NEW ATTRACTION! - Promise then not deliver

Legal disclaimers/waivers have limits. They are drafted broadly with an understanding they may not be fully enforced in all circumstances. You can make one off exceptions if you want. But if someone presses for large scale/class action relief, you point back to the broad disclaimer/waiver. May prevent a challenge (some uncertainty on both sides).

But there are practical limits as well. Parks aren't looking to close all their rides and keep season pass funds. They operate ongoing businesses that are looking for repeat customers.

I get the frustration. Six Flags does this all the time. My complaint used to be that they should have the new attraction open by opening day of the season. Now they can't seem to get the new attractions open by the end of the advertised season. They can blame things that are out of their control, like the weather, or the supply chain, but really, it is at least partially their fault for not anticipating the delay before they advertised it the season prior.

"Do we advertise the new ride and sell more season passes? Or do we wait until we know we can deliver the new tide on time?" That's a no-brainer if all you care about is money and not customer satisfaction.

My favorite park of all time, Kings Island, had this problem this season. So it's not just Six Flags. It's becoming the new normal. I bet KI will be more careful when buying new attractions from now on. I bet their number one question for the ride seller will be, "Can you deliver this ride on time?" That's good management.

Six Flags doesn't seem to ask that question, because they don't even know if they are going to be able to deliver the product on time even if the ride is delivered on time.

That's how I see it, anyway.

hambone:

I suspect there are limits to that - if Six Flags decided to close all the rides and operate only a water park, just because the rides weren't profitable enough, I'm not sure those Ts & Cs would stand up

Which is why there was no option to renew my Geauga Lake pass in August 2007 while "pricing was being finalized", but I could upgrade it to Cedar Fair platinum which included "all Cedar Fair amusement parks and standalone waterparks in 2008" and still provided exactly that after the ride side of GL closed.

super7*:

So it’s ok for a sporting event to be cancel for low attendance AFTER it starts. Got it. Not operating as advertised is unethical.

That's a terrible example. The game still happens if nobody shows up. There are still ways to engage with the game without actually being there (TV, radio, internet, etc.). The same can't be said for amusement parks. The 2020 sports seasons should be a prime example. Fans weren't in attendance but the games still took place.

...and also, games do get cancelled after they start. It's called a rain out--you know, when the weather is bad. Like it was during the day that that dastardly Carowinds had the cojones to close earlier than advertised, depriving an enthusiast of wait-free laps on Fury

But there is little point in arguing with said enthusiast, and I should know better.

Not only that, but in baseball at least, a game can be considered complete, a "Regulation Game" as early as the middle of the 5th inning due to factors such as weather.

In Super7's case, that would be like showing up to the game in the 4th inning, and the game gets rained out after 6 innings. If it was called in the 4th inning, he may be able to use that ticket to return and watch the makeup game.

Of course, paying to show up late to the game while it's raining was a questionable idea to begin with IMO. But who here hasn't gone to a park in questionable weather and hoped for the best. I know I have. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't, you ride Iron Dragon once, and you hold a grudge for 20 plus years. (heh heh)

I talked to an enthusiast at SFA last week about the new "water coaster" that was not completed by the end of water park season 2023. He told me they just finished it a few weeks ago. When I checked it out in late August they were just starting work. Delays in parts, blah, blah, blah.

Yes, I can confirm. I can see the new slide where the old ones used to reside. It seems like it will be open the summer of 2024

Our long national nightmare is over.

I wonder if the new and improved Six Flags will be doing this to the Cedar Fair parks? Would it be absolutely hilarious if Top Thrill 2 didn't open until December, 2025?

Or... Hopefully, Cedar Fair's influence in the new company will keep this from happening so often. I do recall Kings Island having a pretty late opening with their new attractions this year, so maybe this is the new normal.

Correct me if I am wrong but wasn't Six Flags sued because of advertised attractions not opening in the early 2000's due to the 3 Deja Vu rides and X not opening. I know SFGAm got forced to take down billboards advertising Deja Vu at one point.

I know because of that fiasco, Six Flags Great America made it a goal to have Superman: Ultimate Flight open on opening day in 2003. I think that also might have been the last new attraction to be ready in time for opening day.

Edit: They were sued by a SFMM passholder in 2002, found the link here: https://coasterbuzz.com/For...dvertising

Cedar Fairs financials and their stock price are proving my point. They are losing attendance and cutting operating days because their business plan of screwing the customers and employees by cost cutting for short term profits. It is not working out for growth.

The Cedar, Fair, Six Flags merger is just a last grasp a desperate attempt a cost cutting. They have no business plan for actual growth.

Then there is Dollywood that does not pull CF antics. They have just released the 2024 schedule and they are only close 21 days of the year from March 8 until December 31. They actually added 21 days to their operating schedule next year. Somehow Dollywood is growing while these chain publicly traded parks are shrinking. This is what happens when a business treats their customers and employees right and provides a high quality product

Back to the subject at hand, these light openings of rides, or just away for these unethical chain parks to sell season passes, and then cut cost by not operating the ride most of the season IMO.

Or in the case of Six Flags I just don’t think they can pay their vendors on time to get anything installed timely. Low cash on hand because of terrible management.

cedar, Fair, six flags and Seaworld are very bad investments right now, as they have no plan of future growth

Are you talking about the same Dollywood that continued to advertise Lightning Rod when it was practically SBNO?

Yeah, but it wasn’t closed for rain-related reasons.

Completely unethical closures!
https://twitter.com/Wild_Ad...5486458888
https://twitter.com/SDCAttr...2730545154
https://twitter.com/Dollywo...2491332608
https://twitter.com/Dollywo...3260741636

Amongst super7*'s ramblings, there is some truth. Organic growth opportunities for most regional parks is hard to find right now. Dollywood seems to be an exception- they are capitalizing on the tremendous tourism growth in the area. Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge is turning into another Orlando.

Test Track was delayed nearly 2 1/2 years. I wonder what the record is for longest gap from announcement to opening?

Wouldn’t you know it? If you’re searching for that answer, Knoebels is right on your way…

Fun:

Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge is turning into another Orlando.

These have been Tourist Hell for decades, and GSMNP has been the most visited national park for as long as I can remember. The area isn't changing, but Herschend is definitely taking advantage of it and growing into a more important cog in that wheel.

wahoo skipper:

I wonder what the record is for longest gap from announcement to opening?

When was Florida TRON announced?

It was announced in 2016 or 2017...but we did have a small, worldwide pandemic in the intervening years. Test Track's delays were predominantly technology related if memory serves.

Fun:

Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge is turning into another Orlando.

I feel like it's more of a Myrtle Beach vibe, just with trees instead of sand.