Rock-afire Explosion in Canada

[looneybird78]

There is apparently a Rock-afire in very good condition in Kelowna Canada. It even has the Tivo system. It is in the Scania Family Fun Center!:eek

Follow the link below and scroll down to the pics. You can see the show under the 2 pics labeled "Stage Show at Scandia"

www.borgatalodge.net/kelo...Kelowna-BC (http://www.borgatalodge.net/kelowna-family-entertainment-games-arcades.htm#Scandia-Mini-Golf-Games-Kelowna-BC)

[ChuckEZone]

ooh, sweet find! Who wants to go to Canada? :b

[RockafireGuy]

By far the nicest Rock-afire location I've seen in AGES!
They seem to do everything right up in Canada... lol ....a Rock-afire in great condition.... free health care.......

[CEC3066]

we have a place by my house called Scandia that had a show but not as nice as the RAE.

[mitzirocks]

Is that place still open?

[dook]

Any pics or video's of their show

[chuckecheesefan98]

Yes, I would love to know if the place still has their show. I'm assuming they're still open because, well... the website is still up! Did anybody ever go check out their show?

[looneybird78]

Wow talk about a old thread reviving....

Well... to answer your question it does not look very promising... :(

http://www.scandiagolfandgames.com/birthday.html

[chuckecheesefan98]

Thanks Damon!

By the way the show looked cosmetically, I was about to shoot right up to Canada next week... Seriously! I guess my only hope IS Billy Bob's Wonderland, which seems to be slowly improving. I know there was a thread some time ago about a mini show in Tennesee, and I actually received conformation from a friend that the show WAS still there in 2010 but was in great disrepair. Any info on this as well Damon?

[Rockafirecheese]

I was there a year ago. Its not worth making a trip all the way there if you dont live near them. I was coming back from a vacation. They have a strict policy about turning the show on. You must be having a birthday party in order for them to turn it on. No birthday, no show. The show is in great disrepair. The cosmetics are in horrible shape and from what I hear it really doesn't move. Here are a few pictures I took from that day. I would stick with Billy Bob's Wonderland.


19561955195819591957

[PaulKTF]

Oh wow... That reminds me of this...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fxmX230bzc

[chuckecheesefan98]

Thanks for the photos and confirmation, Jacob. I guess I will stick with Billy Bob's Wonderland... Sigh. Is Chris Thrash open for private visits all the time?

[RetroGirl]

Wow, poor Looney's just a puddle in the bottom of his barrel! It's sad when Billy Bob's Wonderland is you BEST choice....

[PaulKTF]

Wow, poor Looney's just a puddle in the bottom of his barrel! It's sad when Billy Bob's Wonderland is you BEST choice....

Yeah- RAEs in good condition are quickly becoming extinct. Sad. :(

----------

Poor Mitzi looks like she's been mauled by Billy Bob or something.

[RetroGirl]

Poor Mitzi looks like she's been mauled by Billy Bob or something.

By the looks of his face, she put up a pretty good fight.

I know getting replacement masks and mechanics can be expensive, but so many of these shows just seem to be in bad shape because no one cares or is taking the time to make it otherwise. I don't understand that thinking. This is part of a business, and the image of the business suffers when a shoddy looking show is on display. Take some pride, folks!

With some ingenuity and a little time, most of these shows' cosmetic issues can be fixed. You don't have to get actual replacement parts for wigs or pom poms. Costumes can be repaired or the original costumes used as a pattern to make a replacement. A little research will even tell you how to repair tears in latex and a little time on the internet might even score you some actual replacement latex. You don't have to restore the show to it's brand new condition. You just have to make it look decent.

But Looney... I guess he's just a goner...

[PaulKTF]

By the looks of his face, she put up a pretty good fight.

I know getting replacement masks and mechanics can be expensive, but so many of these shows just seem to be in bad shape because no one cares or is taking the time to make it otherwise. I don't understand that thinking. This is part of a business, and the image of the business suffers when a shoddy looking show is on display. Take some pride, folks!

With some ingenuity and a little time, most of these shows' cosmetic issues can be fixed. You don't have to get actual replacement parts for wigs or pom poms. Costumes can be repaired or the original costumes used as a pattern to make a replacement. A little research will even tell you how to repair tears in latex and a little time on the internet might even score you some actual replacement latex. You don't have to restore the show to it's brand new condition. You just have to make it look decent.

But Looney... I guess he's just a goner...

They probably got the show ultra-cheap- I doubt it came out of a Showbiz to them or directly from CEI. They clearly don't care. They might not even know Aaron's still around.

For them; it's not so much about having a quality show; it's just about having a show period. I've seen plenty of RAEs that barely move, but they're still run into the ground because (ironically) nobody care including the guests.

I bet they only play one of the three Birthday songs on it anyway.

[looneybird78]

Actually the contrary. The Mini show was a direct sale from CEI. Snapper did the install years ago while he was working for Aaron.

As for Chris at last I heard he was no longer having visitors. That is a story for him to tell though.

[PaulKTF]

Actually the contrary. The Mini show was a direct sale from CEI. Snapper did the install years ago while he was working for Aaron.

Oh, wow. Okay, then they really have no excuse. The show looks like it had been in use for the last 25 years\, not something that was pulled fresh out of the crates within the last decade! :( sigh.

[RetroGirl]

They probably got the show ultra-cheap- I doubt it came out of a Showbiz to them or directly from CEI. They clearly don't care. They might not even know Aaron's still around.

For them; it's not so much about having a quality show; it's just about having a show period. I've seen plenty of RAEs that barely move, but they're still run into the ground because (ironically) nobody care including the guests.

I bet they only play one of the three Birthday songs on it anyway.

That's probably true, but for me it begs the question, "why bother in the first place?" I guess I've always operated on the principle, if you're going to do something, do it right. We've run a drama program on a shoestring budget for years, but we do it to the best of our ability, within the limits of our budget. We do it so well, in fact, that people have asked us how we got a professional touring company to come to our small town. A little creative thinking and a little effort can make up for a lack of cash. If you care enough to have the show, you should care enough to make it work right. Whatever you do, do it with quality and integrity. Well, that's my philosophy, anyways. And, if they don't care, they just need to offload that albatross and let one of us have it, because it just makes them look bad.

----------


Actually the contrary. The Mini show was a direct sale from CEI. Snapper did the install years ago while he was working for Aaron.

As for Chris at last I heard he was no longer having visitors. That is a story for him to tell though.

Wow. So, this is a relatively new show? Dang.

[PaulKTF]

Right. See; we care a lot more about the show and its condition than they ever will... and we don't even have any money on the line.

----------

If I invested $150k+ on a show, you can damn well bet I'd invest the time and money to keep it running well- it's such a vital part of the attraction and entertainment (or at least it's supposed to be...).

----------

This is probably the worst I've ever seen a show get


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MWRsNGOfmw

To their credit; it's been improved since that was filmed.

[RetroGirl]

Billy Bob's is actually within driving distance of me. One of these days, I'm going to brave it and make the trip up there to see it for myself.

[chuckecheesefan98]

Paul haven't you ever seen FunZone???

Thanks for the info again, Damon. :)

[PaulKTF]

Paul haven't you ever seen FunZone???



Oh god, I forgot- I blocked that horror from my memory. :)

[CEC3066]

or the grand daddy of Rock-afire Horrors..thge thankfully closed Rock-Afire Bar and Grill in Indio

[PaulKTF]

or the grand daddy of Rock-afire Horrors..thge thankfully closed Rock-Afire Bar and Grill in Indio

I didn't know they closed- glad to hear it...

[chuckecheesefan98]

RAFP closed Danny? I thought they just removed the show...

Yeah, I want to block FunZone out of my mind too! It wasn't always like that... Sigh. :( Billy Bob's isn't THAT bad now. All lights and mouths work, to their credit.

[PaulKTF]

RAFP closed Danny? I thought they just removed the show...

Yeah, I want to block FunZone out of my mind too! It wasn't always like that... Sigh. :( Billy Bob's isn't THAT bad now. All lights and mouths work, to their credit.

I actually really like BBWL's stage set-up as they have it now, I just wish the show was perfect but that's probably asking too much.

[RetroGirl]

Would it be a good place for CV9, now?

[chuckecheesefan98]

CheeseVention 9 will be held in California to celebrate Chuck's 35th, and CheeseVention 10 will be held in Danvers in honor of the 10th anniversary since the first CV. ;)

[RetroGirl]

CheeseVention 9 will be held in California to celebrate Chuck's 35th, and CheeseVention 10 will be held in Danvers in honor of the 10th anniversary since the first CV. ;)

Ah well. You guys let me know when the RAE gets back into the celebrations. Maybe I'll come then.

[PaulKTF]

Ah well. You guys let me know when the RAE gets back into the celebrations. Maybe I'll come then.

A party ain't a party without the RAE! :)

[looneybird78]

Found it.... In the photo album http://www.showbizpizza.com/photos/rae/hillwoodstrike/01.jpg that is the show while it was still at CEI before installation.

[andy91]

Going price is 120 from cei lol but you have a point, the show should be a focal point, and investing so much in a show then letting it fall apart is ridiculous. The poor economy is an excuse, but id say you'd need more than that. To buy a show like this you have to have the mindset that values it, to make the maintenance of the show soo unimportant you'd have to not value the the show much at all. I'm wondering, how many of these places switch management or owners after getting a show?

[PaulKTF]

Going price is 120 from cei lol but you have a point, the show should be a focal point, and investing so much in a show then letting it fall apart is ridiculous. The poor economy is an excuse, but id say you'd need more than that. To buy a show like this you have to have the mindset that values it, to make the maintenance of the show soo unimportant you'd have to not value the the show much at all. I'm wondering, how many of these places switch management or owners after getting a show?

That happens a lot- the first owner takes great care of it (almost always spending money to get Aaron to repair it); then he sells it to somebody who doesn't care about the show or does' know how to take care of it; and the show goes to hell in a hand basket.

[RetroGirl]

Thats a good point. I'm sure a lot of the people who let these things get run down weren't the ones who purchased them in the first place. Isn't that pretty much what happened at Rockafire Pizza? I still think it's just bad business practice to let them get in bad shape. I mean, what kind of image are they going for with scary looking, paralyzed robot animals?

[PaulKTF]

Thats a good point. I'm sure a lot of the people who let these things get run down weren't the ones who purchased them in the first place. Isn't that pretty much what happened at Rockafire Pizza? I still think it's just bad business practice to let them get in bad shape. I mean, what kind of image are they going for with scary looking, paralyzed robot animals?

I'm pretty sure Rock-Afire Pizza bought the show directly from Aaron and I know they had him come out there to get the show up and running and in good shape because he had a YouTube video up of him there (it's gone now).

And I do know they changed owners at least once (probably more than once).

Here's how the chain of events seems to work

1. New owners don't maintain the show no matter how much money and time the previous owners spent on it.
2. Show goes to hell- cosmetics and masks worn, movements out, etc.
3. Show is then not run very much because it looks bad and they're embarrassed
4. Show is eventually not run at all and just sits there.
5. Show is removed and junked because it's now just taking up space.

[andy91]

I'm just guessing but that scenario makes sense

[PaulKTF]

I wonder how many RAEs have been lost to the landfilll over the last 20 years?