Freestyle Music Park: Does It Have A Future?

[The Interpreter]

An attorney who represents an amusement park on South Carolina's Grand Strand says there are no plans now to reopen Freestyle Amusement Park this summer.

However, attorney David Slough said Monday that could change if the park owners, still negotiating with new investors, are able to line up new funding.

The park was scheduled to open this month for the 2010 season....

http://www.thesunnew...t-planning.html

[Braves0511]

Why am I not surprised in the least? I still want to see it fly, it's a good idea, if someone would just do it right.

[CoastersRZ]

Given the right price point, that park could be successful. Look how well Myrtle Beach Pavilion was before its owners decided to try and redevelop the property. And Family Kingdom to the south has been in business for decades.

Part of the problem is that the original price point was simply too high, not to mention they didn`t market the park enough. Another thing is that since they are located in a beach town where the main tourist draw that attracts visitors, they need to cater to people`s evening plans when they are not entertained by the beach. Hopefully, the park can land some investors and be able to operate. Especially if the economy starts to recover soon. It will be interesting to see what the ultimate fate of this park is.

[RollerNut]

Poop Loop, :cry: I was looking forward to a second visit. Freestyle's services were far better than any other amusement park I have been to. I really enjoyed the appearance of the park also, however it was lacking in the food and rides depts. For less than $20 a couple(two for $17.76 plus SC taxes), I got more than I expected, and it would have been worth $17.76 a person.

[The Interpreter]

Except, when it opened, the place cost about three times that...and on that figure, doubtless, the payback of debt and investors was based. One cannot run a theme park like Hard Rock Park or Freestyle Music Park on a gate of $17.76 a person (much less per couple, or as they did for a while, for FOUR people!). Especially not one with superior customer service. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. There are many reasons comparable parks cost far more.

Even Kings Island's 2009 promotional pricing of $24.95 (and sometimes less) is problematic, especially if in park pricing is raised to compensate for it. One would think that with such a scenario, admissions alone would not carry the costs, and with in park spending also down, there would be difficulty paying debt payments and unit holders, a distribution to unit holders would end, and eventually that a sale, merger or some sort of financial restructuring would become necessary. This would be even more so the case if Kings Island, which received a major capital investment in 2009, was actually performing better financially than most of the other parks...

[The Interpreter]

...Freestyle shouldn't reopen even if it receives the additional investment, said Dennis Speigel, an industry consultant with no business ties to the park.

The park was ill-conceived and cannot succeed in its location no matter what it does, Speigel said. The park is too far from the beach, the Strand's main attraction, he said.

"They go to Broadway at the Beach and they have their dinner and they go back to the beach the next day," he said. "They did not travel across the way to that park location."

Most travelers to Myrtle Beach also already have better theme parks in their home regions, he said.

Freestyle's struggles are not indicative of the overall industry, Speigel said, and attendance at parks nationally will likely be about the same this year as in 2008. FPI MB Entertainment, Freestyle's owner, got an incredibly good deal when it bought the $400 million Hard Rock Park for $25 million out of bankruptcy, he said. With that price tag, if it hasn't been able to make it work, then no one can, he said.

"It's probably the largest catastrophe in our industry," said Speigel. "Quite frankly the park shouldn't reopen."....

http://www.thesunnew...-investors.html

[The Interpreter]

...There's a remaining $570,000 of back payments due by Thursday per an order from bankruptcy judge, but Slough didn't say whether his clients would be able to make the payment.

If they did, the back payments would be paid off, but the leases would still exist and the park's obligation to pay those would remain.

If Freestyle doesn't pay, a judgement will be issued against them which would push them further into financial trouble -- just another reason they need a big infusion of cash.

"In this situation, it's fairly certain they're having difficulties reopening without investors," Slough said.

http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=436618

[The Interpreter]

Tick, tick, tick....

http://www.wmbfnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=12238324

Less than 24 hours until the deadline....

[RailRider]

Ive said it since inception of HRP. The location of the park is absolutely horrible. The former Waccama Pottery and Fantasy Harbor site has been dead for years and is so far off the beaten path that the majority of folks don't want to take the time or hassle getting to the park. As someone who has visted Myrtle Beach on a yearly basis I can tell you I have only been to that area twice. Once to take my mother-in-law to the QVC outlet (that is no longer there) and a second time to see HRP (I had no intentions on visting $$$). Once the Conway bypass was constructed very few visitors made their way in to MB via the old route, HRP being on the old route. Also the park is so far away from the beach and the grand strand resorts it can take about 20 minutes from downtown and 45 minutes or more depending on trafic from North MB. Folks come to MB to go to the beach, do a little shopping and dinning in the evening and maybe some putt put or a show. I would rather spend the cost of admission on either show tickets to the Carolina Opry or the Dixie Stampede, I know many others that would too.

Like so many have said this park was doomed from the begining. Now if anyone is on the market for a slightly used dirgible I know just the place to get one on the cheap...

[DaveStroem]

They just need to sell the coasters to Holiday World. If you combined the 2 parks collection you would have a powerful line up. Everything from Howler and Hang Ten to Time Machine and Voyage. Throw in Iron Horse and Round a bout for the more family friendly coasters and Soaked for Splashin Safari.

I am betting that the price would be right too.

[bkroz]

Though I first must say I've never been, I feel like (and have heard that) most of the roller coasters present at the park are "mediocre" versions of much nicer rides. Round About, while it has an interesting lift mechanism, is really quite "lame." Imagine our BLSC without a theme; a much shorter layout without any scenery or effects and there you have it...

Time Machine is supposedly really mild, one of the more forceless B&Ms out there, and it looks pretty short to me... Like they attempted to squeeze in as many elements as possible in a short track. Again, I haven't ridden it, but it doesn't look appealing to me.

As was said, if you're going to be a destination park (in Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Hollywood, etc) you generally have to offer something more than regional parks. For the general Ohioan traveling to Myrtle Beach, our parks easily conquer Freestyle's collection. The same can be said of Pennsylvania and New Jersey and Virginia. If Freestyle were in Ohio, it would probably be alright. But it's in a vacation area, and offers less than local parks. And, as people said, the location sucks (or so I've heard). The park planned to ride on the Hard Rock name. Obviously, it couldn't. And now, it can't even try to.

Now if only Cedar Fair was in the black, maybe they'd consider buying the park and relocating its rides! Maybe placing Round-About at Wildwater Kingdom (why not?), Time Machine at Cedar Point (there just aren't enough inversions in that park!), Soak'd at Kings Island (Planet Snoopy?) and Hang Ten at Kings Dominion (they don't have an inverted kids coaster like we do, so they deserve a new kid coaster).

[RailRider]

Funny but Hard Rock Cafe in MB has really become a dump in recent years compared to other Hard Rock Cafe's. Also Margarittaville at Broadway on the Beach turned a better buisness than HRC at Broadway. Maybe HRP would have been more successful if they had gone with a Jimmy Buffet theme

[bkroz]

Are you suggesting someone design Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaland?!

Bring it on, RCT3!!!

[The Interpreter]

Freestyle Music Park Misses Payment Deadline:

...The odds of the park reopening and paying off creditors are low, said Mark Neill, an attorney for one of the companies Freestyle owes money to, Quantum Communications Corp. of Myrtle Beach and Florence. The company filed suit in October to recover about $27,000 in unpaid debts from Freestyle and is awaiting a judgment in Horry County Circuit Court. After receiving a judgment, Quantum plans to put a lien on the park, which will increase the chance of the company being paid, Neill said, although other creditors may have higher priority.

Jimmy Feuger, general manager at Quantum of Myrtle Beach, said he does not think he will see the money again....

http://www.thesunnew...s-deadline.html

[The Interpreter]

Creditors Seek Money From Freestyle:

http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=443767

And the march towards probable bankruptcy and possible liquidation continues...

[DaveStroem]

I could also see the the Columbus Zoo adding some big boy rides to the Jungle Jack's Landing area. I think I will email JJL manager to put a bug in his ear about this.

Unlike the first go round, everyone knows what freestyle paid for the park. I think a lot of people in the industry were surprised that the winning bid was so low. This time around I can not see the attractions staying put.

So how much does it cost to move a steel coaster? I can't think it comes any where close to that of a wood one.

[The Interpreter]

Suffice it to say that no less than Jeff Seibert said on several occasions that Paramount Parks saved less than half a million dollars by moving Stealth which became Borg...

Stealth's original cost was $17,000,000. So, the move coast to coast, the re-install, etc., apparently totaled approximately $16,500,000. Moving coasters is not cheap, but it is done...usually not from California to the Carolinas, though. Note that other steel coasters have also been recently moved, many from Geauga Lake.

[PREMiERdrum]

Suffice it to say that no less than Jeff Seibert said on several occasions that Paramount Parks saved less than half a million dollars by moving Stealth which became Borg...

Stealth's original cost was $17,000,000. So, the move coast to coast, the re-install, etc., apparently totaled approximately $16,500,000. Moving coasters is not cheap, but it is done...usually not from California to the Carolinas, though. Note that other steel coasters have also been recently moved, many from Geauga Lake.

And Uncle Dick has been quoted as saying that it costs "about fifty cents on the dollar" to move and reconstruct a steel coaster, so once the auction purchase price is figured in, it might not be that much of a deal.

[The Interpreter]

"Uncle Dick"'s information does not jibe with "Brother Seibert's." Then again, Mr. Kinzel has admitted to being an operations guy, not a finance guy.

[PREMiERdrum]

"Uncle Dick"'s information does not jibe with "Brother Seibert's." Then again, Mr. Kinzel has admitted to being an operations guy, not a finance guy.

The distance between the two points could come into play as well... Jeff's experience comes from a coast-to-coast relocation (2,500 miles or so), while Dick's experiences have been relatively short trips (Firehawk 250 miles, Thunderhawk: 347 miles, Dominator: 422 miles, Carolina Cobra 436 miles).

[CoastersRZ]

Still, I would think that the transportation costs in relocating the rides are relatively minor when compared to the cost of the labor for dismantling the rides, and re-assembling them. Not to mention that with a relocated ride, you still have to hire the structural engineers to design the new foundations for the ride in the new location, design a new or altered station (which requires the use of an architect, I speak from experience ), pull the necessary permits, all the labor for reassembly and painting of the rides. While there may be some cost savings involved in not having to buy new from the manufacturer, I don`t think it is quite 50 cents on the dollar savings.

[The Interpreter]

It's bad enough when you lose a $14 million lawsuit. It's even worse when you lose it because you didn't even try to defend it and in fact didn't even show up:

http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/06/30/1562546/court-rules-against-freestyle.html

This can't be good news for that park. Any hope of it ever reopening under this management (if it can even be called that) is probably gone.

[RailRider]

How many nails must be put in the coffin? Freestyle Music Park's problems wade through court.

Interesting read.

[jcgoble3]

How many nails must be put in the coffin? Freestyle Music Park's problems wade through court.

Interesting read.

Corrected link.

[The Interpreter]

Three Years After Opening, Theme Park's Future Uncertain:

...But Bergen says it would have to happen soon. The deteriorating condition of the rides is a concern, he says, but an even bigger worry is that the longer the park remains closed, the harder it will be to reestablish in the market....

http://www.carolinal....aspx?id=606121

Reestablish? Even more so than Kentucky Kingdom, the park never established itself as a formidable competitor for the visitor dollar in the first place...

The article also attributes much of the park's problems to the economy....which, though to some extent true, is nowhere near the major portion of the problems that both it and the Kentucky park had...chief of which in both cases was location....

[TheBEASTunchained]

Sorry for the topic bump but I haven't heard anything about this park in a while.... Is it even still being considered to be re-opened as a theme park?

[TTD-120-420]

NBC's show Revolution was filmed at the park. That is the last I have seen of it.

[Creed Bratton]

So sorry to bring this topic back up. I searched for other threads about this, but didn't really see much.

I want to know your opinions on this:

(Yes From Screamscape)

Park News - (9/16/13) A reader passed by Freestyle on Friday night and was surprised to see that the park looked very lit up, especially around the Time Machine coaster. A train was also seen pulled out of the garage and loaded onto the ride’s track, as if it was ready to go for a test run at any moment. Something interesting seems to be going on here…
(8/21/13) A Screamscape reader drove past Freestyle Music Park on Monday afternoon and discovered one of the Time Machines’s shed bays was wide open and the train inside had been loaded with test dummies. It was raining at the time, so no pictures were taken but I’m hoping someone will catch this all very soon.
(8/19/13) Interesting activity spotted Freestyle Music Park (formerly Hard Rock Park) about two weeks ago. According to a report at CoasterFusion activity was spotted on the park’s B&M coaster Time Machine (aka: Led Zepplin: The Ride). The bay doors to the coasters three trains were all wide open and all three trains were loaded onto the coaster track. Unfortunately this was all taking place while a big nasty thunder storm was about to roll in, so the photographer driving by was unable to hang out and see what may happen next. While this isn’t a sign that the park will reopen, this is a possible sign of a couple of other interesting possibilities.
According to previous sources the park is said to still employ a skeleton maintenance crew who will fire up the machinery every so often to make sure everything still works. However, to date no one has even spotted one of the park’s coaster trains ever loaded onto the tracks. So while this could have just been a more extensive maintenance check, it does seem odd that they would bring out all three of the trains at once.
What else could it be? It’s no secret that out of all the rides at park this coaster in particular is probably one of the most sought after potential “used ride” sales in the nation. To date, I’ve heard that the owners were either not interested in selling it at all, or at least not at what would be considered a reasonable cost for a used coaster. But a barely used B&M coaster of this caliber is a rarity in the used ride marketplace, and I’ve heard that there are many interested parties willing to put up an offer for it when the owners are willing to negotiate. The clock is ticking on this one however… as no one will want a ride that sits unused for too long.
It’s also worth mentioning that while they didn’t get a photograph of the trains, they report says that two of them still had the Freestyle logo on them, while the third appeared to have been stripped clean. So why take the logo off? That leads into my next theory… that perhaps a film/video shoot was being done on the ride. We know the park was used as a location last year for 1 or 2 episodes of the NBC Revolution. I’ve also heard from a couple of interested parties this year fishing for ways to contact the owners for their own productions (TV, Film and Commercials) they might want to shoot on site.
Either way, if your in the Mytle Beach area, it may be worth driving by the old park and keeping an eye on it, especially on Time Machine. If the park never reopens, I guarantee that Time Machine will find a new home somewhere.

I love that Lance keeps adding updates about the Time Machine, however it seems like the reports are bogus minus the one from Coasterfusion. The reports mostly seem similar, yet there has only been a few pictures that have surfaced of said "updates." I don't know about you as enthusiasts, but if I were in that area and I had seen the doors open, I'd swing by there every few days with my camera to see if any progress has been made or something else is going on. I'd be recognizing the habits. I guess I may be a little over suspicious of the reports, but I think if Lance is going to post "updates" of a "reader said...." he needs to be shown proof and post it as well.

So, your thoughts?

[The Interpreter]

Perhaps Lance Hart's source is a Hart.

[Creed Bratton]

Perhaps....but in all honesty....are there any signs of this?