The Interpreter

My aunt doesn't work for Paramount's Kings Island. None of my relatives work for Paramount's Kings Island. Nor do I work for CBS Corporation, Viacom or any other CBS related company. Further than that I am not saying!

It's all in cost cutting to make the books look better for the impending sale. I just hope we don't see and/or suffer from obvious cost cutting when the park opens this spring . . .

And the Beach isn't THAT far away, and it sure isn't on the same side of the street!

Across the street? I hear The Beach will also not be open Easter Sunday...

Every Paramount Park had substantial cuts in the schedule of open days and/or hours this year. I HIGHLY doubt the park will be open Easter. Also, on Easter, as always, Paramount's Kings Dominion does NOT open til 10:30!

Amen! I DETEST bouncing basketballs in parks. Over the years, I have been hit (by accident) by the darn things twice, I hate the rhythmic noise they make. The other day I was in a clothing store, and two clueless idiots were in there with their nine or so year old daughter. She was bouncing a basketball on the tile floor. I kept thinking the store help would ask her to stop. They didn't. I did. The parents, if that is what they were, looked at me as I were a dirty old man looking for a reason to talk to their daughter. Sheesh. If parks truly want to be more family friendly, they wouldn't allow balls in parks with enough air in them to bounce. They can't possibly be THAT profitable, and I can't imagine that parks realize just how much these things annoy how many of their patrons.

My guess is it was a safety/guest comfort issue, caused by either guest complaints, guest misconduct or guest injuries...or some combination thereof.

I already asked that. His 'source' is a post by someone else on another board. Whooptie-doo.

There's a TON of them in this article: http://tinyurl.com/druwh To begin with, an investment group wouldn't be closing Paramount's Great America to get out the land value. Not since the land is leased from the City of Santa Clara! There's quite a few errors in this piece. Who wants to be next to spot one?

So FOF has only one more season? And you know this how, exactly? I don't see any major changes coming to the park in a year when the chain is for sale...

Last I checked, SOB closed before the season was over, and word has it it probably won't open with the park. It IS still there. I would like to see it fixed some day...

If you didn't have the special show and all, after year one, I doubt there would be enough guests in line to have 1200 riders an hour on that Very Slow and Somewhat Painful Top Spin In A Box...

All I know is that by the latter part of last season, MaXair at CP was running far more pleasurably than Delirium (when the latter ran at all). Notchy, not as many negative g's as originally, and somewhat jerky. That was Delirium. It used to be my favorite ride in the park. By the last of its run, I'd rather have ridden the train.

And when it did open, it didn't even stay open for 24 hours. Open that night, opened for about ten trainloads of riders the next morning...and then closed for weeks...

Carowinds was at a Disney level before Paramount took over?

I think I first saw Huss's Land of the Giants at an IAAPA show about five years ago. And, as for me, I find the smaller versions of Delirium, like the one in Iowa, quite delightful. And the Frisbees where the seats face inward can be quite fun, as well...like the Frisbee at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee (which used to run at Six Flags Great Adventure, sigh...)

Shiekra opened last year....

I agree. But look around...most of the theme park industry (as Shaggy pointed out earlier today) is also cutting way back on introducing big rides. What big rides is Paramount putting in this year? Last year? Busch had a dark ride in Virginia, and nothing substantial in Tampa. Cedar Fair is very careful about what they put in where. Ask the people who go to Valley Fair when it got its last major coaster installation. And what was it? An impulse coaster. The late 90's and 2000-2001 were a grand era for new coasters. We may not see anything similar for quite some time. For a chain like Six Flags, the problem was that putting in a Goliath at Georgia, a Kingda Ka or an El Toro at Great Adventure, or a Tatsu at Magic Mountain left very little money for the other parks. Revenue hasn't been the big problem. Raising money to pay off the creditors has. Still, you are very right...the road ahead for Six Flags is a very difficult one at best.

First of all, Mr. Burke is the one who sold Astroworld, not Snyder and Shapiro, and the manager from Astroworld was given a plum position in Six Flags management by Snyder and Shapiro, largely, they said, as he had managed so well for so long with so little. You seemed to think Snyder is making decisions to get rid of "good parks." The only parks being gotten rid of, so far, under Snyder are the ones in Oklahoma City, and even that will be after this season. Several of the general manager positions at the parks have changed...with the incumbents having left Six Flags to "pursue other opportunities." (Great Adventure, Kentucky Kingdom and Elitch Gardens, just off the top of my head, so far)...The changes have been public record, not inside information. What is happening at Six Flags won't be readily apparent until after the major parks reopen for business. I, like you, have concerns. We can start with $15 parking. But Snyder and Shapiro have a lot riding on this. They will be gone in short order if they don't turn Flags around. I wouldn't be betting against them just yet.

I don't hate Pittsburgh! How could I possibly? I don't even think Kenny would.

He is NOT overhauling management? Are you serious? Tell that to the many FORMER general managers of Six Flags Theme Parks. Tell that to Mr. Burke, who was the financial officer. Tell that to the host of marketing people throughout the country who have been let go, replaced by Snyder and Shapiro's henchpeople. Not overhauling management? That's a good one. Not even remotely true, but a good one. Selling good parks? The ONLY parks that Snyder/Shapiro have announced they are selling are the ones in Oklahoma City. Frontier City and the waterpark. NO ONE I know of says these are good parks. I've been to Frontier City a couple of times. To say I was not impressed is to be very, very kind. What good parks have they sold? Changing the culture? Obviously you have no first hand knowledge of what is going on RIGHT NOW in employee training in Six Flags. Let me assure you there is a WHOLESALE change of culture going on...

The same Spongebob movie runs at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, with two differences: first, the movie is crystal clear and in focus, second, there are additional (and hysterical) water effects!

It's a coaster. Not a rough one. (See, I CAN say something good about that thing!)

Interesting that you know that, as my sources say there will be an AUCTION. And the deal is expected to close in the second half of this year. Yes, Six Flags had no acceptable bids. But, there is a huge difference between trying to sell a stockholder owned, very heavily debt laden park chain composed of same great and quite a few marginal (at best) properties (that also had a new management waiting in the wings) as opposed to a profitable park chain that has done well in the marketplace that has four US parks, one Canadian park and manages an attraction in Las Vegas and a small California park and is only a subsidiary of a very profitable media firm.

The folks at Pepsi Cola will not be amused if you call their product Coke. And if you do in a public forum, and they can find you, they will even send you a strongly worded cease and desist order! I know it sounds silly, but it's true!