When Did Six Flags Become the Discount Chain?

[rlentless]

I thought this was a well done video that is very informative in 11+ minutes.  Has some good comparisons to how Cedar Fair parks business plans compare to Six Flags.

I really cannot confirm the facts stated but just based on general knowledge it seemed correct.

 

[SonofBaconator]

The chain lacks creativity. They get money from using Warner Brothers properties by naming their rides after DC and Looney Tunes characters. Cedar Fair at least tries and make each park unique and different from one another

[BoddaH1994]

6 hours ago, SonofBaconator said:

The chain lacks creativity. They get money from using Warner Brothers properties by naming their rides after DC and Looney Tunes characters. Cedar Fair at least tries and make each park unique and different from one another

I’m not certain that’s true. I think they pay a substantial licensing fee for using the characters - just like Cedar Fair does for Snoopy.

[CoastersRZ]

I would tend to agree with BoddaH1994 on this one.  Six Flags likely pays to use the WB properties.  That being said, I don`t disagree that the names of their rides often lack creativity.  At least with Cedar Fair`s signature attractions, they aren`t copying the same name from park to park.

[BeeastFarmer]

^ Except for WindSeeker, Vortex, Drop Tower, Backlot Stunt Coaster, Flight Deck, etc.

Thankfully, that seems to be in the past, and some are changing now.  But Taft, KECO, Paramount, Viacom, CBS and early to mid-term CF has been guilty of generic naming.

[Kenban]

First the overseas deals.  Six Flags is licensing their name and helping with design work on the foreign parks.  But they are also not actually investing any money, they will receive licensing fees but this is not actually Six Flags building, owning, or operating the parks.  They are not a good indication of changes at the company as a whole.

Six Flags has a very different philosophy on how to run the parks, they want to push volume through higher attendance and larger numbers of annual passes and memberships.  One way they do this is to invest in every park annually, but spreading the money across so many parks leaves them installing cheaper attractions.  They also invest less money as a percentage of revenue then Cedar Fair.  Combined together and you end up with few big coasters.  Even with West Coast Racers and Maxx Force, I have not really seen a shift in the 2019 capital expenditures.  Because they used to buy a few expensive rides like the Justice League Dark Rides, and now they just purchased two coasters, I suspect it is about the same amount of money overall just spent on different types of attractions.

[BoddaH1994]

I really don’t like how they do their announcements. Let each park have their day in the sun.

[SonofBaconator]

16 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said:

I really don’t like how they do their announcements. Let each park have their day in the sun.

I always feel bad when they announce these huge rides for Magic Mountain and Great Adventure then St. Louis just gets a new water slide.

Also, I wish they would drop the  "Six Flags" name to give each park more individuality. Magic Mountain, Great Adventure, Great America, Discovery Kingdom, and Fiesta Texas would be easy changes. Georgia, St. Louis, and others would be a little harder. 

[Honorarius]

I think having most of the parks have Six Flags in their name works to their advantage... Pick a place, they've heard of Six Flags, and associate it with a theme park... CF doesn't get anywhere near that penetration in terms of name recognition of their parks...

[Theoutdoorkid107]

From what I’ve seen, Six Flags isn’t held to the highest of standards in the industry. Some parks seem to lack rides and attractions while others are lackluster when it comes to how the park looks (landscaping, overall cleanliness). As for the Looney Toons theme, it’s the same thing that CF is doing with the peanuts characters (although i do prefer Snoopy). This all being said, their are things a could say about some CF parks that have issues. All in all, both chains have thier issues, Six Flags just seems to have more of them than CF.

[silver2005]

Speaking of discount chain, the West Coast Racers at SFMM just recently went vertical. 

[CoastersRZ]

I wonder what they are targeting as their opening date for this attraction?

Cedar Fair actually prides themselves on their parks having their own identity in the market.  On the last conference call, they referenced the brand identity that Knott`s has in Southern California.

That being said, Cedar Fair has been trying to push season pass sales and the all season dining and drink plans with their passes.  But they are also trying to encourage repeat visits and spread out those visits so that they are just not occurring during Haunt or Winterfest.  They need to give guests a reason to visit in spring and early summer.  See the new Grand Carnivale at KI, and the Boysenberry and Peanuts Celebration at Knott`s Berry Farm as examples.