in the past few years where Harley Davidson does Hershey during their spring buyout days, but I don't know whether they do it alone or not.

My father works for McCormick's and they've had both Hershey Park and Six Flags America "rented" for a day late in the season. Hershey Park, however, stopped doing just one company at a time and the last time we went the NSA and Black & Decker were also there. They park was more crowded that day than it was earlier in June. :(

^My dad used to work at the News-American before the Inner Harbor became "the happening place", mid-late 70s. I used to LOVE the smells of the McCormick factory on the drive thru town. Maybe not as good as the Hershey smell, but always interesting. Of course, SFA back then wasn't much (or even SF)...we drove past the place on the way to KD a few times without even knowing there was a park there.

edit: Typically for smaller groups it's easier (and WAY cheaper) to arrnage an ERT session on a ride or two than to rent out the whole park. If you're going to have ERT, make sure it's after park closing.

Hopman said:
Okay, another oddball question: Will we see the Nerverland Rach opened to the public as a Graceland-esk museam/"Kiddie Park?" Or would that be too creepy?

I doubt Neverland Ranch will ever be open to the public. Really there isn't much there from what I have read in the paper and seen on TV over the years. The rides are gone and well, pretty much everything else is gone too. Myabe some of Jackson' stuff but chances are they will be sold since Michael Jackson was deeply in debt and I doubt all of those people he owed money too will simply just give up trying to collect their money only because Jackson had died.

Pretty much forgotten now but when Elvis Presley had died in 1977, at the time of his death Elvis, like Jackson was deeply in debt ( though not as bad as Michael Jackson was ). 1977 was the year of DISCO, rock bands like Boston and KISS and teen idols like Shaun Cassidy..Elvis was NOT part of any of those groups. While Elvis still packed them in at concerts, he was not getting played on the radio nor was he seen very much on TV then either, well other than his movies. But Elvis still have family living at Graceland unlike Jackson had ( other than his kids ) at Neverland. When Elvis died his dad Vernon took over the estate and that was when the big Elvis craze began ( the Elvis clothes, people acting like Elvis, the Elvis books, etc.. and soon the opening of Graceland ). Also going back to Neverland, again much of Jackson relaited stuff is gone now but at Graceland, I have been told by family who had visited that place, many parts of that house is exactly the same as it was when Elvis was still living there, right down to the original furniture. I am sure they have been cleaned since 1977, otherwise imagine the smell. Yuck !!

For Neverland i can see one of two things happening..

1. The land/house will once again be somebody's home.

or

2. Somebody will buy the land..tear down the house and build something else.

I remember last year Mark Shapiro had SFNE open for his sons Birthday party but it was during the week when the park was closed before it went to its daily schedule. If you have the money you can do what ever you want, so people like Bill Gates can do what ever they want.

ESPN has a buy out at Lake Compounce every year. Of course, LC is much smaller than some of the other parks mentioned in this thread.

I belive that now "Wacko Jacko" has died, you'll see impersonators comming out of the woodwork trying to cash in.

I hear he died of an overdose of medication. Was it a bottle of flinstone vitamins?

Sorry....coulden't resist.

I hear that it was stated in his will that since his body was made up of about 25% plastic, he want's to be melted down and molded into some Lego pieces, so that little boys can play with him for a change.

lol I really didn't mean that. MJ was awesome! I think that he will be remembered as a great performer.

edit spelling

When I was a Kid my Local School District would rent out the now :(defunct:( Edgewater Park for a "Last Day of School" Picnic each June.

When will there be the first "Sighting" of "The King of Pop" with "The King of Rock & Roll"? <G>

^LOL! Just give it time. ;)

I thought a real estate company owns Neverland? If they would open it up as a "tourist attraction" along with his house I am sure people will visit. That might help pay off some of his debt. Whether the Jackson family wants to do that or not I don't know.

To be honest, I think whoever owns it now is either going to sell it or sell it back to the Jackson family. Or, they are just going to tear it down and build something else.

I just know if Priscilla hadn't opened up Graceland as a tourist attraction his estate would of went down the tubes and Lisa Marie and her kids wouldn't be set for life. That's the best business decision Priscilla ever made. I don't think Elvis was in debt like Michael but he didn't have much money in his bank account when he died.

-Tina