CincoRanch-HoustonResident Posted March 6, 2005 Author Share Posted March 6, 2005 Just wanted to revive an old thread. I think Disney, or Universal will come to Texas by 2020. It is the most populus state in the central United States, and is in a prime location half-way between Orlando, and Los Angeles(give, or take a few miles). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tw2ntyse7en Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincoRanch-HoustonResident Posted March 6, 2005 Author Share Posted March 6, 2005 I hope it happens. We don't need a huge... sprawling... theme park like Walt Disney World. A smaller one like Disneyland would work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 did you know that walt disney world resort in florida is over 25,000 acres in size? the woodlands, tx is also in excess of 25,000 acres. amassing that amount of property anywhere near houston would be very difficult or impossible. that being said, i guess a more compact disney would be great to compete with six flags/astroworld. maybe six flags would see houston as a better theme park market and bring us some notable rides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tw2ntyse7en Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 i believe they have some land holdings near by. it would be nice if they could purchase the toyota dealership with 610 frontage right next door. i wish they could upgrade their image. last year it was reported that six flags astroworld had one of the worst crime rates in the city. it's not a great place to let your kids roam. they need a more visual police presence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 Does Six Flags have room to expand its facility anymore, or is it landlocked to the south?<{POST_SNAPBACK}>It is pretty land locked now. At one time they had a lot of land to expand on but not now. They sold the land that the Toyota dealer sits on years ago as well as the land where the Sams now sits. Now that Bellfort has expanded behind it the old employee parking lot is now less that half its orginal size (makes me wonder where they park now?) The only way they could ever expand now it to buy the old warehouses that are behind them and build a bridge or tunnel across the road and expand that way. Other than that the only other way is to go up! No Astroworld is pretty much stuck with the land that it has now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalparadise Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 The reason first-rate theme parks don't operate here is because weather does not allow enough operating days to cover such an investment. Couple that with the fact that one regional park already exists in Arlington and you have some real hurdles for anything in Houston to get any traction on a regional or national level. That's why the notion of something partially enclosed by the Astrodome was so intriguing. Perhaps it would have overcome some of these problems... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 Well, being from Fort Worth. It does rain more down here in Houston but the thunderstorms up there are quite frightening at times. The Fort Worth area has been reffered to as the "Hail Capitol of the World".<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Man that's the truth. Houston being in a subtropical climate does get more rain but the DFW region get's hellacious storms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 i believe they have some land holdings near by. it would be nice if they could purchase the toyota dealership with 610 frontage right next door. i wish they could upgrade their image. last year it was reported that six flags astroworld had one of the worst crime rates in the city. it's not a great place to let your kids roam. they need a more visual police presence.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Astroworld is a pit! I find it hard to believe that such a big city has such a crappy theme park. I have been frequenting the rodeo this last week (livestock show) and having to park at the Fannin rail station. When taking the rail North to Reliant Park you can see through the fence at Astroworld and MY GOSH, this place looks almost abandoned. The fences are falling down, theres trash everywhere and even the paint jobs on some of the rides looks 30 years old. It makes me ashamed. They need to either level the place or figure out a way to actually care about creating a decent theme park. It's a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalparadise Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 Man that's the truth. Houston being in a subtropical climate does get more rain but the DFW region get's hellacious storms.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>I lived there too. I know. The weather in DFW is why SFOT is just a regional park and not a major national attraction. At present, their park is nicer than ours. So, they get the regional business for the surrounding area. Spending the money to upgrade Astroworld would only siphon off potential customers from SFOT, in an industry that is already struggling. It just doesn't make sense for SF to do this. So Astroworld continues as rollercoaster day care for area teens, just as it aspires to be. It is a LOCAL park -- no more, no less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincoRanch-HoustonResident Posted March 8, 2005 Author Share Posted March 8, 2005 It is horrible what Astroworld looks like. We need to expand it, but we are landlocked . The only way Astroworld(Six FLags), will even try to upgrade Astroworld, is if another theme park came into Houston, and gave Astroworld(Six Flags), a run for its money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalparadise Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 It is horrible what Astroworld looks like. We need to expand it, but we are landlocked . The only way Astroworld(Six FLags), will even try to upgrade Astroworld, is if another theme park came into Houston, and gave Astroworld(Six Flags), a run for its money. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> HELLO! There is no money to run for. Let's say Disney, for example, decided to try this market out. Do you think they'd be willing to put together an investment similar to what they have in Fla. or Ca. for a place open 1/3 the number of days and drawing from a potential visitors market roughly 1/20 the size. "If you build it they will come" no longer works in theme parks. It's the other way around, now. The industry is too expensive to operate. Remember Hanna-Barbera Land? Didn't think so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skwatra Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 Do you think they'd be willing to put together an investment similar to what they have in Fla. or Ca. for a place open 1/3 the number of days <{POST_SNAPBACK}>have you guys been to orlando? i spend a lot of time in cocoa beach (60 miles from orlando) and the weather there (and orlando) is always comparable to here. pretty much every day in the summer, it storms in the afternoon, and it's just as humid. and in the winter it can be pretty bleak, or just as beautiful. though their winters are a bit more mild. but if you look at galveston, the averages are exactly the same. if you don't beleive me check this out:orlandohoustongalvestoni'm not saying we could be as big of a tourist destination as orlando (and i wouldn't want that), but the weather here isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 ^Thank you. It's great to see someone else finally recognizing that fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new major on the block Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 If we ever wanted to be a tourist destination, the beaches and water are a major hurdle in the way. If only there was some kind of machine that could filter out all of the silt in the bay and around the island, then the beaches would look a whole lot better and cleaner. That would bring alot of people to galveston. Galveston a tourist hotspot? Maybe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 If only there was some kind of machine that could filter out all of the silt in the bay and around the island, then the beaches would look a whole lot better and cleaner. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ??????????????? Why don't we smooth out the waves and stop the tides as well. And how about a huge heater to keep the water warm so we can swim year round? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kzseattle Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 HELLO! There is no money to run for. Let's say Disney, for example, decided to try this market out. Do you think they'd be willing to put together an investment similar to what they have in Fla. or Ca. for a place open 1/3 the number of days and drawing from a potential visitors market roughly 1/20 the size. "If you build it they will come" no longer works in theme parks. It's the other way around, now. The industry is too expensive to operate. Remember Hanna-Barbera Land?Didn't think so.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Money or no money, Six Flags needs to fix Astro World. Whatever happened to their claim that they "loved Houston"?I also dont agree that weather is as big a deal when it comes to an amusement park. Few parks are open year round. Walm, balmy breezes surely dont blow during the winder in Sandusky, OH, for instance, and it got one of the top amusement park in the world. In any case, Houston's weather is no excuse for the current condition of AstroWorld.As for the potential number of customers, if there were a world-class amusement park in Houston, people would travel to it all the way from Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and even Mexico. I am not saying we need a Disney. I highly doubt they would ever come. But we could have something better than what we got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skwatra Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 I am not saying we need a Disney. I highly doubt they would ever come. But we could have something better than what we got.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>i'm actually more excited about schlitterbahn galveston. but it would be nice to see six flags get a new coaster and do some renovation. haven't made it out to cedar point yet, maybe this summer (i've been saying that for years) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalparadise Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 If we ever wanted to be a tourist destination, the beaches and water are a major hurdle in the way. If only there was some kind of machine that could filter out all of the silt in the bay and around the island, then the beaches would look a whole lot better and cleaner. That would bring alot of people to galveston. Galveston a tourist hotspot? Maybe...<{POST_SNAPBACK}>They already have that machine. the only problem is, nobody wants to turn it on, because it spews sulfer dioxin into the air as exhaust. Kinda like the hair-growth stuff that causes sexual side effects...Seriously, in regard to the above posts about the weather -- I never said our weather was "bad" I just said that it wasn't a pattern that allows 365-day openings for a park. In Orlando, they're always open -- it changes the whole business model for a theme park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincoRanch-HoustonResident Posted March 10, 2005 Author Share Posted March 10, 2005 Do you think Disney would go to maybe San Antonio? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tw2ntyse7en Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincoRanch-HoustonResident Posted March 10, 2005 Author Share Posted March 10, 2005 San Antonio is not THAT much better than here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VelvetJ Posted March 11, 2005 Share Posted March 11, 2005 Money or no money, Six Flags needs to fix Astro World. Whatever happened to their claim that they "loved Houston"?I also dont agree that weather is as big a deal when it comes to an amusement park. Few parks are open year round. Walm, balmy breezes surely dont blow during the winder in Sandusky, OH, for instance, and it got one of the top amusement park in the world. In any case, Houston's weather is no excuse for the current condition of AstroWorld.As for the potential number of customers, if there were a world-class amusement park in Houston, people would travel to it all the way from Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and even Mexico. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincoRanch-HoustonResident Posted March 11, 2005 Author Share Posted March 11, 2005 Good post. I wish Astroworld was like it was in the old days. Lets tear down something like Batman, and build something new and better. When that happenes at least . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincoRanch-HoustonResident Posted March 20, 2005 Author Share Posted March 20, 2005 Do you think a Busch Gardens, sister theme park of Sea World, would locate here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tw2ntyse7en Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincoRanch-HoustonResident Posted March 21, 2005 Author Share Posted March 21, 2005 Well, Orlando has a Sea World. Then, a 90 mile drive southwest of Orlando is Tampa. Tampa has a Busch Gardens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tw2ntyse7en Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 It's a shame Busch Gardens didn't last in Houston. Many, many years ago they had one here out by the brewery at 610 and 10 east. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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