Grand Texas Theme Park At 23065 Highway 242

[Houston19514]

Well, although that obnoxious horse mascot is nowhere in sight ("Lasso's Corral" must be the kids area), I can't get over the over-Texas theme. While I'm fine for a certain area of the park (at least there appears to be a Mexico-themed area) being all Wild West style Texas theme, I'm not fond of the theme of the rest of the park. They could crib some design cues from Epcot to make an Asian-themed one, maybe some sort of faux "big city" theme.

The "howling wolf" rock reminds me too much of the California Adventure bear (Disney's theme park), in fact, the whole thing reminds me a bit of that theme park, and not in a good way.

It also seems too far away from Houston--over six times as far away from downtown as Astroworld, and twice that of even Magic Kingdom in Orlando.

 

In other (arguably more apropos) comparisons, it's about 2/3 of the distance from downtown Chicago to Six Flags Great America; about 1/2 of the distance from downtown Cleveland to Cedar Point; less than 1/2 of the distance from downtown NYC to Six Flags Great Adventure; 1/3 of the distance from downtown Boston to Six Flags New England.

[TowerSpotter]

Not much going on at the site. Snapped this a couple of hours ago.

[xsatyr]

That's how exciting the park is going to look even when it's completed.

[intencity77]

The park concept is awful. Hope it stalls out and doesn't get built, leaving room for a first class theme park.

[TowerSpotter]

The park concept is awful. Hope it stalls out and doesn't get built, leaving room for a first class theme park.

No. Theme parks don't just come like that, if this one doesn't happen something more awful could replace it. Developers of this theme park plan to expand it. Theres room for it.

[fernz]

No. Theme parks don't just come like that, if this one doesn't happen something more awful could replace it. Developers of this theme park plan to expand it. Theres room for it.

Like Astro World, which was redeveloped into a Rodeo parking lot!

[Timoric]

-

Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric

[IronTiger]

Astroworld definitely wasn't a first class theme park toward the end.

[bachanon]

each time i see posts in this thread i get a little queasy; i loathe this project.  it's been given way too much press and only because we do not have a theme park in houston and because they are naming it a "theme" park which it isn't.really.  it's more like some rich guy's grandiose idea for a playground on a ranch.  texas isn't a theme in TEXAS.  we are IN TEXAS. japan can have a texas themed park.  north dakota could have a texas theme of something, but texas is already what it is.  moronic.  simple minded (not in a good way).

 

i'm sorry, but i hope this project doesn't happen.  i'm sure the neighborhoods nearby are hoping the same thing.  the grand parkway is going to breathe life into this part of the region but a "theme" park next door will ensure your home values stay low.  

[IronTiger]

each time i see posts in this thread i get a little queasy; i loathe this project.  it's been given way too much press and only because we do not have a theme park in houston and because they are naming it a "theme" park which it isn't.really.  it's more like some rich guy's grandiose idea for a playground on a ranch.  texas isn't a theme in TEXAS.  we are IN TEXAS. japan can have a texas themed park.  north dakota could have a texas theme of something, but texas is already what it is.  moronic.  simple minded (not in a good way).

 

i'm sorry, but i hope this project doesn't happen.  i'm sure the neighborhoods nearby are hoping the same thing.  the grand parkway is going to breathe life into this part of the region but a "theme" park next door will ensure your home values stay low.

I know that in the case of Six Flags Fiesta Texas, they actually ended up building really nice residential and a large outdoor mall relatively near it. And building a theme park based in the state that it's in isn't too unusual, I mean, California Adventure was built, for instance...but given the troubled history of that theme park, it's not the best example to bring up.

[bachanon]

I know that in the case of Six Flags Fiesta Texas, they actually ended up building really nice residential and a large outdoor mall relatively near it. And building a theme park based in the state that it's in isn't too unusual, I mean, California Adventure was built, for instance...but given the troubled history of that theme park, it's not the best example to bring up.

 

i get it.  i understand that ir occurs, but i don't understand the logic behind it. Naming it Six Flags Fiesta Texas doesn't necessarily mean it's "Texas" themed; I haven't been there however.  Do they have western themed things, like cowboy and rodeo motifs? 

 

When the "grand texas theme park" was looking at property at crighton road and i-45 in south conroe, nearby established neighborhoods were freaking out a bit.  why build or stay in a 400K custom home if you're going to hear rollercoasters until 10 or 11 at night, and share the road with theme park people day and night.  i'd be so out of there.

 

theme parks are a hard sell and must be a handful to manage and keep profitable.  i'm happy with theme parks in florida...for vacations.  i'd rather not have them too close.  the pleasure pier in galveston and the kemah boardwalk are more than enough; just passing fertitta's overrated neon abomination downtown turns my stomach.  

[bobruss]

I think this is one of those poorly planned projects that we'll be talking about that never comes to much if anything at all.

It just sounds a little hokey and from the drawings that I've seen, the whole thing looks like its going to be a second class park with

not enough excitement to attract the numbers the need to survive. Besides who wants to spend your day in the summer fighting off giant mosquitoes in the woods in 100 degree temps with 95% humidity. Doesn't sound too inviting.

[Slick Vik]

Astroworld definitely wasn't a first class theme park toward the end.

And why is that?

[jerNspace]

Im excited for this theme park. The original renderings left something to be desired, but the more recent ones look good. Looks fun. I like the scale. But them again im not into the biggest and craziest, my blood pressure cant handle it. lol.

[IronTiger]

And why is that?

Got pretty run-down

[arche_757]

Not much going on at the site. Snapped this a couple of hours ago.

 

Shoot, just need a broken car, some cinder blocks/building materials strewn about and some from of mixed-breed fighting dog with chain restraint and this could very well be the first ride.

[Slick Vik]

Got pretty run-down

In what sense?

[Metro West]

Just before AstroWorld was closed, it looked very much like what Six Flags over Texas looks like today. Faded paint, dirty, terrible customer service and neglect. Many rides standing but not operating and very short lines.  It's almost as trashy as the State Fair in dallas. I just went to Six Flags in dallas and it was pathetic. Rotted wood, rusted paint, overgrown lawns and tall weeds. Once Six Flags was beautifully maintained. It's really sad today.  I hope Grand Texas does not follow the same path - if they ever build it. 

Edited July 4, 2014 by Metro West

[bobruss]

I worked at astro world the first year it was open, in rides. There is no comparison to astro. and this new "theme park". this will be a disaster.

Second year I worked the crystal palace in live show. I spent three years there and I know how much goes into these kinds of operations. I don't think I get the same feeling from this plan.

These parks are on two different levels. From the design team to the management astro world had a much better concept and location.

If this site is heavily wooded I can tell you from experience at camp strake, it's not fun to be in those woods in the summer.

It's just a bad plan.

[mollusk]

^ The biggest difference between this location and Strake is the highway it's next to.  It causes an irresistible urge to sweat and swat and scratch just thinking about it.

Edited July 5, 2014 by mollusk

[Metro West]

No Comparison? Bob Russ, you are passing on some BAD INFO. Shame on you. I understand that AW can never be replaced in our hearts to those of us who loved it, but Grand Texas certainly has more potential than AW ever did.

 

Here are some facts - all can be verified in a simple google search. If they build GT to the plans they released,  it will beat AW in almost every category. 

 

 

AstroWorld had 1 "roller coaster" on opening day (Alpine Sleighs). GT will have 5. It took AW over 10 years to get to 5 roller coasters. Monty Galland has told the press that GT will have a wooden coaster over 150 tall (Texas Cyclone was 92 ft) and one of the tallest loop coasters in the world when it opens. It is also planned to have a runaway mine coaster built into a fake mountain and a modern day version of Greezed Lightnin'.

 

AW had aprrox 15 rides on opening day. GT will have about 25.

 

AW was approx. 50 acres of actual park land on opening day. GT will have 71

 

AW was built in a shadeless, treeless plot of coastal prairie - just about every tree was planted and rather small. It took DECADES to get what little shade they had.   GT will be surrounded by a shady, cooler pine forest.

 

AW was built on a plot of land that was 104 acres (this included the park, the offices, the water park and storage areas. 

GT is to be built on over 600 acres which will include the park, the offices, the waterpark, storage areas, hotels, baseball fields, shopping areas, r.v. park and a bunch of other things. CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE.

 

In the later years AW had no room to expand. GT theme park will have up to 150 acres to expand on.

 

AW was the SMALLEST park in the Six Flags chain. In the last 20 years AW existed,  most of the coasters were hand-me-downs with antiquated technology.

 

AW was surrounded by power lines, freeways, giant parking lots, warehouses, car dealerships, big box stores and urban blight - all visible from many places within the park. GT is going to be completely surrounded by a tall pine forest, a more natural environment, streams, lakes and set back from the freeway. 

 

Mosquitos? Show me a place in Houston that doesn't have to spray for mosquitos. 

 

 

 

I really don't get all the hate for this theme park at this website. It's a theme park. It's mostly for kids. If theme parks aren't your bag or if you think an old west theme is too unoriginal for you to enjoy, you should probably stay away. This place IF BUILT will bring a LOT of joy to the public. I really feel sorry for the generation growing up in Houston who didn't have a theme park to escape to.  Why try and ruin, trash and bash a place that will put Houston back on the map in the theme park business, and IF BUILT, will do it in a way that AstroWorld was incapable of doing due to it's limitations and HORRENDOUSLY INCOMPETENT upper management.

 

Haters need to go check their facts before they post. It's not that hard to get answers on the internet.

 

If they build this theme park anything close to their plans, Houston will be VERY VERY lucky. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 5, 2014 by Metro West

[IronTiger]

Yeah, I agree that some of the areas look a bit not to my taste, but I think it's a pretty solid plan. I can't believe that people hate the Texas theme so much that they would rather have it canned then built. The "nearby home values will drop" statement seems more like an excuse than for altruistic reasons.

The big question: will they sell alcohol at the park?

[Timoric]

-

Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric

[mollusk]

GT will be surrounded by a shady, cooler pine forest.

 

(*snort...*)  

 

Reminds me of this:  "Promotional advertising in 1909 explained that Bellaire was named for the area's Gulf breezes..." 

 

But take heart.  Houston was once famously described as  "a wretched little town composed of about twenty shops, and a hundred huts, dispersed here and there, among trunks of felled trees. It is infested with Methodists and ants."

 

FWIW, I am completely agnostic about the idea of a theme park on the way to Shreveport.

[Metro West]

Nobody's saying this is going to be a better experience than getting laid on prom night, but I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that shaded areas are a little more comfortable in the southeast Texas summer than unshaded areas unless you are a reptile. As long as GT doesn't clear cut the trees (and they say they won't) it will be shadier,  EVER-SO SLIGHTLY cooler and a LITTLE more comfortable than a park that was surrounded by a sea of cement and NOT built under thousands of pine trees.

 

It has nothing to do with the area, but I have some doubts that they can build this park too. They keep delaying construction which sounds depressingly and eerily familiar. My only real point is that IF they build it the way they say they are going to build it, it will probably be a better overall experience than that old, neglected, thin-treed, albeit beloved and much missed park that the Six Flags Corporation ran into the ground 10 years ago - and that there is no reason to hate on the plan.

[Jeebus]

As far as I can tell NRG has the largest parking lot in the world but doesn't get credit for it.

http://nrgpark.com/parking-specs

26,000 spaces is greater than Disney World's 23,000 spaces; Universal Studios 20,000 spaces and West Edmonton Mall's 20,000 spaces.

http://www.valetonly.com/blog/5-of-the-largest-parking-lots-on-the-planet/

http://www.forbes.com/2008/04/10/parking-automobiles-retail-biz-logistics-cx_ew_0410parking_slide_11.html

According to this Disney info site, it has 26,039 spaces, and I think they're only counting theme park parking, and not also resort parking. I would imagine that number will keep growing as well, as they further expand across its 40+ square mile property.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/facts!.htm

Edited July 6, 2014 by Jeebus

[bachanon]

No Comparison? Bob Russ, you are passing on some BAD INFO. Shame on you. I understand that AW can never be replaced in our hearts to those of us who loved it, but Grand Texas certainly has more potential than AW ever did.

 

Here are some facts - all can be verified in a simple google search. If they build GT to the plans they released,  it will beat AW in almost every category. 

 

 

AstroWorld had 1 "roller coaster" on opening day (Alpine Sleighs). GT will have 5. It took AW over 10 years to get to 5 roller coasters. Monty Galland has told the press that GT will have a wooden coaster over 150 tall (Texas Cyclone was 92 ft) and one of the tallest loop coasters in the world when it opens. It is also planned to have a runaway mine coaster built into a fake mountain and a modern day version of Greezed Lightnin'.

 

AW had aprrox 15 rides on opening day. GT will have about 25.

 

AW was approx. 50 acres of actual park land on opening day. GT will have 71

 

AW was built in a shadeless, treeless plot of coastal prairie - just about every tree was planted and rather small. It took DECADES to get what little shade they had.   GT will be surrounded by a shady, cooler pine forest.

 

AW was built on a plot of land that was 104 acres (this included the park, the offices, the water park and storage areas. 

GT is to be built on over 600 acres which will include the park, the offices, the waterpark, storage areas, hotels, baseball fields, shopping areas, r.v. park and a bunch of other things. CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE.

 

In the later years AW had no room to expand. GT theme park will have up to 150 acres to expand on.

 

AW was the SMALLEST park in the Six Flags chain. In the last 20 years AW existed,  most of the coasters were hand-me-downs with antiquated technology.

 

AW was surrounded by power lines, freeways, giant parking lots, warehouses, car dealerships, big box stores and urban blight - all visible from many places within the park. GT is going to be completely surrounded by a tall pine forest, a more natural environment, streams, lakes and set back from the freeway. 

 

Mosquitos? Show me a place in Houston that doesn't have to spray for mosquitos. 

 

 

 

I really don't get all the hate for this theme park at this website. It's a theme park. It's mostly for kids. If theme parks aren't your bag or if you think an old west theme is too unoriginal for you to enjoy, you should probably stay away. This place IF BUILT will bring a LOT of joy to the public. I really feel sorry for the generation growing up in Houston who didn't have a theme park to escape to.  Why try and ruin, trash and bash a place that will put Houston back on the map in the theme park business, and IF BUILT, will do it in a way that AstroWorld was incapable of doing due to it's limitations and HORRENDOUSLY INCOMPETENT upper management.

 

Haters need to go check their facts before they post. It's not that hard to get answers on the internet.

 

If they build this theme park anything close to their plans, Houston will be VERY VERY lucky. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i wonder if there will be a house of horrors or a freak show?  bearded lady maybe?  they will definitely need alcohol for it to be worth taking the kids; "sorry kids, daddy can't handle grand texas theme park without a buzz."

[Metro West]

Actually, Monty Galland (the ringleader) told the press that he intends to model Grand Texas after Dollywood and Silver Dollar City. Go online and check out what those parks have to offer if you want to get an idea of what the developers of this project have in mind. I know that both those parks are considered to be very good old west style theme parks from the reviews I've read. 

 

But, yes. It's a theme park. Heat, sunburns, mosquito bites, vomit, 4 hour lines, painful rides, screaming babies, incompetent teenage workers who don't know the meaning of the word "service", nasty bathrooms, overpriced tickets, disgusting food, smelly people...ect.  - the whole works! 

 

The good news is that it's not like there will be any SS Nazis rounding people up and forcing them against their will at gunpoint to be there. If theme parks aren't your bag and you find yourself in the middle of it, you have no one but yourself or your own kids to blame.

 

BTW, I think most parks serve alcohol these days.

Edited July 7, 2014 by Metro West

[Nate99]

 

 

 "sorry kids, daddy can't handle grand texas theme park without a buzz."

 

I'm sure the authentic saloon is central to the business model.

[Nate99]

Shoot, just need a broken car, some cinder blocks/building materials strewn about and some from of mixed-breed fighting dog with chain restraint and this could very well be the first ride.

 

You're thinking of Grand Chambers County.