Fun Spot looks into buying Indiana Beach

[BoddaH1994]

What if...

[McSalsa]

GO FUN SPOT GO!

I really hope this deal goes through: also, if it does, ironically I feel like Indiana Beach kinda matches up with the Fun Spot parks in Florida. They are very small parks and also have some solid wooden coasters, from what I hear. So it would IMO fit in their lineup.

[IndyGuy4KI]

Since this is not related to Apex I think this news deserves its own thread.

[CoastersRZ]

Hopefully, Fun Spot can work out a deal to purchase Indiana Beach.  It would be a shame to see this park die.  I have never visited a Fun Spot park yet, but it looks like I am going to get to Florida in November for work and hope to visit their Orlando location.

[IndyGuy4KI]

Another article about the city looking at getting a buyer.

https://www.jconline.com/story/news/2020/02/21/indiana-beach-potential-buyers-emerge-monticello-mayor-owner-say-hopes-amusement-park-still-alive/4829720002/

[gforce1994]

Sorry, but I’ve that it may become a casino. With the new betting law in Indiana, it may be a great place to set up a casino.

[thekidd33]

This would certainly be an interesting development. I would love to know what Fun Spot's long term vision for the park would be. The area is not exactly Orlando or Atlanta in terms of market but I would love to see them give IB a new lease on life. 

[KI Guy]

If they are willing to just do an asset sell off,  I can't imagine that the park itself will cost a ton of money. This would be wonderful if it happens.

There's way too many parks closing out there and not enough opening! 

[malem]

Sadly, Fun Spot has announced on Twitter that they aren't planning to buy Indiana Beach (or any other parks).

 

[BoddaH1994]

Full comment:

[McSalsa]

D'oh! At least Fun Spot let us down easy on it. I also do respect that they at least bothered to show up and look as well. But it seems Indiana Beach is likely still doomed, which is very sad.

[homestar92]

I think it would be a good buy for Six Flags. Hear me out.

First off, if they bought it, they should NOT "flag" the park (as in, put "Six Flags" in the park's name). Having "Six Flags" in the name of a park implies that there will be high-thrill rides, licensed characters, Flash Pass, etc. If it's owned by them, but does not bear the name, then the expectations are tempered a bit (see Great Escape, Frontier City and former SIX parks such as Wyandot Lake which did not bear the brand name). Not putting "Six Flags" in the name gives them some license to operate and market the park differently from their other properties.

They have backed themselves into a corner in that they can't really discount season passes any further to drive sales. They must tap into more markets. Getting IB would help them twofold: first, another park means another market in which to sell passes. That angle is obvious. The second is the Indianapolis market.

Most people in Indianapolis probably consider their home park to be either Kings Island, Holiday World, or maybe Kentucky Kingdom. But consider the following: Indiana Beach isn't a terribly long drive from Indianapolis. Sell those folks a season pass, and oh, by the way, that pass is also valid at Great America, and you might manage to pull a significant number of those peoples' occasional "big park" visits away from KI, KK, or HW and get them to instead go to Great America since it's included with their Indiana Beach pass. Heck, you also have the Gary and LaFayette markets who may visit Great America occasionally, but will likely visit more if they get admission free with their pass for another, closer park. More season pass sales and somewhat higher attendance at one of their flagship parks would certainly be welcome considering their recent stock performance. Profitable acquisitions, better sales, and higher attendance all look good on earnings reports and would make the investors happy. And if Apex is truly wanting to sell the park quickly, they might be willing to sell it below its true market value as well.

[BoddaH1994]

20 minutes ago, homestar92 said:

I think it would be a good buy for Six Flags. Hear me out.

First off, if they bought it, they should NOT "flag" the park (as in, put "Six Flags" in the park's name). Having "Six Flags" in the name of a park implies that there will be high-thrill rides, licensed characters, Flash Pass, etc. If it's owned by them, but does not bear the name, then the expectations are tempered a bit (see Great Escape, Frontier City and former SIX parks such as Wyandot Lake which did not bear the brand name). Not putting "Six Flags" in the name gives them some license to operate and market the park differently from their other properties.

They have backed themselves into a corner in that they can't really discount season passes any further to drive sales. They must tap into more markets. Getting IB would help them twofold: first, another park means another market in which to sell passes. That angle is obvious. The second is the Indianapolis market.

Most people in Indianapolis probably consider their home park to be either Kings Island, Holiday World, or maybe Kentucky Kingdom. But consider the following: Indiana Beach isn't a terribly long drive from Indianapolis. Sell those folks a season pass, and oh, by the way, that pass is also valid at Great America, and you might manage to pull a significant number of those peoples' occasional "big park" visits away from KI, KK, or HW and get them to instead go to Great America since it's included with their Indiana Beach pass. Heck, you also have the Gary and LaFayette markets who may visit Great America occasionally, but will likely visit more if they get admission free with their pass for another, closer park. More season pass sales and somewhat higher attendance at one of their flagship parks would certainly be welcome considering their recent stock performance. Profitable acquisitions, better sales, and higher attendance all look good on earnings reports and would make the investors happy. And if Apex is truly wanting to sell the park quickly, they might be willing to sell it below its true market value as well.

The problem is if there was anything indicating that Six Flags would buy IB Cedar Fair would be smart to buy it and shut it down.

[Gordon Bombay]

34 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said:

The problem is if there was anything indicating that Six Flags would buy IB Cedar Fair would be smart to buy it and shut it down.

No. They'd never do such a thing. 

BTW, wanna go to Geauga Lake this weekend? 

[SnakePlissken]

53 minutes ago, homestar92 said:

 

Most people in Indianapolis probably consider their home park to be either Kings Island, Holiday World, or maybe Kentucky Kingdom. But consider the following: Indiana Beach isn't a terribly long drive from Indianapolis. Sell those folks a season pass, and oh, by the way, that pass is also valid at Great America, and you might manage to pull a significant number of those peoples' occasional "big park" visits away from KI, KK, or HW and get them to instead go to Great America since it's included with their Indiana Beach pass. Heck, you also have the Gary and LaFayette markets who may visit Great America occasionally, but will likely visit more if they get admission free with their pass for another, closer park. More season pass sales and somewhat higher attendance at one of their flagship parks would certainly be welcome considering their recent stock performance. Profitable acquisitions, better sales, and higher attendance all look good on earnings reports and would make the investors happy. And if Apex is truly wanting to sell the park quickly, they might be willing to sell it below its true market value as well.

I thought your "home" park was always the closest park to you. Not how good or bad a park was. Anybody in Indianapolis passes like 3 parks on the way to Kings Island. 

[BoddaH1994]

1 minute ago, Gordon Bombay said:

No. They'd never do such a thing. 

BTW, wanna go to Geauga Lake this weekend? 

Dude.  They're closed.

 

Because it's winter.

 

Right?

[KI Guy]

3 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said:

Full comment:

It was worth a shot. I wonder if it was a price issue, the condition the park was in, or that Indiana Beach just wasn't making the money Fun Spot was wanting.

I wouldn't completely rule out a deal happening since someone would probably make one last offer before they sell everything off.

[gforce1994]

It’s not going to be sold. Just found out Apex has already sold the land to a land leasing firm.

[IndyGuy4KI]

2 minutes ago, gforce1994 said:

It’s not going to be sold. Just found out Apex has already sold the land to a land leasing firm.

Where is the source for this?

[thekidd33]

42 minutes ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

Where is the source for this?

http://in-white-assessor.governmax.com/propertymax/rover30.asp?sid=3F

 

Just search "Indiana Beach". It appears that the land was sold a while ago though and Apex had been leasing it. While this does certainly make it more complex to work out a sale, it isn't impossible. 

 

[homestar92]

7 hours ago, SnakePlissken said:

I thought your "home" park was always the closest park to you. Not how good or bad a park was. Anybody in Indianapolis passes like 3 parks on the way to Kings Island. 

Your home park is whatever you want it to be. In general, the park that you visit the most would be the most reasonable thing to call your home park.

If your home park is the park closest to you, many people on this forum (myself included) would have Stricker's Grove as their home park. I'm pretty sure that if you polled the entire forum, nobody on this forum would unironically call Stricker's Grove their home park.

[gforce1994]

On 2/24/2020 at 5:22 PM, SnakePlissken said:

I thought your "home" park was always the closest park to you. Not how good or bad a park was. Anybody in Indianapolis passes like 3 parks on the way to Kings Island. 

If that’s the case it’s Forrest Frontiers, Dusty Dunes, etc.... since that park is always 1.5ft away from me.

[purdude86]

On 2/24/2020 at 5:22 PM, SnakePlissken said:

I thought your "home" park was always the closest park to you. Not how good or bad a park was. Anybody in Indianapolis passes like 3 parks on the way to Kings Island. 

I agree with Homestar92 that home park would likely be the one you visit the most. It tends to be one closer to you as it's easier to travel to then something a long distance away. However I'm curious what the supposed 3 parks you would pass on the way to KI from Indianapolis would be. I consider KI my home park and live in Indy and can't think of any parks I pass on the way there. I live on the southeast side of Indy, and for the parks I can think of (Holiday World, Indiana Beach :(, Kentucky Kingdom, and Kings Island) KI is actually the shortest drive of all of them. And Holiday World actually being the furthest away. 

[SnakePlissken]

52 minutes ago, purdude86 said:

I agree with Homestar92 that home park would likely be the one you visit the most. It tends to be one closer to you as it's easier to travel to then something a long distance away. However I'm curious what the supposed 3 parks you would pass on the way to KI from Indianapolis would be. I consider KI my home park and live in Indy and can't think of any parks I pass on the way there. I live on the southeast side of Indy, and for the parks I can think of (Holiday World, Indiana Beach :(, Kentucky Kingdom, and Kings Island) KI is actually the shortest drive of all of them. And Holiday World actually being the furthest away. 

From my location in Ohio Indiana Beach is farther away than Kings Island, Kentucky Kingdom or Holiday World. So I figured someone near Indiana Beach would just drive down the state and hit Holiday World first then pass Kentucky Kingdom then Kings Island but I didn't google it either.

[Zader]

19 minutes ago, SnakePlissken said:

From my location in Ohio Indiana Beach is farther away than Kings Island, Kentucky Kingdom or Holiday World. So I figured someone near Indiana Beach would just drive down the state and hit Holiday World first then pass Kentucky Kingdom then Kings Island but I didn't google it either.

Indiana beach is about halfway to Michigan headed North. Holiday world is near the Southern border. Someone who lives near Indiana Beach (if they don't go to SF Great America, which might be closer) could go South to Indy and head East to KI. On this path they would pass Stricker's Grove but wouldn't be far enough South to go by HW or KK

[IndyGuy4KI]

Since the park is for sale and closed, there are no park rules about drones. Here is a great fly over of the park.