Biggest Amusement Industry Mess Up(s) of the Decade
- Thread starter RCF
- Start date
. I feel I've missed so much.
jaybuoy
Roller Poster
I think the biggest cock up in the UK has to be the rise and fall of American Adventure. A really great park in a fantastic setting with heaps of pottential, however they decided to go down the family freindly route. (I felt it was very family freindly anyway.) Anyway the park once surounded the whole lake, however by the time they finished with there family freindly regeneration there was only half the park left. I think we all new it was going downhill after that. Parks really need to incorporate family freindly with thrills, this is why I like Drayton Manor so much. In terms of a good mix of rides with a great setting and a good atmosphere I really think DM hits the nail on the head whereas AA failed.
AA failed for a few reasons more than that though.
There was a lot of local opposition to the park which meant that they were stifled in terms of what they could add to the park. The fact that ownership went rapidly through a few (failing) hands also meant there was never a long term plan or investment available for the park.
I agree, it was a park in a lovely setting, but they had issues running The Missile due to complaints so "Family Friendly" was the only real kind of quick fix they had. There was just nothing really there though to get people in, especially with Alton and Drayton right on the door step. It's not a mess up, it's just a victim of local influence.
There was a lot of local opposition to the park which meant that they were stifled in terms of what they could add to the park. The fact that ownership went rapidly through a few (failing) hands also meant there was never a long term plan or investment available for the park.
I agree, it was a park in a lovely setting, but they had issues running The Missile due to complaints so "Family Friendly" was the only real kind of quick fix they had. There was just nothing really there though to get people in, especially with Alton and Drayton right on the door step. It's not a mess up, it's just a victim of local influence.
Tomatron
Giga Poster
Biggest ride cock-up surely has go to to the infamous Vertigo at Walibi Belgium. It opened well over a year late, didn't work, and was taken down and removed not long after.
As for parks, whilst Six Flags' school of management and Hard Rock Park were pretty big cock-ups from a business point of view, for me the biggest cock-ups have been where human life has been put at risk.
The Japanese park maintenance debacle after Fujin-Rajin II at Expoland derailed fatally injuring a rider showed unbelievable contempt for the people paying to go on it, despite having run at serious risk of mechanical failure for many years. Thankfully, it brought about a swift kick up the backside for a lot of amusement parks, which may have resulted in a few places closing down, but with the rides declared unfit for purpose, at least they had no deaths to explain.
As for parks, whilst Six Flags' school of management and Hard Rock Park were pretty big cock-ups from a business point of view, for me the biggest cock-ups have been where human life has been put at risk.
The Japanese park maintenance debacle after Fujin-Rajin II at Expoland derailed fatally injuring a rider showed unbelievable contempt for the people paying to go on it, despite having run at serious risk of mechanical failure for many years. Thankfully, it brought about a swift kick up the backside for a lot of amusement parks, which may have resulted in a few places closing down, but with the rides declared unfit for purpose, at least they had no deaths to explain.