Cedar Fair to buy SFWoA

I'm doing a coaster trip this summer and was planning on skipping WOA. When I heard the news this afternoon I immediately started calculating how to add in the "new" GL simply out of curiousity. But now...

So I have a season pass at Cedar Fair (through Dorney Park) and Six Flags (through SFNE) and I STILL can't get into GL this summer? And from what I'm understanding, a GL pass is only going to get people into GL (literally no other parks) this summer? I don't get it, do they not want people to come to the park this year?

What kind of value is a GL season pass compared to a Six Flags or Cedar Fair season pass? Will the GL season pass be $40 or something?

Hmph, and to think I figured with both a Six Flags and Cedar Fair season pass I was going to be guaranteed to get in for free...

With the animal side closed, I can't picture paying more then $30 tops for an all day pass...

I agree DawgByte and was thinking the same way about it.

-Danny

3 immediate examples of poor SFWOA service that I never encounted at *any* CF park and vice versa:

1. Park employee couldn't point my family in the direction of the carousel.

2. Drink stands (multiple) out of ice on a 93 degree day and offering 'room temperature' drinks.

3. In both 2002 & 2003 at Dorney several park employees passing on the midway or ride-ops saw my wife with kids and offered a friendly "happy mother's day!" when visting on Mother's day.

Sure it's funny to spout off little quips like no one shined my shoes, but if SFWOA had taken the little things like that more seriously, they'd still have a big ol' park in Ohio. - one that all the 'theme' in the world couldn't save even though the 'lifeless' CF parks do just fine and even...gasp...thrive.

Dawgbyte - The GL pass situation is for 2004 only. In 2005 the situation will change. They're certainly going to take a few hits this year, but I'd say 2004 is a "transitional" year at best for GL.

I've only got one question that has not been already addressed...

Will my SF pass (Which is from WoA) work at SF parks?

I definitely won't be visiting this year. The only attractive part of SFWoA to begin with was the cheap SF SP price!

I'm sure they'll work out the season pass issues by '05. After hearing the great news that Geauga Lake will now be a Cedar Fair park this year, I'm also a little disappointed to find out shortly thereafter that I can't use a CF season pass for GL admission. However, I'm pretty excited for the possible long-term results of this acquisition, and not just for this park. This benefits Cedar Fair, obviously, but this (coupled with the sale of their European parks) could be the beginning of a significant turnaround for Six Flags, Inc. *** Edited 3/10/2004 8:43:32 PM UTC by Vater***

Is there the option for current SFWOA pass holders to still keep the pass to be used at other SF parks this year?

Yep, this season pass decision by CF is really a bad move.

For the year 2004, they should honor the SFWoA pass and any CF park pass.

What is SF's decision about allowing SFWoA 2004 pass holders into other SF parks? If you choose not to get a refund and get your SFWoA pass processed, SF still has your money from the sale.

In my opinion Cedar Fair should do exactly with this park what they cant or wont do with Cedar Point.

Some things could be to THEME it, turn it into a more family friendly park, add a huge kiddie area.

Couple of points here. Cedar Fair never got the revenue for those season pass sales already made by Six Flags. That and with the low price they were already sold at might be the reason why they are not honoring the passes at other locations. It sucks but they are running a business.

Second point. Assuming, and this is a big "assuming" here, that Cedar Fair turns this park around in a couple of years, does Six Flags look at what Cedar Fair did and learn from it?

Well, we here in Oklahoma have been wondering why SFI was just buying out alll the land around the park over the last year or so, and not doing anything with it...well, we pretty much now why now. I`m just wondering, whats going to come of the name "Worlds of Adventure" now that CF won`t be using it???

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Vater said:
(coupled with the sale of their European parks) could be a significant turnaround for Six Flags, Inc.

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True! I wonder if this means that all their debt will be all paid off? I heard it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 milllion (I may be wrong though)

Ok, still not sure why the confusion of the passes, it's all been answered:

1. Your SF pass will not get you into GL.

2. Your CF pass won't either.

3. If you want to buy a GL pass, then it's only good for GL.

4. If you have a SFWOA pass your otions are to trade for a GL pass or get a refund and buy a SF pass elsewhere.

The situation for passes at GL is most like because of the short time involved with the takeover. I'd bet a large sum of money that in 2005, CF passes are good at GL and vice versa. In the conference call they even mentioned CP/GL combo tickets, so why would passes be any different.

As far as the effect on attendance - don't think like us enthusiasts, think like GP. For the vast majority of those SFWOA passholders, it was just for 'free' admission to SFWOA for the season. They weren't traveling around hitting every SF they could looking to squeeze every last buck of of the pass. Most people won't even think twice - they'll be more annoyed that (assuming they already have an actual pass, not a voucher) they'll have to switch it for a GL one.

Someone like myself who already has his 2004 SF pass and plans to travel to get the most out of it will just take the refund and get a SF pass at the first SF park I hit this year.

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CoastaPlaya said:
With all of the drops in SFWOA attendance, at least their passes were good for Wyandot Lake, SFDL and other sister parks a few hours away...now they're selling a season pass for a 'same ol, but now with less stuff' park with no reciprocity anywhere.

They might wanna rethink that policy in a hurry. A big hurry.

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Agreed, a BIG big hurry.

I also was thinking that SFWoA/GL will suffer *in a big way* this season....by next season, they may have a better plan, but with MOST of the CP/CF goodwill wasted in terms of the Aurora park...at the VERY least, giving CF/CP passholders free admission would get them to "give the park another try". From the Ohioans that I know, the GL name is a GREAT way to try and bring back the *nostalgia* of the old park, which is precisely the kind of diversification from CP that will be needed....

This year, I expect GL to be a virtual ghost town unless CF figures a better plan...and SOON!

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Koaster King said:
Cedar Point does not equal all of Cedar Fair. Some people rooting for the CF takeover have only been to CP and we don't know exactly what they're going to do with the park yet.

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Bill Spehn = Career Cedar Point Ops Manager = Geauga Lake GM = Operational Excellence at Geauga Lake

I've known Bill, as an acquaintance anyway (he worked with Old Timer Tim back in the day), for a couple of years and had some very frank discussions with him about the way to operate rides. I can't say he'll know the best way to run the park as a whole, but there's no doubt in my mind that ride operations will reach a level that park has never seen.

So much to think about... maybe this is an opportunity to write one of my very infrequent editorials.

Chitown - Exactly! I paid SF for my pass. They'd better damn well accept it!

Honestly, I don't really care all that much that GL won't be accepting my SF or CF passes. I don't like the park all that much and there is nothing new to ride. The problem I have is that I live 7 hours away and if my WoA pass isn't valid at other SF parks, I'll be getting screwed out of my SF pass, and the $60.

Gonchar - I wouldn't have that big of a problem with it if I could get the refund via snail mail. But if I have to go to the park, I'll be getting screwed. I live 7 hours away and it costs me more than $60 for gas, food, and tolls just to get to & from SFWoA. Since I wasn't planning on visiting the park this year, I'll have a loss of about $200. While $200 isn't a lot of money to me, I sure as hell don't want to have to spend it just to get another SF pass.
*** Edited 3/10/2004 8:58:24 PM UTC by rOLLocOASt***

I really don't understand all the hoopla over the season pass. It's basically as if SFWoA shut down and opened back up under an independant company this year. If that's what it takes to get you to understand the logistics of the passes, so be it. Their pass isn't and really now that I think about it, SHOULDN'T be accepted anywhere else. Next year, yea, definitely, but this year, its its own thing.

That being said, I regret that Six Flags parks won't be free but honestly, I have more independant and Paramount parks on my list this year than SF ... GL pass, here I come!

I love when freaking logins expire. To sum up what I said before...

1. Took six employees to finally figure out where an indoor restaurant was at Dorney. I guess having two indoor restaurants isn't enough to say they have any though and once the sixth person reminded them of Coasters, most of them said how gross they thought it was. That's nice to say of the park you work at. The girl that knew where the Red Garter was was really nice and enthusiastic though. I should have commented on her and told them about the other bunch at the front.

2. I've never had a single problem with the park. You don't know why the ice was out and maybe they had a problem with the delivery truck coming it. I know that has happened at other businesses before with things not coming in on time that are really important. I'm sure they weren't like, "Lets make the guests suffer"!

3. My 10 year-old cousin said she got to participate in the sea lion and walrus show at SFWOA. She said she got a "yucky kiss" from the sea lion for her birthday, but that it was the best birthday ever. You're doing something right if kids are having fun and being entertained too.

I saw a huge improvement even over 2002 with operations in 2003 and you didn’t go that year. Several people that went in 2003 thought the park was better and enjoyed it as well. Sorry you didn’t in 2003. The “lifeless” comment doesn’t refer to number of people in the park. I’m glad Dorney thrived in 2003. Wasn’t that a 10% decrease in attendance if I remember correctly? Yea, they’re on the right track. Maybe Meteor and the top spin will be closed again the next time I go too. Maybe they were having mechanical problems though, so I don’t really mention that.

PS- I got my shoes shined by the Barbershop Quartet at MK, so you can knock that comment off. ;)

-Danny

I have heard from some people on both sides of the coin today. I agree with Jeff. Bill Spehn has a solid background in operations and that has been one of the significant shortcomings of the park in the recent years. That can only mean good things.

What is different about this vs when Six Flags bought Sea World is that Cedar Point has slowed the entire process considerably. No lofty notions of keeping the entire Wildlife side open, quick decisions about season passes that, while on the surface seem harsh, are probably in the best interest of the operation, evaluation of current personnel (which I believe is a KEY INGREDIENT in all of this), etc.

Cedar Fair is going to think about this long term just as they did with MiA. They didn't go up there and toss in a lot of rides expecting an immediate impact. They looked at infrastructure, landscaping, etc and have been making determined and conservative improvements that will have a lasting effect.

In today's world it is easy to think about what is going to happen this summer. Those that succeed are thinking today about what will be happeing in 5-10 summers.

I hope Cedarfair Does do something with animals the wildlife side. Im not asking for killer whales, but something like birds or deer, just some kind of animals. 6 flags brought in the zebras and tigers and such which was a step in the right direction. .The wildlife side was a nice diversion. I hope CF plans on keeping the aquarium at least. I also hope they spread the park out some... Move some of the rides around. SFWOA always seemed cramped in alot of areas, and widen the paths.
there is SO much work that needs to be done to the park that the 2004 season wont be their best. Time will tell. GOOD LUCK CEDAR FAIR !
I am counting on you guys to turn our local park around.

I liked the park and the wildlife side, but as a stand alone entity it holds no value for me this season. I wont be visiting this season.

Will I have to refund my six flags sp at the park, then buy a new sf pass online or at another park, or do you think i can just transfer my pass?