When Will Arizona Get a Decent Theme Park? (Phoenix, Williams: tax, live)

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Right on the money! Phoenix is too hot, is about the last place tourists think of coming to in the summer, and is so close to better alternatives. Really, if we had the market and conditions, we'd already have a theme park.

Now, that's not to say one won't be built. I am sure a city council somewhere will pony up the taxpayers money to underwrite such a development sooner or later.

Most theme parks were built decades ago when it was much cheaper to do so. Phoenix didn't warrant a theme park decades ago because the population was much smaller then. Most of our growth occurred in the 90's. The reason we don't have a theme park isn't due to the lack of interest, it is due to the high costs and finding an appropriate location. There has been interest but it just hasn't gotten done due largely to the economic collapse. I think we will eventually get one built as our increasing population will be too tempting for some developers. Again, I don't see a theme park in Phoenix being an international destination but it doesn't have to be. With a 5 million population in 10 years, that is more than enough people to serve a local park. People will always go to the California parks but having a local one will be nice for people who just want something to take their kids to on a free weekend or a day. Castles and Coasters is pretty ghetto and weak overall but people still go there just because there isn't any other amusement park here.

What the Valley needs is to have a major water and amusement park next to each other the way they do in Arlington Texas. Put these parks in an open area.

Originally Posted by AZJ0SH

Very true, look at the Waveyard project and how much the City of Mesa forked out and not a single thing was built yet.

There is a reason for that, it's called the economic collapse. Those projects were proposed 7 years ago when the economy was strong and there was a boom. These were not just cute ideas and I know people want to associate Decades and Waveyard with the previous amusement park ideas that fell through in the 80's and 90's but the situations are nothing alike. These were legitimate projects that understandly fell through due to the economy.

[oh2az2id]

Those of you that think it is not feasible, tell me why this park - Silverwood Theme Park | Just North of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho - does so well? My son works there so I now for a fact that they do well, They are open 3 months full time (June July and August) and 3 months weekends (May Sept. and Oct.) The busiest days they will have a Gate of 10,000, mostly on weekends and during the week they are around 5,000. How can a park in the middle of nowhere make it, but a park in Phoenix can't?

[observer53]

Originally Posted by oh2az2id

Those of you that think it is not feasible, tell me why this park - Silverwood Theme Park | Just North of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho - does so well? My son works there so I now for a fact that they do well, They are open 3 months full time (June July and August) and 3 months weekends (May Sept. and Oct.) The busiest days they will have a Gate of 10,000, mostly on weekends and during the week they are around 5,000. How can a park in the middle of nowhere make it, but a park in Phoenix can't?

Because it's the only game in town. Too many other things going on here.

[Stokes172]

Originally Posted by observer53

Because it's the only game in town. Too many other things going on here.

Precisely..it's the only major theme park within 1000 miles. The only competition it gets is 10 days of the Calgary Stampede and a little place on the west side of Calgary called Calaway park.. It's location gets traffic from both sides of the 49th.

[Psykomonkee]

It's a crime to be the what, 5th or 6th largest city in America and have no real amusement park! Contact Six Flags, Busch Gardens, Cedar Fairs, Disney AND Universal Studios!!! Somebody's gotta realize that it's a great, untouched market for the next great amusement park!

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Psykomonkee

It's a crime to be the what, 5th or 6th largest city in America and have no real amusement park! Contact Six Flags, Busch Gardens, Cedar Fairs, Disney AND Universal Studios!!! Somebody's gotta realize that it's a great, untouched market for the next great amusement park!

We've had threads like this before, with pretty much exactly the same range of opinions expressed. I don't think it's a crime at all. Not every large city in this country has an amusement park. I don't think this is a great, untouched market for it... if one of those companies thought it was, they would have built one long ago. But, sure, give them a call, or write them a letter, and see what they tell you.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by LocoAZnative

There have been them parks here in the past that went bankrupt - Legend City. We are only a few hows from the biggest theme parks in the country so not really an incentive to build another one here.

I am really tired of hearing the excuse that there is no need for theme parks here because we're only a few hours away from southern California or Las Vegas. The way I see it, being so close to those other attractions is all the MORE reason to build theme parks here ... for competition! Wouldn't you rather see more revenue being pumped into our state's economy instead of California's or Nevada's, or do you even care?

Another excuse which is quite lame is how it's too hot here in the summer months. As it has been mentioned many times before, many other places with theme parks galore have heat just as bad (or worse) in the summer months. Texas and Florida have numerous theme parks and they survive just fine, even with the heat and the stifling humidity. It's actually quite hypocritical the way some people think our heat is so wonderful because it's dry, then they turn around and say a theme park will never survive here because it's too hot. Do they not realize how wishy washy (and stupid) that attitude is?!

Originally Posted by AZJ0SH

IWhat would be cool is they could incorporate a mixed-theme park, have some big rides like roller coasters and some thrill rides, but fill the park with water rides, and don't seperate the parks. You should be able to get off a water ride, soaking wet, and hop on a roller coaster. That's how it was in Michigan at Michigan Adventure, it was nice being able to be wet on the coaster cause it felt much much cooler outside.

That's exactly what could work here, and it would (hopefully) counter any arguments about how it's too hot for a theme park. Don't get your hopes up too high, however. The ones who are against the theme parks make all these sorry excuses for why they aren't needed here, but it really amounts to pure NIMBYism ... and Lord knows we have more than enough NIMBYs here downplaying everything, opposed to anything that will bring in people spending money, against anything that could obstruct their views of the brown mountains.
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[DellNec]

Originally Posted by AZJ0SH

Actually it's more like 3 months of heat here, and the Dallas/Arlington area reaches 100 often in the summer, if not it's in the higher 90's. Add in the humidity and it's even worse outside than it is here.

You can plant trees anywhere, what makes you think they would build a theme park with no trees or misters?

Even if it slows down in the summer, there are still 9 other months of the year to enjoy the theme parks.

What are you talking about?

9 months of good weather? That is not true. The Phx intense summer heats lasts more than just 3 months. Phx experiences intense heat from May - October. That leaves only 6 months of decent weather.

The snowbirds don't come to Phx until later October/November and they then get out of town by April.

Now, whether or not that plays a role in getting a theme park, I don't know, but there is no way that Phx gets 9 months of good weather.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by oh2az2id

Those of you that think it is not feasible, tell me why this park - Silverwood Theme Park | Just North of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho - does so well? My son works there so I now for a fact that they do well, They are open 3 months full time (June July and August) and 3 months weekends (May Sept. and Oct.) The busiest days they will have a Gate of 10,000, mostly on weekends and during the week they are around 5,000. How can a park in the middle of nowhere make it, but a park in Phoenix can't?

I agree or look at this park: Frontier City. OKC is closer to Six Flags in Dallas than we are to any park in California yet Frontier City was always packed when I lived there and it was a fun park. People still drove to Six Flags once a year but this park was something people could escape to for a weekend. And it was certainly hot there in the summer although not as hot as Phoenix obviously but with its share of water rides and other indoor facilities, you never noticed the heat even when it was in the upper 90's/low 100's there.

Originally Posted by observer53

Because it's the only game in town. Too many other things going on here.

For adults maybe but not kids. Sure, we adults can shop, hike, golf, gamble, pro sports, dine and go to bars etc but for children, it's pretty limited here. We have scattered small waterparks that pale in comparison to a real water park in other cities. We have some small acquariums, the zoo, childrens museum but overall there could be more activities for kids.

Originally Posted by observer53

if one of those companies thought it was, they would have built one long ago. But, sure, give them a call, or write them a letter, and see what they tell you.

They would have built one a long time ago if we had the same population and development we do now back then. Six Flags is struggling financially and declared bankruptcy because they expanded too fast and bought smaller parks. These companies have no desire to expand at this time. I don't see something like this occuring until another 20 years because it's simply too costly to build one now, look around has any city built a major amusement park in the last 10 years besides Orlando? I do think the heat obviously has impacted their decision because it would be more expensive to build a park here to account for that however I disagree there wouldn't be a huge demand or large attendance if a park was here.

[oh2az2id]

Originally Posted by observer53

Because it's the only game in town. Too many other things going on here.

Good guess but very wrong. In the summer months when silverwood is open, there is way more to do here in N. Idaho then there is in Phoenix. I know as I lived in Phx from 1982-2006.