Yes, I frequently visit SFMM. It is thrilling park which is very affordable.
I have been to Disney a few times, but while it is 'Magical' a single day ticket is over $80. More than an entire season of combined Six flags visits.
1) Sorry, I was a little abrupt. I'm not an "internet tough guy" But I stand by my points. I get frustrated with people who have a soapbox, who make outlandish statements, without having any actual knowledge or experience of ride mechanics, corporate business and/or park operations.
2) How many years of saving $70 would cover an entire trip? Would love to meet your travel agent!
3) To clarify off season, I would say when the park is only open weekends and when a large portion of cliental are in school and attendance is a fraction of peak times. This is known in the trade as an off season.
4) It is a like for like replacement, on a tiny footprint.
Some parks have an astronomical budget to make it much more than a theme park, or are located in a higher populated area. This is the unrealistic yardstick that SFMM is being compared to.
Please indulge me for a minute while I try and put this in perspective.
Let me be clear, that this is an exaggeration to make a point.
Ok.
I need a car.
I see a Rolls Royce that costs $200,000. I love Rolls Royce's. What enthusiast doesn't?
I view it in a marble showroom, a beautiful, elegant, well manicured hostess makes me a coffee. The best coffee money can buy!
I see the car. It has a team of engineers on standby, a service centre that caters to my every whim, even when I run out of window washer fluid!
It's beautiful, shiny, runs like a dream.
It is a wonderful experience to drive, but I prefer cars with more guts.
But I can only afford $1000 for a car.
For $1000 I could hire it for the day.
Or...
I take the same $1000 down to Vern's used cars.
No marble showroom, just an oily forecourt, located in a cheaper part of town with a lot less customers. There are billboards with advertising to help with the rent. After all, all income helps because Vern has just come out of bankruptcy.
No elegant hostess, just a guy called Vern. He has a combover and is chewing gum. Maybe some vending machine coffee, if I have the right change.
Vern shows me an old clunker car for a $1000. It's not shiny. It runs ok, it will get me around. No engineers, no customer service,basically I am on my own. But it is mine.
It does the same, it gets me around, maybe not as smoothly, not as polished but probably more thrilling to drive.
I would have a car that will last for a year. A whole year.
2 options:
1)Either I don't buy the car, rent one the nice one for the day. I am very happy with it and look forward to next year, when I can rent it again for the whole day!
2)I buy the cheap car. I can can see how it is not as good, but I appreciate the value. I accept it for what it is. I am grateful that it works, it gets me where I need to go.
If I was to tell you that some people that buy the $1000 car, then stand around complaining about the service centre, the vending machine coffee, Vern's B.O. and the lack of decent landscaping on his forecourt..... If I was to tell you that, you would be astonished right?
How about other people that don't even visit the forecourt, but go and tell as many people that they can how poor the cars are, how the forecourt is ugly and the service is bad.
So what can Vern do?
A few options:
Option 1:
Vern listens to all the feedback, and acts upon it. He puts some nice flowers on his forecourt, he employs an assistant to make better coffee and gets rid of the vending machine. He ditches the combover and buys a new shirt.... but that money has to come from somewhere, so next year, the same car costs you $2000.
As the cars are now more expensive, less customers are coming. Sales slow down. Bills start to stack up. Inventory is cut back, the assistant is laid off. A cheap coffee vending machine is purchased from craigslist...... In a year or two bankruptcy is looming.
Does option 1 sound like a good business plan?
Option 2:
Vern does nothing, things fall into disrepair, profits are spent on entirely on more inventory. But their are cracks appearing on the forecourt, the paint is peeling on the signs.....
Does option 2 sound like a good business plan?
Option 3:
Vern decides to find a balance. He listens to peoples feedback, but knows that he has a tight budget. To be able to keep his cars priced low enough so sales don't dry up, he needs to improve things gradually. He knows he can't compete with the big dealerships down the street, they are in a different league.
He can't keep everyone happybut he can find a balance. He plans flower seeds for next year, instead of instant, expensive landscaping.
He buys another vending machine that sells candy, the profit he makes pays for some new paint. He repaints the signs himself, instead of employing additional contractors. Next year he will repair the cracks in the forecourt.
He re-themes an areas of the forecourt, one at a time. Budget section, sports car section, luxury section etc.
He is careful not to overspend, but now he is a little more careful with what cars he buys.
By being wise with his business plan, not overspending and gradually improving he finds he can keep prices low and finds a good balance. He is slowly improving the entire property, piece by piece.
After all, he inherited this business from his family who had neglected it for years, forcing it into bankruptcy.
Ok, I know this analogy dragged on a bit, and it is exaggerated, but can you see the points?
Recently a little extra care has been taken by SFMM.
Different types of rides added with additional theming ( Green Lantern, LL-DOD) versus previous efforts.
Areas of the park are slowly being worked on. DC Universe recently, soon Cyclone Bay and Colossus Count Fair.
In addition, they are still able to allocate money for future rides, without going into debt. They have just DOUBLED profits, which in this economy is very credible.
Sure, corners are cut with decoration, theming and guest services but they have to, for now..... but I'm sure this will improve with the right people in charge.
Their operating budget is minuscule compared to Disney, Universal etc. The ratio of staff to rides need to be considered..... You may say, well instead of putting in new rides, they should have more staff, but they don't even have a fraction of attendees, their revenue is not even in the same universe, so to put aside all this extra money would rise ticket prices, therefore lowering attendance, lowering revenue etc.
It is a business after all.
Anybody on here who has frequently visited the park over the years, will be able to see recent improvements, they are slow and steady, but it is improving.
So to summarize, be patient, give the park a chance and accept it for what it is.
Giving nicknames to park management, jumping on any critical bandwagons without having considered the 'big picture' and saying the park is 'just crap' because it is not manicured within an inch of its life is very unfortunate and makes the typical bashing statements, that are common here, seem rather rather silly don't you think?
Perspective.
Been lurking on here for ages. I actually joined just to reply to this post!
A bit long, but spot on!
Couldn't have said it better myself.... Don't you always find it's always, "I don't actually go to the park, but....here is my opinion, even though it is not well thought out, or even reasonable"
Myself, I have noticed slow improvements in the park, I go every week or two, yet I am always surprised by people slagging it off without anything to actually back it up!
Its always like,"The sound wasn't working on X2, Six Flags sucks!"
"The Revolution's OTSR's hurt, It's the Ice queen's fault!"
"Bring back the president who picked up litter, he was nice, even though he had no long term plan!"
"OMG! Tatsu had only one train running, I know the wheel bearings in one of the cars was being replaced, but who cares... Six Flags sucks!"
Although my dad has a comb-over, so I can't say anything about that!
