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

[Rich T]

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.

I know you had a bad experience at SFDK, (and you're not the only one), but it has the bones of an excellent park. It has a few terrific coasters, a better collection of flat and family rides than Magic Mountain, some well-done educational animal habitats and some beautiful walkways and woods. Just needs some TLC and a removal of the DC and ad junk.
(EDIT) Frankly, if it weren't for Gold Striker, I'd say close CA Great America. The place has lost every bit of the charm it once had when it first opened under the Marriott banner, and all the coasters but GS are mediocre and/or too short.

 

[Phroobar]

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.

The idea was to expand Knotts by using the parking lot area where the water park and Independence Hall stand. Then build a parking structure on the back side or in a corner of the current parking lot. If you include both sides of Beach it is 164 acres not including the satellite parking lots.

The Knotts family didn't want to sell to Disney out of fear they would change it too much.

 

[PiratesMansion]

I don't know, I'm not convinced that some kind of future deal is inevitable. And I don't drink Niles' kool-aid.

While some of Cedar Fair's smaller parks have absolutely been neglected as of late, in terms of additions specifically, they are clearly much better cared for than your average Six Flags parks.

Even if they were to merge it might not necessarily mean closures or consolidations. Knott's and Magic Mountain are very different products. And the quirks of the Bay area market might even allow them to make a go at running them both. I recently listened to a 2018 episode of the Season Pass Podcast that was CGA-focused, and the park's GM claimed on that podcast, that because of the traffic of the area, the typical 100 mile radius a regional park draws from was cut in half.

They could do what Merlin in the UK does. Merlin basically owns all of the big parks in the UK, including some very close together, so they differentiated their parks to appeal to different markets; they have created the kiddie park (Legoland), the family park (Chessington), the thrill park (Thorpe), and the resort (Alton Towers). They could do the same thing in NorCal, Six Flags already has the animals as a differentiator.

Still, after Scary Farm last weekend, just thinking what Six Flags would do to that park, let alone that event...

History has not shown Six Flags to be a hands-off operator. And that has to be cause for concern should these talks be continuing.

 

[brb1006]

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.

Yeah, and when Disneyland first opened, they would close on Mondays and Tuesdays during the off season. Knotts closed Wednesday and Thursday, giving residents somewhere to go every day of the week.

Here's more info from 8bitdan the original poster of those two ads.
"I work at Knotts and I thought this was kind of cool to share. Knotts Berry Farm (est. 1920) and Disneyland (est. 1955) are only about 7 miles apart. Walter Knott assisted Walt Disney in getting Disneyland off the ground. Interesting to see ads that show a rare relationship between what would normally be considered two "competing" businesses."

 

[Phroobar]

I know you had a bad experience at SFDK, (and you're not the only one), but it has the bones of an excellent park. It has a few terrific coasters, a better collection of flat and family rides than Magic Mountain, some well-done educational animal habitats and some beautiful walkways and woods. Just needs some TLC and a removal of the DC and ad junk.
(EDIT) Frankly, if it weren't for Gold Striker, I'd say close CA Great America. The place has lost every bit of the charm it once had when it first opened under the Marriott banner, and all the coasters but GS are mediocre and/or too short.

SFDK could be a really nice Sea World type place if the coasters weren't in the front of the park with no theming around them and everything didn't look run down. It's like a bunch of carneys took over Sea World and just stuck coasters and other flat rides in the parking lot. I feel sorry for the animals. Hopefully they take care of them.

 

[Tanna Eros]

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.

I just feel safer at CF, but I've walked through the park before opening, and had the advantage of seeing the crews check the rides. I haven't walked through a 6F the same way. CF has no theming except for the rides themselves, but it's a comfy park. That Ouimet guy has made some good changes.

 

[Phroobar]

What worries me about SF is the age of a lot of the ride operators. During the summer, they seem to hire a lot of kids that are 14 and older to work the rides or do food service. I just wonder what a fourteen year old would do during a ride operation failure. Are they mature enough to stop things safely or would they freeze up?

 

[Rich T]

SFDK could be a really nice Sea World type place if the coasters weren't in the front of the park with no theming around them and everything didn't look run down. It's like a bunch of carneys took over Sea World and just stuck coasters and other flat rides in the parking lot. I feel sorry for the animals. Hopefully they take care of them.

The coasters are all bunched up front to keep the noise away from the animal enclosures in back. Definitely not my favorite park layout, but at least it's awful for a good cause.

 

[SirWillow]

What worries me about SF is the age of a lot of the ride operators. During the summer, they seem to hire a lot of kids that are 14 and older to work the rides or do food service. I just wonder what a fourteen year old would do during a ride operation failure. Are they mature enough to stop things safely or would they freeze up?

You've obviously never visited Cedar Point or Worlds of Fun. Same issues- just as young. I had a 15 year old running Mamba last year when I was riding.

 

[SteamboatJoe]

I hope Cedar Fair continues to focus and invest in its current stock of parks. The stuff they've done at Kings Island has been largely positive. They have installed a few new coasters that hold their own in their respective categories (and now a giga!), have brought back an attraction that was a fan favorite and family-friendly (antique cars!), have improved all of the facades on International Street (KI's version of Main Street), brought back Winterfest, and recently re-installed the glockenspiel at the Festhaus (now just get rid of the chain restaurants inside and turn it back into a German beer hall!). Votex is an unfortunate casualty, both the Backlot Stunt Coaster and The Bat need a total refresh or replaced, and Tomb Raider/The Crypt needs to be revived, but, overall, they are doing good things there.

 

[Tanna Eros]

I hope Cedar Fair continues to focus and invest in its current stock of parks. The stuff they've done at Kings Island has been largely positive. They have installed a few new coasters that hold their own in their respective categories (a now a giga!), have brought back an attraction that was a fan favorite and family-friendly (antique cars!), have improved all of the facades on International Street (KI's version of Main Street), brought back Winterfest, and recently re-installed the glockenspiel at the Festhaus (now just get rid of the chain restaurants inside and turn it back into a German beer hall!). Votex is an unfortunate casualty, both the Backlot Stunt Coaster and The Bat need a total refresh or replaced, and Tomb Raider/The Crypt needs to be revived, but, overall, they are doing good things there.

Broke my nose on the Vortex about 15 years ago. I had to go the john and snap it back in place. Honestly, it was my weight that was the issue; Small Person Syndrome- we get thrown easily.
Matt Ouimet has done a grand job with KI. The second the Son of Beast went down, I knew it was going in a good direction.
I, too, would love to have the Festhaus back to it's original form.

 

[socalifornian]

What worries me about SF is the age of a lot of the ride operators. During the summer, they seem to hire a lot of kids that are 14 and older to work the rides or do food service. I just wonder what a fourteen year old would do during a ride operation failure. Are they mature enough to stop things safely or would they freeze up?

It’s a popular high school job in Santa Clarita. One of my brothers friends started working there in 7th or 8th grade so 14 checks out

 

[Ismael Flores]

The idea was to expand Knotts by using the parking lot area where the water park and Independence Hall stand. Then build a parking structure on the back side or in a corner of the current parking lot. If you include both sides of Beach it is 164 acres not including the satellite parking lots.

The Knotts family didn't want to sell to Disney out of fear they would change it too much.

then Cedar Fair came and added coasters over ghost town.

 

[Phroobar]

then Cedar Fair came and added coasters over ghost town.

Krazy Kurt complains about that annoying coaster during his shows. He makes everyone wave at them as they go by.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Krazy Kurt complains about that annoying coaster during his shows. He makes everyone wave at them as they go by.

Krazy Kirk has been offered to perform at the Bird Cage Theater, but he prefers the Wagon Camp. He is a performer and picks on the Coaster.

Heck,better than performing at a Swap Meet, which he does on occasion...

 

[Phroobar]

Krazy Kirk has been offered to perform at the Bird Cage Theater, but he prefers the Wagon Camp. He is a performer and picks on the Coaster.

Heck,better than performing at a Swap Meet, which he does on occasion...

I guess it's an element to use during the act.
Anyway, speaking of Krazy Kurt, I would love to see the band sing the Knott's Beary Tales theme song. It seems right up their alley.