Will Nashville ever see another amusement park?

[Rockatansky]

On 1/5/2018 at 5:42 PM, Alley said:

From 89 thru 92

The country was also in a recession at the time (early 90's), so the labor market was favorable. 

[Flatrock]

2 hours ago, Rockatansky said:

The country was also in a recession at the time (early 90's), so the labor market was favorable. 

Labor is almost always a problem today - along with safety, compliance, insurance, litigation, seasonal cash flow, margins, etc.  Citing a senior member of the Kentucky Kingdom executive team - who's a friend.

Edited January 8, 2018 by Flatrock

[markhollin]

5 reasons we miss Opryland Theme Park (includes lots of memory-inducing photos):

https://www.tennessean.com/story/life/2018/06/20/nashville-history-donelson-tn-still-misses-opryland-usa-theme-park-opry-mills/718065002/

[Skyscrapergeek]

Took my son to the zoo today and I thought about how I will never get to take him to Opryland and share the experience with him.  Those were some of my best childhood memories and there was no place like it.  As God as my witness, I will never take my son to Opry Mills!  By the way, is it wrong that I took pleasure in its flooding in 2010? 

[Tennessine]

20 hours ago, Skyscrapergeek said:

Took my son to the zoo today and I thought about how I will never get to take him to Opryland and share the experience with him.  Those were some of my best childhood memories and there was no place like it.  As God as my witness, I will never take my son to Opry Mills!  By the way, is it wrong that I took pleasure in its flooding in 2010? 

Not at all wrong... I admit to smirking when I read news articles about how shopping malls continue to slip into the abyss, that Americans are instead turning to online shopping, that yet another colossal, tacky, regional mall and its wasteful pavement surroundings is closing down. Malls are one of the more embarrassing moments in American consumer history.

Sorry for the rant *grabs pitchfork*

[nashvylle]

Couldn’t metro center be a potential place for 6 Flags? 

[PillowTalk4]

Every time I go to NYC and see all the stand alone department stores still standing, it irks me even more to see how Nashville let downtown shopping slip away.  Of course so did so many other cities even those much larger than Nashville.  But, it's really nice to be in cities like NYC, Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston and see free standing department stores still in existence.  DC still has a few as well.  I go to NYC every year to see 5th Ave during the Christmas Holiday shopping season.  There's nothing like it anywhere else in the US that I can think of.   I would love to see Nashville do an animated light show on one of the buildings in downtown as a tourist attraction during the holidays.  Of course it would be nice if there was also shopping to go along with it.  If you've never been to Rockefeller Center during the Christmas Holiday, you really should go at least once and then walk along 5th Ave and other streets in NYC too see the various window dressings and other decorations.  If you have kids or if you're a kid at heart go to Santaland in the Macy's at Herald Square to take a picture with Santa Clause and checkout there windows as well, which usually includes Peanut Characters.  Just a warning if you chose to do so, do an online reservation for Santaland  (starting in November) or you just might find yourself standing in a long line that meanders through the back hallways of Macy's for a couple of hours or more with kids galore.

[Pdt2f]

1 hour ago, nashvylle said:

Couldn’t metro center be a potential place for 6 Flags? 

If they go through the process of buying all the properties and razing all the buildings, maybe. Virtually impossible though, when it would be so much cheaper to build out in Wilson county or somewhere like that. 

[nashvylle]

Just now, Pdt2f said:

If they go through the process of buying all the properties and razing all the buildings, maybe. Virtually impossible though, when it would be so much cheaper to build out in Wilson county or somewhere like that. 

not if they utilized the park land (Rhodes Park I believe)?

[VSRJ]

(coaster/theme park nerd here)

Six Flags isn't in the business of building parks from the ground up. Before the company went bankrupt (and partially the reason they went bankrupt), they were buying up small- and medium-sized parks left and right and then filling them with roller coasters and thrill rides. They've actually done a pretty decent job of righting the ship over the last 5-6 years. So much so that they've started reacquiring some of the parks they sold off during the bankruptcy. But they're being much more conservative in their investments and additions to the park, and they're focusing their attention on building a membership-based model rather than daily tickets and season passes. It seems to be working for them...at least for now.

Few parks are built from scratch anymore. The amusement industry is unstable to say the least. The most recent park to be built was OWA in Foley, AL. Legoland is building a park in New York. Otherwise, you see the existing, established parks growing (just look at Dollywood down the road).

I wouldn't say it's unfeasible that Nashville will ever see another theme park, but it will definitely need to be in the outskirts. To survive, parks need room to grow and stay competitive.

[donNdonelson2]

Before Opryland was shuttered, my sources told me they were in talks with Six Flags (and other park operators)to take over the property, but we’re unable to come to terms on a contract.

[MLBrumby]

I really believe Disney would be the only company that could pull off a NEW park in Nashville.  People may forget that Opryland's appeal was in its shows. It's rides were fair-to-middling, but never exciting like Six Flags. Disney is the only theme park operator with the chops, name and resources to pull of a complete build-up from scratch. There was a rumor about 15 years ago that they were looking at land between M'boro and Nashville for a smallish music-theme amusement park based on their myriad shows. Opryland served as an incubator for young talent during it's time.... and its demise is lamentable for that alone. The follow up to that rumor (and I believe there was a lot of validity to it) was Disney did NOT want to dilute its brand and possibly cannibalize visitors from the Southeast. I heard they later regretted that somewhat during the recession. 

[Tim29tn]

Manchester was supposed to get Six Flags about 5 years ago until Bonnaroo outbid them for the land they’re currently on.  Both parties (Manchester and Six Flags) were very serious about the move, but money talks.  Six Flags offered 7.5 million for the current bonnaroo land along I24 at the time when it was just being leased, then Bonnaroo countered with 10 million and bought it out. 

Edited June 27, 2018 by Tim29tn

[volsfanwill]

when I first moved here in 92.  natives, which were easy to find then, swore that Disney looked at building a park on I-65 around where the Williamson County ag expo enter is now.

I never really believed it, as Opryland was already here.

 

and I disagree that Opryland's rides were fair to midling.   several were standard for any park.  but Screaming Delta Demon was my favorite ride,   it is still my favorite ride to this day.  it was so unique.  it is ashamed that it rusted away in a field. 

[smeagolsfree]

19 hours ago, PillowTalk4 said:

Every time I go to NYC and see all the stand alone department stores still standing, it irks me even more to see how Nashville let downtown shopping slip away.  Of course so did so many other cities even those much larger than Nashville.  But, it's really nice to be in cities like NYC, Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston and see free standing department stores still in existence.  DC still has a few as well.  I go to NYC every year to see 5th Ave during the Christmas Holiday shopping season.  There's nothing like it anywhere else in the US that I can think of.   I would love to see Nashville do an animated light show on one of the buildings in downtown as a tourist attraction during the holidays.  Of course it would be nice if there was also shopping to go along with it.  If you've never been to Rockefeller Center during the Christmas Holiday, you really should go at least once and then walk along 5th Ave and other streets in NYC too see the various window dressings and other decorations.  If you have kids or if you're a kid at heart go to Santaland in the Macy's at Herald Square to take a picture with Santa Clause and checkout there windows as well, which usually includes Peanut Characters.  Just a warning if you chose to do so, do an online reservation for Santaland  (starting in November) or you just might find yourself standing in a long line that meanders through the back hallways of Macy's for a couple of hours or more with kids galore.

I think the reason those department stores were able to hang on is that those cities have a captive market. Those folks go where they don't have to drive and the population density is huge. 

[Flatrock]

Apologies for reposting this:

A close friend is a senior executive for the 63 acre Kentucky Kingdom (formerly Six Flags). It's changed hands a number of times (and closed/re-opened) in it's 30 year history.

According to my friend, it's a pain in the azz to run a park and make money. Margins are thin. Mistakes are expensive. Liability is huge. Management/administrative staff is tiny (due to thin margins) - which means during the season, it's common for a senior executive to be cleaning trash, helping in a booth or whatever else needs support. And God forbid, people can get hurt, or worse.  Unfounded lawsuits are common from scammers. Employee retention is impossible, so turnover/churn is huge. Cash flow management is challenging due to seasonal nature, even though that's built into the business plan/model. Vendor management is tough. Product updates (new rides) are necessary and VERY expensive. In short, it has many of the worst aspects of business.

For a Nashville park, it almost has to be very wealthy local stakeholder(s) with a burning desire to provide this to the community and/or a deep-pocketed corporate denizen who sees an opportunity to exploit a market and  manage it in such a way as to mitigate risk. I would guess a compact footprint with at least some year-round attractions.  I've no idea if city/regional leadership has approached other park ownership for a Nashville area hard look, but it might be a good time to do so...with our current population growth and tourist numbers to support a biz plan. Maybe Butch Spyridon & Co?

[MidTenn1]

9 hours ago, volsfanwill said:

when I first moved here in 92.  natives, which were easy to find then, swore that Disney looked at building a park on I-65 around where the Williamson County ag expo enter is now.

I never really believed it, as Opryland was already here.

 

and I disagree that Opryland's rides were fair to midling.   several were standard for any park.  but Screaming Delta Demon was my favorite ride,   it is still my favorite ride to this day.  it was so unique.  it is ashamed that it rusted away in a field. 

Disney was looking at building a park based on 'equestrian activities' back in the mid 80's. My information came directly from a department head in Franklin who was a good friend and former co-worker of mine.

I knew no other details or why they backed out.

[VSRJ]

11 hours ago, Tim29tn said:

Manchester was supposed to get Six Flags about 5 years ago until Bonnaroo outbid them for the land they’re currently on.  Both parties (Manchester and Six Flags) were very serious about the move, but money talks.  Six Flags offered 7.5 million for the current bonnaroo land along I24 at the time when it was just being leased, then Bonnaroo countered with 10 million and bought it out. 

Do you have a source for this? I find that (the Six Flags part at least) highly unlikely.  Six Flags has only built three parks from the ground up, and all of those were built in the 60s/early 70s.

There is a "Six Flags Dubai" under construction, but it's really just a licensing agreement: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Flags_Dubai

10 hours ago, volsfanwill said:

when I first moved here in 92.  natives, which were easy to find then, swore that Disney looked at building a park on I-65 around where the Williamson County ag expo enter is now.

I never really believed it, as Opryland was already here.

 

and I disagree that Opryland's rides were fair to midling.   several were standard for any park.  but Screaming Delta Demon was my favorite ride,   it is still my favorite ride to this day.  it was so unique.  it is ashamed that it rusted away in a field. 

I think every major city has a rumor like this. I don't think it's totally out of the realm of possibilities, but I do agree that a Disney park in Tennessee would dilute the market. The closest Disney ever came to building a third resort/park was Disney's America outside of DC: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney%27s_America

55 minutes ago, Flatrock said:

Apologies for reposting this:

A close friend is a senior executive for the 63 acre Kentucky Kingdom (formerly Six Flags). It's changed hands a number of times (and closed/re-opened) in it's 30 year history.

According to my friend, it's a pain in the azz to run a park and make money. Margins are thin. Mistakes are expensive. Liability is huge. Management/administrative staff is tiny (due to thin margins) - which means during the season, it's common for a senior executive to be cleaning trash, helping in a booth or whatever else needs support. And God forbid, people can get hurt, or worse.  Unfounded lawsuits are common from scammers. Employee retention is impossible, so turnover/churn is huge. Cash flow management is challenging due to seasonal nature, even though that's built into the business plan/model. Vendor management is tough. Product updates (new rides) are necessary and VERY expensive. In short, it has many of the worst aspects of business.

For a Nashville park, it almost has to be very wealthy local stakeholder(s) with a burning desire to provide this to the community and/or a deep-pocketed corporate denizen who sees an opportunity to exploit a market and  manage it in such a way as to mitigate risk. I would guess a compact footprint with at least some year-round attractions.  I've no idea if city/regional leadership has approached other park ownership for a Nashville area hard look, but it might be a good time to do so...with our current population growth and tourist numbers to support a biz plan. Maybe Butch Spyridon & Co?

Yep to all of this. It's a risky business. I'm so glad we have Dollywood in the state - the park is doing incredibly well. I would put them just below Disney/Universal in terms of quality, caliber of attractions, shows, etc. 

[Tim29tn]

It was on the front page of the Manchester Times at one point in time. I also happen to know some people that own border land to the Bonnaroo property. 

[SoundScan]

This is the final revision of the Opryland park map. Brings back lots of great memories. I must have ridden many of these rides over 100 times.

[bigeasy]

Wow....that map brings back so many memories. I don't think I got to ride The Hangman much due to not being tall enough until one of the final years. I loved The Rock'n Roller Coaster as a kid though, and Chaos had some good years!!

[MidTenn1]

12 minutes ago, SoundScan said:

This is the final revision of the Opryland park map. Brings back lots of great memories. I must have ridden many of these rides over 100 times.

I worked there the first four years it was open. I worked in Food & Beverage and catered a lot of events and spent a lot of time in green rooms and saw a lot of celebrities in various states of sobriety and undress. Great times!

[VSRJ]

You can buy a large print of a recreated version of the 1972 map: http://www.oprylandusa.com/shop/1972-opryland-map-print

Also, if you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it: https://www.amazon.com/Opryland-USA-Images-Modern-America/dp/1467116335

[smeagolsfree]

Anyone looking to build an amusement park in the Nashville area will go closer into the Metro area than father out. Williamson County would be a safe location, Wilson County close to 840, Rutherford County close to 840, but areas farther south like Manchester would not simply because people are on the lazy side and will not want to drive an hour  or so down the road and have to fight traffic to boot. 

 

Anyone who is looking at a location will consider easy access key as to a project. They would also consider the availability of workers too.

An exception to the rule is Dollywood but that is a high tourist destination, but its right in the middle of the action there.  

[KJHburg]

I doubt another amusement park will be built as they are super expensive to build and competition is great.  You have parks all around your area  in Kentucky, Ohio and Georgia and here in NC we have Carowinds in Charlotte.  Cedar Fair owns it along with parks in Cedar Point OH, Cincinnati, Richmond and they have poured a lot of money into renovation and adding new attractions.   They have 13 roller coasters of all sizes, water park come over for a weekend to get your theme park fix.  (and check our city too, uptown the light rail etc)

https://www.carowinds.com/