Cedar Fair CEO Matt Ouimet talks about the future of roller coasters in the company's parks

That's your opinion. I personally like them both. Granted, I'm a jerk, but whatever.

You're allowed to like disgusting things, yes. ;)

OhioStater said:

If you're concerned about nutrition and you find yourself in line at a fast food joint you've already lost.

Not that, or that.

Tekwardo said:

I personally like Taco Bell as well as Chipotle, but I've lost 40lb since January, and believe me when I say Chipotle is an indulgence, whereas I can eat two tacos at Taco Bell and be full and feel better and not bloated.

I don't think the two are related. I've been steadily losing weight for much of the last year, not because I wanted to lose weight as much as I felt crappy in part because of my sedentary job. I still get Chipotle, or even better, Tijuana Flats, once or twice a week. Yes, I do watch what I eat from a more composite view and try not to overdo it, but I haven't radically changed my eating habits. The "secret" is a hell of a lot more activity.

Look, I don't disagree that people don't get portion control, but food is only half the problem. Inactivity is the other half.

I'm not disagreeing about portion control. But the fact, for me, still stands. I'm full after two small tacos at Taco Bell (no soda). I'm too full after one Chipotle Burrito. I don't eat at either regularly as I'm trying to Limit fast food and eat better over, as well as go to the gym regularly and just generally be more active. But the size of that better quality Burrito is way bigger than something similar at the other place. Sure, it tastes way better, but I think slither's point still stands.

slithernoggin said:

who eats half and takes the other half home for dinner? I don't.

I do this all the time. I think it's disingenuous to say Chipotle is worse because their portion size is larger. By the same logic, you could say Chili's is bad for you because they have a two person dinner for $20 and it's got a million calories. If you're really serious about what's going into your body, don't eat everything on your plate.

And really, the portion is whatever you want it to be. I'm picky, so I start with a little brown rice, chicken, no beans, hot salsa and cheese. By their nutrition, that's around 750 calories, but I keep the rice down and ask them not to go nuts on the cheese. Chipotle is whatever you make it to be.

Like Andy, I'm not afraid to bring food home or leave it. Just because it's on the plate doesn't mean you have to eat it all.

Jeff said:

I think you're splitting hairs about quantity..

Less splitting hairs and more being aware that I often go into exquisite (to me), exhaustive (to everyone else) detail about things that interest me, and making sure to stay focused. (I often spend more time editing my posts than writing them.)

Portion control is my eating issue, which is why I've been focused on it here. I eat frozen meals topping out at 350 calories for breakfast and lunch (surprisingly, an approach my doctor approved of); I eat one, I'm done, and there's no more sitting on the stove for seconds or a few more spoonfuls.

You'll never find me saying Chipotle is worse than anything :-) Love me some Chipotle; loved some last Wednesday, as a matter of fact. It used to be "I haven't had Chipotle in three days, I'm getting a burrito" and these days Chipotle is a treat indulged in only rarely.

On the topic of quality food / healthy food vs cheap food / processed food, I've got a little entertainment industry insight:

I manage a cinema. We have, over the years, offered several alternative food choices. None of them seem to last very long. For the amount of effort (or money) we need to put into these items, the cost becomes prohibitive. Higher costs, higher spoilage, less interest, are all reasons these items don't survive very long. When people come to the movie theater, they either buy nothing at all, or stick to the staple products: popcorn, candy, drinks. Consider this fact: we are a local chain that doesn't get the bulk sales discounts. We offer these items in some of the lowest prices in comparison to other entertainment venues. We still maintain a nearly 80% profit margin on fountain drinks.

When our customers come in, they are not planning on eating gourmet anything. I am willing to guess that most people at amusement/theme parks are expecting "fair" style fried foods. Let's be honest here, the fried fatty sugar-rich foods sold at parks are what people want to eat. And chances are good that higher quality foods will not increase revenue.

OhioStater said:

That said, the only battle Taco Bell wins over Chipotle is if it's 2 am and Chipotle is closed. And you're buzzed. And you only have 1.35 in change that you found between the car seats.

If you're driving drunk at 2 am while scraping for loose change, you've lost in more ways than one.

Sorry for the thread drift.

Exactly. And that's why you're putting Taco Bell in your body.Well, unless you like it and stuff.

Apology accepted!

Taco Bell is just fine for a fast food fix. Not every meal away from home has to be fancy.

Whether they're from Chipotle, Taco Hell, or straight out of Ernesto's mom's kitchen in Tijuana, I hate burritos.

What has Ernesto's mom ever done you you!?

Incedentially, we had a horrible Chipotle experience just this weekend. I've always liked Qdoba better anyway.

And I'm not too proud to admit, I will put away 6 Taco Bell tacos with little effort. I do tend to like "****ty" food though. I attribute it to the first entry on this list.

Ernesto's mom is a peach. I just hate her food.

I honestly don't have a taste for Mexican food. That said, I can knock down some Taco Bell tacos, too. But that's arguably not Mexican food.

The sawdust in those Taco Bell tacos should keep you regular until you can get enough signatures on your bran muffin petition.

And for the record, Ernesto's mom is a bitch.

Honestly, Taco Bell outperforms bran muffins in that regard by a mile. And KFC...egad. Don't get me started...

I like to say, sometimes I want Mexican, and sometimes I want Taco Bell, and the two are not the same.

And please, KFC, enough with former SNL cast members masquerading as Colonel Sanders.

Once upon a time there was good Mexican fast food, and it was called...

Siiiiiiigh, this article is depressing for me. I live a few minutes from CGA, so it's been a lifelong park for me, and it's such a forgotten child for Cedar Fair. Has anyone been there recently? It really is in pretty good shape, much cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing than it has ever been. Good employees and pretty good food. And sadly the only mention of it in this whole article is to mention how the Vekoma Invertigo was taken out haha. In its place is a big lonely grass field now haha it's so awkward. Also the Vekoma flying coaster was removed and relocated awhile ago. Goodbye to the 2 best coasters we've ever had! Come on CF, time to finally put some money back into CGA!!

On the bright side... if you haven't been on Gold Striker, it's such a fun little CGI woody! Plus it has a Panda Express now haha yaaaasssss.

Anyone had any good CGA trips recently?

--Josh--

GooDFeLLoW said:

...it's such a forgotten child for Cedar Fair. Has anyone been there recently?

It really is in pretty good shape, much cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing than it has ever been. Good employees and pretty good food.

...time to finally put some money back into CGA!!

So, which is it? A forgotten park, or a park that Cedar Fair has invested money in, leaving it cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing than it ever has been, with good employees and good food?

Or this a retread of Timber-Rider, where anything a Cedar Fair park has added to it that's not a roller coaster somehow doesn't count?