Author Topic: Future SDC Development Speculation (Long-term)  (Read 157148 times)

chittlins

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« Reply #30 on: July 07, 2015, 08:50:52 PM »
I find it funny so many get passionate about what may be next on the drawing board. When I worked on park, I never thought about the issue, when I would go out in March each year to pick up my costumes for summer, I'd usually ask my bosses what was new for the year, then I'd swing by where the construction had taken place over winter. Times have changed, lol... :)

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Dewayne

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Re: Future SDC Development Speculation (Long-term)
« Reply #31 on: July 07, 2015, 11:24:26 PM »
Wtf??? omg!!! there are so many questions running thru my head at this point.

Shave, did you do this? Did you start this thread? You have amazed me again and I didnt know it was possible. I dont get what this thread is for.....but ok....

shavethewhales

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Re: Future SDC Development Speculation (Long-term)
« Reply #32 on: July 07, 2015, 11:39:25 PM »
Go back and read the first post where I made the edit. I messed around with merging this topic into a new one, but the forum software is a little rusty sometimes.

Anyway, just so we're clear, the "5 year plan" I keep referring to is an industry line that gets thrown around occasionally. Sometimes you'll hear parks refer to things in their 5-year plan, implying they start work on projects well before we ever get around to speculating on them. I believe Cedar Point is the park that really popularized the phrase because they always like to talk about how they're already working on the next coaster.

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Re: Future SDC Development Speculation (Long-term)
« Reply #33 on: July 08, 2015, 01:09:15 AM »
I would imagine planning goes deeper than just five years.  Things probably get sketchy the further out, but they have to have some ideas cooking.
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runner1960

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Re: Future SDC Development Speculation (Long-term)
« Reply #34 on: July 08, 2015, 06:54:38 AM »
Before I post this let me say it is a total rumor and did not come from a employee. I think this has also been mentioned in another area of the board.

Rumor from a friend in Branson is Mamby wants to takeover HFEC and merge it with Sea World. Not sure if it would be a hostile bid or if the board would be willing to sell. 

Lots of reasons to believe this is not true though. But also lots of reasons to believe it could happen.

Hopefully this is what this thread is for. If not feel free to delete it.

chittlins

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Re: Future SDC Development Speculation (Long-term)
« Reply #35 on: July 08, 2015, 07:48:26 AM »
Before I post this let me say it is a total rumor and did not come from a employee. I think this has also been mentioned in another area of the board.

Rumor from a friend in Branson is Mamby wants to takeover HFEC and merge it with Sea World. Not sure if it would be a hostile bid or if the board would be willing to sell. 

Lots of reasons to believe this is not true though. But also lots of reasons to believe it could happen.

Hopefully this is what this thread is for. If not feel free to delete it.


His taking over SeaWorld would naturally lead to that kind of speculation. It's the type of diversification SEAS needs. I , outside looking in, would think priority #1 is patching the holes in their current vessel from all the attacks and steaming it out of drydock first though.

shavethewhales

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Re: Future SDC Development Speculation (Long-term)
« Reply #36 on: July 08, 2015, 07:53:28 AM »
^^^Oh yeah, it's probably more of an enthusiast term at this point. Some stuff that gets announced seems like it's been on the planning boards for ages, while other things get picked up and planned within a pretty short period of time. It's all variable, of course, but the phrase has stuck.

^^I still think that one's just plain funny. There are also those who always think Six Flags/Disney/Cedar Fair is about to buy the park. Branson locals always come up with the least creative rumors. ::)

chittlins

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Re: Future SDC Development Speculation (Long-term)
« Reply #37 on: July 08, 2015, 08:58:36 AM »
Looks like the rumor made it to TPR. Delete this but if you wanted to know...

 I imagine they'll yank it down.

shavethewhales

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Re: Future SDC Development Speculation (Long-term)
« Reply #38 on: July 08, 2015, 12:46:00 PM »
Yeah, looks like Swoosh is out there posting it around now.

Discuss it all you want, it's just a rumor - just don't act like you're part of the super special inside club for knowing about it  ::)

I don't really buy into it at this point. I can certainly see them doing some sweeping redevelopments of various areas of the park over the next 10-20 years, that much has always been inevitable. The only thing that should be worrisome is the rumor of Flooded Mine being completely taken out, which IMO would be worse than loosing FiTH (not that I don't love that ride almost as much). FM is even more richly detailed than FiTH, and is a rare example of a ride (other than trains) that everyone from toddlers to grandmas can ride together at once. Almost all of my memories of the ride include riding it with family that don't usually ride things. FM has had falling ridership, due at least in part to the fact that the entrance is hidden and the ride is not publicized at all. Sometimes parks do this on purpose to let a ride fade out before removal (see Thunder Road at Carowinds). That said, I don't think they're in a place where they want to remove a classic like FM for a coaster. The park knows what works, and they went to quite a bit of effort with Fireman's Landing, for example, to appease fans both old and new. I don't think they are going to rip out part of the heart of SDC for a coaster they can put somewhere else.

Rumors like this come and go - we've seen our share of them on these boards over the years. Sometimes they are based on actual planning going on in the background (which is always subject to a lot of change), but more often it ends up being fanboys/employees stirring up ideas until they become rumor. Even if this is an example of the former, I think they'd still relent and push the coaster project somewhere else in the park. Did you guys know that they originally talked about putting GE right in the middle of the park where River Blast is now? Stuff like that happens all the time. Nothing is really off limits when you are in the research/planning stage with this type of development.

I just don't want there to be too much fuss without any substantial reason. Don't go crying to the park because of a silly fan board rumor. This kind of rumor can stir up a lot of crap and put us in a bad light, especially if it is just made up after all.

DianaGail

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Re: Future SDC Development Speculation (Long-term)
« Reply #39 on: July 08, 2015, 01:01:20 PM »
For years, we could get on the fm very quickly.  This year, the wait has been close to an hour all 3 visits. 

chittlins

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Re: Future SDC Development Speculation (Long-term)
« Reply #40 on: July 08, 2015, 01:11:09 PM »
For years, we could get on the fm very quickly.  This year, the wait has been close to an hour all 3 visits. 

I could see an overhaul, removal would be sad. Seems Cedar Fair and Six Flags are into Darks again with new or major overhauls yet SDC will kill a classic that's begging for modernization. Maybe they only want one to put effort in like FITH. Maybe the want the water element that the FM footprint can provide.

I always considered the entrance was kinda hidden because it was put in at a time the Rides wasn't a focus but compliment also it was a dead end the till GE and Red Gold

Preachin_Bill

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Re: Future SDC Development Speculation (Long-term)
« Reply #41 on: July 08, 2015, 02:34:10 PM »
Does swoosh have the Napoleon (little man) complex?  It sure seems like it.  Anyway...

Getting rid of the Flooded Mine would be a huge mistake and I can't even imagine SDC without it, and I don't want to.  I honestly think they'd regret it.
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shavethewhales

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Re: Future SDC Development Speculation (Long-term)
« Reply #42 on: July 08, 2015, 04:36:22 PM »
^^^Interesting, I haven't seen a line on it in a long time. Then again, I'm usually good at picking uncrowded weekends to visit.

I think the driving force behind that rumor is the fact that so many parks are ditching their old water rides due to the maintenance issues that come up when you deal with water. Wouldn't surprise me if they need to do some major work on FM soon one way or another to replace the station system. They could ADA it then though. I've always though FiTH had worse issues with the water effects, hence Blazing Fury's adjustments that I assume will inevitably come to FiTH as well.


Before they get into rebuilding old areas of the park though, I'd expect them to work on the entrance and hospitality house. They've needed to work on those for some time now. I'll hate loosing the mural in HH, but it's unreasonable to funnel 20,000 through a tiny opening like that. They'll need to take out most of that building and expand the pathway up the side somehow at some point.

Dewayne

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Re: Future SDC Development Speculation (Long-term)
« Reply #43 on: July 08, 2015, 05:44:07 PM »
I dont know where Im at about FM going down because if this is more than just a rumor, nobody yet knows what ride will replace it. I more than likely wont be happy about it being demolished because it was 1 of my first rides and 1 of the only rides I could ride when I was 3. I remember being so scared of the maniquins that I covered my eyes, just like any other 3 year old does.

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Re: Future SDC Development Speculation (Long-term)
« Reply #44 on: July 08, 2015, 06:36:36 PM »
As for the Sea World take over rumor... It's not going to happen. HFE, its founders,  owners and Board Members want it to remain Family Owned. Joel is 56 and has a good 5 years of cleanup and rebranding ahead of him just to make the company profitable again. An investment of what could easily be a Billion Dollars is not going to happen before he retires...
« Last Edit: July 08, 2015, 06:37:43 PM by Hollywood »