Who killed Geauga Lake?

[robbalvey]

"Six Flags got approved to do over a 200-foot rollercoaster. As soon as that was approved, Cedar Point bought it and killed the park to kill the competition for Cedar Point," Watson said. "They don't care about the residents. The proof is over there. The structures are gone."

 

Yeah, cause Cedar Fair intended to lose money by buying the park just to close it.

That's precisely what they did. The loss they took buying the park, and then operating it until the existing service contracts were fulfilled will be made back several times over by shutting it down to remove the competition.

 

I still believe that buying Geauga Lake just to close it was one of the smartest business decisions Cedar Fair ever made. Popular with some immediate locals and die-hard fans? Nope. But that move took balls, and I applaud them on it.

 

--Robb

[firewalk13]

Who killed Geauga Lake?

 

GWAR did. They kill everything.

 

 

This, lol...

 

and as Robb said, it was a hell of a move, that ultimately proved profitable, though it makes me sad.

[Chris Benvenuto]

2) Six Flags directly went after Cedar Point (anyone remember the old SFO commercials - "We drove past Cedar Point to get here"). They went strong after the Detroit market - which was 4 hours+ away and had Cedar Point in-between. Whether it was marketing or captial they went after the wrong audience.

 

I've only went to Geauga Lake once, when it was Six Flags and it was NOT 4+ hours away. It was more like 3 hours, but that's not the point I'm making here. I think the use of the place by Six Flags properly killed the place. I really think had not the oversaturation of new attractions that came in not happened, I think the place would've been alot better. I visited in the Summer of 2003 and my mother could tell how bad the park was struggling even then. She didn't really tell me when I was a young teenager, but later on I could understand why she didn't like the place. It also explains why she made a conscious effort to keep myself, my brother and my own dad even away from the place in the Summer.

 

EDIT: I live in a Detroit suburb, and that's why I said it wasn't over four hours away. I'm trying not to appear rude, just saying it was wrong.

[David H]

I'm not sure that the entire intent from Cedar Fair was to close the place down. But I'm sure it was at the very least a serious possibility. But it was really a win/win scencario for them. Especially since they bought the park cheap.

 

If the place did well, then they trun a profit.

 

If it didn't, then they could close it down, cutting out the main competition for Cedar Point (and Kings Island, too.)

 

Plus, they got a bunch of "new" coasters and rides for some of their other parks. X-Flight was a very popular addition at Kings Island!

[cfc]

I still say it was . . .

 

 

. . . in the library with the candlestick.

[David H]

No way. It was Mrs. Peacock in the library with a rope.

[cfc]

^She and Miss Scarlet were "having tea" with Professor Plum. The whereabouts of Mr. Green, however, have yet to be determined.

[historyfreak92]

Does anybody think that Geauga Lake could become an Amusement Park Again?

[gisco]

Does anybody think that Geauga Lake could become an Amusement Park Again?

 

Nope. If anyone had the money to reopen the park, they probably would turn it into something other then an amusement park. There are a lot of things less risky and provide a better return.

[Hercules]

Does anybody think that Geauga Lake could become an Amusement Park Again?

 

No.

[Anything]

I find that rather unlikely.

[beatle11]

"Six Flags got approved to do over a 200-foot rollercoaster. As soon as that was approved, Cedar Point bought it and killed the park to kill the competition for Cedar Point," Watson said. "They don't care about the residents. The proof is over there. The structures are gone."

 

Yeah, cause Cedar Fair intended to lose money by buying the park just to close it.

That's precisely what they did. The loss they took buying the park, and then operating it until the existing service contracts were fulfilled will be made back several times over by shutting it down to remove the competition.

 

I still believe that buying Geauga Lake just to close it was one of the smartest business decisions Cedar Fair ever made. Popular with some immediate locals and die-hard fans? Nope. But that move took balls, and I applaud them on it.

 

--Robb

 

Okay, I guess I can see that.

[historyfreak92]

And why did they close it into a Water Park?

[cfc]

^You might want to read the first post of this thread for a summary of what happened.

[robbalvey]

And why did they close it into a Water Park?

1. Water parks are a more profitable business.

2. A water park in Aroura doesn't compete with a water park in Sandusky as most water parks draw their audience within 20 miles.

 

And that pretty much sums it up....

[historyfreak92]

Oh well! But anyway I still think that Cedar Point, & Kings Island are great Amusement Parks!

[JRHcoasterki]

Why does this thread still exist? Does it really matter anymore who killed Geauga Lake?

[larrygator]

Why does this thread still exist? Does it really matter anymore who killed Geauga Lake?

 

It exists because it still matters to some people. The thread was created because we continue to see people on TPR discuss it.

Edited January 17, 2013 by larrygator

[cfc]

Think of this thread as a "debriefing" or a "post-motem" on Geauga Lake.

[JRHcoasterki]

^ Oh okay. Gotchya

[ginzo]

That's precisely what they did. The loss they took buying the park, and then operating it until the existing service contracts were fulfilled will be made back several times over by shutting it down to remove the competition.

 

I still believe that buying Geauga Lake just to close it was one of the smartest business decisions Cedar Fair ever made. Popular with some immediate locals and die-hard fans? Nope. But that move took balls, and I applaud them on it.

 

With hindsight it's really obvious that this is exactly what went down. Though I doubt they'd ever admit it publicly. The removal of rides without any sincere additions (cornhole, anyone?) to offset the lost rides is really all you need to look at. They had no incentive to invest in a park that could readily draw customers away from their "crown jewel". Moving the rides to their other parks allowed them to offset the loss of having to buy a park only for the purpose of shutting it down.

[Movieguy]

It really was a case of too much, too soon IMO. SF took this small local park, and tried to make it to something it really wasn't meant to be. Yes, Ohio has parks like CP and KI, but Ohio is not Florida. You can't have two big parks that close to each other, because the market just isn't there for it.

[ArundelHigh Coasters]

I think if they took it slower, it could have competed with CP. They should have installed one big coaster and a family coaster in the beginning of the SF era instead of four. I honestly think CF bought the park to close it. As much as I love CF, I think they bought it to close it down.

[Moose]

Six Flags was not known for their slow and steady (and responsible) growth in that era. It was build it bigger, faster, and more numerous.

[ArundelHigh Coasters]

Six Flags was not known for their slow and steady (and responsible) growth in that era. It was build it bigger, faster, and more numerous.

 

 

It seemed like back then SF added so many amazing new coasters to their parks yearly. Now it's the exact opposite. I feel like they learned they're lesson from SFWOA.