Theme Park (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Marana: for sale, real estate, hotels)

[LBear]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

That's a rather defeated attitude. Who says it has to be outside? The Las Vegas Strip is one big amusement park, but most all the entertainment is indoors because of the excessive heat in the summer.

Dubai's temperatures can be even hotter than Phoenix's, but they have a brand new theme park that features skiing and snowboarding ... completely indoors. These things can be easily accomplished here if we quit thinking small.

You are missing the KEY INGREDIENT to this picture. That ingredient is MONEY $$$$$$

Dubai is a multi-trillion dollar empire. They make all their money on OIL and that is WHY they are building these multi-million and multi-billion dollar parks. If it wasn't for the OIL, Dubai would be a desolate desert with people living in tents & riding camels out in the middle of the desert. Instead, they drive high-end cars and build skyscrapers from the OIL revenue. Which we, Americans, have given to them.

It is not a matter of "thinking small" but a matter of $$$$. We can all dream big but what stops us is $$$$.

Las Vegas is another empire built on the $31 billion dollar annual revenue due to gambling and hotels.

Phoenix cannot generate that type of money and income. When a theme park has to close from April - October due to 100F+ temperatures, it will REALLY hurt the bottom line. Especially since SUMMER is the peak travel and tourism time for American families.

I for one don't want to be waiting in a 1 hour long line while it is 130F in the sun. Even when shaded, it will be around 110F.

Remember, you live in a city that the road workers are forbidden to work when the sun is out from April - Octover because they would DIE. They work on streets in the night. That is a foreign concept to those who don't live in a desert.

[nickluva]

Originally Posted by Great Joy

I think this is great. Building a big theme park with a Disney/Six Flags concept would be an asset to the Phoenix area.

Regarding being too hot here, I disagree. For example, Castles n Coasters in Phoenix doesn't close during the summer. There are big theme parks in Dallas, Atlanta, and Orlando. And, they have the humidity on top of the heat.

Once it gets to 115 degrees it doesn't matter if it's humid or not it's just too damn hot to be outside. A park here would have to close between May-October and be open for the rest of the year. Which wouldn't be too bad. Another thing would be that it would have to be built near the Phoenix area if it were to be open on weekdays because who wants to drive out to the sticks and back with kids on a school night?

[HAVOC]

If you really want to build a theme park in AZ. The best place to do it would be Cordez Junction. It's right in the center of the state, great year round weather and the interstate runs right next to it.
The reason Disneyland does so well, is because we have grown up with his movies, and cartoons and the characters pull at our heartstrings. Thats what is missing at all the other theme parks like Six Flags, history. Thats why the proposed theme parks in PHX and Williams are Arizona themed, because they can go off the history of Arizona. Cowboys, indians, the Grand Canyon etc. Not that that makes for a great theme park, but no history = a theme park that does'nt make money.
Come up with something that tugs at the heartstrings, or makes people think of their childhood in a fond way, then theme a park around it, and you've got a money maker.

[COUNTRY_ANGEL_HORSE]

Originally Posted by nickluva

Once it gets to 115 degrees it doesn't matter if it's humid or not it's just too damn hot to be outside. A park here would have to close between May-October and be open for the rest of the year. Which wouldn't be too bad. Another thing would be that it would have to be built near the Phoenix area if it were to be open on weekdays because who wants to drive out to the sticks and back with kids on a school night?

MOst of us wont let the heat take over our lives and force us to stay indoors. I would love a theme park so close to home. i think its great. Please make sure there is stuff for ALL ages 2 and up. As far as the summer time..as long as there are plenty of mist stations and water fountains and trees it should be fine. Would be awesome if you could dome it but that would be very expensive. If you cant then you cant. ALSO For the summer time it would be nice if there was a water park located in the park with some effect of a beach resort. Different from the 4 other water parks we already have. You know sand leading to the water and cabanas !! That would be BOMB! I mean BOMB... oh and reseonable season passes !! Im just dreaming here ya know !!!!

[kimolyn]

Thank you for your last reply. Just so that you know, I have a 3 year old child, of course there will be plenty there for the smaller children as well as the older and seniors. We have taken everyones advise on what to have and what not to do with the heat. There will be plenty of cooled areas for everyone. As for a water park that is in our future planning. We are getting closer with our plans and permits to get this moving. I look forward to breaking ground on this large project.

Thanks
Kimolyn

[amatrine]

Is this different than the one proposed for eloy?

Ama

[kimolyn]

Yes, This is very different. While they are waiting until 2015 to start, this one will be open by then. They are doing a Rock N Roll Theme Park geared more for an adult, We are doing more of the family theme. We will post a web site soon.

[LBear]

Originally Posted by kimolyn

Yes, This is very different. While they are waiting until 2015 to start, this one will be open by then. They are doing a Rock N Roll Theme Park geared more for an adult, We are doing more of the family theme. We will post a web site soon.

Just curious, but with the real estate housing market collapse in the U.S., Phoenix is one of the hardest hit areas in the entire USA.

Will this factor in to building such a theme park? If the US goes into a recession, or worse, a depression. People will NOT be going to a theme park, if they can't pay their bills and have shelter...

With news releases like:

Lennar (LEN, Fortune 500), the nation's largest builder by revenue, reported a company record $1.25 billion fourth-quarter loss on Thursday.

Other top builders, including KB Home (KBH, Fortune 500) Centex (CTX, Fortune 500), D.R. Horton (DHI, Fortune 500) Pulte Homes (PHM, Fortune 500) and Hovnanian Enterprises (HOV, Fortune 500), are all expected to post losses through much of 2008.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Pettrix

Just curious, but with the real estate housing market collapse in the U.S., Phoenix is one of the hardest hit areas in the entire USA.

Will this factor in to building such a theme park? If the US goes into a recession, or worse, a depression. People will NOT be going to a theme park, if they can't pay their bills and have shelter...

With news releases like:

Lennar (LEN, Fortune 500), the nation's largest builder by revenue, reported a company record $1.25 billion fourth-quarter loss on Thursday.

Other top builders, including KB Home (KBH, Fortune 500) Centex (CTX, Fortune 500), D.R. Horton (DHI, Fortune 500) Pulte Homes (PHM, Fortune 500) and Hovnanian Enterprises (HOV, Fortune 500), are all expected to post losses through much of 2008.

Gee, then perhaps the Phoenix area needs to start diversifying its economic base, and quit relying mostly on home sales or construction for its chief economic indicators. We are, after all, the nation's fifth largest city & one of the top 15 metro areas in population. By now, this area should be trying to attract Fortune 500 type of companies (besides real estate) to base their HQs here ... as well as theme parks, an active nightlife, etc. More BIG CITY amenities to go along with the big city population we have!

Questioning the success of a theme park based on the real estate market and other jobs that revolve around home sales & construction is tunnel vision. Theme parks exist in California, Florida, Texas, Illinios, and elsewhere ... and they still attract visitors even during recessions. I think you're just opposed to a theme park for various shallow reasons (the heat, the housing market, etc.), but those reasons just don't hold up when looking at the success of most theme parks throughout the rest of the nation.

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by kimolyn

Yes, This is very different. While they are waiting until 2015 to start, this one will be open by then. They are doing a Rock N Roll Theme Park geared more for an adult, We are doing more of the family theme. We will post a web site soon.

This "talk" has been around for 20 years. It will never happen.