Let's hope we start seeing some positive changes across the chain.  I have to say the past 2 weeks I have been to SDC, Six New England, Great Adventure, Enchanted's Great Escape and WOF. We really have it good at KI. Now, we can always improve and should, especially the details like the fountain spouts not working, but we are a top tier park in the SIX portfolio. 

I personally feel like the park is no where near the personal passion project for Dolly it once was. A lot of her family that performad at the park have passed, she no longer has a apartment above Apple Jacks (which itself is gone) and now that she is in her later life legacy building phase, I feel like its only slightly more important to her than a truck stop or a line of perfume at WalMart with her name on it. She'll trot out once or twice a year to publicize things, but her heart seems less in it. the Herschends heart seems less in it and you can feel the company as a whole has a different feel since the move to Atlanta for corporate. I still think its a great company that cares about guest experience, but I feel like now they care more because happy guests make more money than because it's just the right thing to do. 

So I'm thinking of switching out the Reds game in St Louis for the zoo or something.  They've been pathetic.  I'll still swing by Busch Stadium for sure, just not to see the Reds get destroyed. Any BBQ recommendations for StL or KC would be appreciated. 😉

Cannonball! will be the tallest and fastest water roller coaster in the U.S., but the biggest story is why it perfectly matches Holiday World’s family-first philosophy. Full story: https://themeparksbydon.com/holiday-world-cannonball-perfect-fit/

The chain has been influenced by Cedar Fair in some pretty major ways, but as you mentioned there is a definite stench lingering from the legacy Six Flags corporation. I think the "integration with Cedar Fair" comment was simply John Reilly calling it how it looks. People see the Six Flags name and don't want to read through a bunch of babble explaining that it's actually CF with the SF name [insert nerd emoji here]. Recent upgrades act as a nice perfume, but the odor still permeates. I suspect his biography was repeated to include everything he provided in addition to everything the press release's writer wanted. There might be a better explanation, but that's what I thought.   There is probably a good way to salvage the Six Flags name, but I don't think it can be done without first getting rid of the legacy logo in its entirety. That thing has stuck around for nearly 30 years and has seen bad publicity for at least 20 of those years. It is a literal part of the company's image problem that can't be fixed by moving the words around [for the 7th time in 30 years]. Also, taking the SF name off of parks like Magic Mountain would 100% signal that the parks are in a new era.