Old Country to be 'No Country'?

Screamscape has reported a rumor that Old Country may be blocked off to the public this season. With Chiller removed and the entrance to the Dark Knight most likely being located closer to Batman: The Ride, the only remaining attractions in Old Country would be Autobahn (bumper cars) and Musik Express. These two low-level flat rides certainly could be relocated to one of the many open lots in the park or simply just be SBNO (standing, but not operating) for the season.

Of course this report has rumors running wild on the Forums. Many seem to think this could allow construction to begin on a bigger plan for 2009 that would entail a re-theme of the area. However, it is also very possible that this could simply be designed to cut some costs. With no major attraction in the area and with the Showcase Theater planning to go dark in '08, shutting down the few games, food stands and rides would save money on staffing and maintenance.

No matter what the reason may be, this idea makes sense. This one pathway could be blocked off on Dream Street and by the empty Stunt Arena since the only real traffic would be people cutting over to Movietown to ride Batman, Dark Knight and Nitro. The group picnic pavilions, which are located just behind Old Country, pose a problem, however. Either a separate entrance would need to be added or groups would need to have access to this blocked off corridor. If the latter were true, that would indicated that the closure might not be for construction, but simply to save some money.

One has to wonder, though, that if this is true, can the park really afford to shut down two more flat rides? With a weak slate of shows and even more rides closed down, there is going to be little crowd relief for the coasters this season, causing queue lines to grow longer. I'll keep you posted if anything official is confirmed, but until then be sure to voice your opinion.

* In other news, discussion has developed concerning which coaster members are looking forward to riding first when the park opens in April. El Toro seems to be the popular choice, and I can't say that I disagree!