Hard Rock Park opens its gates

Lisa Fleisher and Jessica Foster

The rock 'n' roll revolution is under way in Myrtle Beach.

The public got its first taste of the $400 million Hard Rock Park on Tuesday during the park's soft opening, which it dubs a "Sound Check."

Park officials would not say exactly how many people came, citing competitive reasons.

"It's safe to say thousands," said Kerry Graves, vice president of sales and marketing for the park. The crowd didn't cause any major traffic problems leading up to, or in the hours after, the 4 p.m. opening.

Despite a brisk breeze, families, park workers and tourists ambled around the park's rock environs, each dedicated to a different rock genre: British Invasion, Cool Country, Rock 'n' Roll Heaven and Born in the USA. Many walked into the park with great expectations and walked out with black, white and teal souvenir bags with flashy swag.

Visitors marvelled at the details, such as a ringing, London-style telephone booth, and looked up to hear screams from the Led Zeppelin - The Ride roller coaster.

The word of the day: awesome.

"It's awesome," said Abbey Thompson, 15, of Charlotte, N.C.

Most of the park's coasters and shows are running - though a few are not - while the park fine tunes for its formal opening May 9.

The park, the first in the world with the Hard Rock brand, expects to have 30,000 guests a day during the summer. Area leaders hope the theme park will help lure more visitors to the beach and raise the Grand Strand's profile.

Local hoteliers and tourism leaders also hope the park will be a big enough attraction to draw international visitors like the family of Mary-Anne Decruz, who came from England to visit Myrtle Beach. Her family did not come specifically for Hard Rock Park, but it gives them a reason to come back, she said.

The spiraling Led Zeppelin roller coaster was the biggest crowd pleaser by far. Most visitors made a beeline for it as soon as they walked through the gate.

"It was pretty wild," said Sandy Farrands of Syracuse, N.Y., after stepping off the ride. "I've got sea legs."

"I didn't puke and I didn't wet my pants so I feel like I did good," her sister Sue Richardson said.

The day was chilly and windy, with gusts of more than 25 mph. Guests kept sweatshirts and jackets on, and the weather affected some of the park's shows.

In the Roadies Stunt Show, a show about a group of roadies trading pranks with a delivery man backstage, one roadie was supposed to be doused with water and sprayed with confetti. Wind blew the water clear of the performer, so the confetti didn't stick.

Tourists, for the most part, did not mind the ticket price, which rattled the locals more. The price during the first few weeks is $40, which includes a $10 meal voucher, plus $10 for parking. During the summer, the daily admission price will be $50.

Bill Booker, 59, of Murrells Inlet, said he won tickets on the radio, but he probably would have come later in the summer, regardless. His wife, Sharon Booker, said she was not sure the park was worth it yet.

"I just think it's a lot of money," said Sharon Booker, 53. "It's more like the cost of a Disney park ticket, and there's not much here yet."

She added, "I think they have the right idea. They just have a ways to go."

A few of the hundreds of workers who built the park roamed around the 55 acres to see the product of their sweat, brawn and creations finally being appreciated.

"I about started crying when I saw a kid take a picture of something I designed," said Adam Milicevic, 23, an artist with the park.

Several said it was a bittersweet moment, because they had grown together as a family, and many had spent long hours away from their own families. Construction started in July 2006. "The best is to see the smiles on the kids' faces as they are enjoying it," said Brian Wesley, a project manager with the park. "It's a surreal experience for sure to see people enjoying the park we've worked so hard on for several years."

The park started off the day by debuting its signature ride, Led Zeppelin - The Ride roller coaster, followed by Eagles: Life in the Fast Lane. Half the riders for the inaugural ride were affiliated with the park, and half had won tickets in a charity auction that raised money for the Sara Goodwin Memorial Foundation.

Sharon Huneycutt, of Charlotte, N.C., said she and her friends had to wait several hours to ride Led Zeppelin, the park's biggest coaster, because of some type of glitch, but loved it.

"It was awesome," she said. "It was worth the wait."

The park's opening didn't create any major traffic tie-ups along the often congested U.S. 501, which leads to the beach and runs by the theme park, according to the S.C. Highway Patrol and Horry County emergency dispatchers.

Jason Thurmond, who delivers water for Hard Rock's neighbor, Le Bleu of Myrtle Beach, anticipated heavier traffic on the park's first day.

"We've already put chains up to keep people from parking [in our lot]. We've rerouted trucks down Clay Pond [Road] to come out on Forestbrook Road to avoid traffic on George Bishop Parkway," said Thurmond, as he delivered bottled water to Fitness Edge in Carolina Forest.

Leaving the park in the evening, Jon, Jacob and Julie Herman of Myrtle Beach had experienced a full day of rides, shows and shopping.

The family lives about five minutes from the park.

"We've been watching it build every day, day by day," Julie Herman said.

"It was better than what I expected," Jon Herman said.

Staff writers Jan Igoe and Jonathan Tressler contributed to this story.