Kennywood being sold?

"They" always say nothing is going to change. Only time will tell.

Here is the press release from Kennywood.

How will native Pittsburgh residents greet this news? Will they notice...will they care? It'll be interesting to see if new ownership affects attendance...and if we have a future GL type situation on our hands now.

Why is it that every time a park changes hands it's perceived as the end of the world? It is because the reality that it's still about the money is too hard to swallow?

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thrillerman1 said:
It'll be interesting to see if new ownership affects attendance...and if we have a future GL type situation on our hands now.

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Only if the new owners overbuild the park, snatch a neighboring park, combine the gates and then flip the whole thing to a yet another buyer.

Then, yes, we have another GL situation on our hands. ;)

I was born and raised in Western PA. Kennywood was an intergral part of life, and also one of the reasons why I went into the business. I can't help but wonder if this is a case of the up and coming generation of the families not interested in taking over the organization when the time comes. That's what happened to Knotts. They didn't want to work 18 hr days seven days a week. *** Edited 12/11/2007 6:04:28 PM UTC by Dutchman***

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Jeff said:
Why is it that every time a park changes hands it's perceived as the end of the world? It is because the reality that it's still about the money is too hard to swallow?

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For me its the thought that Kennywood, probably one of my favorite places to visit on a regular basis, could potentially be turned into something else.

^^But only if they get rid of Shamu. Oh wait, there is no Shamu there. Their doomed... ;)
*** Edited 12/11/2007 6:10:46 PM UTC by Jason Hammond***

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Lord Gonchar said: Only if the new owners overbuild the park, snatch a neighboring park, combine the gates and then flip the whole thing to a yet another buyer.

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Lol. Conneaut still up for sale?

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Jeff said:
Why is it that every time a park changes hands it's perceived as the end of the world?

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It's because a lot of the appeal certain parks have for many people is the unique management style and vision for the park that long-term family ownership brings. Knoebels, Holiday World, Indiana Beach, etc. wouldn't be the same if control was suddenly passed to a new entity that has no specific knowledge or personal interest in the park's history or other intangibles that help make those places special.

New ownership doesn't guarantee doom, but it is certainly cause for concern.

I would agree in cases where it is just one mega-theme park company taking over from another- no huge deal there. But when a beloved and HISTORIC park like KW is sold, it is potentially a HUGE deal. People would say the same thing if Knoebels was sold. Would the FT have been built if the park was owned by some faceless corporate entity? I think not.

There are a ton of questions here that matter a geat deal to anyone who hopes that some semblance of amusement park history will survive. Will the Tumblebug (the only left in the world) be kept? Will the JR and TB keep their classic trains? How about the feel of the park as a whole? Etc. Etc.

They said the right things in the press release and the fact that the management is staying is a hopeful sign, but I am very very worried nonetheless. Yes I realize that in general money trumps all things. But do we just have to lie back and enjoy it while the entire world becomes one bland homogeneous corporate glob?

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Dutchman said:I can't help but wonder if this is a case of the up and coming generation of the families not interested in taking over the organization when the time comes. That's what happened to Knotts. They didn't want to work 18 hr days seven days a week.

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Given the exceptionally bright outlook right now for Kennywood (given the reasons I mentioned above), I have to agree and say it sounds like the next generation Henningers/McSwigans aren't interested in the amusement business the same way as their predecessors were.

As usual, I see both perspectives... ;)

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Jeff said:
Why is it that every time a park changes hands it's perceived as the end of the world?

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Who said it was the end of the world? Who acted like it is?

Kennywood has been an amusement industry "rock" for more than a century, thanks in part to ownership that has remained the same. It's one of the reasons why Kennywood is a favorite not only among enthusiasts but also a couple million people that grew up in western PA/eastern OH. A change in ownership of pretty much any business often leads to other changes ,whether they be immediate or gradual. I don't see how anyone that cares even a little about the park couldn't be the least bit concerned.

This has nothing at all to do with anyone failing to understand businesses needing to make money so I don't think we need to go there.

*** Edited 12/11/2007 6:53:40 PM UTC by Rob Ascough***

I think the locals will sort react how most of us are reacting, with cautious optimism and a little bit of sadness over an era ending. *** Edited 12/11/2007 7:01:06 PM UTC by eightdotthree***

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Rob Ascough said:
Kennywood has been an amusement industry "rock" for more than a century, thanks in part to ownership that has remained the same.

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As I said in the news item, this is not correct. Like most every non-essential entertainment, it struggled through the depression and the subsequent decades. It survived because it adapted the same way Cedar Point did, by attracting a social element with dances and band concerts.

That said, it can be argued that Kennywood's draw and charm is many decades in the making, and it can't be duplicated. There really isn't anything in this country that matches it in terms of size and scope that I can think of. You'd have to be pretty stupid to go in and change anything without enormous backlash. We have no reason to suspect that this company is stupid like that.

Very true, but combine people with money and they'll sometimes do stupid things. It's not unreasonable to expect new ownership might come in and trim a few dollars from the budget here and a few dollars there and end up completely diluting the experience. A park like Kennywood thrives because of the details as much as the larger tangible things.

Kennywood did not survive like Cedar Point did. Cedar Point was almost redeveloped in the late 1950s or early 1960s (I forget which one it was). All amusement parks- and probably all businesses for that matter- suffered during the Depression. Kennywood made it through and never struggled again, which is more than can be said of Cedar Point and what almost happened there.

Like I said in the news item, name another park that has shown that kind of stability. Heck, name another business period. The Pittsburgh Steelers? The Ford Motor Company?

Or they might add a few dollars here or add a few dollars there. My crystal ball is just as clear as yours.

You seem to be suggesting that Kennywood has been infallible. I'm saying it's not. Attendance waned in the late 90's and they took a 4% hit in 2004 (or maybe it was 2003, I forget).

Don't confuse this with me saying that somehow I don't think it's a great park or fails in some way, because I'm not saying that at all. I love the place. But even though I love the place, I won't let that blur my perception of it entirely.

And by the way, CP's turnaround came in the 50's, when they realized that this crazy guy in California was on to something when it came to amusements. And since we're comparing, both parks have thrived since that time. I'd be willing to bet that if there was more land, Kennywood would be as big as, if not bigger, than Cedar Point.

Cedar Fair or Six Flags? Who will be the buyer?:)

EDIT: Oh nevermind, it's already sold. *** Edited 12/11/2007 8:09:10 PM UTC by Parker17***

That I'll agree with. It's no secret that space really has been a major hurdle for the park- one that it struggles to overcome.

I never insinuated that Kennywood has been infallible because it's sure had its ups and downs. That said, the place has survived for more than a century that included recessions, depressions, wars and dozens of changes in the realm of entertainment yet has never been widely accused of offering a subpar experience and has never shut its gates despite everything taking place in the outside world. Crystal ball or not, I'm not really sure how you can argue against all of that. The Great Depression means nothing in this conversation. Everyone alive in 1929 had to deal with that in some degree.

Thank God Cedar Fair didn't buy it. God knows they've made some incredibly bad decisions for the Paramount Parks.