Six Flags [FUN] Corporate Discussion Thread

[AmyUD06]

37 minutes ago, wildcattb5 said:

Not a surprise as this is the most financially viable option. Since bringing it back impromptu last year during the lockdown, they have definitely improved the experience with an audio guide, refreshed signage, and a gift shop/food stand at the exit (versus just porta-johns last year). It'll continue to attract an audience who maybe wouldn't normally pay admission to go into the park, even if they were just interested in the safari. Staffing wise you're only adding gate attendants (which anyone can do) while not utilizing caravan drivers that would command a higher wage and specialized skills; the animal caretakers obviously continue to work 24/7/365 as usual. And any liability concerns have been addressed (mainly not having the baboons tear up vehicles).

Is this a viable long-term solution? I don't know. But there's currently no sense in bringing it back as an included-with-admission attraction when there's financial benefits to be reaped from the drive-thru operation, just as there had been for years previously.

Yeah, it's viable in the long term.  Drive-Through Safari was the name of the game for the first 40 years of its existence.

[boldikus]

PPG Announces Preferred Paint Supplier Agreement with Six Flags

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210623005163/en/PPG-Announces-Preferred-Paint-Supplier-Agreement-with-Six-Flags

Quote

June 23, 2021 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PPG (NYSE: PPG) today announced a five-year preferred paint supplier agreement with Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the world’s largest regional theme park company and largest operator of waterparks in North America. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Six Flags has 27 locations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, housing hundreds of world-class roller coasters and attractions. The PPG paint products offered through this agreement will help create brand consistency and protect Six Flags’ most famous skyline attractions, coasters, offices and more. These include Georgia Scorcher and Monster Mansion at Six Flags Over Georgia, Poltergeist at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and the iconic Oil Derrick at Six Flags Over Texas.

One of the PPG paint products to be used as part of the agreement is PPG PERMANIZER® paint. The product’s 100% acrylic formula provides a premium, long-lasting finish with a durable film, super adhesion and industry-leading protection from ultraviolet light (UV), dirt and moisture. The agreement’s wide-ranging portfolio of PPG products also includes PPG AMERLOCK® 2 coatings with low volatile organic compounds (VOC)*, PPG PSX® 700 products, PPG PSX® 800 coatings, PPG FASTDRY™ 35 products, PPG TRUEFINISH® products and various PPG DELFLEET® products.

“PPG is entrusted to protect and beautify countless surfaces around the world, and we are excited to provide proven products that will support Six Flags’ vision across North America,” said Vinny O’Sullivan, PPG senior general manager, trade, architectural coatings, U.S. and Canada. “Six Flags strives to provide the best overall experience for its millions of annual visitors, and that means using products that are vibrant, durable and capable of withstanding diverse weather conditions and general wear and tear. PPG has the industry-leading coatings expertise and trusted products to support that vision.”

 

[CP_RULES]

^Is this who SFFT is currently using? I was truly impressed at how every ride in the park had beautiful sparkling paint, and the only one that didn't (Poltergeist) is about to be repainted. If this means more of this kind of attention to detail chainwide this is great news!

[bert425]

Georgia Scorcher at SFOG is looking amazing these days too.

[wildcattb5]

Awesome, so they can replace the Snickers sponsorship at Nitro with that of PPG and with a fresh coat it'll no longer be the most faded Six Flags coaster!

Oh well, one can dream...

[Haymaker]

1 minute ago, wildcattb5 said:

Awesome, so they can replace the Snickers sponsorship at Nitro with that of PPG and with a fresh coat it'll no longer be the most faded Six Flags coaster!

Oh well, one can dream...

Apparently you havent seen Ride of Steel and Mind Eraser at SFDL.... ROS is pink and periwinkle and Mind Eraser is pink and.... something. Both have never been repainted save for some supports.

[wildcattb5]

1 minute ago, Haymaker said:

Apparently you havent seen Ride of Steel and Mind Eraser at SFDL.... ROS is pink and periwinkle and Mind Eraser is pink and.... something. Both have never been repainted save for some supports.

True but at least Mind Eraser they like half-painted before giving up on the rest of it. Which kinda makes it visually worse when you think about it.  Haven't been back to Darien Lake since re-becoming Six Flags but not surprised about ROS. 

[thrillseeker4552]

Tatsu may win the contest for Six Flags' most faded coaster, but yeah, Nitro is pretty bad too.

[CP_RULES]

30 minutes ago, wildcattb5 said:

Awesome, so they can replace the Snickers sponsorship at Nitro with that of PPG and with a fresh coat it'll no longer be the most faded Six Flags coaster!

Oh well, one can dream...

Maybe they can come up with a whole new color scheme while they're at it!

[tndank]

Just got an email from six flags. It let me know that season passes will be going on sale next week but to not buy them from the website like normal. For being a current season pass holder I will get a special offer delivered no later than Thursday of next week. 

Huh. Interested to see what is offered. 

[bert425]

6 minutes ago, tndank said:

Just got an email from six flags. It let me know that season passes will be going on sale next week but to not buy them from the website like normal. For being a current season pass holder I will get a special offer delivered no later than Thursday of next week. 

Huh. Interested to see what is offered. 

yeah. . I got the same.

I'm CERTAIN it ties into the "special offers" they are going to be making to Season Pass holders that they have been hinting at in the newsletter emails - the new "benefits" that are going to be offered to Season Passholders.

I'm honestly expecting it to be some sort of offer to swap to Membership, as that's really what they want us passholders to move to.

 

but note it DOES state:

 

so maybe they are just responding to the complaints about how members got all these extra benefits (skip the lines, automatic upgrades), and Season Pass folks just got the year extended.


we'll know in a week, as it tells me to expect the email offer to come on 8/26.

[hoppedup]

I paid $49 for my last SF season pass. Hard to imagine they will be deeply discounting that. I think you are right, Bert. Has to be a membership offer. Was thinking of switching back to membership next year anyway.

[joelwee]

Just noticed that, starting in 2022, season passes will only grant admission to the park where you purchased them. I usually visit 1-2 other SF parks besides Magic Mountain per year, so I may make the jump to a membership for next year. Or, if tomorrow's season pass renewal deal is ridiculously good, I may just be a cheap @$$ and buy a season pass. 

[bert425]

^ yup. . big discussion on the TPR FB pages about it today.

[tndank]

Buy from La Ronde. Get all parks. 

[VegasBaby]

This move must be part of Six Flags' plan to move people away from season passes to memberships.  Personally, I like the membership, especially since they upgraded me for free bc of COVID and then gave me a giftcard for the months SFMM was closed.

[AmyUD06]

25 minutes ago, tndank said:

Buy from La Ronde. Get all parks. 

The only problem with that is that SF Passes have always needed to be "activated" at the park where it was purchased before it became valid elsewhere.  Don't see many people traveling to La Ronde just for that.

[tndank]

Not sure that's in effect anymore. 

[AmyUD06]

1 hour ago, tndank said:

Not sure that's in effect anymore. 

Glad to see that changed; it wasn't the case last last fall when I bought my SF pass.

[abovethesink]

Forcing people onto memberships is pretty annoying. This is too common now. It is just plain manipulative as it relies on the fact that many people just won't ever think to cancel a small recurring charge and the company will get free money. Six Flags is pretty late to the game on this, which is the best thing that I can say about the practice as someone who manages money for a living and sees this stuff constantly. There is a reason they don't let you prepay X months in advance and have the membership automatically terminate at the end.

[qpb2004]

On 8/20/2021 at 11:23 AM, tndank said:

Just got an email from six flags. It let me know that season passes will be going on sale next week but to not buy them from the website like normal. For being a current season pass holder I will get a special offer delivered no later than Thursday of next week. 

Huh. Interested to see what is offered. 

It seems like Six Flags forgot about this in true Six Flags fashion, though I did get an email from Cedar Point about their $99 dollar pass instead.

 

[bert425]

27 minutes ago, qpb2004 said:

It seems like Six Flags forgot about this in true Six Flags fashion, though I did get an email from Cedar Point about their $99 dollar pass instead.

 

Six Flags updated the park websites tho. .you can click on special offer, put in your pass # & email, and it will show you the offer.

Mine was ~$30 less than the current Season Pass offering.

keep in mind, with the changes tho, the Season Pass is only good at your home park (and very likely contains blackout dates during Frightfest and HitP).

[qpb2004]

Oh thanks I didn’t know this, but yeah I’m gonna switch over to a membership most likely after the changes.

[hoppedup]

From SFOG's website:  

 

Your home park is the Six Flags park that you purchased your Membership from. Likely the location closest to where you live – which is probably why you signed up for your Membership here to begin with. This is important to understand for 2 reasons:

You must activate your Season Pass or Membership at the park you purchased it from. For example, if you purchase a Six Flags Over Georgia Membership you cannot use it at any other Six Flags theme parks until you first pick up Six Flags Over Georgia.

Bring a Friend tickets may only be used at your home park (the park where you signed up for your Membership).

 

The switching of season passes to being valid only at your home park just makes sense for SF. I'll be switching to the lowest tier of membership at the end of the year because I plan to visit at least 6 SF parks next year.

[bert425]

the main part of the discussion we've been having on the TPR FB page, isn't annoyance that SP holders are really being "forced" to switch to Membership to keep the perk of "all parks" we've had historically. . . but rather the massive annoyance that some of us do not WANT to sign up for a monthly payment.

to be clear:  it's not about the money. . it's about signing up for a monthly payment plan that tends to refresh annually (a different date based on when you signed up) and is hard to cancel - as they has REMOVED the "pay up front all at once and be done with it" option that used to be avail. for memberships.

 

I reached out to Six Flags directly to ask why they had removed the option to pay a flat rate up front, and I actually got a response from them overnight.

 

so sharing here. . . I'm completely FINE with this. . and so right now, my plan is to wait until January, go up to Fiesta Texas, and purchase a lower tier membership for the flat rate.