Special Features: Hard Rock Park – For those that want to rock

Posted at 10:57 AM EDT (1457 GMT)

May. 19th, 2008 -- If you’ve read any of my reviews or editorials over the past few years, you pretty much know what to expect, and this article will probably not be any different.

May 6 however I had the chance to do something I’ve never done, review an entire new park!

After much anticipation, Hard Rock Park started “sound check” mode in April.  May 6 and 7 was Media Preview Days at the park and I was one of the media representatives on hand to check out the park.

The park is located on and near the old Waccamaw outlet property (locals will know the spot quite well).  Located just before you cross over the Intercoastal Waterway on Hwy 501, it’s hard to miss the giant Bolliger & Mabillard coaster gleaming in the sun.

When the Myrtle Beach Pavilion closed its gates for the final time in 2006, Family Kingdom was left as the sole amusement park on the Grand Strand for an entire year, but Family Kingdom knew that time would soon come to an end.

Many feared that Hard Rock Park’s entry would mean an exit for Family Kingdom. I however think that Family Kingdom will be fine.  Not to get totally off topic, but I personally feel that Family Kingdom has its own niche and will (hopefully) be around for years to come.

But back to the reason you are reading this article after all, Hard Rock Park!

Upon entering the park, you notice just how nice the place looks.  Strangely enough though, a friend who was with me hit the nail-on-the-head when he said that it reminded him of Broadway At The Beach, a local outdoor mall and strangely enough the location for the Pavilion Nostalgia Park (where Pavilion owners relocated a few of the park’s rides when it closed).

From the cleverly named eateries such as the Whammy Bar, I Want Candy!, Great Meals Diner (which doesn’t seem like much of a name, until you see the sign at night says “Eat Me”) and Love Shack Snacks, you know that you’re not in your normal theme park.

The park is sectioned off into five or six different areas, depending on how you count Lost In The 70’s.  Let’s get started on our tour of the park.

All Access Entry Plaza

Your day at the park starts here.  Amp’d (a coffee shop), The Whammy Bar, I Want Candy!, In Through The Out Store and the All Access store are all ready to greet you as you enter the turnstiles.  The All Access store features great selections of the normal theme park t-shirts, but also a huge selection of items from many of the greatest bands and artists of the rock and roll era.

Rock N’ Roll Heaven

Most coaster enthusiasts will immediately be drawn to their left, straight towards Led Zeppelin – The Ride!  Led Zeppelin is a well-themed, overall fun entry by the guys at B&M.  While not nearly as intense as say Kumba, Led Zeppelin –The Ride will keep you coming back for more.

Upon entering the queue (which is thankfully covered and features some very nice fans) you make your way upstairs via several ramps, until you come to the staging area. 

New riders choose their fate; I mean a spot on the floor and then will stick with that number all the way until they board the coaster. 

After about a three to five minute wait, doors open and you enter the “studio” as it’s called.  In the studio, two different versions (there may be more than two, but I only saw two) of a music video featuring Led Zeppelin singing “Whole lotta love” are played.  During your time in the studio, you will here most of the song and then hear the remainder when you actually ride the coaster.  Personally I was thankful for the song selection.  The park could have picked a very annoying song, and basically ruin the coaster in my eyes, or ears you might say.

There are some nice effects in the studio, such as backlighting that makes you feel like you’re in the middle of a crowd of people at a concert.  Also, I know you’ll want to break out the lighters, but you’d better just use your imagination for now.  In all, you are in the studio for about 5 minutes.

Once the second set of doors opens, you’re off to ride the music!

The standard four-across B&M seating is enhanced with the addition of individual speakers directly in front of each rider.  Once you depart the station, about half way up the lift hill the song kicks back in.

As you crest the top of the lift hill, Mr. Plant’s voice screams out sending you into your own bit of rock n’ roll heaven.   The inversions are: a vertical loop, cobra roll (two inversions), zero-g roll, another, smaller, vertical loop and finally a very smooth corkscrew.

The song choice seems very appropriate to the ride itself, fairly smooth, but rocking at the same time.  On my three rides, two of them seemed a bit “bumpy”, if you can call a B&M bumpy.  I don’t think this is completely uncommon on new B&M’s, but I’ve not really experienced it that often.  I thought it quite funny that when Robert Plant is singing “shake for my baby”, the train is doing just that.

Overall, in my personal opinion, Led Zeppelin – The Ride is a very fun coaster, but not very intense.  It’s a coaster that looks intimidating to non-enthusiasts, but it’s not really that scary.  A good choice I guess if the park is trying to appeal to families.

Other attractions in the area are Reggae River Falls, a large water playarea where you’re sure to get wet.  The Taste of Paradise Grill and The Kitchen Below (I’ll let you use your imagination on that one) are in the area if you’re hungry.

Malibu Beach Party is one of the park’s shows and I had a chance to check it out.  Of course when you think of theme park shows, you think of cheesy one-liner jokes and goofy antics from the stage.  All that is present, but there were actually some cool stunts, like a biker popping wheelies with only a few feet clearance between the stage and the stands.  There was also fire diving as well, and I don’t think I’ll ever want to try diving into a pool on fire.  Overall, Malibu Beach Party is a quick show and one that should keep families happy.

British Invasion

When it comes to the overall themeing of Hard Rock Park, I personally loved the British Invasion section of the park.  You really fell like you’ve stepped into a small version of London, or how I would imagine London since I’ve yet to visit England.

The London Cab Ride is a very fast looking flat ride, and one that looks like it would make you lose your lunch.  Well, it would make me lose my lunch anyway.  So unfortunately I have no review other than to say that I really liked the look of the ride, especially at night with all the headlights on for each individual car.  The ride appears to be a Huss Breakdance.

Magic Mushroom Garden was a fun new type of Huss flat ride for me.  It’s your basic sit and spit in a circle type ride, but gentler than London Cab Ride.  The music reminded me of something that would have been played in The Beatles Yellow Submarine movie.  This ride looks to be a Huss Airport.

The Maximum RPM! coaster unfortunately still was not ready to roll when I was at the park, but it is definitely one I want to check out when it opens.  The Ferris wheel lift hill alone makes it one of the most unique coasters on the planet.

Nights in White Satin – The Trip was a rather unique dark ride.  You start by walking through some rooms with your 3-D glasses on and then you come to a room where you board the ride vehicles.

The ride itself reminded me of Curse of DarKastle at Busch Gardens Europe, but it doesn’t seem nearly as developed as DarKastle is.

Each room has some lights, or a giant screen showing a psychedelic image or something similar to that.   I hate to sound negative, but the ride really left me with the feeling that I had been on a county fair haunted house, not a dark ride at a major theme park.

Also in the area are several restaurants, a merry-go-round, several family play areas (which seem to be a feature of the park as there are several throughout the grounds) and finally Roadies Stunt Show, which I was not able to view, but looks great from the previews I saw of it.

Born In The USA

R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.! R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.!

Sorry, I had a flashback to the 80s there.

Shake Rattle ‘n’ Roller Coaster was the first coaster I visited in this area of the park, and is a nice little Vekoma junior coaster fit for the whole family.  Strangely enough, I fit this coaster with tons of room, but Slippery When Wet was a bit of a challenge for me to fit on.  I fit on Top Thrill Dragster, but almost didn’t fit on Slippery When Wet, strange.

Speaking of Slippery When Wet, many will probably scratch their heads about this coaster.  Is it a credit?  Is it half a credit?  If you rode Hydra Fighter II at Emerald Pointe, then you’ll probably recognize Slippery When Wet.  The layout seems either identical, or very much the same as Hydra Fighter II.  There were many rumors that it is one and the same ride, but since I’ve never heard anything official, I’ll be glad to count it as a credit.

Slippery starts out with a vertical lift hill, and then snakes its way around a course with riders suspended below the track.  Thankfully you don’t get totally drenched, but my friend riding next to me got a bit wetter on his side of the train.  Hopefully the brakes on the coaster will loosen up a bit, as there was definitely a hard stop at the end.

Kid Rock! State Park is also in the area and offers the whole family a fun play area, themed to a park out in the great outdoors.

Great Meals Diner and Love Shack Snacks are both just around the corner if you’re craving a quick snack.

Be sure not to miss Garage Jam!  This way cool interactive play area is in the back of the Born In The USA section, over near the Statue of Liberty.   You can take all your frustrations out on your family, by shooting them with foam balls by the hundreds!

Cool Country

If gospel is the cousin of rock, then country is the step brother.  You can quote me on that too.

Country music and the images that it might bring to mind are the inspiration for many of the rides and attractions on our final stop in the tour of Hard Rock Park.

The feature attraction is the Eagles Life In The Fast Lane coaster.

The coaster was originally to be called Midnight Rider, but with the addition of the Eagles’ song to the ride, I can’t imagine it any other way.

This double-lift-hill-Vekoma mine coaster was my first ride on a Vekoma mine coaster and I was quite impressed. 

I love mine coasters, but many of the older Arrow models tend to jerk me around quite a bit.  This coaster is fast, smooth and altogether a fun ride.  The restraints are also much more comfortable than the old Arrow restraints, in my opinion.

As riders exit the station that looks like something right out of Dollywood, you take quick right turn and hit the first lift hill, but not before the speakers engage and a special mix of Life In The Fast Lane comes blaring out.

Watch out for those rats, as you head up the first lift hill!

The layout is unlike any other mine train coaster I’ve been on.  It’s compact, fast and as said earlier very smooth.

As you enter the building again to head up the second lift hill, the energetic crew always waves to you as you get ready to climb up, a slightly taller lift than the first.

After you make some swooping drops, and curve around the tightly packed course, you come to the fiery (literally) finish.  I think my eyebrows are still growing back.  I’ll let that idea sink in, and leave a little mystery to this final element of the ride. 

The other highlight of the Cool Country section is the Ice House Theater.  The theater is the home to the park’s “Country On The Rocks”, ice show.  Honestly, this is one of the best theme park shows I’ve seen in a long time.  You really couldn’t tell that the actors had only been doing this a few weeks, everyone was great!  Don’t miss this show!

When you head back outside after the show, you’ll have a few more rides to check off.

Just a-Swingin’ is a nice wave swinger and has a very long ride cycle, which was great for me as I’m a fan of these rides.

Muddin’ Monster Race is next door and is another great spinning flat ride by Huss.

The Rockabilly BBQ restaurant is located between the two rides, and while I wasn’t able to visit it this trip, the smells alone coming from the place were intoxicating.

Media guests were treated to a sample of all the eateries around the park, and I have to say that many of the offerings were defiantly a cut above your average theme park food.

At the end of your day at the park, be sure to stick around for the big finale each night.  The park has an amazing fireworks show, set to Queen’s opus “Bohemian Rhapsody”.  Don’t miss it!

Closing Thoughts

Hard Rock Park is a well themed, fun destination for the entire family.  The park doesn’t have a ton of rides at the moment, but I’m sure that will change over the next few years.

The park does have one thing going for it that many parks don’t: it has several family play areas scattered throughout the park that will provide family fun for the kiddies, that doesn’t require a long wait in line.

It was also refreshing to not see cookie-cutter rides, restaurants and themeing.  The park really does have its own flavor and feel.

Definitely put Hard Rock Park on your list of parks to visit, if not this year, in the near future.

For more information, visit Hard Rock Park.