What is the deal with SF and Great Escape?

Every time that I hear about the Great Escape, the title Six Flags is never present, yet when looking online for it, it says that yes, it is a six flags park. Is it a full fledged SF park, or similar to some of the Six Flags affiliates such as Walibi Wavre (I think that is how it is spelled)

It is a Six Flags park... but it is just not titled "Six Flags".

Premiere bought it in 1996 and never converted to a Six Flags when Premiere bought Six Flags in 1999...

...MAYBE due to keep the family park atmosphere it's had in the past, I am not sure, because once Six Flags slaps their label on that park, you'll be sure to see rides like Alpine Bobsled renamed "Pengin's Ride of Terror" or other branding of rides.

It has already begun where the rides have undergone the Six Flags name change (ie: Poland Spring Plunge... sound fimilar? It's probably in half their parks!).

Not "branded" I suppose is the technical term. Same deal with Enchanted Village, La Ronde, and Wyandot Lake (at least according to the back of my pass).

I don't think the branding has to do with the "thrill factor" of the park, but more with the size (landwise, ridewise, showwise etc.). While Great Escape is a good park (from what I hear), I would imagine it still doesn't have enough "stuff" to warrant a branding.

Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."

ApolloAndy said:

While Great Escape is a good park (from what I hear), I would imagine it still doesn't have enough "stuff" to warrant a branding.

Yet they have the same coaster count as "New York's Coaster Capital" SFDL.

But then again, what do I know?

Coaster quantity, as HW has shown over and over and over, do not make a park good. Obviously SF isn't going to win with customer service, but I'm sure they look at flats, shows, kiddie rides, landscaping, etc. etc. before branding a park.

Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."

DawgByte II said:

It has already begun where the rides have undergone the Six Flags name change (ie: Poland Spring Plunge... sound fimilar? It's probably in half their parks!).

You don't honestly think TGE renamed the ride just because they (or SF Corporate) thought "Poland Springs Plunge" sounded better, do you? There's clearly a corporate sponsorship going on there. That is, Poland Springs paid to have all of the SF flumes in their market renamed "Poland Springs Plunge" for advertising purposes. Since the deal was made between the two corporations, TGE didn't really have a choice.

-Nate

Thanks for the clear up...somewhat, I for one think that the sponsorship of rides, especially when they change the name to the name of the product is a shameless promotion...I just hope that it doesn't become Cornnuts: Ultimate Flight

I understand that coaster count does not a great park make... (yeah that was Yodaspeak) But I was just pointing out that they flagged l'il old Darien Lake that really isn't a booming park at all. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad its a Six Flags 'cuz it brought me S:RoS!!

But then again, what do I know?

USUALLY when they brand a park "Six Flags" name... there's a lot of money spent to upgrade the park with a fresh flavor with a decent investment

Case#1) Darien Lake: Recieved a new entrance, new ticket booths, Batman show, Looony Toons Emporium (gift shop) and of course... Superman: Ride of Steel

Case#2) New England: Same kind of treatment... recieved Superman: Ride of Steel among other rides when branded.

Case#3) Ohio/Worlds of Adventure. Recieved not 1, not 2... but FOUR new coasters during their overhaul among other new flats, entrance & other upgrades

If/When Great Escape gets branded, they'll recieve the same kind of treatment, with a new front entrance, new coaster or two, and some flats to compliment it...

...but such money was not spent. Even at Coaster #6, there was never really that heavy of an investment at the park nor will there be until Six Flags corporate starts to spend more at the smaller parks like they did in the late 90's/early 00's to make 'em into bigger parks.

but can't the same be said about elitch gardens? how it was a small family park?

Yes and no. Many of the current SF parks were, at one time, small family parks. The difference is that TGE really embraced and held on to the family atmoshpere. It's still very much a Storybook park with rides tacked on for good measure. TGE was, at one time, a true "kiddie park" like many of the Storybook parks that once existed. Elitch Gardens was never that, it was just family owned.

Darien got flagged/branded because it's a resort property. It's a small amusement park, but an even larger part of business is the campground and hotel. Branding the park works well as an advertisement to visit the resort. TGE won't be branded or go through major expansion because there simply isn't a large market to draw from.

-Nate