What if… [An Amusement Park Discussion]

[SonofBaconator]

Let’s begin with a huge What if… I’ve had: What if Kings Dominion got their tax incentives instead of Carowinds?

[BeeastFarmer]

Then we would have had a much more developed kd. If the bm thing was over with bgw, I think we would have seen a hyper in old Virginia and the giga where i305 is. I have a suspicion that the water park would have moved completely behind Racer 75 and the waterpark portion that left redeveloped into the dry park. I think there would have been a huge lean into park roots but with a modern twist. International Street and front entry redone.

[Kenban]

I don’t think anything would have changed.  My understanding is the source of this claim was a representative of Cedar Fair presenting a case on why they should receive the tax incentives to government officials in I believe North Carolina.  I have seen no evidence that suggests tax incentives for Kings Dominion were ever a real possibility.  

In total the incentives were less than a million dollars, and lasted three years.  That’s not a million a year, it was less than a million spread over three years.  Cedar Fair had to spend something like $45 million dollars.  I just do not believe a two percent savings is enough to change what park would receive this kind of investments.

I am convinced Cedar Fair had already decided to invest this money at Carowinds.  They saw a tax incentive program that they were not eligible for and decided to lobby trying to get an exception.  It worked.

[CoastersRZ]

And with Carowinds, they aren`t in close competition with another amusement park.  Kings Dominion is close to Busch Gardens.  Cedar Fair likely saw greater ROI at Carowinds than they did at Kings Dominion.  Hence the current state of the two parks.

[BeeastFarmer]

KD is a much better park than Carowinds.  Subjective, yes, but Carowinds is like an Indiana Beach with a GiGa.

[IndyGuy4KI]

7 hours ago, BeeastFarmer said:

KD is a much better park than Carowinds.  Subjective, yes, but Carowinds is like an Indiana Beach with a GiGa.

That is harsh... 

[BeeastFarmer]

8 hours ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

That is harsh... 

It's not a terrible park. But it seems to be too small for the mission it has been given.  Maybe if they gave it some character instead of a copy and paste of Cedar Point entry plaza to start.