Kings Island loses power on July 4th

rollergator said:

...and when they DO get an answer from above, it's late and sad - giving out comps "after the fact" leaves too many people who are hacked off at your company...you come back later with an olive branch, and are likely to get smacked with it. Is anyone else reminded of the "Geauga Lake Reading Program Fiasco (TM)"? Thought so... ;)

Exactly what I was getting at, Gator:

Lord Gonchar said:
So they reluctantly tell people, "No." and then by the time someone who has the authority to make that decision does, it looks like they're backpedaling the next day.

But for the record, I still wouldn't have given anything to the kids that read for Six Flags. :)

Not giving the kids the freebies (until it became a PR nightmare) was about as smart as going in and screwing with the Annual Pass prices at King's Island (which also became a nightmare). Both cases smack of the arrogance of Kinzel which is to say, "If it works at Cedar Point it will work anywhere."

In both cases he could have listened to the few hangovers of the old regime who would have told him that tampering with either program would be a bad move. He didn't list. Both were bad moves.

I'm not saying Geauga Lake is now closed because of the reading program. But that was the first in many misteps that led to the eventual closure of the park.

wahoo skipper said:
I'm not saying Geauga Lake is now closed because of the reading program. But that was the first in many misteps that led to the eventual closure of the park.

Certainly seemed like a bad omen at the time....turned out prophetic.

I really don't think Kinzel understands his customers. Well, that isn't completely true. He understands the one demographic that enjoys thrill rides. But, I don't think he understands anyone else.

If you show complete disregard for your customer base time and time again (dumb PR moves at Geauga Lake and the Paramount Parks, ridiculous pricing, no appreciation for history, etc) it is going to take a toll. Enough to cause the demise of a park? Not in and of itself. But, if he doesn't care about the customer (who pays $$ by the way) how do you think he feels about the staff (who he must pay)?

I know I sound like a broken record...but only because he is a broken executive.

The first misstep at Geauga Lake was buying it. Had to say it.

That was definitely a completely ego-driven decision that did not benefit the company at all.

Let me posit a scenario:

1) Purchase the park, perhaps at a lower price, perhaps at the $140m they paid for it.

2) NOT invest $25m in a water park on the Sea World side.

3) Sell off the Sea World side.

4) Remove excess/financially unsustainable coasters to KI, DP, KD.

5) Operate Geauga Lake as it had been operated (and as MiA is operated)--as a compact ride & water park that could be profitable without needing to draw 1.5m guests.

The mistake was not buying GL, it was doubling the overhead by retaining and dumping more $$$ into the Sea World side. They already had a water park--one included in the exisiting overhead

Come on, really? You're still holding on to that theory? There's a reason why all that's left is a water park, and the old one sucked.

Yeah, maybe you're right, Jeff. Maybe GL was doomed ultimately to failure, no matter what course was taken. But at least what the Captain is suggesting would have made a lot more sense to do than what actually happened.

I like Hawkeye's scenario, and agree that it probably would have been more of a success than what actually took place.

...But that's in hindsight.