Park's recent stupid moves.

I got to say that last year was probably one of the highest coaster building years in history. I personally think it was pointless. Parks were all striving to build big bad B&M's and giant concept boomerangs, ignoring the economic downfall. Although V2 is an unbelievably great coaster (I don't have an opinion on Deja Vu cause I didn't get to ride it) I think that it would have been smarter for SFGAm to build possibly some flat rides, or maybe a wild mouse (they desperately need a wild mouse) and if they really wanted a bigger coaster, put the money towards a CCI (but that would be a slight problem because of the lack of space on the current midway. Basically what I'm getting at is that parks that expanded like that must really be in a bind right now with the lack of admission. And then you look back at Cedar Point who didn't add anything last year and this year sort of broke their reputation for an unbelievable coaster. But when you look at all the other parks you realize that if there is a depression, Cedar Point will make it. Parks like SFMM and SFWOA and SFGAm, may not be so fortunate. Why does it matter whether you build a $700,000.00 L&T Systems wild mouse (yup, that's the price and it's not used!) instead of a (this a guess) $1.5 mil Arrow Wild Mouse? The public isn't going to know the difference. Overall I think SFMM and SFWOA have made some insanely stupid additions over the last couple years and SFGAm addition last year was pretty ridiculous. Am I the only one that sees it this way?

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Milwaukee Wisconsin, we bring you beer, brats and cheese. But don't be fooled, "Milwaukee truly is a special secret getaway that I will be sure to tell my friends about!" Erin Brockevich, not to mention that we are an hour from SFGAm........

Well, I am going to get flamed for saying so, I think Wicked Twister is a horible move for that park. I felt the same about Face Off and other such low capcity coasters in larger parks with large attendance.

Im really not against any coaster but Id rather have a coaster that isn't going to have a 5hr line forever and ever.

Chuck

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Charles Nungester
167 coasters and hopes to be over 200 by the end of 2002 :)

Parks would decide to build a higher priced ride (such as Arrow's Mouse to an L&T Systems mouse for a couple of different reasons) One is company background, if the park is familar with a company and know that maintainence and getting parts in to fix a ride is going to go smoothly, then they will pay a little extra.

I suppose, in a way, this would tie into the second reason which would be quality. Its the same reason people decide to buy a basball glove at a real sporting goods store then Wal-Mart. Sure, they are both baseball gloves, but the difference in quality is day and night

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Excalibur Crew for 2002!

Yeah well from what I know, L&T Systems is a good company too. I still think that possibly a few repairs isn't going to more than double the cost of the original coaster.

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Milwaukee Wisconsin, we bring you beer, brats and cheese. But don't be fooled, "Milwaukee truly is a special secret getaway that I will be sure to tell my friends about!" Erin Brockevich, not to mention that we are an hour from SFGAm........

You mention that you have not ridden Deja Vu, I think that this summer the 3 DV's will more than make up for the wait we all had to endure in '01. They are truly fantastic. Do I see that as a stupid move, not in the least bit.

Six Flags is taking risks, (SFMM in particular) and although a new unproven ride (4-D, GIB) can be a gamble, the payoff can be huge. So far, (except for long lines and slow loading) I have not heard one bad word about X. The ride itself kicks major butt. A FABULOUS addition.

I always find it odd when coaster enthusiasts actually complain when a park adds roller coasters. Thats what we want, right? Capacity may be an issue with shuttles and difficult-to-load coasters, but if you play your cards right (and stay informed) you'll be able to hit the low capacity rides when the lines are short.

Bottom line... A park builds a new ride and advertises the hell out of it, people will come. Wicked Twister may not turn the roller coaster world on its ear, but I'd take that over a wild mouse any day.

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Nothing... NOTHING... can prepare you for... the Fourth Dimension!

SFGAM is doing fine, I'm sure, considering the amount of money they are able to charge for season passes. I wouldn't worry about it.

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If the shoe fits, find another one.

Actually, last year paled in comparison to 2000 when every park and then some added a coaster.

But as far as bad moves? I agree with Chuck, parks have been intalling coasters with terribly low capacities. That is a huge mistake. Parks such as CP, PKI, SFMM and SFGAM draw immense crowds. By installing coasters that can only process 500 riders an hour makes absolutely no sense.

Some parks compenstated by installing two such coasters, or adding other rides along with them to compensate. But still, I think the method to their madness makes no sense.

But as far as stupid? Well I hate that word. I prefer to use un-intelligent.

That being said, the most un-intelligent move many parks have made, SF in particular, is to forget the guest's feelings. They compromised the entire experience for the sake of attendance figures. The consumer really got kicked in the nads over the past few years by SF. They basically expanded their parks, marketed them so everyone and their brother would attend, and then treated guests like dirt once they had walked through the gate.

It really is embarassing... but guess what? SF didn't care... they got what they wanted, money... initially.

But last year SF felt the first low blow by falling attendance figures. Guests remembered how they were treated and not as many returned. So, essentially SF cut their throats.

Of course their attendance will probably pick back up, but not by treating guests in such a manner.

Shaggy

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Shaggy
A.K.A. John K.

Well said Shaggy about the SF experience and I agree totally, There are some SF parks though that I didn't experience a treated like crap mentality. SFGADV tried to operate everything at capacity on my visit. They may have a maintence issue but they aimed to please.

Chuck

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Charles Nungester
167 coasters and hopes to be over 200 by the end of 2002 :)

I fail to see how adding a low capacity ride is a stupid idea. It increases the park's total capacity, no? It increases the park's coaster count, no? It increases the guest experience, no?

The only way that anyone has gone wrong is if they predict an increase in attendance beyond that which the coaster's capacity can withstand. Even then the ride is certainly better than no ride. It's be painfully easy to add a coaster that was 10 feet tall and had a 40 car train. Imagine the capacity! Oh, wait, i think one is made. Why not campaign for every park to get one?

I would think think that CP would have no problem handeling the capacity with this new ride. Although Wicked Twister may only have a 500 person an hour capacity, it would kind of even out, because remember, there are still 14 other roller coasters at CP that people could go to, so is the line is rediculously long at WT, than the lines at the other rides might now be as long.

The thing about complaining about low capacity rides is that for whatever reason, the lines don't seem to be particularly longer to me. At most major parks, you add a new Beemer with great capacity and on your average day with lots of people the line will get to be...what? Usually no more than 2 hours, at the most. (of course, on rare occasions it can get longer.) Same park, you add a new major coaster with lower capacity and the lines get to be....what? Usually around 2 hours. I don't know how to account for it, but lines seem to just level off at a certain point. I'll be very surprised if lines for Wicked Twister are really going to be substantially longer than MF's, Raptor's, or Mantis' in their opening years, and all three of those are capacity monsters.

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If the shoe fits, find another one.

If you look carefully at most park's low capacity additions, they all have one thing in common. They bring well needed attention to "dead" areas in those parks. These areas are also usually too small for a major capacity eater. How soon we forget PKI installing an Invertigo, and all the flak they received for that move. Are people still complaining about it? I haven't heard anything lately. Like anything else, the crowds eventually level off and move on to the "new" thing. Yet that area still has a well needed attraction to fill the gap.

It's VERY easy to look back in hindsight and say, "well they could have easily added a CCI". Are you sure about that? How much research have YOU done?

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"Is it possible that we are feeling more brave than usual sitting at home behind our computer screens and eating Doritos"? -Ophthodoc

I am still baffled at why World's of Fun (my hometown park) would take out Zambezi Zinger and build a Boomerang in its place. This was a terrible move. The lines for the Zinger were always long and it was truly beloved. Moves like this will just make WOF fall deeper into economic problems, worse than it already is.

So what the argument is, correct me if I misunderstand, is that SF and CP spend money in a downfall that was sort of unseen, but SF is stupid and CP is smart. Right.

The company that's hurting the most now is Disney. When money is tight people go to regional parks, such as CF and SF parks, rather than drive longer distances for the Disney parks. SF isn't stupid. CP isn't stupid. You guys way underestimate these companies. They're been going strong for decades now, I don't see that changing because of (another) recession.

rcthemepark36 said:
Moves like this will just make WOF fall deeper into economic problems, worse than it already is.

So....you're an accountant for WoF, right?

MisterX: Apparently that's what the stockholders thought...

A year ago, when FUN announced that they would not be quite as profitable as analysts had predicted, the stock value of PKS dropped significantly.

Go figure.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I thought it was stupid when SFGam closed the demon bridge. I hated that.

I thought and still do think it was stupid for Elitchs to move to it's current location. They did have to move, but they should have moved farther out towards Aurora or at the old Stapleton spot which was vacant at the time. Now they are just limited for space again.

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www.geocities.com/tycoonkingdom

Hey ravenguy98, it is common knowledge in Kansas City that WOF is in economic trouble, it's on the news all the time. Perhaps you might want to get a little more information before you give a smart alec response like that.

rcthemepark36 said:
Hey ravenguy98, it is common knowledge in Kansas City that WOF is in economic trouble, it's on the news all the time.

yeah, its also common knowledge in Cleavland that Magnum is sinking. Show me some facts and figures from Cedar Fair and I'll look at them long and hard, trust me. Until then, give me a break.

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If the shoe fits, find another one.