Six Flags St. Louis (SFStL) Discussion Thread

[RSHSLax]

Does anyone know if the dining pass times are different fire fright fest?

 

1:00 - 5:00 for lunch. 1:00 - 9:00 for snack 5:00 - 9:00 for dinner.

They're not open until 6:00 tonight. Lots of annoyed people waiting to order at 6.

[RKO]

Does anyone know if the dining pass times are different fire fright fest?

 

1:00 - 5:00 for lunch. 1:00 - 9:00 for snack 5:00 - 9:00 for dinner.

They're not open until 6:00 tonight. Lots of annoyed people waiting to order at 6.

 

What? I'm not sure I follow.

[TheDealMaster]

 

1. Nine or sixteen name tags, all placed together (arranged in a square) in a single frame, and each would say Dave Roemer on it. What would change though would be the position under each name tag. They could include things like Comedian, Retiree, Mentor, Friend, Old Guy, Not My Problem Anymore, Park President, Corporate Purchasing Director, Mail Room Clerk, Grandpa etc. Basically, it would be something he could hang on his wall that would reflect what he has meant to many different people over the years.

 

This one. Have them mounted on a small tasteful plaque. Something He'd want to hang. Maybe align them from top to bottom with the funny ones up top leading down to the more serious ones. End with friend.

 

I agree. This one is the way to go for sure.

 

Additionally, I want to say that for what it's worth, the park was running well yesterday afternoon. We had acceptable wait times and quick dispatch times on pretty much everything. Freeze and Boss were walk-ons! Only things not worth the line was JLBFM (1.5hrs), Eagle, which bummed me out, but it was a very long line over 30 min, and Boomerang, which just isn't worth riding anyway. It seemed like most food locations were open, and getting passes processed at the gate was painless enough (although still stupid busy and roughly 1/3 understaffed).

 

Unrelated, were you at the park last night Zach? Saw a ride eerily similar to yours at the back of the main lot when I left.

[HWFan]

"(Name) TAG! YOU'RE (g)I(f)T!

 

1. Nine or sixteen name tags, all placed together (arranged in a square) in a single frame, and each would say Dave Roemer on it. What would change though would be the position under each name tag. They could include things like Comedian, Retiree, Mentor, Friend, Old Guy, Not My Problem Anymore, Park President, Corporate Purchasing Director, Mail Room Clerk, Grandpa etc. Basically, it would be something he could hang on his wall that would reflect what he has meant to many different people over the years.

 

This one. Have them mounted on a small tasteful plaque. Something He'd want to hang. Maybe align them from top to bottom with the funny ones up top leading down to the more serious ones. End with friend.

 

By George he does have a heart and has feelings! But seriously, I like his idea. Try to make friend stand out just a little somehow. We do expect pics of the finished product.

Thanks for the feedback! From left to right, I'm thinking:

[top row] Mail Room Clerk, Corporate Director of Purchasing (or whatever his title was when he bought rides), and Park President

[middle row] Comedian, Time Philanthropist, Team Member (or Team Captain)

[bottom row] Mentor, 'Husband, Father, and Grandpa', and Friend

 

Feel free to add suggestions, as I'm just spit balling. I'm going to email the marketing director now to get his input.

 

2015 Fright Fest is the Fright Best!

One thing that I've noticed is that I hold the park to a higher standard than most people (probably prozach included), even if it doesn't always seem that way on here. On Saturday night, I had the chance to pretty much roam the park, helping with things here & there, taking group pictures of Guests, answering questions, giving directions, etc. This is probably the first year that Fright Fest has had a "wow" factor for me, and I even sent emails to our Entertainment full times letting them know how amazed I was. Are there still some places that could be improved? Definitely, but there always will be. However, Guests are loving this event more than any in the past. The production quality of a lot of the things has seriously increased big time. Along those lines, whoever mentioned, a few pages ago, that the clown makeup was really looking good like they have in SFMM, I wanted to say that Rebecca (who started at SFSL, got a full time wardrobe/costuming job at SFMM, and returned to SFSL this year) was very happy to hear your comments and was glad someone noticed/appreciated her hard work.

 

While I know that everyone likes it when parks introduce brand new upcharge mazes, I am happy that a couple of them in particular are returning next year. They're going to really be able to make them even better & scarier! Just like every year since 2012, Fright Fest will be expanding to be even bigger next season with some planning already beginning. I can't wait!

 

Like harleyguy mentioned, the park was firing on all cylinders the past couple Saturdays. It seems to really be handling the large crowds well. Lots of happy people. I even got to walk & talk with a family, as I took them to Blind Fury, who had never visited the park before. They were from Branson but weren't be SDC fans, even with Wildfire & Outlaw Run. They had been in the park for nine hours at that point and were raving about their favorite rides & mazes.

 

Finally, while I spent the last twenty minutes of my shift in the park with Dave as it closed, one thing we talked about was the new projection-mapping that was used for FF at SFMM this year. While there isn't any reason to believe it'll be used at SFSL next year, we discussed the great potential it has. I'd love to see projection-mapping cover all of the buildings in the front mall. It would look amazing at night and could be used all year long and easily changed for things like Fright Fest or red, white, and blue for the Fourth of July. Check out the projection mapping at SFMM here.

 

Rushing to Canada, eh!

Before Fireball was announced, I promised that you would be able to ride the Rush Street Flyer next year. I later had to apologize & recant that post, as plans changed suddenly. However, I am happy to say that my original post still holds true now, with the Rush Street Flyer being moved to La Ronde in Montreal as part of their 2016 additions. The thing I might be looking forward to most with Fireball is its lighting package. The LED lights should be seen from the highway and will make the atmosphere of that area even better, especially for Fright Fest.

 

To the Trenches!

While Fireball will be the most noticeable improvement for 2016, a lot of infrastructure work is being done already. During the week, there are massive trucks & all sorts of construction vehicles cutting trenches into the asphalt of the employee lot & back areas to replace utility lines that have been there since the park opened. All of the huge infrastructure & utility upgrades that you may never see/notice are imperative to the ongoing success of the park. Plans can change often and quickly in the theme park industry, and the same goes for SFSL. Because of that, giving details on a lot of the planned park improvements wouldn't be appropriate. If I had done that the last two years, half of the stuff I would have posted would've ended up not happening or taking on a different form (plus all of the extra things that were added later and wouldn't have been mentioned). The main thing to know is these two things: First, a LOT of detailed planning has gone into finding ways to make the park experience better & more comfortable for everyone. Second, a lot of investment has been pumped into the park for things like infrastructure, utility work, rides, and Fright Fest. Some people have expressed the sentiment that the addition of Fireball means that corporate doesn't really care about growing & improving SFSL, when you get down to it, that couldn't be farther from the truth.

 

In Conclusion...

I hope at least some of you enjoyed my long-winded post, as it kept me busy for a good amount of time. I'm looking forward to an interesting week coming up. With this being the last FF weekend, it should really be a fun one. Don't forget that the park added an extra weekend to the schedule in the last few months, so the park will be open November 7th & 8th, sans the FF offerings. On a personal note, this week holds a lot of promise for my professional development. I should be hearing back from the good folks at IAAPA on whether or not I will get to help run the IAAPA Expo in Orlando next month as part of their Ambassador Internship Program. I spent a good part of today at St. Louis Children's Hospital doing a walk-through with one of their directors to seek out any unnoticed accessibility issues as work continues on their huge expansion; I will hopefully be doing the same type of work at SFSL with our Safety Director soon as well. Anyway, that pretty much covers everything I think. Especially for those who are unable to visit the park, I hope I was able to give you a look "behind the curtain" in my detailed summaries.

[prozach626]

 

Unrelated, were you at the park last night Zach? Saw a ride eerily similar to yours at the back of the main lot when I left.

 

Not me, man. It was probably just another new STI. Mine as you see it in my picture is how it comes from the factory. Obnoxious rally wing and all.

[SFZIP]

Dave spent a lot of his years at SFSL in the warehouse - besides being the original mail clerk, he worked as a regular warehouse man and was also the warehouse manager for quite a few years. He was transferred to Dallas to be the corporate Director of Purchasing, before he came back to SFSL to be the Park President for the last 15 seasons.

[SFSTLMO]

Has Six Flags gotten pieces for Fireball yet?

[RollerManic]

HWFan, do you have a lot of pictures with Dave? You could create a college as the background of the pin box.

 

I am really excited for Fireball. Its another step in repairing this park and making it cleaner looking. RSF is a great ride that my family has always enjoyed, but it's showing its wear lately. It'll be exciting seeing a fresh ride on the prime spot where RSF once stood.

 

If SFStL really cares about the theming of the Chicago section, they could name Fireball "Rush Street Fireball" or "Water Street Fireball (?)" - something to the extent of that.

[Vonni]

HWFan, when it was in the plans to keep Rush Street, do you know where in the park it was planned to be relocated? Or, was Fireball planned for a different area?

[ytterbiumanalyst]

HWFan, do you have a lot of pictures with Dave? You could create a college as the background of the pin box.

 

I am really excited for Fireball. Its another step in repairing this park and making it cleaner looking. RSF is a great ride that my family has always enjoyed, but it's showing its wear lately. It'll be exciting seeing a fresh ride on the prime spot where RSF once stood.

 

If SFStL really cares about the theming of the Chicago section, they could name Fireball "Rush Street Fireball" or "Water Street Fireball (?)" - something to the extent of that.

How about Mrs. O'Leary's Fireball?

[TheDealMaster]

HWFan, do you have a lot of pictures with Dave? You could create a college as the background of the pin box.

 

I am really excited for Fireball. Its another step in repairing this park and making it cleaner looking. RSF is a great ride that my family has always enjoyed, but it's showing its wear lately. It'll be exciting seeing a fresh ride on the prime spot where RSF once stood.

 

If SFStL really cares about the theming of the Chicago section, they could name Fireball "Rush Street Fireball" or "Water Street Fireball (?)" - something to the extent of that.

 

That's just it though, they don't care. They made that painfully obvious with the generalized design of Boomerang and Sky Screamer and removal of the only themed elements like the Water Street Cab building and now the nail is in the coffin with RSF going out and being replaced with a generic ride. SFSTL is a nice park, but I think to some degree they're done with themeing and just need to admit it to the rest of us. Until JLBFM, they didn't make a theme-conscious capital investment since Xcalibur. Personally I believe that SFSTL is going to do away with themes and just go to a generic park, because it's totally what they're doing. I love themeing, but it's just become so watered down that it doesn't hold any value at this park anymore. Management is doing a great job keeping the park clean, safe, and functional, but they need to take a good chunk of cash and time to refurbish themeing throughout the park. I'm not asking them to be as good as Disney, just to restore and preserve the charm that the park had when I was younger.

[SteveStL]

Theming has been gone since the Mid 90's ... now it is just adding rides where they fit

[RollerManic]

HWFan, do you have a lot of pictures with Dave? You could create a college as the background of the pin box.

 

I am really excited for Fireball. Its another step in repairing this park and making it cleaner looking. RSF is a great ride that my family has always enjoyed, but it's showing its wear lately. It'll be exciting seeing a fresh ride on the prime spot where RSF once stood.

 

If SFStL really cares about the theming of the Chicago section, they could name Fireball "Rush Street Fireball" or "Water Street Fireball (?)" - something to the extent of that.

 

That's just it though, they don't care. They made that painfully obvious with the generalized design of Boomerang and Sky Screamer and removal of the only themed elements like the Water Street Cab building and now the nail is in the coffin with RSF going out and being replaced with a generic ride. SFSTL is a nice park, but I think to some degree they're done with themeing and just need to admit it to the rest of us. Until JLBFM, they didn't make a theme-conscious capital investment since Xcalibur. Personally I believe that SFSTL is going to do away with themes and just go to a generic park, because it's totally what they're doing. I love themeing, but it's just become so watered down that it doesn't hold any value at this park anymore. Management is doing a great job keeping the park clean, safe, and functional, but they need to take a good chunk of cash and time to refurbish themeing throughout the park. I'm not asking them to be as good as Disney, just to restore and preserve the charm that the park had when I was younger.

Its not that I haven't noticed it going down the drian lately. Boomerang's colors are nice, but it's hideously generic (actually, the colors too are starting to wear off on me. I'm not liking the brightness of it.) Just renaming Fireball may atleast help to keep the Chicago feel (still supported by Superman and partly Eagle).

[HWFan]

HWFan, when it was in the plans to keep Rush Street, do you know where in the park it was planned to be relocated? Or, was Fireball planned for a different area?

It was never in the plans to keep RSF at Six Flags St. Louis. The plan was, and again is, to move it to La Ronde.

[Vonni]

^ Oh, ok! I understand now.

[prozach626]

I agree with TheDealMaster. Why not just give up on the themeing? Or maybe just have a few themed areas, but you don't have to pretend the park is themed throughout. Cedar Fair parks aren't really themed. It's not a necessity for most people, anymore. I know a lot of people care about parks having a theme throughout, but I don't. If I want to go to a 'theme' park I'll just go to Busch Gardens, Silver Dollar City, etc. I'm fine with SFSTL being an amusement park and ditching the half a$$ed Britania/Illinois/little of this little of that sections of the park. I know it's not for everyone, but I'd rather just have clean lines mixed with good attractions and minor themeing, which is exactly why Cedar Fair parks are my go-to parks.

[HWFan]

^ Direct quote from a Guest last weekend:

 

"We live in Branson, but Silver Dollar City is too much theme instead of an amusement park. But y'all still even have the new superhero ride that was awesome."

 

Theme will continue to be increased little by little as we go into the future, even Outlaw Run wasn't enough to keep that family from driving to STL from Branson for the first time.

[Mad Hatter]

^ Direct quote from a Guest last weekend:

 

"We live in Branson, but Silver Dollar City is too much theme instead of an amusement park. But y'all still even have the new superhero ride that was awesome."

 

Theme will continue to be increased little by little as we go into the future, even Outlaw Run wasn't enough to keep that family from driving to STL from Branson for the first time.

 

Said "Guest" isn't right in the head.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Depends on what you're looking for. Often in the 90s, I would go to WOF and Six Flags over SDC. Thunderation is great, but those parks offered so much more (including inversions, which SDC did not have). If this guest is looking for a good dark ride, SFStL is the place to be. SDC doesn't have anything that can touch Justice League.

[RollerManic]

^But Fire in the Hole!

[TheDealMaster]

^ Direct quote from a Guest last weekend:

 

"We live in Branson, but Silver Dollar City is too much theme instead of an amusement park. But y'all still even have the new superhero ride that was awesome."

 

Theme will continue to be increased little by little as we go into the future, even Outlaw Run wasn't enough to keep that family from driving to STL from Branson for the first time.

I don't know, SDC is great, they just probably needed to get out of Branson. It's ok for a weekend but I'd go insane if I had to live in such an awful tourist trap and deal with all of the awful tourists daily. XD

 

Said "Guest" isn't right in the head.

Depending on what you want, I can agree. lol

 

Depends on what you're looking for. Often in the 90s, I would go to WOF and Six Flags over SDC. Thunderation is great, but those parks offered so much more (including inversions, which SDC did not have). If this guest is looking for a good dark ride, SFStL is the place to be. SDC doesn't have anything that can touch Justice League.

My thoughts, except I don't really even compare SF to SDC. They exist for different reasons and I like them both for their specialties.

[TheDealMaster]

I agree with TheDealMaster. Why not just give up on the themeing? Or maybe just have a few themed areas, but you don't have to pretend the park is themed throughout. Cedar Fair parks aren't really themed. It's not a necessity for most people, anymore. I know a lot of people care about parks having a theme throughout, but I don't. If I want to go to a 'theme' park I'll just go to Busch Gardens, Silver Dollar City, etc. I'm fine with SFSTL being an amusement park and ditching the half a$$ed Britania/Illinois/little of this little of that sections of the park. I know it's not for everyone, but I'd rather just have clean lines mixed with good attractions and minor themeing, which is exactly why Cedar Fair parks are my go-to parks.

You said it better than I did. The lack of respect to the themed sections makes it difficult to take seriously. However, I am still one of those people that care about theme throughout as you said, I'm just becoming divided about this park in particular. Part of me really cares - it's my home park, I've been coming since I was 5, I have a ton of memories here and the themes and the rides/attractions that were properly themed are a big part of that. But flash forward, here we are with everything sort of broken up and scattered, with brightly colored generic stuff spattered into every section of the park wherever it fit at the time. The Illinois section has no identity anymore and maybe that's okay. It hasn't had terribly much going for it in a long time and maybe it needs a re-brand. Lots of big, thrilling attractions there - maybe some sort of generic thrill naming and just keep it clean, bold and colorful. (and add the hyper, lol) Brittania was absolutely destroyed with the addition of Tony Hawk's big Spin and the land sacrificed for the kids park. I also think this might be an opportunity for re-branding. DC Plaza would have actually been flawless this year if they hadn't just replaced Villain's with JB's. Pulling the 'barrels and putting in Tsunami Soaker was bad for the west section. I could go on. You're right about CF parks though, they seem to have figured out how to do smaller themed areas better. Wall of text being said, I still love SFSTL. They can mess it up or fix it up all they want and my opinions may change but I'll always come back. Unless RMC Eagle. Then it's a boycott.

[Woodie Warrior]

Fright Fest last night was fun! Crowds weren't too bad and I got to do the one house I hadn't gotten to already this year: Blind Fury, which was pretty good and by far the best of the event. The changes to it this year made it flow a bit better compared to when the cage maze was there.

 

I loved the new troll area; the trolls were very active and their costumes and masks looked pretty creepy. The clown and cannibal areas looked nice, but the actors seemed to be standing around a lot.

 

Really wish I would've seen Dave at the park to congratulate him on his retirement and thank him for all he's done, but I didn't spot him anywhere. Oh well, I'll make sure to shoot him an email sometime soon.

[prozach626]

I would love the troll area. (get it?)

[Vonni]

I just watched the POV for Goliath at SFOG again. It still makes my blood boil that it didn't come to SFStL like it was supposed to! I cant help but be bitter.