Parks that could be defunct within five to ten years....

[spaceace12]

I did.....I just hope it doesn't happen and it is sold to someone better.

[The Alex]

Is Six Flags Mexico doing fine? They haven't had anything new in 4 years. I've never heard of it until it popped up on RCDB in a random search.

 

Anyone?

[Airtime&Gravity]

^Just because a park hasn't added a coaster in four years doesn't mean they are in trouble. I think the park gets around 2.5 million visitors a year, so it does fairly well attendance wise, and it will supposedly be home to the Dark Knight coaster that was going to be built at SFNE.

[ginzo]

^^I've actually heard that Six Flags Mexico makes a lot of money. It's not like labor is costly there and they apparently have managed to keep attendance up without putting in a bunch of costly additions. It's not like Mexico is overflowing with amusement parks. So, what SFM offers might be quite appealing to the locals who can't just hop in the car and make an easy drive to Cedar Point or Great Adventure.

 

Speaking of Six Flags Mexico, has anyone here been there? And, if so, is their G-trained CCI as rough as I imagine it is?

[The Alex]

Just wondering. Thanks for clearing it up!

I'm not really big on the economics of parks yet. I'm learning, though.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^Don't feel bad, no one here is an expert...We all just pay close attention. You'll catch on.

[PhantomNick]

^^I've actually heard that Six Flags Mexico makes a lot of money......It's not like Mexico is overflowing with amusement parks. So, what SFM offers might be quite appealing to the locals who can't just hop in the car and make an easy drive to Cedar Point or Great Adventure.

 

Speaking of Six Flags Mexico, has anyone here been there? And, if so, is their G-trained CCI as rough as I imagine it is?

 

I've heard much of the same, and it sounds like they pull in a pretty healthy attendance number each season. They are pretty much the only game in town when it comes to decent sized amusement parks in Mexico.

 

And I was wondering the same thing about Medusa. Typically, a CCI plus G-trains can equal ouch! I myself was also curious how the Morgan hyper is, and in particular how the airtime is on it.

[Jcoaster]

^ Same. I have never ridden A Morgan hyper. I wonder how they are. The train designed looks cramped. Sorry if this was off topic.

[MG]

My pick which I can comment on would be Chessington World Of Adventures. Not much room to expand, locals hate the noise, planning troubles and one of the few properties which Merlin didn't sell off when it bought Tussauds.

[Shockwave]

^Don't agree in the slightest.

 

For a start, expansion isn't an issue. If the want something new to go in, they'll make room for it. That goes for any park. And they've recently added a upmarket hotel to their complex and continually have the capital to invest year after year.

 

If we are talking parks which could succumb in the next decade, I would say anything along the British seaside, including Blackpool Pleasure Beach. For the Pleasure Beach, the acid test will be how the loss of free entry next year has an impact on business. The wristbands have been a good idea since they were introduced nearly 10 years ago, but taking away the option of just walking around the park and sticking two fingers up at British seaside culture is either very brave or a shot in the foot.

 

The £5 minimum entry fee will either get the park the people they want into the park who will spend their money in there, or alienate a lot of people. And in these times of economic instability, it will be cricital.

[MG]

^I didn't phrase that well. I think the ride side of the park will probably wind down and be defunct in 15 or so years. The planning applications around that area makes building a ride almost impossible.

I don't think Blackpool Pleasure Beach would close. It's been around over 100 years. Hey, if all this global warming really works, Blackpool might be like Florida, that would be nice.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

I know it's not an official sign that the park is doig bad, but it's a sad sight to see from my maze at Knott's you can look in one direction and see four coasters jammed packed right next to each other. (Zoom, Jaguar, Bullet and Sidewinder). There are many who make the arguement that Cedar Fair had to add all these thrill rides to stay competitive in their market, which may be true, but as the Silver Bullets and Xcelerators hog the skyline and the Ponies and Sidewinders snatch up nostalgic parts of the parks where do you put in the charm? I know a few people that still call Knott's a family park, which I disagree with. It's making a steady shift to a thrill park that still happens to be family friendly...at least for now. But Throwing in coasters in every inch of availible airspace can only keep you profitable for so long. The decline in attendance is apparent, and what's their parent company going to do when they can no longer do the only thing they know how?

[cprocks22]

Having not read all the pages of the thread I was just wondering if anyone has said Michigans Adventure. I hate to say it but the park is slowly dying, while they did add Thunderhawk this year it didn't get attendance up that much.

 

It's already been said but SFKK is my other guess. Went this summer and all rides were a walk on all day, and we went in late July which should be one of the busier times for a park. However, their waterpark is somewhat promising, having just recently added Deluge (AWESOME!) and having a few other good slides, it could be what saves the park.

[XII]

^I don't think Michigans Adventure is dying. The park was packed when I went this summer and i doubt the park has any competition. But you never know.