future park chains?
does anybody think there could possible be another park chain? i think its *possible* but not likely. when parks started popping up, things were cheaper. and it would take alot of money to start something new. i know that universal made IOA recently, but there was already a basis of income.
where do you think the first park would appear, and how would it start off? also, if there isnt one, which current park chain will be the next to start/buy a new park? *besides six flags!*
New chain? Unlikely. Six Flags is paying the price of the debt leverage required to gobble and grow quickly. You have others like Cedar Fair and Kennywood, who have consumed other parks cautiously and very slowly.
The problem, and no doubt part of the reason why Six Flags has chosen to acquire parks and amp them up rather than start from scratch is cannibalization.
Short of Miami and Phoenix -- possibly Seattle -- is there a major city with the population to support a new park that is currently without one?
Besides, in the spirit of instant gratification the Six Flags approach where you can close on a sale of an existing park within weeks, ramp up the capital expenditures in the off-season, and have a brand new park in your portfolio is the easiest way to go. And, the problem is that the independent parks that are left are independent because they are doing just fine on their own (or, if they are doing so poorly and Six Flags didn't want them, they're not long for this world at this point, sadly).
Rick
Paris. Independent parks and big chain parks can co-exist in the same area. Perfect example is the Chicago area.
You have SFGAm and you have 2 small independent parks like Kiddieland and Santas Village. Both of these small parks have been around longer then SF and still continue to open every year without worry.
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""To be the man, WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!, You got to beat the man""!!!
Paris said:
New chain? Unlikely. Six Flags is paying the price of the debt leverage required to gobble and grow quickly. You have others like Cedar Fair and Kennywood, who have consumed other parks cautiously and very slowly.
The problem, and no doubt part of the reason why Six Flags has chosen to acquire parks and amp them up rather than start from scratch is cannibalization.
Short of Miami and Phoenix -- possibly Seattle -- is there a major city with the population to support a new park that is currently without one?
Besides, in the spirit of instant gratification the Six Flags approach where you can close on a sale of an existing park within weeks, ramp up the capital expenditures in the off-season, and have a brand new park in your portfolio is the easiest way to go. And, the problem is that the independent parks that are left are independent because they are doing just fine on their own (or, if they are doing so poorly and Six Flags didn't want them, they're not long for this world at this point, sadly).
Rick
Phoinex has Castles n' Coasters, Seattle has a park right by the Space Needle and another park coming planned to open in 2003, Diana Beach is less than 15 miles from Miami. In reality though, most cities don't personally have their own them park. In New England, for example, Springfield is the only city which has its own theme park. Does that men we are deprived up here? NO!!! The parks are just not in or near the big city.
Most parks are built farther away so they don't make the mistake that Walt Disney made:
"making a resort in a city wreck, a neon mall, and suffering under the urban atmosphere." -San Jose Mercury
There are dozens of small chains out there right now that you haven't even heard of. Chains that have many parks in store in the future. Chains that own many little parks that you may not even think are part of a chain. There are so many parks in store for 2003-04' that it's not even funny. There is even someone fighting to build a water park in Maui to the plannings for a Jungle Resort in Africa that would include an amusement park, Safari Adventure, and two hotels.
Now, all off the above are projects by smaller chains about to break the shell. If successful, they could indeed grow up to join the ranks of Six Flags, Universal, Alfasmarts, and Anhiser Busch(spell?).
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Chris Knight
All Your Base are belong to us
That's not roughness that intensity
Vertigo, Seattle has a small Six Flags park (Wild Waters-Enchanted Village), but I put it in as an afterthought because it tends to be a popular city on the "what city needs a park" list.
As for Castles N Coasters, it's little more than souped up entertainment center. About as beefy as your Wisconsin Dells sideshow, yes, it's got two coasters, a flume ride, and some kiddie rides, but it's far from being a complete park.
Dania Beach Hurricane is even smaller. It is a coaster that is part of a Boomer's video arcade. Yes, they have a few other diversions outside but it towers over I-95 almost as a singular attraction. And, it might be 15 miles from North Miami, but as far as Miami proper goes, it's closer to 30-40 miles away.
It's the first I heard of the Maui park but it sounds cool. While Maui took a hit when American Classic Voyages bagged their two Hawaiian cruise ships last year, it's ironic that park operators haven't opened more traditional amusement parks in the all-year operating states.
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Paris said:
Vertigo, Seattle has a small Six Flags park (Wild Waters-Enchanted Village), but I put it in as an afterthought because it tends to be a popular city on the "what city needs a park" list.
As for Castles N Coasters, it's little more than souped up entertainment center. About as beefy as your Wisconsin Dells sideshow, yes, it's got two coasters, a flume ride, and some kiddie rides, but it's far from being a complete park.
Dania Beach Hurricane is even smaller. It is a coaster that is part of a Boomer's video arcade. Yes, they have a few other diversions outside but it towers over I-95 almost as a singular attraction. And, it might be 15 miles from North Miami, but as far as Miami proper goes, it's closer to 30-40 miles away.
It's the first I heard of the Maui park but it sounds cool. While Maui took a hit when American Classic Voyages bagged their two Hawaiian cruise ships last year, it's ironic that park operators haven't opened more traditional amusement parks in the all-year operating states.
No, Seattle has an amusement park right underneath the Space Needle and another theme park is coming July 2003 called Great Northwest Park. Enchanted Village would not exactly count as a Seattle park. That's like saying PGA or Marine World is San Francisco's home park when nthey are close to 3 hours away. Just like Magic Mountain is not in Los Angeles.
Many developers have tried to open some type of commercial recreation center, but the natives are very hard to agree with and are very strict when it comes to what wil be built. One developer even wanted to take one of the smaller unhabited islands and turn it into a resort and amusement park, that one didn't last to long. On the island of Oahu, one hotel planned to build a looper from O.D. Hopkins but it was overrided by the natives as well. This water park in planning for Maui will srangely enough be partly enclosed and low key(meaning, hard chance of those 100 ft. vertical speed slides) to "not disturb the island."
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Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean
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Proud CB club member
Vertigo said:
Phoinex has Castles n' Coasters, Seattle____________________
Castles n' coasters should not be considered a park, 2 rides, that is all and not even worth it, no room to expand either, in the middle of the city, they need to build a park up north or in the desert or sumptin, im tired of having to fly every month just to fill my adrenaline filling saticifaction. it may also be too hot to build a theme park here, although it would be one of the few that could be open all year around.
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Veck
*** This post was edited by CRVeck on 5/13/2002. ***
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