BoddaH1994

Those with preferred stock get to sit in the VIP lounge. edit I received a prospectus for anyone with a ton of time on their hands: https://materials.proxyvote.com/Approved/150185/20240124/NPSPR_559684.PDF

Oof... does that apply to the Units too???

Fun while it lasted, I suppose.

I posted this in the Other Parks thread. The thought of it going to KD does add some hope for KI.

To be fair, we don’t know that. The thing that needs to be clear is that, especially with the 51/49 thing, this isn’t necessarily Six Flags becoming Cedar Fair. In the long term, there will be no “business as usual” as we know it now

Kings Dominion announced their lineup, including Grand Carnivale.

How long until your one time FL isn’t good on TT2 with Prestige?

Yeah, I’m sure it has language in the prospectus. Like I said, my guess is it was entered when they added the poison pill. That was before 2011, so the timeline checks out. By the way, if anyone is taking solace in the 51/49% thing, that’s nonsense. Very much on paper. In fact, if what @DispatchMaster is saying is accurate (and I do believe them) then they may have done that to specifically bypass the hurdle of a CF equity vote. Just speculation. This won’t be CF taking over SIX. It’s simply not going to look like this. Almost every aspect of the business will change - for better or worse.

I feel like we are on the same page with the last part. Don and I discussed something similar with the cutting of the three shows for Winterfest. Very few people would be upset that Four Drummers or HJ Trolley didn’t come back, but people may leave thinking that there wasn’t as much to do, without being able to put their finger on what. Likewise, without the PAs people may see the customer service at KI as going downhill, although they wouldn’t be able to cite the PAs as a reason why.

I’m not sure why CF having a 51% stake would negate the unit holders’ vote. Honestly, people are reading WAY too much into the 51/49 thing. It’s very much a merger of equals. My theory is that when they added the poison pill measure in 2009-ish to combat the Jeffrey Reynor/Q Investments hostile takeover involving the Apollo leveraged buyout that they also added a measure that allowed them to merge without an equity vote. This would prevent what happened last time. I know it’s not new news, but I felt like the article laid out the opposition pretty well. The benefits are obvious, the opposition is a little more clunky.

VERY interesting article... https://sanduskyregister.com/news/502802/rotten-deal-raises-concern/#:~:text=The proposed merger is a,a way that hurts them." Any guesses why the unit holders don't get a vote? I have theories.

I try not to spam up these forums about Tower Topics that often, but this one may not be common knowledge. When The Beast was announced in July of 1978, it was announced without a name! It wasn’t until February of 1979 that the name, “The Beast” was unleashed on the world. What is the story behind this? What other names were considered? This, plus how could Kings Island pay tribute to Coney Island in the latest Tower Topics: https://linktr.ee/towertopics

Saw this online: Notice: one time through for daily FL+. I know this will be controversial; however, I think it’s a really good thing for crowd management.

I’m having a but of a problem sharing in your vision: If a season passholder spends more in a season than a one-time visitor, then why would you turn that away? Yes, per capita is important; however, ultimately the revenue and margin are what matters, especially with an MLP. I could see an argument that season passholder net much less margin over a whole season vs a one time visitor, but it’s not clear if that’s what you’re suggesting. Even if true, the smart business model would find ways to increase margins on season passholders - whether through pricing or more opportunities to spend money within the park. If the park’s mentality is that, “only season passholders show up, so why care?” then the implications are two-fold, with the park being in the midst of part one: Part One: the park cuts back everything because they already have your money. Season passholders live with it because the value is still there; however, this valuable single day ticket don’t show up because they don’t see the value based on what they’ve been hearing. Thus affecting the hygiene of the season pass mix. Part two: Season passholders end up breaking and not renewing because of the perception that the value is no longer there. This causes trouble with the Q4 and Q1 budgets and affects cash flows. This is when we start seeing discounted season passes, propositions that diminish the pass, and unprecedented marketing (think, Silver pass).

Regrettably, Chad Showalter seems to overlook the broader perspective. While he may not personally favor this forum, the Season Pass Facebook group, the Tower Topics Podcast, or Theme Parks By Don blog, as a communications professional, he should acknowledge the potential each holds to amplify the park's stories. These platforms wield significant influence with diverse audiences, and dismissing them only undermines Kings Island and Cedar Fair. Acknowledging their value, surpassing that of local news media, would markedly elevate the park's communication strategy.

YES! And if the value is diminished that it’s only worth $100 for an entire season, ALL they will get is season pass holders. This whole thing is working against the other side of their business plan. Remember: the two great tragedies in life…

Kings Island's director of communications, Chad Showalter, was invited to join us on the Tower Topics Podcast to discuss Camp Snoopy. Tower Topics presents a valuable opportunity for the park to engage with its fans through updates. Unfortunately, despite extending the invitation, no response was received from Chad. A professional courtesy, even a simple decline, would have been appreciated. The absence of any communication reflects poorly on his role as a communications professional. This lack of responsiveness has been an ongoing issue since he assumed the position in 2017, contributing to his perceived mediocrity in the field.

The irony should never be lost on us: August through December: “Can you pleeeeaaaaasssseeee buy a season pass? Please?” January through July: “OMG the season passholders are so entitled. Their concerns about our bait and switch for Prestige are as adorable as they are predictable!” Just remember “blah blah blah family of four spends more money” but the season pass holders essentially front a $30 million loan for the company each year, interest free. If, say, 20% got fed up and didn’t renew, their entire business model would collapse.

We had Dennis Spiegel on the Attractions Group podcast last week. He said that one mistake they made with Kings Dominion is that they did not have the "air flow" style of foot traffic that Kings Island has, and it would make I-Street a ghost town, thus making the assets there worthless except at the beginning and end of the day. He's coming back on to talk about KI stuff on Tower Topics, so I'll be sure we ask him if there were things that they noticed should have been done differently once the park opened in 1972.

….a $5 fee?

Fun article from Theme Parks By Don: https://themeparksbydon.com/beast-day-forecast-2024-will-the-beast-see-its-shadow/

Agreed. I feel like the DOJ doesn’t understand the theme park market. They’ll have to sell them on the fact that they don’t compete, which should be self-evident once facts are presented. There may be a few concessions, but I think this merger will happen.

Official: “ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS), a leading theme park and entertainment company, today announced it will change its name to United Parks & Resorts Inc., effective Feb. 12, 2024. The new name unites the Company's world-class portfolio of seven brands across 13 parks in the United States and Abu Dhabi. The Company's stock ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange will change from SEAS to PRKS, with trading as PRKS to begin Feb. 13, 2024.” https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seaworld-entertainment-inc-changing-its-corporate-name-to-united-parks--resorts-inc-302047191.html

The Park Ambassador program being cut is the subject of the latest #TowerTopics: https://linktr.ee/towertopics