jackskellington101

^ He said that too. Then he said "Boy, it feels really good to say that"

It's twofer Tuesday for me here. Actually, these pictures are older, but from since I've been here in London. Me with Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) at a Shaun of the Dead graphic novel signing. Me at the "Water is Best" fountain in Bath

^I can totally picture that dialog happening.

I can't imagine them stopping construction on these already begun and announced attractions. However, it could very possible that the pipeline of anything that came after this could be cleared and the parks as a whole could go into a different direction. Personally, that might not be a bad idea, it just is how it's done, and more importantly, how much money, time, and care is put into it. It's all about wait and see right now.

Very easily could. Could also mean massive price hikes, if Synder does what he did for the Redskins.

But Disney's my wheelhouse! If I have to go non Disney, best themed ride would be Spiderman. Just an amazing ride, period. In terms of my favorite themed coaster, I'd have to go with eather Nemisis at Alton Towers (blood red water goooood) or Volcano at PKD (fire gooooood). My only wish is that Volcano had something remotely volcanoish inside the volcano. Red lights, fog, anything. Not just fiberglass. Within Disney, I also go Haunted Mansion for best themed ride and Big Thunder as best themed coaster. Rock N Roller Coaster pulls a very close second however.

Thank you Robb. With that information, the answer would still be no. I've been fascinated with parks for all my life and wish to continue with them for as long as I am able. For example, that new position that Al Weiss has looks pretty interesting...

On the risk of sounding stupid, which isn't very hard for me, what does gp stand for?

This may seem like a repeat, but only sorta kinda. Just wanted to say Happy Anniversary Robb and Elissa! I hope the past 2 years have been wonderful and the upcoming years are moreso. ---Stuart

*looks around* All right, I guess I have to start it. Awwwww...

And I will not be doing that ride. I imagine this thing going on the side of the Stratosphere Tower in Vegas when they figure out the sound issues.

^^I have to agree. Robb, just how many cups of coffee have you had today? Or, how glasses of Suudsu have you had? You can get a mad sugar rush off that too. Oh...wait...quick, someone see if those Tostitos are laced with anything! Stuart "This post brightened my day and it wasn't for the downloads" Newsom

Proof that Santa really is an alien!

I saw that too, off of Digg. But, you know, Disney decoded squirrel a long time ago... *ahem* Squeak Squeaken Sqeakity

Woah, the Sally/Hersheypark dark ride figures look really funky. lol. Very cool report though. I feel I need to get myself down to an IAAPA expo at one time myself. They seem really awesome.

Welcome to TPR! I must say, I like your avitar jellylegs.

I must say my first reaction was "Robb, you bas#%^d, plastering an Elissa sleeping picture all over the net!" But all was redeemed by finding the Male Nurse action figure. I wonder if they got Ben Stiller to model for it. Also, knowing Six Flags, Flashback won't be taken out. It'll just be moved... to Astroworld...yeah...that's the ticket.

^^Don't rag on it to much, it does make sense. You know, Beer, alcohol, possible drunkenness, Karaoke. They all go to together in the great circle of song.

^ And that would be mildly disturbing. To pile on to what everyone else said, seeing I may have started this craze with my post in the "googling rob and elissa" thread, I also must say that I have to congratulate Robb on his achievements with weight. I've always been a moderately to somewhat immoderately big boy all my life and I've got the genes to fight against as well. I'm currently 5"10' and, last I checked, 160ish, which is the best proportional shape I've ever been in. Currently, I'm getting the "you're losing too much weight" and since in London I think I've lost some more and I'm getting a "oh no, not more" kind of speech, so I know about the bad looking lower weight. But my regimen is actually very close to yours Robb, when I can. Obviously, I don't have the same facilities that you do, especially here in London for the short term, but I must say Dancing Stage has been very very good to me. Even though I still can't get any further than standard mode.

Wasn't just the whip, looked like he was wearing the hat too.

Just going with your list here. Let me say, I'm also from the DC Metro area originally and really have no sports ties whatsoever because I barely watch any sports. However, I'm still a little hesitant about the Red Zone thing. But, going with your list. Can't argue with those two. My personal view on that is if they are going to use that as a marketing slogan, they they have to give what they are marketing. Currently, when I think of a Six Flags park, those three words do not leap to mind. Now, my experience with Six Flags parks are very limited simply because I try to avoid them as much as possible. However, my experiences at said parks have never been those three words. They've got a lot of work ahead of them if they are going to live up to that. As a constant revenue stream, I can see that being a very good thing. You may lose a few season pass holders here and there, but that may be a good idea. Downside is that they are pretty expensive already. How much higher can they go without damaging too much of their existing base and can the company withstand a trial and error period to find that perfect price? Interesting turn. Now, back home, I used to get a lot of direct mail marketing from Six Flags. I'd get one or two before season for season passes, one early season for "Homeschool day", then one for late season for Fright Fest and season passes again. The focus change is very interesting though. In my eyes, that seems to be a 180 degree change. Don't they have this already, sorta kinda? I don't see how they're going to do this. Have something like a discount club card for Six Flags parks? What are they going to buy? Before they do this, or in conjunction with this, I believe they really need to diversify their offerings. There's very little at a Six Flags park of things I'd actually want to buy. One can only have so many Superman/Batman shirts and random key chains. This is definitely a lowering cost measure and, if prices stay the same, a raises the profit margin. However, in the long run it does something else, something else that I hope will spread across the industry as a whole. I say this hoping the most all parks here this, especially going out to Six Flags and Disney: Lower food prices. In my experiences in the parks, the cost of food has always been the biggest turn off for me. This especially goes for Six Flags and Disney counter service, though the rest of the industry's not too far behind (I'm looking at you Universal Orlando). But at SF Great Adventure, having to drop almost 25 bucks for two half-aed cheeseburger meals is totally ridiculous. That is definitely one of my biggest complaints of a Six Flags park. Maybe. They might need to. I honestly say that they might need to close more parks too. Personally, I think that one of the problems that created this situation was the Six Flags grew too large for it's own good. It acquired too many parks and spread itself too thin financially. It probably wouldn't hurt to close down or sell off a few more parks to be able to rebuild again. Right off the bat, I'd have to say they could resell the non Six Flags branded parks of Enchanted Village/Wild Waves in Washington State and Frontier City and White Water Bay in Oklahoma City. In terms of closing, and it saddens me to say this, but probably Six Flags New Orleans probably would have close and the land resold as well. That is if they could sell any of these at all. Apart of that interesting image shift above Now wait though. I can sort of see where they're going with Looney Tunes, but what about DC Comics? I don't see them as tired and dated at all, especially since a DC Comic related character was a top summer blockbuster this year. That doesn't happen to a "tired and dated" license. I don't think it's not the license that's tired and dated, I think it's the usage of the license that's tired and dated. They've got these great licenses at their fingertips and they do almost nothing with them apart from plastering the licensed name onto the attraction. I mean, look what's being done with Superman and Scooby Doo, two licenses Six Flags has, in Australia. That's some great, top shelf usage of the licenses. Heck, even the Scooby Doo interactive dark rides are better uses than a lot of the ideas that Six Flags have done in the past. Besides, if they do drop these sponsorships, what are they going to get? In terms of bringing in children and teenagers, the only real option left is Cartoon Network. Possibly a good move, but again, they need to use them. A license is only as good as how they are used. They could have the most popular thing in the world, but in this market if the product's crap, they're going to feel it. I see this, no matter what happens, as the rebuilding of Six Flags as a company. It has to be and it as it should be. They honestly need this shake up. My thoughts are that: -They need to have a serious 180 degree change in the way they run the parks and the way they create attractions. -Hire people that care about their jobs and are, at a minimum, friendly and personable. -Diversify their attraction and show offerings, though that seems to be on the table already. -Lower the food prices. -When having a license, use that license to the fullest advantage possible. Don't half hazardly just slap the name and possibly color scheme onto the ride, like say the 5,000 Batman: The Rides out there. Create an attraction and experience out of it. I'm of the school of thought, from my knowledge a school founded by Walt Disney, that people recognize a quality product, so having a quality product is one of the best marketing money can buy. My advice to Six Flags is start making quality products! Start making things that differentiate yourself in the market Six Flags! In all honesty, stripping out personnel, how different is a Six Flags park from a, say, Cedar Fair park? On another note, how much positive differential can one create from a Six Flags park to a Disney or Universal park? That one may be unfair because Six Flags and Disney/Universal are definitely not in the same market structure and if they are then Six Flags has dropped the ball or just doesn't get it. What I'd like to see and it probably won't be now or in the foreseeable future, if ever, is for Six Flags to close a park, any park, and rebuild it from the ground up to be like a Six Flags version of a true theme park. In my prediction, it's probably look a lot like IOA, but that's not a totally horrible thing. That's my 2 cents, or more like 2 bucks by the look of it ---Stuart

If they fix it there, they gotta send that fix to all the other Disney boat rides like it. I still have nightmares being stuck in the "Snow Blind room" of Small World for a half an hour.

It looks like you have Agent Smith as a tour guide! I guess The Matrix really is all around us.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?

Rush at Thorpe Park. It's one of the few flat rides I've really liked. I'm curious to try out a Disk'O as well, especially the Disk'O "coasters" that are going to be coming out pretty soon, if the rumors are true.