Six Flags Searching for New CEO

[Freak]

So…RIP El Toro? Not a good look, Six Flags.

It's okay. At least the new CEO is making passholders aren't getting the free souvenir cups anymore!

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

It's okay. At least the new CEO is making passholders aren't getting the free souvenir cups anymore!

But seriously, is any major chain right now not doing things like this? :/

 

[GAcoaster]

To be fair, Six Flags gave away admission and food for years now which is why they had no money for upkeep or improvements. The new CEO has the right idea improving the park experience and bringing prices inline with Cedar Fair and SeaWorld, but it should have been a more gradual change. They have completely alienated their passholder base. So many people are not renewing at this point the parks will be real ghost towns next year. $60 annual passes were just too low a price point to sustain the parks. They should have gone to $100 and then up to $150, $200, $250 to match the competition with each year improving the park experience to match the price increase.

 

[shiekra38]

Injuries were minor, but it was essentially the same thing that happened a year ago with the train derailing in essentially the same spot that it happened last time. I would say it's now a candidate for an RMC makeover in 2024 (if Six Flags has any money by then).

An RMC makeover of an Intamin Prefab? I'm here for it

 

[Bort]

El Toro is (was?) my favorite coaster that I have ever been on. With that being said, I think I'm all set riding it until I see significant changes made.

The coworkers that I had as a SF employee were apathetic enough about their job, and that was long before the pandemic. I can only imagine who's rolling in to maintain and operate these machines now..

 

[GAcoaster]

Wow-- so Six Flags has rolled out their lineup of events and festivals for the rest of 2022/2023. Looks like they copied and pasted Busch Gardens webpage

 

[Bort]

Didn’t feel the need to create an entire thread, but man, this leadership and CEO do not want guests visiting multiple Six Flags parks anymore.

The only option that allows visits to all SF parks is a $250 Platinum Pass..

This pricing structure is really poor in my opinion..

 

[DeadSexeh]

^ I am a fan of the new pricing structure. I haven't been to six flags in about 10 years and am finally starting to give them another look. They were so under priced and their parks were over crowded making it not fun to go anymore. There new prices are not high when compared to other parks (Cedar Fair $250, SEAS $423, Palace Entertainment $230). Their former pay structure was not sustainable with how low the prices was. I like the way they are going in pricing, now if they would just open the new rides early in the year.

 

[GAcoaster]

Didn’t feel the need to create an entire thread, but man, this leadership and CEO do not want guests visiting multiple Six Flags parks anymore.

The only option that allows visits to all SF parks is a $250 Platinum Pass..

This pricing structure is really poor in my opinion..

The pricing is in line with Cedar Fair and cheaper than SeaWorld Parks passes. The issue I have is they don't have the value to back up the pricing.

 

[Bort]

^That’s exactly the problem. You (SF) can’t scream “we’re in line with the market” when you don’t provide the same value product. It’s laughable when they tried to claim that they’re a premium experience akin to Disney or Universal.

Six Flags has always found ways to nickel and dime guests before with premium attractions, mandatory $1 ride lockers, overpriced haunt fees at Fright Fest, etc. I mean, hell, my local park has now started charging for admission to Hurricane Harbor, which is literally attached to the dry park (and was part of admission for 20 years).

 

[shiekra38]

Relating to the "is Disney too expensive" thread

This is another example of cost not being the root issue, but value

 

[Bort]

Also, for what it’s worth, I can buy 2 platinum passes (one for SFNE, one for SF Great Adventure) and it will cost $180 instead of $250.

The only “free perks” I’m missing out on are a couple of extra skip the line passes and whatever “priority entrance to the park” entails. Seems like this would be the smarter move if I buy passes.

 

[DeadSexeh]

^That’s exactly the problem. You (SF) can’t scream “we’re in line with the market” when you don’t provide the same value product. It’s laughable when they tried to claim that they’re a premium experience akin to Disney or Universal.

Six Flags has always found ways to nickel and dime guests before with premium attractions, mandatory $1 ride lockers, overpriced haunt fees at Fright Fest, etc. I mean, hell, my local park has now started charging for admission to Hurricane Harbor, which is literally attached to the dry park (and was part of admission for 20 years).

They are not priced like Disney or Universal. They are priced like Cedar Fair (similar value), and Palace Entertainment (not as good of value as Six Flags). I get no one likes to pay more for something they used to get for less but, six flags was stupid cheap and they have finally hit a market correction. They are 100% in line with the market, two examples from near me Adventureland Iowa(1 park) season pass $150 online or $200 at the gate, Lost Island theme park $200 (has around 25 rides total). It is a big price increase for Six Flags due to the fact they were not raising prices for years while they should have.

 

[Bort]

They are not priced like Disney or Universal. They are priced like Cedar Fair (similar value), and Palace Entertainment (not as good of value as Six Flags). I get no one likes to pay more for something they used to get for less but, six flags was stupid cheap and they have finally hit a market correction. They are 100% in line with the market, two examples from near me Adventureland Iowa(1 park) season pass $150 online or $200 at the gate, Lost Island theme park $200 (has around 25 rides total). It is a big price increase for Six Flags due to the fact they were not raising prices for years while they should have.

I don't disagree that they were underpriced for many years. But, that doesn't mean you can go from, say $100, to $250 and not expect pushback. As a company, Six Flags has not shown me that they are worth double/triple the price of what I paid for a pass pre-covid. There are practically no new additions coming in 2023. Show me the service and performance in my park experience that justifies a price increase, then raise it, not the other way around. Because now if I walk in having paid $250 for my pass, I'm not letting it slide when there are one-train operations, 30 minute food lines, or rides that haven't been painted since Bush was in office.

In regards to the Universal/Disney comment -- no, they are not currently on pace with their pricing, but it is clear that they are trying to align themselves with that level of experience:

Bassoul later addressed the company's customers and the demographics when it comes to those who visit its parks, saying "our objective is not to become a park that's not affordable to everyone." He said the company wants to target "middle income" and those who earn "what I call the average income of the U.S."

Still, he went on to say the company is migrating "a little bit from what I call the Kmart, Walmart, to maybe the Target customer."

 

[Mad Dog]

Six Flags just reported a disaster of a quarterly report. Attendance for the first 9 months of 2022 was actually a 25% DECREASE from the first nine months of 2021 (which was a year that still suffered
from covid restrictions)...... Their new business model sounds like a swift road to a future bankruptcy filing....People that said their parks have been empty often, sure weren't exaggerating.

 

[GAcoaster]

In an interesting move H-Partners just got permission to up their majority stake from 14.9% to 19.9% and the stock shot up in response.

H-Partners took control after the Dan Snyder/Red Zone disaster and brought in Jim Reid Anderson, but I believe they also back the current CEO.

I know H-Partners has taken a very aggressive stance with the company at times and has several times looked into mergers and acquisitions including a merger with Cedar Fair when Dick Kinzel was still running things as well as a bid for Busch Entertainment when it was being sold/spun off from Anheuser Busch In-Bev. I wouldn't be surprised if they start looking around again.

 

[GAcoaster]

So I guess they decided a nationwide ad buy on the Macy's Parade was money well spent?

I assume it was nationwide since it was a generic ad for Six Flags season passes being on sale for Black Friday and it ran here in Orlando during NBC's coverage...

 

[shiekra38]

So I guess they decided a nationwide ad buy on the Macy's Parade was money well spent?

I assume it was nationwide since it was a generic ad for Six Flags season passes being on sale for Black Friday and it ran here in Orlando during NBC's coverage...

Premium Ad

 

[GAcoaster]

Apparently that was the ONLY TV ad they ran all year.

 

[youhow2]

Six Flags. Sigh...

If the food wasn't atrocious and the park experience bland, I'd love to go. Unfortunately, My homepark is SFA, and other than an obligatory 1st visit when I moved here, i'd rather drive to Doswell for Kings Dominion or even 2 hours north to Great Adventure. The atmosphere and rides are just better at KD, and Great Adventure's rides make up for the nonsense.

Anyways, I'm glad they've upped the price. Parks have been devaluing their product for years with absurd season pass deals, but, with the rise in cost we need to see a return to form, better value, better quality, cleanliness, Shows, better Fright Fest, etc... It's a shame the list is so long here.