Anyone remember MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park?

I never got to go when it was open, but I stumbled across a very cool article today about the theme park that used to exist back when MGM was more heavily themed to movies and Wizard of Oz.

Anyone have any interesting memories of it? Think a real theme park could work in Vegas today?

Article:
Article/Interview on MGM Grand Aventures

I also wanted to add that I found this article via screamscape, who is also reporting the MGM's Lion Exhibit will close at the end of the year.

Quote: dlevinelaw

Think a real theme park could work in Vegas today?

Conventional wisdom was that family themed attractions in Las Vegas that were tried in the early '90s were a failure. But from 1970 to 2000 gaming revenue went up every year. There was a 1-2 year lull after 9/11, and now there is essentially a 2 year crash followed by a 2 year lull. From 1987 to 2000 Clark county average 7.75% a year.

Perhaps with the new economics, it is time to re-look at the idea. The water park is severely missed, and now that land on the north side of the Strip is cheap again.

Quote: dlevinelaw

I never got to go when it was open, but I stumbled across a very cool article today about the theme park that used to exist back when MGM was more heavily themed to movies and Wizard of Oz.

Anyone have any interesting memories of it? Think a real theme park could work in Vegas today?

Article:
Article/Interview on MGM Grand Aventures

I also wanted to add that I found this article via screamscape, who is also reporting the MGM's Lion Exhibit will close at the end of the year.

This theme park might be the coolest, lame theme park ever invented. There were only a half a dozen rides, most of them extremely low thrill in nature, but they were themed to the hilt and rivaled Disney-esque rides. They had a terrible roller coaster that, when moved outdoors, would qualify as a kiddie coaster. But indoors, it was pretty frickin' awesome. Seriously... it ended with a Las Vegas flyby that was really cool. And the twists and turns indoors were so unpredictable. There was also a log flume type ride with a kind of western theme. Again, it was cool. I was a lot younger, but not so young that I loved anything. Circus Circus had by far better rides and the NYNY coaster was much more thrilling.

It's too bad they are closing the Lion habitat... my guess is they either want another nightclub or expand the poker room to that area, so it doesn't swing from one end to the other.