Theme Park Discussion / Cedar Fair Sold?

http://online.wsj.co...MIDDLTopStories

http://www.cedarfair.....l release.pdf

was there talk about this previously? Seems like there getting great deal for such an amazing place, kinda seems cheap.

was there talk about this previously? Seems like there getting great deal for such an amazing company, kinda seems cheap.

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Oh, shit yeah I heard about this.
-JDP

I'm honestly not surprised.

I mean, it wasn't too long ago that they bought out the Paramount parks, and since then they've spent a fairly significant amount of money in improvements and additions to those parks. So they've got a pretty large level of debt built up. And then the banking system goes tits up.

@rK_ - The $650M is just the sweetener. The actual price there is the $1.7B in debt they're assuming.

-ACE

The fact that this happened two days after I turned in my final paper, which was about the economic status of theme parks in the US shows to me how fast this is all happening.

Edited by sixflagsfreak56, 17 December 2009 - 03:45 PM.

Although I hate to say it because I am a coaster/park fan; I think American parks have grown too big too fast. Which they gain a lot of money on short term by new visitors the year after, but then the 'newly status' is over and people want something again new. Then they need to invest again, which all cost money, because people (especially Americans) want things bigger/better/faster, it costs more to build, so more debt builds up. When the economy collapses like in the USA in 2008/2009, you get problems. Conclusion, the parks grow too fast and implode.

If I look for example to the Efteling, the biggest dutch themepark, they only build one big ride every 4 to 5 years. That way they save money // the public isn't expecting a new big ride every year.

Anyways, I hope the new company who invest more than 2 billion in Cedar Fair, can make it a healthy company again, maybe by closing some parks and shift their concentration on the better money making parks.

That is just how I think of this.  

Cena, you can't compare US and European theme parks so easily. American theme parks get considerably higher attendance. They're also more likely to attract visitors that travel from elsewhere in the country to go there. That justifies the extra expenditures on new rides every year or two.

-ACE

I'll only go to a park again if there is 2 or more new coasters. That's my rule of thumb .