MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park
Encyclopedia
MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park was a theme park adjacent to the MGM Grand
hotel
and casino
in Paradise, Nevada
, United States
. Opened in 1993, it closed to the public on September 4, 2000 after it showed a bad performance.
The original plan for the theme park was to make it family-oriented by providing activities for children who were too young to gamble. The overall Wizard of Oz
theming of the hotel and casino provided the motto to literally "follow the yellow brick road
" from inside the hotel to the entrance to the theme park, which was built on the hotel's backlot. Opened in 1993 along with the rest of the complex, the then 33-acre (13.4 ha) MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park looked like a small-version of larger counterparts Disney's Hollywood Studios
and Universal Studios
, which utilized a movie studio-backlot
theme. During a later expansion of the hotel's pool and convention facilities, the area of the park was reduced by 40% to an area of 18.8 acres (7.6 ha).
In September 2000, it was announced that the theme park would close in favor of condominium
s and an expanded pool. For 2001, the theme park was renamed The Park at MGM Grand and served as a rental facility for corporate functions. The final event at the park was a Jimmy Buffett
"Parrothead" private party on Memorial Day
, 2002.
On December 5, 2002, MGM Mirage
announced "The Signature at MGM Grand
" would take over much of the theme park area for a high-rise luxury condominium and hotel complex.
theme and provided for somewhat of a Disney-type experience. It had several themed areas including Casablanca Plaza (Main Entrance), New York Street, Asian Village, French Street, Salem Waterfront, Tumbleweed Gulch (later renamed Goldrush Junction), New Orleans Street, and Olde England Street. The park's characters were mostly cartoon characters such as Betty Boop
and King Looey
.
There were ten major rides and attractions, eleven restaurant
s and fast food areas, and a dozen retail shops. The original attractions line-up included:
Promotions such as summer nighttime concert
s and spring break events were done to draw more crowds with additional attractions such as bungee runs and bounce houses added for those events.
The most popular event ever to be held at the park was "Scream Park". This Halloween
themed event ran for a few years during the month of October. This separate admission event included several haunted houses
in and around the park's attractions. In fact a few of the park's attractions got in on the fun adding additional scares themselves including special shows created just for the event.
In a move to put some thrills in the park, in 1996, the park added Sky Screamer, a 250 feet (76.2 m). Riders were strapped into harnesses and lifted up a 225 feet (68.6 m) "launch tower" where they then pulled a ripcord setting into motion a free fall upwards of 70 mph (110 km/h). It was placed over a lagoon that had once been home to a large faux steamboat
(a snack bar was its only resident). At the time, it was billed as the world's largest sky coaster. The result was a very tall structure that could be seen from anywhere in the park. At night, it was lighted in the same green color as the hotel tower providing an impressive visual.
Over time the line-up of attractions changed, especially with the expansion of the hotel's pool and convention
facilities. These changes also meant the entrance to the park was drastically changed and now involved a lengthy walk from the hotel, making the park seem like a separate entity.
The 40% reduction in area of the park implied the removal of the Backlot River Tour, Deep Earth Exploration, and Manhattan Theatre. Although unaffected by the layout change, The Haunted Mine was also closed.
The Lightning Bolt (which is now located at Granite Park) was relocated outdoors to a former special event space in the northwest corner of the park. The ride was later expanded by Arrow Dynamics
to include a second 70 feet (21.3 m) and an extended run over the Grand Canyon Rapids.
For a short while other smaller temporary flat-rides called the park home including a Chance Rides Zipper, Ferris Wheel, and Chaos. None of these attractions stayed very long but did help increase the attractions count.
Another addition to the park came in the form of "Kiddie Island." This was an island
created in the lagoon near the base of Sky Screamer. It was home to a variety of small attractions such as a paddle boat river, Red Baron airplane ride, and Carousel
.
MGM Grand Las Vegas
The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The MGM Grand is the third largest hotel in the world and largest hotel resort complex in the United States in front of The Venetian. The MGM Grand was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in...
hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
and casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
in Paradise, Nevada
Paradise, Nevada
Paradise is an unincorporated town in the Las Vegas metropolitan area in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The population was 223,167 at the 2010 census...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Opened in 1993, it closed to the public on September 4, 2000 after it showed a bad performance.
The original plan for the theme park was to make it family-oriented by providing activities for children who were too young to gamble. The overall Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
theming of the hotel and casino provided the motto to literally "follow the yellow brick road
Yellow brick road
The road of yellow brick is an element in the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, with additional such roads appearing in The Marvelous Land of Oz and The Patchwork Girl of Oz...
" from inside the hotel to the entrance to the theme park, which was built on the hotel's backlot. Opened in 1993 along with the rest of the complex, the then 33-acre (13.4 ha) MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park looked like a small-version of larger counterparts Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
and Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, which utilized a movie studio-backlot
Backlot
A backlot is an area behind or adjoining a movie studio, containing permanent exterior buildings for outdoor scenes in filmmaking or television productions, or space for temporary set construction....
theme. During a later expansion of the hotel's pool and convention facilities, the area of the park was reduced by 40% to an area of 18.8 acres (7.6 ha).
In September 2000, it was announced that the theme park would close in favor of condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
s and an expanded pool. For 2001, the theme park was renamed The Park at MGM Grand and served as a rental facility for corporate functions. The final event at the park was a Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
"Parrothead" private party on Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
, 2002.
On December 5, 2002, MGM Mirage
MGM Mirage
Not to be confused with the Las Vegas, Nevada based casino/resort operator Resorts International Holdings.MGM Resorts International is a Paradise, Nevada based corporation that brands itself as a global hospitality company. It is the second largest gaming company in the world by revenue - about...
announced "The Signature at MGM Grand
The Signature at MGM Grand
The Signature at MGM Grand is a condo-hotel built by a partnership between MGM Mirage and Turnberry Associates on the location of MGM Grand's closed theme park. It features three identical 38-story towers consisting of 576 fully furnished units each. Most of the condo units will be privately owned....
" would take over much of the theme park area for a high-rise luxury condominium and hotel complex.
Original attractions
MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park was built around a movie studioMovie studio
A movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...
theme and provided for somewhat of a Disney-type experience. It had several themed areas including Casablanca Plaza (Main Entrance), New York Street, Asian Village, French Street, Salem Waterfront, Tumbleweed Gulch (later renamed Goldrush Junction), New Orleans Street, and Olde England Street. The park's characters were mostly cartoon characters such as Betty Boop
Betty Boop
Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick. She originally appeared in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. She has also been featured in...
and King Looey
King Looey
King Looey was MGM Grand child friendly version of Leo the Lion, their mascot. He along with his friends appeared on a limited number of coins that were placed in various slot machines all around the casino when it first opened up. They came in two colors gold and silver, you could collect them all...
.
There were ten major rides and attractions, eleven restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s and fast food areas, and a dozen retail shops. The original attractions line-up included:
- Backlot River Tour - A mix between Disney's Jungle CruiseJungle CruiseThe Jungle Cruise is an attraction located in Adventureland at many Disney Parks, including Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland. At Hong Kong Disneyland, the attraction is named Jungle River Cruise...
and Universal Studios Studio Tour, in which passengers embarked on a tour via a large boat that passed mock-ups of movie sets with special effectSpecial effectThe illusions used in the film, television, theatre, or entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called special effects ....
s such as gun fire, rain, and water cannons. The queueQueue areaQueue areas are places in which people queue for goods or services. Examples include checking out groceries or other goods that have been collected in a self service shop, in a shop without self service, at an ATM, at a ticket desk, a city bus, or in a taxi stand.Queueing is a phenomenon in a...
was the longest in the park and featured additional information on special effects.
- Deep Earth Exploration - This ride opened shortly after the park due to technology challenges. It was the first attraction of its kind to incorporate a traditional dark rideDark rideA dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music, and special effects....
with a motion simulatorMotion simulatorA motion simulator or motion platform is a mechanism that encapsulates occupants and creates the effect/feelings of being in a moving vehicle...
. Passengers boarded faux deep earth tunneling machines on a journey to the center of the earth, guided by an animatronic RobotRobotA robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
Pilot (voiced by actor Matt Cates). The ride involved a number of stops where windows on the vehicle would open allowing the occupants to look out at special effects along the route.
- Lightning Bolt - An indoor, space-themed roller coasterRoller coasterThe roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
designed by Intamin AGIntamin AGIntamin Worldwide is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The U.S. division of the company is located in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and is headed by Sandor Kernacs. The Intamin brand name is an...
. It featured a 35 feet (10.7 m) tire drive lift with a top speed of 32 mph. The ending was promoted as a "fly-by" of the Las Vegas StripLas Vegas StripThe Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
, which was essentially a large model constructed on the floor next to the brake run. In the park's final years, the roller coaster was moved outdoors.
- The Haunted Mine - A traditional dark ride where passengers boarded ore cars on a trip into an abandoned miningMiningMining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
operation.
- Grand Canyon Rapids - An Intamin AG white water rapids-type ride themed as a trip down the Colorado RiverColorado RiverThe Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
with animatronic gold prospectors, geyserGeyserA geyser is a spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by a vapour phase . The word geyser comes from Geysir, the name of an erupting spring at Haukadalur, Iceland; that name, in turn, comes from the Icelandic verb geysa, "to gush", the verb...
s, and other special effects.
- Over the Edge - An Intamin AG log flumeLog flumeA log flume is a flume specifically constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain to a sawmill by using flowing water. These watertight trough-like channels could be built to span a long distance across chasms and down steep mountain slopes...
ride through an old sawmillSawmillA sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
with two drops of 30 ft (9.1 m) and 45 ft (13.7 m).
- Parisian Taxis - bumper carBumper carBumper car is the generic name for a type of flat ride consisting of several small electric cars which draw power from the floor and/or ceiling, and which are turned on and off remotely by an operator...
s on the streets of ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
- Pirates' Cove - A 950-seat outdoor theater complete with a pirate ship and lagoonLagoonA lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
that were home to the "Dueling Pirates Stunt Spectacular".
- Magic Screen Theatre - Indoor theater that hosted a variety of shows including BMX Grind, a stunt show featuring BMXBMXBicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
and in-Line skating. It opened with 2 shows; blacklight puppet show called Kaleidoscope and a live recreation of The Three Stooges.
- King LooeyKing LooeyKing Looey was MGM Grand child friendly version of Leo the Lion, their mascot. He along with his friends appeared on a limited number of coins that were placed in various slot machines all around the casino when it first opened up. They came in two colors gold and silver, you could collect them all...
Theatre (later Manhattan Theatre) - Indoor theater that hosted a variety of shows, including an ice skating spectacle starring King LooeyKing LooeyKing Looey was MGM Grand child friendly version of Leo the Lion, their mascot. He along with his friends appeared on a limited number of coins that were placed in various slot machines all around the casino when it first opened up. They came in two colors gold and silver, you could collect them all...
- You're in the Movies (later Gold Rush Theatre) - Indoor theater that hosted a variety of shows.
Changes
Over the years the park saw several changes. It opened with a rather steep, by 1993 standards, admission charge of $25 for adults that were not guests of the hotel. Over time this fee was reduced in order to better match the caliber of attractions in the park and to increase attendance. Whereas the park opened as a year round attraction, its last few years of operation saw the park open seasonally.Promotions such as summer nighttime concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s and spring break events were done to draw more crowds with additional attractions such as bungee runs and bounce houses added for those events.
The most popular event ever to be held at the park was "Scream Park". This Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
themed event ran for a few years during the month of October. This separate admission event included several haunted houses
Haunted attraction
A haunted attraction is a form of entertainment that simulates the experience of entering a haunted location that might be inhabited by ghosts, monsters, criminals, humorous characters, and other such creatures...
in and around the park's attractions. In fact a few of the park's attractions got in on the fun adding additional scares themselves including special shows created just for the event.
In a move to put some thrills in the park, in 1996, the park added Sky Screamer, a 250 feet (76.2 m). Riders were strapped into harnesses and lifted up a 225 feet (68.6 m) "launch tower" where they then pulled a ripcord setting into motion a free fall upwards of 70 mph (110 km/h). It was placed over a lagoon that had once been home to a large faux steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
(a snack bar was its only resident). At the time, it was billed as the world's largest sky coaster. The result was a very tall structure that could be seen from anywhere in the park. At night, it was lighted in the same green color as the hotel tower providing an impressive visual.
Over time the line-up of attractions changed, especially with the expansion of the hotel's pool and convention
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
facilities. These changes also meant the entrance to the park was drastically changed and now involved a lengthy walk from the hotel, making the park seem like a separate entity.
The 40% reduction in area of the park implied the removal of the Backlot River Tour, Deep Earth Exploration, and Manhattan Theatre. Although unaffected by the layout change, The Haunted Mine was also closed.
The Lightning Bolt (which is now located at Granite Park) was relocated outdoors to a former special event space in the northwest corner of the park. The ride was later expanded by Arrow Dynamics
Arrow Dynamics
Arrow Dynamics was a roller coaster and amusement ride design company based in Clearfield, Utah, United States. In 2002, the company went bankrupt but was quickly bought by fellow amusement ride manufacturer S&S Power to form S&S Arrow. During its peak, Arrow Dynamics was responsible for some of...
to include a second 70 feet (21.3 m) and an extended run over the Grand Canyon Rapids.
For a short while other smaller temporary flat-rides called the park home including a Chance Rides Zipper, Ferris Wheel, and Chaos. None of these attractions stayed very long but did help increase the attractions count.
Another addition to the park came in the form of "Kiddie Island." This was an island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
created in the lagoon near the base of Sky Screamer. It was home to a variety of small attractions such as a paddle boat river, Red Baron airplane ride, and Carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
.