Six Flags Over Georgia fans dodged a bullet a few months
back. A speeding bullet, to be exact.
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Last year, Six Flags management gave some very serious
thought to shutting down that theme park’s much-beloved Monster Plantation attraction.
Worse yet, they considered chasing all of the monsters out of the marsh
and then replacing them with static figures of DC superheroes.
Now – to be fair – at the time that company execs were
considering making this change, “The Dark Knight” was the No. 1 film in the
country. So it just made sense to capitalize on that success (not to mention
Six Flags’ long-term licensing deal with DC) and then turn SFOG’s somewhat tired
dark ride into a haven for superhero fans.
There was only one problem with this plan. Six Flags Over
Georgia fans just love Monster Plantation. They consider this animatronic-filled
attraction to be that theme park’s equivalent to “Pirates of the Caribbean” or “The Haunted
Mansion.” More importantly, a visit to SFOG just isn’t complete until you’ve climbed down into
one of those boats to “ … join the Monsters at the Mansion.”
Circa 1981, a young Gary Goddard checks out one of the animatronic figures built for the original version of Monster Plantation
And the folks at Gary Goddard Entertainment (i.e. the themed
entertainment company that originally designed & built Monster Plantation
back in 1981) … They knew that gutting this attraction would be a huge mistake.
Which is why – when they met with Six Flags officials to discuss different ways
that this dark ride could possibly be saved – they brought along photos of
angry Walt Disney World fans protesting the closing of the Magic Kingdom’s “Mr.
Toad’s Wild Ride.”
To help seal the deal, the Goddard guys also
showed images of happy Disneyana fans enjoying WDW’s recently revamped “Pirates
of the Caribbean” and “The Haunted Mansion.” With the clearly implied message
here being … If you rip out a beloved attraction, you risk the wrath of your
theme park’s patrons. Whereas if you renovate & improve a popular older
attraction, you then reap all sorts of rewards. Gain infinite goodwill from your Guests.
After this particular presentation, the management team at
Six Flags Over Georgia got the message. They didn’t have to be told twice. These execs happily handed the
keys for Monster Plantation over to Gary Goddard Entertainment and said “Make
us proud.”
The attraction closed its doors in November of 2008 for an
extensive overhaul. Gary Goddard and his crew went then top to bottom through
this 25,000 square-foot show building. They added a brand-new lighting and
sound system. Not to mention incorporating some new 4D effects that will allow
you to actually smell the cinnamon & apples in Monster Plantation’s pie
eating sequence. As well as nearly get dosed with water by some playful
monsters in the picnic area.
But for the most part, what Goddard and his crew were out to
do here was preserve & improve. They
went through and redid all of the painting inside on Monster Plantation so that
the colors & the detail work now pop. They also refurred the 100 animatronic figures
that make appearances along the twisty waterway that winds through this
attraction.
The end result is this Six Flags Over Georgia favorite
has retained all of its original charm while – at the same time – been updated
and improved. Making it that much easier for the kids of today to embrace this
attraction just as their parents & grandparents did.
Copyright Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Better yet, Monster Plantation fans who want to take a piece
of the marsh home with them can now visit the MonStore. Which will feature a
wide variety of Monster Mansion-related merchandise, not to mention a
mini-Monster Plantation museum. Which discusses how this attraction originally
came into being back in 1981.
Mind you, that’s not the only new thing you’ll find around
Monster Plantation. There is this attraction’s new moniker: Monster Mansion.
Not to mention the image capture that’s been added to the very beginning of this attraction.
So be sure and practice your monster face so you’ll be ready when Pappa Razzi (i.e. the Mansion’s newest monster) asks you to watch the birdie.
But – beyond that – this Six Flags Over Georgia attraction
is pretty much the very same dark ride that has been making theme park patrons smile
for nearly three decades now. And if you’d like to be among the first to “…
join the party, hear the music play,” the newly renovated & revamped Monster Mansion officially re-opens its
doors this Saturday morning.
Concept art for Monster Mansion’s newest resident, Pappa Razzi Copyright Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc. All Rights Reserved
For further information on Six Flags Over Georgia (i.e. the park’s operating hours, admission prices, etc.), please click on this link.