^

^

^

I think he just stated the obvious or atleast what most of us thought about the whole idea. Just give him the "I told you so" when this thing goes under because an industry expert like that gets paid to be right.

Honestly who would want to go to Wheeling? There is nothing there except some gambling and dog tracks. Now they might get a theme park of this size. Honestly its West Virgina, majority of people only visit West Virginia because they must drive through it to get somewhere better.

Unfortunetly, thats true. I think you really have to be an outdoor enthusist to go to WV as your vacation destination.

Its rather funny, to see when going to the beach we go to, the amount of West Virginians there too.

Who would want to go to Central Florida in the late 60's?

There's just swamp land and flee ridden hotels there.

<G>

^Good point, Wooferbear. No one thought that Florida would become a vacation destination.

^Good point, Wooferbear.  No one thought that Florida would become a vacation destination.

No one thought Florida would become a vacation destination???

That's a joke, right?

I think it's also somewhat of a romantic myth that Orlando was a sleepy little one horse swamp town until Disney came along...it's certainly an idea that Disney and Orlando likes to perpetuate. While Orlando has certainly developed into a major city over the last 20 years, the reality is that the Orlando metro-area was already coming into it's own long before Disney opened (mostly due to it's proximity to the Space Coast and military manufacturing in the area). In fact, the 1970 US Census lists the population of the Orlando MSA as 500,000+ even back then. Compare that to the total current population of Ohio County, WV of just 47,000 people.

Jzarley: Both Great Americas were originally developed by Marriott, who sold them. The one in Gurnee became Six Flags. The city of Santa Clara got the one in California, and KECO ended up buying the rights to operate it, along with a land lease, but only after the city had sold off a good part of the land...hence the office parks around it.

^ Thanks, but actually I was wondering about "Mid-America" which was eventually renamed Six Flags Saint Louis... (I misspoke in my earlier post <g>)

Six Flags Over MidAmerica was the last of the branded parks built by Six Flags and opened in 1971, the same year as the WDW Resort and the year before Kings Island.

^Good point, Wooferbear.  No one thought that Florida would become a vacation destination.

No one thought Florida would become a vacation destination???

That's a joke, right?

I think it's also somewhat of a romantic myth that Orlando was a sleepy little one horse swamp town until Disney came along...it's certainly an idea that Disney and Orlando likes to perpetuate. While Orlando has certainly developed into a major city over the last 20 years, the reality is that the Orlando metro-area was already coming into it's own long before Disney opened (mostly due to it's proximity to the Space Coast and military manufacturing in the area). In fact, the 1970 US Census lists the population of the Orlando MSA as 500,000+ even back then. Compare that to the total current population of Ohio County, WV of just 47,000 people.

I'm thinking he ment like Central Florida, though it may have been a large city before Disney, Disney turned it into a vacation destination.

I see what you mean though. WV really becoming a prime vacation location, especially Wheeling. Although, WV does have 2 ACE classic coasters...

^Good point, Wooferbear.  No one thought that Florida would become a vacation destination.

No one thought Florida would become a vacation destination???

That's a joke, right?

I think it's also somewhat of a romantic myth that Orlando was a sleepy little one horse swamp town until Disney came along...it's certainly an idea that Disney and Orlando likes to perpetuate. While Orlando has certainly developed into a major city over the last 20 years, the reality is that the Orlando metro-area was already coming into it's own long before Disney opened (mostly due to it's proximity to the Space Coast and military manufacturing in the area). In fact, the 1970 US Census lists the population of the Orlando MSA as 500,000+ even back then. Compare that to the total current population of Ohio County, WV of just 47,000 people.

Uhhh,

I can tell you first hand that Florida was really not much of anything in the late 60's and early 70's. Florida was a destination for my grandparents and myself through that entire time period. There really was nothing there. Miami and Ft. Lauderdale had fallen much into dis-repair (the rebirth was not until the '80's) The Gulf coast was primarily undeveloped and in and around Orlando was only swamps.

Ohhhh, I remember it well!

You have to remember that the completion of I 75 is not really that long ago. There were often detours and it was not that easy coming from the north through TN.

^Good point, Wooferbear.  No one thought that Florida would become a vacation destination.

No one thought Florida would become a vacation destination???

That's a joke, right?

I think it's also somewhat of a romantic myth that Orlando was a sleepy little one horse swamp town until Disney came along...it's certainly an idea that Disney and Orlando likes to perpetuate. While Orlando has certainly developed into a major city over the last 20 years, the reality is that the Orlando metro-area was already coming into it's own long before Disney opened (mostly due to it's proximity to the Space Coast and military manufacturing in the area). In fact, the 1970 US Census lists the population of the Orlando MSA as 500,000+ even back then. Compare that to the total current population of Ohio County, WV of just 47,000 people.

Uhhh,

I can tell you first hand that Florida was really not much of anything in the late 60's and early 70's. Florida was a destination for my grandparents and myself through that entire time period. There really was nothing there. Miami and Ft. Lauderdale had fallen much into dis-repair (the rebirth was not until the '80's) The Gulf coast was primarily undeveloped and in and around Orlando was only swamps.

Ohhhh, I remember it well!

You have to remember that the completion of I 75 is not really that long ago. There were often detours and it was not that easy coming from the north through TN.

I won't argue what it "felt" like to you as a child (I made more than a few childhood trips to the Sunshine State myself)... and to be honest, I still think I-4 between Orlando and Tampa feels like it's out in the middle of nowhere even today. However, the facts are the facts...even in 1960 Orange County, FL's population was over 4x what the population of Ohio County, WV is today. (The six county Central FL MSA was over 500,000 in 1970...) It's the reality of cold, hard, statistics...it's not something you can really argue unless you're going to discount all the data ever produced by the US Census Bureau.

http://www.censusscope.org/us/s12/c95/chart_popl.html

Compare this to the WV county being compared to it:

http://www.censusscope.org/us/s54/c69/chart_popl.html

Obviously, I don't disagree that all of Florida has dramatically boomed in the last 30 years or so...to the point that it's barely recognizable today. The point that I'm making is that from a population base standpoint, the area wasn't insignificant--and people realized its potential--even back when Walt was looking for land... (There's a reason he bought there, afterall.) In short, there's nothing at all similar about Orlando, FL in the 1960s and Wheeling, WV today...the populations, market forces, and economic climate are completely different.

Although, I'm pretty impressed that you have that detailed of personal memories of the late 60s since we were both born in 1968...personally, I don't have very few clear memories before like 1973 or so, and most of those involve Richard Nixon oddly enough

(Mutter...mutter)

--The Interpreter, among whose first memories are Dwight David Eisenhower's farewell speech on television (during which the old war general warned of the military industrial complex) and Nikitia Khruschev banging his shoe on a table saying "We will bury you." I was skeered, too.

What I'm saying is that when Walt decided to build his empire in Orlando, he was greeted with as much skepticisim as this plan may be.

Theme Park Targets Year Round Niche:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_465606.html

Theme Park Targets Year Round Niche:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_465606.html

I think that this guy may have something.

Heres my take on the deal:

Are they able to build it? YES! I've driven through Wheeling a few times to and from school, and it's barron enough to easilly fit in a huge mega-park/hotel. As for competition, Camden strikes me as more of a Coney Island park, so they wouldn't care for a new big park in the area. Just think of it as KI vs Coney.

But yeah, I'm living in Huntington for the next few years, so this is great news for me! I'll be sure to check it out whenever possible etc...

Heres my take on the deal:

Are they able to build it? YES! I've driven through Wheeling a few times to and from school, and it's barron enough to easilly fit in a huge mega-park/hotel. As for competition, Camden strikes me as more of a Coney Island park, so they wouldn't care for a new big park in the area. Just think of it as KI vs Coney.

But yeah, I'm living in Huntington for the next few years, so this is great news for me! I'll be sure to check it out whenever possible etc...

I live in the middle of Huntington and Charleston, and the chances of me going to Wheeling for an amuesment park. That's just a bit of a long drive, when in the same amount of time, I could go to Kings Island. Asuming that Yahoo maps time estimate was correct. (3 to 4 hours)

Yahoo maps suck they don't give you detailed enough directions on where you are going I was going to my friends that lives on the other side of Grove City and it left out a whole turn...

Yahoo maps suck they don't give you detailed enough directions on where you are going I was going to my friends that lives on the other side of Grove City and it left out a whole turn...

It was just an estimate time to travel. Not specific directions that I wanted.

And Wild Escape....escaped Ohio County, West Virginia...

Sorry, doubleposted.  

And Wild Escape....escaped Ohio County, West Virginia...

Two things:

1.  It's hard going back and reading posts I made almost 10 years ago.

2.  I looked into the project a little more and found this blog post which gives a little more information about the development (or lack of, really).  http://weelunk.com/wild-escape-why-the-highlands-theme-park-fizzled/

     From looking at this, it seems as though the development was likely to never be built. 

...which I said from day one.

Just as I have said that Mr. Hart's goal is to fix up and sell Kentucky Kingdom, as he has done with both Kentucky Kingdom and other parks in the past. Long term, his plan for Kentucky Kingdom is unsustainable. He knows that. Private sector banks knew that. The rest of the park industry knew that. Part of the Koch family figured it out and bailed.

A sale. Or a year. Maybe two or three. That's it.

Maybe if it was a waterpark only.

Location, location, location....

Always read the years.. I keep seeing these old resurrection posts and then I'm thinking this news I'm reading is current.

I thought I might lose Kennywood if this park were built.

Luckily I'm already in the future, and it's fine

...but being sold.

Be very careful...

** for now

I still do not like the fact that Kennywood was sold.  It is owned by Parques Reunidos.  They seemed to have maintained much of this beloved amusement park.  For now, anyway.  Still wish that it had stayed a family owned park.

It's for sale NOW.

I thought the parent company was for sale?

...in all or in part...

Money, money, money.