Cedar Fair to buy SFWoA

Rumor has it already this is from those at park meeting this morning:

The Wild Life Side will be closed for 2004.
The wild Rides side will be open while CF decides what to do with it.

Wow think of the possibilties:
3 trains on X-Flight ;)

"The Future of Roller Coasters"
-RollerCoasterGod

SLFAKE: The Eurpoean parks (except for WBMW) are being sold to a private group for $200M (at a book loss of $220M!) However, the PKS press release stated pretty definitively that nothing other than WoA and the European parks will be sold.

It is a shame about the Wild Life side. I was hoping to take the kids there this season, and meant to last season, but didn't get around to it. Whooops.

On the other hand, I guess this could mean planning a trip for early spring to San Antonio or Orlando next year! Always look on the bright side of life!

*** Edited 3/10/2004 2:53:19 PM UTC by Brian Noble***

Wow...

I like the coasters at SFWOA a lot. What keeps me from going their more is that lack of Shade on the ride side and some of the crappy crappy workers.

With Cedar Fair I can only see good things come of this park now!

RollerCoaster God, if that turns out to be true then I am thinking way too much like a Cedar Fair employee.

I still contend that the single biggest mistake Premier made was keeping Sea World open the first year as a combined park. I think they should have shut that side down for one season in order to really think things through.

It looks like Cedar Fair may do just that.

Holy f'n mutha! Shock The World!

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My guess is that if you bought a SFWoA pass, you are good to go.

But someone like myself with a SFGAm pass won't be granted admission.

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That makes perfect sense, Chitown.

Pass scenarios:

1. I have a 2004 CF pass - will it get me into Geauga Lake this season. (who knows?)

2. I have a 2004 SFWOA pass - will it get me into SF parks this season? (probably)

3. I have a 2004 SFWOA pass, can I now get into CF parks with it? (probably not, but that'd be an excellent goodwill or "this is how we do things, buy our pass next year" gesture)

4. I have a 2004 SFWOA pass, can I use it to get into Geauga Lake? (it'd be ridiculous if you couldn't)

5. I have a 2004 SF pass from a different park - will it get me into Geauga Lake this season? (probably not)

6. I don't have a pass to either park yet and I visit Geauga Lake on opening day and buy one - which parks do I get into with it, SF or CF? (anybody's guess?)

7. I have a combination of 2004 CF and 2004 SF passes and all of the above applies to me - what gets me in where? Did I double up on passes for nothing?(at any rate you can still visit all the parks in question, but depending on your location/situation and they way this gets handled, two passes may have been unnecessary)

We all probably fall into at least one of those categories.

-Gonch
A little too worried about how this pass thing plays out :)

I've seen Pressler leave, Harris resign, and many other huge news. But this stopped my heart. I crapped in my pants. This got me up in the morning! Wow.... holy... wow....

First, I silently and calmly rose from my chair, walked to the fountain and filled my DP Talon cup with water.

Then, I walked back to my desk and moved my mail and claim files to the second desk in my cubicle.

Finally, I was ready to take a huge gulp of water, read the CF news release, choke and spit-spray water all over my computer screen.

HAS CF MANAGEMENT COMPLETELY LOST THEIR MARBLES?

I thought they bought floundering parks with a heart of gold from independent owners and built them into well, slightly bigger parks! I thought they only purchased parks with stock! Why would they pay cash--while their stock value's flying high--for the mother of all Six Flags albatrosses?

I'll tell you why in three words: Length of stay.

Now folks can book a CF resort in Sandusky, catch a shuttle bus to Geauga Lake and come back at the end of the day. They stay longer and get more park for their money.

Are the parks too close for comfort? I don't think so. The Disney parks are separated by a monorail. IOA and USF are separated by CityWalk. And not only are KCS-MOA and VF only 20 miles apart, they're owned by two separate corporate entities.

The bad news? Look for GL season pass prices to jump for '05...way, way, WAY up. I wouldn't be shocked to see CP and GL prices to both jump to at least $120 for the parks alone. On the other hand, it's still cheaper than purchasing passes for both parks separately.

Expect CF to honor all sister park passes at the GL gate. They honored my VF pass at MiA within weeks of the purchase closing. Besides, spillover from reciprocal CF guests equals an attendance boost that justifies the purchase to the unitholders. It's anyone's guess as to further reciprocities. Guess we'll know more at 2 today.

Crazy? Yes. Like a fox.

-'Playa

*** Edited 3/10/2004 3:25:41 PM UTC by CoastaPlaya***

I know this sounds petty but it's a legitimate issue.

Lord Gonchar, you said that it's not likely people with SF season passes will be able to get into SFWoA / GL this season. That shouldn't happen.

When you buy the pass online it tells you all of the Six Flags parks you can get into. That includes "Six Flags Worlds of Adventure." Would that not be false advertising?

I think this has happened not quick but instead EARLY. The park is opening in about 45 days. Is it unreasonable to believe the name SFWoA and characters (Looney Toons) will stay and next winter will be the big transition?

Just wondering...

More specifically the info says the pass can be used at any Six Flags Theme Park.

It lists the individual parks as examples.

Geauga Lake will no longer be a SF Theme Park.

And if you really want to get technical/picky/cocky - SFWOA doesn't exist after the deal, it's Geauga Lake and the pass info says nothing about entry into Geauga Lake.

'Playa is on the right track, and there is another important aspect of the purchase. Geauga Lake historically hosted a lot of Cleveland area company picnics. From what I hear, Six Flags lost some of that business, which is something Cedar Fair can easily build back up.

I see some marketing synergies between the two parks, but I also see Geauga Lake going back to it's roots as a Cleveland area picnic park, while CP is CF's premier destination park.

I do feel the loss of the Wildlife side however. While Six Flags was not Sea World, it was better than nothing. I am a Sea World fan, so I guess I'll just have to make the trip to Florida now.

I wonder what will happen to all the animal trainers that Six Flags has. I hate to see people loose jobs, animal trainers must get hit hard by such a loss because there is a strong attachment to the animals.

I can guarantee you that Cedar Fair will do everything possible to NOT alienate the WoA passholders. The whole reason why Premier has reached the point of selling off the parks is that the community has never been sold on Premier's operation.

That last thing Cedar Fair wants to do is to start it's tenure as manager but pissing off even more customers. They will be extending olive branches to get themselves welcomed in the area with open arms.

Open the aquatic arena for Snoopy vs. Bugs cage matches. I can see the stuffing flyin' now...

Thanks for the info Gonch. ;-)

Well... Cedar Fair has finally gotten their first "Floorless" and "SLC".

I think now that Cedar Fair owns both they won't try to compete with themselves. Whatever CP is thinking about adding next year I bet it won't be a flyer. SFWoA already has one (kind of).

I really can't wait to hear about the name changes. They should really interesting. It's too bad the themeing has to go. It wasn't anything spectacular but it was a nice added feature.

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I think now that Cedar Fair owns both they won't try to compete with themselves.

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Well, why not? They get the $$$ either way. ;)

But I think 'playa has it right. Build up SFWOA to compliment CP and continue the pushing of the park (Cedar Point) as a full resort experience.

2 days a CP, 1 at GL, 1 in Soak City, 1 on the beach - suddenly you have week-long packages.

My two cents on some upcoming things:

They will close the Wild Life side to "remodel"
I don't know what all will be leaving...but:
I see that side turning into a Knott's Berry Farm style themed area.
I see the "AQUATIC" part of the stadiums leaving just basically due to the size of their tanks right now. Though if they keep them, that's something that most parks in the area dont' have around here. But again, it's hard to find yet another whale.
Keep the Aquarium, it's in very good shape and looks nice.
CF will get all the rides running in TIP TOP shape.
CF will fix the sit down food problem in NO time.
I see a new hotel and employee housing coming.

As for thinks just to fix in 2004:
Think of all the stuff on the Wild Rides to be changed over just from WB to CF stuff...Bug's to Snoopy, Batman to I don't know what.
And to think SFWoA had one of the best Halloween events in the area. I wonder what will happen.
SFWoA also had A LOT of camp outings for little kids already booked. I guess those will be gone, I'm guessing CF will give them free passes and refunds.
I see "Soak Universe" name in the future ;)

"The Future of Roller Coasters"
-RollerCoasterGod
http://OhioThemeParks.com

I'm excited for a slightly different reason: Share/unit holders of both companies are going to benefit. As I write this, PKS and FUN are both up around 45 cents.

Six Flags is unloading a park and getting some cash, while Cedar Fair is aquiring a new park which, if they can turn it around, will result in more value for unit holders.

Since PKS is on an upswing, it might be time to unload that stock and buy more Cedar Fair. :)

Jerry

Can I get a AHMEN in here? Finally good off season news....

CF isn't worried about "cannibalization", where increasing attendance at GL hurts the attendance at CP (and presumably vice versa)?

I guess SFI has wised up a bit and realizes they just can't spend their way into competitiveness in the thrill-park capital of Ohio...

I don't think this will truly sink in for a couple days, I'm still dealing with "shock and awe"....;)

P.S. Bugs would kick Snoopy's butt, any day, any time..."What's up, Dog?"...:)
*** Edited 3/10/2004 3:39:18 PM UTC by rollergator***

C'Playa and I are on the same wavelength. Scary, but in a good way. My only amendment is that they'll probably try to sell combo packages of stays in both locations, since they now own a hotel next to GL. Walt's idea of converting the wild life side to resorts sounds about right, too.

If you read the recent annual reports, most of the growth has come from "out of park spending", namely hotels. That's where the money is.

In other words: there's a reason Disney spent a substantial fraction of DCA's cost on building the Grand Californian. And it's not "Eisner sucks."