What would it take for austin to get an amusement park? (Corpus Christi: hotel, airports)

[centralaustinite]

Yes, the non-Disney amusement park market isn't doing so well. The big growth is all overseas anyway. Even though I worked for Six Flags for several years as a teen, I've never taken my kids to an amusement park or even Disney. Too much $, not enough value. We do love the Schlitterbahn in NB though. Looks like the business model is at risk however due to over-expansion, and criminal negliance stemmng from chasing more time on the Travel channel and "most extreme" titles. Pity.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

[...]Even though I worked for Six Flags for several years as a teen, I've never taken my kids to an amusement park or even Disney. Too much $, not enough value.

Our kids end up at Sea World or Fiesta Texas about once a year, generally as part of one of the summer camp programs or whatnot. Part of the adventure is the bus trip . We do go to the rodeo most years when it is in town, as well, and its mini 'amusement park'.

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

We do love the Schlitterbahn in NB though. Looks like the business model is at risk however due to over-expansion, and criminal negliance stemmng from chasing more time on the Travel channel and "most extreme" titles.

We don't generally go to the one in NB, but have been going to the one in Galveston for the last few years as part of a summer vacation down on the coast. I really like that location, as it is built from the ground-up and manages crowd-flow much, much better.

It does really irritate me if even half of what I hear is true about their design process is accurate. The idea is to give the 'appearance' of danger w/o really putting anyone in harms way. And while I am not a big fan of 'over regulation' and am not proposing to necessarily add any new regs as a knee-jerk reaction to this fatality, I do think that there needs to be consequences. The owners total disregard (or so it seems) for basic design engineering is amazing. It should be common sense, not regulation, and he has total ignored the availability of professional input. It isn't even that expensive, really. I think he will likely pay dearly for his arrogance.

[mark311]

Originally Posted by cBach

You apparently have not been to Six Flags Fiesta Texas in the summer. Hot as hades but still packed to the gills.

Only once and that was enough. Disney is a whole different thing though. Disney resorts attract people from all over the world. Local people that go to Six Flags know that it's going to be hot and are prepared for it. So I do agree that a "local type" amusement park could possibly work, but trying to bring people to Texas during the summer for a major amusement park like Disney or Universal Studios will have similar results to the X-Games here.

Even in SoCal, you knew if you were going to brave going to Six Flags Magic Mountain during August (the one where they filmed the first Vacation movie) in Valencia, you knew that the heat was going to be bad.

[CT_ATX]

Going to Orlando in the summer is for sadists too, but that is the beauty of warmer weather locations. There are plenty of amazing days between October and May.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

We don't generally go to the one in NB, but have been going to the one in Galveston for the last few years as part of a summer vacation down on the coast. I really like that location, as it is built from the ground-up and manages crowd-flow much, much better.

It does really irritate me if even half of what I hear is true about their design process is accurate. The idea is to give the 'appearance' of danger w/o really putting anyone in harms way. And while I am not a big fan of 'over regulation' and am not proposing to necessarily add any new regs as a knee-jerk reaction to this fatality, I do think that there needs to be consequences. The owners total disregard (or so it seems) for basic design engineering is amazing. It should be common sense, not regulation, and he has total ignored the availability of professional input. It isn't even that expensive, really. I think he will likely pay dearly for his arrogance.

We have had season passes for several years to the one in NB, our family really enjoys it. We eat outside the park and that helps with cost. Having worked for an amusement park, I have always (before the KC injury) been very impressed with Schlitterbahn. They leave a lot of money on the table, Six Flags makes most of their $ from parking and food. Schlitterbahn NB has free parking and lets you bring food in!! Both are unheard of in the industry. Also the don't enforce a draconian dress code.

I read that the "most extreme" water coaster was to be build in KC because Kansas had a looser regulatory environment -- when your state has looser rules than TX?! you know you are in trouble! I can't believe that an engineer's stamp wasn't required on the plans -- and that the engineer didn't lose their license. Beware amusement parks in KC, I guess.

I think it is likely that Jeff Henry sees jail and that Schlitterbahn, if it survives, will be a smaller empire. The Corpus Christi site is in bankrupcy right now.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

We have had season passes for several years to the one in NB, our family really enjoys it. We eat outside the park and that helps with cost. Having worked for an amusement park, I have always (before the KC injury) been very impressed with Schlitterbahn. They leave a lot of money on the table, Six Flags makes most of their $ from parking and food. Schlitterbahn NB has free parking and lets you bring food in!! Both are unheard of in the industry. Also the don't enforce a draconian dress code.

I actually have no problem with their business model at all. Allowing people to bring in food? Almost unheard of! And they seem to have about a million life guards at any given time.

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

I read that the "most extreme" water coaster was to be build in KC because Kansas had a looser regulatory environment -- when your state has looser rules than TX?! you know you are in trouble! I can't believe that an engineer's stamp wasn't required on the plans -- and that the engineer didn't lose their license. Beware amusement parks in KC, I guess.

It is a big misconception that Texas is a 'loose' regulatory state. I work in environmental and have worked in many states across the country (and several countries outside the US). The environmental regulations are stricter than probably every state other than CA, and I could argue that California's are so strict for the sole purpose of driving industry out, not cleaning up the environment. This regulatory environment carries over into many other areas, but due to the sheer size or the population of Texas, it sometimes seems like 'things happen' that aren't regulated as well as other places.

Regarding the engineering - the failure to use a licensed engineer is just mind-boggling; if they had used an engineer, MOST of the fault would likely have been on the engineer/engineering company, not the owner of the park. I can't imagine how you bypass that safeguard for your on protection. And, most likely, no engineer would have lost their license because this would have never have happened.

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

I think it is likely that Jeff Henry sees jail and that Schlitterbahn, if it survives, will be a smaller empire. The Corpus Christi site is in bankrupcy right now.

It is likely going to be a case of gross negligence, starting with the failure to 'engineer' the ride. I have not followed the story that closely, but it also sounds like there were other injuries/accidents/near misses that should have been a wake-up call, as well. Not a lawyer, but this likely ends up as manslaughter of some sort in criminal court, and then off to civil court it goes....

[cBach]

Originally Posted by mark311

Only once and that was enough. Disney is a whole different thing though. Disney resorts attract people from all over the world. Local people that go to Six Flags know that it's going to be hot and are prepared for it. So I do agree that a "local type" amusement park could possibly work, but trying to bring people to Texas during the summer for a major amusement park like Disney or Universal Studios will have similar results to the X-Games here.

Even in SoCal, you knew if you were going to brave going to Six Flags Magic Mountain during August (the one where they filmed the first Vacation movie) in Valencia, you knew that the heat was going to be bad.

To be honest, I don't think Katy, TX is that much worse than Orlando in the summer. I've been to Orlando in the summer and it is a steam bath. It was still crowded as can be and some Disney rides have an indoor component that has A/C (space mountain) and others have water features (splash mountain) etc...

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

I actually have no problem with their business model at all. Allowing people to bring in food? Almost unheard of! And they seem to have about a million life guards at any given time.



It is a big misconception that Texas is a 'loose' regulatory state. I work in environmental and have worked in many states across the country (and several countries outside the US). The environmental regulations are stricter than probably every state other than CA, and I could argue that California's are so strict for the sole purpose of driving industry out, not cleaning up the environment. This regulatory environment carries over into many other areas, but due to the sheer size or the population of Texas, it sometimes seems like 'things happen' that aren't regulated as well as other places.

Regarding the engineering - the failure to use a licensed engineer is just mind-boggling; if they had used an engineer, MOST of the fault would likely have been on the engineer/engineering company, not the owner of the park. I can't imagine how you bypass that safeguard for your on protection. And, most likely, no engineer would have lost their license because this would have never have happened.


It is likely going to be a case of gross negligence, starting with the failure to 'engineer' the ride. I have not followed the story that closely, but it also sounds like there were other injuries/accidents/near misses that should have been a wake-up call, as well. Not a lawyer, but this likely ends up as manslaughter of some sort in criminal court, and then off to civil court it goes....

They are being charged with second degree murder charges, not only manslaughter. I think it's the right charge as they knew about issues with the waterslide going airborne.

“Experts in the field of amusement ride design and safety examined Verrückt and found physical evidence which indicated that other rafts had gone airborne and collided with the overhead hoops and netting before the fatality,” they said. “These experts noted that Verrückt’s design violated nearly all aspects of the longstanding industry safety standards published by ASTM. In fact, the design and operation of the Verrückt complied with few, if any, of the industry safety standards.”

https://nypost.com/2018/03/27/water-...urder-charges/

[malcorub16]

If San Antonions are forced drive to Austin for large outdoor concerts, then Austinites shouldn't have a problem driving to San Antonio for amusement parks.

[CT_ATX]

Originally Posted by malcorub16

If San Antonions are forced drive to Austin for large outdoor concerts, then Austinites shouldn't have a problem driving to San Antonio for amusement parks.

Meeting half way on both would be nice too.