Six Flags [FUN] Corporate Discussion Thread

[alilstronger]

It is not like they do not have the ability to get amazing employees. If places like Dollywood, Hersheypark, Disney, Knoebels, and so forth can hire employees that actually want to work there and treat the customers well, then so can Six Flags.

 

 

Hersheypark? Like, the Hersheypark that's in Hershey Pennsylvania? That Hersheypark? Huh.

 

Knoebels though, that I agree with. Even though I'm sure the median age of its employees is much higher than the average corporate park, even among the younger ops there's a consistent air of professionalism I don't see most other places. I would guess it's not just a matter of training or hiring standards, it's a sense of pride in your workplace and a solid understanding of what's expected of you (and of the consequences for not living up to those expectations) that has to start at the very highest level of management. An atmosphere of not caring is contagious, no matter who you've got working there.

 

Have I had bad experiences at Hershey? Yes, I sure have but normally I have good experiences. Has it gone a little down hill over the years, yes it has. But no where near a Six Flags park.

[WallyWorldOrBust]

I'm just going to leave this here. Thanks to Boldikus for the first picture. Keep in mind that once again... Great Adventure has the best operations in the entire chain. I use the Skyride because it's one of the only rides where a picture can illustrate the throughput of a ride.

 

Six Flags Great Adventure's double Skyride with over twice as many cabins as Cedar Point's single Skyride.

 

Cedar Point

 

The one thing I find strange with SFGadv skyride lately is; my last like 10 visits the past month, they have only been using 1 side of the skyride, and the que in the middle of the day was full on most of the visits. At the beginning of the season when the park was empty, they were running both side of the skyride, go figure. Just you normal SF operations. CLUELESS

 

I really wish SFGAm had kept their SkyRides. Not only did you get a nice view of the park from up there, but it saved a lot of legwork getting from one end of the park to another. But those SkyRides are expensive to maintain.

[WallyWorldOrBust]

Question. Six Flags more than anyone else in the industry seems to really be pushing for that high school/college age demographic, based on how and what they advertise, the merchandise they sell, blasting club music across the midways after the sun goes down, YOLO, etc. The problem is, those kids aren't the ones with money to spend on tickets and season passes, adults are, and I could see many adults being turned off by the whole image Six Flags as a chain is projecting. Does anyone else think this could be part of what's hurting them?

 

Oh yeah, I agree. When you go to an amusement park, you want to take your whole family and make sure they all have a fun time. It's not all about the tween/teen/young adult demographic that everyone thinks is oh-so-important nowadays. That sort of thing really irks me.

[EricGarbo]

Question. Six Flags more than anyone else in the industry seems to really be pushing for that high school/college age demographic, based on how and what they advertise, the merchandise they sell, blasting club music across the midways after the sun goes down, YOLO, etc. The problem is, those kids aren't the ones with money to spend on tickets and season passes, adults are, and I could see many adults being turned off by the whole image Six Flags as a chain is projecting. Does anyone else think this could be part of what's hurting them?

 

Even as an adult with no children who often goes to parks alone (Girlfriend and friends are not big theme park people) the older I get the more I seem to get annoyed with Six Flags, and I'm only 25. What I can't tell is if Six Flags markets to this age group simply because they're the only market left to tap into or they created this demographic of guests based on their decisions. Are we too overly obsessed with roller coasters and Six Flags just gives it to us? Did we sacrifice a proper guest experience for just another thrill far too many times and we are reaping what we sow? I think Six Flags, at this point, is far from a reputable park chain. They generate revenue off of their regional collections of roller coasters and they'll continue to make decisions based on how their bottom line increases. I mean seriously, they've been reporting healthy monetary growth, why change?

[Beni_Rodriguez]

I honestly think if corporate gave more freedom to each park the chain might improve. For example, I've heard from employees who post in the SFSTL thread that Dave (the park president) has some great ideas that could definitely improve the overall experience (such as shortening long queues, moving the Moon Cars and giving them a longer track, and bringing a few family flats into the park). However from what I hear, corporate makes most of the financial decisions and that is why some of these small improvements never become a reality.

 

So sad about the queues at SFSTL. We went on a weekday this Summer and the lines were short, but the queues made you feel like you were waiting in two hour lines at SFGA! SFSTL has so much potential with a solid variety of at the very least good rides. Ninja sucketh, but because it's in the front of the park and actually gets decent amount of riders it's not going anywhere.

[larrygator]

If you are planning to get a Six Flags season pass, now is the time as it appears all parks have a Flash Sale going on until September 1st, but you have to process your passes by September 28th at the park you bought it.

 

Check the details at sixflags.com for the Six Flags parks in your area, exact details vary by park. But for the parks I checked it appears they are including free entry and parking at all SF parks in this Gold Pass offer. Different parks may require a minimum number of passes per order.

 

For example:

at Great Adventure you must but at least two passes at $61.99 each.

at SFNE the price for the same pass is $49.99

at SFA the price is $49.99 if you buy 4 of more passes

[DLex]

^Thanks for the info Larry! Great time to renew after the announcements today.

[TheDarkMaxim]

Seems like SF is making a huge push with its parks this year. Every park except for SFGAm are getting a new ride/major attraction.

 

And now the big season pass sale...

[Sf-Dad]

It will be interesting to see if this is really is a flash sale with the best prices. At least in STL they do this every fall through the end of October, but allegedly the deal after 9/1 will not be as good. Here they are kicking in an extra bring a friend free ticket for Fright Fest. The season dinning pass has been a spectacular deal for me. I covered the cost of it back in early June and between two boys and myself I have saved hundreds of dollars on food. There are actually a few decent healthy (somewhat) places to eat.

[larrygator]

^This the lowest price I have ever seen for a SFGAdv season pass that includes free parking and entry into all SF parks.

 

I know most SF parks tend to discount their passes more than SFGAdv.

[Brad Bishop]

The only thing that sucks about the low prices on passes is that it makes the parks a lot busier. That's good for Six Flags but makes for a bad customer experience.

 

Disney seems to do well with balancing price and guests.

 

Six Flags seems to go with the: Make the passes cheap and then get them with food, drinks, and souvenirs.

[rcjp]

Six Flags seems to go with the: Make the passes cheap and then get them with food, drinks, and souvenirs.

And flash pass.

[jedimaster1227]

http://investors.sixflags.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=61629&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1979998

 

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: SIX) announced today that its board of directors has approved an increase in the company's ongoing quarterly cash dividend from $0.47 per common share to $0.52 per common share. The fourth quarter 2014 dividend will be payable December 8, 2014 to shareholders of record as of November 25, 2014.

 

"The company's strong momentum has enabled us to raise our dividend by 11 percent, representing our fifth consecutive year of dividend increases," said Jim Reid-Anderson, Chairman, President and CEO. "We are highly focused on building shareholder value and believe an attractive, growing dividend is an excellent way to deliver consistent returns for our shareholders."

 

http://investors.sixflags.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=61629&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1979989

 

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: SIX), the world's largest regional theme park company, today announced its third quarter 2014 revenue grew to a record high of $542 million, representing a $37 million or 7 percent increase over the same period in 2013. Third quarter Adjusted EBITDA2 of $291 million was an improvement of $23 million or 8 percent over prior year.

 

"We remain laser focused on delivering significant shareholder value through attendance gains, ticket yield management, and international expansion, all while further enhancing the quality of our guest experience," said Jim Reid-Anderson, Chairman, President, and CEO.

 

Total guest spending per capita grew $2.52 or 6 percent in the third quarter to $43.79, with admissions revenue per capita increasing $1.91 or 8 percent to $25.87 and in-park revenue per capita increasing $0.61 or 4 percent to $17.92. Attendance for the third quarter of 11.8 million guests was up slightly over prior year.

 

For the first nine months of 2014, the company reported revenue of $992 million, a $36 million or 4 percent increase over prior year, while Adjusted EBITDA for the same nine-month period totaled $393 million, a $25 million or 7 percent improvement over the prior year.

 

In the first nine months of 2014, total guest spending per capita grew $3.23 or 8 percent to $43.77, with admissions revenue per capita increasing $2.22 or 10 percent to $25.54 and in-park revenue per capita increasing $1.01 or 6 percent to $18.23.

 

Diluted earnings per share for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2014 were $1.08 and $1.13, respectively.

 

Income Before Income Taxes for both the third quarter and nine months included a $73 million stock-based compensation charge relating to the probable achievement by 2015 of Project 500, a long-term incentive compensation program established by the company in August 2011. Excluding the Project 500 stock-based compensation charge, diluted earnings per share for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2014 were $1.56, up 28 percent, and $1.60, up 54 percent, respectively.

 

For the twelve-months ended September 30, 2014, Adjusted EBITDA was $429 million and Modified EBITDA3 was $467 million. Modified EBITDA margin for the same twelve-month period grew to 40.7 percent—a new industry high.

 

The company's Active Pass Base, which includes season pass holders and guests in the company's membership program, increased 10 percent from September 30, 2013 to September 30, 2014.

 

Cash earnings per share1 for the twelve-month period ending September 30, 2014 was $2.51, an increase of $0.30 per share or 14 percent compared to the prior twelve-month period ending September 30, 2013.

 

During the first nine months of 2014 the company invested $95 million in new capital, paid dividends of $136 million, or $0.47 per common share per quarter, and repurchased $119 million or 3.1 million shares of its common stock. As of September 30, 2014, the company had $376 million available under the board's current share repurchase authorization.

 

Net Debt4 as of September 30, 2014 was $1,232 million, a 2.9 times net leverage ratio.

 

Long-Term Outlook

Six Flags today also announced a new long-term profit target, which is an aspirational goal of achieving $600 million of Modified EBITDA by calendar year 2017, equating to nearly $3.75 of cash earnings per share. During the twelve months ended September 30, 2014, the company generated $467 million of Modified EBITDA and $2.51 of cash earnings per share.

 

"Our new 2017 target of $600 million of Modified EBITDA allows us to invest appropriately in the business, continue paying a sustainable, growing dividend, and execute on our share repurchase program," said John Duffey, executive vice president and CFO.

 

Conference Call

The company will host a conference call at 4:00 p.m. Central Time today, Tuesday October 21, 2014 to discuss its third quarter 2014 financial performance. The call is accessible on the Six Flags Investor Relations website at www.sixflags.com/investors or by dialing 1-855-889-1976 in the United States or +1-937-641-0558 outside the United States and requesting the Six Flags earnings call. A replay of the call will be available through October 29, 2014 by dialing (855) 859-2056 or +1(404) 537-3406, Conference ID 13139083.

[coasterchitchat]

Here's a interview from CNBC with Jim.

 

 

EDIT: Could someone try to get the link to work?

[DJeXeL]

^Here you go:

 

[youtu_be]

[/youtu_be]

[coasterchitchat]

Jim Reid-Anderson talks about Q4 Results on CNBC's Mad Money.

 

[youtu_be]

[/youtu_be]

[josephcissell]

Here is the fourth quarter press release from http://investors.sixflags.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=61629&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2017930.

 

Revenue Grows 19 Percent and Adjusted EBITDA(1) Grows 30 Percent in Fourth Quarter 2014

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas, Feb. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: SIX), the world's largest regional theme park operator, today announced its fifth consecutive year of record financial performance as it posted a company-high $1.2 billion in revenue, an increase of $66 million or 6 percent over 2013. The company generated full-year 2014 Adjusted EBITDA1 of $439 million, also a new record that represented an increase of $35 million or 9 percent over 2013.

 

"I have never been more confident in our strategy and the long-term prospects for our company than I am today," said Jim Reid-Anderson, Chairman, President and CEO. "Guest satisfaction scores have reached another all-time high and employee morale is better than ever. We are extremely well-positioned as we enter the 2015 season with a 25 percent gain in our Active Pass Base, and we remain laser-focused on delivering our next long-term financial target of $600 million of Modified EBITDA by 2017."

 

Fourth quarter 2014 Adjusted EBITDA improved $11 million or 30 percent to a record $46 million, generated from a $29 million or 19 percent increase in revenue. The strong revenue growth was primarily driven by a 3 percent increase in guest spending and a 15 percent increase in attendance as the company expanded both its highly-popular Fright Fest® Halloween event and its family-favorite Holiday in the Park® event, including the introduction of Holiday in the Park events at two additional parks during the quarter.

 

Despite a higher mix of season pass visitation during the fourth quarter, total guest spending per capita increased $0.96 or 3 percent to $38.95, which included a 6 percent or $1.20 increase in admissions per capita and a 1 percent or $0.24 decline in in-park revenue per capita.

 

For the fourth quarter 2014, Cash Earnings Per Share was $0.25, up $0.10 or 67 percent over the same period in 2013.

 

Full year 2014 revenue grew 6 percent to $1.2 billion primarily due to a 7 percent increase in admissions revenue, a 3 percent increase in sales inside the parks, and fees related to the company's initiatives to expand its brand in growing international markets. Early in 2014, the company announced two partnerships to develop Six Flags-branded theme parks outside North America—one in the Middle East and another in China.

 

As a result of pricing initiatives and the introduction of new and enhanced offerings in the parks, total guest spending per capita in 2014 grew $2.79 or 7 percent over the prior year to $42.97. Admissions per capita for the year increased $1.99 or 9 percent to $25.02 while in-park spending per capita grew $0.80 or 5 percent to $17.95.

 

Full year Cash Earnings Per Share2 of $2.63 represented an increase of $0.18.

 

Modified EBITDA3 for the year was $477 million, an increase of $33 million or 7 percent, and Modified EBITDA margin improved to a new industry high of 40.6 percent. Return on Invested Capital increased to 15 percent in 2014, from 14 percent in 2013.

 

Diluted earnings per share for the quarter ended December 31, 2014 was a loss of $0.37 and diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2014 was $0.77. Income Before Income Taxes included $46 million and $119 million in stock-based compensation charges for the fourth quarter and full year 2014, respectively, relating to both the actual achievement in 2014 and probable achievement in 2015 of certain targets of Project 500—a long-term incentive compensation program established by the company's board in August 2011. Excluding the Project 500 stock-based compensation charge, diluted earnings per share for the quarter ended December 31, 2014 was a loss of $0.07 and diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2014 was $1.53, up 30 percent.

 

Total attendance for the year was 25.6 million guests, which represented a 2 percent decline that was primarily due to extended school calendars in the first half of 2014 relating to the harsh 2013/2014 winter. The company generated 4 percent attendance growth in the second half of 2014 and a 15 percent increase in attendance in the fourth quarter. The combined season pass and membership attendance mix increased from 48 percent in 2013 to 50 percent in 2014.

 

As a result of continued strength in sales, the company's Active Pass Base, which includes guests who either own a Season Pass or are in the company's Membership program, increased 25 percent from December 31, 2013 to December 31, 2014.

 

In 2014 the company invested $108 million, or 9 percent of revenue, in new capital projects. During the year it paid its shareholders $184 million in dividends, or $1.93 per share—a 6 percent increase over 2013. The company also repurchased $195 million of its stock in 2014 at an average price of $37.86. Since the company initiated its share repurchase plan in 2011, it has repurchased over $1 billion of its stock at an average price of $31.20 and reduced its outstanding share count by 17 percent. As of December 31, 2014, $299 million remained unutilized under the company's share repurchase program.

 

Net Debt4 as of December 31, 2014 was $1,322 million, which translates to a 3.0 times net leverage ratio.

 

Conference Call

At 8:00 a.m. Central Time tomorrow, February 19, 2015, the company will host a conference call to discuss its fourth quarter and full year 2014 financial performance. The call is accessible either through the Six Flags Investor Relations website at http://www.sixflags.com/investors or by dialing 1-855-889-1976 in the United States or +1-937-641-0558 outside the United States and requesting the Six Flags earnings call. A replay of the call will be available by dialing 1-855-859-2056 or +1-404-537-3406 through February 26, 2015.

 

A few things of note to me:

-Based on recent additions to parks, it’s not too surprising to see that they only reinvested 9 percent of revenue into new capital projects. I think that speaks both to the level of uncertainty in the business world as a whole right now and just how gun shy Six Flags is from the highly capital intensive Premier days.

-Looking at the detailed numbers below this press release on the Six Flags site, you see that they managed to increase guest attendance by 15 percent in the fourth quarter but took a net loss doing so. That could be troublesome for Holiday in the Park, though I hope that is just attributable to additional first year costs incurred from adding HitP to two new parks for 2014.

-Not sure if I buy the reasoning that attendance was down 2 percent overall "primarily due to extended school calendars in the first half of 2014 relating to the harsh 2013/2014 winter” but things did look up in the second half of the year. So I guess we’ll see how attendance comes out in the first half of 2015.

-It kind of blows me away that their active season pass/membership base is now 50 percent. Reading between the lines, it makes sense to me that they have kept pass prices so low to encourage this high mix, as it adds year to year financial stability to the company. With that stable financial foundation and shareholders happy with the growth of the stock and solid dividends, that unties management’s hands to do things that don’t *immediately* impact the company’s bottom line, like improve service and operations. As service and operations improve, they earn the ability to charge more for season passes.

-Maybe I’m in the minority, but I see inklings of what *could* be solid corporate strategy here. Time will tell.

[larrygator]

It kind of blows me away that their active season pass/membership base is now 50 percent. Reading between the lines, it makes sense to me that they have kept pass prices so low to encourage this high mix, as it adds year to year financial stability to the company. With that stable financial foundation and shareholders happy with the growth of the stock and solid dividends, that unties management’s hands to do things that don’t *immediately* impact the company’s bottom line, like improve service and operations. As service and operations improve, they earn the ability to charge more for season passes.

 

I'm not sure how to read this.

Does this mean that 50% of total attendance is derived from season pass holders or 50% of total gate revenue comes from season pass buyers? Either way I would think upping the season passes a wee bit will add a lot to the bottom line.

[josephcissell]

It kind of blows me away that their active season pass/membership base is now 50 percent. Reading between the lines, it makes sense to me that they have kept pass prices so low to encourage this high mix, as it adds year to year financial stability to the company. With that stable financial foundation and shareholders happy with the growth of the stock and solid dividends, that unties management’s hands to do things that don’t *immediately* impact the company’s bottom line, like improve service and operations. As service and operations improve, they earn the ability to charge more for season passes.

 

I'm not sure how to read this.

Does this mean that 50% of total attendance is derived from season pass holders or 50% of total gate revenue comes from season pass buyers? Either way I would think upping the season passes a wee bit will add a lot to the bottom line.

 

I am not an accountant, but I read that to mean that 50% of total attendance in 2014 was derived from season pass and membership holders. That’s why I argued that having such a huge pass holder attendance should allow management to focus more on service and operations improvements, which can then be monetized over time through higher pass prices.

[chadster]

When you spend more than you earn, it can be problematic.

 

However they claim their losses are due to costs associated with stock. That's a huge cost.

 

Pass sales are up, but in park spending is down.

 

GRAND PRAIRIE

Six Flags Entertainment Corp. reported a $70.3 million loss for the first quarter Wednesday despite a 16 percent increase in revenue during what is typically the slowest time at its theme parks.

 

The loss, which equated to 75 cents a share, compares with a loss of $61.2 million, or 64 cents a share, a year earlier. The average estimate of five analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for a loss of 69 cents per share. In the quarter, the company paid $22.3 million in incentives to executives, up 320 percent from $5.3 million a year ago.

 

Jim Reid-Anderson, Six Flags’ president and CEO, told Wall Street analysts that the company is well-positioned to enter the busiest part of the amusement park season and that its parks have the best lineup of new rides in company history.

 

“We are truly rocking,” Reid-Anderson said. “We have seen in the first quarter a very positive response to our offerings.”

 

Revenue for the first three months of 2015 totaled $85.1 million, up 16 percent from $73.7 million in the first quarter of 2014. The increase was due primarily to higher sales of season and membership passes. The number of passes sold in the past year grew 53 percent, the company said.

 

Revenue from admissions was $40.5 million for the period ending March 31, compared with $34.7 million last year. Park attendance increased 13 percent to 1.6 million guests in the quarter, the company said. Most parks are not open in the first quarter.

 

The company operates Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor in Arlington, among 18 parks in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Six Flags Mexico represented a higher percentage of revenue in the first quarter, the company said.

 

Six Flags shares (ticker: SIX) closed up $1.37 at $49.97.

 

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/business/article19219572.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

But wait, there is more!

 

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas, April 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

 

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: SIX), the world's largest regional theme park company, today announced double-digit growth in its first-quarter key performance metrics with a 16 percent growth in revenue and a 13 percent improvement in Adjusted EBITDA1. In the quarter the company reported $85 million of revenue, which represented an $11 million or 16 percent increase over the same quarter in 2014, and also generated a $5 million or 13 percent improvement in Adjusted EBITDA. Since most of the parks are not open during the first quarter, Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $38 million, which was the company's best ever first-quarter performance. Modified EBITDA3 for the twelve months ending March 31, 2015 was $483 million, an increase of $44 million or 10 percent compared to the twelve months ending March 31, 2014, and Modified EBITDA margin improved to a new industry high of 40.7 percent.

 

"Our 2015 season is off to an excellent start with record-high guest satisfaction scores, record-high profitability, and double-digit improvements in all key performance metrics, including a 53 percent growth in our Active Pass Base compared to the prior year period," said Jim Reid-Anderson, Chairman, President and CEO. "We remain intently focused on building shareholder value by delivering an unprecedented sixth year in a row of record financial performance in 2015, and working toward achieving our long-term financial target of $600 million of Modified EBITDA by 2017."

 

The strong revenue growth in the quarter was primarily driven by a 13 percent increase in attendance and a 3 percent increase in admissions per capita spending. Attendance in the first quarter grew to 1.6 million guests.

 

Total guest spending per capita for the first quarter was $43.82, which was essentially flat with the first quarter of 2014. Admissions per capita increased $0.83 or 3 percent to $25.84 and in-park spending per capita decreased $0.74 or 4 percent to $17.98. All of the revenue per capita comparisons to prior year were adversely impacted by foreign exchange translation and a higher mix of season pass and membership attendance, which puts downward pressure on revenue per capita. Six Flags Mexico represents a higher percentage of total company revenue in the first quarter and the Mexican Peso weakened versus the U.S. dollar by 13 percent from the first quarter of 2014. On a constant currency basis, in the first quarter admissions per capita increased $1.37 or 6 percent, and in-park spending per capita decreased $0.19 or 1 percent.

 

The loss per share for the first quarter was $0.75, compared to a loss per share of $0.64 in 2014, driven entirely by higher stock-based compensation expense. Loss before income taxes included $18 million in stock-based compensation charges in the first quarter of 2015 relating to both the actual achievement in 2014 and probable achievement in 2015 of certain targets of Project 500—a long-term incentive compensation program established by the company's board in August 2011.

 

Excluding the Project 500 stock-based compensation charge, the loss per share for the quarter ended March 31, 2015 was $0.62, an improvement of 3 percent compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2014.

 

Cash Earnings Per Share2 for the twelve months ending March 31, 2015 was $2.78, and represented an increase of $0.61 or 28 percent as compared to the same period in the prior year.

 

As a result of continued strong sales of season passes and memberships, the company's Active Pass Base, which includes all members and season pass holders, increased 53 percent from March 31, 2014 to March 31, 2015.

 

In the first quarter of 2015, the company invested $34 million in new capital, paid $49 million in dividends, or $0.52 per common share, and repurchased $8 million of its common stock. Net Debt4 as of March 31, 2015 was $1,458 million, which translates to a 3.3 times net leverage ratio.

[Superbatboy]

Six Flags seems to go with the: Make the passes cheap and then get them with food, drinks, and souvenirs.

And flash pass.

....and parking. I couldn't believe Gradv was $25

[larrygator]

Superbatboy posted this link in the SFGAdv, but I think it is worth reposting the whole USA Today article here to remind everyone that the addition of new rides is a process and a balancing act.

 

http://experience.usatoday.com/america/story/theme-parks/2015/09/03/new-attractions-six-flags-parks-concept-construction-2016/71603746/

 

On September 3, Six Flags announced its lineup of new rides for the 2016 season. As has been the case for the past few years, every park in the chain will be getting something new. There are scream-worthy roller coasters, toned-down rides for pint-sized visitors, flashy story-based rides, and more on the way.

 

How does the chain decide where to plant its ride flags each year? Who are the ride wranglers that oversee the new attractions? What happens as rides evolve from ideas batted around in a boardroom to thrill machines that delight – and terrify – visitors?

 

It all starts with Six Flags' commitment to spend 9% of its revenue each year on new capital, according to Tom Iven, senior VP of planning and development. "To us, it's R&D investment," he says. Instead of researching new prescription medications or the latest computer chip breakthrough, this corporation's capital is used to develop rides that scare the daylights out of us.

 

For example, take Total Mayhem, the wacky – and terrifying – attraction coming to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey next spring. It will be a "4-D Free Spin" coaster, so named because its cars will sit astride either side of the track and independently spin in the "fourth dimension" as the train navigates the course. Yikes! The New Jersey newcomer will be similar to Batman: The Ride, the prototype Free Spin coaster that opened in 2015 at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio.

 

"We tend to ride on our success," Sam Rhodes, director of design for Six Flags, explains (with a bit of a pun). Since Batman was such a hit in Texas, the chain will roll out more coasters like it at other parks, starting in New Jersey. Because of its many locations, the company can capitalize on an economy of scale to develop and build multiple versions of rides.

 

The coaster checks many of the boxes for the chain's planning and design teams. It's big, it's bad (in a good way), and it's unique in both appearance and ride experience. "We already have a bunch of coasters," says Les Hudson, VP of design. "We want something different to attract attention and get people excited."

 

The single most important attribute of any new Six Flags ride under consideration? "Everything we do, we look at through the prism of 'Is it thrilling?'" Iven says. "It's part of our DNA." Total Mayhem checks the thrilling box – big time.

 

It makes sense that the chain would want to duplicate the success of the Batman coaster. But how did that ride end up in Fiesta Texas in the first place? To trace its journey, we need to go back to 2002. That's the year that X (now known as X2) opened at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California.

 

The industry's first 4-D coaster, X is highly regarded as one of the world's most thrilling, unique, and celebrated coasters. "It's an incredible ride," raves Larry Chickola, the chain's chief corporate engineer. "We'd love to bring it to every park." It isn't possible, however, because X is far too big in scale and too expensive to replicate.

 

Instead, Six Flags challenged one of its manufacturers, S&S Worldwide, to develop a more affordable and scaled-down coaster that incorporated the 4-D concept. It was S&S that came up with the more compact and affordable Free Spin model.

 

Chickola explains that sometimes manufacturers such as S&S come to Six Flags and pitch fully formed rides. Other times, the ride chain develops a project and seeks a manufacturer to build it. More often than not, however, ride development is a collaborative process.

 

That's how Justice League: Battle for Metropolis evolved. The highly sophisticated, interactive, story-based ride opened in 2015 to rave reviews at Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags St. Louis. For 2016, the DC Comics superheroes will be waging battle against Lex Luthor and The Joker at Six Flags Great America near Chicago and Six Flags Mexico.

 

When the landmark Spider-Man ride opened in 1999 at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Six Flags began to consider ways it could develop a similar media-rich simulator attraction that incorporated roving motion-base vehicles. Initially the projected costs were prohibitive for the seasonal and regional park chain. The concept matured, and prices eventually dropped enough for the parks operator to greenlight the project.

 

The team that Six Flags assembled to develop the attraction included Sally Corp., a manufacturer that had built a Justice League dark ride in Australia, Oceaneering, the company that designed the motion-base ride vehicles for Universal's Transformers and Spider-Man rides, and representatives from Warner Bros. and DC Comics, who helped craft the story.

 

"Once we had the concept, it was one-and-a-half years of constant communication," says Hudson. He adds that Six Flags decided to locate the Justice League ride at its Dallas-area park because it is close to the chain's corporate headquarters. "Since we led the development of the creative, it was good to have it in our backyard."

 

It also helped that both the Dallas and St. Louis parks were able to repurpose existing ride buildings. "That's a big part of our capital cost," notes Hudson.

 

For the 2016 Justice League rides, Six Flags will do some fine-tuning. Hudson says that enhancements will include better audio and a redesigned hologram effect.

 

Building on past successes and tweaking designs are critical parts of the company's ride development formula. For 2016, it will continue its wildly successful program to upgrade older, rough wooden coasters by replacing their traditional tracks with specially designed steel tracks. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Northern California will transform its Roar coaster into The Joker, a wooden-steel hybrid coaster.

 

In the mid-2000s, Six Flags worked with coaster manufacturer Rocky Mountain Construction to try and salvage one of its roughest wooden coasters, Psyclone at Magic Mountain. They were moderately successful in developing steel track replacements for sections of the track. The park ultimately tore down the past-its-prime ride, but RMC used the experience to perfect what became its patented IBox steel track for wooden structure coasters.

 

It introduced its first IBox-enhanced hybrid coaster in 2001 at Six Flags Over Texas. The New Texas Giant wowed ride fans and Six Flags officials. The chain has since given RMC makeovers to four more of its aging woodies, all to widespread acclaim. The Discovery Kingdom conversion will likely change Roar's jerky ride into a deliriously smooth coaster experience. The Joker should also offer other IBox signatures, such as loads of out-of-your-seat airtime.

 

But it will also include unique features based on its Batman branding. For example, riders will brave "Harley Quinn's Tunnel of Fear," an underground section that will be filled with fog, lighting, and sound effects. Enhancements like that begin with Six Flags' design team. "We start the crazy ideas and bounce them off each other," says Hudson.

 

Crazy ideas notwithstanding, Six Flags needs to consider demographics when it devises its new rides. Working from a five-year long-term plan, it spreads the love around to all of its parks. At any one location, there may be a marquee coaster one year, followed by something less intense (such as the Justice League rides) that a wider audience could enjoy. The chain also needs to think about its youngest visitors.

 

In 2016 for instance, Six Flags Over Georgia will open an enhanced Looney Tunes land, Bugs Bunny Boomtown. The park will divide the kid-friendly section into two zones. The second area will adopt a Justice League theme and be known as DC Super Friends.

 

As part of the expansion, the park will be removing rides geared only to young children and replacing them with ones that kids can experience with the whole family. Among the additions will be a Superman mini drop tower, a Wonder Woman flying scooter, and a Joker coaster that will be designed like a ride-through fun house. It will include outdoor and indoor sections.

 

The land will also include a new mirror maze. According to Rhodes, holographic characters will pop up as guests make their way through the maze.

 

It will be the chain's first area dedicated to youngsters that will feature the Justice League brand. How did Six Flags arrive at that decision? "We do extensive surveying," says Rhodes. "Kids love the D.C. characters. It's our job to give them what they want."

[GCI Wooden]

"We tend to ride on our success," Sam Rhodes, director of design for Six Flags, explains (with a bit of a pun). Since Batman was such a hit in Texas, the chain will roll out more coasters like it at other parks, starting in New Jersey. Because of its many locations, the company can capitalize on an economy of scale to develop and build multiple versions of rides.

I'm excited to see where these are put next. They look like fantastic rides.

 

Also,

It introduced its first IBox-enhanced hybrid coaster in 2001 at Six Flags Over Texas. The New Texas Giant

[Gutterflower]

Big news today as Six Flags have signed a deal to work on a second park in China. Following on from the already confirmed Tianjin park a new park will be built in Haiyan between the cities of Hangzhou and Ningbo and a short train ride south of Shanghai.

 

John Odum the Senior Vice President of Six Flags was there to sign a cooperation framework with the intention of opening a park with partners from Riverside Investment Group and local government officials.

 

It's still early days but this is an interesting move for Six Flags moving in to an area which already has Happy Valley and up and coming Disney and Fantawild projects within easy reach.

 

 

 

Source News Sina (Chinese) Via VHCoasters

[boldikus]

Six Flags (SIX) Names Jim Reid-Anderson as Executive Chairman; John Duffey Promoted to President and CEO

 

February 18, 2016 7:45 AM EST

 

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: SIX), the world’s largest regional theme park company, today announced that its board of directors has split executive leadership roles at the company by naming Jim Reid-Anderson the company’s executive chairman and promoting John Duffey to president and CEO, both effective February 19, 2016. Mr. Duffey has also been appointed a director of the company.

 

“The company has strong momentum and tremendous growth opportunities over the next decade, and I am proud to have helped our team deliver record guest satisfaction, industry-leading innovation, all-time high employee satisfaction, and our sixth consecutive year of record financial performance,” said Jim Reid-Anderson. “Strategically and operationally, we are firing on all cylinders and I am extremely excited to mentor the company’s next-generation of leaders. John Duffey has been instrumental in our past success and is a proven leader within the company, and this is an excellent time to transition responsibilities and develop others on our management team as we continue building the Six Flags brand globally.”

 

“I am honored and excited to become the CEO of Six Flags and work side-by-side with the best team in the industry,” said John Duffey. “We are extremely well-positioned for long term growth and shareholder value creation.”

 

The company also announced that Marshall Barber has been promoted to chief financial officer. Mr. Barber has built a successful career at Six Flags over the last 20 years, serving most recently as the company’s vice president financial planning & analysis. He is extremely experienced, having previously held both corporate level and park-based roles with increasing levels of responsibility.

 

In addition, the company announced its senior vice president of in-park services, John Bement, has retired from Six Flags following 48 years of dedicated service. Mr. Bement has been honored by Mr. Reid-Anderson for his incredible work, and received the company’s prestigious Angus Wynne Lifetime Achievement Award, which has only been awarded to a handful of people who have devoted their lives to enhancing both Six Flags and the theme park industry.

 

David McKillips, formerly senior vice president of corporate alliances, was named the new senior vice president of in-park services and Brett Petit, senior vice president of marketing and sales, has assumed the responsibility of the corporate alliances sales team, consolidating all marketing and sales functions under one leader.

 

I'm strangely going to miss his crappy little announcement videos.

Edited February 18, 2016 by larrygator