Welcome to the first RCPro: Blogged post of 2009! Hopefully you had a fun and safe holiday season with your friends, family, and even your not-so-loved ones. In typical fashion, this post is all about looking back at 2008. Usually a recap on a year is about the good, the bad, or maybe the odd; but for this post, I’ve decided to give you all three. From the exciting announcements to the colossal failures and stupid guests, recap ten memorable moments from 2008, including a few that deserve mentioning that make up the last bit.

Six Flags: The Good and the Bad
This year saw some good announcements, as well as some financial related issues for SIX, still the largest amusement park chain in the nation. On the positive side there were several announcements on the developing international front, with park agreements in the Middle East and elsewhere, with the headliner being the ever popular Dubai, resort destination for the rich and famous. In addition to the Middle East the flags will be heading to the Far East, a region of the world that is dominated by Universal and the Mouse. The bad news for Six Flags came from the New York Stock Exchange that amounted to this: get your price above $1 and meet an acceptable market cap or get lost. I still feel that the stock has become extremely undervalued. Yes, they still carry quite a large debt load, but they are growing, enjoying success that is invigorating a once stagnant company.

Gravity Group’s New Timberliner Trains
When the Gravity Group announced their new Timberliner rolling stock at IAAPA, it was not the actual trains that caught people’s attention; it was actually a bullet point on the “postcard” release. The words “launch system capable” became the focus of enthusiasts across the Internet almost instantly, sparking debates and discussions on the possibility of launched wooden roller coasters. A lot of people came out skeptics, and I was definitely one of them. Whether you think a launched wooden coaster will turn out the same as a looping wooden coaster, you have to admit that this announcement by Gravity Group was certainly a memorable moment of 2008.

Disney Goes to Hawaii
Despite the economic downturn, Disney announced more details and progression on its new resort and timeshare property in Hawaii. Many would say that this move was a surprisingly long time in coming, and I would agree. This is really noteworthy though since the resort is located nowhere close to a Disney park, it is a standalone resort. Could this be the start of a new kind of magic? Maybe the new year will bring us an answer.

What About the Busch Parks?
That is the question that was being asked by many when rumors about Anheuser-Busch being bought out or merging with another brewer, and it picked up speed and validity when the merger with InBev was announced. InBev has made no secret of the fact that it wants to be rid of the parks, but no real moves or announcements have been made since the merger occurred. There are some interested parties, though the dark horse is a faction of current Busch Entertainment executives breaking off and taking the parks with them is also a topic of discussion for some.

California Adventure Getting New Life?
When word started circulating that Disney’s much-maligned park was going to receive an update and facelift, many wondered if it would be a waste of money. Color me a skeptic, with the past performance of the park, but maybe a new (read: older) theme will really do the trick. The original idea of a park dedicated to California’s past was certainly a nice idea, but it just didn't take off. This is one thing to continue watching into the new year, as the outcome is sure to be interesting.


Hard Rock Park: From White Knight to Decaying Body
Leading off the bad news for the year is the worst of the worst, Hard Rock Park. This was a park that went from one of the most anticipated additions to the industry at the start of the year, to the industry’s biggest failure of the year at the end of the season. The writing was starting to appear on The Wall by mid-summer when it was heard that the park was falling severely short of its lofty expectations. When a major financer pulled out, the end was all but in sight for the oversized Gibson that stood as the park icon. A practically nonexistent marketing budget left the managers in a tough situation with the credit crunch and almost no visitors, and has led to an unsuccessful attempt at an auction. While there were interested parties, no bids were placed. One can only hope that the Stairway To Heaven will be lined with the gold they needed to succeed.

AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY: It Says That For a Reason!
This year saw an unfortunate few people get hurt or killed when they decided to go after items such as basketballs and hats that went into restricted ride areas. One was decapitated by Gotham’s caped crusader when he decided it was worth venturing underneath a ride that has a multi-ton vehicle moving at high speeds to retrieve something. This, friends, is a lesson in patience. Unless you lose a few million while you’re riding, I do believe your life is not worth risking by entering the path of a roller coaster. Just report it to lost and found and wait for the end of the night. Of course you already know this, so please remind your friends that their basketball they just won is not worth risking their life, and that their hat will be recovered at the end of the night.

Alton Towers Closes Corkscrew, and Finally Picks Up Lost Items
One park that you won’t get your lost items back from, however, is Alton Towers. 2008 was Corkscrews last year, and the year they finally did a track walk. Yes, that’s right, there have been lost items beneath the ride for 30 years now, perfectly undisturbed by the park staff until November. Among the many cell phones and other expected lost items more exotic belongings include a prosthetic leg. So if you visited Alton Towers since the debut of Corkscrew and lost something on it, contact the park and let them know what you lost, as they may well have it!

Celebration City Throws its Last Party
Myrtle Beach wasn’t the only recipient of a closing notice in 2008, with Celebration City in Branson closing its gates as well. According to Herschend it is part of a new direction for its properties in Branson. This added yet another layer of gloom over an already rather dark last quarter of the year, thanks to Hard Rock Park and the economic downturn.

And the Rest of the Stuff
At the top of the list for honorable mention is the passing of Arrow co-founder Karl Bacon. He was a pioneer in the industry that made current thrills possible, as well as the magic of Disneyland. His contribution to the industry will always be remembered. Following that is the story of a lady that had a prescription to ride Tower of Terror and Disney World in Orlando. I’m sure that we all remember this rather absurdly hilarious situation, and one cannot help but laugh at it. I’m sure many of us are wondering where we can find this doctor so that we can get a prescription for our favorite past time, riding roller coasters. If anyone does get the information, feel free to pass it along.

Also out of Disney came news that eager young girls were flashing the Jack Sparrow actors roaming the midways. As a result, Disney decided to let go of the Jack Sparrow actors to try and cut down on the family unfriendly actions of the raging hormones. I guess you could say they’re cleaving the problem. Our final note of honorable mention concerns the Geauga Lake land. As of last notice, there were still some parcels of land to be sold, and the razing of the property was mostly complete. It looks like the townships will get their wish for more brick shopping centers instead of that “horrible eyesore” of a park. To Bainbridge and Aurora I say good luck making up the taxes and revenue between the park and what visitors spent in your communities. Oh, and good luck filling the hotels in the area.

And that concludes our look back at 2008. It was a year filled with some exciting announcements, ridiculous news, and a colossal disappointment that provided us all with plenty to talk about. Once again, I hope you all had a great holiday season, and here’s to a happy new year. Welcome to 2009!