BeeastFarmer

Hearing that Kentucky Kingdom was out on lockdown for an "active aggressor" in the water park. It was then evacuated and will be closed for two hours in a cooling off period. This is all the information I have as it popped up in my feed, listening on the radio dispatch app. Update: now hearing that the park closed for the day. Also heard that the aggressor was at the expo center, not KK. Also, the found the magazine near one of the expo buildings. People are still in the 5d cinema, amphitheater and HR offices at KK. Update: LMPD says no shots fired at Kentucky Expo Center and Fairgrounds https://share.google/YCCKtBpTj5iQ0j5Ax

Ive been to both Wonderland and Knotts under Cedar Fair ownership, parking was included with platinum pass.

I also doubt that Soak City would be a candidate for this treatment. At the rate things are going, either it would be: 1. So poorly done ( champagne taste on a beer budget) that it would be a joke, or 2. WinterFest is cancelled in total. From what I've heard, WinterFest was very beloved at Kings Dominion and we know what happened there.

Q2 is in the books. It is the last of the quarters that involve attendance comparison from legacy parks. If combined attendance is up across the chain, will investors be happy? However, from anecdotal social media references, attendance seems to be down. I predict this will be attributed to: 1. Canadian wildfire smoke. 2. Storms. 3. Extreme heat. 4. Labor ( this is self inflicted). 5. Consumer unrest r/t tariffs and or political unrest. In the recent past, if the quarter has been successful, they put out press releases within days to tout good news. ( As an aside, interesting that they could report chain wide numbers within days, but they couldn't figure out how to make add ons work between different Cedar Fair parks). With the stock price performing as it is, I am sure they are looking for anything they can to try and bolster it.

I know the stock options are part of the total compensation package. However, the amount of calculated compensation would probably change day to day with the stock price, while the base salary is constant. Stocks are a long game, so you have to look at the average over time. But if I was CEO and owned x amount of shares at $50 on January 1 and then on December 31st, it was worth $30 and I was forced out, I've just lost 40% of what I had twelve months ago. Saleem seems to have it made. The only news that I have heard from him since the closing of the merger is that he secured the contract for SFEC to run quidiya. I'm sure he is doing some sort of work for his 20 million annual compensation.

I asked Google Gemini to assimilate information about executive compensation at Six Flags pre and post merger. This is public information. I thought it was interesting....but it is AI and they are not paid with 100% cash money, they get stock options.: "You're looking for a detailed comparison of executive compensation for the legacy Six Flags and legacy Cedar Fair in 2022 and 2023, and then how that compares to the new Six Flags post-merger (July 1, 2024). This requires carefully reviewing their respective DEF 14A proxy statements. It's important to note that "total compensation" as reported in the Summary Compensation Table (SCT) can include various components like base salary, bonus, stock awards, option awards, non-equity incentive plan compensation, and "all other compensation." The values for stock and option awards are typically based on accounting fair value at the grant date and may not reflect the ultimate value realized by the executive. Let's break down the data from the available DEF 14A filings. Key Executives and Their Compensation (Prior to Merger) I. Legacy Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (Pre-Merger) We'll look at the CEO and other highly compensated executives from Six Flags' 2022 and 2023 DEF 14A filings. 1. Six Flags - 2023 DEF 14A (for Fiscal Year 2022 Compensation) * Selim A. Bassoul (President and Chief Executive Officer) * 2022 Total Compensation: $14,942,674 * Salary: $1,442,308 * Stock Awards: $9,999,985 * Option Awards: $2,499,998 * Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation: $980,185 * All Other Compensation: $20,200 * Gary L. Mick (Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer) * 2022 Total Compensation: $3,588,007 * Salary: $545,000 * Stock Awards: $2,250,000 * Option Awards: $562,499 * Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation: $228,883 * All Other Compensation: $1,625 * Bonnie K. Walker (Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary) * 2022 Total Compensation: $2,836,750 * Salary: $425,000 * Stock Awards: $1,850,000 * Option Awards: $462,499 * Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation: $98,125 * All Other Compensation: $1,126 2. Six Flags - 2022 DEF 14A (for Fiscal Year 2021 Compensation) * Selim A. Bassoul (Executive Chairman) * 2021 Total Compensation: $21,114,846 * Salary: $1,475,000 * Bonus: $1,500,000 (signing bonus upon appointment as Executive Chairman) * Stock Awards: $15,700,000 * Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation: $2,437,500 * All Other Compensation: $2,346 * Sandor G. Rice (Chief Financial Officer) - Note: Different CFO than 2022 * 2021 Total Compensation: $2,416,564 * Salary: $475,000 * Stock Awards: $1,600,000 * Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation: $338,818 * All Other Compensation: $2,746 II. Legacy Cedar Fair, L.P. (Pre-Merger) We'll look at the CEO and other highly compensated executives from Cedar Fair's 2023 and 2024 DEF 14A filings (reporting 2022 and 2023 compensation, respectively). 1. Cedar Fair - 2024 DEF 14A (for Fiscal Year 2023 Compensation) * Richard A. Zimmerman (President and Chief Executive Officer) * 2023 Total Compensation: $6,238,015 * Salary: $979,167 * Bonus: $0 * Stock Awards: $3,212,498 * Option Awards: $1,281,996 * Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation: $760,945 * All Other Compensation: $3,409 * Brian Witherow (Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer) * 2023 Total Compensation: $2,999,350 * Salary: $638,333 * Bonus: $0 * Stock Awards: $1,557,750 * Option Awards: $621,496 * Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation: $181,770 * All Other Compensation: $0 * Timothy T. Fisher (Chief Operating Officer) * 2023 Total Compensation: $2,580,211 * Salary: $620,000 * Bonus: $0 * Stock Awards: $1,215,746 * Option Awards: $485,357 * Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation: $259,108 * All Other Compensation: $0 2. Cedar Fair - 2023 DEF 14A (for Fiscal Year 2022 Compensation) * Richard A. Zimmerman (President and Chief Executive Officer) * 2022 Total Compensation: $7,112,654 * Salary: $979,167 * Bonus: $0 * Stock Awards: $3,500,000 * Option Awards: $1,400,000 * Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation: $1,228,078 * All Other Compensation: $5,409 * Brian Witherow (Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer) * 2022 Total Compensation: $2,729,884 * Salary: $625,000 * Bonus: $0 * Stock Awards: $1,400,000 * Option Awards: $560,000 * Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation: $143,622 * All Other Compensation: $1,262 * Timothy T. Fisher (Chief Operating Officer) * 2022 Total Compensation: $3,005,659 * Salary: $620,000 * Bonus: $0 * Stock Awards: $1,550,000 * Option Awards: $620,000 * Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation: $214,359 * All Other Compensation: $1,300 Comparison to "New" Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (Post-Merger) The "new" Six Flags Entertainment Corporation was formed on July 1, 2024. The most recent compensation details for the "new" Six Flags executives reflect forward-looking annual compensation arrangements and were reported in a Form 8-K filing around October 2024, not a full DEF 14A Summary Compensation Table for a completed fiscal year. Here's the summary of the new compensation arrangements for the key executives in the combined company, as reported in late 2024 (reflecting their roles after the July 1, 2024 merger): * Richard Zimmerman (President and CEO, New Six Flags): * Base Salary: $1.1 million * Annual Equity Grants (Target Value): $8.5 million * Target Annual Bonus: 150% of base salary ($1.65 million) * Estimated Total Annual Target Compensation: $1.1M (salary) + $1.65M (bonus) + $8.5M (equity) = $11.25 million * Brian Witherow (CFO, New Six Flags): * Base Salary: $670,000 * Annual Equity Grants (Target Value): $2.75 million * Target Annual Bonus: 100% of base salary ($670,000) * Estimated Total Annual Target Compensation: $0.67M (salary) + $0.67M (bonus) + $2.75M (equity) = $4.09 million * Timothy Fisher (COO, New Six Flags): * Base Salary: $750,000 * Annual Equity Grants (Target Value): $3.4 million * Target Annual Bonus: 125% of base salary ($937,500) * Estimated Total Annual Target Compensation: $0.75M (salary) + $0.9375M (bonus) + $3.4M (equity) = $5.0875 million * Selim Bassoul (Executive Chairman, New Six Flags): * His compensation arrangements are complex due to his prior role as CEO of legacy Six Flags and the merger. His role changed to Executive Chairman. As noted previously, he had an estimated total compensation of ~$20.36 million in 2024, which is likely heavily influenced by merger-related payments. His ongoing compensation as Executive Chairman (beyond any one-time merger payments) is not as clearly delineated for a direct apples-to-apples comparison to his prior CEO role. Percentage Increase/Decrease (Legacy vs. New Entity) This comparison focuses on the executives who transitioned into leadership roles in the "new" Six Flags. We'll use their 2023 Total Compensation from their respective legacy companies as the baseline for comparison with their Estimated Total Annual Target Compensation at the "new" Six Flags. 1. Richard Zimmerman (CEO: Legacy Cedar Fair to New Six Flags) * Legacy Cedar Fair (2023 Total Comp): $6,238,015 * New Six Flags (Estimated Annual Target Comp): $11,250,000 * Dollar Increase: $11,250,000 - $6,238,015 = $5,011,985 * Percentage Increase: (\$5,011,985 / \$6,238,015) \times 100\% = \mathbf{80.35\%} increase 2. Brian Witherow (CFO: Legacy Cedar Fair to New Six Flags) * Legacy Cedar Fair (2023 Total Comp): $2,999,350 * New Six Flags (Estimated Annual Target Comp): $4,090,000 * Dollar Increase: $4,090,000 - $2,999,350 = $1,090,650 * Percentage Increase: (\$1,090,650 / \$2,999,350) \times 100\% = \mathbf{36.36\%} increase 3. Timothy Fisher (COO: Legacy Cedar Fair to New Six Flags) * Legacy Cedar Fair (2023 Total Comp): $2,580,211 * New Six Flags (Estimated Annual Target Comp): $5,087,500 * Dollar Increase: $5,087,500 - $2,580,211 = $2,507,289 * Percentage Increase: (\$2,507,289 / \$2,580,211) \times 100\% = \mathbf{97.17\%} increase Summary of Increases for Key Transferred Executives (from Legacy Cedar Fair): * Richard Zimmerman (CEO): ~80.35% increase * Brian Witherow (CFO): ~36.36% increase * Timothy Fisher (COO): ~97.17% increase Consideration for Legacy Six Flags Executives: For executives from the legacy Six Flags, the situation is different as their roles or tenure changed significantly with the merger. Selim Bassoul moved from CEO to Executive Chairman. Other legacy Six Flags executives may have left the company or taken different roles. A direct "percentage increase" is not easily calculable for them without knowing their specific new roles and compensation arrangements post-merger, or if they remained with the company. The reported 2024 figure for Selim Bassoul ($20.36M) likely represents his total compensation for the year including any merger-related payments, and thus isn't a clean "annual run rate" for his new role as Executive Chairman for comparison. Key Takeaways: * Significant Increases for Cedar Fair Leadership: The executives transitioning from Cedar Fair to lead the "new" Six Flags have seen substantial increases in their target annual compensation. This reflects the larger scale and increased responsibilities of running the combined enterprise, which is now the largest regional theme park operator in North America. * Merger Impact: The merger created an opportunity to reset compensation packages, aligning them with the larger strategic vision and operational demands of the combined company. * Focus on Performance and Equity: The "new" Six Flags compensation structure continues to heavily emphasize performance-based incentives and equity awards, consistent with modern executive compensation practices aimed at aligning management interests with shareholder returns."

Yes.

I know, I know! I sound like a Debbie downer. If the past is any indication, it will "sell out" quickly and most of the meals will be redeemed via the meal plans.

I remember someone who used to be active here, Kingdingdong, discussed bringing in a collapsible cup that fit in his pocket. He used that and filled up at the water fountain. While this is not the best solution, it is one. It is a shame that the people who steal have caused this. It surprised me in the comments on Facebook where people stated that it's just a Coke no big deal. It's theft.

^ I didn't mean to conflate Disney 's share price with their customer experience. I work with a few people who are there a few times yearly and they bemoan that the experience is lacking. Plus reading in forums/ social media, the accounts don't sound overly positive. However, I take my coworker's words better, even though it's a smaller sample size.

$58.70--July 8, 2024. $32.15- July 3, 2025. If I were an institutional investor right now, I would not be at all pleased with the direction of this company. And it looks like attendance will not be the best for Q2. Q3 has waning of daily operations and the closure of a park. Busiest days of the year with Halloween events. At least one WinterFest has bit the dust. One of the new board members has quite a bit of experience with Disney, so maybe he can provide perspective. But Disney sounds like they have their own problems with customer experience.

The only thing I remember for early entry were two ropes across the street with security in the middle. Show them your gold pass and proceed. If I remember correctly last year, the entire park was open, but you had to show your pass at the ride. Disclaimer: I'm not a passholder ERT kinda guy so I could be mistaken.

Agree to disagree. I cannot speak to River Racers at all as I have not been to the park and am not someone who ventures into the cesspool of human soup that are in waterparks. Attractions are subjective, but you can gain objectivity from installs. RR, even though it may not be HW caliper water coaster, or even a water coaster at all, refreshed the area and added more capacity to a typically crowded park. Most patrons will look at it and be satisfied. Coaster/water enthusiasts, not so much. But they are not who pay the C-suite bonus. Onion-While many locals compare it to Dback, they still line up to ride it. They may have heard of MIllie, but they have no idea that Onion is ranked lower than most tall coasters. Besides, when they think of tall coasters, they think extreme CP. All that to say is that it validates that they know the market. You may have wanted Onion to be Fury 325 on steriods, but it simply wasn't needed nor would it move the attendance needle to justify another 10 million dollars, at least in leadership eyes. Trust me, I would have loved Fury on steriods, or a massive B&M flyer in place of Invertigo/Congo/Timberwolf/Skyflyer. But those days of The Beast and Son of Beast are over. Unless the two OH parks are separate, one will always be the thrill park and the other will be the family park. That ship has sailed.

Disagree. None of the additions are half assed. Area 72 is really well executed for what it is. I personally love Onion. Would have been nice to have a KI custom GiGa, but I'd much rather have it than Firehawk and some concrete with non working flasher lights on a chain link fence. Would also be nice to have it fleshed out as an area vs a ride plaza with more rides and a crowd appropriate restroom. But the coaster and the lack of other things is not a half assed job. Same with AP...very very well done except it's so tiny. It brings new iterations of classic KI rides for the nostalgia. The theme is on point. I can't speak to the water park visually, but from an "outside" perspective, a higher capacity attraction replaces a thrilling, but dated and low capacity attraction that served a niche segment. A new or refreshed children's section is also a good thing. As coaster/park/KI enthusiasts, we need to realize that, for good or bad, the park knows the audience. It caters to passholders and will continue to do so. The coaster wars are long over and we aren't a thrill park. We are a family park. Until the market penetration radically changes, I don't see a different direction.

I disagree and agree @Tr0y. For the current night show, the spayers serve the purpose. However, is 5 minutes a day worth it? Remember, too, the narrative pushed by the park back in winter '19 was daytime AND nighttime shows. The previous iteration was signature KI. It added the elegance to IS. They could have had a great system, I would conjecture, if they had arranged the jets in a fashion that allowed what we have now, with a daytime option that had the pedestals present "virtually". Plumage in the middle, smaller bursts in the outside. Either this was/is not possible ( I'm not a fountain person) or they didn't consider it, it was out of the realm of spending. All that to say, I wish it was done differently. But, given the choice of no renovation of IS or what we have now, I'd choose what we have now. Much more visually pleasing to me. Are the still playing 6 jazz songs on a loop? While I enjoy those, they need to go back to 2017-2019 International Street music. That really set a great atmosphere.

The other coasters of this model are closed, or were earlier today.

Ya, as if! One can dream.

Looking at the webcam, it appears whatever was wrong with The Royal Fountain has been fixed.

That really looks great! I'm loving the vekoma rebirth. The music is giving me Nightmare on Elm Street vibes and ends with Star Trek: TNG vibes.

Both KI, KK and HW are targeting the same audience: family. Who executes better? Currently, in my opinion, not KI. Look at Good Gravy vs Soapbox Racer. Look at Discovery Meadow vs Adventure Port. ( AP was very well done, mind you, it's just tiny compared to DM)

Tony Clark appears to be in a bad mood, or doesn't relate well to this reporter:

Maybe they will end up with the top 15 that was briefly mentioned in the clown show investor conference.

That was my reaction upon first impression. I was unaware of the severity, so I thought "it's just an excuse." We've had water main breaks in and out side of KI before but it hasn't shut the entire park down. ( I think Action Zone was entirely closed because of a break in the last few years). I've officially gotten cynical!

If it's closed, you can check the dry park. There are also several locations outside the park that serve the flavor.

That's why I stated: "I don't know their specific situation..." Context: numerous early closes across the chain, and days where water parks were closed entirely. Those losses will impact attendance numbers. Granted, a Saturday close at KD will trump those numbers combined, by far.