Six flags is changing direction

This isn't directed at anyone in particular. Times change, so do companies, so does revenue, so does staffing, and so do rides. I'd like to think that even if things aren't perfect they can still be enjoyable and hopefully things will improve in the future. Amusement Parks are supposed to releive stress and make for a good time, so I'm just gonna not let it get to me anymore. Six Flags is doing a great job working out their issues so far, and if it lasts through this season, thats all I can ask for. *** Edited 1/14/2004 3:29:06 PM UTC by ThrillChill***

And now that our Hallmark moment is over, how about a little reality folks? Amusement parks, like any other American business are in a competitive capital market. That means perform or die. Right now, SFMM ain't performing. I don't care how you cut it, or even what the reasons are; rides are closed, people aren't happy, that means they aren't performing. There are many other parks, maybe not of the same magnitude, but still good parks, close by, including probably THE most famous park.
So you *don't* have to be happy with what you've got if there's an alternative close by. Six Flags needs this direction change. Hopefully this is just the beginning, but nothing's for sure, but I think as a company, they're really on a knife's edge of falling into a Catch 22 - you can't improve simple maintenance and upkeep budgets without income, but without increasing those two, your income will fall. It's a crappy situation but its harsh reality.

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Just be happy that some of the things are there for you to have. Not everything in life is going to be nice, you have to take what you can get.

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Wow...booya, that's the single most apologist type statement I have ever read. I can't believe anyone would feel that way about anything. And frankly I don't understand it.

Do you believe that everyone should just accept that someplace is no longer run well? (While some of the other parks in same chain run just fine no less!) And that people should still want to go there and still pay full price for it even though they are now getting less value? So how far would you take this concept? 10 rides open? Five rides open? If only ONE ride was open in the park, would you still want to pay full price? Would you still have a good time? Would you still be happy because you had that one ride while the others around you stood silent? At what point would you start thinking that the park was no longer a good value for you either?

Please note I am not attacking you. But I'm baffled by this point of view and am trying to understand. It seems to me that views like that certainly wouldn't give much motivation for a park to improve if everyone thought that way.

I see what you are saying, But they are trying to make improvements. If they werent trying, i would agree with you. They dont make enough money to have the parks staffed like they used to be and have rides up to par like they used to.

Okay...on that I will agree with you. Though I have yet to see any such improvements whatsoever being made at SFMM. Which I really think is a mistake. With parks that normally have not been coaster competitors, such as Sea World and USH stepping up to the plate and putting in coasters, along with DCA's ToT and later KBF's Silver Bullet, can SFMM afford to sit back and do nothing and continue to run with only some of their rides?

I really don't think it's wise.

I don't think new crappers are going to help them to dump the company's debt.

But that's just me :)

I believe that the smart thing for SFMM to do would be to take down a few of their unoperating rides and send them to the more the needy parks in the chain. I found it strange that they have built so many new coasters the past few years while other coasters and rides are sbno.

If they did this, then it would be easier for them to staff all of their rides. It would also help their macanics to be spread a little thicker.

Of course I've never been to MM and I am no business expert. It's just an idea that I had.

"They dont make enough money to have the parks staffed like they used to be and have rides up to par like they used to."

That's their own stupidity. Through bad business decisions and poor management they have wasted away their market share for some parks. Now they HAVE to spend more to get the parks back on their feet and get real managers in there to handle the budget. And i'm not saying they have to convince us (the enthusiasts), we will most likely attend when the chance presents itself. It's the average Joe and his family they have to win back now.