It will open April 15 with 55 acres of rides, eateries and shops on a 140-acre site south of U.S. 501. It will be about half the size of Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure, which opened in 1999.
Anticipated price tag: $400 million.
The park will be the first anywhere associated with the incredibly successful Hard Rock Café brand, which has about 125 bar/grill locations from Amsterdam to Yokohama. And it will be the Southeast's first new amusement park since Islands of Adventure opened.
The entry plaza, largely complete, harks back to the eclectic jumble of storefronts at the entrance to Islands of Adventure. It will have shops, food areas and a bar where cover bands will play. The small, air-conditioned Origins theater will show 12-minute films on aspects of pop entertainment.
Beyond that, arranged around a lagoon, are the park's five themed sections.
• Born in the USA includes a midway-style, pay-to-play games area; climbing structures for kids; an all-ages Shake Rattle & Roller coaster (cars have a double lap-bar, so Junior can't wriggle free or fly out); plus the Slippery When Wet suspended coaster that's an easy target for folks on the ground, who can blast riders with water cannons.
An amphitheater can seat 2,000 visitors -- plus 10,000 standing and 8,000 on the lawn -- for local and regional bands that will play throughout the day, plus occasional major groups (six to eight such shows the first year).
Regular performances will be included in park admission. One name act has been announced: Volunteer Jam, with Charlie Daniels and .38 Special, during Myrtle Beach's mid-May Bike Week.
• British Invasion is the largest themed area. Its thriller is the Maximum RPM coaster: Board your ''sports car'' and a ride-in Ferris wheel rotates you to the track above.
Nights in White Satin: The Trip -- also pegged as a major draw -- is an indoor ''dark'' ride synchronized to a tweaked version of the 1967 Moody Blues standard; cars glide over 720 feet of track in 4.5 minutes (speed: 1.82 mph), passing 14 scenes.
The Roadies Stunt Show will have live-action stunts and comedy. Punk Pit is a musical cousin to the Moonwalk, with separate areas for small fry and for large-size moshers.
• Lost in the '70s is an indoor amusement arcade that mixes new games with classics such as Pong, Donkey Kong and Pac-Man. (You pay to play.)
• Rock & Roll Heaven has Led Zeppelin -- the Ride. It's the park's signature coaster, and is synchronized to the band's 1969 hit Whole Lotta Love. The track is close to three-fourths of a mile in length, has six inversions and a 120-foot loop. Maximum speed: 65 mph. The ride entrance resembles an actual zeppelin and is about the size of a mobile home.
Malibu Beach Party is a live show with acrobatics, diving and motorcycles. Reggae Falls is a kids' play area with water elements.
• Cool Country attractions include Midnight Rider, a coaster where you hear Southern rock. There's also a giant swing ride and Muddin' Monster Race, a round-ride. Country on the Rocks is an 860-seat indoor venue with -- rather improbably -- a souped-up ice-skating show.
The park will have a preliminary opening on April 15 opening and take a few weeks to fix any bugs that arise before regular hours kick in May 9. The formal grand opening -- June 2-3 -- will be splashy. The Eagles will perform there the first day, the Moody Blues the following. Tickets for this event went on sale March 17. Two-day package: $250 (includes two-day park admission; both concerts; other perks).
