New Branson Attraction in 2008 - Pinnacle Falls

[labpup89]

Just read this on the Springfield News-Leader website. Picture/artist rendering included on the web link.

Published September 14, 2006

PINNACLE FALLS OF BRANSON »

Developer planning $600 million theme park for Branson in 2008

Kathryn Buckstaff
News-Leader

A longtime Branson developer announced today he will build a $600 million theme park with an aquarium, a 300-room hotel featuring an indoor water park and high tech special-effects entertainment.

Pinnacle Falls of Branson is expected to open in 2008 on 300 acres just west of Celebration City.

The property has been in David Cushman's family for 60 years. The Cushman family built Mutton Hollow, a theme park on the site of what is now Celebration City.

Consultant on the project is Mel Bilbo, a former CEO with Silver Dollar City.

The theme is a European mountain city with manmade waterways, themed restaurants and shops.

The hotel will create a year-around attraction, Cushman said. The park is expected to draw an estimated 400,000 new visitors to the area, providing new customers for other Branson attractions as well, Cushman said.

[fordarama]

wow, I wonder if silver dollar city will try and stop it?? It sounds awesome...

[BrokenRoad]

Originally Posted by fordarama

wow, I wonder if silver dollar city will try and stop it?? It sounds awesome...

Not sure what they could do....maybe charge a toll to use 465/Highroad?

[SweetSue]

I just read about it, and it sounds great! It will be interesting to see what develops.

[Cheesecake]

Great news.......
I also posted a reply in the ''other'' thread with same topic.

thanks for posting

[Donsgal]

Originally Posted by labpup89

Picture/artist rendering included on the web link.

It kind of reminds me of the artists rendering of Frontiertown - or was it Camelot? Oh, I forget.

Just another reason *not* to go to Branson, IMHO. They have some really NICE fishing resorts out toward Shell Knob. Looks like I'll be spending my holidays WEST of B'town by 50 or so miles.

donsgal

[SweetSue]

Just moving this one up on the Board. Has anything more been done on this project? Any news?

[PAfolks]

Originally Posted by Donsgal

It kind of reminds me of the artists rendering of Frontiertown - or was it Camelot? Oh, I forget. Just another reason *not* to go to Branson, IMHO. They have some really NICE fishing resorts out toward Shell Knob. Looks like I'll be spending my holidays WEST of B'town by 50 or so miles. donsgal

This will definitely make us return to Branson to visit again! Sounds like an exciting concept. As far as Silver Dollar City stopping it, why would they want to? It's like when people used to say Branson was over saturated when there were 10 theaters. Did Disney stop Universal or Sea World or all the other attractions from building? More attractions / shows will attract that many more people OR people will be making their vacations longer as there is more to do in Branson. Maybe those who would have come 4 days will stay 7? Oh. . what about those who said Branson Landing wouldn't go over? Build it and they will come : )

[kbradleyar]

I may be way off in left field but in 2000 or 2001, I heard a rumor that Disney was talking about creating a park in the Branson/Springfield area It would not be a Disneyland but some kind of a new concept park. I head that Disney Corp. had said that they would not build it until the roads were widened and a few other things were done.

I was part of a Disney "Insider" newsletter during that time because my girlfriend had 2 young children and we would go to Disney parks once or twice a year and the "Insider" newsletter had special deals and would also tell you how to get free tours and other "unpublished" activities at Disney property and parks. That was one of the things on one of the newsletters that Disney was looking into the Branson/Springfield area for a new concept in amusement park.

I have not heard anything since. Was this just one of 1000s of false rumors or is there still some plans. I saw the picture/concept drawing of this place and thought DISNEY. I was wondering if maybe the rumor was true. Like I said, it wasn't going to be a Disneyland or Disneyworld but a "New Concept" in parks that Disney wanted to pursue.

I know that in the late 60 or early 70s, Walt Disney came to Arkansas and wanted to build DisneyWorld on some farm land in Arkansas near West Memphis off I-40. It was in the middle of the nation so more people could drive to the theme park. This was kept pretty secret because Walt didn't want the land prices to go up.

But before they would build, there had to be certain things done: 1) Have a special tax deal like no taxes for a certain # of years, 2) Have a set price for power for a certain number of years (I think 10). I had a family member that was on the group at AP&L that was reviewing the proposal.

I never knew what happened (I was young) but I know that AP&L and the state NEITHER wanted to cut Disney a deal. Walt got mad and went down to Florida and turned a swamp area into the biggest tourist area in the world. It makes me sick to think of the 100s of BILLIONS of dollars that could have been spent here vs. Florida.

I thought maybe Disney remembers Walt's idea to have a park in the middle of the nation.

If anyone knows anything, I would appreciate the info. Remember, this isn't reality, it was just a rumor out of the halls of Disney over 5 / 6 years ago.

[jbzmom]

No, not at all connected with Disney.

The man that owns the land is a Branson resident that used to own Mutton Hollow and the other guy worked at one time for Silver Dollar City.

Disney rumors are crazy. I am originally from NW AR and I always heard there was one going there and also in Panama City Beach. In fact the PC Beach rumor resurrected itself in the last couple of years and is circulating again.

[tina_als_girl]

Originally Posted by fordarama

wow, I wonder if silver dollar city will try and stop it?? It sounds awesome...

I don't see why they would, 'cause with the close proximity to Celebration City, this place could possibly bring more people into CC, which seems to be struggling a bit from what I hear.

It's like what's going on here in Kansas City... We're getting a Schlitterbahn Water Park. Now, while that will affect Oceans of Fun negatively, it should affect Worlds of Fun positively, as people coming to KC for the water park will be likely to look for a nearby amusement park as well.

Pinnacle Falls seems to be focusing more on the wet attractions, so as people visit there, they'll see Celebration City and hopefully for Herschend, they'll be attracted to the dry attractions there (and then via WOM and ads at CC, be attracted to SDC).

Since Pinnacle Falls is not another amusement park, I don't see how Herschend would possibly view it as a threat; it could very well HELP.

:Love To All:
~ Joy ~

[OkieAnon]

Originally Posted by jbzmom

No, not at all connected with Disney.

The man that owns the land is a Branson resident that used to own Mutton Hollow and the other guy worked at one time for Silver Dollar City.

Disney rumors are crazy. I am originally from NW AR and I always heard there was one going there and also in Panama City Beach. In fact the PC Beach rumor resurrected itself in the last couple of years and is circulating again.

sometimes when I get the time and a bit bored i'll poke around the internet and i've ran across those rumors of NW Ark on message boards and theme park sites, they've been around a long time and nothing has happened... I think the last one I read was that they had purchased a large piece of land in the Pea Ridge area

and there's another one from earlier this year that had to do with buying some land off hwy65 around Branson for a shopping - resort type area... but the way rumors leak out around here about anything to do with Branson... i'll believe it when it happens. but it's fun reading even if it doesn't happen

[kbradleyar]

I know that Disney wanted to have Disneyworld around the Memphis area, on the farm land around West Memphis because my uncle was one of the managers that worked on the "Disney Requirements" which was a set price for power for a certain number of years (I think my uncle said 10 but then there was talk of 5 years). The deal was never worked out so Disney left and went to Florida.

I never heard anything else and my uncle never mentioned anything else about Disney then I heard the rumors about Branson then this new park so I thought maybe they still had "PLANS"

Thanks for the info.