Hard Rock Park

Infobox Amusement park
name = Hard Rock Park


location = Myrtle Beach
location2 = South Carolina
location3 = United States flagicon|USA
opening_date = April 15 2008,Grand Opening June 2 2008
area = convert|140|acre|km2
owner = HRP Myrtle Beach Operations, LLC
homepage = [http://www.hardrockpark.com Hard Rock Park]
slogan = "Where Rock Comes to Play."

Hard Rock Park is a rock 'n' roll theme park located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina that opened on April 15, 2008. The grand opening celebration was on June 2, 2008, and featured a concert by The Eagles. The park takes up 55 acres on a 140 acre (0.57 km²) property [ [http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/hrp/ Hard Rock Park page - The (Myrtle Beach) Sun News] ] between Highway 501 and the Intracoastal Waterway on the site of the former Waccamaw Factory Shoppes in Fantasy Harbour. The Hard Rock name is licensed from Hard Rock International, current owners/operators of the Hard Rock Cafe brand, to HRP Myrtle Beach Operations, LLC, which designed, built, and owns the theme park.

On September 24, 2008, Hard Rock Park closed for the 2008 season and filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection. The park is scheduled to reopen in the Spring of 2009. [ [http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/story/607115.html Hard Rock Park in SC files Chapter 11 bankruptcy] ]

Park areas

The park features six “rock environs” celebrating rock’s culture, lifestyle, legends and irreverence. These rock environs are the All Access Entry Plaza, Rock & Roll Heaven, British Invasion, Lost in the 70's, Born in the USA and Cool Country.: [ [http://www.hardrockpark.com/press/pressRelease.pdf HARD ROCK PARK TURNS UP THE VOLUME ON THE FAMILY LEISURE SCENE] , Press Release]

Attractions

The park has amusement rides, live shows, interactive elements, kids play areas, gardens, shopping and dining attractions. The main attractions of the park are its blend of roller coasters all set to a rock music theme and the live shows, again all set to music. The park includes an amphitheater with 10,000-person capacity, featuring live daily shows and special performances. Other amusements include a carousel, a water play structure and swings. Most attractions feature music, bands, and/or memoribillia prominently like the cafe counterpart.

hows

* Origins - A film presentation showing the history of rock n roll and how it is intertwined with theme parks. The Origins theatre is located in the front, entrance area, of the park.
* Malibu Beach Party - A live-action comedy show set to all the great beach classics and some modern day pop songs. A large cast of dancers and swimmers dance, dive, do stunts on motorcycles and interact with the crowd in a lakefront/poolside amphitheatre. Sited near a former Fantasy Harbour waterski show attraction.
* Roadies Stunt Show - A twist on the popular stunt show concept with rock and roll 'roadies' taking center stage. This show has many 'cirque'-type elements and numerous pyrotechnic effects.
* Live Amphitheater - the main stage used for a series of headline acts, specialty musicians, high school bands as well as being the location of the opening-day Eagles/Moody Blues concerts. Bowling for Soup were the first band to play at the venue.
* Country on the Rocks - An ice show set to country and southern rock music. Routines are fast paced, lively and the large cast do some difficult dance moves during the show. Sited in a former Fantasy Harbour-era ice skating theatre subsumed into the present-day park.
* Bohemian Rhapsody - A nighttime show held over the Hard Rock Park lagoon, set to the classic song by Queen. The show feature fountains, fireworks and a laser-light show displayed from the top of the giant Gibson Guitar icon.

Roller Coasters

* Led Zeppelin - The Ride (Bolliger & Mabillard)- A steel roller coaster that is set to the music of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love". The coaster stands convert|150|ft|m tall; it has a top speed of convert|65|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on. Other features include six inversions, a spiral over the existing lagoon, a zeppelin-shaped load/unload area, and an additional-fee rider-experience take-home video system. Visible from outside of the park along the George Bishop Parkway, it appears in the "Rock and Roll Heaven" section of the park. While waiting for their ride, guests are treated to a unique multimedia Led Zeppelin live-concert experience. The ride is most notable for active participation of surviving Led Zeppelin band members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, who contributed to all aspects the ride, including the ride name, logo and overall look and feel of the vehicles. [ [http://www.led-zeppelin.com/news/hardrock_coaster.html Led Zeppelin - NEWS - www.led-zeppelin.com ] ] The track was completed as of September 13, 2007 and the park began to conduct test runs in November.
* Maximum RPM! (Premier Rides)- A convertible car-coaster that races to 1980s hits. Riders go for a "test drive" through a mock factory in British Sports cars. The coaster features a first-of-its-kind Ferris Wheel lift hill, where the coaster trains are rolled from the bottom of the track onto a Ferris wheel-like contraption and then pushed off at the top into a high speed adventure. Located in the "British Invasion" area of the park. The ride is inside a building just like the cover of Pink Floyd's Animals album, complete with a giant pig.
* Eagles-Life in the Fast Lane (Vekoma)- Formerly known as "Midnight Rider", the coaster was renamed after it was announced that the soundtrack would be set to the Eagles. It is a mine train coaster set to the Eagles song "Life in the Fast Lane" that careens through a creepy abandoned lumber mill. Located in the "Cool Country" area of the park. The track was completed as of October 31, 2007.
* Slippery When Wet (Premier Rides)-A suspended roller coaster. Located in the "Born in the USA" section, it features an interactive experience permitting non-riders to fire water cannons as the roller-coater trains pass by, at the risk of themselves being drenched by overhead showers that fire at random.
* Shake Rattle 'n' Rollercoaster (Vekoma)- A white kiddie coaster that is located in the "Born in the USA" section. The track was completed in January, 2008.

As of opening day, most roller-coasters offered complimentary single-use, limited-duration Smarte Carte lockers for riders to safely store personal effects while riding.

Kids Play Areas

* Reggae River Falls - a water play area set to a Jamaican theme. Kids can bring their swim suits and get very wet.
* Garage Jam! - a very large, indoor, foam ball play area where kids and adults can play together.
* Banana Splitsville - a large outdoor play area, featuring a performance stage where the Banana Splits play live shows; there is also a collection of small rides for toddlers, like the Sole Train ride, and bouncing Dune Buggies.
* Kids Rock! State Park - a large outdoor play area themed like a state park. Rock climbing walls, pop jet water fountains and a large wooden fort for kids to play in.

Other Rides

* All the King's Horses - A classic Merry Go Round. [ [http://www.discovermyrtlebeach.com/hardrockpark/allthekingshorses.cfm All the King's Horses - British Invasion - Hard Rock Park ] ]
* Nights in White Satin: The Trip (Sally Corp.) - A dark ride based on The Moody Blues' "Nights in White Satin". [ [http://www.discovermyrtlebeach.com/hardrockpark/moodybluesnightsinwhitesatinthetrip.cfm Moody Blues Nights in White Satin: The Trip - Hard Rock Park ] ] The ride incorporates sights, sounds, smells and tactile technique, as well as a re-orchestrated version of the song by Justin Hayward. [ [http://www.screamscape.com/html/hard_rock_park.htm Hard Rock Park ] ] Nights was recently voted in the top three new attractions of 2008 on a themeparkinsider.com poll.
* Magic Mushroom Garden (Huss Rides) - A Scrambler-style ride featuring the "World's largest blacklight poster." [ [http://www.discovermyrtlebeach.com/hardrockpark/magicmushroomgarden.cfm Magic Mushroom Garden - British Invasion - Hard Rock Park ] ] [http://www.thrillnetwork.com/stories_view.php/2219/hard_rock_park__rock.html ThrillNetwork.com :: Hard Rock Park – For those that want to rock ] ]
* Muddin' Monster Race (Huss Rides) - A spinning, swinging monster-truck-themed ride. [http://www.discovermyrtlebeach.com/hardrockpark/coolcountry.cfm Hard Rock Park - Cool Country - Discover Myrtle Beach ] ]
*London Cab Ride (Huss Rides) -A Well-Themed version of Huss's family Break Dance IV, the fastest ride in the park.
* Just a Swingin' - A Wave Swinger-type ride.

Official Website

* [http://www.hardrockpark.com Hard Rock Park Official Site]
* [http://www.myspace.com/hardrockpark Official Hard Rock Park MySpace Page]
* [http://www.winstonbulldog.com Winston Bulldog Official Site]

References