gerstlaueringvar Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Great addition considering the extreme heat in St.Louis area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveStL Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 See SFSTL, like I always said. If you Build it, They will come! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prozach626 Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 ^ you beat me to it, Steve... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant45 Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 So true, like I said before SFStL has a solid lineup of coasters they just needs that one stand out steel coaster to really draw in the crowds. And put the park on the map. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveStL Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 (edited) There was an on-going argument a while back... which should come first Attendance or Big Capital improvement ?? in regards to our 40 plus year old park, my vote goes to Capital Improvement. I argued this a few times but I am not sure I convinced anyone. SFSTL needs to break itself from the tired old mold it has been in since the 90's. It has got to reinvent itself otherwise it will continue just exist as the mediocre park it is been for the last two decades. Edited April 18, 2014 by SteveStL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanM64 Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Sure, Banshee has a 6 hour line today, it just opened!! I'm sure attendance at KI will spike this year, and next year. It was up almost 3% last year, too, though, and they didn't add anything major since Diamondback. Just because Banshee should turn out to be a worthwhile investment for KI does NOT mean SFStL would all of a sudden have the same attendance KI does every year if they build a big steel coaster. Outside of the Florida and California parks, KI is only behind Cedar Point in annual attendance for US parks at 3.25 million visitors a year! It was already a very well established park long before Diamondback or Banshee came around. I'm not saying that StL doesn't need a signature steel coaster (it does), but I don't think that investment alone will make it one of the most attended parks or most profitable in the country. Six Flags is in the business of making money. If they really thought a huge steel coaster in StL would bring them a massive profit the park would have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveStL Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 (edited) If they really thought a huge steel coaster in StL would bring them a massive profit the park would have one. For some reason I doubt that remark. SFSTL seems to be forgotten in the chain. They get thrown the scraps as the other chains get the Lion's share of the goods. If could flip flop the Parks, SFSTL and KI, then I bet you would see STL natives flock to the park, and Memphis peeps for that matter - as most probably haven't gone in years because it offers nothing new and exciting since The Boss was installed - maybe even Freeze or maybe even Batman. American Thunder is an awesome coaster, btw... but it doesn't have the hype as a massive Steel B&M or the like. Edited April 18, 2014 by SteveStL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodie Warrior Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Sure, Banshee has a 6 hour line today, it just opened! Boomerang had an hour and a half line on opening day, nowhere near the amount of people that showed up for Banshee. The GP are smart enough to realize the Boomerang is nothing special. But a huge hyper? That would draw a giant crowd (maybe not as big as Banshee's, but still impressive). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanM64 Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 SFSTL seems to be forgotten in the chain. They get thrown the scraps as the other chains get the Lion's share of the goods. If could flip flop the Parks, SFSTL and KI, then I bet you would see STL natives flock to the park, and Memphis peeps for that matter - as most probably haven't gone in years because it offers nothing new and exciting since The Boss was installed - maybe even Freeze or maybe even Batman. American Thunder is an awesome coaster, btw... but it doesn't have the hype as a massive Steel B&M or the like. I disagree. The biggest reason KI draws so many people as its proximity to CP. Yes, it has a nice collection of coasters, which are what drew people there from CP to begin with, but I don't think KI is special enough that it would bring in the attendance it does if it was in a different location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveStL Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 I disagree. The biggest reason KI draws so many people as its proximity to CP. Yes, it has a nice collection of coasters, which are what drew people there from CP to begin with, but I don't think KI is special enough that it would bring in the attendance it does if it was in a different location. Yes, I do agree with Location Location Location. It would be an interesting experiment though... wish somehow we could test our theories. Any other STL folks like to chime in on this one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kafka Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 I was wondering if anyone knew how much it costs to get a season pass reprinted at SFStL? I seem to have misplaced my pass for 2014 and was unable to find an answer looking online. Sorry for a kind of stupid question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theymitbgi Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 I was wondering if anyone knew how much it costs to get a season pass reprinted at SFStL? I seem to have misplaced my pass for 2014 and was unable to find an answer looking online. Sorry for a kind of stupid question I'm thinking either $10 or $15. The first re-print may be free though. I've had to do this for my kids before as they left them with other friends they went with. The old pass if found does become invalid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theymitbgi Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Did anyone see on FB they are shooting the Tsunami Soaker commercial on May 9th, looking for volunteers? I'm guessing we could see the ride open sooner than Memorial Day then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prozach626 Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Yes, I do agree with Location Location Location. It would be an interesting experiment though... wish somehow we could test our theories. Any other STL folks like to chime in on this one? I think we should keep adding family flats, mediocre water slides, out dated small roller coasters every few years. I'm sure the park will be successful with that philosophy. I'm with you, but no sense in the same argument over and over, again. It's not going to bring us modern steel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geauga Dog Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 I disagree. The biggest reason KI draws so many people as its proximity to CP. Yes, it has a nice collection of coasters, which are what drew people there from CP to begin with, but I don't think KI is special enough that it would bring in the attendance it does if it was in a different location. I disagree. CP's proximity has nothing to do with it. Kings Island draws so many people is because 1) it's a park that has a huge local following and 2) it's location is perfect as there are quite a few large metropolitan areas within an easy drive to the park hence the reason you'll see a mass exodus of people descend on the park on opening day like what has been posted in the KI thread since it is the first park in the region to open. Compared to some of the other Six Flags parks I've been to it seems SFStL has a little "cozy" feel to it. The fact that the park is not wall to wall coasters actually gives the park a bit more charm and atmosphere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFZIP Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 The argument about SFSL attendance and profit is something that interests me, I know in the parks history there have been at least three times the park got over 2 million in attendance (there may be more, but I don't know of any others) - the three years were 1976 - Screamin' Eagle, 1995 - Batman: The Ride and 1999 - Hurricane Harbor. These are arguably the three largest and most important rides/investments that the park have ever had, I know that the prices for tickets, food, etc. were all a lot less during these years, but I find it hard to believe that the park didn't make more money during these years than it does today. The parks attendance over the last 10 seasons goes up or down a few % every year (some up, some down), but the trend (average) is basically a flat line, meaning that in my opinion from 2004-2013 nothing has really mattered on the parks attendance, I think that the highest during that time came when American Thunder opened or last year with Boomerang (which may sort of prove the point that more people show up when you add a roller coaster). The problem that I see is that even if the park got a really major investment, could the park sustain the attendance spike that would come with it, based on the park's history probably not and I don't think Six Flags would ever give the park two major investment years in a row. In some other news, Google Maps has added a new satellite image for the park, taken in November, 2013. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveStL Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Along with a signature Steel, the park needs a Face Lift. Imagine if Busch Gardens would take over ownership and gave the park a huge injection of capital improvements. I'd guarantee you'd see that sustainability you are searching for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyRCT3 Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 ^ I personally don't see SeaWorld Entertainment ever considering this property. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theymitbgi Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 The argument about SFSL attendance and profit is something that interests me, I know in the parks history there have been at least three times the park got over 2 million in attendance (there may be more, but I don't know of any others) - the three years were 1976 - Screamin' Eagle, 1995 - Batman: The Ride and 1999 - Hurricane Harbor. These are arguably the three largest and most important rides/investments that the park have ever had, I know that the prices for tickets, food, etc. were all a lot less during these years, but I find it hard to believe that the park didn't make more money during these years than it does today. Of course your going to gain a large attendance boost when adding a large new attraction, but if the boost is only for one and not sustained, is it worth it? How was the attendance the 2nd and 3rd years following a big add-on? Also after Batman and HH the years following we also received other smaller additions. I guess to try and figure out these answers, you need to know a lot of variables. What is current average yearly attendance? How much does the current visitor spend per visit? Does the added attendance include repeat visitors? Do repeat visitors spend less each additional visit? I just think from a corporate mentality it is hard to justify a one time boost in attendance over a $10-$15 million investment. I will stick to my thought that an investment that large would be better spent on a new section opening of the park with 3-4 flats and much needed general upkeep and theming. SFSL will never be a destination park when SDC and SFGA are only 4 hours in either direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyRCT3 Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 ^Basically, that. Ideally, you want to at least break even on your investment. If SFSL spent $3,000,000 on a few small flat rides, they'd wan't to at least receive $3,000,000 of additional/new revenue. However, when doing business, the likelihood of a strong net income is what makes or breaks the deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveStL Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 (edited) ..... Edited April 19, 2014 by SteveStL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveStL Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 ^ I personally don't see SeaWorld Entertainment ever considering this property. Yes, I know that... note I used the word 'Imagine' not 'When' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFZIP Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 I'll add that SFSL's season pass attendance mix is usually higher than the corporate average, season pass holders make up somewhere around or a little more than half the park's attendance. I know that the park is not a destintion park (it was in it's early days), but because the majority of the parks attendance come from season pass holders how long do the locals continue to accept the average park that SFSL is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodie Warrior Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 I'll add that SFSL's season pass attendance mix is usually higher than the corporate average, season pass holders make up somewhere around or a little more than half the park's attendance. I know that the park is not a destintion park (it was in it's early days), but because the majority of the parks attendance come from season pass holders how long do the locals continue to accept the average park that SFSL is. Most families will continue to buy season passes because they are a great value for the price and SFSTL adds a new attraction every year, even if some of the additions aren't very exciting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theymitbgi Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 I'll add that SFSL's season pass attendance mix is usually higher than the corporate average, season pass holders make up somewhere around or a little more than half the park's attendance. I know that the park is not a destintion park (it was in it's early days), but because the majority of the parks attendance come from season pass holders how long do the locals continue to accept the average park that SFSL is. Most families will continue to buy season passes because they are a great value for the price and SFSTL adds a new attraction every year, even if some of the additions aren't very exciting. Exactly, so why bother spending huge on a capital investment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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