[swampfox43]

I hate Family Kingdom, the park is built half in the parking lot. The Pavilion has better rides than Family Kingdom plus a better atmosphere.

Bad choice of words there RollerNUT. FK is not half built in a parking lot. Why is everyone so down on this park? It is the epitomy of nostalgic charm when it comes to seaside amusement parks. What do you want, a Disney style park across the street from the ocean? Consider the elements that these parks have to endure year after year. FK is well maintained and the Swamp Fox is the best maintained wooden coaster south of Knoebels, IMO.

Family Kingdom is perfect for what it is. And the Swamp Fox is definately an underrated woodie. I do think that they should add another coaster of some sort, maybe something yet to make it's way south like a nice Maurer Söhne spinner.

Give the park a break. Love it for what it is! And what it is appears to be is a quickly vanishing breed of entertainment. Oceanside amusement parks!

[RollerBee]

Ok, so I went overboard with the parking lot statement, but not much. Swamp Fox was as rough as Hurler when I went in September 2005. The park's Scrambler was dismantled, and it cost four dollars to ride Swamp Fox. Can you say Rip Off? The park is a good way to spend aton of money without noticing. I will stick to Carowinds. Once the Pavilion closes, I ain't ever going back to Myrtle Beach unless Hard Rock Park turns out to be theme park with rides.

[montumax]

I'd hate to hear what Roller thought about Knoebels!

[RollerBee]

Cover your eyes Max!





Looks interesting to me: RollerNut's offical statement is "Looks like a good older style amusement park, and I like the way it appears to be set in the woods. I want to go!"

[Edwardo]

You don't like Family Kingdom? And Swampy was rough? I can't even think of an insult that would even cover you here. I don't think there is one good enough. :rolleyes:

Everyone *else* but Nutty Buddy has hit the nail on the head. This park was profitalbe, is able to operate all year round, and I have a good feeling that whatever replaces it will fail. I can see why Astroworld closed. I can see why Miracle Strip closed. But B&C have purposefully not put anything much into the Pavilion, although I will say that every time I've been there the park looked and ran very well even up to last year, so that they could say 'we're not running a viable business, lets shut it down and try again'.

Right. Because, you know, it isn't the only real reason families come down town. They missed the mark here. PUt the higher class shops down ocean blvd, expand the boardwalk and clean up the *REST* of down town, and invest in the pavilion, and you have a business model that yeilds a ton more money.

[RollerBee]

This park was profitalbe, is able to operate all year round, and I have a good feeling that whatever replaces it will fail.  I can see why Astroworld closed. But B&C have purposefully not put anything much into the Pavilion, although I will say that every time I've been there the park looked and ran very well even up to last year, so that they could say 'we're not running a viable business, lets shut it down and try again'.

Ha, it couldn't have ran year-round because it gets cold in Myrtle Beach. The Pavilion wasn't something that actually attracted people to the beach, it was something for people on vacation to do other than shop, and go to the beach. Me, I hate going out on the actual beach, I don't like shopping, so I go to the beach especially for the amusement park(s). Makes me wish the Pavilion was open the last time I went down to Myrtle Beach, but the park was boarded for the Hurricane that was sitting far over the "pond". Funny thing is, they didn't change the sign out by Hurricane (coaster) to say that the park was closed. By the way, I doubt they will fail by putting a Vegas style resort there. Isn't that still the basic plan?

[bgwfreak]

Well Thunder Road is built over a parking lot, what's the difference?

[swampfox43]

By the way, I doubt they will fail by putting a Vegas style resort there. Isn't that still the basic plan?

That was the plan of the original design firm. They haven't released any concrete specs on the "new" idea. They may be sticking with the "Vegas" theme but we'll have to see.

BTW, I think they should build a dome over the park and run it year round! Anyone seen the <a href='http://www.myrgroup.com/subsidiaries/subsidiaries_image.asp?id=145' target='_blank'>DENVER</a> airport? That would look pretty cool over the Pavilion in the winter. Then they could remove it during the warm months.

How do like them Apples RollerNut?

[bgwfreak]

Better yet, let's build a hideous pyramid over it and then have Dan Brown write a book about it. Oh wait...

[KenB]

This is sad news - the Pavilion had some great rides, and Hurricane had the potential to be one with some upkeep. The atmosphere of the place was great when I went a few years back. I suppose I'll have to get down there again this year to get some final rides.

I really like Family Kingdom myself - they have quite a few of the same types of rides as at Pavilion, and the Swamp Fox is a *great* little coaster. The atmosphere was a bit odd, with hardly anybody there while Pavilion was packed - hopefully they'll pick up a large share of the people that were going to Pavilion, and that can keep that park alive for a long while.

I agree with Max about MB in general - I greatly prefer the Outer Banks myself, although there are no amusement parks. OBX is more commercial than it used to be, with some areas looking a bit like MB and with other areas filling up with ginormous condos, but most of it still has that old charm. It's a good place to go and *relax*, which is what I too want to do going to the beach. I can shop anywhere....

KenB

[CoasterChris]

I'm looking foward to my final trips to the park in June, July & Aug. I will really miss the place.

It was never about the rides. The park just had this feeling to it that i loved.

[RollerBee]

BTW, I think they should build a dome over the park and run it year round! Anyone seen the <a href='http://www.myrgroup.com/subsidiaries/subsidiaries_image.asp?id=145' target='_blank'>DENVER</a> airport? That would look pretty cool over the Pavilion in the winter. Then they could remove it during the warm months.

How do like them Apples RollerNut?

It would be expensive to do wouldn't it. Anything that would keep the park open sounds good to me.

By the way Chris, unless you are talking about something else. We don't know for sure that it will be done this summer. I imagine park officals don't want you releasing hints to people yet.

[coasterdave]

Once a Thunderfan, always a Thunderfan even if the names change. Now where is the CPO when you need them?

[Edwardo]

Ha, it couldn't have ran year-round because it gets cold in Myrtle Beach.

Myrtle Beach doesn't get that cold, and if they'll run Dollywood's coasters in December, I doubt they'd have to close down Hurricane and a Mad Mouse. Think before you speak.

Oh, wait. Nevermind.

[RollerBee]

Hurricane can't run below 35 degrees nor can Thunderhead. If the wood freezes, and they try to run the ride, the wood could break. The Pavilion more than likely doesn't have what they need to run in December. It does snow at Myrtle Beach, the Pavilion is a summer vacation thing. It doesn't attract people like Carowinds does in the same numbers. By the way, I do think before I speak. By the way, not all of Thunder Road was built in the parking lot, just some of it. I wasn't refering to Swamp Fox anyway.