Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) Discussion Thread

[RollingRunner]

Pink? El Toro is now pink?! Thats embarassing, yet hilarious!

Props to the Six Flags Ad department for not even themeing the ads, way to go! Give yourself a slap on the head.

[Hercules]

Blame cheap enthusiasts who complain about park prices and force a bankrupt company to find alternative revenue streams.

 

Win.

 

And don't blame Six Flags for not theming the ads to the ride. It is tough to sell ad space, and even tougher to find a company that fits a theme.

[angryemobeaver]

As ugly as the ads are, it doesn't bother me. It doesn't take away from the ride, and it's helping Six Flags make money so they can add more attractions.

[Pingu1651]

^ True. SF better be getting a boatload of money to advertise on El Toro though.

 

Still, I don't see why they don't make the ads mix in with the train. Why not say "Presented by Stride" on the side of and inside the coaster cars? Granted, it won't be as noticable, but I'm being turned off by the current ad. What's next, the "Stride Uber Bubble Boomerang"?

[larrygator]

^I'm not sure of your defintion of boat load.

 

But if you fill a canoe with quarters, than that value is probably close to what SF will take in per month for this effort.

 

As far as why the ads are not themed. That's a lot of extra work for an Ad Agency and costs to an advertiser.

[Hercules]

^ Not to mention the product or company that is being marketed may not be going for that kind of theme to help it fit in.

[KevinM]

Just another check mark in 5 gum's column, IMO.

[angryemobeaver]

Not that it has too much to do with El Toro, but last month when I was at SFOG, Mindbender was attacked by Stride also, but not it's trains. Throughout the queue line they just had random Stride signs advertising all the flavors. And also on the park map I think Goliath had a giant Snicker next to it.

[netdvn]

I totally dig the new paint scheme on the coaster. It looks great! The pink and blue with the cool chewing gum logo on the side really brings out the Mexican theme more than the original color on the ride.

 

I hope Six Flags makes this a permanent fixture on the ride.

 

!!!!!one111!!!!COMBO BREAKER!!!!one!!111

[BaMiTsPaT]

I can't wait to ride the Stride gum coaster in July ...*sigh*

[The Big So-So]

I heard the ads are permanent and once they add them to every car on all the trains, they're renaming the ride El Strideo.

[YoshiFan]

The El Toro ads are nothing compared to the ads on Kingda Ka.

 

There are Karate Kid banners all over the queue and in the station hanging from the ceiling but the 2nd train on the left side (orange I think) now has Karate Kid ads all over it including the front and back of the train and on the side panels of the train covering the tiger looking art that is usually there. It really messes up the theme of Kingda Ka.

 

The ads on El Toro are only on 1 of 2 trains and the ads are on car 1, 3 and 5 with another ad on the back of car 6. It's not as bad as the picture online looks seeing it in person but still looks out of place.

 

Coasters After Dark was awesome, basically no waits at all (a few 10 minute waits but otherwise all walk ons), 30 rides in 5 hours.

[gforce532]

I heard the ads are permanent and once they add them to every car on all the trains, they're renaming the ride El Strideo.

 

Viper at SFMM got the hair gel ads on one of its trains about mid summer last year. And a few months ago were taken off completely. Because it was train #4 and when I was last there train #4 was back to its old self.

[CHILLERLC1]

I've got to check out these trains now.

[leegilley]

if you think that's bad. You should visit Six Flags Over Georgia. One Mindbender train is wrapped in stried gum, and if your unlucky enough to ride that train when you get off you're they give a whole spill about you're riding being bought to you by stride etc. Then The Georgia Scorcher is partnered with the georgia power deparment and got there logo in blue wrapped all around both trains, and in the station is more advertising about , then you have one ninja train and the whole station pretty much covered in axe advertisment.

[deathbydinn]

Does anyone have any pictures of KK's ads?

[Hercules]

Once again, I bring up the point that Larry brought up - this is a company trying to get out of debt! If you don't like it, them I am sure you won't like it if the chain closes in a couple of years. I'm sure at that point you will be bashing them when that happens then too. They are doing what they can to bring in revenue!

 

I'm sure this is falling on deaf ears though. What they really need to do is build $20 million roller coasters. That will get the people coming in and make money!!!!

[acq10uaz]

^^http://twitpic.com/1lv9iv

 

^That wasn't successful as thats what put them in debt in the first place. $20 million coasters attract teens and enthusiasts and thru don't spend that much money in the park. Families pay a lot of money to eat and buy stuff in the gift shops.

[Hercules]

^ I think you need to purchase a sarcasm meter.

[Lenaapple1974]

As nasty as that Stride gum ad is, it does help the park! It was on every other car for El Toro. I got to stare at it on Saturday as I was next to board, and they closed the ride due to high winds! But, bright side is that Stride has offered a discount coupon for $30. Adults get in for children's prices, as long as you bring a pack of Stride gum along. I will take it!

 

The day was great, although I didn't get to ride too many coasters. Went along with a rather larger group than normal - so that contributed to this a bit. There were about 20 of us all together. I got to see Big Mike, Renee and Larry. It was nice meeting you guys! And naturally, nice to see Big Mike, as always! We rode Nitro first, both times no line. Then Batman - which has had longer lines the last few times I went. (In the garden area!!) This time it was in the "sewer". Then off to Superman. Rode it twice. By this time the winds were really kicking up.

[nitrofan]

^That wasn't successful as thats what put them in debt in the first place. $20 million coasters attract teens and enthusiasts and thru don't spend that much money in the park. Families pay a lot of money to eat and buy stuff in the gift shops.

 

That philosiphy could go either way. When my family goes to theme parks, we are on a strict budget to do it as cheaply as possible. When we go to Six Flags, we find the park with the cheapest Season Passes, so there we are covered all season for $29.99 each at SFKK. We are hit with parking at each park, but we spend almost nothing in the parks. We eat before we go to the park, leave food in the car for dinner, then go back in the park for the evening. Really the only money we spend in the park is the occasional light snack, shirt, or on-ride photo. It really evens out to us spending less than $15 per person each time we go to the park including admission.

 

On the other side of that, when I go on school trips to theme parks, I'm always going on coasters constantly, but most people spend the majority of their time in gift shops or getting food. With teens usually not having very many expenses, they have very disposable money and usually get money from their parents as well.

 

I guess it really depends on the family. The parks make very little off of my family.

[froggypheebs]

I was at GAdv on Saturday as well. They didn't just close El Toro but all the coasters and Ferris wheel around 4PM. The skyride wasn't running all day due to the winds. We were finished with all the coasters by then and were just going to try and get a re-ride on El Toro and stay for the tiger show, but once we found out most everything was closed we just got an early start home. Maybe next time I'm in the park, I will see one of you guys and say hello. I would have noticed Big Mike's gold T-shirt but must have never crossed paths.

 

It would have been nice if the park had a few more flats to handle the crowds in a situation like this (or just a few more flats in general.)

[YoshiFan]

They need to get the SBNO flats open, I can only imagine how bad crowds are going to be this summer with less rides open this year compared to at least the past 10 or 11 years.

[DiveMachine]

^Definitely. Flats are Gadv's biggest concerns, and until they get them, I will always consider Cedar Point as the better park. I like Cedar Point, like the coasters, but some of the coasters seemed like they were unoriginal, uninspired, or just bland. I also like Gadv, as my homepark, but until they get flats, I will take Cedar Point over it anyday.

 

They need to get Old Country back open with a new major flat or coaster to anchor it, because the bumper cars were enjoyed by those who were on it. It was a HUGE loss to the park when it was left SBNO. I think a flat like a Unicoaster or Giant Frisbee would be a good anchor along with the existing 2 flats and maybe another flat like swings.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^Definitely. Flats are Gadv's biggest concerns, and until they get them, I will always consider Cedar Point as the better park. I like Cedar Point, like the coasters, but some of the coasters seemed like they were unoriginal, uninspired, or just bland. I also like Gadv, as my homepark, but until they get flats, I will take Cedar Point over it anyday.

 

They need to get Old Country back open with a new major flat or coaster to anchor it, because the bumper cars were enjoyed by those who were on it. It was a HUGE loss to the park when it was left SBNO. I think a flat like a Unicoaster or Giant Frisbee would be a good anchor along with the existing 2 flats and maybe another flat like swings.

 

Wait which coasters are you referring to?