Newspaper Article about SFNO

Hey, Guys and Gals . This article was not generated by me but it reflects the Locals points of view who go to SFNO..

http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/money-2/1109438701320970.xml?nola

*** Edited 2/26/2005 7:47:57 PM UTC by CrazyB***

I'd say the article reflects the opinion of a group of locals, not all the locals.

You just don't give up, do you.

I read the article, and whoa what a shock there. The complaints come from people who post on a SFNO unofficial message board which means it's a bunch of enthusiasts.

Get back to us when you get the opinions of the general public who aren't amusement park junkies. That is where the park wants to please people most.

The story would have been a little more balanced and credible with a quote from an industry expert on the changes in the park. The park spokesperson isn't going to comment on the financial specifics of the decisions and the comments from the fan site and message board are dripping with emotion. An industry expert would have brought a little focus back to the point that this was a decision with the bottom line in mind.

Yeah, you're right Mamoosh. If the writer would have really gotten opinions from non-enthusiast locals, the comments may have been harsher... Honestly, if you'd tell any local around I'd almost bet they'd say "that's typical" or "another reason why I don't go there."

It's a slow news day in a small news market. Big whoop. Even TV news spends time on daily fluff.

Lemme tell you a lil' story about amusement parks, ride closings and the real world. The year VF dismantled the Bayern Kurve (once CP's) they built, of all things, a theater and an arcade. That's it. No coasters, no shiny new rides. The theater housed the most god-awful musical you've ever seen. It was so bad a much larger market newspaper--the Star Tribune--gave is a whopping ZERO stars. Yes, you read correctly. Zero. Honest truth? It was much worse.

But that year was one of the highest-attended in VF's history.

So, a few people may read it, a few may paper their cages with it and a few may read it and, of all things, actually want to go. Meanwhile, do you think park management won't know exactly who the local jackasses are? Don't you think they have feelings and egos just like anyone else? Can anyone guess who won't be invited to media days when they do have cap ex dollars? And who's gonna run a headline about that?

-CO

Jackasses? Sometimes the truth does hurt. This is far milder of a newspaper article in the (negative sense) that many other articles about the park (with very little or no input from any enthusiasts) have focused around safety, the Joker's Jukebox accident, bankruptsy, etc. Though, I agree that this article really wasn't newsworthy. Maybe something focusing on what happend to both the Zephyrland and Six Flags waterpark would have been more fitting (like what happened to the Zephyrland people, they were hoping to be able to regroup and get some sort of project going despite what happened. It would have been interesting to hear what ever happened to them.)

*** Edited 2/26/2005 10:08:24 PM UTC by Cameraman***

Just like the article said, hours were cut back to fit guest traffic patterns and guest wanted more places to sit and relax. So the park removed two rides to create the space to relax, is building a stage for the popular concerts and adding "new" shows. Look on the other side of the gulf and I see three popular parks of which none are getting anything new this season (oh sorry, Splashtown is getting a Torndao, big Whoop).

Look at SFA, everyone complains about how bad the park is, they have add one ride in three years, saving money to expand the water park. Perhaps next year, SFNO will get their waterpark and now you have a park spokespersons word that the water park is in the master plan.