What park is next?

What park has the potential to be the next Geauga Lake??????(a decent sized park suddenly shutting it's doors)

With the economy the way it is, it seems more and more likely that more and more parks may be closing...

I'd like to hear opinions.

CGA.

Hard Rock Park

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CGA.

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So true, except it doesn't have to do with the failure of the park as a whole I guess... *** Edited 8/6/2008 4:06:59 AM UTC by d_port_12E***

Strong contenders:

California Great Adventure
Hard Rock Park
Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom

I'll go with Cedar Point and Great Adventure, only because posting has been kinda slow around here lately, and I'd like this thread to go to 20+ pages. ;)

^I think SFKK might have some hope with a few miracles.

What's the deal with SFKK? I have always heard that despite its crappy offerings the park has been a big money maker. Not to mention the complications with land ownership and the agreement with the state fair.

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RatherGoodBear said:
I'll go with Cedar Point and Great Adventure, only because posting has been kinda slow around here lately, and I'd like this thread to go to 20+ pages.

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You forgot to throw in Holiday World just incase it doesn't quite make it to 20. :)

If Cedar Point or Great Adventure would be the next ones to go bye bye, I'd eat my hat.

I could see KK going...I mean, I don't know what all KK has to offer, but from what I've gathered, there's not too much at that park. I'd have to qualify that statement with more info about the park, but I've heard not great things.

This is interesting because it encompasses so many things. I mean, we've all discussed whether parks are more family oriented or if they are more thrill ride seeker oriented. If you're looking for more of the thrill outlet, you could argue that Holiday World COULD be the next to go because people are going to get sick of three wooden coasters and no other thrill machines like drop towers or sick flat rides. If you argue that family parks are the wave of the future, you probably COULD make a good argument for Great Adventure being sold out. However, both of these parks probably make an incredible amount of money due to the intense attendance and superb reputations for having a solid experience according to what riders/park patrons are looking for.

I hate to say it, but Dorney's not exactly sitting pretty. Sure, Wildwater Kingdom may stick around, but I've never seen park attendance near to what it used to be. Plus, all the crowds around this area seem to flock to Great Adventure and Hersheypark. If Dorney would go though, I'd buy it. If I had money. LOL

Or what about the Busch Gardens parks? I mean, they're being sold, but who's gonna buy them with the economy for amusement parks being what it is? I see these going the way of the dinosaur (sad,but true).

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RushStreetFlyer said:
Hard Rock Park

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Not while I am still around!!!! That would BREAK my heart!

-Tina

Hate to say it, but Canobie Lake. Even though they've improved it in recent years, some areas are stuck in the 60's & 70's. The placed needs a new coaster BAD!!! It has a good location, "charm" (had to add it in, sorry!), a classic coaster (the Yanke Cannonball). Sure, the place is up in vistors this year due to more people staying local, but it's a half-day park, at best.

^^bunky:

I seriously doubt you will see any of the Busch parks close.

Seaworld has been through 3 owners and they are still going strong. The two BG parks are pretty profitable as well.

If they can't find a buyer, I really don't see InBev closing them. They would probably continue to run them until they found a buyer.

I don't see Dorney going in the forseeable future. This park is in a good location near the Turnpike and is reasonably close to Philadelphia. The Allentown-Bethlehem area is growing and there are no parks worth mentioning in the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre area. This isn't a case like GL. Dorney has the second highest attendance in the state (more than double what GL had under Cedar Fair). In addition, it is the only Cedar Fair park in the Northeast so there is no concern about cannibalization.

Wildwater Kingdom, Michgians Adventure (because CF can...)may be next.

I'm stretching here, but it wouldn't surprise me to see a few ski resorts not open this winter. (I look at ski resorts like amusement parks. Kind of like a coaster you control yourself.)

My thoughts would point towards Adventuredome at Circus Circus as being a prime contender, though with the slowdown in Las Vegas building from the real-estate slow down, it may be given a bit of a reprieve.

Hopman, dont worry about Canobie. This July was the first time I have visited in 10 years, the place looks great and has seen a lot of improvements. And for the most part (besides what they have done to the Psycho Dome) they have been for the better. It was also full of people on a night that saw an hour of heavy downpour followed by an half an hour of constant rain. That place isnt going anywhere.

I can't see Hard Rock Park closing it's doors just yet, they need to find that "it" attraction to draw people in. It seems like a nice park but it's just missing a few things to have it be the experience they promised.

SFKK is on an upswing. The park seemed rather nice and there was a decent sized crowd when I visited it. The park could use maybe a couple of more Shapiro style family attractions along with a couple of new slides or other water styled attractions and the park would be fine.

I can't see anymore CF parks closing. I don't think they want to deal with the amount of backlash that was received with Geauga Lake being closed. If anything, I could see maybe a few parks being sold to other chains but not closed.

I could see the PARC-7F parks going under. We haven't heard much press of anything out of them. The parks they own don't seem to draw many people either.

^Actually, from what I'm hearing/gathering, both DL and EG are doing pretty well (DL has had its share of maintenance problems to be sure, but the turnstiles and dollar figures look pretty decent).

The one PARC-7F park I'm just not hearing ANYTHING about - Enchanted Village. Like KK now, it *was* becoming mostly a waterpark destination with some rides...

So....if by "Geauga'd" we mean the dismantling and removal of the amusement rides in favor of a larger water park - then I'd have to say that SFKK and EV are potential candidates....EV *might* even disappear altogether or find a new location, given the neighborhood.