Jump to content

Snow Mountain Amusement Park


MidtownCoog

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 152
  • Created
  • Last Reply

To me with Texas being so big, and having the 2nd largest population in the US, we should have far more theme parks then we do. Look at Flordia, and California, they have them everywhere. I just wish this State had more "fun" things to do for locals and tourist.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To me with Texas being so big, and having the 2nd largest population in the US, we should have far more theme parks then we do. Look at Flordia, and California, they have them everywhere. I just wish this State had more "fun" things to do for locals and tourist.

I agree with you.

Think of the population in the Texas triangle region. It is growing on a daily basis, yet we really have no major attractions. I believe that with the right project and marketing, we could have some excellent parks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We hopefully this Snow Mountain Park is built near EarthQuest.

And there should be no question as to why Florida and California have more attractions than us. California has over ten million more people than us, and once Disney World was placed in Orlando, everything else followed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://www.bearfireresort.com/

I guess they changed their website and removed the "s" at the end.

Bearfire Resort in Dallas is still possible.

I know that this is slightly off topic, but does anyone know if they've actually started construction on the Dallas project? Their website says that they are planning to open Fall 09.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To me with Texas being so big, and having the 2nd largest population in the US, we should have far more theme parks then we do. Look at Flordia, and California, they have them everywhere. I just wish this State had more "fun" things to do for locals and tourist.

I agree... I am surprised Texas doesn't have more. Add to all of this a warm climate, great economy and rapidly growing population... just seems like Texas would be the next "california" or "florida'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree... I am surprised Texas doesn't have more. Add to all of this a warm climate, great economy and rapidly growing population... just seems like Texas would be the next "california" or "florida'.

I think this is what is happening. I would take Texas weather over Florida weather, too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think this is what is happening. I would take Texas weather over Florida weather, too.

Maybe, but both Florida and California offer weather that allows year-round operation of the theme parks. This indoor ski thing might be able to overcome our shortcoming in that area for a local audience, but nobody from outside this region really wants to come to Houston from December to February (too rainy and cold) or from July-September (too hot and humid). Despite similar heat, Florida just doesn't get as cold or wet for as long.

I know there are exceptions to this broad swath of bad weather here and many years, there are nine months of comfortable weather. But, the perception remains. and that still leaves three months when theme parks sit idle.

That's hard to live with at the investment levels it takes to build and maintain a California or Florida-style park.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe, but both Florida and California offer weather that allows year-round operation of the theme parks. This indoor ski thing might be able to overcome our shortcoming in that area for a local audience, but nobody from outside this region really wants to come to Houston from December to February (too rainy and cold) or from July-September (too hot and humid). Despite similar heat, Florida just doesn't get as cold or wet for as long.

I know there are exceptions to this broad swath of bad weather here and many years, there are nine months of comfortable weather. But, the perception remains. and that still leaves three months when theme parks sit idle.

That's hard to live with at the investment levels it takes to build and maintain a California or Florida-style park.

Actually, Orlando's weather is remarkably similar to Houston's (except they get more rain in the summer months). Go to Weather.com and open up the monthly averages for each and they are almost indistinguishable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, Orlando's weather is remarkably similar to Houston's (except they get more rain in the summer months). Go to Weather.com and open up the monthly averages for each and they are almost indistinguishable.

Okay, I did that, even though I've observed both cities' weather. Our curve is a lot steeper, showing a much greater swing in temps. When you consider these are averages, it makes the difference I was trying to get across. Winter in Orlando is usually pretty nice, with only rare freezing days and little rain. Cold snaps occur, but are short-lived. Our winters here have almost no freezing days, true, but because they are much rainier, the cold is more noticeable.

My point is, when you dig a little deeper into the charts, like for instance, the record lows plotted side-by-side, you see that Houston is much more erratic and unpredictable, due to all the continental frontal activity that affects us in cooler months. Plus, Orlando's having three months longer in the 70s with four months of much less precipitation during these cool weather months is precisely the difference I was talking about. That's the difference between profitable and not for a year-round tourist destination.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, I did that, even though I've observed both cities' weather. Our curve is a lot steeper, showing a much greater swing in temps. When you consider these are averages, it makes the difference I was trying to get across. Winter in Orlando is usually pretty nice, with only rare freezing days and little rain. Cold snaps occur, but are short-lived. Our winters here have almost no freezing days, true, but because they are much rainier, the cold is more noticeable.

My point is, when you dig a little deeper into the charts, like for instance, the record lows plotted side-by-side, you see that Houston is much more erratic and unpredictable, due to all the continental frontal activity that affects us in cooler months. Plus, Orlando's having three months longer in the 70s with four months of much less precipitation during these cool weather months is precisely the difference I was talking about. That's the difference between profitable and not for a year-round tourist destination.

Sure, but the reason that you have a lot of attractions in Orlando has nothing to do with the weather being slightly better than Houston and everything to do with proximity to Disney World. Once Disney World was built, all the other parks were added because there was an automatic market of people that were going to spend three-four days at Disney and then look for something else to do while they were still in the area.

Houston doesn't have that kind of a major tourist draw right now and that puts it at a disadvantage when it's competing for mid-size attractions like this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sure, but the reason that you have a lot of attractions in Orlando has nothing to do with the weather being slightly better than Houston and everything to do with proximity to Disney World. Once Disney World was built, all the other parks were added because there was an automatic market of people that were going to spend three-four days at Disney and then look for something else to do while they were still in the area.

Houston doesn't have that kind of a major tourist draw right now and that puts it at a disadvantage when it's competing for mid-size attractions like this.

Oh my gosh, you're right. It's all so clear now -- if you want tourism traffic, build Disney World!

Man, I don't know what I was thinking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh my gosh, you're right. It's all so clear now -- if you want tourism traffic, build Disney World!

Man, I don't know what I was thinking.

I'm just saying that the weather comparison is pointless. Houston is not going to compete with Orlando anytime soon and it has nothing to do with weather. Besides if any city is going to have an amusement park cluster in Texas, San Antonio has a huge lead on Houston.

Let's just accept these for what they are - assuming they get built. Nice regional attractions with minimal national draw.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Houston gets more visitors than SA. It is a region of nearly 6 million people with no major theme park. This is the area in Texas that needs a theme park cluster.

Yes, but those numbers are skewed by business and convention travel as opposed to vacation travel.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very pro-Houston and I agree that it would be nice to have more theme parks in the Houston area. I just think that the direction of this thread is based more on wishful thinking than reality. Snow Mountain (assuming it gets built) will get justified based on the population growth in the region and the void in the market, not because Houston is the next Orlando.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You never know. With EarthQuest and Snow Mountain (hopefully) going in near each other, and with Galveston/The Beach/Attractions on and around the Island, Houston could definitely go up a lot in the tourism ranks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Hopefully it'll be a booming business in the summer. I wonder how it will do in competing with real ski resorts though. I'm sure it'll have its niche.

At least it won't be dependant upon precipitation.

Being near earthquest will help it for sure IMO, if that happens. They'll be able to feed off eachother and families with lots of money can do both on one vacation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...