Freestyle Music Park: Prev. Hard Rock Park

[Michael C]

True but most of the music now sucks, More people are goign to relate to something like Moody blues then 90% of what they call music now a days.

I really can't think of any songs, especially from a British group, that would work for an interactive dark ride.

[Ryan F]

True but most of the music now sucks, More people are goign to relate to something like Moody blues then 90% of what they call music now a days.

I really can't think of any songs, especially from a British group, that would work for an interactive dark ride.

That would be your opinion.
The park states they are taking out the Moody Blues theme to be more family friendly. More than 90% of kids are going to relate to a new band/song choice than the Moody Blues.

One song I can think of for an interactive dark ride is Yellow Submarine. But I have a feeling getting the rights to use a Beatles song would be very expensive. Yes, it's an older song but everyone knows Yellow Submarine.

[Leo C]

Funny that I was jokingly thinking of a Michael Jackson laser ride where kids would zap an encroaching Michael Jackson through various scenes. I was thinking of that Michael Jackson South Park episode. Yeah, totally won't happen. Didn't I hear he owned rights to Beatles songs? Googling Michael Jackson and the Beatles I get a vague view that he may have sold them to settle some of his debt.

I remember being 14 in 1995 and bored out of my mind/impatient going through the 360 cinemas of EPCOT, The Land, and whatever other films they have there. I hope they replace the ride with a laser game attraction.

[PANTSFREE]

A yellow submarine dark ride would be possibly the greatest ride ever... I can only imagine how sweet that would be. You get chased by blue meanies and travel around weird trippy seas and such...


The moody blues ride was pretty meh. I love that song and album but the ride really wasn't very great imo. And based on the reactions of others getting off, no one seemed too excited about it...

[Michael C]

How is the ride being older make it not family friendly. How many kids now ado know Led Zeplin, eagles, Bob Marly, etc. Since the focus now a days is very much on Rap, R&B and other urban musical styles it is hard to do a park based on Rock since it's not much of a style now.

How is the yellow Sub song going to work as an interactive sub ride. Also the ride would cost a lot of money. Jackson sold the Beatles rights if I remember right. So the song right would need to be acquired from who bought them. I can't remember the guys name but he did the animation and holds rights. Then there is Peter Max Who did the art. you'd have to pay them all for the rights.

[Ryan F]

How is the ride being older make it not family friendly. How many kids now ado know Led Zeplin, eagles, Bob Marly, etc. Since the focus now a days is very much on Rap, R&B and other urban musical styles it is hard to do a park based on Rock since it's not much of a style now.

With games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, more kids are getting into older rock like Bob Marley and The Eagles. I haven't played a Moody Blues song yet (but I also don't have GH 1 or 3, or either RockBands, so I could be wrong)

How is the yellow Sub song going to work as an interactive sub ride. Also the ride would cost a lot of money.

It doesn't have to be a sub ride. The vehicles could just be themed to either a yellow submarine, or a wacky looking car traveling through the animated worlds of Yellow Submarine. It can easily be interactive, Pantsfree explained it up there.
Plus, the ride is already there, they would just need to pay for a re-theme.

[Michael C]

I actually went to post before Pantsfree posted. I didn't read his post until I posted mine.

The Sub has nothing to do with needing to get permissions form all 3 owners. They would need the permissions if the attraction had a sub or not. also, If you've seen the Yellow Submarine movie/video. the guns make no sense.

Also keep in mind this area is the British Invasion. That's British Rock groups in the 60's, mid to late 60's to be more exact. So a replacement attraction should be worked into a group from that period. The Rolling Stones are from that period. there was a later influx of British bands in the mid to late 70's.

[Leo C]

Someone took a video of a Gravitron moving by semi truck through Myrtle Beach. It can't necessarily be confirmed as stopping at HRP but at least it's out there.

[Michael C]

The graviton is one of the worst flats I have been on. I really cont think of a way that woudl work with any rock song. Maybe they will prop it up against a giant record cover and it will be Boston teh ride.

[Michael C]

Saw this report today. Looks like they still haven't made a deal about the name.

Park's name not yet settled - Business - The Sun News

[Leo C]

I'm not getting the news I want soon enough. Time is ticking. All I'm reading about is crap. I want to hear the name is settled and we're moving into the season not this Led Zep name, Moody Blues, executives' greed problems.

My vacation is two months. I want some more semblance in this month that I have it planned. I was at least going to do a short 2-3 day with this economy.

[Wes]

Patience grass hopper. All in due time.

BTW The Moody Blues ride sucked.

[Leo C]

That's what I thought with the dark ride, just watching in on the Tube.

I think the Southwest Airlines commercials are making me snappy recently.

[Smoky]

Hmm, make the Moody Blues more family friendly, would replacing Nights in White Satin with
Your Wildest Dreams do the trick? lol

Since the section is British Invasion they could do a whole lot with the stuff that came out at the time: The Kinks' Dedicated Follower of Fashion
(a dark ride where you could shoot baseballs at fashion dummies);

The Dave Clark Five's Over and Over
(a multi-inversion roller coaster);

The Hollies Bus Stop
(WEDWay People-like ride in a bus through the attractions...ala Tomorrowland);

The Shadows' Apache
(great tune however you fit it);

Pink Floyd's Astronomy Domine or Interstellar Overdrive
(ahh hell the whole Piper album makes for a great trip [pun intended!]), etc.

[Racer]

Hard Rock Park founders say they're due a cut of the profits - Local - The Sun News

The original owners wantcompensation from the new owners for their intellectual property rights. This could jeopardize the park's opening.

Here's the catch; Steve Goodwin may have done something illegal to screw himself over, according to a law firm in Washington, D.C.

I bet they won't have to pay royalties to the old owners.

[Leo C]

I hope that's the case. I'm in to want to help the park but not some scheme to pay old owners in that bogus arrangement. There was the bankruptcy proceedings to deal with the true creditors. The name is supposed to be settled, not this crap.

Time is ticking away.

Getting this kind of Topspin flat would be hot. Double Rock Spin at Everland is my favorite park model Topspin in the world. There's guitars on the sides.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5d86UKC8FM

[Michael C]

Ya that complaint by the developers is complete crap. They are simply trying to recoop more of their losses.

The Rockn' Roll top spin woudl be a nice addition.

[Leo C]

I'm hopping mad the old partner gets a judge to rule they could collect licensing on the old names and creative properties of the park. It should be those creditors.

[Michael C]

I'm hopping mad the old partner gets a judge to rule they could collect licensing on the old names and creative properties of the park. It should be those creditors.

Why there are a half dozen companies out there that design parks. None of theme demand residuals for their work. The layout of the park is terrible. There is no rhyme or true reason to it. There are dead ends everywhere that need to be fixed some how. also they are asking way too much for their poor work.

the park's former CEO, Steven Goodwin, has filed papers demanding a $500,000 royalty fee every year, plus 1.5% of revenues, for the use of the Hard Rock name. He says the Hard Rock name and design is his intellectual property.

As if a half Million wasn't too much to ask for he wants another 1.5% of the Revenues. thsi is the same person that ran teh park into the ground.

[Michael C]

Updated news from today:

FPI MB Entertainment LLC (FPI MBE) confirmed Monday that although it did not receive the expedited injunctive relief sought through the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware regarding claims of Steven J. Goodwin to some of the Park’s intellectual properties (IPs), it will proceed to rename and rebrand the Park’s attractions as deemed appropriate and as originally planned. Park management is moving forward with its target of a Memorial Day opening.

The Honorable Kevin J. Carey, on behalf of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, denied FPI MBE injunctive relief on the limited and expedited record. He, nevertheless, left open the issue of ownership rights to the IPs following further proceedings in other venues.

FPI MBE maintains that the IPs now claimed by Steven J. Goodwin were inappropriately taken in the first place and transferred under the Bankruptcy Court’s Sale Order without objection. It plans to rename and rebrand attractions as appropriate in the interest of time and improving the Park’s appeal.

“We plan to move forward with a Memorial Day opening and today’s ruling doesn’t change anything to affect our timeline,” said Steve Baker, President of FPI MBE. “If anything, this provides us more of an opportunity to totally rebrand many areas in the Park we felt needed to be more family friendly and better represent everything we have to offer. Sure, we’ll have to move a bit faster, but we feel today’s outcome in no way affects our plans to unveil a brand new Park experience for our guests starting in May.”

More court appointments before this is settled.

[Leo C]

From this sour situation I might get a chuckle if they turn the park into BibleLand. They could turn the staff of the Hard Rock Guitar into a cross and rename Led Zepellin: "Oh Sweet Jesus." I might be happy amidst this crappiness then.

I suggest they change the eatery with the "Eat Me" sign into a Goodwin's restaurant or add a Goodwin's Grease Truck in the park for the crap he's serving.

NEWSFLASH: I read on another forum the website hardrockpark.com is offline. I just tried to access it.

[JEdMc91]

From my local news


By WBTW Staff Reports

Published: March 31, 2009
FPI MB Entertainment LLC (FPI MBE) will hold talent auditions for dancers, tumblers, character actors, variety artists, BMX riders, inline skaters, skateboarders and bands, at various locations Friday, April 3 through Tuesday, April 7. All talent chosen will appear in shows at the FPI MBE park during the 2009 season.
The audition schedule is as follows:
Friday, April 3, 3–5 p.m., Myrtle Beach Skate Park – BMX riders, Inline Skaters and Skateboarders
Friday, April 3, 7–9 p.m., Myrtle Beach School of Performing Arts – Dancers, Tumblers, Character Actors and Variety Artists
Saturday, April 4, 12–3 p.m., Myrtle Beach Skate Park –BMX riders, Inline Skaters and Skateboarders
Saturday, April 4, 5–8 p.m., Myrtle Beach School of Performing Arts – Dancers, Tumblers, Character Actors and Variety Artists
Monday, April 6, at a location to be determined, by appointment only – Bands (including soloists, duos and trios and a cappella groups)
Tuesday, April 7, at a location to be determined, by appointment only – Bands (including soloists, duos and trios and a cappella groups)
All applicants must be 16 years of age and older in order to audition. For more information about auditions, or to schedule a band audition, call (843) 236-7625.

[Leo C]

I notice how it just mentions the entertainment company's name, not the park name.

Look at who launched a site: http://www.hrpusa.com/index.php

hardrockpark.com is back up now but with just a base page, no park map, attractions as of tonight 3/31. What's promising is a link to the Hard Rock Cafe site on the page.

[JEdMc91]

Coasters to shed band names at Hard Rock Park

The two roller coasters named after Led Zeppelin and The Eagles at Hard Rock Park will be renamed for the 2009 season, an official with the park's new owners said Thursday, though he declined to say whether new names have been picked out for the rides, among the park's largest attractions.
The park's new owners also appeared to be backing away from a solely rock-'n'-roll theme for the park. John Stine, the director of sales and marketing for FPI MB Entertainment, the company that purchased the park out of bankrupcty in February for $25 million, said the park will be music-themed, with only an emphasis on rock 'n' roll.
"We want to get the park right," Stine said. "We want to enhance a number of areas and create more fun, more value for guests coming into the park."
A federal bankruptcy judge in Delaware ruled Monday that some of the park's previous owners still had intellectual property rights to the park's overall theme, design and layout. Steven Goodwin, the park's former CEO, had asked the new owners for licensing fees and a small cut of the profits.
Regardless of Monday's ruling, Stine said the park's owners had already decided to rebrand portions of the park. Since the new owners did not have any rights to the brand names of either The Eagles or Led Zeppelin, Monday's ruling did not impact the decision to change the names of those rides, Stine said.
"There were a number of things that we had in the works with our rebrand and the new creative direction we were taking it before the ruling," Stine said. "All this does is we continue to work harder, and we accelerate some things."
Stine, though, was mum on whether the park's themed areas, including a section devoted to British rock, would remain the same or would go through a massive overhaul. He also declined to say whether the park's two other big rides, a water ride named Slippery When Wet and another coaster called Maximum RPM!, would retain their names.
The new owners are especially focusing on making the park more family oriented, Stine said, but he declined to provide more details on which children's rides would be added to the park. The park's new owners have said they plan to add some children's rides.
"The rides will offer the opportunity for both parents and grandparents to enjoy the ride with their children," Stine said. "We want it to be more engaging. We want it to be more of a participatory ride so that grandparents are not sitting on a bench watching their kids ride."
Still up in the air is whether the park can retain the Hard Rock brand. The previous owners leased the brand from Hard Rock International for $2.5 million a year, but the new owners are still negotiating whether the name can be kept.
The park's Web site that sported the Hard Rock brand, www.hardrockpark.com, was recently taken down and now links to Hard Rock's main site.

[Leo C]

I was starting to plan new names before this announcement like Rock Classico or Rock Classic Coaster for Led Zeppelin. I bet the EAGLES (I'll capitalize for that band even) coaster would still need to change its name from Midnight Rider if the lisense to Goodwin's creative services for the park stands.

[GAmFanboy]

Led Zeppelin Could be Renamed "Fast Lane" and have Bon Jovi's "Livin on a Prayer"

Eagles Could be renamed "MidKnight Rider" so they don't have to pay Lisensing.

[Michael C]

Midnight rider was the designers Original theme. they would have to pay the original designer. though Bon Jovi's Blaze of Glory is a favorite of mine.

For led Zeppelin, how about Styx Edge of the Century. I have always felt the heart beat and build up in music would be great for a coaster lift and the fast paced music and lyrics about revolution work great for a coaster.

They should be able to keep the theme within the area and just changed the themed areas names.

[Leo C]

I wouldn't care if the coaster first reopened without music and they added it later.

[Racer]

It's official. The park will no longer carry the Hard Rock name.

Theme park scraps Hard Rock - Local - The Sun News

[Leo C]

The website hardrockpark.com changed again. It went from a page with just mention of the park returning with a link to Hardrock.com to now just immediately going to the Hardrock.com site, the place for the cafes and their whole offerings.