First I've heard of it too.
The Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi was destroyed by Katrina the day before it was to open. I think it's open now.
Posted on 09/28/2008 6:43:01 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult
On Wednesday, word broke that the first rock-and-roll theme park had filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy and is closing its doors for the rest of the year. (Guess that means no Rocktoberfest parties there, damn!)
Since it opened in April, the 55-acre, seven-years-in-the-planning, $400 million park apparently performed way below expectations, despite the undeniable attraction of that Eagles “Life in the Fast Lane” ride. Projections of 30,000 visitors a day and 3 million for the year didn’t pan out, and the park cut its operating hours in August.
But operators still hope to reopen next year, despite the fact that this is one of the worst times in which to open a tourist destination that charges $50 a pop, what with gas prices skyrocketing and the credit market collapsing. Like a lot of businesses, the park was hit by the country’s current economic crisis, which President Bush discussed in Wednesday’s prime-time address and which spurred presidential candidates Senators John McCain and Barack Obama to issue a joint statement.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsroom.mtv.com ...
Oops.
We used to love the “Hard Rock Cafe.” When we went to Vegas, it was our first stop, because we would get in around 11:00 and be hungry. But the last time we went, the quality of the food had gone WAAAAYYY downhill.
I didn’t even know such a theme park existed til now. Might have been part of the problem.
Opinions vary from those who went there who I talked to but the general consensus is the park was fun, just not $50 worth of fun. Not enough rides.
An ambitious amusement park, designed around better economic times. Their attendance numbers were killed by high gas prices, and high admission prices. The concept is centered around music and a name that is a little dated for your typical amusement park age groups, too.
I never heard anything about it. You can’t run a park like that based only on word of mouth. Even the Disney parks advertise.
I never heard of it either. If it was closer to me, I might have taken my kids this summer.
That said, Hard Rock Park is just another exhibit in the easy money period of America. I wonder who financed this? I’m assuming that 3-4 years ago, some guy put together a fancy power point with some Led Zeppelin in the background and Wachovia Bank simply handed them $400 million. That’s the way the banks rolled in the good old days (2003-2007)
They reined in their ad spending, concentrating on markets within a half day drive, thinking that the “stay-cation” trend, due to gas prices, would drive attendance. It didn’t, or not enough, if so. Late spring and early summer, my area had heavy advertising for it. I’m near Greensboro, NC.
First I've heard of it too.
The Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi was destroyed by Katrina the day before it was to open. I think it's open now.
I don’t get it. How can you be a rock-n-roll rebel at a theme park? Especially at $50 a head???
“The Man got you down? Tired of doing things HIS way? Dude, for $50, you can have it YOUR way! At the Hard Rock Theme Park...”
I took my daughter there in August on a Monday, there was almost nobody there, we stood in line for one ride all day (and that was NOT the Led Zeppin coaster). I’m not surprised, as a theme park, it kinda sucked. It is TINY as far as parks go. For $50 (less with AAA), I’ll drive to Charlotte and go to Carowinds even though it’s more than twice as far.
LZ was a fun coaster, and we rode it about 8 times. Not enough fun for the $$.
Hip-Hop Park.... woulda cinched it!
If you want rides go to Cedar Point in Sandusky Ohio on the shore of Lake Erie. As they call themselves they are America’s Roller Coast.
We took our first trip ever to Myrtle Beach this summer in August. Even though our group of 20 had done research on attractions, didn’t even know a Hard Rock park existed until we passed it the day we were leaving.
That said, we found the attractions overpriced, overcrowded and Myrtle, in itself, to be overstimulating. Hard to sit on a beach with beer and a good book when all the kids are screeching to take them here or there. Will return to OBX where I can *really* relax ;)...and spend much less.
Last time I went past the Hard Rock Cafe in Dallas, it was a large hole in the ground. They even dug out the slab and the parking lot.
Maybe they should get Led Zepplin to play concerts there.
Cedar Point is on my “list of things to do before my daughter gets out of high school” (2 more years).
Carowinds is fun for an overnight trip. The best park I’ve been to so far, though, is Six Flags Atlanta. Goliath is just pure coaster fun!
Probably hurt decisively by the boycott of South Carolina by the NAACP because of its flag. [/sarcasm]
I was there in August and the attendance was high. It was unique. My one question was why they chose Myrtle Beach instead of either the Orlando or Los Angeles areas for their location. There was a southern rock section of the park with an awesome Texas boot-scooting boogie ice skating show. The ‘60’s Surf City was cute, too and the rides was good.
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