2005 Attendance

[diggerg56]

According to Amusement Business Magazine attendance at SFGAm was up a staggering 24% this season, thanks mostly to the new waterpark.

I guess it wasn't my imagination that the park was more crowded this year.

[Ashjagz2008]

yes i believe it was

[CoasterDude12-2]

It was much more crowded than usual in 2005. Good to see attendance boost.

[FRD714]

I didnt think it was crowded when I went. I waited 15 minutes for bull and it was a nice day outside so most people were in the waterpark.

[ragingbullchick]

Let's put it this way... the coaster lines were short, but the lines for a waterslide were 45 minutes long. And that's not an exaggeration.

[diggerg56]

I should have explained my original post a little better. Yes, there were many times the coaster side of the park wasn't that bad. All you had to do was look down from Bull, Eagle, Viper, etc and see the lines in HH and you knew where everyone was.

If the demand for the waterpark stays high they have to do something about expansion.

[FRD714]

Let's put it this way... the coaster lines were short, but the lines for a waterslide were 45 minutes long. And that's not an exaggeration.

I believe you 100%. It doesnt surprise me at all.

[Raging Bull 4 life]

It was a hot summer everyday was like 90 degrees or more.

[SFGAmfan]

Looks like attendance at SFGAm was 2.8 million people. I know that these are pretty close estimates, but I really think we were at the 3 million mark. Oh well, here's the official list from Amusement Business

1. Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 16.1 million, +6.5 percent

2. Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. 14.5 million, +8.5 percent

3. Epcot at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 9.9 million, +5.5 percent

4. Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 8.6 million, +5 percent

5. Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 8.2 million, +5 percent

6. Universal Studios in Orlando, 6.1 million, -8.5 percent

7. Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim, Calif., 5.8 million, +3.6 percent

8. Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando, 5.76 million, -8.5 percent

9. SeaWorld Orlando, 5.6 million, +0.2 percent

10. Universal Studios Hollywood, 4.7 million, -6 percent

11. Adventuredome at Circus Circus in Las Vegas, 4.5 million, +2.3 percent

12. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, 4.3 million, +5.1 percent

13. SeaWorld San Diego, 4.1 million, +2.5 percent

14. Paramount Canada's Wonderland in Maple, Ontario, 3.6 million, +7 percent

15. Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif., 3.47 million, -3 percent

16. Paramount's Kings Island in Kings Island, Ohio, 3.3 million, -5.1 percent

17. Morey's Piers in Wildwood, N.J., 3.1 million, +1 percent

18. Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, 3.1 million, -2 percent

19. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, Calif., 3 million, flat

20. Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., 2.9 million, +6 percent

21. Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Ill., 2.8 million, +24 percent

22. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., 2.8 million, +5 percent

23. Hersheypark in Hershey, Pa., 2.7 million, flat

24. Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, Va., 2.6 million, +8.3 percent

25. Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., 2.3 million, +7.3 percent

[Aero737]

Just a news article reenforceing the fact that attendance was up.

Read About it at CNN

Believe it or not, attendance was up at many parks that didn't recieve waterparks or didn't necessarily have good weather. I think that the warm weather and lack of rain REALLY helped compounding the already sucessful waterpark.

[raginbullrider]

two points attendance is good because sfgam earns money to build coasters attendance is bad as the ride lines are crazy

[Trailblazer Tony]

I can't believe that Dollywood made that list! When i went there in 2001, the longest i waited was 5 minutes for Tennessee Tornado. I guess Thunderhead changed that park for the better.

[Gangsta Fruit 26]

I can't believe that we have as many as Magic Mountain. That's crazy. How many people is that a day on average. And what was the most that the park ever had last year for one day.

[basketballa1344]

I can't believe that we have as many as Magic Mountain. That's crazy. How many people is that a day on average. And what was the most that the park ever had last year for one day.

The most during one day was 49,100 during Fright Fest

[Mr. D.T.]

Yeah, we had to bring that one up. 49.2 is the actual confirmation. Think about the poor volunteers which had to work that day! At one sit-down restaurant, there was a lone volunteer in front of a line that only went right out the door!!! And their corrupt management refused an additional cashier until late in the evening! And the beer stand? Don't even ask! 30 minute wait! IMHO, Six Flags should be arrested for cruel treatment to non-employees and poor customer service! I'll never forget that not-sweet-at-all day (which was supposed to be Sweetest Day) as long as I live! Who wants to wait 2 hours for a burger?!!!?!?!? UGH!

[Gangsta Fruit 26]

I can't believe that we have as many as Magic Mountain. That's crazy. How many people is that a day on average. And what was the most that the park ever had last year for one day.

The most during one day was 49,100 during Fright Fest

OMG That is so many people. I would not want to be there on that day. I can't believe that in RCT2 you can only have like 4,000. That's the most I can ever get without a trainer.

This is my 100th post. Yeah.

[Mr. D.T.]

Well Gangsta I am one of the unlucky ones. And the service that day deserves an F-minus for preparation.

[twixmix0303]

Yeah, we had to bring that one up. 49.2 is the actual confirmation. Think about the poor volunteers which had to work that day! At one sit-down restaurant, there was a lone volunteer in front of a line that only went right out the door!!! And their corrupt management refused an additional cashier until late in the evening! And the beer stand? Don't even ask! 30 minute wait! IMHO, Six Flags should be arrested for cruel treatment to non-employees and poor customer service! I'll never forget that not-sweet-at-all day (which was supposed to be Sweetest Day) as long as I live! Who wants to wait 2 hours for a burger?!!!?!?!? UGH!

Gah! The volunteers are "employees" in the sense that they are earning money, but they choose to give it to charity instead. And when was the last time a "company" was "arrested" (how do you arrest a company anyways, shut it down?) for providing poor customer service? Never.

[Mr. D.T.]

I know that and I told you before. The volunteers came to the park not to earn money for themselves but to give to charity. But that poor cashier at Mooseburger had an unlucky day and that doesn't give the management the right not to send her help. It's not the volunteers which is the issue, it's how prepared the departments are in general for days like these.

[basketballa1344]

The volunteers are there because there are not enough employees for six flags to staff the park, so there may not have been anyone to send to help her. And my guess is that there were other places in the park that were in the same situation as well.

[Gangsta Fruit 26]

Why were there so many people there that day. Was there something really special or did everybody just want to go to Fright Fest really bad.

[Mr. D.T.]

The volunteers are there because there are not enough employees for six flags to staff the park, so there may not have been anyone to send to help her. And my guess is that there were other places in the park that were in the same situation as well.

That too. For those who agree, say aye. Aye!

I did tell the supervisor the complaints. I'm not gonna get into detail since I can't say it here. But my guess is that all the units were in this situation. That's why I'm angry with the whole park for being ill-prepared.

The reason for the deadly high attendance is because there may have been a special buy-one-ticket-get-one-free discount in effect at the time. The same stuff happened on the last bring-a-friend-in-for-free day of the season.

[basketballa1344]

There was in fact a buy one get one free coupon for the haunted houses and that was the last day the coupon could be used.

And it is not entirely the park's fault that its employees go to school. Could they have down more to staff the park? I don't know; they could have gotten as many people as they could to work that day.

It probably would have been a better idea to just not have the coupon since they know they lose a lot of employees before Fright Fest.

[Mr. D.T.]

Why do people wait until the last minute for everything? Even coupons.

I do sincerely believe that the park would have done a lot more for preparation, even if half of its employees are back in school. That's why the park ceases daily operation at the end of August to make way for the school season.

[twixmix0303]

For those who agree, say I! I!

It's spelled "aye". Like ayes and nays.