Monday, September 22, 2008

Six Flags 2009


Last week seven different Six Flags parks announced what they will be adding for the 2009 season. Here are the announcements:

Six Flags New England 2009
A large scale refurbishment to Superman Ride Of Steel to add special effects such as: fire & on board audio.

Six Flags Over Georgia 2009
A large scale refurbishment to the Monster Plantation dark ride and a renaming to Monster Mansion. New characters, music, effect, interactivity and storyline. Some of the classic monsters will return.

The Great Escape 2009
A new 192 foot talled drop tower ride named Sasquatch. A re-modeled Beer Garden. A new Holiday In The Park event will be at the park in 2009.

Six Flags St. Louis 2009
A 6 lane racing slide named Wahoo Racer will be added to Hurricane Harbor and the Glow In The Park Parade will debut in 2009.

Six Flags Over Texas 2009
Glow In The Park Parade will debut in 2009.

Six Flags Great America 2009
Buccaneer Battle a splash battle attraction themed to Pirates will open next year.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas 2009
Wiggles World kids area.



Some interesting stuff in there, here are my thoughts:

- all these additions are very cheap, is any park spending over 4 million next year?

- Superman Ride Of Steel at SFNE is a coaster I have in my top 5. With the addition of on board audio and fire, I think it will be my new number 1. There was some fear that Over The Shoulder Restraints would be added, but fear not the folks at SFNE online have found out that trains similar to El Toro will be added.

- I think the most interesting addition is the changeover to Monster Mansion. I rode Monster Plantation maybe 6/7 years ago and really enjoyed it (I'm a sucker for an orignal dark ride). I think that out of all the rides in the park SF chose to spend money upgrading this one, which I think is a good idea, but not sure how marketable these 'new' attractions are. Are general public going to go to the park expecting the 'new monster mansion' and be upset to find the old monster plantation with a few new tricks.

- What else is at the old Six Flags New Orleans, if they could rip the drop ride out is there anything else worthwhile?

- The addition of the Nighttime parades are very smart, I don't know why more parks don't add them. The financial returns are obvious, with a nighttime show of some type people will stick around after dark (big time money in people eating dinner) instead of just leaving when they rode everything.

- SFStl & SFFT have been getting a lot more love from the Shapiro Regime then the old one.

- I feel like SFOT has been getting the shaft. I always felt like this was one of Six Flags 'big dogs' but hasn't gotten a large scale addition in a long time.

- Could this be a Tony Hawk Big Spin - less year???

- Wheres the SFMM GCI Wooden Coaster announcement?

- What about La Ronde, SFA, SFKK and most importantly my former old home park and best park in the chain SFGAdv?

- Buccaneer Battle at my current home park is something I have very little interest in. I really like anything themed to pirates, but hate water rides in amusement parks that soak you head to toe. Why not add this in the waterpark where it belongs?

- I do dislike the current management of Six Flags for numerous reasons (Locker Policy & Insane Food/Parking Prices) but my main reason is the lack of big additions. This looks like it will be the 3rd year in a row that there will be no big addition anywhere (the largest has been Evel Knevel, which is a pretty small ride when you see it in person). If you keep adding cheaper additions with weak licenses attached, it may pay off in the short run, but I think it will hurt in the long.

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