Not Again! Cypress Gardens

Scioneer · #1 02-20-2009, 01:39 AM

This may be somewhat old news, but they're sure not reporting it past Orlando.

Cypress Gardens Closing for Season

So was the Starliner saved, just for some greedy Real Estate company to scrap her a year later?

This is BS! I can seen them nixing the run of the mill flat rides and the off the shelf steel coasters, but Starliner isn't some piece of trash you just throw away. The same argument can be said for the Triple Hurricane. Florida's theme park industry wouldn't be what it is if not for the Starliner, Its a piece of history and a damn good roller coaster to boot. And now, us fans of this great coaster are now having to go through it again! There is no reason why this coaster couldn't co-exist with this new "Expanded Waterpark" they're trying to go for. And low and behold, Its another Real Estate company who has no business owning a theme park to begin with.

I wouldn't be surprised they are intentionally going this route to destroy interest in the park so they can find a way around the Historic Landmark designation and bulldoze the whole park in a few years for that Lake Side Real Estate.

Sorry, I think this time, we may just lose the Starliner. I really hate my return to these boards to be marred by such bad news.

To Hell with Land South, I knew they were going to be trouble.

Marcus · #2 02-20-2009, 02:48 AM

Doesn't look like they were able to sell any of the roller coasters yet,
Cypress Gardens Amusement Rides for Sale

And from reports since early February, no progess has been made on the expansion of the waterpark, nor any of the roller coasters dismantled. I'm guessing some of the rides will be SBNO during the park's supposed opening in late March, until they're sold or scrapped.

Scioneer · #3 02-20-2009, 03:00 AM

can they be anymore vague on what the Starliner is? I hope some park recognizes its a historic coaster with a fairly strong fan following.

***Steven*** · #4 02-20-2009, 08:20 AM

That link in the first post is old. In fact, we reported on it November 15th.

ThrillNetwork.com :: Cypress Gardens to close for transformation

**Wes** · #5 02-20-2009, 08:57 AM

I also heard about this through ACE. It's not just the Orlando area that is talking about this.

I think it is a shame they are removing all the rides, as I never got to go there.

I hope they decide to keep the two wooden coasters running as stand alone attractions.

**Leo C** · #6 02-20-2009, 09:32 AM

I went there in 2006 so I have all the coasters but Starliner. My future Florida plans make it imperative I get Starliner, I just need them to open it.

Scioneer · #7 02-20-2009, 11:18 AM

I hate to say it, but perhaps Disney is Starliner's best hope. I'm not sure if Busch Gardens has enough room or if they're financially stable enough, with the economy the way it is, to take on such a project.

People drove from all over the south, some even more, to ride Starliner again. The two wood coasters are whats unique. Cypress Gardens failed in modern times as just a Garden and Ski show, and there are so many other waterparks in Florida that the best they can hope for is the local population attending. A Water Park will not make people drive 30 minutes from Interstate 4 to visit. There are better ones in Orlando.

This seems to me to be a planned failure, so they can find a way around the Historic Landmark designation in a few years to bulldoze the park for some Lake Front real estate.

This just wreaks of Miracle Strip all over again, and in this economy, who is going to buy a 45 year old wooden coaster? Maybe Disney has the money to save Starliner, and who knows, they may be looking into it already. I bet they'll even build it with a Curved Station House if they do save Starliner.

Of course, there would never be a better time than now for some entrepreneur in PCB to resurrect The Miracle Strip, now that Starliner is for sale.

**Wes** · #8 02-20-2009, 01:00 PM

Disney doesn't do used rides.

I don't think they've ever bought one.

Scioneer · #9 02-20-2009, 03:13 PM

There's a first time for everything. I'd also suggest maybe Wild Adventures, but they have Cheetah, which is like a Starliner with a double Helix ( I think thats what its called) layout wise. It would be odd to have two similar coasters.

Maybe Busch Gardens can pull a rabbit out of their hat, Or, perhaps Universal.

How much space is available at Six Flags Over Georgia? Two Allen coasters in the same park would be cool.

Komatz70 · #10 02-21-2009, 03:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scioneer

I hate to say it, but perhaps Disney is Starliner's best hope. I'm not sure if Busch Gardens has enough room or if they're financially stable enough, with the economy the way it is, to take on such a project.

People drove from all over the south, some even more, to ride Starliner again. The two wood coasters are whats unique. Cypress Gardens failed in modern times as just a Garden and Ski show, and there are so many other waterparks in Florida that the best they can hope for is the local population attending. A Water Park will not make people drive 30 minutes from Interstate 4 to visit. There are better ones in Orlando.

This seems to me to be a planned failure, so they can find a way around the Historic Landmark designation in a few years to bulldoze the park for some Lake Front real estate.

This just wreaks of Miracle Strip all over again, and in this economy, who is going to buy a 45 year old wooden coaster? Maybe Disney has the money to save Starliner, and who knows, they may be looking into it already. I bet they'll even build it with a Curved Station House if they do save Starliner.

Of course, there would never be a better time than now for some entrepreneur in PCB to resurrect The Miracle Strip, now that Starliner is for sale.

Disney doesn't do wood...Miracle Strip is never coimg back and nobody can bulldoze the gardens as the State of Florida owns them.

Michael C · #11 02-21-2009, 01:38 PM

Not enough for Star liner and they already have an out and back coaster. HRP might be able to work it in. They could take over some of their parking lot. they need a wood coaster. Lawry PArk zoo in Tama has added rides. maybe they could work it in.

removing the rides has completely removed any interest in ever visiting cypress. I could accept Removing the animals which are expensive to care for. I could have accepted simplifying the ride selection a bit. Removing rides that don't see a lot of use.

Did they even have a midway with games? And arcade? if not that shoudl have been added to bring in more revenue.

Scioneer · #12 02-21-2009, 03:52 PM

They have an Arcade that's along the border of the Amusement Park section and the Gardens section, near the old Fountain.

Anyway I'm seeing articles outside the Roller Coaster fan community asking Cypress Gardens to save the two Wooden Coasters. Maybe this will generate enough negative reaction to change CG's owners mind about this. If you ask me, If Land South doesn't want to run a Theme Park, they should sell Cypress Gardens to someone who does. Cypress Gardens was doing good in its current configuration, and only was a victim of circumstance ( Three Hurricanes and a Worthless Insurance Company, then the Economy screwing up).

Here's one of the articles

http://www.newschief.com/article/200...ric_Starliner_

Komatz70 · #13 02-21-2009, 08:31 PM

If you knew how poorly the previous management team treated the employyes, you would know why the park is in trouble. The park is a poor location and surrounded by homes. For the previous owner to complain about the insurance companies not paying up is kinda sad considering most of the structures at the park were in poor shape before he purchased. Many other companies had the chance to purchase Cypress Gardens before Land South got it for a lowball offer, further proving that when HBJ and AB owned it, it was not a profitable park...Bigger parks offering more to do have killed this park before.

Scioneer · #14 02-22-2009, 04:07 AM

If it wasn't for the fact the Park has half of Florida's Wooden Coasters, I really wouldn't care as much. But with Florida's oldest coaster in jeopardy, things get complicated. They need to not be so hasty about getting rid of the only rides that aren't off the shelf rides. The two wood coasters fit in with the old school nature of the park, and as the second link said, attract more attention to the park. Their current plans will hurt the park much worse than the Insurance Debacle and this weak economy will.

**Leo C** · #15 02-22-2009, 09:27 AM

All I really ask for is just the two. I liked Triple Hurricane.

Michael C · #16 02-22-2009, 12:59 PM

But not all locals can afford the Bigger parks. They don't all have more to do just larger flashy attractions. IF the park had a few attractions that were more impressive and not just a Zemperla ride catalog. They had coasters worth going for and flats that were simply there.

I don't see it surviving as a water park. Unlike the nearby theme parks which are very costly to get into a water park will need to be priced on par with other water parks in the area. So it's not really going to work.

I agree completely with removing the animals.

Scioneer · #17 02-23-2009, 12:37 AM

Exactly. They are better off selling Cypress Gardens as it is or keeping the two Wood Coasters running.

Swamp Thing and Okeechobee Rampage are Vekoma off the shelf models, in fact CG's former Adventure Parks stablemate had the same two models, Ant Farm Express and another Swamp Thing. On top of that, the three steel coasters look fairly easy to pack up, move, and reasemble, where as Triple Hurricane and Starliner are more complicated and therefore the logistics involed in moving them are more than likely more expensive than buying the coaster( unless Land South wants a crapload for them, which wouldn't surprise me).

I can sorta see Wild Adventures as a possible buyer for Triple Hurricane. Its realitivly small, and its different enough from Cheetah to not be redundant.

Starliner is in the worse position. Though narrow, its really long, and I can imagine its selling price is higher than Triple Hurricane. Some parks might have the room, but not the money. Others may have the money, but not the room.

I'd kinda like to see Starliner go to Six Flags Over Georgia, for the fact that they'll then have two Allen Woodies, One of the first ( Starliner), and one of the last( GASM). I think only one park has two Allens at the moment.

As for where else Starliner can go, I'm not sure, maybe that Zoo in Tampa, or HRP as mentioned earlier. Heck if its going to a zoo, why not the Jacksonville Zoo? Or set it up somewhere in St. Augustine?

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode