Monday, January 30, 2017

California's Great America's Concept for New Marketplace Addition + A Peek at New Coasters?


Now that the requested zoning changes have been approved for California's Great America, the documents and video from the city meetings can be found online.  We've already covered some of these documents previously, but I noticed a couple other drawings that are interesting to look at, and the first is for the new marketplace - a shopping, dining and entertainment area outside the theme park's gates - that is planned.

© California's Great America
You can click the larger image, but due to the fact that this is a .pdf of a scan of a paper document, there's only so much you can clearly read.  Granted this is a concept, but here is what I can interpret from the image that is planned (following the numbers on the drawing):

1 & 2 - Full service restaurants with indoor and outdoor seating.
3 - Restaurant, Deli/Bakery style with indoor and outdoor seating.
4 - Coffee Shop with indoor/outdoor seating.
5 - Entertainment/Restaurant, light fare with a bar.
6 - Entertainment/Restaurant, live music and bar.
7 - Merchandise, Park exit gift shop.
8 & 9 - Merchandise, boutique with clothing and sundries.
10 - Merchandise, market with light fare, coffee.
11 - Restrooms.
12 - Entertainment, including the existing Redwood Amphitheater, Showtime Theater, Great American Theater and multi-purpose building.  New additions include an outdoor stage, a gathering area with shaded pathways, open space and fountains, along with "programmed space."

© Bing Maps
Taking a look at an aerial of the park, the entire space within the green lines will be the Marketplace, according to the concept.  This is a very outdated aerial, though, with Gold Striker missing for instance, but it still gives a general idea of the part of the current theme park that could become space open to the public.  One has to wonder if the park's Carousel and Wave Swinger, unless moved (doubt the Carousel is going anywhere) will be pay per ride, or just exactly where the new entrance gates will be.  Plenty of time to figure that out, though, as this place seems a few years away, at the least.

The video of the council meeting also includes that the park may consider adding bowling to the area as well.  So it certainly sounds like these plans are still evolving.

Speaking of the video, there's one more image from it that's pretty interesting:

© California's Great America
Okay, this is quite blurry I know but it's the best I can do.  This is a view of the Marketplace from the planning meeting video.  It seems to include a version of the Marketplace with a bit less of the current park, ending at the main fountains and Carousel.

But how about the park next to it?  There is what appears to be a red roller coaster sitting over top of the park's river rapids ride, near the water park.  The design looks similar to a compact B&M wing coaster if you ask me.  Then just below it, in orange, is what looks like a part of a hyper coaster that has a turn around where the park's flying scooters are now, with track running in a straight line across the park.  There's also a new water park entrance accessible via a walkway that runs under Flight Deck.  How I wish a more clear version of this image was available!


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