Valleyfair (VF) Discussion Thread

[triggernel]

Umm, there are hundreds of Peanuts characters statues around the Twin Cities. We are the birth place of Charles Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts. We had Camp Snoopy at the MOA, and when that was taken out people were devastated. If they market the heck out of this place, this will be huge for MN, unlike the response the rest of the CF parks have gotten.

 

I think this is the perfect market for the Twin Cities.

 

PS: I have young siblings, and they could care less about who the rides are themed after. As long as there is someone they can hug and get their picture taken with, they don't care who it is.

[Looty]

I would usually agree with the argument that Snoopy is an outdated brand, but I think Snoopy is a perfect fit for Valleyfair! A Planet Snoopy addition would be 100x better than the current kids offerings at the park and it would also put a face on the park for many families in the area.

 

Snoopy does have a special place in the hearts of Minnesotans and I believe most will embrace the addition. I was working at Camp Snoopy when they terminated the Peanuts contract and it really did upset a lot of people. There were news stories every week, guests would always ask me why when they got on my ride, etc. It seemed like people actually cared.

 

I think the park has a tremendous opportunity to capture a larger market share with a Planet Snoopy addition. At the same time, I think expectations will be quite high and Planet Snoopy will be often be compared to the old Camp Snoopy. Don't mess this up, Valleyfair!

 

Plus, the only character that the park has is Colonel Oohmpapa (I really don't care to look up the correct spelling ) and he scares more kids than he entertains.

[jps294]

Valleyfair confirms Planet Snoopy!

It is with great excitement and pleasure that Valleyfair has announced its plans for Planet Snoopy!

 

Costing an estimated $9 million, construction for Planet Snoopy will begin immediately after the end of the regular season (after Labor Day) and is currently scheduled to be completed for the start of the 2011 season. Planet Snoopy construction will in no way impede or diminish the Halloween Haunt beginning September 18th and running through October 31st.

 

It is a very exciting time for all of us at Valleyfair and we believe Planet Snoopy will provide our guests with fun the whole family can enjoy. Current plans for Planet Snoopy indicate 7 rides will be re-themed and 6 new rides will be introduced along with one additional attraction. Planet Snoopy will also include a brand new Family Care Center. The midways of Planet Snoopy will be re-done with pavers, as was done for other sections of Valleyfair prior to the 2010 season.

 

To help prepare you for the grand opening of Planet Snoopy in 2011, Valleyfair is now offering a Super Pass which is valid for the rest of the 2010 season and all of the 2011 season. Valleyfair is thrilled to welcome Snoopy and the gang back home and can’t wait to share them with all our guests in 2011. We look forward to seeing all of you again for the grand opening of Planet Snoopy!

http://www.valleyfair.com/public/information/planetsnoopy.cfm

 

Welcome, Planet Snoopy!

 

SHAKOPEE, MINN., August 6th, 2010— It’s a new look with an old friend as Snoopy and the Gang are finally coming home! Valleyfair is proud to announce it will be opening Planet Snoopy for our 2011 season. “It is a very exciting time for Valleyfair as Snoopy and his friends make our park their new home.” says Larry MacKenzie, Vice President and General Manager of Valleyfair. Planet Snoopy will be located in what is currently known as KidWorks.

Construction on Planet Snoopy will begin this fall and is anticipated to be completed in plenty of time for the opening of the park next season. Current plans for the project include an estimated 5 re-themed rides and the addition of 14 new rides and attractions. Planet Snoopy will provide fun for the whole family as well as give Valleyfair a fresh and exciting new look.

 

The arrival of PEANUTScharacters in the park is fitting because it was Minnesota native, Charles Schultz, who introduced the PEANUTS characters to the country in 1950. Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the others became one of the most celebrated and popular cartoon strips in history, spawning television specials, movies, toys, dolls and countless other forms of merchandise. Valleyfair considers it an honor to welcome Snoopy to make Valleyfair his new home and is looking forward to sharing him with all our guests.

 

Valleyfair is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, a publicly traded partnership that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FUN.” In addition to Valleyfair, Cedar Fair owns and operates ten other amusement parks, six waterparks, one indoor waterpark resort and five hotels. Cedar Fair also operates Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in Gilroy, California, under a management contract.

http://www.valleyfair.com/public/news/index.cfm?story_id=95&mode=story&current_root=12

 

ADMIN EDIT: I went ahead and updated the post to include an additional few photos and to fix a few spacing errors. Thanks for sharing this with us!

Edited August 8, 2010 by jedimaster1227

[Vffreak07]

Here's a video I shot of the announcement:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YJaaLKt264

[Jerrykoala2112]

Awww, I really liked that part of the park. I actually sat down on the benches in that gardened area for a breather. But that area will make an amazing Camp Snoopy.

[uwgbdork]

I think this is a perfect fit! That area was in need of some TLC. For those who do not relize, Snoopy is really popular in the twin cities. They pretty much claim ownership of Peanuts since Charles Shultz is from the area. This is much better that the current area which i like to call "generic childrens area"

[bgwfreak777]

I guess the rumors of Valleyfair!'s demise were greatly exagerated!

 

I must throw this out there, the entrance plaza is like Planet Snoopy Meets Intimidator Plaza (Carowinds).

[larrygator]

Dave Frazier announced as Valleyfair's new GM

 

Dave Frazier Named Vice President and General Manager of Valleyfair

 

SHAKOPEE, Minn., Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cedar Fair (NYSE: FUN - News), a leader in regional amusement parks, water parks and active entertainment, today announced that Dave Frazier has been named vice president and general manager of Valleyfair Amusement Park.

 

Frazier, 46, has more than 25 years of experience in the amusement and theme park industry. He spent 17 years within Cedar Fair beginning in 1984, including six years at Valleyfair in various seasonal roles. Most recently he served as the general manager of Nickelodeon Universe, an indoor amusement park at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.

 

"We are pleased to welcome Dave to our senior management team," said Richard Zimmerman, Cedar Fair's chief operating officer. "He is a disciplined leader who is truly customer focused. With the extensive amount of experience Dave already has with Cedar Fair and the markets in which Valleyfair operates, we are confident in his ability to deliver the 'best-day-of-the-year experience' to our guests each and every time they visit our park."

[Vffreak07]

Dave Frazier announced as Valleyfair's new GM

 

Dave Frazier Named Vice President and General Manager of Valleyfair

 

SHAKOPEE, Minn., Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cedar Fair (NYSE: FUN - News), a leader in regional amusement parks, water parks and active entertainment, today announced that Dave Frazier has been named vice president and general manager of Valleyfair Amusement Park.

 

Frazier, 46, has more than 25 years of experience in the amusement and theme park industry. He spent 17 years within Cedar Fair beginning in 1984, including six years at Valleyfair in various seasonal roles. Most recently he served as the general manager of Nickelodeon Universe, an indoor amusement park at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.

 

"We are pleased to welcome Dave to our senior management team," said Richard Zimmerman, Cedar Fair's chief operating officer. "He is a disciplined leader who is truly customer focused. With the extensive amount of experience Dave already has with Cedar Fair and the markets in which Valleyfair operates, we are confident in his ability to deliver the 'best-day-of-the-year experience' to our guests each and every time they visit our park."

 

The interesting part is, he's leaving his job at Nickelodeon Universe to go to Valleyfair. That's quite the commitment/upgrade.

[XYZ]

Hopefully, the new GM would try to get a new major coaster in VF by 2014.

[dippindotsguy8]

The 2012 park map has been posted, with some interesting changes:

 

-Mini Golf has been removed from both the map and the website

-The amphitheater has been removed from the map

 

I am really hoping they remove that amphitheater. They almost never use it, and it's become nothing but wasted space. It'd be great to see something new there or in the old mini golf spot in 2013 or 2014.

[Vffreak07]

To add on to that thought, the Adventure Golf Course & Amphitheater take up two VERY large plots of land. With the removal of the Go-Karts, we could be seeing something fairly large in the near future in the front of the park.

[dippindotsguy8]

Valleyfair's Fastlane information has now been posted on the website. The rides included are:

 

-Corkscrew

-Mad Mouse

-Highroller

-Monster

-Renegade

-Wildthing

-Steel Venom

-Power Tower

-Thunder Canyon

-Extreme Swing

 

Exact pricing isn't layed out yet (unless you want to mess around with the check-out system to figure it out), but basically it ranges from $30 to $55 depending on the day and the number of people, like the other parks.

[Coaster Curt]

I am guessing out of towners at the park on a weekend will use the Fast Lane. I bought season passes for the family and only live 20 minutes away so we will hit the park at the slow times.

 

Anyone thing with the Amphitheater leaving and mini golf leaving this presents a great time for a new coaster to come into the park?

 

What about adding something over the Antique cars area and into the picnic area? If they decided to put a station near the Corkscrew couldn't the entire ride be over the midway/cars/and into the picnic area?

[Coaster Curt]

Anyone heading out to VF for opening weekend?

 

Opening tomorrow, getting excited

[Topdrag]

^ I was there as always. I have not missed an opening day is like 7 or 8 years? Its been a while. Might go this Saturday before going to the casino. Not sure yet.

[Coaster Curt]

This I posted on May 30th.

 

Was at the park today, Antique Cars was closed for an hour or so while about 10 people walked all around the Cars area with note pads, cameras, and tape measures.

 

 

Also.

 

Just taking a glance and watching them for a couple minutes it looked like they were taking pictures of the bridge, trees and general layout of the landscape. Perhaps to figure out ways to add something without taking anything out (i.e trees/bridge/and such).

 

Having something over the top of the cars would be pretty cool to see.

 

I asked the ride op how come the cars weren't open and she said there were people on the track doing some work and when they were finished it would open, made no mention of what the "work" they were doing was.

 

Just downloaded the new Valley Fair Iphone app and was looking at the map, could VF be getting a new coaster that will go over the Antique Cars and in turn over the entrance to the park, similar to what CP might be doing?

[Topdrag]

So I guess I will be the first to break this news out but I have heard from some reliable sources (And no surprise to me really) that Valleyfair will be getting Dinosaurs Alive next year. As far as anything else new I don’t think thats in the plans but I am hoping they will bring some new LED light packages to some of the rides. The Ferris wheel was supposed to get a new LED package for this year but it still has not been added so I think thats also finally coming.

[molemaster43]

^Of course. I have been hoping that this park gets something new and exciting, but nothing more than a Cedar Fair chain wide attraction.

[Ace Of Spades]

So I guess I will be the first to break this news out but I have heard from some reliable sources (And no surprise to me really) that Valleyfair will be getting Dinosaurs Alive next year.

Well, since CGA is finally getting some attention, I guess CF needs a new major park to shaft in the "Major Additions" department.

[Topdrag]

Valleyfair has always been the step child of the Cedar Fair chain. They have really given love to the park to prepare it for a large addition. All the park improvements have been needed big time so with the news of Dinosaurs Alive coming this will further help the park and I am sure we will see other improvements as well that have been needed.

 

This will definitely help the park and the chain more money which will in turn allow Cedar Fair to spend more on other capital improvements.

[hulahoop1]

I went to Valleyfair yesterday and had a great time, I went on Thunder Canyon twice and didn't even get wet. I remember when you would go on that ride and you would get soaked, and now you hardly get wet, and I went on Excalibur and I remember when that ride had decent lines, now it has no lines. If Valleyfair would take out Thunder Canyon and Excalibur they could put an Intamin Blitz, or take out Corkscrew and put in a Bolliger and Mabillard Floorless Coaster or a Bolliger and Mabillard Wing Rider in that spot. Other than those things it was a great day at Valleyfair. Just a few ideas.

[Jerrykoala2112]

I do agree with the post above mine. I went to Valleyfair in September 2009, and I felt that the park was missing something. The only ride that had a line was Renegade, and that was because it was running one train. The park just seemed dead. Their coaster collection is a bit lackluster, and I feel that they are in need of something. Wild Thing is fun, it's fast, but it isn't that intense. Valleyfair is the only CF park that doesn't have a B&M, and Corkscrew is their only roller coaster with inversions. They don't need a capacity monster that a B&M is, but even just a Euro-fighter or anything would be nice.

 

Edit: My bad, I forgot about Michigan's Adventure!

Edited August 2, 2012 by Jerrykoala2112

[KI Kidd]

Michigan's Adventure is also B&M-less.

[hulahoop1]

Just take out Excalibur in the back and maybe Thunder Canyon and put in a Intamin Blitz similiar to Maverick at Cedar Point, or take out Corkscrew and put in a B&M Floorless similar to Hydra or a B&M Wingrider in Corkscrew's area. Nothing huge but it would certainly attract new guests to the park.