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e_tapley0687 · Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 398 Location: Nashville, TN

I'm sure everyone knows about the unfortunate events going on with Six Flags. Debt issues, in park deaths, low stock shares, park conditions, in park prices, and the list goes on. What do you think about the company? Do you think the company will make it out of the hole they're in? What do you think they should do to regain stability?
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Wylder · Joined: 07 Jun 2008 Posts: 169 Location: Riverview, Fl

I have only been to one Six Flags park. I went to Magic Mountain in the late 90's. It was the first time that I was searched going into an amusement park (this was before 9/11). The park had good rides, but did not give me the same impression I got from Disneyland and USH. It did not feel like it was Special place, it wasn't as well kept and the employees didn't seem to care as much. That was a decade ago, but if they haven't changed, I wouldn't buy their stock. They gave me no desire to return.

Exception - I did go to Geauga Lake the year before Six Flags sold it to Cedar Fair, but it suffered the same lack of impressiveness. (that may not be a word)

e_tapley0687 · Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 398 Location: Nashville, TN

I haven't been there yet and I've heard the same things about that one. I do notice that the 3 Six Flags parks I've been too (SFOT SFOG and SFKK) the staff isn't that good. Young, slow, and not wanting to be there... unless they're talking to their friends. I don't want to bash them because not all of the staff is like that. I still think if they let go of a few of the parks they can still save the better ones they have. I actually don't want to see SF die out.
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dougscoastergirl · Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 133

I definitely agree with what you're saying about it doesn't have the Magic. I haven't been there in quite a few years.....been busy having babies, but we do plan to go this coming September and I'm looking forward to just getting on rides. It's the place to go if you are just looking for the thrills. I've come to the point now with Six Flags here that I don't go expecting a Disneyland or a USH experience, which, in my opinion, are incomparable, I go just looking for a good time with my group.

However, a few years back Doug and I went to SFOT and SF Fiesta. That was awesome, especially SF Fiesta. Their theming there is great and they are so friggin polite!! We had the best time at both parks. Plus to go on the Texas Giant.....you know, come on.

Anyhow, I totally agree with the MM. If I'm going down to LA to go to some theme parks MM isn't always my first choice. I'm really impressed with what Knotts has done with their park, when Cedar Fair took over they did a major overhaul and did an awesome job. Doug and I went there about 11 years ago and it was horrible, HORRIBLE, dirty, the people were terrible, and we vowed never to go back. Then on a trip to LA a couple years back my mom convinced us to go and we had a great time, it was really clean, good service, decent rides. Good times, good times.

e_tapley0687 · Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 398 Location: Nashville, TN

I too think I like SFOT out of the few Six Flags parks I've been to. I really like Texas Giant and thought it was one of the best, but when I say that to fellow coaster dorks I get laughed at lol. I don't know why most of them think its a joke.

I want to get to SFMM soon... just incase anything happens to the chain and I lose a chance to visit before something bad happens.
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ZipperRules · Joined: 30 Jul 2008 Posts: 31

Six Flags is looking for the cheaper attractions to put in the park right now. It's all about the cost. This is truly a dumb company. They don't want to charge higher for the season pass prices. They sell a ride, and the next year, the ride is working like a gem somewhere else. Why, because they didn't want to invest the money into the ride by getting new darn sensors, or figuring out what is really wrong. Instead, it's just the ride acting funny without a solution. Than, they just continued to run the ride until it broke, and broke.

The family thing is about getting cheaper attractions. The stock is at $1.06, and they deserve this. The direction in the company is poor. The waterparks are messed up. You wait in a lazy river that has 60 tubes in it when it could accomodomate maybe 500 tubes. You are waiting in line for this thing just so they sell blue tubes.

The sticker shock of parking right when people enter is frightful that they might not come back anymore. They have the locker policy this year in which people complain about just to make some more dough. The Superman line no longer has Superman themed music. It's some other music. Why even call it Superman anymore? It's not like they didn't have the music.

They are discounting these parks like anything, and the reason why they might become cash flow positive this year is really because of all this marketing. You go into the park, and there are ads everywhere looking for you to buy something from these companies. The tvs are another way to show the marketing. I don't really mind it, but that's why they could become cash flow positive which doesn't say much about how many people are coming, and spending in the park.

Back to discounting, they have the big 6 which is like $54.99. That means you get 6 days for that price. That's less than $10 a day. Also, with discounting, they are doing the $34.99 for awhile, but than they went to $29.99 more recently.

They are discounting too heavily for all that money spent on those attractions year after year. On top of it, a lot the big parks feel they need to add a big attraction every year which is really dumb. I'm talking even about Cedar Fair too. After a park gets 7.5 million dollar attraction, why in the heck the next year would you give them another 7 million thing? That's stupid business.

I don't want Cedar Fair to buy Six Flags because if they bought it, they wouldn't let you reride the coasters. On the flipside, they might add some better flats like Tilt-A-Whirls, Spiders, and the Chaos again to Six Flags parks. Cedar Fair also doesn't have the money because of the Paramount Parks they built.

Wylder · Joined: 07 Jun 2008 Posts: 169 Location: Riverview, Fl

On Saturday, October 18, I decided to give Six Flags another chance. I went to Six Flags over Georgia.

First things first. $15 to park is outragous, but once I got that taste out of my mouth, I began to enjoy my day. The park was very clean and most of the employees were friendly. We got there for opening and had very short lines on most of the rides. We went with a friend and his 3 year old son so we did not stay for the Halloween event that night. They did have a lot of decorations around the park. I would have like to have seen how good of a show they put on.

Things I liked
- Lots of rides
- Park was pretty clean and well landscaped
- Price was reasonable
- lots of good food choices ( I love b-b-que )

Things I didn't like
- $15 for parking
- Employees discussing their lunch plans over the PA system while gusets wait for rides. It happened twice. (would never see this at Disney or Universal)
- Park map was confusing
- Park traffic flow is bad, sections like Gotham have one way in and out

I may have judged Six Flags a little hard in my previous post. I think I would like to visit some or their other parks.
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e_tapley0687 · Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 398 Location: Nashville, TN

^ I think your previous post was expected since that was your one and only Six Flags park. I would feel the same way if I had that kind of first visit. So since you've had one good and one bad visit, how do you feel about the SF chain? I know you said you'd like to visit more of their parks, but do you still have some negative feelings towards SF keeping both visits in thought.
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dougscoastergirl · Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 133

Doug and I went to SFMM a couple of weeks ago and we were fairly pleased with what we saw. The park staff was in pretty decent form and the park was clean with the exception of the women's room by Goliath where the young lady who was supposed to be cleaning it (and it was in dire need of a good cleaning) was busy picking at her face in the mirror and had left by the time I was leaving.

We didn't eat there, but the food choices were pretty much the same as they always were, they have this good little restaurant in there that serves some pretty good burgers, and then your typical theme park food.

The parking was outrageous, though!!

Other than the fact that X2 broke down 2 times while we were waiting for it, no complaints about rides. There were basically no lines for anything (except X2).

Now, all that said, we didn't stay very long because we were whipped from Knotts the day before, but the fact that we spent 4 to 5 un-irritated hours at a Six Flags park is a good testament to the fact that this park is definitely trying to move in the right direction. It's not doing much to bring in the familiy unit, however, as a vast majority of the patrons were much, much younger than we were and fairly obnoxious, but what are you gonna do, it's a thrill ride park.

All in all, pretty good marks.

Wylder · Joined: 07 Jun 2008 Posts: 169 Location: Riverview, Fl

My trip to SFOG gave me a different perspecive on the chain as a whole. After my visit to SFMM in the late 90's, I had an image of a park chain with a lesser quality of rides and service.

While they did have many older rides that were not cutting edge, they had a few really good rides and lots of things to do.
As far as service, most of the employees friendly and professional, with the exceptions of the ride ops on The Great American Scream Machine and one other ride that I can't remember, that were having a personal conversation over the PA while we were waiting to get on the ride.

I now have a much better impression of the Six Flags chain . I do hope I get a chance to visit one of their other parks soon.

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