Snyder named chair of Six Flags board, directors still looking to sell company

I'd pay $150 for an all park season pass from SF. To me it would be worth it as I spend all summer visiting the various SF parks from Atlanta to NY. Now $150 just to go to SFA wouldn't be worth it.

Gonch, I'm thinking even more extreme than the Q-Bot system. More along the lines of an ala carte or something almost like a cable package deal. You'd pay to get in, which entitles you access to so many attracions. Then there'd be additional premium packages which would allow access to more and more. You didn't pay, don't even think of getting into that line.

Granted ESPN zones have no admission to get in. But once you're in, there's nothing you can do without paying other than peeing and looking at TV screens. I just have the feeling that's what Shapiro would be bringing to the company.

Busch actually has more *ticketing options* than they do parks, LOL.

Platinum pass, Gold pass, Silver pass, fun card, day pass, multi-day tickets for BGT/Sea World/Adventure Island....then when you add in the *hosted* park tours, the Serengeti tours, etc., the "menu board" becomes downright unwieldy...

I can see Snyder setting up a "Joe Cool Club" alongside of having *early admittance* to on-site guests (hear that, SFGE, SFGAdv, etc.?). The Q-bots and Fastlanes and such aren't going anywhere either. Divide and conquer is a really good way to maximize the revenue out of the park guests, and if everyone feels they're getting what they paid for, it very well could be a successful gambit.

what we can all count on is a move away from the philosophy of drawing in people with big, new coasters. and we can also count on some underperforming or troublesome, expensive to maintain coasters going away to make room for family attractions. and, if snyder is true to his word, and he moves away from teens and thrills, we can count on fewer trains on the existing coasters. why would he make the thrill experience better and faster if he wants to discourage teens and thrill seekers and encourage more family visits? its the young men and teens who cause mose of the violence in the parks, so to be a family attraction you need to rid yourself of those elements.

I hear alot of you talking about some of the smaller SF parks being sold if Snyder's plan goes through, but I don't see that. I think he would keep all the parks, and try and expand them to create a more family atmosphere in all of them. As a matter of fact, the smaller parks may be better suited to the family atmosphere with fewer coasters than the larger parks with tons of coasters.

I think what Daniel Snyder wants is to create an atmosphere like when you go to Disney World. They don't have lots of coasters, but attract families. And like it or not, families are where amusement parks make their most money. Families buy food for four or more, and they also buy lots of souveniers. Families perfer sit-down restaurants where the food is more expensive. The teenagers pay their admission and usually don't buy any soveniers or sometimes even food.

I have to believe that this is how he plans on making the chain as a whole more profitable. More family attractions and more sit down restaurants. We may even see more shows in the parks to promote the family atmosphere.

getting more families means discouraging thrill seekers. the folks who line up at the gate and sprint to be first in line are the people that moms don't want to be around. and since most of the parks are full of rides that teens/young adults/thrill seekers want to ride, then the crowd will never be a desirable family environment. what is snyder going to do about that?

Well if I were Daniel Snyder I would take the smaller SF parks and turn them into family destination parks and market them as SF family parks. I would take the already established SF thrill parks and market them as such. So SF would essentially split up the clientele....some would go to the SF family parks and some would go to the SF thrill parks. The family parks would get more family oriented rides and a few new coasters every now and then, and the thrill parks would get mostly coasters with a few family rides every now and then. It just may work with a little bit of restructuring....