Hard Rock Park Sheds Jobs

[GADVwow]

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/business/story/548034.html

[WadeJ]

Saw this coming.  They are in biiiiiiigggggg trouble as the place is almost always a ghost town.

[Bubba Z]

Looks like I should head here weds... and not Ohio.

[coastermom]

Friends of ours just returned from HRP . They said the kids that were under 48 inches had nothing much to do there . It was $50 each adult and $30 each kid. On vacation at the beach this is too expensive. I do hope that they are still open next summer since we are going to go there. We have friends that live there and if they do start offering a resident discount we will most likely go there . If there is no discount we will have to see how many rides my son can ride before forking over that much cash for a one day visit .

[Millennium Force 44]

I actually just got to Myrtle Beach today. Should me heading to the park sometime this week. I will let everyone know how it is.

[chilled182]

I can tell you exactly how it is.

Empty. We were there opening week. 
Empty.

[GADVwow]

Hard Times At Hard Rock:

http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/aug/31/hard_times_at_hard_rock52654/

[GADVwow]

A Bumpy Ride for Hard Rock Park:

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/hoekstra/1149064,TRA-News-hardrock07.article

[GADVwow]

Hard Rock Park Plans to File Bankruptcy, Closed for Season:

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/hrp-myrtle-beach-holdings-announces/story.aspx?guid={6FCCA8E5-020A-4B8E-AF58-56B20D0BC9C3}&dist=hppr

[GADVwow]

Official FAQ from the park:

http://www.hardrockpark.com/closinginformation.cfm

[GADVwow]

Hard Rock's and Strand's reputations in jeopardy:

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/business/story/611031.html

Interesting quote:

A new name?

Some, including Ranta, wonder whether another theme park operator would come knocking at the park's gates with checkbook in hand. Hard Rock Park spokesman Jim Olecki said he would not comment on that possibility.

A spokeswoman for Cedar Fair, the company that owns Carowinds, did not rule out the potential of acquiring Hard Rock Park - though she said the company was focused on the parks it bought in 2006.

"That doubled the size of our company," she said. "That being said, I always like to say never say never. If there's a park at an attractive price ..."

A Six Flags Inc. spokeswoman would not comment on the possibility of buying the park. Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc., which has been shedding its amusement properties, said in a statement that the company "has no interest in investing in or buying the park."

Gilland said she did not think new theme parks should be built here, but said other types of companies would still do well.

"I wouldn't advise a Dollywood or a Disneyland to start from scratch with a theme park right now, but a theme park is a completely different animal," she said. "This has nothing to do with a manufacturer, for instance, or a producer of anything who is making something for consumption."

Perhaps Cedar Fair MIGHT be able to finance this acquisition, but if they even tried to, those who already thought Mr. Kinzel & Co. overpaid for the Paramount Parks would probably arrange a mutiny.  As for Six Flags, the mere thought of them buying ANYTHING right now, much less a failed park, is absolutely hysterically absurd.

[coastermom]

I can tell them the problem with their park .

I have not been there but this is why we didn't go there this season .
One PRICE, it is  too expensive for that area  and there were no discounts not even for area residents.
Another one NOT enough things for kids under 48 inches. There was I believe not one coaster my son could ride there under 48 inches. Not much else for him there either .

We were going to go there but changed our plans to disney World instead. I was hopeful to go next summer but who knows if it will even open again now. I think an amusement park in Myrtle Beach is great but families go there for the beach and to do things as families . People with little ones are not going to HRP to spend a furtune to have the little ones have not much to do . Our friends went with two kids and said they would not return to the HRP until the little one could go on some rides. They went in the dead of summer and said it was almost walk on for every ride.   Just my 2 cents after reading the quote that no one should build an amusement park in MB. Family kingdom is doing well though ...Go Figure .

[GADVwow]

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/106/story/610947.html

[GADVwow]

Experts: Hard Rock Park Must Use Marketing To Rock On:

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/679/story/636142.html

I'm sorry, but I think marketing was near the least of this place's many problems.