Western Playland Adding New Ride, Seeing Continued Growth

Not a park we hear about too often, El Paso, Texas' Western Playland has been steadily growing both its attendance and ride selection over the past few years.  The amusement park has a classic feel, one of a truly independently owned family operation, and has only been in its current located in West El Paso for seven years.  The park originally opened in 1960 in Sunland Park, but eventually outgrew the site - a history chronicled in this great news story.

The owner of the Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino gave the amusement park's owners 28 acres of land, and they then purchases an additional 38 - giving them plenty of room to grow.  Which is just what they've done.

© Western Playland

Two years ago the park spent $1 million to purchase, refurbish and move the Hurricane roller coaster from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.  Last year a kiddie coaster was added, a $250k investment.  This year the park plans to build a new ride name the Rock Star, a flying carpet style attraction, another $600k investment in the property.

The park would love to keep growing, but as an independent park new rides can only come when the funds are available.  Last year Western Playland saw around 165,000 visitors, and has been posting annual attendance growth of 5% - which is pretty great.  Most parks would be extremely happy to post gains like that for years in a row!

This aerial of the park in its new home shows that the simple layout of the park is keeping a very large area available for more expansion in its center.  New rides have been added outside ring of the park, leaving open the large space where the owner would one day love to build a big coaster or a group of water rides.  Not sure if that's water amusement rides or a small water park, but either would probably do great in the Texas sun.

A big wooden coaster would also fit nicely inside that area, too!  Maybe someday...

Weekly Rewind 8.26.12

Six Flags St. Louis placed the above teaser on their Facebook page this past week, a riddle for what is coming to the park next year.  Most have figured out what it is between this clue and popular rumors, but we'll let the park make their official announcement this week with the rest of the gang on Thursday.

Clearing out the old to make room for the new, Cedar Point has almost removed all of Disaster Transport.  Only the lift and first turn (inside the building) are still standing. The park has just shared some new photos of the ride's removal, after which GateKeeper construction will quickly start.

It is not much, but steel has started to rise in the still unannounced Harry Potter expansion at Universal Studios Florida.  Orlando United has the photos of the next step of the massive project taking place.

Coming this November to Florida's the Magic Kingdom is a new nighttime show named Celebrate the Magic.  An all new sound track, special effects, and tons of projections onto the park's Cinderella Castle will be used.  Celebrate the Magic will replace the current show, The Magic, The Memories, and You!

In what has become quite the drawn out story, local democrats are calling for an independent audit of Rye Playland, claiming important park statistics are being withheld from them.  Playland has seen both revenues and attendance decline again so far in 2012.

Even the people quoted in this news article about a proposed massive entertainment destination - including a Spirit of California theme park - for Tracy, California don't sound like they believe it will ever happen.  I have to say I agree, but dreams are fun, right?

This shark's got quite a bite! Ride Entertainment Group is proud to show off the custom created Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter created for Galveston Pleasure Pier.

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has announced that September 3rd will be the last day of operation for their Hurricane roller coaster.  The replacement ride, expected to be a coaster, will be announced on the 27th.  The Hurricane will be moved to New Mexico's Western Playland amusement park.

The success of the Zippin Pippin at Bay Beach continues, as the park is now planning on revising their master plan which they will follow over the next ten years.  The plan could include additional rides, but will also focus on trying to bring lake swimming back to the property.

Aerial Antics: Western Playland

Western Playland, originally located in El Paso, TX, and currently in Sunland Park, NM, has had what one could say is an interesting history. Not many parks have been completely relocated, and even less have done so and been successful. These are just a few of the reasons I wanted to take a look at Western Playland in this week's Aerial Antics.

The park's former location, mostly deserted.

Opened back in 1960, the amusement park thrived in its former El Paso, TX location until the early 2000s when it started looking to expand and found the local officials were less than agreeable. They would not extend the park's lease and so Western Playland dropped plans to build was was rumored to be a CCI wooden coaster and started searching for a new location.

Remnants of a log flume, among other attractions.

That new location happened to be in Sunland Park, NM which is about 17 miles from it's former location. (The park's former location was on the far West side of Texas, just above Mexico) The park moved all their major rides and attractions there and opened the new Western Playland in 2006.

The new location in New Mexico, still under some construction.

The park's largest coaster is named El Bandito, which is a Pinfari Zyklon that made the move from the former location. Western Playland also features the Miner Coaster, a small family ride.

You can also see in the above photo that the park did move the splashdown ride that can be seen still standing in the first photo of the Texas location.

To see the aerials, here's the former location, and the new one.