The Closed History of MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park | Expedition Extinct

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Expedition Extinct takes a look at the history of the MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park in Las Vegas, part of the original MGM Grand resort designed and created when Las Vegas was aiming for a more family image. The park only opened for less than 10 years and featured some great themed rides for only a couple of those years. Unlike Universal Studios and Disney MGM Studios this park was based on movie genres rather than specific IP's.
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Special thank you to newsplusnotes and Mike Brister for a large selection of the images provided.
Intended for education purposes.

[@niastyle]

OMG!!! The feels, and memories. This was my second job ever! I worked here the summer of 1996 when I was in high school. I worked the Backlot River Tour, Grand Canyon Rapids, and Over the Edge. I was there when they opened the Skyscreamer, and all employees got to ride it for free when it first opened. Its been so long, I've forgotten what the park even looked like. Thank you for the nostalgia.

[@kimcaine_taylor]

I worked there too! I was too chicken to ride it even though it was free!

[@tashabaker1774]

Same here. I worked here in 97 and 98!

[@Ebotoman79]

Hey @niastyle! We worked there together! Such great times. I miss eating lunch at either the employee dining buffet or Kenny Rodger’s roasters.

[@mudlark4099]

I grew up in Las Vegas, born 1985 and left in 1998. We regularly went here, and I have old photos if anyone is interested. This video is so appreciated you truly made my day.

[@tbbcoachron]

Hey....Im in this! Yep....im the skyscreamer guy!

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Yay! Do you remember it?

[@tbbcoachron]

Expedition Theme Park of course I remember it. I'm the one who posted the commercial. I still have the original vhs from the production company. it was a 12 hour shoot in early March of 2000. I rode 15 times for the shoot. I live in Orlando now

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Oh well at least you can still ride it I orlando then! Ohhhh I didn’t realise oh meant the commercial that’s awesome!

[@tbbcoachron]

Have you considered a video on Dogpatch USA in Arkansas?

[@nadia.a4189]

Ron E. Bradley that’s awesome

[@an2944]

I thought I was crazy. I remembered going to this park as a child. It was dead so I literally rode the rapids ride all day long while the adults rotated out who stayed with me. No one believed me that it once existed.

[@CardinalKaos]

SAME lol i was trying to explain this place to my gf who grew up in Vegas and shed never heard it, i thought it was a fever dream or something lol

[@saraspiva1749]

I remember the same ride!

[@behindtheglamour]

That ride was my absolute favorite there! I was so young, I don't remember much else, except that they had a kid's adventure group where parents could drop their kids off and employees would take them through the park all day. I wish they hadn't torn it all down just for more condos.

[@SonofMrPeanut]

I visited this as a kid sometime during the mid-90s. Watching this, it's clear there's a lot I don't actually remember about it, but I do vividly remember the Emerald City entrance at the time. I was mostly excited by the novelty that a big hotel had its own theme park. Even if this particular venture failed, the presence of rides at other Las Vegas hotels shows they were at least on to something.

[@missiletoe99]

10:32 Wow, they really nailed the atmosphere of Old England. Timber-framed walls, steep roofs, archaic lamp-posts, and a random Burger King stand.

[@larrycj4382]

And a tune from "Oliver"- "Consider Yourself"! 😁

[@angryalex1989]

ALLO GUVNAH

[@666PsychoMantis]

I remember at the Wizard of Oz theme of the MGM Hotel that the inside of Emerald City was a magic show. Guests sat in a circle around the stage.

[@fabianavalos1386]

It was better. They shouldn't have changed it

[@barrin84]

I moved to vegas with my family as a kid sometime around '96 and I remember us going to this part a lot! Ended up going on the river rapids ride a lot along with the log ride and bumper cars, plus it not only had the christmas and halloween events, but also easter egg hunts! I was too afraid of roller coasters back then so only road that once while it was still indoors. This brought back a lot of good memories at the least. A shame it closed down so quickly.

[@tete75]

Loved this video!! People would always think I was making stuff up when I said I remember going to an amusement park at the MGM Grand when I was a kid lol!!

[@morgantegtow]

I grew up in LV and have lots of memories here. Some of my friends were in the Pirate stunt show, I went to one of the first Scare nights and I absolutely loved the rapids ride. They also had a Kenny Rogers Roasters in there, which at the time was very popular. The original Lightning Bolt and the Backlot River Tour was a joke, but now seeing this video compared to how Disneyland started, I think everything has to start somewhere. This place had so much potential. It's sad now to see what could have been. Thank you for the video!

[@jeffwyatt7763]

This was fun to watch. It brought back a lot of memories. I wrote music and created sound effects for a bunch of those rides (Backlot River Tour, Grand Canyon Rapids, Deep Earth Exploration etc.) Rick and Richard from R&R were fun to work with. Thanks for the video!

[@Aster_Risk]

I was probably about 10 the one time my family visited this park, and we liked it. Turns out that was only about a year before it closed. Glad I got to see it.

[@krav3519]

Yourself, Defunctland, and Jake/Bright Sun Films are now my top 3 must watch videos when i get a notification! TY for your great and informative (non click bait) content.

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Thank you so much! To be considered in the same category as those guys is so amazing to hear. Two of my fav channels also.

[@krav3519]

You deserve it! I found your channel, at most, 2 weeks ago and have pretty much binged everyone of them (the extinct were the first to be watched).

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Ah so glad you like the videos. I am constantly trying to make them better and think they have improved from when i began. If you have any suggestions for future videos please let me know!

[@krav3519]

I love them and I will, good sir.

[@mielvanvelzen5967]

90’s advertisements are the best.

[@MM-yb2fy]

They are - it's like they really went all out with and took everything literally and went big. Not as "cheesy" as the 80s ads and not the "let's make fun of ourselves/be ironic" ads that came in the 00's or the "too cool for anything" ads that came in the 2010s.

[@a2mark57]

I visited several times. Each time, the admission charge/policy had changed. MGM kept trying to make it more affordable to get more people in, but they obviously never came up with a successful plan. I remember, too, that they redid the lagoon-side restaurant and filled it with slot machines. They moved all their coin-free machines -- which were a new innovation at the time and which had proven to be wildly unpopular in their main casino -- to the park. It was kind of cool to get into the park for free, look around, and do a little gambling there. But there were never many people in that casino area. And -- oh, yeah! -- another thing I'm recalling about Grand Adventures is that there was (almost) NO shaded area. The temperature would be 95 degrees and you just got cooked by the sun while walking around. Thanks for this video! It brought back many memories!

[@chipinchina]

I think a mega-theme park somewhere away from the strip would probably be a great addition for Vegas and very successful - something by maybe Cedar Fair or Six Flags. These mini-theme parks, not so much. If you're going to build a theme park, I say do it right - start with an area that has lots of land! Then build some really killer attractions.

[@northshore1000]

Yes, indeed, I remember this little theme park. Got to go once while it was there. For what it offered, I enjoyed it immensely. I was very sad when I found out it had been removed. Thanks for the memories!!!!

[@NYRavage]

I was nine years old, living in Vegas, when this place opened. My parents took me here maybe two or three times, and I think a camp field trip brought me here once as well. My favorite attraction was Deep Earth Exploration. I thought that was really neat.

[@mudlark4099]

I'm so similar to you, and Deep Mine was my favorite too. We lived in Vegas until 1998.

[@NYRavage]

@@mudlark4099 2001, for me. Kinda wanna move back. lol

[@darkdistiller]

Ahhhh yes, that weird era when Las Vegas was trying to compete with theme parks like Disney and tried to have a more family friendly atmosphere.

[@mhcollectors13]

I went twice. Once at age 12, when it opened, with my brother, and again two years later with my friend. The log ride was okay, my brother rode the Lightning Bolt or whatever and said it was lame. The movie boat ride was entertaining. We saw no characters walking around, and it was pretty dead. I did eat my first churro there, and bought a button with Popeye on it.

[@minners19]

Lol glad you had your first churro!!! Silver lining! Yeah I went as well around the same age, and I hardly remember it! Nothing stands out to me.

[@jbizzle8491]

I remember having a birthday party there in the early years and rode all the rides. Was suuuuper fun when you're 7-10. Even remember a summer camp field trip there. All in all, I think I went 3 times to the park in its entirety and don't regret it once 😁

[@baggedhemi]

Crazy throwback! My parents took my brother and me a few times. I remember on the walk to the back lot, you could pet a lion cub. I think when you first walked into the park, there was a little pond where you could steer around a RC boat. Great memories!

[@fastpassfacts]

Excellent video!, I had never heard of this park, it looked super generic but at the same time charming, it's a shame to see a project fail so spectacularly

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Yeah it really is a weird park with so much crammed into such a small place, themed but generically so! Thank you.

[@lrcallas]

It had charm just didn't really have any appeal to come back. The Scream Park, imho, was it's shining moment.

[@zuniga89122]

I had more fun at that place than the adventure dome

[@edvaira6891]

It was fun, but in a cheesy way...it was more similar to Knotts Berry Farm level of sophistication than anything else...best thing about it, hands down was the Dueling Pirates Show (Look for videos of it on KZbin...it was comparable to Waterworld Show at Universal Studios

[@marcusbatton2056]

I use to love this place. ScreamPark changed everything for me.

[@chefreggiev1]

Thank you no one believes me anymore about the MGM theme park in Vegas and also the wet and wild that was on the Vegas strip

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

It was real!

[@chuckobrando4057]

Growing up in the 90's and having a family that went to vegas means i went to this amusement park. I loved it!

[@MiaMaven]

I remember walking around the wizard of oz display and being brought to tears it was beautiful and I'm a huge wizard of oz fan. I was so upset to see it gone☹

[@RyanDepauloDegenerateGambler]

Re-watching this 3 years later and I love this video I am so happy it exists thank you. This period of time in Las Vegas was so cool and I loved this park so so much as a 7 year opd

[@AlphaTraveler1]

Big problem is they did not have a true focus of the park and that they lacked real rides and roller coasters. They did not think this park through from the beginning. Thanks for the cool video!

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Thsnk you!

[@AlphaTraveler1]

I am so glad someone has videos of this. Kudos

[@ericbiscuit2248]

A park doesn't need roller coasters to succeed

[@AlphaTraveler1]

Eric Biscuit agreed but the clientele they are trying to get usually demands it or something that has more thrills. I guess, especially Vegas. Lol

[@TheJediKenneth]

AlphaTraveler1 Agreed. I was always curious about the park at MGM. Now I got to see it. Thank you so much

[@jonathanthomas6191]

I thought I was going crazy as I seem to be the only one who remembered this park even existing! It's real! I'm not (as) crazy!

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

A few people have said that! It did exist just not for long, sanity is restored.

[@hillorisartin6129]

You are not crazy. I went there once.

[@spacecowboy2010]

You may be crazy. I went there once.

[@USA-qm2bk]

My cousins and I went as kids but he swears it never existed

[@1Pennykins]

I loved this park!!

[@gohomepat]

I definitely remember coming here as a kid! Deep Earth Exploration stuck out to me back then because I thought it was similar to Star Tours with the windows coming down and showing dark ride elements. It had a short lifespans, but it was fun for what it was. I’ve seen you do several videos for attractions in Las Vegas, will you ever do one for the Adventuredome at Circus Circus, or as I knew it as a kid - Grand Slam Canyon! Also there was this ride at Luxor called In Search of the Obelisk, hard to find footage of it, and super obscure, but it was fun!

[@s.Klebold]

omg the memories!!!! I miss this place! I still have a photo of my aunt and I on the roller coaster

[@legocontrollerjr]

This was one hell of a bad idea. The drive to Vegas is a little over 4 hours but if you leave around 6:00 am and arrive in Glendale CA (my town) you're at most only 20 minutes away from Universal Studios Hollywood, arriving there half an hour before 11:00 am with enough time to go on far superior rides with a Studio tour with bigger and better animatronics and actual movie sets in use. And then you got Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, E.T., etc. The closure was inevitable.

[@rkalla]

Went here a bunch of times as a kid - didn’t think anyone remembered this weird time in Vegas (and MGM) history - this was such a cool blast from the past. Thank you!

[@olivasaz]

I was thinking the exact same thing! It was a weird time in Vegas and I was also at that weird age a few years before I turned 21 and this was the best thing to do in Vegas at that age! I have pics from there as well!!!!!

[@claudiamiller7730]

I liked seeing the Burger King sign in the Merry Old England set...lol!!

[@pika23]

My family thought about going to this! Like 1997? We never had a vacation before and this looked like paradise on earth...mom and grandma gamble brother and me do the theme park and arcades....touristy stuff. It looks super cool. I always wanted to see luxor with the animatronic camels. My budget is more towards the weekend specials at circus circus

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Circus Circus seems to be really popular! The idea behind the park was pretty solid, the actual running and execution was more of the issue unfortunately.

[@nickbeaudet7712]

My dad took us to this park every year. This video rocked!!! It brought me back. Thank you. I still have MGM Grand king Louie $1 coins and the other characters. The pirate show was awesome to watch. So was the three Stooges show.

[@karrinakisha]

I remember going here when I was 10 and I'm 34 now. It's awesome to see someone do a vid on this.

[@azolivas]

I LOVED this park! It was the best thing to do before turning 21 in a city that caters to adults! My friends and I used to go this park before we became of age to drink/gamble. Prior to our 21st birthdays we spent many hours at the theme park in the mid to late 90's! This was before iPhone videos so all I have are physical prints from a disposable camera! I absolutely loved the Three Stooges stage show as well as the the water cannons on the tube river ride! We would spend so many quarters water blasting guests! If only we could have recorded their reactions! I never personally rode the Sky Screamer but my brother and friends did each time we visited and they loved it! I now want to go dig up all the photos from back then! Thank you for sharing this video!

[@ssj3vegett0]

It was the Original Lightning Bolt the indoor version was Absolute Brilliance!!!! I got just a 2 sec clip of that sad 😞. I loved that ride as a kid .

[@wstanton72]

I opened the MGM as part of the original "cast" in Dec. of 1993... Many of what few rides there were, were never all open at the same time due to mechanical / management issues. The cost of admission was quite high and MGM management were trying to go the franchise route in order to maximize revenue, so the vast majority of the park was given over to shops and restaurants. Would you pay $25 to get into a KFC and then pay for the chicken as well? Additionally, labor costs were quite high, so management quickly began scaling back whatever labor they felt they could get away with, adding to the empty feeling that steadily grew over the years. The end result was that the park drew some initial visitors, but there was never anything that would drive repeat visits to cover costs. Once a new management team came in (approximately 1996-97) the parks days were definitely numbered. The final coffin nail was driven in when a little girl was murdered in a resorts entertainment area ( NOT MGM's) and all the executives became wildly paranoid over the liability issues for un- / lightly attended minors. Mom and Pop can't watch the kids AND drop the mortgage in the casino at the same time...

[@weswest8666]

I still remember this place, the indoor coaster was so sick!

[@TheNinjaDC]

I find it funny during the 90s there were two theme parks in the US with King Louie the Lion as a mascot 😄

[@bubblez9901]

I hate I never went here, I always wanted to go but mom and dad was always busy with work.then when I had time to go they closed it down broke my heart and I miss when MGM was themed now its like every other hotel they all look the same stores, gambling and rooms

[@user-tz3hm5ji1h]

This encapsulates my entire junior high life! lol - I went once with my family in 1994 not long after it opened and my dad worked at the MGM so of course we got some discounts.......and then a year or so later we took a seventh-grade field trip there and spent the day there - as kids we immensely enjoyed having our "own" theme park in Las Vegas when we also usually took a SoCal band field trip each year to Disneyland or Six Flags/Knotts. I remember vividly on the 7th grade trip they had a jousting thing you could get up on pillars and joust your friends.........and then of course I went to the Scream Park I think at least two years in a row with some friends. The park at night was awesome as all could be; the River Rapid ride they had dry ice or steam or something billowing out to make it more eerie (along with purple lighting in the dark), and then of course any theme park at night is incredible. However though after middle school none of us really cared about it as much anymore (betting too that's because they started shrinking down the park and it just lost it's charm and luster). Sad it's gone. Later on in the late-90s I remember Jefferson Starship did a free concert in the park so I went with my dad - VERY few people there to see the band which was sad but it was still fun nonetheless. We also had the Adventuredome (which was called Grand Slam Canyon back in the 90s). And the ORIGINAL Wet n' Wild. The 90s were truly the best time to be a kid in Las Vegas.

[@DisneyDave]

Very interesting Ive never heard of this Theme Park

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Thanks as always Dave! Hope you are doing well!

[@carminecdinoproductions]

Me neither! That abandoned and extinct theme park gives me an idea for a wildlife safari zoological theme park with lots of different animal species from around the world and various different rides and attractions for all ages that could be similar to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Busch Gardens Tampa, and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom but with some safari attractions and some pretty cool stuff with a similar layout to that extinct theme park that’ll be located in Myrtle Beach!

[@jasonkaplan8445]

Great memories! Have many memories here as a kid with my brothers when our parents took us to stay at the MGM! It was a fun park imo and a nice place for kids in Vegas to visit .

[@thisismysea]

I'm SO excited to have found this channel! As many theme park channels as I subscribe to, none of them cover extinct parks like this and it's such a fascinating topic. I love the way your videos are put together and I'm just on cloud 9 right now, lol.

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

I am so happy you are here! Please let me know if there are any places you would like to see!

[@charlessangster2845]

I worked in attractions here from 1997-1999 and miss it so much!

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

That is awesome! What did you work on?

[@jdilla4life3871]

I worked in guest services same time period

[@MM-yb2fy]

I remember going to this park in 1995. They only had like 2/3 good rides and I think i enjoyed the circus circus dome more however it's cool seeing this video.

[@RyanDepauloDegenerateGambler]

It was a fun fun park the underground ride was amazing. Go glad this video exists. I was searching for info on this park for so long and found fucking notbing

[@panzerdash]

I really miss this place. Was never really great, especially in the shadow of the Adventuredome down the street, but had so much more of a interesting theme(Adventuredome's theme at the time was dinosaurs with Jurassic Park being popular at the time). I loved the water-based rides the most. The log ride and the rapids ride were the best. If you managed not to get wet on the rapids ride somehow the gallery of onlookers with watercannons made sure that you didn't leave dry. The journey to the center of the Earth ride was fantastic as well, as was the lightning bolt(when it was indoors anyways, had a cool laser light show and different set pieces).

[@xstfuiloveyou]

The memories! I used to come to this park as a child! I miss it. Although I remember being miserably hot because it was the middle of a Vegas summer. My favorite was the Grand Canyon rapids. When I was younger it didn't look nearly so small.

[@annieis300]

I loved the Grand Adventures Theme Park... many good times!!! Vegas in the 90's was the best!!! 💖💖💖💖💖

[@kenvitto]

Wow, I remember this even though most people do not. It was quirky, but family friendly fun

[@RyanDepauloDegenerateGambler]

I rode deep earth exploration literally 6 times in a row as a child. I think I was 7 cause born in 87 was there in 94 I think, I am so happy this video exists.

[@MalinaM1]

You earned my SUB! not often you can make such quality videos that make you feel like your watching time is valued and educational at the same time. I long for the old days and seeing places go away like this is sad! anyways keep up the great work!!!

[@gravitygear]

I was a Vegas rat for most of my life. When I was a kid, my family would go to Vegas at least twice a year. When I got older, I would go at least 4 times a year. Now I have family there who I should visit more often. When I get off the east coast, I'll be in Vegas more often again. I remember getting left at this theme park and the Adventure Dome with some of my cousins as a kid. My most recent memory of this area was staying at the Signature and going to a pool party and floating through the lazy river. Thank you for bringing back a bit of my childhood.

[@sekiryu13]

i miss old vegas. Growing up in vegas as a teen in the 90s was top tier. So many rides and attractions at different casinos, you literally had something to do everyday. i remember me and my friends getting drenched on the grand rapids ride but it was worth it on really hot days

[@jasondiaz6385]

I had the opportunity to go to this park only once back in the 90's. Considering it's size, from what I remember it was a decent theme park. I remember the Lighting Bolt coaster being a pretty cool ride. Sigh....I really wish it was still around, those were the days!

[@Maniac536]

This is the greatest video ever. I remember going to MGM Grand in 96 and again around 2000. The two rides I remember the most were the deep earth simulator and the roller coaster (both versions). I didn’t even remember the white water rafting ride until you showed a clip of it. There were NO lines. I think we got our tickets for free because we were unfortunate enough to fly America West. Thanks so much for digging up these clips, it’s a great reminder. It was gone by the last time I went to Vegas, 2003.

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Thank you! Yeah, the park had some cool ideas in the early days!

[@pika23]

These are fun to watch while I'm waiting for my daily meds to kick in and start my day. Other times too of course...I just like getting lost in something while I'm starting to feel better.

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Aw i am so happy that they help you with your day even a little bit! If you have any suggestions you would like to see let me know.

[@mdilley9587]

I have a feeling i know what kind of "meds"...

[@joeruggiero5331]

You're my spirit animal

[@rooneye]

What "meds"?

[@RyanDepauloDegenerateGambler]

Adderall

[@djs2356]

I went there back in the day. I stayed all day.......LOVED IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@17starfall]

The memories, thank you for uploading this. This is Gold for me.

[@BonecrusherT800]

I remember going to this a few times back in the 90s. Fun park from my memories, shame it closed down.

[@aaronbritt2025]

I'm one of 3 lead riggers in the MGM Grand Convention Center which now sits on the property that was the theme park. I moved here in '92 and visited the theme park twice. It was okay, but nothing spectacular. I guess I'm glad it closed because I wouldn't have this job if it didn't. I do miss '90's Vegas though.

[@ZachGRocketBossZach]

I went here when I was a kid back in 97. I don’t remember it at all, if that tells you anything. I do, however have very vivid memories of the Adventuredome in Circus Circus from the same trip. I went back to Vegas last year for the first time in 20 years and saw a movie at the theater in the MGM. I walked from the the monorail through the convention area to the theater and the whole place felt out of time. Demo the damn thing and build something modern.

[@minners19]

I went as well and don't remember A THING! And like you, I DO remember Circus Circus! I agree MGM, along with a few hotels that were built in the 90's, need to be demo's. Like the Excalibur! But at the time, it was pretty cool. Now it's just cheesy!

[@brandonserrano2763]

I had some great memories here as a kid! Went here several times.

[@danielayora1093]

I actually went to this park when it was open. I went back to Vegas many years later and was sad to see it go. Nostalgia is high on this one.

[@YarnDragonTracy]

I have some really fond memories of this park. Went there in 1995 and being 14, I had an absolute blast.

[@jonlackey9418]

I visited the park in 1994 and this video brought back many great memories. There was a magic show inside the Emerald Palace in the casino and of course i was picked to get my head chopped off.

[@jenniferdellacalce5617]

This brought back some memories,I remember this park.I grew up in vegas & no one believes this place actually existed.I came here with my dad once & than my girl scout troop,it was fun but seems more like a myth now instead of an actual place.Still,awesome video!

[@diosx4060]

Thanks for posting this video! Its very informative and everything was spot on. Any information regarding this theme park, including video or photos is scarce. I remember going to this theme park as a child and attendance was pretty low, even during spring break. If you were a 8-15 year old though this park was alot of fun to explore for the entire day, and due to the low attendance numbers (did not feel like more than 300 people were in the park at all) most rides and shows were walk ons with no line wait at all. Being so young and having a theme park practically all to yourself was quite an experience! Lightning Bolt (inside the show building) and Deep Earth Exploration were hands down my favorite rides. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! This theme park, along with MGM Grands HUGE video game arcade at the time and the Wizard of Oz theming, this is when MGM Grand was in its prime.

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Yeah, not a whole lot is around for this park. I really wanted to find some video of deep earth in action but can't find it anywhere! The best times are at parks when they are not busy, i imagine that was so much fun!

[@allisonhosier3574]

Just saw this video and I'm born and raised there! I actually went their when I was a wee one. I got a picture with Barbie there.

[@Ragan31687]

I remember going to this park in 1999. It was a good time considering I was too young for most other Vegas stuff at the time.

[@thebrettgreen]

The Cotton Blossom is a reference to the 1951 film Showboat (in which the Cotton Blossom is the boat) which MGM made. Great musical btw; actually it’s considered the first modern American musical, having been debuted in 1927. So pretty cool detail for them to sneak in.

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

That is awesome! Thank you for sharing, i didn't know that. I will have to check it out

[@daveotuwa5596]

I live in Las Vegas. Park MGM has just finished being built this year. Hallelujah! Praise be to Leo the Lion! Thanks to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)! Closely related to Planet Hollywood! Yeah!

[@daveotuwa5596]

The city had a huge fuck to replace a theme park with a resort that's likely to have some subsidiary buildings like for Mandalay Bay.

[@WilliamGuajardo]

Awesome video! I’ve always searched for a video of this short lived park and finally there’s one! Bravo!

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Thank you bud! Glad you enjoyed the video and now have one. Not too much online about this place.

[@Fantasy_huddle]

Thank you for making these videos! You do a great job!

[@JamesBaker-qx1cx]

I got to visit this park. It really was a little gem and had quite a few decent attractions. Thanks for the video. 🙂

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

My pleasure glad you enjoyed it!

[@defcon9998]

This was amazing! I thought this place was just a dream that I had been to visit. Never knew where it was actually located as a kid or if it was real. After seeing this video, to know it actually did existed and knowing I had actually visited it. THANK YOU SO MUCH 😊!!! I finally have your video as proof to show people this place existed l!!!!!

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

A few people have said this! My pleasure

[@sancheck]

I remember seeing all that stuff by Granite Park when we would drive by on the highway going anywhere in Fresno. We didn't know what was going on but got excited. Neat.

[@maycausedizziness]

This was such a fun park. I remember sneaking into it with my dad, lol.

[@nicksacco8547]

I went with my family when i was a teenager. Loved it!

[@bonvoyyawg]

This was a trip down nostalgia lane. I was maybe 7 or 8 when I went and I freaked out in the Deep Earth Exploration ride when the sides opened and we were supposedly in a lava tube or something with lava and flame special effects. My poor dad trying to console me while stifling laughter as the other people in the ride laughed. Good times xD

[@ghostboy323]

I came across this video just now and instantly subscribed to your channel. Exceptional quality! Can’t wait to watch your other videos.

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Thank you! Glad to have you here

[@msprinkle]

My family went in the summer of ‘98 and we loved it!

[@radthunderdan9951]

This place was so awesome when I was a kid. Always looked forward to going in the summer.

[@goldenstate5]

I grew up in Las Vegas and visited here many times as a child. The rapids ride was quite good, but most of the effects and animatronics were shut off when they lengthened Lightning Bolt. By the end of its run, the park was tacky and littered with random carnival attractions, such as a Zipper flat ride thrown on a random street as if it was ready to be packed up at any second. There were several Jimmy Buffet events which packed the place full of drunk baby boomers, not really an ideal place to bring kids. Still I commend the original vision of the park, and my white whale is a video of Deep Earth Exploration, the ride so ahead of its time yet there's still zero footage of it unearthed. If *anybody* has *any* footage of it, let me know!

[@mc5or6]

goldenstate5. me too. i remember when the sky screamer first oppened, they had wayn newton and two showgirls go on it for publicity.

[@rathelmmc3194]

Hmm. I grew up here too, and I recall only going once and thinking the park was pretty weak. I would rather go to Wet N Wild every time over this park if I had the choice.

[@ShockerTopper]

If you were a kid growing up in the 90's you saw some of the best things ever...including all the stuff in Vegas that ain't there anymore. I remember going to Excalibur when it first opened (one my earliest memories) and it being so kid oriented. It was perfect being 5-15 in the 90's that's for sure. Guess you would have had to have been there to understand how awesome Vegas was as a kid in the 90's. I can't think of a way to explain it, but probably the fact we weren't distracted with technology either.

[@JH-lu5yg]

I went a few times as a kid and I remember the rapids ride the best and also the coaster being indoors and then outdoors. The indoor version of the coaster I remember thinking it was a lot darker than Space Mountain and therefore scary. I also remember my dad riding the Skyscreamer.

[@danieljensen9344]

Visited as a kid in 94 and had so much fun!

[@ashleyminor5524]

Went here when I was a very young kid, thought I dreamt it up honestly! The thing I remembered most was the Jungle Storm section of the Backlot Tour

[@theowornbegd7]

I grew up in vegas. I used to go here all the time. I loved this park, and the rides were pretty freaking legit. The Three stooges live show was awesome, the back lot tour was fantastic and blasting people on the rapids ride was a riot. Years later when I was installing cell service in the hotel, I saw pipes that were still labeled to destinations of the now extinct theme park. Broke my heart. I wish this place would have stayed. I mean the park could never compete with disney. It only had like a dozen rides, but honestly they weren't bad. They had some pretty good theming, decent animatronics.

[@millennialonmainstreet]

This was fascinating! I only ever knew of it as a passing reference in regards to Disney-MGM.

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Yeah, it is kinda crazy the a park created by MGM was such a failure compared to one they gave the name out for! Thanks for watching Molly!

[@MattMcIrvin]

MGM really got the worst of that deal--they signed away the name and properties to Disney for a pittance, and it sounds as if the agreement prevented them from making this a somewhat better park. And Disney only ever used MGM's content in one ride, the now-defunct Great Movie Ride.

[@scarletrhapsodyconventiontea]

I remembered going here when I was 10. We stayed at MGM. There were a few things I remember, and I've always wondered what happened to it. Thank you for sharing!

[@davidg3019]

The Backlot Riverboat Tour was so embarrassing. The tour guide we had knew it too. He just sat there looking mortified the whole time.

[@bonniehirtz786]

Lol what was it??

[@stevenschnepp576]

@@bonniehirtz786 Boring.

[@olivasaz]

I loved this theme park and miss it so much!!! My favorite was the Three Stooges show, the Magic shop, and spraying people on the water raft ride!!!

[@kimsleep4111]

your production values are excellent with all your videos, almost Broadcast quality, your graphics and music mix are top notch

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Thank you so much!

[@aixchel]

We were there shortly after it opened and the points you made on why it was problematic were spot on. I think you nailed it with the Southern California visitor issue - there's just no way that could compete with those of us who grew up with Six Flags, Disneyland, Universal, and Knotts Berry Farm. Lightning Bolt was incredibly underthemed compared to e.g., Space Mountain that it felt like someone just stuck a carnival roller coaster in a building - everything except the water rides felt carnivalish and low quality. But one thing not noted that I remember VERY well was that it was incredibly unpleasant to walk through there in the Las Vegas Desert heat. Most theme parks can be miserable on hot days but a theme park in the melting desert sun just killed everyone. I think it was a typical 103 degrees when I was there and even though it is a fairly small park, it was a death march between rides and nearly all queues were outside, though most covered. There was no wind - the MGM grand building itself was a huge windbreaker :/ Also not noted was there there was a better competition in the area - the pink Circus Circus domed indoor amusement park that was temperature controlled! And the Luxor had a sequence of rides (combo'd preshow, ride, after show) that was interesting as well (I'd love to see you do an expedition on Luxor's canceled/removed water ride and show/rides that they tried at the same time as MGM Theme Park).

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

Yeah the heat in the area can be brutal! I imagine that was tough. Alot of people seem to be very fond of Circus Circus, which is interesting. Thanks for the comment!

[@mupty]

I'm baffled as to why an MGM park couldn't even use MGM film properties within it. What was the point?

[@ExpeditionThemePark]

I am going to guess it was something to do with MGM Studios in Orlando or they just didn't want to put the money and effort into it.

[@drdremd]

mupty my guess is a conflict with Disney’s licensing of MGM properties For Disney MGM Studios.

[@TFM25]

There's two different mgms the hotels are different from the studio company

[@MattMcIrvin]

If I recall correctly, this park started the falling-out between MGM and Disney that eventually led to Disney's park being renamed "Hollywood Studios". Disney was not at all happy that MGM had opened their own theme park.

[@MattMcIrvin]

...ah, it's a little different from what I remembered: when this park was in planning, MGM sued Disney saying they'd violated their agreement with MGM by having a working studio at their park, and then Disney countersued saying MGM was violating it by building MGM Grand Adventures. In the ensuing ruling, the judge said both parties could keep using the MGM name (which Disney did for several more years), but MGM's park couldn't use the "movie backlot" theme. Obviously it pretty much did anyway, but I suspect that's the reason why MGM's park didn't use real movie properties in its theming: that may have been the actual line drawn in the court ruling.