Earth Quest Adventures

[Trae]

This thing is going to happen. It already has more press coverage than Indigo Earth did.

[Mister X]

The biggest thing that this park has going for it is that there is no competition in Houston. Unlike waterparks. Those projects you mentioned would have had to compete with WaterWorld, Splashtown, ect. But if you want a positive example of a project that did not fall through, look at Schlitterbahn. It was built as planned and wasn't scaled down.

As long as AstroWorld existed there was little chance that someone was going to build another theme park in Houston. But now there is a wide open market with 6 million people just waiting to line up and give their money to the first company smart and brave enough to build a theme park. The investors seem to realize that all that entertainment money is currently headed to San Antonio and Arlington when it could be staying right here in the Houston area.

I think that's why this project seems to be gaining momentum and growing in scope. Sure, a lot of things could go wrong before this place becomes a reality, but I am very confident that at some point in the not too distant future a large scale theme park will be built near Houston. There is just too much money to be had.

My number one concern for any new park that may be coming to Houston is about quality. I really hope that the new park does not come off looking cheap, cheesy or too small. From every recent news story I've read, Earthquest sounds like it will be a quality park so I'm really optimistic about it. It didn't sound all that impressive to me when it was originally announced, but my guess is that there are more investors coming on board this project and want a piece of the action. The better quality experience they give, the more money they will make. Parks built on the cheap don't last long.

It would be nice if they built large right away with lot of quality attractions, but more importantly I think there needs to be a quality infrastructure in place. As long as the park starts off with a high quality core with plenty of room to grow, it will be a great park. They wont need a lot of giant roller coasters right away, just the space to add them and other attractions in the future. All the best parks in America started small, but gave themselves room to grow. That was the problem at AstroWorld, I think the lack of quality infrastructure is what ultimately lead to AstroWorld's demise. AstroWorld did not own their own parking lot, there was little room left to do any major expansion, and the whole area was surrounded by an urban landscape. But Earthquest seems to have a lot going for it. The trees, plenty of land around, and the backing of investors that sound committed to quality.

What else can we do but just hope for the best? I'm not expecting miracles, but so far this project really sounds like a winner. I can not wait to see renderings.

[Trae]

And I have heard the Schlitterbahn in Galveston actually wants to expand.

This park has a lot going for it. It started out at 25 acres, then grew to 150 acres, and is now 250 acres. Who knows if it couldn't grow more? It will have a full resort in the park, and a bunch of trees. The cities in between Porter and Splendora better get ready for a boom. Home builders and hotel chains will be lining up. Maybe 59 needs to add a lane up to the Liberty County line.

[wxman]

Whatever they do, they'd better do it quickly! The population of Montgomery County is expected to be well over 1 million people by 2030. It stands right now at 400,000. Land will become sparce if they wait.

[Trae]

I think they already bought the land.

[RedScare]

Whatever they do, they'd better do it quickly! The population of Montgomery County is expected to be well over 1 million people by 2030. It stands right now at 400,000. Land will become sparce if they wait.

Even if the county reaches 1 million residents, that only raises the density to 1,000 persons per square mile, less than half the density of Harris County. Plus, 250 acres is only the size of a nice golf course. Even with above average growth, it would be decades before the county filled in to the extent that one could not find 250 contiguous acres, if ever.

[Mister X]

I think it is amazing that they were able to acquire 250 acres for this project this close to Houston. Not that I'm saying there isn't a plenty of vacant land within 30 miles of downtown in every direction. But, for a developer to use that many acres for a theme park project instead of a housing developement, shopping center, business park, industrial park or golf course is quite an accomplishment for Houston (or anywhere for that matter).

I really thought that the most likely spots for a large theme park to be built were going to be on either on the Eastex Fwy north of Humble (the general area that they actually chose) or on the South Fwy anywhere south of the beltway. I also thought or more accurately feared that a new park might be built somewhere east, past Baytown or toward Crosby, because these areas are cheaper and aren't filling up with the usual sprawl stuff as rapidly as the rest of the Houston outskirts. If they had picked any other side of town, they would probably have to be at least 50 miles out. 30 miles out is not bad. It's closer in than a lot of other parks are to cities they serve.

I couldn't be happier about the location they chose. That pine forest will be the perfect relaxing setting for a theme park. As far as customer satisfaction is concerned, it's all about escape and the piney woods are the closest thing we have to natural beauty anywhere near Houston. In fact, according to what I've read, that site was chosen from over 65 other areas in the U.S. BECAUSE of it's natural beauty. But I'm sure it also had something to do with Houston being such a large an untapped market for this kind of entertainment. Building this park in an area that isn't thick with suburban sprawl is a good thing. But if the park is sucessful, no doubt the sprawl will find it's way to the park area. That's why having a 250 acre buffer zone is so important. It will help to keep the escapism factor alive after New Caney, becomes Arlington, Santa Clarita, CA or Gurnee, IL.

250 acres is the perfect size for a theme park. Some theme parks have even more acres, but no theme park uses more than around 90 acres at most for actual amusements and attractions. That extra land is always used as parking lots, lakes, offices, buffer zones, ect. They could still have a nice park on 150 acres, but at 250 acres, the park will be able to keep up with the best of them. AstroWorld never had this kind of potential.

[KimberlySayWhat]

If it goes as planned it will be bigger than both Fiesta Texas and Six Flags Texas.

[Trae]

New Caney is going to get big when this park comes. Home developers are probably already lining up.

[VelvetJ]

This past week has been so very exciting as a admitted Theme Park and Skyscraper nerd. Houston could really use more attractions and a quality park would be perfect. Like what has mostly been said here, quality and attention to detail is key for this park. Themed lamp posts, elaborate landscaping, beautiful water features, quality rides and exhibits that the Houston area has never experienced, can make this theme park one of the bests in the nation and have a national draw. If ever there was an opportunity for something spectacular and great to happen in Houston in recent history this could be it.

I certainly hope the 250 acres in the Biz wasn't a typo. If it wasn't, could it be possible that my dream of an out-and-back coaster in the Houston area would finally be possible? Let us pray.

Lastly, just in case one of the investors read this, I would love to have the parking lot for this park shielded by trees. While growing up in the southeast and going to a park called "Oak Mountain", one of my most prominent memories was exiting the freeway, and making a right turn onto a four lane drive that wound through a maze of trees, only to make that final curve around the bend and emerging out of the forest to see all of what was "Oak Mountain". That was the greatest feeling! Since then, whenever I see parks sitting directly on a freeway, I admittedly judge it because it doesn't offer that same type of "entering the park" Oak Mountain experience.

[lockmat]

I wonder how this location will change the demographic of the visitors?

I thought I heard rumblings that Astroworld wasn't as desirable a place because people were just dropping their kids off there and some people even felt unsafe. Don't know if that's true, just something I thought I heard.

Were a lot of the visitors to AW innercity kids who got there via metro? That certainly won't be an option anymore. I'm sure most people got there by car, but for any of those who used metro to get there will be left out with this new place.

[Trae]

I don't think people just dropped their kids off. I know when I would go, we would split up and meet back at a certain time (since Astroworld was small).

[ProHouston]

I don't think people just dropped their kids off. I know when I would go, we would split up and meet back at a certain time (since Astroworld was small).

When I was 14-17 or so my parent's and my friend's parents would drop us off about 4-5 times a summer. We never caused any mischief but I'm sure there were plenty of similar aged kids getting dropped off there for the day.

[Trae]

I have done that once, but we never caused trouble either. Some kids did. Throwin up gang signs and stuff like that.

[foxmulder]

I wonder how this location will change the demographic of the visitors?

I thought I heard rumblings that Astroworld wasn't as desirable a place because people were just dropping their kids off there and some people even felt unsafe. Don't know if that's true, just something I thought I heard.

Were a lot of the visitors to AW innercity kids who got there via metro? That certainly won't be an option anymore. I'm sure most people got there by car, but for any of those who used metro to get there will be left out with this new place.

That;s what they were exactly rumblings...EVERY PARK I've been too has been over run with teens. SFOT and SFFT(buses drop off "Camp" kids and they roam the park. People just cried cause it(AW) was located half a mile "from the black side of town" (i heard that one from someone i knew.)

[Mister X]

AstroWorld was not the only park in America over run by unruley teens. I don't think that the proximity to bad neighborhoods was the problem. Those areas just to the east of AstroWorld were always pretty bad, but the park wasn't always over run by gangstas. (I'm exaggerating anyway, there might have been a problem - but it wasn't completely out of control on a daily basis). All the Six Flags park were having that problem. But Six Flags parks were catering to teens up until last year when they realized that teens don't spend any money in the parks. Families do. And the wild teens were scaring off the families. I heard cheap season passes were to blame, but when you concentrate on nothing but thrill rides and don't add family rides or keep up the appearance in your park, families are going to lose interest. Six Flags has now realized this and is trying to correct the problem.

This is real easy for me to say because I am an non-smoker, but I think the new no smoking policy they have now implemented at their parks is a great idea. Something about smoking and teenage thugs go hand in hand. NOT SAYING all smokers are trouble makers or all non-smokers are harmless. I've known too many great and respectable adults who smoke. But I'm sure that many junior hoodilums won't step foot in a place if they can't show everyone how cool they are by lighting up.

Call me a snob, but I would ban teens with excessive piercings, excessive tattoos and anything else that I thought might scare off families with small children and people with lots of disposable cash from coming and spending money at my theme park. Older folks that have all the typical rebel markings usually are mature enough to control themselves in public and are usually a threat to no one, but tough talking and looking kids with no authority figures in view is recipe for disaster. It's best to keep and open mind but the real trouble makers at theme parks usually give themselves away at first glance when they walk throught the gate.

[lockmat]

Call me a snob, but I would ban teens with excessive piercings, excessive tattoos and anything else that I thought might scare off families with small children and people with lots of disposable cash from coming and spending money at my theme park. Older folks that have all the typical rebel markings usually are mature enough to control themselves in public and are usually a threat to no one, but tough talking and looking kids with no authority figures in view is recipe for disaster. It's best to keep and open mind but the real trouble makers at theme parks usually give themselves away at first glance when they walk throught the gate.

You said you were big-time liberal in another post the other day, didn't you? Forgive if I'm correct. I just thought liberals were more "open-minded" regardless of anything; age etc? Not that common sense or rational thinking and liberalism can't/don't coexist.

Just an observation, that's all. Not a criticism.

[RedScare]

This is real easy for me to say because I am an non-smoker, but I think the new no smoking policy they have now implemented at their parks is a great idea. Something about smoking and teenage thugs go hand in hand. NOT SAYING all smokers are trouble makers. I've known too many great and respectable adults who smoke. But I'm sure that many junior hoodilums won't step foot in a place if they can't show everyone how cool they are by lighting up.

Call me a snob, but I would ban teens with excessive piercings, excessive tattoos and anything else that I thought might scare off families with small children and people with lots of disposable cash from coming and spending money at my theme park. Older folks that have all the typical rebel markings usually are mature enough to control themselves in public and are usually a threat to no one, but tough talking and looking kids with no authority figures in view is recipe for disaster. It's best to keep and open mind but the real trouble makers at theme parks usually give themselves away at first glance when they walk throught the gate.

Looks like someone beat you to it.

Mister X's perfect theme park

[Mister X]

That reminds me, I'd ban everyone that wore excessive religious symbols too. I'd take being surrounded by thugs on roller coasters than Jesus freaks on merry-go-rounds any day. My perfect theme park would probably only have about 10 people in it anyway. I hate long lines more than thugs or freaks combined.

I didn't mean to offend anyone. It's just so easy though.

[Mister X]

You said you were big-time liberal in another post the other day, didn't you? Forgive if I'm correct. I just thought liberals were more "open-minded" regardless of anything; age etc? Not that common sense or rational thinking and liberalism can't/don't coexist.

Just an observation, that's all. Not a criticism.

I am pretty liberal, I don't march in rallies or anything... I just hate seeing beautiful theme parks that are all about fantasy get turned into war zones like what happened to my beloved AstroWorld and other theme parks. (I'm exaggerating again). Perhaps banning trouble making teens by going on tell-tale appearances isn't the best policy, but I'm still glad a lot of theme parks have banned smoking.

[lockmat]

I am pretty liberal, I don't march in rallies or anything... I just hate seeing beautiful theme parks that are all about fantasy get turned into war zones like what happened to my beloved AstroWorld and other theme parks. (I'm exaggerating again). Perhaps banning trouble making teens by going on tell-tale appearances isn't the best policy, but I'm still glad a lot of theme parks have banned smoking.

No smoking in the entire parks? Not even smoking sections?

[Trae]

I would allow smoking sections in theme parks. I also wouldn't ban anybody with tatoos or piercings. I have seen that at Disney World.

[Mister X]

No smoking in the entire parks? Not even smoking sections?

That's what I've heard. I've haven't actually been to a Six Flags park in about 2 years. I'm still bitter that they closed AstroWorld and have no intention of ever giving that company another cent of my money no matter what they do. (out of protest - as pointless as it may be). But I still think that the ban was a move in the right direction.

The last Six Flags park I went to was Marine World (now called Discovery Kingdom) in Vallejo, CA (just outside San Francisco) It was the worse time I ever had in my life at a theme park. I was not offended by smokers or tattoos, in fact one of the persons I went with was a smoker and covered in tattoos (one of my best friends), but the line cutting was so out of control that day, that eventually I had to make a big scene, call for security and refused to let anymore kids (and adults) cut in front of me. This was a failure on park management to me, because they never had anyone monitering the lines.

Although I got these people ejected from the park, the whole ordeal of this ugly scene was not worth it and the whole day was really ruined for all of us. It would have been better if I had just let these people pass and say nothing. But enough was enough. This line cutting happened about 5 times before on that day. Since then I have heard so many stories like this about Six Flags parks including, mini riots, an other confrontations that I decided to stay away from Six Flags until they got their act together.

So yes, now I am a bitter snob who wants to control who gets let into family fun parks. And I have been condemned to the Jesus parks by Red Scare. (just kidding). I'm not religious, but I would go to a Christian theme park if they had some decent coasters. And there probably would be less chance of screaming and cussing because people were trying to cut in line. But alas, I could probably never even get into a Christian theme park because the ground would probably open up and swallow me if I tried to walk through the gate. I've broken too many commandments.

[Mister X]

I would allow smoking sections in theme parks. I also wouldn't ban anybody with tatoos or piercings. I have seen that at Disney World.

Remember I said "excessive". I realize that tattoos and body piercings are mainstream culture. And I know that 99.9% of the people who have them are not a threat just because they have them. I was just trying to think of ways to keep potential trouble makers from ruining the reputation of our new theme park (should it actually be built). I don't want families to be afraid to bring their kids there like they were at AstroWorld at the end.

If bad asses are nice enough to give us warning signs, I say the theme park industry should use them to their advantage.

That's enough of this discussion from me. I'm now officially sorry for bringing it up.

[RedScare]

Hey, I didn't ban you to Jesus World. I just made a suggestion.

You can propose all the park rules you want...I don't do the theme park thing. I can think of no punishment worse than spending a day with screaming kids, brooding teens, and jerk parents...and making me PAY $50 to do it. And then, after all THAT, you won't let me have a smoke to calm my nerves?

No thanks, I'd rather get waterboarded at Guantanamo.

[ProHouston]

That reminds me, I'd ban everyone that wore excessive religious symbols too. I'd take being surrounded by thugs on roller coasters than Jesus freaks on merry-go-rounds any day. My perfect theme park would probably only have about 10 people in it anyway. I hate long lines more than thugs or freaks combined.

I didn't mean to offend anyone. It's just so easy though.

It sounds like you've eliminated just about everybody anyhow. I guess the 10 left over can go to Mister Xland and be proud!

[Mister X]

Hey - is it too much to ask to be able to go to a place that isn't too square, isn't too hip and just caters to normal people that can just get along with one another without being mushy or fanatical about it? Besides, I wasn't talking about just amusement parks, I was talking about the entire world, shopping, public transportation, movie theatres, ect. (just kidding) - But seriously, sometimes I would really love to eliminate everybody, yes. > Other people's personal expression gets on my nerves. Only I should be allowed to fart in elevators. The rest of you should be restricted and do as you're told. Heil! (kidding, kidding - don't break out the noose)

[wxman]

AstroWorld was not the only park in America over run by unruley teens. I don't think that the proximity to bad neighborhoods was the problem. Those areas just to the east of AstroWorld were always pretty bad, but the park wasn't always over run by gangstas. (I'm exaggerating anyway, there might have been a problem - but it wasn't completely out of control on a daily basis). All the Six Flags park were having that problem. But Six Flags parks were catering to teens up until last year when they realized that teens don't spend any money in the parks. Families do. And the wild teens were scaring off the families. I heard cheap season passes were to blame, but when you concentrate on nothing but thrill rides and don't add family rides or keep up the appearance in your park, families are going to lose interest. Six Flags has now realized this and is trying to correct the problem.

This is real easy for me to say because I am an non-smoker, but I think the new no smoking policy they have now implemented at their parks is a great idea. Something about smoking and teenage thugs go hand in hand. NOT SAYING all smokers are trouble makers or all non-smokers are harmless. I've known too many great and respectable adults who smoke. But I'm sure that many junior hoodilums won't step foot in a place if they can't show everyone how cool they are by lighting up.

Call me a snob, but I would ban teens with excessive piercings, excessive tattoos and anything else that I thought might scare off families with small children and people with lots of disposable cash from coming and spending money at my theme park. Older folks that have all the typical rebel markings usually are mature enough to control themselves in public and are usually a threat to no one, but tough talking and looking kids with no authority figures in view is recipe for disaster. It's best to keep and open mind but the real trouble makers at theme parks usually give themselves away at first glance when they walk throught the gate.

Well said!!

[moni]

Hey - is it too much to ask to be able to go to a place that isn't too square, isn't too hip and just caters to normal people that can just get along with one another without being mushy or fanatical about it? Besides, I wasn't talking about just amusement parks, I was talking about the entire world, shopping, public transportation, movie theatres, ect. (just kidding) - But seriously, sometimes I would really love to eliminate everybody, yes. > Other people's personal expression gets on my nerves. Only I should be allowed to fart in elevators. The rest of you should be restricted and do as you're told. Heil! (kidding, kidding - don't break out the noose)

Unfortunately, "normal" isn't what it used to be. I am a Senior citizen and I avoid places with unsavory people because I can. Most families are stuck with what is out there. Problem children usually come from problem homes where proper respect and descipline are lacking and this is a societal problem. Parks can make rules and enforce them. Disneyland and Disneyworld are clean and nobody gives you a hard time because the "problem element" has been priced out. This may happen at Earth Quest too. If the public demands change, then change will happen.

[skwatra]

I don't think people just dropped their kids off. I know when I would go, we would split up and meet back at a certain time (since Astroworld was small).

i was dropped off plenty of times in the 90's as well, by car there was a little drop off spot right off 610. there were lots of teenagers being dropped off, and i'm sure plenty took metro as well. i'm sure the demographic of this new park is going to be a lot different, due to location, theme, and that its brand new.