Frontier City

[shavethewhales]

Frontier City has already gobbled up some of the land to the North already. They seem to own at least half of the old RV park since they were parking cars on it last season. I'm not sure what that means for expansion, but they have tons of land to work with somehow...

The park is doing better all the time due to the vastly improved management of the last few years. They have actually been running into parking issues and running out of space, and plenty of weekends are super crowded. All this without adding anything huge like other parks. They've added a couple rides, but also removed several, and the rides they've added aren't exactly very impressive. The new ride for this year looks awesome, but even that was a second hand ride pulled from another park in the chain.

They aren't going to move the park, ever. It's so, so much money to build from scratch and the cost/benefit just isn't there. They are doing well with what they have, and if they can push their borders out just a little bit by moving more parking to the north, then they'll be able to do a lot. Eventually I think they will also figure out how to bridge over to the West and use at least a quarter of that space without too many issues.

I really want a new coaster, but I'm unsure of how this new REIT will invest. CNL was pretty cheap, though they did approve the new suspended coaster early on. A big new coaster is the last piece of the puzzle to really complete this park's transformation in my mind. I'd be fine with replacing the Wildcat with a new GCII.

[KayneMo]

How many annual visitors does Frontier City receive? I can't seem to find it anywhere.

[Pete]

How many annual visitors does Frontier City receive? I can't seem to find it anywhere.

They are probably pretty guarded with that exact info for competitive reasons.

Only thing I could find was around 500K per year from around 1998.

[elitespy]

I'd be fine with replacing the Wildcat with a new GCII.

While GCII is a fantastic company, after riding a few of the Rocky Mountain Construction coasters, I think I would like one of their rides here. I don't know how many times I rode the Iron Rattler and New Texas Giant while I was at their perspective parks.... Those are some of the best wooden coasters I've ever ridden, I'm definitely gonna try and get out next summer to ride some more of their coasters.

[G.Walker]

I just think we need to expand or develop new amusement attractions to compete with the Dallas metroplex. There are tons of people from here who drive to Great Wolf Lodge or Six Flags Over Texas to fill their amusement needs. I can say our family has been to Six Flags or Hurricane Harbor more than Frontier City & we live in Moore. I think building a new water park is more realistic than a new amusement park. A new water park will be cheaper, quicker, & require less land.

[shavethewhales]

While GCII is a fantastic company, after riding a few of the Rocky Mountain Construction coasters, I think I would like one of their rides here. I don't know how many times I rode the Iron Rattler and New Texas Giant while I was at their perspective parks.... Those are some of the best wooden coasters I've ever ridden, I'm definitely gonna try and get out next summer to ride some more of their coasters.

I'd be all over an RMC, but I doubt that's a possibility. It would have to go in Wildcat's spot, and I doubt they want to take that out and replace it with a high thrill coaster in one swoop. FC has more of a milder, family-friendly base to appeal to as opposed to extreme thrills you get with larger parks, so I don't see them replacing a mild thrill with a big thrill. Not that there isn't room for a thrill coaster in addition to what they have now. Basically if they were to get a new coaster they either need to fit a thrill coaster into some nook or cranny, OR replace an older coaster with a new coaster that refills it's spot in the lineup.

Diamondback seems like it could be on it's last legs though, and a small Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter like Iron Shark at Galveston Pier could fit in it's place (https://rcdb.com/10290.htm).

[HOT ROD]

White City

no, I was thinking more along the lines of "Frontier City & White Water Bay" amusement park. similar to our flegling former Six Flags park here in the Seattle area known as "Wild Waves and Enchanted Village".


combine the two parks and you have a similar number of rides as ours, and FC already has one more roller coaster. Anyway, my point is it could be more efficient operation to have parks combine while offering a much better value for the consumer (ie, turn it into even MORE of a destination).


I agree about building new hotels nearby and maybe add a parking garage (maybe put some FC retail on the bottom). I also think FC should really emphasize the Western Theme moreso and bring more shows, make it a 'celebration' if you will of OKC's western heritage plus hey - you can cool off here during the long, hot summers. ...

[traxx]

I just think we need to expand or develop new amusement attractions to compete with the Dallas metroplex. There are tons of people from here who drive to Great Wolf Lodge or Six Flags Over Texas to fill their amusement needs. I can say our family has been to Six Flags or Hurricane Harbor more than Frontier City & we live in Moore. I think building a new water park is more realistic than a new amusement park. A new water park will be cheaper, quicker, & require less land.

To expound on this - as people have said before, have FC buy the campground area. Push the parking lot further out to the edge of the campground and this would provide plenty of space for FC expansion. I'm not saying that FC needs to go heavy on the theme but rework the park to have a cohesive feel to it, because it's not just all about the rides. You need concessions and retail too. Bring a good coaster and a few new rides. I don't think you need a ton of new rides to make the park feel totally new and different. How the park is organized and put together will help a lot too.

There's land south of FC or even across I-35 that can be used for a water park. Now they're not gonna build a Great Wolf Lodge here because there's one in KC and one in Grapevine. But either the group that now owns FC or even a separate group could build a water park there. What I think would be great is to go with a Hawaiian or Island theme instead of mountain lodge. Have it be indoor/outdoor. That way, in the summer you could use both indoor and outdoor water areas and in the winter keep only the indoor part open. The indoor could have a glass roof so that would feel like you're outside and it would let the sun in. Maybe even have glassed walls. I've taken the kids to Great Wolf a few times and although it's cool, you do feel insulated from the outside and in the summer you wanna be outside and enjoying sunshine.

The point is, for the water park, go with a totally different theme than Great Wolf. It could also have an integrated hotel like great wolf only with the island theme. And with indoor/outdoor you'd have room to put some bigger slides in the outdoor portion. If the group that owns FC/WWB wants to do it, I'm sure they could sell the land that the current WWB is on to Mathis Bros or someone for a good price. That appears to be some prime land that someone would be willing to pay for.

[Kemotblue]

Frontier City is teasing a all new attraction. It started this week with a post on their FB page yesterday. The photos pictured are of the snowfall that landed on the metro area on Friday. The caption on those photos read "with All this snow might just melt into something we can use this summer.. " I commented they said stay tuned for more clues. Two days prior to that on the Central Plains Coaster Club The parks operation posted on that club page a photo of 3 blind mice. Too add onto that clue another manager commented with a photo of a manager in the Renegade Rapids attraction with a hard hat on and a yellow post it pointing and looking up and towards the Southwest area beyond Wildcat? Interesting to find out what they are planning. I searched the building permits and it has been a no to find out what the park has planned .

[Kemotblue]

ACE South Central had a winter event at Six Flags Fiesta Texas yesterday and a member posted on Texas Thrill Seekers and shared it with the local coaster club Central Plains Coaster Club that Frontier City is expanding on Wild West Water this season. The coaster train on Wildcat coaster is getting a complete overhaul, plus there will be new additions to Diamondback. (there was rumors that one of the additions is shade structure on the waiting platform). Other news that was reported is that there will be upgrades to the eating establishments and construction of additional restrooms. No brand new coaster but with the changing of the new ownership I can see a major addition happening next season when the park turns 60. The official announcement from the park will be made public on Wednesday this week.

[Zorba]

Frontier City is teasing a all new attraction. It started this week with a post on their FB page yesterday. The photos pictured are of the snowfall that landed on the metro area on Friday. The caption on those photos read "with All this snow might just melt into something we can use this summer.. " I commented they said stay tuned for more clues. Two days prior to that on the Central Plains Coaster Club The parks operation posted on that club page a photo of 3 blind mice. Too add onto that clue another manager commented with a photo of a manager in the Renegade Rapids attraction with a hard hat on and a yellow post it pointing and looking up and towards the Southwest area beyond Wildcat? Interesting to find out what they are planning. I searched the building permits and it has been a no to find out what the park has planned .

This was a cool thing when I lived in Cincinnati. There was a little welding shop on the east side of the metro that built all of the steel for B&M and Intamin coasters for the North American market. The shop itself was pretty tiny so the built pieces would be left outside and people would go out there (not trespass) and figure out where they were going, brand, type, etc usually months before an official announcement.

[Pete]

https://www.frontiercity.com/rides/new-gully-washer/

Frontier City’s Wild West Water Works is growing by 1,249 feet of high-speed thrill slides in the summer of 2017!

On the all-new Gully Washer, riders will plunge off of a 66-foot tall tower down three enclosed body slides, blasting through narrow loops and twisting tunnels on one of the most exhilarating water rides around! This brand new triple slide complex features back-to-back turns, thrilling dips, and tight 360° curves that will have riders screaming until the very end!

3 Thrilling Slides
6 Stories Tall
Back-to-Back Turns and 360° Curves
No Tubes... No Mats... Just You!

[shavethewhales]

Hmm... This one is kind of out of left field. So much for not competing with WWB (their own park).

Wild West Waterworks was one thing by itself, but this is going to start turning it into an actual water park. Maybe they think they can do both? I know I've never been to WWB. I might have bothered if it was on the same property as FC, but I'm not going to go out of my way for it.

I guess they just aren't seeing the benefit of lumping WWB in with FC. Maybe WWB can stand on it's own with the clientele on that side of town, but they clearly aren't going to hold FC back on its behalf anymore. Could signal the eventual demise of WWB...

I'm just wondering if they'll bridge over to the other side of the road for the sake of a water park. It would probably be easier on those neighbors to have a water park vs. a theme park close to their backyards.

[OklahomaNick]

I agree. This is a bit of a head scratcher..

[HOT ROD]

Like.

Ive been suggesting FC do this all along. Now go all out and become a true regional destination!

[HangryHippo]

They need to sell the White Water property and consolidate the rides at Frontier City. Where White Water is now is just weird with all the dust blowing over from the truck lot across the interstate.

[HOT ROD]

^ has been my recommendation for the past several years; combine FC with the White Water bay slides to make a mega park destination. Still call it Frontier City, but have a White Water bay theme section with all of the water slides/rides.

FC has plenty of land to do this, and to make a better parking situation. While they are at it, why not add a few western themed hotels on/near the property along with dining and some tertiary OKC tourism shopping to really make FC a regional/national destination.

[TheirTheir]

Agreed with the above posts. I know I'm not their target customer, but I've been waiting for a reason to go back. This ain't it.

[Celebrator]

Yes, it seems there is opportunity to expand north along the service road towards 122nd/Memorial and make this a regional entertainment destination. there is even an existing abandoned motel along there that they could buy, tear down, and develop as their own hotel. I think a resort there really might make it.

[Kemotblue]

Central Plains Coaster Club the local area coaster club the home park they have adopted Frontier City. I know the young men who started the club are trying to grow the club if you have interests in amusement and theme parks regionally its a great place to connect with other who have a interest in Clubs. This is the mission statement. "Central Plains Coaster Club is built around our one mission of Riding For A Cure. The club runs a non-profit event called Ride For A Cure Day, which happens once per year. The mission comes from club presidents Paul Davis and Jayke Menges The club had a very successful club fundraiser this past summer. one of the members rode The Wildcat coaster 50 consecutive rides. The club is now trying to increase members to help make the next Ride for a Cure day more successful and grow the event each year. They also have club events through out the year. The first one for the season is this weekend on the 18th. Here is the link to the club FB page. https://www.facebook.com/groups/868308479918048/

[Kemotblue]

This past Saturday I attended a event at Frontier City . Besides the new attraction the park is renovating all of the restaurants. The Best of the West Cafe is getting all Booth seating. The Wildcat's coaster train is getting a complete overhaul with a new color. It is going from Red to Royal Blue. The park is doing alot of cosmetic work throughout the park. They have created a new walkway next to the Nightmare Mine Haunted House it now creates a space they can use for a future attraction. They will be putting a shade structure on the loading station of Diamond Back. Since its a operating structure they are waiting for permits to be cleared to add the station. The Shade structure is on site and ready to be assembled. Also learned the exact location of the new attraction it will be going in just to the right of Wild West Water Works. The slide will exit towards the bottom of the Wildcat's first drop hill. We were told the East infield of Wildcat will be used for water park expansion.

[warreng88]

Frontier City, White Water Bay sold

OKC's Premier Parks retains management

By: Journal Record Staff April 6, 2017

OKLAHOMA CITY – Specialty real estate investment trust EPR Properties has purchased Frontier City and White Water Bay under an agreement that retains Premier Parks LLC as the parks’ operator.

Premier Parks obtained a 40-year operating lease for the Oklahoma City parks and 10 other theme and water parks as part of the deal.

“Frontier City and White Water Bay have even brighter futures under this new agreement with EPR Properties as it gives Premier Parks new resources to grow and improve our theme and water parks,” Premier Parks CEO and President Kieran Burke said in a press release. “The new 40-year operating leases awarded in conjunction with this purchase give our parks much greater stability and investment in the years to come. Our parkgoers won’t see any changes in the day-to-day operations of the park.”

The operating lease agreements affect 12 of the water and theme parks currently managed by Premier Parks including Frontier City and White Water Bay in Oklahoma City; Darien Lake near Buffalo, New York; Wet ‘n’ Wild parks in Hawaii, Palm Springs, Phoenix and Houston; Rapids in West Palm Beach, Florida; Wild Waves in Seattle; Magic Springs in Hot Springs, Arkansas; Waterworld California in Concord, California; and Myrtle Waves in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

EPR Properties, which is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EPR, has more than $5 billion in investments, and has experience in the entertainment industry with assets in golf entertainment venues, megaplex theaters, and ski resorts.

“Premier Parks has been successfully operating most of these theme and water parks for many years,” Burke said in the press release. “In anticipation of the EPR purchase, we were able to bring four new parks under the Premier Parks management umbrella last fall including the theme and/or water parks in Seattle, Concord, Myrtle Beach, and Hot Springs.”

Other parks not involved with this sale but also managed and owned by Premier Parks LLC include Wet ‘n’ Wild Toronto, Canada; Clementon Park & Splash World, Clementon, New Jersey; Nashville Shores, Nashville, Tennessee; and Ocean Breeze in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Premier Parks also manages Elitch Gardens in Denver, Colorado, for Revesco Properties. In total, Premier Parks manages or owns 16 U.S. parks and one park in Canada.

[warreng88]

Outlook bright for Frontier City, White Water under new agreement

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record April 24, 2017

OKLAHOMA CITY – Combined with healthy attendance growth at amusement parks across the country, a new 40-year management contract speaks well for the future of Frontier City and White Water Bay in Oklahoma, industry watcher Gary Slade said.

Slade, publisher of the Amusement Today magazine, also cited the installation of new rides over the last several years as further evidence that the purchase of the parks by specialty real estate investment trust EPR Properties was a good deal. Several other attractions were brought under the Premier Parks LLC management umbrella just before EPR announced the purchase.

“In the long-run, it’s a good move for Frontier City,” Slade said. “The new 40-year lease made me feel really good about the deal. It’s key right there that you’ve got an experienced park staff in place to manage those properties. The ownership may be new, but the staff that has been running these parks for many years is staying intact and it provides really stable outlook for the local market.”

Real estate investment trust EPR Properties purchased Frontier City and White Water Bay under an agreement that retained Premier Parks LLC as the parks’ operator. Premier Parks obtained a 40-year operating lease for the Oklahoma City parks and 10 other theme and water parks as part of the deal.

According to the California-based trade group Themed Entertainment Association, attendance at the top 20 amusement parks in North America grew by 5.9 percent from 2014 to 2015, the latest data collected. Attendance totaled 146.3 million for those parks. Water parks performed similarly at a 4.3-percent growth rate to 15.9 million attendance for the period.

“Everything was looking good in the Americas and poised for moderate growth,” TEA vice president Brian Sands said in the report. “But 2015 blew the roof off moderate. This market did really well.”

Slade said that although many smaller parks do not publicly report their attendance numbers, private conversations with Frontier City Manager Stephen Ball suggest the park is also doing well. Also, former owner CNL Lifestyle Properties had loosened its purse strings to allow for more investment in new rides in Oklahoma, Slade said.

“When you’ve got stability in your management structure, that’s two-thirds of any battle,” Slade said. “They know the market. They know what to do to grow it and keep it fresh.”

This year’s newest Frontier City ride is the Gully Washer, a 1,250-foot tangle of water slides plunging from 65 feet up. The park opened April 8 this year. The Wild West Water Works part of the park with Gully Washer will open May 13. It’s the park’s fifth new ride in six years.

Frontier City prefers to use a well-established ride manufacturer to design new rides, although attractions can sometimes be moved from park to park depending on needs of the company’s overall network of sites, Ball said.

Ball said, “I expect there will continue to be new improvements. … As far as the growth and overall aesthetics and growth goes, there’s no slowing down for us over the horizon. The new REIT who bought the property are also very much in tune with investment needs to support us.”

Ball said the park’s rental property agreement with the REIT is tied to attendance, which suggests an eye to grow rather than scaling back, but he did not discuss details of the deal.

[Kemotblue]

I spoke to someone at the park and they plan on opening Gully Washer on the 26th of this month. The person said the fastest and longest slide will be the Green Slide. This week the water gets turned on for employee testing. The manufacturer has a X amount of times the slides have to be tested till they can open to the public. It's a nice addition to the park. You think there is no Thrill slides in that area nearest ones are at White Water Bay and Andy Alligators. So that would be great for the people North OKC and Edmond. Also if you get a chance the show line up at Frontier City is probably the best they had in a long while you get quality and quantity of shows.

[Kemotblue]

While visiting Frontier City this past weekend the park set up a very large display in Fort Frontier advertising "A Frontier Christmas" Coming Winter 2018. Looks like for the first time in a long time Frontier City is expanding onto the season by adding a Christmas event like their very popular Fright Fest. Glad the park is adding this next season.