Six Flags America hopes to turn around low attendance with improved water park

Lies! All lies!

Only a ROLLYCOASTER can save them!

*snort*

-'Playa

It could boost attendence...so long as they haven't pissed off and alientated their customer base with crappy operations and customer service.

The attractions may be enough to entice some people back but definitely getting their customer service a major makeover will go much further in the long run. Word of mouth is usually your biggest ally or worst enemy.

This is SFA's shot at winning back guests. If they blow this one it's going to be hard to move forward. They have one season to show improvements in guest and park operations.

And I always assumed that the waterpark was one of the parks stronger assets...judging by how many guests actually spend their time in that section... guess I was wrong there,well then perhaps this may turn it around assuming they have good weather unlike how 03 went when their last water attraction was added.

After this expansion however what they need to focus on is actually adding some more rides to the theme park section because a lack of new rides in recent years(thanks to SFI's poorly planned cap ex spending) is somewhat to blame for the decline in attendance,although if attendance is so low at the park in recent years why is it then that Superman,Batwing,Wild one & a whole host of other rides seem to have full queues whenever I decide to ride them?lord knows the park was packed during FF last fall.

Back in 99 when SF began their first season managing the park attendance was pretty high but after the influx of new rides(which the public was expecting the park to continue to recieve) had slowed down or stopped alltogether then the locals interest in the park has since declined especially when there's another park about 2 hours away that continues to add new attractions every season as well as providing superb maintenance & overall operations of their attractions.

'99 was the newness factor. It was a new brand name in the Washington area. You have to toss '99 out of the picture attendance wise. Everyone flocked to SFA that year wanting to see what Six Flags America was all about. What did they find? Long lines waiting to get into the parking lot. I bet some of those customers vowed never to return again. A remodeled Paradise Island/HH might be just what the parks needs to bring people back, but, if those people arrive finding long lines to get into the parking lot, to buy a ticket, to get through security they will loose customers forever.

Call me skeptical, but will two new waterslides bring in that more many guests? If you take a look at SFNE's Hurricane Harbour, it's sick how much they have in comparison to what SFA has (and they're getting another state of the art slide this year). Also of note is that SFNE will have two "junior" coasters to SFA's none. Maybe there will be more of a budget to expand the waterpark again next year, and get at the least a wild mouse. Here's hoping.

SFNE is also a cash cow, SFA's operations have gotten better each year, not light years better, but gradually better.

Umm...Intamin Fan, I do believe that SFA does acually have a junior roller coaster, its called The Great Chase.*** This post was edited by Colin Fisher 3/7/2005 2:57:34 PM ***

The Great Chase is a kiddie coaster. BIG difference. I'm talking about a coaster like Poison Ivy's Twisted Train at SFNE (or Blackbeard's Pirate Train at SFGAdv.) Basically something everyone can ride, lasts longer than two seconds, and something that doesn't require children to hop aboard.

I will add that SFNE's Hurricane Harbour was done in two phases I believe, so everyone get out your swimtrunks or swimsuit and visit frequently, PLEASE, so we can have something as cool next year.

Let's not forget that SFNE probably had the room for such a major expansion,SFA does not(as Sam pointed out in another thread they couldn't use the land behind Mind Eraser) so there wasn't much room for more than the two slides they're adding....still they could've just removed some of the older,outdated slides in favor of a few more new ones.

PITT & BBTT are basically clones but you're right in the fact that GC is a kiddie coaster(& a lousy,rough one at that) so that's something the park is really lacking in coasterwise....a MR.Six's pandamonium clone would do wonders in that arena & at a price they probably could afford.

Attendance was still moderate to high in 00 when Superman was added but it went down shortly after that probably due in part to all the problems they've had with Batwing since they put it in,along with SFI's emerging financial problems although 02 saw a 9% attendance increase over 01.

Heck, if they think an existing waterpark at SFA that is upgraded will bring in a 5-10 percent increase, what would the estimate be for SFGAm with a brand spanking new waterpark ?

---

BATWING FAN SFA said: Let's not forget that SFNE probably had the room for such a major expansion,SFA does not(as Sam pointed out in another thread they couldn't use the land behind Mind Eraser) so there wasn't much room for more than the two slides they're adding....still they could've just removed some of the older,outdated slides in favor of a few more new ones.

---

PLEASE, don't put words in my mouth! I said the land between the Wave pool and Mind Eraser is protected land. HOWEVER, SFA has plenty of area for waterpark expansion. look to the left of the wave pool..... there's a whole parking lot there! they could expand out into the parking lot area if they need to, and develop the parking lot further north that's only gravel right now. Heck, they have two gates for the parking lots, they could build a second entrance for waterpark guests, and eventually expand to a stand alone waterpark with a seperate entrance, and admission price.

FWIW Six Flag America currently uses approximately 140 acres. It has 515 acres of total property. There is a provision that 50% of their land must reman un developed, however that still leaves them with almost 100 acres of additonal land to expand onto.

One thing to keep in mind (and I know it's hard to grasp this) is that Six Flags in general is in a financially precarious situation, and they're gonna be quite cautious with expenditures at parks that aren't producing.

SAM

^Notice how in my previous post I mentioned SFI's increasingly poor financial situation as one of the reasons behind the lack of cap ex spending on new rides at SFA following the 01 season?

On topic of SFAmerica in MD, I first went there in 1999 under their new ownership and never went back (don't even ask what all happened). Went back today for the first time, not as bad but still a lame park.

My question to all of you that also concerns SF outside Buffalo, Superman, nice hyper coaster, but in less than 2 years, visited both SF parks with a Superman, and both of these days at 2 different parks, same ride, the ride breaks down constantly, and shut down twice, and it never runs right.

Seems something mechanical with the design of the braking system. Each time a train just started up the hill when the 2nd train pulled into the braking system before the station, the 1st train up the hill stops. Happened 3 times in a 4 hour period, and same exact thing happened in Buffalo. So what is up with this? Other SF like NE have the same problem?

Thanks guys.