SFGA, Unbelievable...

"Catering to the low price crowd in a hospitality business is pretty much a guaranteed loser." - Gator, agreeing with Gonch, ca. 2001

Time to agree to disagree about what we are disagreeing about. I don't even know the point you're trying to make anymore.

The point is that you're complaining and Gonch isn't. I'm not being facetious here.

You wouldn't do it for different reasons than why Gonch wouldn't. It's a personal annoyance to you. Gonch just thinks there's a better business model and isn't taking it personal at all.

Exactly.

But if you wan to be nitpicky, it's actually two different things, really.

Your complaint is as a customer about advertising in the park.

My comment (which you saw as similar to yours, but wasn't) was about business approach/model and how I would run a business.

As a customer, you're complaining about advertisements in the park. As an armchair CEO, I wouldn't cater my business to the LCD and stress cost as my selling point.

It's comparing elephants to apples.

For the sake of your clarity, my argument as far as our discussion goes is that I don't get disliking advertisements in the park to the point of it affecting my experience. On a secondary level it's that you're the exception and, on a tertiary level, that I don't understand going and complaining rather than just not going if it's that big of a deal.

Completely different discussion than my comment to Andy.

Let me state the obvious and back away slowly: we may be over-thinking this. Big time.

I need to detox from this conversation and relax for a while - analyze the Gaza conflict, deconstruct string theory, maybe read some Nietzsche, etc.

But over-thinking things is half the fun.....!

Too much advertising in String Theory for my liking.

But if that's the scientific model they've chosen, then who am I to question it? Just saying, it's not how I'd do things...

I was going to say that Six Flags is the Walmart of the amusement park industry in a recent previous topic, Gonch. lol

About the advertising, it bothers me somewhat. It's kind of annoying, but that is not the reason I dislike the company so much. Perhaps all this advertising stuff is something that helped save the company and bring it back from it's problem times? If so, that's a good thing.

I do wish more parks were like Busch Gardens, as far as putting the "park" in theme park. Extreme advertising hinders that kind of environment, in my opinion.

As far as "if the advertising bothers you, go somewhere else" line, you are talking to coaster enthusiasts. Most of us like to add new coaster experiences to our track list. As far as I am concerned, it is worth it to have to deal with things that annoy me in order to add new experiences to my personal list. I'm not going to submerge myself in being annoyed though. A person can only take so much.

Sorry to interrupt. Carry on. This is a very interesting read. :D

For all of us who go to Great America this is just normal operating procedure. Just ignore all the Cleanest Park signs and I know they are everywhere. I wonder who voted them that honor?

The Ad's are everywhere but I'm assuming all Six Flags parks do the same. I would rather see "Got 2 Be" then pay higher costs on merchandise like at a Cedar Fair Park. After a few visits it all blends in and I don't notice these ad's.

Now this will get me in trouble with my friends. This past Sunday we had a day planned at Great America. I lied saying I had to work early so I could avoid the park. I had a wonderful restful day. I just couldn't face a crowded park, poor loading of rides. Whizzer and Demon down to 2 train operation. Besides I had to get up for work at 6AM. I hope they won't hate me for not going however I just needed a break from "The Cleanest Theme Park In The World."

Speaking of theming: Hometown Square looks so sad these days. part of Ignights stage still blocking the Train Station. The time has come follow Ca Great America's lead and take out the train. Then open up the area around Columbia and The Grand Music Hall. This will provide much better traffic flow.

Parking Great America $25 Kings Island $14, let's face it Banshee is the better of this years new coasters. But wait until Labor Day Weekend Parking prices always go up on that weekend. My guess $28

LostKause said:

As far as "if the advertising bothers you, go somewhere else" line, you are talking to coaster enthusiasts. Most of us like to add new coaster experiences to our track list. As far as I am concerned, it is worth it to have to deal with things that annoy me in order to add new experiences to my personal list.

And you hit the nail on the head with the last line - as an enthusiast, regardless of your adversion, in your eyes the value propsition is still in your favor.

In other words, you'd rather be at the park than not see ads.

And if that's the case the ads aren't going anywhere, you're doing nothing to change the situation by frequenting a place that does something you hate and it all seems like an excercise in futility to even waste energy on worrying about it.

The irony I've always felt is that I don't love parks and rides like a lot of enthusiasts claim to, yet somehow those same people seem so negative so often compared to how I feel - angry about capacity or pricing or advertising or restraints. It seems weird to be so unhappy with something that you supposedly love doing. I guess I'm not that kind of masochist. I stay away from things I don't like and I don't complain about things I choose to do.

(and yes, at this point the conversation has shifted from "why are people so adverse to advertising" to "why do people spend so much time hating what they love")

Ron Witrzek said:

Parking Great America $25 Kings Island $14, let's face it Banshee is the better of this years new coasters. But wait until Labor Day Weekend Parking prices always go up on that weekend. My guess $28

Remember the good ol' days when the community was up in arms that Six Flags had the audacity to raise their parking to $15? Now we use that price point in defense of more reasonable parking prices.

Interestingly, parking in Chicago runs in the range of $13-$34 and parking in Cincinnati runs in the range of $3-$15. (as of my posting this)

Given their markets, locals probably see less sticker shock at Six Flags than Kings Island.

Besides, Six Flags clearly prices in a way to encourage season pass/parking sales. The only people paying those parking prices are the ones who don't visit enough for it to be an issue.

To continue on Gonch's point above - Much like Disney, if you're paying full price for a day at Six Flags, you're doing it wrong. With all of the discounts, options and ways to save a few bucks available to everyone, and easily available at that, you're a fool if you don't at least research it first.

Ron Witrzek said:

I would rather see "Got 2 Be" then (sic) pay higher costs on merchandise like at a Cedar Fair Park.

This is the second time someone has assumed that there's some arbitrary distribution of revenue to hit some mythical target. It's like suggesting I would reduce the cost of CoasterBuzz Club memberships if I could get more for ads. It just ain't the case.

99.9% of people going to parks are thinking about what rides to ride or how crowded it will be. You must be the .1% that goes to a park thinking,lets see how many ads the park has.lmfao

Jeff, I'm not suggesting there is some mythical point. The point of a business is to make as much money as possible.

But that doesn't mean that extra sources of revenue don't serve to keep prices down in many cases.

To just complete the analogy:

Six Flags: Walmart, they are everywhere and cheap, but you feel dirty for just going there.

Cedar Fair: Target. More expensive then Six Flags, and nicer but still not premium.

Herschunds Group: Cabellas. A totally different experience and if you go to their full size places (sdc, dw) "premium" as much as the theme allows.

Sea World: Sacks 5th Ave. Premium, pure quality, but unfortunately rare

Universal/Disney: designer label stores. The premium of premiums.

Ron Witrzek said:

Speaking of theming: Hometown Square looks so sad these days. part of Ignights stage still blocking the Train Station. The time has come follow Ca Great America's lead and take out the train. Then open up the area around Columbia and The Grand Music Hall. This will provide much better traffic flow.

Hometown Square is hideous. The stage looks like it was built by kids. They removed the tress and landscaping in the center and put in concrete.

The train needs to stay though, it is one of the few all-around rides there that everyone can ride. One of the downfalls of Six Flags is that they concentrate too much on thrill rides, and leave everyone else out.

Touchdown said:

To just complete the analogy:

Six Flags: Walmart, they are everywhere and cheap, but you feel dirty for just going there.

Cedar Fair: Target. More expensive then Six Flags, and nicer but still not premium.

Herschunds Group: Cabellas. A totally different experience and if you go to their full size places (sdc, dw) "premium" as much as the theme allows.

Sea World: Sacks 5th Ave. Premium, pure quality, but unfortunately rare

Universal/Disney: designer label stores. The premium of premiums.

Great analogy. People love to praise Cedar Fair while slamming Six Flags, but in reality they are just a slight step above Six Flags, as Target is to Wal Mart.

It's enough for me. I drive 7 hours to go to Targets over driving an hour to Walmart. Although it would be different if I lived in Texas instead of Wisconsin.

I had no problem at all with SFGAm... Like someone had mentioned previously, probably the best ride lineup in the states as far as I am concerned. I don't mind the advertising at all, and thankfully it was slow when we visited two weeks ago so I can't comment on operations or anything when busy... But as far as the park itself, it was great. Next year, we plan to buy passes and visit more often for sure. I wish it was closer to Cleveland, but six hours is not too bad!

I thought SFMM was more "in your face" with the ads and such than SFGAm from what I remember. But again, it hardly makes any difference for me. I don't rate a Disney or Universal park higher because they don't have ads, for example. It is what it is.

I'm officially old or over it or something, because six hours to anything on a frequent basis doesn't sound fun. I like that park, but I never went out of my way to go to it because you could essentially get stuff that was "close enough" locally. Come to think of it, that's true for most major metros.