The Failed Fantasy of Atlanta’s Sid and Marty Krofft Theme Park

Fixing The World of Sid and Marty Krofft

Refurbishment

The World of Sid and Marty Krofft went under refurbishment four months after its opening. Brand-new attractions oftentimes need fine tuning to operate as intended, so the World’s early refurbishment was a sign of dedication, not a last-ditch effort. The Kroffts and crew put in the work to tweak the young theme park.

“You can’t stop Sid and Marty Krofft. [Our park will] never be finished.”
Marty Krofft, WSB-TV, 1976

The refurbishment included refining the park’s theming and attractions, but a lot of effort went into practical improvements.

For instance, the indoor venue’s other tenants—such as offices, a hotel, and restaurants—complained about the loud theme park. The attraction and crowd noise echoed in the Omni’s large atrium, disturbing office employees, hotel guests, and restaurant patrons. Park management consulted with two acoustical engineering firms to dampen the volume. The solution was to fully enclose the park’s dark rides and hang nearly 300 sound-absorbing cubes around the Omni’s 14-story atrium.

The acoustic treatment reduced the volume by 60% but cost a lofty $350,000. At any rate, the major investments would be worth it in the long run if attendance picked up.

Marketing

Without a headlining roller coaster to advertise, the Kroffts had to get creative marketing their struggling theme park.

The park occasionally offered simple discounts, school field trip packages, corporate events, and free admission with a stay at the neighboring Omni International Hotel. They wanted to be on everyone’s radar—from Atlanta locals to passersby on their way to Florida.

In June, the Kroffts landed a five-year marketing partnership with Delta Air Lines. The park’s massive escalator was rebranded as the “flight to fantasy” by Delta Air Lines, and Delta flight attendants mentioned the park when flying over the Omni.

Also in June, CBS aired a half-hour prime-time special promoting The World of Sid and Marty Krofft. As a note, this footage could not be used for this video.

The Kroffts knew their World had potential and stopped at nothing to make it a success; that meant using the venue for productions too. In the summer, they filmed segments for the first season of The Krofft Supershow around the theme park and the Omni—similar to how the intro of Lidsville was filmed at a Six Flags park.

In early September, the park made another marketing push by hosting Harlem Globetrotters games over the Omni’s ice skating rink.

The World of Sid and Marty Krofft also had festivities for holidays—like Halloween when fans could meet Witchiepoo from H.R. Pufnstuf.

Operating at a Loss

After months of operation and a refresh, The World of Sid and Marty Krofft was finally running smoothly. However, it still had a few issues it could not recover from.

The park was distinctly Krofft, but it was also distinctly Atlanta. Some families were cautious of visiting downtown, which the Kroffts were assured would be addressed.

“People were frightened to go downtown.”
Sid Krofft, Television Academy, 2000

Atlanta was not the only problem, however. The Omni was not the best setting for a theme park.

Essentially, the theme park was built across a multi-floor venue that was originally earmarked for an international trade pavilion. Shoehorning a theme park in that space with restrictive guest flow was not ideal from a design aspect; the commercial building, its tile floors, and its exposed ceilings diluted the whimsy.

It was originally supposed to be a kiddie park but inflated into a larger and pricier project by request. The theme park was at a disadvantage before it even opened.

Simply put, The World of Sid and Marty Krofft was not set up for success.

“I think we over-designed it.”
Marty Krofft, Television Academy, 2000

As the tenant of that prime location, the Krofft theme park was pressured to instantly turn a profit. The Kroffts, however, had their sights on the long-term. The World of Sid and Marty Krofft was not supposed to be a quick buck.

“All our careers, we’ve been trying to warm up the world again. That’s our goal; it isn’t money.”
Sid Krofft, WSB-TV, 1976

No matter the intent, the theme park struggled out of the gate.

It was costly to operate and maintain. The ambitious ride systems “needed a space-age engineer to keep them running,” as one anonymous source told The Miami News.

Additionally, the park was not generating money. Its reputation of being too expensive affected ticket sales. With a low turnout, visitors didn’t have a need to spend all day in the park, which could affect food and merchandise sales. Many who did visit did not feel the need to make a second trip.

The indoor family theme park was built to operate year-round, but attendance dropped when schools were back in session. By September and October of 1976, business fell as much as 50% below expectations.

Considering its high expenses and low ticket sales, the theme park operated at a $1.5 million loss in under six months. The World of Sid and Marty Krofft was facing a serious threat of shutting down before the end of its inaugural year despite publications advertising operating hours for 1977.

Closure

The refurbishments and marketing pushes were not enough. The Krofft world was not catching on, and time was running out. The park’s financial lenders refused to fund it any further.

The World of Sid and Marty Krofft was forced to shut down in the fall; the year-round park didn’t make it to winter. A world that once had so much promise and a high-profile premiere just a few months earlier was already defunct.

Its final day of operation was Nov. 7, 1976. In its five months and change of operation, the park entertained only about 300,000 visitors—much less than expected.

Park employees got little to no warning about the closure; some found out from the news. Business Week called it “one of the worst real estate disasters in history,” but the Kroffts thought it just needed more time to gain traction.

“We didn’t have the opportunity to prove the thing out. We never will know whether it would have succeeded.”
Marty Krofft, The Atlanta Constitution, 1976

Sid and Marty were working on a second park in Miami with the same developers, but that was canceled after what happened in Atlanta.

Those involved and fans were disappointed in the park’s sudden closure and missed potential.

“What a horrible shame the very young of Atlanta…will not have the opportunity as I have to walk through ‘The World’ with wonderment and soft tears of joy streaming down my face.”
Michael B. Disney, The Atlanta Journal, 1976