Pushing out Reilly this soon would be a HUGE mistake when none of this is his fault! Most if not all of the financial issues are the fault of leadership before him. You can't expect someone to come in and wipe out 5 billion dollars debt overnight! Also they literally just replaced most of the board. JANA may need to be the ones to go.

3 minutes ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

Pushing out Reilly this soon would be a HUGE mistake when none of this is his fault! Most if not all of the financial issues are the fault of leadership before him. You can't expect someone to come in and wipe out 5 billion dollars debt overnight! Also they literally just replaced most of the board. JANA may need to be the ones to go.

They are targeting Marilyn Spiegel.

2 hours ago, disco2000 said:

They know if it isn't sold, bankruptcy is likely next.

They might have to resell AF1.

2 hours ago, BeeastFarmer said:

They are targeting Marilyn Spiegel.

I've been wondering what JANA's specific issue has been with her since they seemingly also forced her out of the chair position. It would be foolish of them to push out John Reilly unless there is someone else in mind who will somehow change things even faster. I'd like to think they've seen what private equity ownership has done to United Parks & Resorts, but then again I think the debt could still be there either way even after a sale.

This could be a nice opportunity for Six Flags to start spinning some parks off into a new corporation(s) if they really care about the parks. That might at least save a few parks from the immediate wrath of private equity while netting some quick money for Six Flags (depending on the method of spinning-off/sale).

8 hours ago, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

This could be a nice opportunity for Six Flags to start spinning some parks off into a new corporation(s) if they really care about the parks.

The problem is that with PE, there is often little overlap between what is good for the parks in the long term and what is good for PE in the short term. Growth is not generally going to come from parks increasing attendance, but rather from extracting more money from the guests that do show up. This is why Ouimet's longer-term vision was so refreshing, since he recognized the potential value of the parks and foresaw the basic steps to maximize that value. And much of that was tossed aside after his departure.

“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

6 hours ago, DonHelbig said:

“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

Agreed. Part of the guest experience to me is how immersive is the park? Even at places like Holiday World there’s an effort at theming all around, from the buildings to the food to the rides. There’s cohesion that makes you feel like you’re not even in Indiana. For many of us, with so much bad in our lives it’s worth it to get away from things. It’s an escape. That’s why even with how ridiculously expensive Disney is we still yearn to go back.

Yes, the immersiveness is why we go to Universal 4-5 times a year and keep a season pass. Every turn you make, any path you go down you are in another world. I know they have big budgets but I think the Cincinnati Zoo does a great job too . . just thinking about there is a street with old houses only 30-40 feet away while walking thru Jungle Trails. But you're in the jungle.

Kings Island got me as kid in the 70's walking thru the gate and seeing International Street. The buildings, grand fountains, smells, sounds and then the Eiffel Tower. It was amazing. I miss walking around Swan Lake, The Beast lake, the Ivy Tunnel. I am not trying to beat on KI, maybe I just got too familiar.

10 hours ago, rlentless said:

Yes, the immersiveness is why we go to Universal 4-5 times a year and keep a season pass. Every turn you make, any path you go down you are in another world. I know they have big budgets but I think the Cincinnati Zoo does a great job too . . just thinking about there is a street with old houses only 30-40 feet away while walking thru Jungle Trails. But you're in the jungle.

Kings Island got me as kid in the 70's walking thru the gate and seeing International Street. The buildings, grand fountains, smells, sounds and then the Eiffel Tower. It was amazing. I miss walking around Swan Lake, The Beast lake, the Ivy Tunnel. I am not trying to beat on KI, maybe I just got too familiar.

I'm jealous! haha...

If I had the money I'd definitely go to the Orlando parks multiple times a year. And you are right about Cincinnati Zoo. The botanical garden aspect is next level. It helps I'm a sucker for anything nature related. But man do they go all out! The elephant area is a prime example. It's not an exact carbon copy of an African savannah but it sure is close!

Mike Baxter for Outdoor Man talking to you today about... civil responsibility. Or, the total lack thereof. You know, I try to spend time encouraging folks to get outdoors, enjoy nature, and build some character. Well, I just got back from Kings Island, where character apparently went to die at the Coney BBQ.

I wanted some pulled pork, not a side order of disgust. Look at the pictures of the eating area, it'll show you what some "modern families" consider acceptable behavior.

One of the tables- They ordered macaroni. Then, apparently, they decided to paint with it.

In another, it looks like they ordered a radioactive milkshake and tried to contain the meltdown then left a single cup as a monument to their failure. It's a biohazard.

Then another table didn't have a meal; it had a conflict. The pile of napkins is so big it should have its own zip code. Is that paper plate empty, or did someone just finish consuming a small animal?

Seriously, who does this? Who walks away from this mess with their kids and thinks, "Yep, that was a quality dining experience, and now it's someone else's problem!" You see this mess? This isn't the Coney BBQ's fault. This is parents failing. It's laziness. Disrespect. It's teaching your kids that you're too special to clean up after yourselves. If you can’t manage to throw away your trash at Kings Island, I’m scared to see what your living room looks like.

Having sat there for 30 minutes+, we got to watch other families detour around these in search of clean tables, and happened to see two different employees: one emptying the trash can the other one had a broom- you know, the thing you "sweep" with? They swept right past the carnage and kept sweeping the ground. Apparently didn't see Mount Napkin and Blue Lake. It’s like they were wearing blinders tuned specifically to dodge work not in "the description."

You can buy new tables. You can buy new trash cans. But you can't buy common decency from guests and apparently can't buy staff with peripheral vision. For a late September Saturday evening at the Coney BBQ, they seem to be fresh out of both.

I'm headed off to find some hand sanitizer. And maybe a power washer.

Baxter, out.

(I'm not really Mike Baxter, the TV character - he's fictitious (or ABC, for that matter), nor the baseball player... I've borrowed the persona to make a point through humorous observation).

^that looks like a good night based on what I have seen. It can get much worse.

But yeah, it is a shame people can't clean up.

7 hours ago, Outdoor Man said:

Mike Baxter for Outdoor Man talking to you today about... civil responsibility. Or, the total lack thereof. You know, I try to spend time encouraging folks to get outdoors, enjoy nature, and build some character. Well, I just got back from Kings Island, where character apparently went to die at the Coney BBQ.

I wanted some pulled pork, not a side order of disgust. Look at the pictures of the eating area, it'll show you what some "modern families" consider acceptable behavior.

One of the tables- They ordered macaroni. Then, apparently, they decided to paint with it.

In another, it looks like they ordered a radioactive milkshake and tried to contain the meltdown then left a single cup as a monument to their failure. It's a biohazard.

Then another table didn't have a meal; it had a conflict. The pile of napkins is so big it should have its own zip code. Is that paper plate empty, or did someone just finish consuming a small animal?

Seriously, who does this? Who walks away from this mess with their kids and thinks, "Yep, that was a quality dining experience, and now it's someone else's problem!" You see this mess? This isn't the Coney BBQ's fault. This is parents failing. It's laziness. Disrespect. It's teaching your kids that you're too special to clean up after yourselves. If you can’t manage to throw away your trash at Kings Island, I’m scared to see what your living room looks like.

Having sat there for 30 minutes+, we got to watch other families detour around these in search of clean tables, and happened to see two different employees: one emptying the trash can the other one had a broom- you know, the thing you "sweep" with? They swept right past the carnage and kept sweeping the ground. Apparently didn't see Mount Napkin and Blue Lake. It’s like they were wearing blinders tuned specifically to dodge work not in "the description."

You can buy new tables. You can buy new trash cans. But you can't buy common decency from guests and apparently can't buy staff with peripheral vision. For a late September Saturday evening at the Coney BBQ, they seem to be fresh out of both.

I'm headed off to find some hand sanitizer. And maybe a power washer.

Baxter, out.

(I'm not really Mike Baxter, the TV character - he's fictitious (or ABC, for that matter), nor the baseball player... I've borrowed the persona to make a point through humorous observation).

No one cares anymore. There's such a sense of entitlement these days that the parents just expect the workers to clean it up.

Seriously. If you really listen to these people you'll eventually hear a common phrase "well they're getting paid to clean so why should I have to do it?"

This country is going downhill fast.

44 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

No one cares anymore. There's such a sense of entitlement these days that the parents just expect the workers to clean it up.

Seriously. If you really listen to these people you'll eventually hear a common phrase "well they're getting paid to clean so why should I have to do it?"

This country is going downhill fast.

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.

39 minutes ago, DonHelbig said:

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.

From what we saw, they didn't need "more" associates in the Coney BBQ area... they needed associates with peripheral vision and the intuition to address painfully obvious stimuli. Where are the Supervisors? Where is the management wondering where the Supervisors are?

41 minutes ago, Outdoor Man said:

From what we saw, they didn't need "more" associates in the Coney BBQ area... they needed associates with peripheral vision and the intuition to address painfully obvious stimuli. Where are the Supervisors? Where is the management wondering where the Supervisors are?

Great questions.

2 hours ago, RollerColt said:

Seriously. If you really listen to these people you'll eventually hear a common phrase "well they're getting paid to clean so why should I have to do it?"

As someone who worked in movie theaters in the 90's, I can assure you this is not a new sentiment among a certain segment of the population.

I can also attest that to a certain segment of people in the workforce there is this "its not my job, its this department's job or this other person always does the cleaning or this task they can do it" mindset which is why you'll see people walk by and look right at it and do nothing. I've been guilty of it before and I've been doing whatever I can to not fall into that trap.

Meanwhile, Enchanted Parks is still cleaning up the mess from SFEC's dining plans.

SFEC sold dining plans on their passes until the moment the transaction closed. This is a conjecture, but I would venture a bet they knew EP was not continuing them .

I would extrapolate that they used the money to either: 1. Place in an interest earning reserve account and delayed reimbursement or 2. They spent the money on business expenses and did not have a thought out plan for reimbursement.

I see now that EP pass holders who had a six flags dining plan are going to get a 50% discount on '27 pass rates.

They are making good decisions because that would speak volumes to me.

Will say, this definitely isn't all park specific, but seems to be more of a chain wide issue. Visited Cedar Point this past weekend Friday-Saturday to a very crowded but understaffed park. My hotel experience was great with very kind and attentive staff at Castaway Bay, helped us many times, however had many issues within the park itself.

1. Two of the three food locations I visited had the newer Cedar Fair line style selection, yet both ran out of entrees during lunch and dinner. Pizza took about 25 minutes to make enough to get through the line when I started, only for the soda fountain to have ice, but no soda other than regular Coke or sprite. Steak at the farmhouse was great, but they only had about half the side options available.

2. Had a funny interactions with some volunteers where I won't call out the location, but when a friend asked for a water cup and they didn't have any, he said to his friend behind the counter "the guy earlier today said we aren't allowed to give water cups, I really don't understand the stupidity behind this", which was fine because I just used my drink plan to grab water because only 40% of the freestyle machines were on, of which the ones on only had sugar free root beer or lemonade.

3. Spent Saturday with a good friend with Crohn's disease who had a first time visit. Had a few good experiences with this, but not handled nearly as well as KI. Watched a lady pass out and fall down the stairs after the line reached about 45 minutes just to check in with an ADA pass on Steel Vengeance, but lots of other issues, including another ride exist attendant telling my friend he didn't know how the system worked and it wasn't his problem.

4. Found two bathrooms throughout the day that had soap, swung and missed on 4 out of 6 😑.

Also I'm maybe starting to see why they upped the price of their Fastlane, waited almost 70 minutes on quite a few rides with it on Saturday. Overall since we had three days there still had an overall alright time, but quite a few things soured our mood throughout the trip. Will probably return next year with my brother, but the rest of the group didn't really seem interested in returning when they could just visit KI or Holiday World.

Also now I'm debating if it's better to have ice but no soda or soda but no ice, leaning towards the latter...

I stand corrected I guess. So this is more of a problem with Six Flags being cheap (shocker) via understaffing and or management not caring.

But my opinion still stands. I've been to other countries and while they're not perfect, I really wish our society would take a bit more ownership in cleaning public spaces. Japan is not the ideal perfect society. But what they get right is facilitating a culture that takes pride in everyone doing their part to keep places clean. Students and children are taught at a young age to clean their desks, their rooms and places they frequent. It's a sign of immense respect to others and nature to keep areas clean.

Maybe I'm being stupid and ridiculous. I don't mean to imply I'm better than anyone else. But when I'm out with my family, it doesn't matter if I'm at a fast food place, a sit down restaurant, an amusement park or a theater: if my children or I make a mess I darn well make sure we clean it up.