Six Flags St. Louis (SFStL) Discussion Thread

[SixFlagsAstroworld]

If SFSTL wants to attract people away from HW, they need to do something big, new, and not a clone.

 

*looks up prices for HW tickets*

[Vonni]

If SFSTL wants to attract people away from HW, they need to do something big, new, and not a clone.

 

*looks up prices for HW tickets*

 

 

We all agree with you, but good luck getting corporate to do that.

[PhantomPoster32]

Well obviously a carnival ride and twinkly Christmas lights will help save the park.

[RollerManic]

Well obviously a carnival ride and twinkly Christmas lights will help save the park.

HEY — twinkly lights are pretty.

 

The only other NR I've heard that has been troublesome was DDD, and mostly for capacity reasons.

[MisterP]

Who in their right mind wouldn't choose HW over SFSTL?

Like I've said before - there's a reason my family didn't renew our passes for the first time in 10+ years.

 

I like HW better as well, but if you live in the STL metro area, one park is less than an hour away and the other is 3 hours away. So it's not really a true either/or proposition for normal folks...

[MisterP]

Who in their right mind wouldn't choose HW over SFSTL?

Like I've said before - there's a reason my family didn't renew our passes for the first time in 10+ years.

 

I like HW better as well, but if you live in the STL metro area, one park is less than an hour away and the other is 3-plus hours away. So it's not really a true either/or proposition for normal folks...

[PhantomPoster32]

< 3hrs is nothing

[TNT]

Deleted 

[Vonni]

^

[PhantomPoster32]

< 3hrs is nothing

 

My back, wallet and car would beg to differ.

 

Sorry. Didn't realize you were that much older than me

[TNT]

Deleted 

[PhantomPoster32]

< 3hrs is nothing

 

My back, wallet and car would beg to differ.

 

Sorry. Didn't realize you were that much older than me

 

Seats in an economy car are not very comfortable for long periods of time. Not everyone has a car with heated leather seats, lumbar support, and a telescopic steering wheel.

 

Oh well that explains why I don't have any issues as my car has all those features.

[MikeC65]

< 3hrs is nothing

 

No, it's not. Plus, a 6 hour round trip requires a weekend to make it worthwhile. SFStL is a local thing; we can go on the spur of the moment and just stay a little while. HW is a planned trip, isn't worth it for a one day trip, and is a significant expense if you do a sat/sun trip because hotels in the area are pretty expensive. No $40 a night Red Roof Inns there.

[A.J.]

Seats in an economy car are not very comfortable for long periods of time. Not everyone has a car with heated leather seats, lumbar support, and a telescopic steering wheel.

I mean, even my Volvo and its comfortable seats becomes a bit of a drag after a few hours. I generally do not make day trips out of amusement parks unless the park is two hours or less away. Any more than two hours and you basically spend more time in the car than you do at the actual park!

[Password121]

The point is that traveling 3+ hours with young kids makes am already expensive trip even more expensive and frustrating (and much less convenient) than a 1 hour trip. Most people aren't driving two additional hours for a better coaster collection, so maybe to you it's not a big deal but for most... people don't really have that interest in doing so for an amusement park.

[PhantomPoster32]

< 3hrs is nothing

 

No, it's not. Plus, a 6 hour round trip requires a weekend to make it worthwhile. SFStL is a local thing; we can go on the spur of the moment and just stay a little while. HW is a planned trip, isn't worth it for a one day trip, and is a significant expense if you do a sat/sun trip because hotels in the area are pretty expensive. No $40 a night Red Roof Inns there.

 

That's insane. We live 3 hours from SDC. We NEVER have to stay overnight. We get to the park by 10am and usually close the park. I guess if you are used to settling for an inferior product then it's no big deal.

[prozach626]

I love all the Holiday World billboards around town by the way. I hope many St Louisians will visit that park this season.

 

I still have people ask me all the time if I've ridden "that new one in Indiana." I even have a lot of macho cop friends who have gone to HW since Thunderbird opened, and they aren't into that kind of stuff on a regular basis. I can't pretend to be well knowledged in investment strategies, but it makes you think.

[ZeroGravity55]

I'm kinda in the middle on this one. HW isn't really advertising their coaster collection (Exception Thunderbird). They're really pushing the "freebies", hospitality and cleanliness. They're kinda billing it as a vacation destination as opposed to a regional attraction. Now I get the notion that families won't want to drive that far with kids, but they will if the experience is good enough. Really all HW has to accomplish is getting several families to visit and assuming most of these families get the full on HW experience most of us rave about, word to mouth advertising becomes the most powerful form of advertising HW can have in the STL market. HW isn't going to waltz into the market this year and drain SFTL attendance, it's going to take several years for them to fully introduce themselves to the market. What'll really be interesting is if HW builds a hyper coaster in the next 5 years and all SFStL gets is the 4D Free Fly. I don't know if I could handle this thread if that happens lol

[prozach626]

 

Seats in an economy car are not very comfortable for long periods of time. Not everyone has a car with heated leather seats, lumbar support, and a telescopic steering wheel.

 

I always respect your opinions, but my wife and I traveled the country in our 2010 Honda fit throughout the past six years.. Although it was recently replaced with our Subaru Crosstrek, it's still another economy car which we plan to spend countless 12 hour sessions in. Don't take this the wrong way, but I suggest a gym membership, a chiropractor, or both to ease the back pain.

 

 

That's insane. We live 3 hours from SDC. We NEVER have to stay overnight. We get to the park by 10am and usually close the park.

 

Plenty of coffee on the way home, eh?

[prozach626]

To add to my above post, my personal philosophy on traveling to parks or traveling in general is that if our destination is within 12 hours or so, we're good to drive. Any further than that and we hop a flight.

 

If I can spend 12 hours in a dirty cramped Ford Taurus while wearing a bullet proof vest strapped around my torso and a heavy belt strapped very tightly around my waist, to the point where my holster is digging into my side, a 12 hour drive in gym shorts with my lovely wife by my side is a pleasure. I guess it's all what you're used to. Three hours on the other hand is nothing.

 

and... To add to the economy car argument, when we don't take our Crosstrek, we take my STI, which is on 18" wheels, summer track tires, and 'track tuned suspension.' Not to mention the drone from the aftermarket exhaust and constant on and off spooling of the turbo and factory bypass valve noises. Basically the STI is a poor man's race car, being an economy car set up for the track. It's definitely not as pleasurable as the Crosstrek or the Fit, and it certainly makes something in comparison to a 1995 Honda Accord seem luxurious. Grow some back bone, guys.

[MikeC65]

< 3hrs is nothing

 

No, it's not. Plus, a 6 hour round trip requires a weekend to make it worthwhile. SFStL is a local thing; we can go on the spur of the moment and just stay a little while. HW is a planned trip, isn't worth it for a one day trip, and is a significant expense if you do a sat/sun trip because hotels in the area are pretty expensive. No $40 a night Red Roof Inns there.

 

That's insane. We live 3 hours from SDC. We NEVER have to stay overnight. We get to the park by 10am and usually close the park. I guess if you are used to settling for an inferior product then it's no big deal.

 

So you're leaving at 7am (which means you're getting up at what, 6am?) and staying 'til the end, then driving another 3 hours and getting home at what, 1am or 2am? If that works for you, great, but that's, what's the word you used? Insane. I don't think Six Flags needs to consider that kind of trip anything most people would do regularly.

[DILinator]

Two things...

 

1) Cedar Point is 3 hours away from where I live, yet I consider it my home park, and have gone there four times already this year. I do think any farther away than that, and its viability as a "local" day trip becomes questionable. That being said, if I lived in St. Louis, it's not unreasonable to think that I'd go to HW more than SFStL, as I already go to CP more than Michigan's Adventure, which is closer.

 

2) However, from the other side of the argument, one thing I see a lot here on TPR that gets annoying, and frankly, is a little myopic and ignorant, is one person, or group of persons, making value judgments about another person's personal health, monetary situation, or physical tolerances. If somebody has lower back pain, implying they must be doing something wrong health-wise is a false assumption, as everybody's body is different, and you also don't know what extreme events, or jobs, that person may have done to lead to their issue. Also, (and this frequently irks me during Fast Lane type discussions), everybody is at a different place financially, and what may be financially feasible for one member here, may not be for another. Blanket assessments of "oh, this is something everybody should be able to afford to do if they budget and plan wisely" are almost never taking into account each member's own personal situation and variables. We don't know each other's financial situation, or familial composition, so making those blanket assumptions just comes off as pretentious, and at times, a bit judgmental. I would wager a guess that I am in the very small minority of people here on TPR who is supporting a family of four kids and two adults, with a lower middle class income no less. As such, many of you don't have any idea of the financial situation, and limitations that I am faced with, whenever it comes to enjoying our hobby. I get that we're all in a different place, but be careful not to discredit somebody else's viewpoint, and personal limitations, just because you have been blessed with more freedom and financial flexibility in your own personal life.

 

Ok, just thought I'd get that off my chest, as it's been bugging me on here for a while now! You may resume your regularly scheduled SFStL discussion!

[HARLEYGUYJB]

To add to my above post, my personal philosophy on traveling to parks or traveling in general is that if our destination is within 12 hours or so, we're good to drive. Any further than that and we hop a flight.

 

If I can spend 12 hours in a dirty cramped Ford Taurus while wearing a bullet proof vest strapped around my torso and a heavy belt strapped very tightly around my waist, to the point where my holster is digging into my side, a 12 hour drive in gym shorts with my lovely wife by my side is a pleasure. I guess it's all what you're used to. Three hours on the other hand is nothing.

 

and... To add to the economy car argument, when we don't take our Crosstrek, we take my STI, which is on 18" wheels, summer track tires, and 'track tuned suspension.' Not to mention the drone from the aftermarket exhaust and constant on and off spooling of the turbo and factory bypass valve noises. Basically the STI is a poor man's race car, being an economy car set up for the track. It's definitely not as pleasurable as the Crosstrek or the Fit, and it certainly makes something in comparison to a 1995 Honda Accord seem luxurious. Grow some back bone, guys.

 

 

Wait until you have kids!

[PhantomPoster32]

< 3hrs is nothing

 

No, it's not. Plus, a 6 hour round trip requires a weekend to make it worthwhile. SFStL is a local thing; we can go on the spur of the moment and just stay a little while. HW is a planned trip, isn't worth it for a one day trip, and is a significant expense if you do a sat/sun trip because hotels in the area are pretty expensive. No $40 a night Red Roof Inns there.

 

That's insane. We live 3 hours from SDC. We NEVER have to stay overnight. We get to the park by 10am and usually close the park. I guess if you are used to settling for an inferior product then it's no big deal.

 

So you're leaving at 7am (which means you're getting up at what, 6am?) and staying 'til the end, then driving another 3 hours and getting home at what, 1am or 2am? If that works for you, great, but that's, what's the word you used? Insane. I don't think Six Flags needs to consider that kind of trip anything most people would do regularly.

 

Yes leaving at 7am and arriving at 10am. Park rides open at 10:30am

Park closed at 6:00pm - back home before 10pm. FAR from insane

[Vonni]

Two things...

 

1) Cedar Point is 3 hours away from where I live, yet I consider it my home park, and have gone there four times already this year. I do think any farther away than that, and its viability as a "local" day trip becomes questionable. That being said, if I lived in St. Louis, it's not unreasonable to think that I'd go to HW more than SFStL, as I already go to CP more than Michigan's Adventure, which is closer.

 

2) However, from the other side of the argument, one thing I see a lot here on TPR that gets annoying, and frankly, is a little myopic and ignorant, is one person, or group of persons, making value judgments about another person's personal health, monetary situation, or physical tolerances. If somebody has lower back pain, implying they must be doing something wrong health-wise is a false assumption, as everybody's body is different, and you also don't know what extreme events, or jobs, that person may have done to lead to their issue. Also, (and this frequently irks me during Fast Lane type discussions), everybody is at a different place financially, and what may be financially feasible for one member here, may not be for another. Blanket assessments of "oh, this is something everybody should be able to afford to do if they budget and plan wisely" are almost never taking into account each member's own personal situation and variables. We don't know each other's financial situation, or familial composition, so making those blanket assumptions just comes off as pretentious, and at times, a bit judgmental. I would wager a guess that I am in the very small minority of people here on TPR who is supporting a family of four kids and two adults, with a lower middle class income no less. As such, many of you don't have any idea of the financial situation, and limitations that I am faced with, whenever it comes to enjoying our hobby. I get that we're all in a different place, but be careful not to discredit somebody else's viewpoint, and personal limitations, just because you have been blessed with more freedom and financial flexibility in your own personal life.

 

Ok, just thought I'd get that off my chest, as it's been bugging me on here for a while now! You may resume your regularly scheduled SFStL discussion!

 

 

 

 

Personally, I have a SF season pass. I got it through my job where it is payroll deducted from several checks. I have yet to use it this season because I've yet to be able to afford the gas (I live three hours away from the park), the $20 to park, the money to upgrade the pass to have free parking, and food. It is disappointing having such an expensive hobby (as compared to my income). Also, the last time I visited a park other than SFStL was in 2014 when I went to SDC, which was generously covered by a friend. Maybe someday I'll be able to afford to do what I enjoy more often.