DonHelbig

Good morning, good afternoon, and goodnight Terpy, wherever you are.

There were signs.

Holiday World is known for roller coasters, water rides and free soft drinks, but its latest national recognition highlights something just as important: the guest experience. Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari ranked No. 40 on Forbes’ Best Customer Service list — the highest-ranked entertainment company in the country. I’ve traveled three hours from Cincinnati to visit Holiday World 30 times over the past three years, and I can attest to the outstanding customer service. FULL STORY: ⬇️ https://themeparksbydon.com/holiday-world-forbes-best-customer-service-ranking/

They don’t need the name on the marquee for guests to know Kings Island and Cedar Point are now Six Flags parks.

I like the logo!

If they’re opening the turnstiles and taking the guests money, they can’t use employees back in school as an excuse for the lack of staffing. There are schools in Orlando the last time I checked, but those parks open seven days a week year-round have it figured out.

It took longer to build that stand than it did to build Mystic Timbers. The new Chef will need to spend less time posting videos and photos on his social media channels and more time in the kitchens for the F&B experience to improve.

As the long gone but not forgotten Terpy no doubt would say, there is the issue that both are registered trademarks of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.

One night of ice doesn’t make up for the past two seasons of no ice on many days for those who paid for drinks. They’re going to have to prove they can keep the machines filled with ice every day, all day in 2027 to regain many of those who have chosen not to renew their drink plan because of this issue.

On my last visit, at Grain & Grill they tried to give me two chicken tenders the size of my thumb. They were scraps from the pan. I told the associate I wasn’t burning one of my meal plans on that and would wait for them to bring out more tenders. The associate told me no, “that’s what you’re getting.” That wasn’t what I was getting and walked out.

Dollywood’s Harvest Festival is serving up the flavors of fall through Oct. 31, with hearty comfort foods and decadent desserts joining the park’s famous cinnamon bread. And with a Tasting Pass good for up to five festival foods, there’s plenty worth arriving hungry for. FULL STORY: https://themeparksbydon.com/dollywood-harvest-festival-food-2026/

These surveys don’t mean anything. They’re simply done to create online chatter. It’s working for them.

Within the next three years (2030), I can see the parks in the remaining Six Flags chain having one Halloween event targeting guests of all ages. At Kings Island, they’ll come anyway. 😆

Enthusiasts might view it that way. The majority visiting the park could not care less.

A share of Six Flags stock is $10.86. A three-meat sandwich at Buc-ee’s is $12.99. Apparently, brisket is the better-performing asset.

Magic Mountain would be a good fit for a yard sale attraction.

Great questions.

Guests left tables a mess in the 70s, 80s, 90’s like they do today. The park had more associates to help keep the park clean back then.

As much as they’re cutting costs — and it shows around the park — I don’t believe this is a cost-cutting measure. There has to be an issue with the train for them not to be running all three trains. Same at The Bat with a train issue seeing them operate with only one train in recent weeks. Restaurants and drink locations closed, theaters dark, not having the staffing scheduled to keep ice machines stocked, trash can overflowing? That’s a result of cost-savings efforts.

$19.99 for three small chicken tenders? Are they trying to drive traffic to Wawa?

The prices went up, the menu scaled down at the Brewhouse.

Failure to prepare is preparing to fail,

No one saw them getting Siren’s Curse, either.

At what point does a falling stock price become more than just a problem for shareholders? The numbers help explain the pressure. The question now isn’t simply whether Six Flags can improve its results. It’s how much time investors are willing to give the company to do it. Six Flags reported a second-quarter net loss of $202.6 million, more than double its $99.6 million loss from a year earlier. The company’s market value stood at about $1.2 billion as of Tuesday, with shares down roughly 42% over the past year. For Six Flags, this is becoming about more than quarterly earnings or the stock price. It raises bigger questions about whether the company’s current strategy is working, whether the anticipated benefits of the Cedar Fair merger are materializing quickly enough, and what comes next if investors continue to lose confidence. A sale is only one possible path. But when an activist investor begins publicly pushing for one, the conversation surrounding the future of the company changes. The question now isn’t simply whether Six Flags can improve its results. It’s how much time investors are willing to give the company to do it.

“What do Disney, Universal and Dollywood understand? The product comes first. They understand that yesterday's great ride eventually becomes today's old ride. Most importantly, they understand something financial engineers sometimes forget. The guest experience creates the financial result. The financial result does not create the guest experience.” Dennis Speigel