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FOR SALE: Wild Adventures

Florida

By Florida
in Tallahassee Coffee House

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Florida Megalopolis

Florida

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Wild Adventures For Sale:

7042348_BG1.jpg

Since voluntarily filing for Chapter 11 Protection in the United State Bankruptcy Court on September 11, 2006, APG has been working diligently to craft a reorganization plan that will allow the most benefit to its creditors. The filing was a direct result of the losses sustained by the company due to the extensive damage caused to Cypress Gardens by Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne in the summer of 2004, prior to the park's reopening. The devastation delayed the opening and forced the company to find additional financing to continue reconstruction. A subsequent failure to reach a settlement claim with the insurance company and its broker made it increasingly difficult to meet financial obligations and ultimately led to the filing for reorganization.
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south park county Whistle-Stop

south park county

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I think most things at Wild Adventures worth riding are permanently based. Some non roller coaster rides are semi-mobile, as well as some of the more kid oriented coasters, but if someone wanted to start a theme park here, it would really be easier to just purchase new rides as opposed to paying for the cost of acquiring, disassembling, transporting and reassembling them. I would truly love to see a theme park here, as that is something many mid size cities don't have close by, but I think we'll have to get lucky the way Valdosta did, in a series of successivley bigger steps, instead of holding out for any dramatic plan.

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Florida Megalopolis

Florida

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Perhaps you're right. I spoke to a few of my buddies in City Hall yesterday who were all just a excited as I was about the news/opportunity but see it as a far stretch to try to lure this park to Tallahassee for many of the same reasons you suggested. I'd love to have those Animals here, and there are several places to plop one of these things on. The Welaunee property would be perfect because it surrounds the interstate and is massive in size. The park could help them to lure residents as well!

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Go Gators Burg

Go Gators

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It would be nice, but it would also be fiscally irresponsible at this time to make such a purchase with the looming budget crisis our state, counties, and cities are going through. They would have a hard time justifying that to me after cutting certain things, and then approving some of the highest pay increases in the country, and then buying a theme park.

Right park, right place, wrong time, unfortunately.

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poonther Town

poonther

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Also keep in mind that the Valdosta park was doing good ( not sure how much of a profit it was making) but what brought it down and into bankruptcy was Cypress Gardens. The owner of WA was doing a great service IMHO to Florida in trying to preserve CG, but the cost of updating the park and bringing in more thrill rides coupled w/what 2 or 3 hurricane hits on the place just killed it.

I'm just going on my own guy feeling here, but I bet the Valdosta park will be bought and kept in place, maybe even getting the original owner somehow back involved with it.

BTW is Dick Pope still alive? Growing up that's the only type of water skis I ever used. I know his tacky SIL is still around, but I think Dick's dead??? I'm sure someone w/roots in Imperial Polk could answer this question for me. :)

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SkyDave Whistle-Stop

SkyDave

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How about this for thinking outside the box.....

Flowers Bakery of Thomasville, Ga. our only Fortune 500 company in this area. should take an interest. Maybe, they could afford to invest in relocating the Wild Adventures to just over the Georgia/ Florida Line and build a Theme and Water Park. Plenty of cheap land and decent access from all over the metro on 319. They could use the theme park to market all their food items and spread brand recognition. They have the marketing muscle to make it work.

What do think?????????????

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seminole Whistle-Stop

seminole

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How about this for thinking outside the box.....

Flowers Bakery of Thomasville, Ga. our only Fortune 500 company in this area. should take an interest. Maybe, they could afford to invest in relocating the Wild Adventures to just over the Georgia/ Florida Line and build a Theme and Water Park. Plenty of cheap land and decent access from all over the metro on 319. They could use the theme park to market all their food items and spread brand recognition. They have the marketing muscle to make it work.

What do think?????????????

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Florida Megalopolis

Florida

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Wild Adventures Sold

A lawyer says Wild Adventure Theme Park and its sister amusement park in Winter Haven, Florida were sold Tuesday at a private auction. The auction was part of a pending Chapter 11 bankruptcy case.

Cypress Gardens Adventure Park is the oldest theme park in

Florida. Ward Stone is a bankruptcy lawyer for Valdosta-based Adventure Parks Group LLC. He says Cypress Gardens was sold in Macon, Georgia for $16.8 million.

Stone says there were no additional bids at the hearing. Miami-based millionaire William Beach, a former skier at Cypress Gardens, pulled out of the auction at the last minute.

The Middle District Court in Georgia is expected to approve the

sale on Thursday. Stone says Wild Adventure Theme Park in Valdosta was sold to Herschend Family Entertainment of Missouri for $34.5 million.

Source: WCTV.tv

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Florida Megalopolis

Florida

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I was so excited to hear in a recent news story that the Herschend Family Entertainment group has purchased Wild Adventures of GA. I'm from Tallahassee, FL (60-75 miles or so from Valdosta) and I've had the pleasure of visiting this park on occasion. If you ask anyone here in Tallahassee what the one thing would be to bring to town to give Florida's capital city a more complete feel, most would tell you a Theme Park. I understand the park in Valdosta has fared well over the years, but I have data that indicates relocating Wild Adventures to the immediate Tallahassee Area will make it a more profitable investment. I would be more than happy to run some numbers by you if ever given the opportunity! Once again, I'd like to congratulate you on your wise purchase and I wish you all the best.

Thanks!

T.J. Lewis

Tallahassee, FL

P.s. Between you and me, I love Dolly Parton's music.

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