This Hard Rock Park saga just keeps getting weirder and weirder. First the $400m. venture in Myrtle Beach goes belly up after a few months, largely due to being unable to attract enough visitors — that and ignoring the “rock” part of their marketing scheme, I’d say.
Then a handful of a Disney vets buy the thing out of bankruptcy for $25m. and immediately set about getting rid of the “rock” elements and turning it into just another amusement park.
New kiddie rides have been purchased and are to be installed before the Memorial Day re-launch. The Moody Blues Nights in White Satin funhouse house was nixed immediately as “too dark,” and now comes word that the Hard Rock Park name is out — along with the Led Zeppelin and Eagles roller coasters.
Good luck re-purposing the Zeppelin coaster, guys. Everything from the cars to the music to the ride shed was purpose-built for the Led connection. Zeppelin logos and icons are all over the place. Is it really cheaper to rip all that out and replace it than try to find a licensing deal that’ll work?
Make no mistake, there is the guts of a great coaster still there — fast and quick, and surprising. It should have a long working life no matter what you call it.
But what made the coaster special was that You neeeeeeeed looooovvvvvvvvaaaaaa… scream the cars blasted into your brain just as you plunged down to meet your rock n roll destiny.
Of course, I just pointed and laughed at the Eagles coaster. It will not be missed.
