Freestyle Music Park Cranks Open for 2009
By Lenore McKenzie-Morris
Happy parents strolled throughout Freestyle Music Park on Sunday, ecstatic that last year's season passes were renewed by smiling employees without a hassle. The newly re-christened park reopened on Memorial Day weekend under new ownership. Locals who had feared their season passes from the former Hard Rock Park would be ignored by the new owners were soothed by the sweet reception at the park's entrance gates.
Kathy Perry, who brought her family to Hard Rock Park on a weekly basis last year, pedaled her way to the top of a new children's ride in the Kids in America section with six-year-old daughter Ashtyn.
FPI MB Entertainment, the new owners of the park, added four new children's rides to expand the appeal of the 55-acre park off U.S. 501 at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Perry said the new ride "Wheels in the Sky" was a lot of fun and pointed out another new ride "Fly Like An Eagle" that was already a family favorite.
"These are all very good additions," she said.
Getting into the park with their season passes was easy, Perry said. "They have a whole separate customer service area," she said. "We're good for this year, too."
Hard Rock Park's sudden closure in September and subsequent bankruptcy filing had worried locals who invested in season tickets and planned to attend the park year round. The new owners are honoring last year's season passes with 2009 season passes. In addition, discounts are available for residents of the Carolinas.
As an added bonus, active military personnel were given free admission to the park over the Memorial Day weekend when the new owners held the grand opening.
The trademark guitar from the Hard Rock theme park still looms over the rides. Relabeled with the Freestyle Music Park name, the guitar dwarfs pretty much everything inside the park except The Time Machine roller coaster, formerly known as the Led Zeppelin - The Ride.
The new owners embraced the music theme of the park with a Beatles tribute band performing on Sunday at Penny Lane's Cafe and appearances by the Mulch Brothers at Country USA. Both the VIP access and Myrtle's Beach area had live bands performing, too.
Baxter Harwell, a Myrtle Beach resident, made his first visit to the park on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.
"I'm delightfully surprised," Harwell said. "But they could have more music playing continuously in different parts of the park."
Depending on where you are in the park at any given time, bands may be on a break. If they are playing you have to be directly in front of them to hear, however, since the piped in music on overhead speakers may drown out the musicians at a distance of 30 feet in some locations.
The music theme kicks in right at the entrance to the park where energetic young performers greet visitors to the park with song and dance met to lure them into later shows slated throughout the park.
Among the new shows at the park this year is a take off the on the popular CBS television series "CSI: Live!"
The family-friendly show centers on a crime at a Las Vegas premiere of the Max Spade Magic Show. CSI investigators Sydney Mathis and David Hart are on the case, and are assisted by supervisor Gil Grissom through a live-video connection from the Las Vegas crime lab. Investigators solve the crime with special effects and cutting-edge forensic science.
Other new shows include a skateboarding and BMX show called "Adrenaline Rush" and a choreographed ice skating show set to country music dubbed "Ice Cold Country."
"We are excited to announce the additions of "Adrenaline Rush" and "Ice Cold Country" to our entertainment show roster for the 2009 season," said John Stine, director of marketing and sales for Freestyle Music Park. "At Freestyle Music Park, we feature a bountiful number of entertainment shows, rides and attractions for children of all ages."
In all, the park offers 50 attractions. Most notably lacking are the water rides. While there's nothing resembling old-time raft or flume rides, visitors can lower their temperatures on Soak'd, an elevated ride with some twists and turns that moves through water plumes. Observers can take turns at the water cannon that can be aimed at riders, as long as the observers know they're bound to get wet, too.
Polly Nesian's Splash Bash is a multi-level fountain for the bathing suit clad. Groups of children were more than happy to stand under the giant bucket and have water dumped on them while parents sat nearby under the canopy at a dining spot on the opening weekend.
The more popular place to cool off in the park is called Grunge Station, although this is pretty clean fun. This two-story building has air conditioning running at full blast. While there were a lot of kids, the adults were getting into the action, too. Pink and purple foams balls are shot throughout the room by visitors, bouncing harmlessly off anyone who walks into the center of the arena. Multiple air cannons ring the second floor balcony and two huge air cannons on the ground floor can be used to target combatants stationed on the upper floor.
An elevator makes it possible for those in wheelchairs to engage in the action on the second floor and pulley systems in each corner allow teams to hoist bags of balls to the deck area.
This attraction, the rope course and rock wall will assure that visitors of all ages get more exercise than just a walking through the park during a visit.
Food and drink, while plentiful throughout the park, is expensive. Cups of water were free in Penny Lane's Café, however, a move that will forever endear the new park owners to visitors on a budget. Bottled water was available for under $3, but you can bring your own in provided it's sealed when you enter the park. Beer was more expensive. Full bar service is available at Thunderin' Lightening in the VIP Plaza at the entrance.
The park wasn't busy at all during Memorial Day weekend. Evening prices are discounted from 4-10 p.m. through June 5 on weekdays. Residents of the Carolinas can be admitted with identification for these rates: adults are $15, children are $10 with identification on those weekday evenings. Regular rates at $42.95 and $32.20 and will be discounted $10 for Carolina residents through June 14.
For more information visit: freestylemusicpark.com or call 843-236-7625.
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