Dan the Coaster Man

thats awesome bert, keep it up! A reward is definitely okay I've been better but not great. I'm down 6.4lbs since 3/18. Just need to eat better, I'm doing the exercise!

@IntaminLove covered the bases pretty well. I like eating at Strutters. If you want to get in the Chicago spirit you could go to Big Lou's for Italian beef. Chicago is within an hour, but obviously requires a hefty time commitment, there's so much to do. Maybe see if the Cubs are in town!

I'll be Around - CeeLo Green, Timbaland

Was looking around the app today and noticed two things. For my 2 skip the line passes it says "Skip Two Lines Every Visit, Every Season". Maybe that sheds a little light on our worry about what benefits we might lose after a year / the grandfather age? I also noticed that I get "Unlimited Soft Drinks Every Visit". Are they talking about the souvenir cup? Or is this Six Flags version of Cedar Fair's disposable cup plan? Also, does "unlimited" mean that I could order food with two friends and get them free drinks on my behalf? Or is it just for one individual?

Pressure- Martin Garrix ft Tove Lo

good stuff bert! it all starts somewhere

Spring has sprung last 3 days for me!

Solo Dance - Martin Jensen

Official opening April 15th, hours posted through September 5th

Executive VP and CFO Sandeep Reddy has resigned and taken a job at a different company effective March 27, a week after he helped announce Six Flags’ new vision for success and growth…

I went ahead and read the transcript from the conference call today. It was really our first opportunity to get official public statements from the new CEO Selim Bassoul and what he envisions, plus comments from VP and CFO Sandeep Reddy. Six Flags is the chain I frequent the most, but it's not by choice, it's just how it works out geographically for me. Six Flags has always left me wanting more, it's my least favorite major chain. Bassoul had a great statement today: "no more over reliance simply on our brand and our history. We must elevate our game to the next level". Six Flags has caught some backlash with their recent changes, including from me. But realistically, most of us agree Six Flags is inferior to other chains. And that is not going to change without a shakeup. @swfan1988 covered the financials pretty well above with some overarching thoughts. I thought I would list other takeaways from the conference call that sheds some light on the future. Bassoul spent the first 100 days decentralizing the company and "empowering business unit leaders" (park presidents) The culture has been or will be reset. This goes back to "no more over reliance simply on our brand and our history. We must elevate our game to the next level". Their goal is to be the most innovating and customer-obsessed theme park company in the world. Big focus on premiumization They stated they have downsized, but that they have also added talent, particularly to culinary They plan on paying down debt and refinancing it "later this year" They have 6 initiatives to improving guest experience Improving efficiency and convivence by reducing wait times, ride downtime and opening rides "when our guests arrive". They state they will accomplish this by moving staff from lower-value activities to rides and through a use of single rider lines for full cycles. They also mentioned they will experiment with "virtual fueling technology" (virtual queues?). They want to add digital boards through the parks that show wait times for rides and restaurants. Creating fun through employee friendliness (this made me think of KI, Dollywood) Park cleanliness. This includes "better curb appeal at the front gate", and Bassoul stated that several of the bigger parks are in the process of updating the front gate experience right now and hope to finish those by peak summer season Better quality food. This was known, but Bassoul goes as far as saying they have been experimenting with their hot dogs, burgers and chicken tenders in his first 100 days and that based on what he has tasted so far "the quality of these items is better than any theme parks I've ever visited". He states this will be ready this spring. Over time he wants to include healthier options, more grilled items and better refreshments (states coffee and alcohol) Guest amenities. More benches and shade are already on the way for this season Guest facing technology. Basically upgrades to the app, to the point it will become "a remote control that facilitates a seamless guest experience" Bassoul says that surveys have revealed that Six Flags has left a lot of money on the table with guests who hardly spend any money. They are combating this with higher prices. The new pricing program in the past weeks has been a success and they are ready to roll it out chain wide. They have been very pleased with the early results. They will simplify ticket offerings but combine season passes and memberships into a new product lineup with fewer choices and targeted blackout dates For capital allocation strategy, #1 priority is reinvesting into the business and leading the industry in innovation. BUT he states that historically innovation was measured in term of thrill rights. He basically says that Six Flags already has enough thrills at their parks, "and while we continue to selectively add new coasters over time", the innovation he speaks of is in terms of guest facing technology, food, and other infrastructure. #2 priority is paying down debt. Over time they may consider mergers and acquisitions but Bassoul does not see it in the "foreseeable future" For labor, for anything that is not specifically guest facing, they are looking into automation. They specifically mention automating the back of the kitchen and security. They will be changing up marketing to explain the shift of their "rebrand". They plan to do this on social media, through influencers, and investing in search engine optimization Overall I think it is exciting for change. I have not fully supported everything that has happened over the park few months but it was nice to hear specifically what Bassoul has in mind for the future. A little concerned about rides going forward, but there's a decent amount to get excited about this season!

Higher - Taio Cruz

I'm hoping today was the last snow of the season here!

Overall coaster Maverick, specific launch Maxx Force

Mine was X2 for 7 years, literally my whole time as an enthusiast except the first half year. Then I rerode it last summer and I was extremely underwhelmed. Maverick is #1 for now!

^ great to hear that. Never been on one of these, hoping it will open before SFStL is no longer my home park. Not getting my hopes up though because that would be before May.

I kinda want to see this but at the same time this is just so sad. Alexa play Fix You by Coldplay

I second this. I have a hard time believing they would add this if they knew all along it would be 54. Something went wrong somewhere.

The "problem" with Chicago is that the city is torn between inside vs outside stadium. Some people think its the bears identity and advantage to play in the cold/wind/snow and that a move indoors would kill the team and fanbase. Others like me don't care and think an indoor stadium would be awesome.

Wanted to walk outside today because it was above freezing, about 45. There's a pond nearby that has a mile long path around it I like to walk at and usually I walk to the pond. I noticed the sidewalks to the pond were still covered in snow/slush/ice. No problem, I'll drive to the pond. Drive there and the path is covered too. Guess its another treadmill day. Go back to my apartment complex gym and all three treadmills wont work. Tried everything, resetting, on/off, unplug/plug, nothing. So I decide to walk on the streets of a nearby neighborhood. That was going okay until a car drove fairly close to me, spraying my legs with slush. Not that they had a lot of room to spare at that particular spot, but could have at least slowed down to not absolutely drench me. Finished my workout and then went to shower and there was no hot water, which had literally never happened up to that point at this apartment. Then I went to wash my body and one of my roommates must have taken my body wash because the entire bottle was completely gone, nowhere to be seen. Did not know working out was going to be so irritating today!

What a shame, obviously the big selling point was that it was the bridge coaster to the big three. I wonder if this is only temporary, because I'm sure a different decision would have been made on installing this if the height requirement was 48 vs 54.

SoFi looks great, makes me wonder if Chicago would ever get anything like it...

Swagga Like Us - Jay Z, T.I., Lil Wayne, Kanye West

No official announcement, but single day tickets are available starting April 23rd

looks awesome! My uncle was there, while my other uncle was throwing beers on the 16th hole green at the TPC... jealous to say the least