Birth of a Theme Park

Slippery When Wet opens

Slippery When Wet, one of the bigger rides at Hard Rock Park, is now open, park spokeswoman Megan Winnett said in an e-mail.

The park is trying to get everything up and running by the end of its soft opening period, which wraps up May 7. (May 8 the park will be open just for annual pass holders.)

May 9 is when park officials consider the season truly starting. Prices go up, hours get longer and all rides should be running.

The park is still trying to get Maximum RPM open, which is a combination Ferris wheel/roller coaster.

Lockers available to park-goers

People carting jackets and backpacks into the park don't have to worry about finding a place to store them while they're coasting down the Led Zeppelin ride.

The park has electronic lockers, called Smarte Locke, which are free for the first two hours. After that, park-goers get charged, but the fee hasn't been finalized, said park spokeswoman Megan Winnett.

There are locker stations near Led Zeppelin - The Ride, Maximum RPM! Coaster, Slippery When Wet and at the park entrance. The park is working on getting some of the stations up and running.

People can pay by credit card or cash when they retrieve their goodies.

These types of lockers are a common way for theme parks to let visitors store their things, Winnett said.

Eagles ride flies

The first public run of the Eagles roller coaster went off without a hitch.

After being ushered into the park and having their photos taken, about 20 radio contest winners got to ride the coaster, which is set to the tune Life in the Fast Lane.

An unexpected surprise: they got to take two whirls on the ride.

‘’The first time was real good. The second time was even better,” said Eagles fan Steve Currin. He said he loved the way the music synced with the ride, and an added bonus was not having to fight the crowds.

‘’I’ve always had to stand in line before,’’ he said.

Jon Binkowski, the park’s chief creative director, announced that he talked to Eagles member Joe Walsh today, who told him they’re planning to cut a new version of Life in the Fast Lane for the ride.

Patrick and Samantha Reynolds said being on the first ride was great, but they hadn’t had their fill of thrills yet. They’d hired a babysitter and planned on enjoying the park for the rest of the day. Next on their list was the Led Zeppelin roller coaster.

‘’It’s good to be a piece of park history,’’ Samantha Reynolds said.

Today's Events

Before today's 4 p.m. opening to the public, the park will put on a couple of press events showing off two of the new coasters.

First, the park will run Led Zeppelin - The Ride, pictured here with a photo by Janet Blackmon Morgan. The passengers on that ride will be the people who won the charity auction. Most of them paid $300 or more for their seats, with the money going to the Sara Goodwin Memorial Foundation. That ride launches at 12:30 p.m., and we'll have video for you online shortly after that.

Next, the park will run Eagles: Life In The Fast Lane. That should be at 3 p.m.

After park officials get done shuffling the media around, they'll be ready for the 4 p.m. opening. Any of our readers coming? Add your comments and let us know what you're expecting.

See you there.

Up in the Air

Every once in a while, visitors at Hard Rock Park will hear a screaming noise overhead, and it won't be coming from the roller coasters.

The park is in the flight path of Myrtle Beach International Airport, and park officials had to take that into consideration when designing the park.

The Led Zeppelin - The Ride roller coaster, the signature white coaster that loops across the north side of the park, tops out at just 13 inches below what the Federal Aviation Administration would allow. That doesn't mean that if you're a foot taller than average, you risk getting a buzz cut from a Boeing 737, but it means that it's essentially as high as the agency considers safe.

The park had to apply to the FAA for a decision on whether their proposed structure interfered with airplanes. It's the same process other builders have to go through, whether they're working on a building, a cell phone tower or a ride.

Photos: Inside the park

A few Sun News employees got a chance to tour the park last Wednesday with some other media members. Here's a look at some of what they saw:

A park employee checks the inside of a car in the boarding area for Led Zeppelin:The Ride.

More photos from inside the park after the jump...