What SFWOA could have done

I know a lot of people say that it was a mistake to grow SFWOA too quickly by adding 5 coasters in two years time. As well as spending a ridiculous amount of money to do so. But the more I think about it, the more I realize I don't know what else they really could have done to compete effectively with MF being added at CP. But what else could SF have done to WOA that would have been a wiser investment?

What coudl they have done? Emphasize what they have.

They shouldn't have to compete with CP, they put themselves in the situation where they had to compete with them. Bad Move IMO.

WoA is a great park, for a family it far exceeds the value of CP IMO and that is what they need to focus on.

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If given the choice I'd choose a hamburger over a hotdog anyday of the week.

Okay. But what would have been the new for 2000 ride or attraction?

Like I just said, pushing what they alreay had and adding one coaster instead of 5.
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If given the choice I'd choose a hamburger over a hotdog anyday of the week.

I don't think SF did anything wrong with SFWOA, of the ten coasters 4 of them a honestly really good, and then Big dipper is ok, the rest are crap but I blame that on crappy vekoma and Dinn. If I was given a choice between SFWOA and CP I would still choose Cedar Point ONLY because I haven't ridden Top Thrill Dragster, other than that give me SFWOA, in my opinion it is the best park, just because it has MY personel favorite Six Flags ride Villain.

I think their cap-ex program for those couple of years was top notch. They're great rides. The mistake came in not matching the new rides with a new outlook on customer service, and they've been trying to recover from that every since.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

Based on my multiple visits this year, it seems people have returned in large numbers. On most days, the Wild Rides lot has been pretty full and a moderate amount of cars in the Wild Life lot.

I think in order to grab some attention from CP in 2000 they had to convert Geauga Lake they way they did. Was it a success? Yes but like Jeff said the customer service was completely off that year. But that has slowly improved as this year SFWoA has been doing very well.

X Flight was a total surprise as I didn't think we would see another coaster so soon after spending $$$ on the transformation. But since X Flight, the park hasn't been neglected. Though many of the newer additions are minimal compared to the first two years, the park has started to focus attention on families with the "new" flats and Hurricane Harbor additions (which has gone over very well).

And I think they are finally advertising the park the way they should have been since 2001, focusing on everything the park offers instead of trying to put down it's closest rival. This seems like it's paying off for the good.

X Factor

BTW, While at the park I've been overhearing people talking about multi-day visits to SFWoA. You would have never heard that two or three years ago.

What they REALLY should have done was to put that major capEx project off a couple of years so that they could have spread all those new coasters through the whole park! Remember, when they added all those coasters, Sea World was still a separate park!

The other thing they should have done...after they bought Sea World they should have gone back to Geauga Lake. just because the suits in Oklahoma City don't know how to spell "Geauga" isn't a good reason to drop the name...!

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I personally never liked the Park even back when it was Geauga Lake, its always just been a very last minute park or a free tix company picnic park and nothing more. If given my choice of parks with in a day trip form Cleveland SFWOA is very last on my list. There really isn't a ride there thats a true stand out except the Big Dipper just because its a classic woody one of the older ones out there. They need to some how widden some of the paths, clean up the park, and improve on quality of their employees attitudes, I don't know how the park is this year, we're not going until sept 7th for a private event.

Snap. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. The park is running very efficiently, and the employees do have new attitudes this year. You will find that the midways have not been widened yet, but hopefully that happens soon. Maybe they will lose the blacktop also.

I hope they don't get rid of the asphault, the concrete expanses at Cedar Fair parks are far worse then any asphault.
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If given the choice I'd choose a hamburger over a hotdog anyday of the week.

Are you insane? Asphalt retains heat worse than any concrete. That's a scientific fact.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

I'll take the heat over the total blinding caused by the concrete. Even with sunglasses my extremely sensitive eyes have problems with bright grey concrete.

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If given the choice I'd choose a hamburger over a hotdog anyday of the week.

Stop showing up at the parks with such bad hangovers, Brent...;)

I personally think they did do way too much way too fast. I personally hate the park's infrastructure, as the midways are almost always very crowded, and the capacity of many of the coasters is terrible. (This is at least on the rides side, as I very rarely visit the other side.

BEFORE adding all those new rides, they should have widened the midway, and moved some things around to better accomidate the people coming to ride those new rides.

With the wildlife side of the park, I think SFWoA has a lot of potential, but thats only with the right management, and with better planning on things like infrastructure.

-Sam (who has been to SFWoA 4 times this year, and Cedar Point 13, although Cedar Point is at least 3 times farther away)
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Avalanch Run - My first Roller Coaster.
Magnum XL-200 - The BEST Roller Coaster!

Only time I have ever been hungover at a park was at SRM. Actually is still being drunk when water park ERT starts considered "hungover"? ;)

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If given the choice I'd choose a hamburger over a hotdog anyday of the week.

If SFWoA know that the Sea World deal would go thru, I think they would of waited anther year to build those coasters, or build one per year. At the time it was a great move by the park.

Also note something here, the 'crap' coasters at SFWoA were added pre-Six Flags, and all the good coasters were added after the branding of SF. Most of the path ways are also pre-Six Flags. So it's not all Six Flag's fault the park is the way it is. Customer service has always been a big problem for many years at that park, quess they are finaly realizing that good customer service alone can rake in some cash.

SFWoA is on the rise with better service, little improvements here and there, and a cleaner park. The one thing I wish they could of improve on is there food, this pre cooked, just re heat stuff is got to go. I'm willing to pay the price if the food is worth it, and right now it isn't.

BTW, I rather walk on concrete then asphalt anyday.

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Zero g Network

I wouldn't look for the food to get any better. I have not had good food at any Six Flags park. Some of it is ok, but nothing stands out.

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In my CD player: Centaur - In Streams
Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
Fu Manchu - California Crossing

MagnumForce said:
Only time I have ever been hungover at a park was at SRM.

Not gonna even comment on that, except to say that only real men swing on vines drunk.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

I know I swung on the vine, I just wished I remebered it. ;)

Now if Corey would just get that dang video done....

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If given the choice I'd choose a hamburger over a hotdog anyday of the week.