GRAND TEXAS THEME PARK: FILLING THE ASTROWORLD VOID 
And this overgrown crossroads in the middle of somewhere near U.S. 59 and FM 242 is expected to be part of the Grand Texas Theme Park. Investors are in place, and the land between New Caney and Splendora in Montgomery County should be closed on this May, developer Monty Galland tells Click2Houston, when construction on the $200 million project — advertised to feature high-noon cowboy shootouts and tractor rides — will begin. And why all the fuss? “If there was an Astroworld,” says Galland, “we probably wouldn’t have even pursued this development. . . . The great thing about it is that we have enough land that we can create a lot of the elements Astroworld had, and it doesn’t detract from the other areas of the park. We’re not going to compete with Disneyland. We want to create an entertainment value that’s similar to going to the movies or going bowling.” [Click2Houston; previously on Swamplot] Photo: Grand Texas Theme Park, via Facebook
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The problem with his entertainment value comps are that I’m not going to drive 45 minutes out to the hinterlands to go to the movies or bowling.
” We’re not going to compete with Disneyland”
You lost me right there. Not compete with Disneyland how? You won’t give the same world-class customer service? You won’t have a clean park for patrons? Seems like they should be aiming for standards as high as Disney instead of shunning them. Do these people realize Disneyland has everything they’d like to include minus the tractor ride? What is the cost of parking and a ticket, how many attractions and things to do will there be when the park opens the first phase? Tractor rides and shootouts aren’t going to cut it anymore, Texans are too sophisticated now for such trivialities. I could see this flying back in the late 70’s or early 80’s though. So I guess all they need to do now is build a DeLorean time machine.
Move over Fort Worth, New Caney is where the West begins!
The do realize that a ton of people from the Los Angeles area go to Disneyland for the day, right?
Why does this all sound familiar?
people in Houston don’t live on a Disneyland budget though and that’s part of the problem. Selling season passes didn’t ever do much to six flags bottom line, they were always dependent on non-existent tourism.
tractor rides and shootouts may not sound like much, but it may indeed be the right plan depending on what they plan on pairing it with. lots of small kiddie parks with petting zoos, playgrounds and assorted nondescript rides getting by around Htown, no permanent them parks though.
@Mother Hydra- While I wish you were correct about the sophistication of Texans, lest you forget that the majority of voters in this state still continue to vote for Rick Perry and the likes; therefore, you can count on a lot of backward thinking folks.
I’m with Drew J. The cost of a movie is $10 and a 10 minute drive. The extra hour and a half that it takes to get to/from Katy or Sugar Land isn’t costless to the consumer, even if you can make a go of it for $10 a head to get in the gate.
Maybe I’ve underestimated the demand for places to go and be entertained.
I would like to know what banks are financing this idea.
@Kevpat64, would you prefer for people to vote like they do in the great broke state of Commiefornia? Texas is necessary juxtapositon to self destructive behavior of the blue states.
What does the voting habits of Californians have to do with the Grand Texas park?
I wish this guy and his company the best of luck. Hopefully, their $200 million investment will provide more thrills and adventure than going to the movies and bowling. I believe he meant to say was their venue would a comparable value. Hopefully.
No one can compete with Disney….with a mere $200 million. Disney will spend about the same amount on two new rides at an existing park. Disney would spend a billion plus on a new park. They spent a billion on the ongoing overhaul of California Adventure. Thus, don’t get their case for not wanting to compete with Disney. An absurd thought.
With limited information, a single image of a western town, and the ill-fated Earth Quest…this park may just be a tall tale. I hope for the best, but don’t get your hopes up. Fingers crossed for a Kemah-like park closer to Houston.
@commonsense – I rest my case and note the irony in your ID, being commonsense.
Give me a break! Are these guys nuts? Nobody is going to drive all the way out there to go to a themepark..in addition the infrastructer can’t handle it..this is a really stupid idea..who will finance this moronic idea
This doesn’t even sound fun. What are they spending $200M on….tractors? =\
New name, “Bubbaworld”!
Ignorant posters. Just about every successful theme park in this country is located 20+ miles out of town. It took years for the established theme parks to be what they are today. Yes, even Disney. Usually theme parks start off small and grow. Grand Texas will be no different. The people commenting on how this idea is doomed are idiots – Houston has nothing like this and people will make the drive – they do everywhere else in America – Houston is no different. However, this park has the advantage of being new, providing attractions that don’t already exist nearby and near a city which is absolutely BOOMING with jobs, money and new residents. Read more, post less.
Land that is forested and has something of its natural plants and animals intact is not ” overgrown “. That is developer ” new -speak “. What is overgrown are the endless miles of asphalt and tacky strip-centers and apartments that our city is full of already.
As a resident of the nearby neighborhood (Northcrest Ranch), I am extremely saddened by the news of this theme park being built in an area where we all came to get away from the hustle and bustle, so to speak. Also, that so much natural land we enjoy will be demolished. If you want people to enjoy this “like going to the movies or bowling”, then go build a bowling alley or a theater, which are much less intrusive. If you would prefer an Astroworld, then take your money to invest in such an undertaking somewhere else! I’m disgusted.
Too bad it won’t actually be in Houston If your going to do it, do it right! Because in Texas we build it bigger and better! what happen to the dinosaur theme park?