Worlds of Fun...and Cedar Fair!
Besides the desist order upon any "unfriendly" to Keller posts, I would still like to add my opinion about the park and the way it is managed. Having been a seasonal for several years, I know both Mr. Keller and Phil Bender personally. Mr. Keller is a nice, guy. Even though he's a great dad and friend...I still don't agree with his business' practices. I've seen the budget cuts and expectations, they are defintely tough to meet. Maybe, he'll be able to do better things for Cedar Fair than what he has done for WOF.
Phil Bender though is a welcome change of pace. Having know the man for several years, he has shaped the WOF Retail department into a nice machine, regardless of budget cuts or expectations. He tried to find money to make things work. Additionally, I think he wants to keep true to the park's theme. An example can be seen in several of the games/shops/food stands which have been themed to allow guests to understand and take part in the fun.
Now, I don't necessarily agree with everyone from WOFFA or even with Jeff (the admin of this site). I think that to have an accurate discussion on what types of coasters are best or even how they are run, one must also discuss the park's operation as that greatly affects the entire situation.
Lastly, I believe Dan Keller to have done some nice things for WOF. (I don't think anyone says all he has done for the Park is bad.) But on balance, the park is so lean now that it is almost anemic which shows Keller needing to go elsewhere.
Thanks, I hope this makes it to the board.
Phil Bender though is a welcome change of pace. Having know the man for several years, he has shaped the WOF Retail department into a nice machine, regardless of budget cuts or expectations. He tried to find money to make things work. Additionally, I think he wants to keep true to the park's theme. An example can be seen in several of the games/shops/food stands which have been themed to allow guests to understand and take part in the fun.
Now, I don't necessarily agree with everyone from WOFFA or even with Jeff (the admin of this site). I think that to have an accurate discussion on what types of coasters are best or even how they are run, one must also discuss the park's operation as that greatly affects the entire situation.
Lastly, I believe Dan Keller to have done some nice things for WOF. (I don't think anyone says all he has done for the Park is bad.) But on balance, the park is so lean now that it is almost anemic which shows Keller needing to go elsewhere.
Thanks, I hope this makes it to the board.
Sure. For example, in 1998 (the year we recieved the mamba and expected a great boost in attendance) Keller cut several Retail budgets to the point where we had to send people home and close down stands to make sure we didn't go over, even though there were about 7,000 (that's a lot for a weekday mind you) people in the park. Additionally, several departments were working with bad or faulty equipment due to his budget cuts.
Hope that helps.
Hope that helps.
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