What Made SFGAM build a Water Park?

[Sireze]

I was thinking about this but what made SFGAM build a water park? I'm happy for them and all but why? what made them do it?

[coastercrazy111]

Most likely because their attendance for the past few seasons sucked! They wanted a new form of entertainment for the guests. Not only will it make their park one of the better parks it will attract more guests. It's also to keep up with what people are looking for.

So mostly for attendance reasons. They want to make their park one of the best, and adding a waterpark will help this happen.

[Ilovthevu']

To me, it's truly hard to decipher why exactly SFGAm wants a waterpark. I guess these would be my reasons.
1) They looked at other parks, (both SF and not), and decided that waterparks are popular.

2) People might go to Wisconsin Dells for the biggest waterparks (indoors and outdoors), and SFGAm decided that Gurnee should have a nice-sized waterpark in HH.

3) In my opinion, waterparks are less costly in the long run than a regular amusement park. With waterparks, you pay a flat fee, and than it's only so many years that a park needs to be improved upon. Improvements might only cost 2 million compared to a 12 million rollercoaster.

4) Another thing I can see is that the park is adding a second dimension. By this I mean that people will now have more to do. For vacationers especially, instead of maybe planning to spend one day at the park, they might choose to spend two days.

[DejaVu The Ride]

1. Waterparks add to their "family" product.
2. Waterparks are "proven cash flow contributors in time."
3. SfGam is one of the only major theme parks without a waterpark.

To be honest, nothing "MADE" SfGam build a waterpark. I knew it was coming sooner or later.

DejaVu "Who is glad this wasn't a poll." The Ride

[SIC COASTER]

to expand and bring in more people and money

[Moo]

It is a trend. It now seems that every major park must have a water park, and I am fine with it.

[Do I Know You]

I called up Mr. Six and asked him to build a water park at GAm.

A water park is a (relatively) cheap way to boost attendence. It'll probably steal guests away from the Dells.

[greatamerica2003]

SFGAm never made any desicions to build Hurricane Harbor. Corporate made those desisicions.

Great America is a "FLAGSHIP" park. By investing in their flagship parks, the corporation uses their money wisely rather than unwisely.

Six Flags has made some very UNWISE monetary desicions in the last few years. From buying mom-and-pop parks and rebranding them, adding infrastructure to underperforming parks in order to prop them up (to no avail) and a lagging Guest Service program.

Hurrican Harbor at their Chicago property is a wise one.

[SammyTheSparerib]

I think that Six Flags Great America local management was very instrumental. Look at the timing. In Spring of 2004, the timeframe granted by Gurnee to build the Entertainment Village (with waterpark) across I-94 ran out and Six Flags sold the land. I think Great America was trying to improve the roads to it and some non-waterpark parts of the plan weren't approved. Wintrode seemed to be very involved with the Entertainment Village if you read the Village of Gurnee mettings notes.

Whenever it looke like they weren't going to get that ramp, Great America had to come up with a Plan B, but they would hold onto hope. I would guess that this stuff was worked on for a few years and that Wintrode at least approved the location, but the actual mix of attractions is probably based on what's worked at SFGAdv's and SFNE's relatively recent Hurricane Harbors.

This is just my guess based on what I've read in the Gurnee Village Board mintues. Wintrode clearly expressed the need for a waterpark.

Here's the long meeting transcript for the curious:
http://www.gurnee.il.us/zoning_board/zb ... 98_jm.html

[coastercrazy111]

Well I'm sure SFGAM had been planning HH for a few years. It is pretty much impossible to just throw together an attraction that the management wants to be a higly marketable attraction. SF has probably been planning this for a long time.

My opinion is that they figured that they probably wouldnt get the Entertainment Village so they planned a waterpark like you said as a plan b. Even though an Entertainment Village with Hotels, and other stuff would be nice the waterpark is just what we needed to bring in more money.

[CoasterDude12-2]

When you look at the other Six Flags theme parks (the worthwhile ones). You see that most of them have a waterpark right next door. Like Magic Mountain, Great Adventure, Over Georgia and Fiestia Texis ,to name a few. So if we wanna become big time like those we need a waterpark too. Plus all the great advantages (that will go unnamed) that a waterpark has. It should also keep most people out of the real park and into the waterpark which should mean lesser lines for Sfgam itself.

[Sireze]

Can one of the moderators please close this topic. My question has ben answered.

[coastercrazy111]

I also believe that having a waterpark would bring more media attention to the park therefore causing a needed increase in attendance. Which would in turn bring in more money for bigger rides and major park improvements. So I don't think people should wonder why we have a waterpark. Even if you don't like waterparks it will benefit you anyways. Bigger better coasters and rides, and a better park.

[Timmy179]

Can one of the moderators please close this topic. My question has ben answered.

Why the hell would you come back, 4 months after this has been answered, and ask that??

[greatamerica2003]

Can one of the moderators please close this topic. My question has ben answered.

Yeah, MAYBE there are some people on here who still want to discuss it!

You don't own a topic, bub. If we want to keep it going, we will.

So buzz off!

[CoasterDude12-2]

Also, it was months of terrible topics and posts. No one really would even think to look here, you kinda just re-opened the topic

[ClubXJeff]

To answer someone's question from earlier.... From the "VIP" Tour that I was at - Jim (Manager of Marketing / Promotions) claimed that Great America originally had the waterpark idea 15 years ago..... not necessarily Hurricane Harbor, but a park of water, nonetheless.....

15 years ago, would have been 1990, the same year Iron Wolf debuted..... Can you imagine?

Wonder how much longer Tidal Wave would have hung around... haha awwwww.


-Jeff-

[SF Critic]

Six Flags has made some very UNWISE monetary desicions in the last few years. From buying mom-and-pop parks and rebranding them, adding infrastructure to underperforming parks in order to prop them up (to no avail) and a lagging Guest Service program.

You mean when Time-Warner Inc. owned it till 1998 or SFI now?

Before Premier Parks (now SFI) brought Six Flags, SF Inc. is paying for the sins of Time-Warner's ownership and lack of responsibility at the "partnership parks" SFOG & SFOT.

From the 2004 Six Flags Inc. Annual Report (and every other one since the lawsuit settlement):

"In connection with our 1998 acquisition of the former Six Flags, we guaranteed certain obligations relating to Six Flags Over Georgia and Six Flags Over Texas (the “Partnership Parks”). These obligations continue until 2027, in the case of the Georgia park, and 2028, in the case of the Texas park. Among such obligations are... (ii) minimum capital expenditures at each park during rolling five-year periods based generally on 6% of park revenues..."

So, for over the next 20 years expect capital investments equal to 6% of sales at both of these parks no matter what happens less than bankruptcy.

Six Flags was already in trouble before Premier Parks bought it from Time-Warner Inc.