RollingCoasting wrote:Any HITP info at the presentation today?
No plans.
Justified!
This year is a perfect example: The park would have lost two entire weekends prior to Christmas to weather. That would have killed revenue.
But it wouldn't have?
Having 2 closed weekends would mean that they don't make nor loose money(aside from taxes and stuff like that). It wouldn't kill revenue, it'd just halt it for a bit. Plus, HITP isn't just December until Christmas, it's the last week of November until the first weekend of January. And knowing our weather, we could most certainly be open earlier in November. During the open weekends, the park would've most certainly reduced the amount of operating rides and shops, which reduces running costs. And like Justin said, specialty items(which probably cost more) would also boost revenue. People love things like Hot Cocoa, Apple Cider, Eggnog(well, some people), etc. Sales for those would definitely go up. As for crowds, it might be fairly empty the first few weeks, yes, but once schools let out for Winter Break, attendance would skyrocket. And if we were to host some sort of NYE party/countdown, all I can think of is that it'd be successful. People would flock to the park to enjoy the park during the day, then celebrate New Year's right there with music, lights, a countdown, etc. You don't even need to have rides running. You can have walkthroughs, shows, a Santa Meet & Greet, other attractions like a Reindeer Petting Zoo, Gingerbread House contests, Christmas Movies in the Pictorium, etc. and people would enjoy it just as much.
But what do I know? I'm just a stupid high schooler.
RollingCoasting wrote:Any HITP info at the presentation today?
No plans.
But it wouldn't have?
Having 2 closed weekends would mean that they don't make nor loose money(aside from taxes and stuff like that). It wouldn't kill revenue, it'd just halt it for a bit. Plus, HITP isn't just December until Christmas, it's the last week of November until the first weekend of January. And knowing our weather, we could most certainly be open earlier in November. During the open weekends, the park would've most certainly reduced the amount of operating rides and shops, which reduces running costs. And like Justin said, specialty items(which probably cost more) would also boost revenue. People love things like Hot Cocoa, Apple Cider, Eggnog(well, some people), etc. Sales for those would definitely go up. As for crowds, it might be fairly empty the first few weeks, yes, but once schools let out for Winter Break, attendance would skyrocket. And if we were to host some sort of NYE party/countdown, all I can think of is that it'd be successful. People would flock to the park to enjoy the park during the day, then celebrate New Year's right there with music, lights, a countdown, etc. You don't even need to have rides running. You can have walkthroughs, shows, a Santa Meet & Greet, other attractions like a Reindeer Petting Zoo, Gingerbread House contests, Christmas Movies in the Pictorium, etc. and people would enjoy it just as much.
But what do I know? I'm just a stupid high schooler.
HitP has all their costs up front. This season saw just 6 operational weekends on the Calendar. When you lose 1/3 of your operating days, and then have Christmas be another financial loss, things don't turn out well. It's very difficult to climb out of the hole at that point.
Specialty items brought in for an event like this have an extremely short shelf life. Any eggnog purchased for those weeks gets thrown out after a week to 10 days. Specialty items like that also cost more so margin shrinks. And any Christmas related merch be it hard or soft lines? Better be rid of that by Dec. 23rd cause it's worthless after that.
You need to see the big picture for an event like this. There is a reason we're in the minority of parks that haven't gotten this event yet. But enthusiasts gonna enthusiast.
RaceBoarder wrote:HitP has all their costs up front. This season saw just 6 operational weekends on the Calendar. When you lose 1/3 of your operating days, and then have Christmas be another financial loss, things don't turn out well. It's very difficult to climb out of the hole at that point.
Specialty items brought in for an event like this have an extremely short shelf life. Any eggnog purchased for those weeks gets thrown out after a week to 10 days. Specialty items like that also cost more so margin shrinks. And any Christmas related merch be it hard or soft lines? Better be rid of that by Dec. 23rd cause it's worthless after that.
You need to see the big picture for an event like this. There is a reason we're in the minority of parks that haven't gotten this event yet. But enthusiasts gonna enthusiast.
Simple, you increase prices, or find a way to get more money from more people. Simplest solution would be to exclude members and regular passholders from the event. You could also increase prices, especially on specialty items, but ticket sales are much more cost-effective.
Speaking of specialty items, they're not special in terms of shelf life. All unsold food items are thrown out at the end of every day. As for eggnog, if stored properly(frozen), it can be used for up to 6 months. And I know this from personal experience. The park already serves Hot Cocoa and Alcohol, so no change there. Most other Six Flags parks offer specialty holiday items in terms of both merch and foodstuffs, so why can't we sell them here? Also, why can't we sell stuff after the 23rd? They're usually discounted, but people still buy holiday items after the fact(see Fright Fest merch being sold on closing day).
I'm not sure I get what you mean by 'seeing the big picture'. I have looked at most everything related to HITP as far as I know(if I'm wrong please correct me). Rides are able to operate, but some do need to be closed(i.e. Whizzer, the two towers, water rides, etc.). Food and entry I've already discussed. Employment should be similar to FF, with workers working normal shifts. Decorations shouldn't be too big of a deal, since all other SF parks deck their parks in lights and decor. For shows, again, other SF parks can do it, why can't we do it as well?
The real reason we don't have HITP isn't because it'd be a 'financial disaster', but rather the weather, which I agree, can be spotty in the Chicagoland area. This year would have been an iffy year to host HITP, yes, but this month was unusually cold. It's typically warmer on average, ranging between 45-25*F. Any other year would've been a fine time to host the event. What about the snow? you may ask. Well, I have 2 points for you. One, December isn't usually the month that gets snow(again, this year was an exception), it's mid-late January/Early February. And two, even with snow, many rides are still able to operate, especially coasters. Here's a video of Air @ Alton Towers operating in a decent amount of snow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMSTIECBrSw
Anyway, HITP is possible, it just needs to be well managed in terms of weather.
A little late, but I really wish we would get HITP at SFGA. On New Year's eve we didn't have any plans and I was seriously considering driving the 5-6 hours to St. Louis for an overnight trip to have fun at the park. The weather wasn't terrible and it would have been something fun and different to do. We definitely would take advantage of it, if it were available.
RollerCoasterFavRide wrote:A little late, but I really wish we would get HITP at SFGA. On New Year's eve we didn't have any plans and I was seriously considering driving the 5-6 hours to St. Louis for an overnight trip to have fun at the park. The weather wasn't terrible and it would have been something fun and different to do. We definitely would take advantage of it, if it were available.
You should have gone... We went opening and closing weekends... New Years Weekend was DEAD, unfortunately for them. They stayed open on Monday, so we were there Fri through Mon,well worth the trip. They closed at 6:30pm Monday instead of 8pm citing "weather", but it was clearly due to attendance. Still it was a great end to the event, we had a great time. I'd put it on the calendar for next year. But honestly, I think there is enough difference in climate that it works in St. Louis but I'm not sure it would work in Gurnee.
Dang it! Now I wish I did! We were watching a couple of extra kids, but we all have season passes. I just didn't feel like driving 5-6 hours with 3 kids. That's quite a deterrent for me...
I think we all know Last Call Fall Festival was a test to see if Holiday In the Park could work and it looks like it could. Fingers crossed for 2018. I think a lot of rides could be open. During Last Call every coaster was open and only Sky Trek, water rides, and Hometown Fun Machine were closed on closing day. The temperatures were in the low 30s but felt like the low 20s. Not to mention that the day before rides were operating in the snow! People from all over would come to see the lights. Add specialty food and drinks like Cinnamon Pretzels, Roasted Corn On The Cob, Apple Cider, Hot Chocolate, Eggnog, Holiday Churros and Funnel Cakes, Turkey Dinners, etc and you have a great deal. Plus rides, shows, and holiday attractions like ice skating, Pics with Santa, Decorate a Cookie, sled hill etc. That would be amazing.
1.) Steel Vengeance 2.) Maverick 3.) Goliath (SFGAM) 4.) Top Thrill Dragster 5.) Mystic Timbers Ragin Cajun and Iron Wolf went from Six Flags Great America to Six Flags America. I guess they weren't GREAT anymore.
ChicagoCoasters wrote:I think we all know Last Call Fall Festival was a test to see if Holiday In the Park could work and it looks like it could. Fingers crossed for 2018. I think a lot of rides could be open. During Last Call every coaster was open and only Sky Trek, water rides, and Hometown Fun Machine were closed on closing day. The temperatures were in the low 30s but felt like the low 20s. Not to mention that the day before rides were operating in the snow! People from all over would come to see the lights. Add specialty food and drinks like Cinnamon Pretzels, Roasted Corn On The Cob, Apple Cider, Hot Chocolate, Eggnog, Holiday Churros and Funnel Cakes, Turkey Dinners, etc and you have a great deal. Plus rides, shows, and holiday attractions like ice skating, Pics with Santa, Decorate a Cookie, sled hill etc. That would be amazing.
Turn the pool in front of Columbian Carousel into an Ice Skating rink!
Just guessing here but I would doubt it was a weather test. They have years of historical weather data to give them a basic set of odds on the weather.
Six Flags Great Adventure runs a food and wine festival about the same time sfgam did. If last call festival was a test of any sort it would be in attendance and maybe operations.
I would even speculate that weather would be even a smaller factor than during Last Call. As the temps drop the potential rain outs turn into "magical snow fall" to accompany the Christmas atmosphere (as long as it isn't a foot of snow)
^ I think people were more referring to "testing" how the rides would perform in more wintry conditions, and I think everyone here will agree Last Call Fall Festival provided useful data in that area
"Skip the lines and cut your wait in half every time you visit the park until November 2018" (End of the season according to the Key Features)
Sounds like we aren't getting HITP next year
Maybe it is at default settings because of this year. Our operating schedule isn't out yet either.
1.) Steel Vengeance 2.) Maverick 3.) Goliath (SFGAM) 4.) Top Thrill Dragster 5.) Mystic Timbers Ragin Cajun and Iron Wolf went from Six Flags Great America to Six Flags America. I guess they weren't GREAT anymore.
Tardis1972 wrote:If not 2018 then hopefully 2019. Just reading about SFAdv's make me want to see the even here even more.
Wanna be more jealous of SFGAdv? Look at their dining pass guide.
Their dining plan options are way better than ours. Want something else to be jealous of something that's at SFGAd. Two words...
EL TORO
Btw their Holiday In The Park looks like it is the best out of all of the Six Flags parks who have Holiday in the Park.
1.) Steel Vengeance 2.) Maverick 3.) Goliath (SFGAM) 4.) Top Thrill Dragster 5.) Mystic Timbers Ragin Cajun and Iron Wolf went from Six Flags Great America to Six Flags America. I guess they weren't GREAT anymore.
Anyone else notice how last month the season flash pass page said "Skip the lines and cut your wait in half every time you visit the park until November 2018" and now it just says "Skip the lines and cut your wait in half every time you visit the park"
Doesn't confirm anything, but it's still pretty interesting
Today I received a survey as part of the "Six Flags Advisory Panel" that I joined! There were many questions about various levels of memberships and also about Holiday In the Park!
Single Day Ride Count Record
50 rides 8/17/2018 (Without Flash Pass - Coasters After Dark)
Unfortunately it is probably just a stock Six Flags survey. While it is still possible, I don't think this has any confirmation on it.
Favorite @ SFGAm - Eagle ~ Favorite Steel - Skyrush ~ Favorite Wood - El Toro 35 Rides on Eagle in 2015 68 Rides on Eagle in 2016 102 Rides on Eagle in 2017 9 Rides on Eagle in 2018
^King's Island managed to pull off an interesting Winter Event with Ice Skating and shows. Lights and Decorations were a nice addition too.
People need to remember that holiday in the park isn't for rides in our case. Great America would have specific challenges to make the event interesting while taking most rides and attractions out of the equation.
"I've been told that some part of every wish will be heard but lately I lost sight of the truth in those words."