There might be no escaping a Six Flags and Cedar Fair merger - OCR/SCNG

[Darkbeer1]

I mentioned in another thread that something will probably happen, not necessarily a merger, maybe just one park buying some assets from the other.

There might be no escaping a Six Flags and Cedar Fair merger

It turns out that the easiest way to frighten a Knott’s Berry Farm fan isn’t with jump scares in a Scary Farm maze or chainsaw-wielding zombies lurking in the fog of Ghost Town. It’s to say the wor…

www.ocregister.com

>>California is the only place in the country that has parks from both companies in the same market, with Six Flags Magic Mountain and Cedar Fair’s Knott’s Berry Farm in Southern California and California’s Great America and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in the San Francisco Bay Area. This gives Californians a unique perspective in seeing the differences between the two companies.


Six Flags focuses on crafting a single national brand, while Cedar Fair’s approach relies on building fan affinity with its individual parks. Cedar Fair parks don’t push in-park advertising and upsells anywhere near to the level that Six Flags does. Cedar Fair parks also offer a much more diverse collection of seasonal events than Six Flags, which brands its events uniformly across the chain.<<

>>This deal did not happen, but some deal will. Unless Generation Z suddenly gets an infusion of cash that allows it to start having more kids and taking more vacations, there will be consolidation in America’s regional amusement park industry. It’s just a question now of how, and when, that will happen.<<

 

[Disney Irish]

I mentioned in another thread that something will probably happen, not necessarily a merger, maybe just one park buying some assets from the other.

There might be no escaping a Six Flags and Cedar Fair merger

It turns out that the easiest way to frighten a Knott’s Berry Farm fan isn’t with jump scares in a Scary Farm maze or chainsaw-wielding zombies lurking in the fog of Ghost Town. It’s to say the wor…

www.ocregister.com

>>California is the only place in the country that has parks from both companies in the same market, with Six Flags Magic Mountain and Cedar Fair’s Knott’s Berry Farm in Southern California and California’s Great America and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in the San Francisco Bay Area. This gives Californians a unique perspective in seeing the differences between the two companies.


Six Flags focuses on crafting a single national brand, while Cedar Fair’s approach relies on building fan affinity with its individual parks. Cedar Fair parks don’t push in-park advertising and upsells anywhere near to the level that Six Flags does. Cedar Fair parks also offer a much more diverse collection of seasonal events than Six Flags, which brands its events uniformly across the chain.<<

>>This deal did not happen, but some deal will. Unless Generation Z suddenly gets an infusion of cash that allows it to start having more kids and taking more vacations, there will be consolidation in America’s regional amusement park industry. It’s just a question now of how, and when, that will happen.<<

I do see a consolidation in the market happening. But I see it more likely Viacom buying Cedar Fair and getting back the former Paramount Parks assets CBS sold off after the split in the early 00s. Now that Viacom bought back CBS, I expect them to make a play for Cedar Fair soon.

 

[TP2000]

This would be horrible news for Knott's Berry Farm. They've made such progress sprucing that place up, making it friendly and mellow and affordable fun, at the same time Disneyland has gone the other direction the last few years and become stressed and overcrowded and cheaped out yet expensive.

If Six Flags took over Knott's Berry Farm, there's no telling how bad it could get in Buena Park.

 

[Phroobar]

However if Cedar Fair bought Six Flags we could see a renaissance in fixes and reduction of advertising at MM.

Ultimately, Magic Mountain's fate depends on the housing market.

 

[Phroobar]

I do see a consolidation in the market happening. But I see it more likely Viacom buying Cedar Fair and getting back the former Paramount Parks assets CBS sold off after the split in the early 00s. Now that Viacom bought back CBS, I expect them to make a play for Cedar Fair soon.

Would Viacom follow Universal and Disney's example and IP the hell out of Knotts and Cedar Point?

 

[Disney Irish]

Would Viacom follow Universal and Disney's example and IP the hell out of Knotts and Cedar Point?

They did when Paramount ran the parks, everything was Paramount movie themed. So I would assume the same if they bought them again.

 

[Phroobar]

I wonder if Knotts would have been in better hands if Disney bought them and turned it into Disney America. At least it would be safe from Six Flags.


Besides, what would Cedar Fair or Six Flags do with double the number of parks? Six Flags can barely maintain the ones they have.

 

[Disney Irish]

I wonder if Knotts would have been in better hands if Disney bought them and turned it into Disney America. At least it would be safe from Six Flags.


Besides, what would Cedar Fair or Six Flags do with double the number of parks? Six Flags can barely maintain the ones they have.

I just wonder if they really would close down one park in NorCal and one park in SoCal.

 

[Phroobar]

I just wonder if they really would close down one park in NorCal and one park in SoCal.

If I had my way I would close down Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. That thing is a pit. It makes Magic Mountain look like Disneyland.
I'd keep California's Great America and Knotts with a hands off corporate policy.

 

[Tanna Eros]

Cedar Faire parks are my home parks. I can see CF swallowing 6F before vice versa. The reputation of 6F rides in my area aren't exactly sterling.

 

[brb1006]

They did when Paramount ran the parks, everything was Paramount movie themed. So I would assume the same if they bought them again.

Also back when Paramount ran the parks, they allowed Nickelodeon IP throughout the park.

 

[Tanna Eros]

Also back when Paramount ran the parks, they allowed Nickelodeon IP throughout the park.

Though I can't recall the one Paramount movie that featured mountains of trash allover.

 

[Disney Irish]

If I had my way I would close down Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. That thing is a pit. It makes Magic Mountain look like Disneyland.
I'd keep California's Great America and Knotts with a hands off corporate policy.

CGA should be sold off to the 49ers with the stadium being right there. The 49ers already tried to buy it once right before they broke ground on the stadium, but CF said no.

 

[Disney Irish]

Also back when Paramount ran the parks, they allowed Nickelodeon IP throughout the park.

Yes, that is because they were both under Viacom (National Amusements) and wanted cross promotion.

 

[THE 1HAPPY HAUNT]

If this is the only way to get Kingdom of the Dinosaurs back, then make it so!

 

[SuddenStorm]

However if Cedar Fair bought Six Flags we could see a renaissance in fixes and reduction of advertising at MM.

Ultimately, Magic Mountain's fate depends on the housing market.

Magic Mountain has so much potential, it's sad seeing how poorly the place is managed and marketed.

 

[brb1006]

This would be horrible news for Knott's Berry Farm. They've made such progress sprucing that place up, making it friendly and mellow and affordable fun, at the same time Disneyland has gone the other direction the last few years and become stressed and overcrowded and cheaped out yet expensive.

If Six Flags took over Knott's Berry Farm, there's no telling how bad it could get in Buena Park.

Speaking of Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm,

They once congratulated each other anniversary back in 1980.

Knott's made a special magazine ad for Disneyland's 25th Anniversary that same year.

Disneyland responded by creating this ad for Knott's 60th Birthday that same year.

 

[TP2000]

Speaking of Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm,

They once congratulated each other anniversary back in 1980.

Knott's made a special magazine ad for Disneyland's 25th Anniversary that same year.

Disneyland responded by creating this ad for Knott's 60th Birthday that same year.

Knott's Berry Farm's 100th is next year.

I wonder if TDA still has enough class and good taste to wish them a happy 100th in this similar way?

 

[Phroobar]

Knott's Berry Farm's 100th is next year.

I wonder if TDA still has enough class and good taste to wish them a happy 100th in this similar way?

Knott's congratulated Disneyland on adding Galaxy's Edge. Disneyland said thank you.

 

[SirWillow]

I wonder if Knotts would have been in better hands if Disney bought them and turned it into Disney America. At least it would be safe from Six Flags.

never a possibility. Knott's property isn't big enough to host a Disney park. It's a neat idea in theory, but then reality hits...

I also don't see Disney preserving the heritage at Knott's like CF has worked so hard to do the last several years. It's been neat to see it come back closer to what it was years ago, but there was a while there when CF first took over that much of it slid, or was becoming lost. Which honestly isn't suprising when you consider what happened to the themes and atmospheres at other parks they run, like Worlds of Fun. Honestly, you get away from Knott's and Cedar Point, and there isn't much difference in quality in the Cedar Fair and Six Flags parks. And some of the CF parks have been ignored as badly as some of the lower rung Six Flags parks have.

it does make you long for the old days when Walt Disney and Walter Knott where friends, and even planned their parks' closed days to alternate with the other so they could compliment each other for families on vacation.