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New Amusment Park For Orlando?

M

marc

CF Legend
Just read this and really hope it does happen.

Central Florida News - (10/13/10) A new mini amusement park / attraction is apparently being discussed for a 70 acre forested plot of land on I-Drive, just south of the Festival Bay mall. According to the local news, the current name is “The Orlando Thrill Park” and they expect to fill it with big coasters and other thrill rides. How big will the rides be? With 70 acres to play with, they certainly have room for just about anything, and according to the article, they have also mentioned that some rides will be big enough that the FAA will have to give approval, which generally means anything 200 ft or taller. With the Baker Leisure Group involved here, I’ve got to wonder if they’re planning on buying up some of the rides from the former Hard Rock Park and moving them down to Orlando.

http://www.screamscape.com/html/orlando.htm
http://www.wftv.com/news/25361448/detail.html
 
Hixee

Hixee

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Somehow I wouldn't have thought Orlando was the easiest place to start up a theme park.

Still, could be interesting to see if this progresses well... or not...
 
SaiyanHajime

SaiyanHajime

CF Legend
^Oh I dunno. There is a lot of competition there, is that your point? I think Orlando is probably one of the safest places to start a theme park, because you've already got people in the area purely interested in going to a theme park. This is a very different market from anything else in Orlando. I wonder, though, if BGT will suffer a bit with people not wanting to make the journey out for thrills when they can get them in Orlando?

Interesting...
 
Hixee

Hixee

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^Yeah, I did mean competition, but you make a fair point. I think I was meaning that people are more likely to visit the established parks than something that's fairly new and hasn't really 'proved' itself, as it were. Having said that, sheer numbers alone may allow this park to get a reputation quickly, in which case it could work out for the park (assuming the reputation is good!).

I'm not sure Busch will suffer though, they've got such a massive draw, not only the thrilling coasters, but also the animals etc. It will be interesting to see what this new park comes out with, Orlando/Florida already has some pretty good coasters (Montu, Hulk, Manta, SheiKra... the list goes on) so it's certainly not got an easy job on it's hands!
 
nadroJ

nadroJ

CF Legend
It sounds kind of seedy/cheapy/Six Flagsy to me. But then again I think to compete with the Orlando parks it's going to have to be fairly well themed and awesome to get people to go back. Hopefully anyway, otherwise it'll just be an eyesore.
 
M

marc

CF Legend
If they put in major big coasters it will do well as that is what the area needs. I don't even think it needs to be themed well tbh they just need thrilling rides that the other parks don't have and probably won't.

Loads of people said the Hard Rock Park would have probably done ok had it been in Orlando, and I personally feel they is a market there for another park as long as they do not try and take on the others but fit in along side them.

With this and Lego land things can only get better.

It may even make Disney get their arse in gear and make rides or a new park more adult based.
 
Jools

Jools

Giga Poster
Makes me think, what about Six Flags Orlando or Six Flags Florida? Has yet to be done and I'm suprised.
 
Mark

Mark

Strata Poster
Sounds like a fabulous idea imo.

It would be great to have an out and out thrill park in Orlando itself. Granted it might do a little bit of damage to Busch, but since they are all on the Flexiticket anyways, it shouldn't be too bad for them, especially if this new place gets in on it.

I also think it will actually help Disney, in a roundabout way.

Many years ago, when IOA was in the pipeline Disney Imagineers realised that they would need to up their game a little and start considering at least a few attractions that would be more thrilling. Imaginners used the arguement that as much as Walt Disney wanted to be a family destination, he also appreciated that families wanted the best thrills etc. (Think about when things like Matternhorn bobsleds opened... it was at the top of its range)

Originally a few of these projects were earmarked for their 'wildest' park; Animal Kingdom. Unfortunately it didn't pan out how the imagineers wanted and they ended up taking their idea with them... to IOA... when they were laid off from Disney. (For more details about this I am sure UC will give the finer...).

If a bigger thrill park was to open it may lead to Disney considering the idea of a more thrilling park. They have considered it before (like I say, UC gave me the run down a few years back so im quoting from memory) but were denied by Eisner.

This could be a perfect oppurtunity for Disney to look at the thrill park idea again and considering the rumours that they have been investigating a 5th park it could become very interesting... However, still only rumours.

I look forward to how this develops...
 
C

CPcisco

Mega Poster
Mark you are correct, you are talking about the proposed "Beastly Kingdom" portion of the Animal Kingdom park. While today Animal Kingdom is only home to real life animals, there were also plans to have a section devoted to fantastical and imaginary animals. (like dragons ;) ) This area was to be called "Beastly Kingdom" and did in fact have at least one very prominent thrill ride in the design phase. This ride was to be themed to have two dragons flying around each other and fighting with each other. The Imagineers for this portion of the design were laid off when the section of the park was denied, but were soon picked up by Universal for their IOA park. Some of the ideas that the Imagineers had come up with for "Beastly Kingdom" were quite willingly brought over to Universal where they were happy to use them.

I am sure everyone here can figure out which ride idea got taken with them. ;)

As for Disney thinking about the possibility of a 5th park, I would have to think it has been considered a little bit with everything happening in that area recently. You have Potterland didn't really hurt Disney at all, but kinda helped them), soon to be Legoland, and now the possibility of this. Will it happen though, I highly doubt it, but I have been wrong before and will gladly be wrong again. :)

A quick side note though, the company that is helping the investors in this venture is the Baker Leisure Group. This is the company that took over control of the day to day operations of "Hard Rock Park" after it went belly up and turned into "Freestyle Music Park" with the attempt to turn it around. So it is kind of amusing that "Hard Rock Park" did get brought up in this thread already. I personally think it is an interesting idea, but with that blemish on their track record I don't know quite what to think of this venture.
 
andrus

andrus

Giga Poster
I don't think the park need extensive theming to bring in the crowds. As already stated Florida lacks a major thrill park, the closest thing today is BGT. But as the vacation hot spot it is, the Florida area sure have plenty of room for a pure adrenaline oriented park. And with rides as an Intamin rocket strata coaster and a S&S 4D they won't have any problem at all. That would be if the park ever opens. It seems like just a little bit too optimistic financially with that many huge rides in a brand new park. Only time will tell!
 
Mark

Mark

Strata Poster
CPcisco said:
Mark you are correct, you are talking about the proposed "Beastly Kingdom" portion of the Animal Kingdom park. While today Animal Kingdom is only home to real life animals, there were also plans to have a section devoted to fantastical and imaginary animals. (like dragons ;) ) This area was to be called "Beastly Kingdom" and did in fact have at least one very prominent thrill ride in the design phase. This ride was to be themed to have two dragons flying around each other and fighting with each other. The Imagineers for this portion of the design were laid off when the section of the park was denied, but were soon picked up by Universal for their IOA park. Some of the ideas that the Imagineers had come up with for "Beastly Kingdom" were quite willingly brought over to Universal where they were happy to use them.

I am sure everyone here can figure out which ride idea got taken with them. ;)
Click to expand...

Im glad someone else was aware of it and backed me up there, so I didn't look like Im chatting out my rear end :)

CPcisco said:
A quick side note though, the company that is helping the investors in this venture is the Baker Leisure Group. This is the company that took over control of the day to day operations of "Hard Rock Park" after it went belly up and turned into "Freestyle Music Park" with the attempt to turn it around. So it is kind of amusing that "Hard Rock Park" did get brought up in this thread already. I personally think it is an interesting idea, but with that blemish on their track record I don't know quite what to think of this venture.
Click to expand...

Hmmm. This is a little worry. Although since BLG took over after the park went belly up is a little more encouraging, considering the very popular opinion was that the park was doomed before it even opened, namely because of poor location planning.

However in an area such as Orlando, as many have said, there is definitely a market for even more thrill rides to entice people to the area and to a degree, to all the other parks too.

As an Orlando lover I am really hoping this happens but am trying not to be over-optimistic... Time will tell...

BTW... Did anyone else notice how alike the entrance gates are to those of Thorpe Park in the pictures on Screamscape (that Marc posted about). The whole, using track thing. Are there many other parks that have done that?
 
Snoo

Snoo

The Legend
Well this park will thrive or die mighty fast. Who knows. Hell, it might not even get off the ground.
 
M

marc

CF Legend
If they build what they say they will it will do well I think, if they dont and have many break down it will not last.

For these types of rides there is a market in Orlando for sure as it lacks big rides like these.
 
SaiyanHajime

SaiyanHajime

CF Legend
I think if they have large thrill rides visible outside the park, this place will pull families with older kids (and young adults on holiday with friends) easily.

EDIT: Also, I bet it will be big with locals.
 
SaiyanHajime

SaiyanHajime

CF Legend
This looks really cool. I think it's odd how the locals are getting up in arms about it. It's not like it's a nice area and this is going to attract ****ty people. There's ****ty people in that ****ty area already.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Sure the report also said the park planned to build 15coasters!!?
 
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