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Posted at 8:36 AM EDT (1236 GMT)
 Jul. 10th, 2007 -- Monday, Wild West World announced that they will file for bankruptcy, just two months after the $30 million park opened near Wichita, Kansas.
The park announced that it will close immediately and look for a new owner. Park City as well as banks, ride manufacturers, vendors and season ticket holders are owed millions. For more information, visit Forbes.com.
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Wes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 11378
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Sounds like they got in over their head.
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| 7/10/2007 8:43 AM |
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Nitro Luvr
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 451
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Well lets see, spend $30 million on a theme park in an almost unheard of area that is known for bad weather. Yeah, sounds like the "perfect" business adventure to me. In over their head would be an understatement.
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| 7/10/2007 10:42 AM |
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stevetothekizzo
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1341
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This is never good for the industry. Especially the fact that ride manufactures are going to loose money on this.
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| 7/10/2007 12:14 PM |
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Dukeis#1
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 932
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Perhaps if Etheridge had put his ego aside and left most of the original (professional) management in place the park would have fared better. Heck, Etheridge fired his PR guy, yet the next day Hersheypark immediately hired him to run their marketing department.
Anyway, I wonder if the Herschends would look into purchasing Wild West World. They did turn the small carnival-like Branson USA park into Celebration City.
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| 7/10/2007 2:30 PM |
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all4thx
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 36
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You all should do some research because you make enthuasists look bad with these comments.
This weather is not normal for this area. Wichita has 344,000 residents which is far from unheard of. Management cannot control the weather. Those are facts!
The fact is the cost overruns left the park with less operating capital or less time to get the cash flowing to sustain the operation. Any operator in this position would suffer the same fate.
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| 7/10/2007 2:50 PM |
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Wes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 11378
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^ If you click on the link to the story, the story says and I quote:
"Blaming the poor weather for attendance woes, Wild West World filed for bankruptcy just two months after the $30 million destination theme park opened in suburban Wichita."
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| 7/10/2007 3:42 PM |
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CHILLERLC1
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 8430
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This is what I always fear for the small and newbies.
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| 7/10/2007 7:59 PM |
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