Mark Shapiro named CEO of Six Flags, board stops sale

Short story with Cedar Fair perspective:

http://www.pointbuzz.com/news.htm?id=795

I think majortom is on to something when he mentions GAdv.

You add the family areas like Golden Kingdom then a character themed area like Bugs Bunny National Park. Then you build a hotel on site, with a water park in it if they are smart. This on the heels of Kingda Ka and El Toro. Where do you go after that? Maybe another coaster or a traditional dark ride which GAdv doesn't have. Then build another resort, maybe even a campground. Look at where this is heading.

In the mean time you start to work on your employee morale and customer service.

BINGO within 5 years (which started with the 2005 season) you turned around a park. Then take this model and use it starting in 2006 with MM (Tatsu), OG(Goliath). Send these parks the new kiddie areas next year. Then in 2007 start GAm and a Texas park or both with new coasters. By 2010 you could have 5 or 6 flagship parks that rival CP. If this works then you really kick up the service (That already has been improving 5 years in a row) and add a hotel or two close to the parks but not on site since most would want to keep land around them for park expansion and you get closer to Busch and Disney service levels.

Oh and also during the time between now and then you get a major cross promotion with some entertainment firm. Be it Dreamworks Animation or Hard Rock Cafe, House of Blues. I'm thinking more like Hard Rock Cafe. The tie in is concerts. You have venues at 2 parks I know of GAdv and DL. Get the concerts up to a good level (not downsliding or up and comer level that GAdv brings in) and cross promote. Add a restaurant in the park and watch the money roll in :).

If the company's hyper-focus on coaster constuction is not seen as a profitable, be prepared for a coaster construction drought under this new mamagement. I find it funny so many self-proclaimed coaster fans are happy to see Six Flags change direction when it will mean no new coasters for a while, unless one pops up at one of the neglected parks. I wonder how long it will be before folks start complaining about how Six Flags isn't building coasters any more.

So many great coaster have been built over the past few years, I guess we've had our fill.*** This post was edited by rc-madness 12/15/2005 9:31:20 AM ***

Well, if your BatwingFan your already complaining. :)

I'm thinking more like Hard Rock Cafe. The tie in is concerts.

Some how, since Hard Rock Park should be coming in a few years, I doubt that would happen.

Oh, and, uh, that was too funny, coasterguts!

---

I wonder how long it will be before folks start complaining about how Six Flags isn't building coasters any more.

---

My vote is Tuesday, Jan 24.

i'm sure the new regime will add some flash and promote it to feel substantive. but as long as there are big coasters there, there will be a lot of teens, and as long as there are a lot of teens, there will be very few young families with young children. shapiro and co. will soon realize that to make their numbers and show the street they're not going backwards, they need to keep the thrill-seeker happy and overhead low. which means the continuation of young, underpaid seasonal help who weren't qualified to get a higher paying job at the mall.