No matter how much a once-loved attraction has aged, it will always have fans who want it to live on forever. You see that at Walt Disney (DIS) – Get a free report Theme parks, where outdated and frankly boring rides like Carousel of Progress and the Enchanted Tiki Room endure, though their best days are long gone.
The same was the case with Comcast (CMCSA) – Get a free report Universal Studios, where “ET Adventure” remains a seemingly untouchable fixture, even though kids are no longer familiar with the character and the ride is a seedy mess.
Parents want their children to experience at least some of the things they grew up with, and some people just value nostalgia above anything new. That’s relatively fine in a theme park where nostalgia actually drives ticket sales. It’s a much worse idea on the Las Vegas Strip, where real estate costs have continued to rise, making the revenue generated from each square foot increasingly relevant.
Therefore, as soon as it became known that MGM Resorts International (MGM) – Get a free report The Mirage sold, people began to worry about the fate of its iconic but non-revenue producing volcano.
Now Mirage’s new owner, Hard Rock International, has shared the volcano’s fate, and it’s mixed news for fans of the attraction.
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Mirage Volcano survives a little longer
While Hard Rock took control of The Mirage late last year, its plans to make major changes to the property aren’t going to materialize anytime soon. The company didn’t explain why, but it’s likely the rising cost of funding a major construction project is a factor.
Hard Rock plans to build its signature Guitar Hotel partially where Mirage Volcano now stands, but the Hard Rock International chairman gave fans of the attraction some welcome news.
“We greatly respect Volcano’s legacy, but we recognize that this is part of the illusion of the past,” Allen said during a meeting of the Nevada Gaming Commission. “We will not continue to operate the volcano once we have started construction.”
That sounds like bad news for Volcano fans, but the attraction’s closure has been considered imminent since Hard Rock acquired the property. Work hasn’t started yet, however, and while Allen claimed a construction timeline of 18 to 24 months, he also promised a “late 2023” update.
Essentially, this means that while Mirage Volcano will be closed, it will likely remain operational for most of the year. That at least gives longtime fans a chance to experience it one last time (and maybe bring their kids with them).
Mirage before big changes
Allen has insisted Mirage will not close during construction, after previous reports reported so. With an uncertain schedule, that’s exactly what the company needs to say if it hopes people will continue booking rooms and events at Mirage.
In reality, it seems unlikely that the resort-casino will not close at all during a total overhaul of the property, where it will be stripped down to its concrete shell. Allen left some room in his comments on the matter to change that decision, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
“There is currently no intention to close the building,” Allen said. “We are certainly like any company. We’re going to look at the construction schedule, we’re going to look at the economy, whether or not there’s a recession, and a year and a half or so would probably be the time frame where we would evaluate what makes the most sense.”
And while the volcano will be closed once construction begins, another Mirage light appears to have a longer life ahead of it. The new owner has made it clear that he wants to extend the Cirque du Soleil show “Beatles: Love” in the long term.
Another attraction, Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden, has already closed. Hard Rock has been working to find new homes for the animals that live there.