Ouimet: Cedar Fair growth in complimentary development, not acquisition

Posted | Contributed by Jeff

Building a park has become too expensive, so Cedar Fair’s best chance for growth and increasing revenues lies in complementary development, like hotels and the new $23.5-million Sports Force Park/Cedar Point Sports Center in Sandusky, not far from the company’s hallmark amusement park.

Read more from The Toledo Blade.

CNL Lifestyle Properties just announced the sale of all their parks last month, so I don’t buy the premise that no amusement parks are for sale. These out-of-park developments (resorts and sports fields) might be smarter investments, however. They certainly require less capital and involve less risk.

Interesting that they bring up the Mass Effect and Plants vs Zombies attractions. I really expected to see announcements for adding these to additional parks in 2017. Both seemed popular based on my anecdotal observation. The development cost has already been incurred, so I would think it would be relatively inexpensive to install these attractions in the existing action theaters.

Perhaps he really means "good" parks. :) I don't think the CNL parks have the markets to operate the way that CF likes to operate.

Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog

If they could support hotels, they'd already have 'em.

Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."

I often wonder how Geauga Lake and Darien Lake would have turned out if Cedar Fair had bought Funtime Parks (Kinzel had said he regretted missing out on that deal to get Geauga Lake) instead of Premier Parks buying them and turning them into Six Flags parks...

But then again, what do I know?

Probably very similar to Michigan's Adventure.

coasterimage - lordgonchar

So we'd have someone named Dipper-Rider upset about the lack of new attractions?

Exactly.

And all the arguments used by delusional haters to explain why CF closed Geauga Lake would be used to complain about said lack of attractions.

coasterimage - lordgonchar

I'd honestly be okay with that. GL was tight sized before SF took over. At most, I'd have like to see that park with the rides it had befor that and then add villain. You'd have a right sized park like MiA that was a fun side trip.

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.

Definitely. It'd be a solid little park.

And much more along the beaten path for enthusiast trips than MiAdv is.

coasterimage - lordgonchar

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