Coaster Community

We were lucky enough to score a spot on Wild West World’s Media Preview list so we headed down the morning of the event to check out the new park. Wichita is just a 3 hour drive for us so we were able to get there just as the opening ceremony was starting.

I’ll start with the main entrance to the park. It’s the first evidence of the theming that can be found inside and it’s large enough to keep the peeps moving through. There’s cowboy theming surrounding the area and plenty of photo spots.

Once inside you’re on Main Street, which is lined with shops, restrooms, eateries, lockers and a game or two. The store fronts are colorful and the path is wide enough to accommodate even the busiest days.

Park owner Thomas Etheredge led the opening ceremony and walked the crowd through his dream that became a reality that morning. He of course thanked everyone involved with bringing his dream to life and the list included his wife Cheryl, Park City, several banks, the ride manufacturers and of course the 500-600 employees that they’ve recently hired. Building a park from the ground up isn’t something that happens very often and it looks as if Thomas hand picked a great team. The enthusiasm from all of the employees was evident. A ribbon (actually barbed wire) cutting ceremony followed and the first cut was made by reps from Park City. Next up ride reps from Chance and Rides 4 U cut a wire and finally the Etheredge family cut the last wire. Entertainers from the park closed out the ceremony on stage while the rest of us began checking out the park.

They still had some finishing touches to put on the park so only a small portion was open. They were confident that 90% of the rides would be operational when the park officially opens to the public this weekend. The log flume and condor ride are still waiting on parts and will probably not be ready in time.

After walking through and seeing what was available we decided to have a quick snack (or two). Pablo’s Pizza was the first stop and a quick taste test got our approval (not that we’re picky). Across the path was San Antonio Rosa’s, which serves Mexican food. They weren’t quite ready for that and instead they served bar-b-que brisket and potato salad. We were told that this will be a staple within the food offerings at the park and even though we’re bar-b-que snobs we enjoyed the sandwiches.

Next up was some ride testing. We started with El Diablo and had a blast. It’s more comfortable than previous experience on Power Surges but still intense. We then took a spin on the La Fiesta Carousel. The detail that went into the ride is amazing. Wild West World really knows how to use a theme. Our last ride was on the Moser spring ride. It had a great pop to it and was our first ever experience on such a ride. The coasters were still in need of final inspection and the rain would have prevented them from opening anyway.   Continous rain put a damper on most of the day.

We were able to confirm during a quick conversation with Thomas that the park does intend to add a $4.5 million coaster in 2009 and they have the center of the park reserved for this ride. He’s narrowed it down to two manufacturers but he would not spill the beans on who they are. He plans to finalize a deal at IAAPA later this year. We at Coaster Community feel that a Great Coasters International installation would be the perfect fit for the park but this is just our opinion.

Thomas started with a vision several years ago and we are impressed with the results. The theming and detail in the rides extends to the fences and landscaping as well as the shops and pathways. The color is vibrant throughout the park. The focus on family attractions will likely make this a park a winner early in its existence. The possibility of a thrill coaster will add to it success in the future.