OT -- SF bay area -- Marine World changes it's name slightly
Sean Yoda Rouse
Last year, Premier Parks (the parent company of the Six Flags parks)
took over Marine World in Vallejo in the San Francisco Bay Area.
When the park opened this year, they called it "The New Marine
World Theme Park". Today, KTVU is reporting that Premier has
decided to change the name to "Six Flags Marine World".
Sean "Yoda" Rouse Cal '90 http://www.csua.berkeley.edu/~yoda/
AP2 CN aR1L2 ElKVF20 D411 FM1.5 nl k6 W5 M3 yo...@csua.berkeley.edu
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Senior...@msn.com
for Marine World?
Enough already.
In article <yoda-ya02408000R...@nntp.lanminds.com>,
--
"We are the first people to live within our illusions" - Daniel Boorstin,
Author & Historian
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rya...@cwnet.com
> Is anybody else from the Bay Area sick of those "Fun Runs Wild" commercials
> for Marine World?
>
> Enough already.
>
showed the dolphins giving their endorsement to the rides.
Masselin
"We asked our friends to decide..."
lea bob
ack!! *now* i've got that jingle stuck in my head....
lea bob
thinking that even "small world" would be better...
or maybe not.
rya...@cwnet.com wrote:
"Bill Gates is a white Persian cat and a monocle away from being a James Bond villian." - Dennis Miller
RobbAlvey
>commercials
>>> for Marine World?
>>>
>>> Enough already.
>>>
>>Wouldn't have been so bad if they'd had more than one. This commercial also
>>showed the dolphins giving their endorsement to the rides.
>>
>> Masselin
I wonder how much worst it will get next year when the change thier name yet
again to Six Flags Marine World!?
Cheers.
--Robb
Planning a coaster or theme park trip? Then have a look at Theme Park Review:
http://www.themeparkreview.com
Masselin D'Isigny
>
> I wonder how much worst it will get next year when the change thier name yet
> again to Six Flags Marine World!?
>
animals. Oh, and don't forget that Batman stunt show that's replacing
Marine World's trademark ski show!
Masselin
Save the Marine World Ski Show!
Jeffrey Graebner
>RobbAlvey wrote:
>>
>> I wonder how much worst it will get next year when the change thier name
yet
>> again to Six Flags Marine World!?
>>
>Ah, yes. More gangbangers, more switchblades, less attention to the
>animals. Oh, and don't forget that Batman stunt show that's replacing
>Marine World's trademark ski show!
I've noticed in several posts that you seem concerned about the park
becoming a Six Flags park. For a few reasons, you probably should keep an
open mind about it. First of all, in case you weren't aware, the park has
>not< been sold. Instead, the company that already owned the park (Premiere
Parks) recently purchased the Six Flags chain. Since Six Flags is a quite
well-known trademark, it was pretty much inevitable that Premiere would
start using it with some of their other parks.
More importantly, though, the Six Flags parks historically have been very
well run. Even the gang problems at Magic Mountain have generally been
>way< overstated and the company was extremely quick to respond with
appropriate security measures. I still feel just as safe there as I do at
any of the other Southern California theme parks.
When Premiere purchased Six Flags from Time-Warner, they did sign a
long-term licensing deal to keep using the Warner Bros. characters in the
parks (Time-Warner also kept a financial stake in the company) so the
introduction of those characters will probably be the largest and most
immediate change that you will see. I wouldn't worry too much about them
destroying the theming, though, or replacing long-running, popular shows or
attractions with character tie-ins. From what I've seen, Six Flags
management has generally been good at recognizing where character tie-ins
are or are not appropriate. With the ties to Warner not being quite as
tight as they used to be, inappropriate tie-ins seem even less likely.
On the plus side, the fact that they are applying the Six Flags name to the
park suggests a vote of confidence in its worth. That means that you can
probably expect some significant money to be spent upgrading and expanding
the park. Another nice bonus is that you will probably find that your
annual pass to Marine World will become a Six Flags annual pass good at all
of their parks.
--
Jeffrey Graebner
Email: jeff_g...@compuserve.com
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- Fantasmic! @ Disneyland
rya...@cwnet.com
>
> I've noticed in several posts that you seem concerned about the park
> becoming a Six Flags park.
Just a little. ;) (Yop, yop, yop!)
> For a few reasons, you probably should keep an
> open mind about it. First of all, in case you weren't aware, the park has
> >not< been sold. Instead, the company that already owned the park (Premiere
> Parks) recently purchased the Six Flags chain. Since Six Flags is a quite
> well-known trademark, it was pretty much inevitable that Premiere would
> start using it with some of their other parks.
>
I don't care about them using it w/ any of their other parks. My point is
that Marine World is a very different park. The other parks that are being
converted are already primarily thrill ride/coaster parks. Marine World is
primarily an animal park, and the Six Flags name implies an emphasis on
coasters. No matter what they say, the public will think "coasters." It's
like turning Club 33 into--well, McDonald's. ;)
> More importantly, though, the Six Flags parks historically have been very
> well run. Even the gang problems at Magic Mountain have generally been
> >way< overstated and the company was extremely quick to respond with
> appropriate security measures. I still feel just as safe there as I do at
> any of the other Southern California theme parks.
>
You should have been there these last few weeks. I can count on one hand the
amount of security I saw there on Halloween. They were spread so thin, they
had to be supplemented by Vallejo PD.
> When Premiere purchased Six Flags from Time-Warner, they did sign a
> long-term licensing deal to keep using the Warner Bros. characters in the
> parks (Time-Warner also kept a financial stake in the company) so the
> introduction of those characters will probably be the largest and most
> immediate change that you will see. I wouldn't worry too much about them
> destroying the theming, though, or replacing long-running, popular shows or
> attractions with character tie-ins.
Believe me, I would be more than happy to accept this, if it weren't for what
I heard w/ my own ears. In the words of one manager, "Our focus will now be
on Warner Brothers." I heard about the ski show being replaced by Batman from
the skiers themselves. What irks me most about this is that the ski show has
been there since the park opened in Redwood City in 1968. It would be like DL
getting rid of the JC. <snip>
> On the plus side, the fact that they are applying the Six Flags name to the
> park suggests a vote of confidence in its worth. That means that you can
> probably expect some significant money to be spent upgrading and expanding
> the park.
They've earmarked $17 mil, about half of what they spent last year. Like
we've said before, it's what they do w/ the money that counts. However, $17
mil is not significant money for a chain park like SF.
> Another nice bonus is that you will probably find that your
> annual pass to Marine World will become a Six Flags annual pass good at all
> of their parks.
>
That is a nice bonus for anyone but me. :) I've never been to a Six Flags
park, and I have little interest in them. I can't ride coasters (not even
Disney coasters), so what else is there for me at SF? Thanks for your
concern, but I really think Six Flagging MW will be more of a curse than a
blessing. Let's not let Premier do to MW what Pressler's doing to DL.
Masselin
Save the Marine World Ski Show!
Write to:
Guest Relations, Six Flags Marine World
2001 Marine World Parkway
Vallejo, CA 94589
RobbAlvey
>>
>> I've noticed in several posts that you seem concerned about the park
>> becoming a Six Flags park.
>
>Just a little. ;) (Yop, yop, yop!)
>
>> For a few reasons, you probably should keep an
>> open mind about it. First of all, in case you weren't aware, the park has
>> >not< been sold. Instead, the company that already owned the park
>(Premiere
>> Parks) recently purchased the Six Flags chain. Since Six Flags is a quite
>> well-known trademark, it was pretty much inevitable that Premiere would
>> start using it with some of their other parks.
>>
>
>I don't care about them using it w/ any of their other parks. My point is
>that Marine World is a very different park. The other parks that are being
>converted are already primarily thrill ride/coaster parks. Marine World is
>primarily an animal park, and the Six Flags name implies an emphasis on
>coasters. No matter what they say, the public will think "coasters." It's
>like turning Club 33 into--well, McDonald's. ;)
The reason why Marine World was transformed into The New Marine World Africa
Theme Park this year was due to a decline in attendance over the last few
years. The problem marine parks have been experiencing recently is that their
target market becomes uninterested in what the park has to offer around ages
12-adult. This is why even Sea World has changed the name of their park
franchise and have started to add mechanical rides and coasters. You'll see
this happening VERY soon in the San Diego park. So in order to attract a crowd
to keep the marine part of the park open, they need to attract a wider audience
to other parts of the park. This is a business practice. Would you rather
have Six Flags Marine World with animals and thrill rides or no Marine World at
all? I for one am all for the preservation of our countries rapidly declining
amount of amusement parks.
>> More importantly, though, the Six Flags parks historically have been very
>> well run. Even the gang problems at Magic Mountain have generally been
>> >way< overstated and the company was extremely quick to respond with
>> appropriate security measures. I still feel just as safe there as I do at
>> any of the other Southern California theme parks.
>>
>
>You should have been there these last few weeks. I can count on one hand the
>amount of security I saw there on Halloween. They were spread so thin, they
>had to be supplemented by Vallejo PD.
This is absolutely NOT TRUE. You are not looking hard enough. I frequent
Magic Mountain as much as I do Disneyland and Knott's. Upon entering the park,
you will usually see 5 - 10 security guards. I was just there last Friday
during the Fright Fest and security was EVERYWHERE. Even during the day. You
are either not looking or are refusing to look just to tarnish Magic Mountain's
image. That is NOT fair.
>
>> When Premiere purchased Six Flags from Time-Warner, they did sign a
>> long-term licensing deal to keep using the Warner Bros. characters in the
>> parks (Time-Warner also kept a financial stake in the company) so the
>> introduction of those characters will probably be the largest and most
>> immediate change that you will see. I wouldn't worry too much about them
>> destroying the theming, though, or replacing long-running, popular shows or
>> attractions with character tie-ins.
>
>Believe me, I would be more than happy to accept this, if it weren't for what
>I heard w/ my own ears. In the words of one manager, "Our focus will now be
>on Warner Brothers." I heard about the ski show being replaced by Batman from
>the skiers themselves. What irks me most about this is that the ski show has
>been there since the park opened in Redwood City in 1968. It would be like DL
>getting rid of the JC. <snip>
Well, you are NOT losing the ski show. You might find that next years show will
have Batman characters added to it. It sounds to me like they are trying to
make it appeal to a wider audience. Again, you can try to 'preserve' your
precious ski show in it's original format, but you might find out that a
reactionary attitude like that may wind up killing the ski show all together.
It's a business decision. Why have a show that will attract 1,000 viewers if
you can have one that will attract double or triple the amount of viewers?
These types of shows have already proven VERY popular in other Six Flags parks.
The management are not idiots. I'm sure they've compared their 'original'
shows attendance with similar type of character licensed shows to see if such a
change is viable.
>
>> On the plus side, the fact that they are applying the Six Flags name to the
>> park suggests a vote of confidence in its worth. That means that you can
>> probably expect some significant money to be spent upgrading and expanding
>> the park.
>
>They've earmarked $17 mil, about half of what they spent last year. Like
>we've said before, it's what they do w/ the money that counts. However, $17
>mil is not significant money for a chain park like SF.
And how exactly do you know what is significant for a park like SF? Please
tell us you vast experience of what SF has spent on their other parks in past
years. You don't know these numbers do you? Of course not. You wouldn't have
made such a completely false and 'uneducated with the theme park industry
outside of Disney' if you had. Premiere, in fact, will have made a $57 million
investment into the park in the years 98 & 99 combined. That is NOT a small
number by any means. Where am I getting these numbers from? The Marine World
Africa press releases.
>
>> Another nice bonus is that you will probably find that your
>> annual pass to Marine World will become a Six Flags annual pass good at all
>> of their parks.
>>
>
>That is a nice bonus for anyone but me. :) I've never been to a Six Flags
>park, and I have little interest in them. I can't ride coasters (not even
>Disney coasters), so what else is there for me at SF? Thanks for your
>concern, but I really think Six Flagging MW will be more of a curse than a
>blessing. Let's not let Premier do to MW what Pressler's doing to DL.
Oh, I see now. Of course you are negative because you don't like the park.
Well, I'll tell you what. Why don't you stand outside the park next year when
they open and ask every guest that walks through the gate if they think it's a
curse or a blessing. With the amount of additional entertainment the park is
offering, keeping all of it's original educational theme intact, and taking the
park from nowhere to what could be the competition that Great America sorely
needs, I'll bet you will find very few guests that will agree with you.
>
> Masselin
> Save the Marine World Ski Show!
> Write to:
> Guest Relations, Six Flags Marine World
> 2001 Marine World Parkway
> Vallejo, CA 94589
Oh, yes, just what we need. Yet ANOTHER "Save the (place attraction name
here)" campaign. Please get serious and instead of protesting, offer the park
some original ideas based on what you now know about the park. The only way to
help save a local park is to be proactive with that park. But is sounds as if
you're not going to visit the park anyway, so why would you care? I don't
understand this. You're not interested in what the park is going to become,
yet you are so wound up about it that you want to save their Ski Show?!?!? Are
you saying that you were a Marine World Ski Show enthusiast? Or were you a
casual visitor that saw the show once ever few years? With gems like "Santa's
Village" dissapearing, be happy that your local park is thriving. I'm sure
Santa's Village would have LOVED to have been able to put $57 million, or even
$17 million for that matter, into the park. Then maybe truley classic rides
like the Bumblebee Monorail would still exist today. And you're worried about
a ski show???
My bit of advice to you: Be thankful your park is being preserved. Go visit
the park when it opens next season under it's new name and new themes. See for
yourself if you like it or not before condemning it.
Masselin D'Isigny
>
> The reason why Marine World was transformed into The New Marine World Africa
> Theme Park this year was due to a decline in attendance over the last few
> years. The problem marine parks have been experiencing recently is that their
> target market becomes uninterested in what the park has to offer around ages
> to keep the marine part of the park open, they need to attract a wider audience
> to other parts of the park. This is a business practice. Would you rather
> have Six Flags Marine World with animals and thrill rides or no Marine World at
> all?
Why does it have to be either, or? MW did *very* well this year by
itself w/o Six Flags. I have nothing against rides in the park. You're
right, w/o the rides, there'd probably be no MW right now. I *am*
against MW having the uniqueness taken away by becoming a SF.
It's the same problem we all on a.d.d. have w/ DL. It's not that we
don't want DL to grow and change. We are against the *type* of change
Pressler wants to institute. And I think MW can do great just being MW.
> >I can count on one hand the
> >amount of security I saw there on Halloween. They were spread so thin, they
> >had to be supplemented by Vallejo PD.
>
> This is absolutely NOT TRUE. You are not looking hard enough. I frequent
> Magic Mountain as much as I do Disneyland and Knott's.
And I frequent MW as much as the people here do DL.
> Upon entering the park,
> you will usually see 5 - 10 security guards. I was just there last Friday
> during the Fright Fest and security was EVERYWHERE. Even during the day. You
> are either not looking or are refusing to look just to tarnish Magic Mountain's
> image. That is NOT fair.
I have no reason to tarnish Magic Mtn.'s image. I'm talking about MW.
When it got late, there were maybe 3 or 4 security guards/Vallejo PD at
the front gate, more than I saw in the rest of the park. They were so
short-handed, they had ride ops helping.
> Well, you are NOT losing the ski show. You might find that next years show will
> have Batman characters added to it.
Trust me, Robb, it will be *cut.* This was reported to me and confirmed
several times. There will be NO ski show next year *at all.*
> It sounds to me like they are trying to
> make it appeal to a wider audience. Again, you can try to 'preserve' your
> precious ski show in it's original format, but you might find out that a
> reactionary attitude like that may wind up killing the ski show all together.
I repeat, it's *already* being killed. The show already changes format
every year, but if these plans go through, there will be absolutely NO
ski show next year at all.
> It's a business decision. Why have a show that will attract 1,000 viewers if
> you can have one that will attract double or triple the amount of viewers?
> These types of shows have already proven VERY popular in other Six
> Flags parks.
And MW already has a fine stunt show that is unique to that park and
fits that park's theme. MW should be looking for *more* unique stuff
like this, not less.
> The management are not idiots. I'm sure they've compared their 'original'
> shows attendance with similar type of character licensed shows to see if such a
> change is viable.
When Pressler first came in, several people posted to this group saying
we were all idiots for thinking him incompetent. After two straight
years of dropping attendance and flopped-out shows, those people are now
strangely silent.
<snip>
> You're not interested in what the park is going to become,
> yet you are so wound up about it that you want to save their Ski Show?!?!?
It is much more than just the Ski Show. Again, this is like the people
who say that a.d.d.ers are too attached to the CBJ, or the Subs, or
MSEP. What I am really worried about is the unique character of MW, of
which the Ski Show is a trademark, disappearing in favor of making it
just part of a chain.
<snip>
> My bit of advice to you: Be thankful your park is being preserved.
This is just my point. It is not my park. What opens next year may be
called "Marine World," and may have a few token animal shows, but it
will not be a Marine World I want to remember.
> Go visit
> the park when it opens next season under it's new name and new themes. See for
> yourself if you like it or not before condemning it.
>
This is the DCA issue all over again. I don't want to wait until it's
too late. I like the MW they have now, and any plans they make which
involve *more animals* and a couple more rides are just fine w/ me.
I have zero interest in Six Flags. I cannot ride coasters. And SF has
worked hard to make their name = coasters. For them to "Six Flag" MW
means that their new emphasis will be on coasters. They can talk a good
line about expanding animal exhibits, but actions speak louder than
words, and this action tells me that they see no difference between MW
and the SF chain.
If it really is time for MW to go this direction, so be it. I myself
would prefer not to be there when it happens.
Masselin
Ross Plesset
torn down, along with many other attractions by their owner Ron Fong,
who also owns Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, CA. The Wharf's wax
museum, which contains part of Movieland's Palace of the Living Arts, is
staying but is being substantially down-sized.
Does anyone have pictures of the Haunted Gold Mine? That was my favorite
attraction at the Wharf. I would pay for reproduction/duplication
expenses and return postage. I was planning on photographing Haunted
Gold Mine extensively on my next trip to the Bay Area. So much for that,
If anyone can help me get pictures, I would be extremely greatful!
Stephan D.
>
> I've noticed in several posts that you seem concerned about the park
an
> open mind about it. First of all, in case you weren't aware, the park
has
> >not< been sold. Instead, the company that already owned the park
(Premiere
> Parks) recently purchased the Six Flags chain. Since Six Flags is a
quite
> well-known trademark, it was pretty much inevitable that Premiere would
> start using it with some of their other parks.
Just for everybody's inf.. I believe that premier is only managing the
park! The Park is owned by the city of Vallejo! At least why else would the
Major state, in a recent interview that, he hopes Premier would buy the
park in 2002.
>
> On the plus side, the fact that they are applying the Six Flags name to
the
> park suggests a vote of confidence in its worth. That means that you can
> probably expect some significant money to be spent upgrading and
expanding
> annual pass to Marine World will become a Six Flags annual pass good at
all
> of their parks.
Regarding upgrades and pouring in of money:
Premier announced over 17 mil. worth of improvement during the winter
month, including a new wooden rollercoaster named "ROAR"!
Stephan
Jon Nadelberg
Ross Plesset <RPle...@webtv.net> wrote:
>I just heard that The Haunted Gold Mine at Fisherman's Wharf has been
>torn down, along with many other attractions by their owner Ron Fong,
>who also owns Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, CA. The Wharf's wax
>museum, which contains part of Movieland's Palace of the Living Arts, is
>staying but is being substantially down-sized.
Yeah. It was torn down about a month or so ago, that entire building
was removed, which included the former torture museum and that entire
area where you sort of walked up a ramp to go along the sidewalk.
It's a vacant field now, but they're supposed to build a new building
there. Also, the set of stores right next to the Pier 39 parking
building is also fenced off. The whole area is undergoing a
bit of a refurbishment with the addition of a trolley line that
they've been working on for the last couple of years.
>
>Does anyone have pictures of the Haunted Gold Mine? That was my favorite
>attraction at the Wharf. I would pay for reproduction/duplication
>expenses and return postage. I was planning on photographing Haunted
>Gold Mine extensively on my next trip to the Bay Area. So much for that,
>If anyone can help me get pictures, I would be extremely greatful!
No pictures, sorry.
Marc
RPle...@webtv.net (Ross Plesset) wrote:
>I just heard that The Haunted Gold Mine at Fisherman's Wharf has been
>torn down, along with many other attractions by their owner Ron Fong,
>who also owns Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, CA. The Wharf's wax
>museum, which contains part of Movieland's Palace of the Living Arts, is
>staying but is being substantially down-sized.
>
>attraction at the Wharf. I would pay for reproduction/duplication
>expenses and return postage. I was planning on photographing Haunted
>Gold Mine extensively on my next trip to the Bay Area. So much for that,
>If anyone can help me get pictures, I would be extremely greatful!
Sorry, no pictures. :(
I remember when that San Francisco themed dark ride was in that location. I
loved that thing. I can't remember what it was called, I was like 7 years old
when they tore it out.
Remember the uproar when they took out the wax museum in Chinatown &
replaced it with a McDonald's?! The more things change the more they stay the
same.
Marc
(who was born & raised in The City)
Jon Nadelberg
Marc <har...@netroplex.com> wrote:
>In article <3578-364...@newsd-152.iap.bryant.webtv.net>,
> RPle...@webtv.net (Ross Plesset) wrote:
>>I just heard that The Haunted Gold Mine at Fisherman's Wharf has been
>>torn down, along with many other attractions by their owner Ron Fong,
>>who also owns Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, CA. The Wharf's wax
>>museum, which contains part of Movieland's Palace of the Living Arts, is
>>staying but is being substantially down-sized.
>>
>>Does anyone have pictures of the Haunted Gold Mine? That was my favorite
>>attraction at the Wharf. I would pay for reproduction/duplication
>>expenses and return postage. I was planning on photographing Haunted
>>Gold Mine extensively on my next trip to the Bay Area. So much for that,
>>If anyone can help me get pictures, I would be extremely greatful!
>
> Sorry, no pictures. :(
>
> I remember when that San Francisco themed dark ride was in that location. I
>loved that thing. I can't remember what it was called, I was like 7 years old
>when they tore it out.
I think that was called "Old San Francisco" and was done by Sid and
Marty Kroft.
Ross Plesset
Marty Krofft. It existed simultaneously with the Haunted Gold Mine.
I'm not sure how long the Haunted Gold Mine had been there (a former
employee tells me that it may have gone back as far as the late sixties)
I first went through it in '78 and also went on the Old San Francisco
trolley ride. In '78 the Gold Mine was pretty juvenile, even for a kid,
but was still neat. The "old prospector" host was featured much more
prominently. I liked the attraction enough to go through it a couple
times. By 1995 the Gold Mine was quite a bit scarier and sophisticated.
It became my favorite place in San Francisco.
I understand that the original plan for the '90s Gold Mine upgrade was
to make it much more elaborate and interesting but the owner didn't see
any potential and cheapened out. I won't miss the nearby medieval
torture chamber (albeit, it had a neat exterior), which I found
depressing, but I'm sure gonna miss the Haunted Gold Mine.
Jon Nadelberg
The torture museum closed a few months before the building was torn
down. It was a jewelry store for a short while.
The torture museum (or Museum de Torture as it was called on the marquee)
had to have been the single worst tourist attraction I have EVER come
across. You know you're in for a grand time when they have a giant
NO REFUNDS sign on the counter where you pay for your tickets.
This was one sicko thing. Last time I saw it in operation, a man
was taking his 9 or so year old daughter in there. She had long
blonde hair, and looked fairly innocent. I kind of wonder how he
explained the wax figure of a man being burnt alive on the grill
to her, let alone all the other tasty things that were found
inside.
A further update: The shops that were fenced off at the corner of
Jefferson and where the Pier 39 multi-story parking garage is have
been torn down. These were kind of crappy stores. Hopefully, something
nice will be put in their place.
Ross Plesset
family goes to Europe. Among the places they visit is a museum about
medeival torture. All the tourists there become very forlorn. That scene
reminded me of Museum Le Torture (perhaps it inspired that scene).
I know many of the wax figures there had been used in other wax museums.
Some figures from the Museum of Living Art that were in Movieland, Buena
Park but not Fisherman's Wharf became torture victims.
That place put me into a somber mood. There should definitely have been
an age limit...Torture is an unfortunate part of our history and should
be remembered as an atrocity rather than entertainment.
Lynn Gustafson
>
> There was a 2-part episode of Married With Children where the Bundy
> family goes to Europe. Among the places they visit is a museum about
> medeival torture. All the tourists there become very forlorn. That scene
> reminded me of Museum Le Torture (perhaps it inspired that scene).
My guess would be that it was inspired by Madame Trusseau"s (sp?)
Chamber of Horrors which was part of her world famous Wax Musseum. It
featured recreations of famous or infamous crime scenes such as Jack the
Ripper and had a set up of a guillotine (sp? again) that included death
masks taken of both King Louise XVII, I believe, and Marie Antoinette.
Not for the faint hearted, but fastinating in a morbid way. This museum
was around for over 100 years, well before Buena Parks or San Fransico
thought of such things.
Lynn Gustafson
Ross Plesset
of Married With Children again but it reminded so much of Dungeon Le
Torture. Every time I went around a corner I would go "Uuuuhhhh" and
become depressed.
There's a wax likeness of Madam Tussaud (sp?) out here at Hollywood Wax
Museum (at least it was there on my last visit). That was probably the
most interesting part of the whole attraction. There were other fun
parts too: I opened a door which took me right into the Fonz diorama and
later my friend put a cigarette in Jesus' hand at the Last Supper.
Senior...@msn.com
jo...@netcom.com (Jon Nadelberg) wrote:
> In article <3578-364...@newsd-152.iap.bryant.webtv.net>,
> Ross Plesset <RPle...@webtv.net> wrote:
> >I just heard that The Haunted Gold Mine at Fisherman's Wharf has been
> >torn down, along with many other attractions by their owner Ron Fong,
> >who also owns Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, CA. The Wharf's wax
> >museum, which contains part of Movieland's Palace of the Living Arts, is
> >staying but is being substantially down-sized.
>
> was removed, which included the former torture museum and that entire
> area where you sort of walked up a ramp to go along the sidewalk.
>
> It's a vacant field now, but they're supposed to build a new building
> there. Also, the set of stores right next to the Pier 39 parking
> building is also fenced off. The whole area is undergoing a
> bit of a refurbishment with the addition of a trolley line that
> they've been working on for the last couple of years.
>
> >
> >attraction at the Wharf. I would pay for reproduction/duplication
> >expenses and return postage. I was planning on photographing Haunted
> >Gold Mine extensively on my next trip to the Bay Area. So much for that,
> >If anyone can help me get pictures, I would be extremely greatful!
>
>
Good riddance.
--
"We are the first people to live within our illusions" - Daniel Boorstin,
Author & Historian
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
RobbAlvey
Sarah and I visited Madame Tussad's a couple of times last year (our Alton
Towers season pass is also good there) and to be honest, it was a real let
down. The torture chamber part was actually the best area of the wax figures,
but when it came to all the famous people, most of them were just placed
randomly around several rooms. I've just recently visited Movieland for the
first time in about 10 years and was very suprised how far it surpassed the
figures at Tussad's. I like the fact that most of the figures at Movieland are
set in their themed evironment.
The figures aside, the one thing at Tussads that was amazing was their dark
ride! The quality of it reminded me a lot of Space Ship earth. Some really
well done sets and great looking figures. That ride is almost worth the trip!
But to see good was figures, Movieland beats out Tussad's.
Ross Plesset
figure which was originally in the Davy Crockett Museum and then moved
to Tom Sawyer Island's Fort Wilderness in 1956 (pictured on page 100 of
his book Disneyland: The Nickel Tour). I don't know when the figure was
taken off display (I saw it several times in the eighties) but Mumford
said somebody tried to repaint it and it was the wrong kind of paint.
The paint was corrosive and ate through the figure's face!
Does anyone know when the Fess Parker figure was removed? Are there any
wax figures remaining in Fort Wilderness?
Ross Plesset
think that's true with most wax museums. Last year I saw another
interesting wax museum on an A&E special called Myth America, which
aired @ Thanksgiving. It showed the Plymouth Museum. The last scene
depicted a ship landing at Plymouth Rock. There were turbulent waves
splashing against the shore and the ship's hull and tons of wind and
rain. There were at least half a dozen figures (not actually wax) on the
ship.
So far the best wax museum I've been to was in Victoria, Canada in 1985.
Here too the settings were a major strong point.
KRYGREEN1
>Marine World changes it's name slightly
>From: robb...@aol.com (RobbAlvey)
>Date: 11/10/98 1:07 AM Central Standard Time
>Message-id: <19981110020728.01021.00002119@
>Sarah and I visited Madame Tussad's a couple of times last year (our Alton
>Towers season pass is also good there) and to be honest, it was a real let
>down.
I have to humbly disagree with you. I thought the figures were more life like
than Movieland's. I was blown away when I went morn than three years ago.
Even better is the Rock Circus in London's Picadilly Circus near the West End,
also run by the same people who run Madame Tussad.
>The figures aside, the one thing at Tussads that was amazing was their dark
>ride!
Agreed! It reminded me so much of a Disneyland ride. For people that have yet
to go to London. In the ride you sit in a London black cab and it shows you
London's history. From the Black Plague to the great fire of 1666 (that
killed off the plague) to today. I love the part when they showed what the
doctors had to wear to protect them from the plague - they look like a giant
bird. Anyways,
it's a neat ride.
Suni
Ross Plesset
the figures vary enormously in quality (I would say this is more so at
Hollywood). I absolutely love Movieland's Boris Karloff but their
depiction of Arnold Schwartzeneger in T-2 wreaks--and this figure is
wearing dark glasses, how could they go wrong there?! I understand that
the owner himself, who has no artistic background, has sculpted some of
the recent figures.
BTW, has anyone noticed the eyeballs peering out of the trees in The
Wizard of Oz scene? That scene is a good example of elaborate theming
with the eyeballs and all those toadstools.
Masselin D'Isigny
>
> David Mumford told me an interesting story about the Fess Parker wax
> figure which was originally in the Davy Crockett Museum and then moved
> to Tom Sawyer Island's Fort Wilderness in 1956 (pictured on page 100 of
> his book Disneyland: The Nickel Tour). I don't know when the figure was
> taken off display (I saw it several times in the eighties) but Mumford
> said somebody tried to repaint it and it was the wrong kind of paint.
> The paint was corrosive and ate through the figure's face!
>
> Does anyone know when the Fess Parker figure was removed?
Around 1993.
> Are there any wax figures remaining in Fort Wilderness?
Nope. I wish they'd at least put President Jackson working at his desk.
Just because Davy's a goner doesn't mean they can't keep Andy. Maybe
they could redress Georgie Russell as some calvary sergeant or attache?
Masselin
Marine World doesn't need Six Flags!
Save the Ski Show!
gjw
> But to see good was figures, Movieland beats out Tussad's.
Haven't seen Tussad's, but Movieland definitely beats out the Hollywood
Wax Museum.
Also, you might notice that quite a few of the costumes worn by the wax
figures are original costumes from the movies (as are some of the
props).
gjw
>
> One thing that Movieland has in common with Hollywood Wax Museum is that
> the figures vary enormously in quality (I would say this is more so at
> Hollywood). I absolutely love Movieland's Boris Karloff but their
> depiction of Arnold Schwartzeneger in T-2 wreaks--and this figure is
> wearing dark glasses, how could they go wrong there?! I understand that
> the owner himself, who has no artistic background, has sculpted some of
> the recent figures.
I think they have a new artist doing the wax figures. I suspect that
the best likenesses are the older ones done by another artist.
RobbAlvey
>than Movieland's. I was blown away when I went morn than three years ago.
>Even better is the Rock Circus in London's Picadilly Circus near the West
>End,
>also run by the same people who run Madame Tussad.
I do actually agree that most of the figures at Tussad's were a better
representation of the characters, but I still think the presentation of them is
not up to scratch.
I do also agree about Rock Circus! I had an excellent time there, and although
the characters there also had no real settings and were just randomly placed, I
found it to be more fun that Tussads! A highly reccomended couple of hours if
you're in London's Piccadilly Circus!
Ross Plesset
itself! I'm told that the Lon Chaney figure goes back to the '30s. I
forget which museum it was made for.
The Hollywood Wax Museum uses a lot of original costumes but now
Movieland is increasingly doing it too. I wish the museums would start
to use authentic set pieces. That would make the exhibits a lot more
interesting. I walked through the interior of Fred Flintstone's living
room and there were lots of details that didn't show up in the movie at
all! Imagine a Harrison Ford figure with authentic Blade Runner set
pieces and vehicles!!!!!
If wax museums are to survive, they should do this and have more effects
like the scene I recently described at the Plymouth Museum.
gjw
> If wax museums are to survive, they should do this and have more effects
> like the scene I recently described at the Plymouth Museum.
Well, I suspect that the way wax museums survive is that they have a
very low overhead. Except for keeping the place clean and occassionally
adding a new figure, there seems to be very little overhead for places
that charge a fairly hefty admission price. I've heard that Movieland
rarely even bothers to advertise, except for brochures passed out at
hotels and amusement parks.
Also, both of the local museums pick up tourists who just happen to be
in the area. Movieland draws them from nearby Knott's Berry Farm (as
well as Disneyland). And the Hollywood Wax Museum pulls in bored
tourists touring the Walk of Fame and looking for something to do after
they leave Mann's Chinese...
Ross Plesset
same spot as the Sid & Marty Krofft Trolley ride.
Ross Plesset
DscveryBay
>same spot as the Sid & Marty Krofft Trolley ride.
>
Karma works.
Fab
Okay, all right, I admit it....my webpage IS dead...for now.
Michael Eisner, 1988:'More Walt Than Walt'; 1998:Less Walt Than...Well, Anyone.