Daniel Snyder considering purchase of all or part of SFI

[SF Critic]

Daniel Snyder, owner of the National Football League's Washington Redskins, said Friday, April 22, he might be interested in buying some or all of amusement park operator Six Flags Inc. Snyder, who owns about 8.75% of Six Flags through his Ashburn, Va., hedge fund Red Zone LLC, said he might also attempt to influence the Oklahoma City-based company's board and management through a proxy fight to consider any of several options, including a merger, a sale of assets, a business combination, and recapitalization or refinancing, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

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[greatamerica2003]

Snyder can make this a tough fight, and it can either become a freindly merger type of deal, or a hostile takeover. Whatever happens, the stock price can only go up.

Something gotta give, and it's gonna happen soon.

[FParker185]

if Dan Snyder gets to be in charge of SF, you can just forget about it, that will be the end of Six Flags as we know it. What they charge for stuff now(parking , admission, food, etc will see like the deal of the century if he gets his way.

Also for the stadiums he runs, he blocks off all sidewalks leading to the statium, and I bed he'd try that with the parks, also he closes lots near the stadium, opened up one several miles awaty, chargeds $28.50 for parking, then his tram costs extra $$$. Anything assoiated with him in any of his businesses is the highest costing stuff in it's respective industry, and he has stated he'd do the same for SF (with corperate branding across the board and just like he said "making profits"

[danieln84]

Are you serious? would he seriously raise prices on everything? you dont think he would just buy it and leave it as is? i dont want anything to change. i dont wanna have to pay higher prices and stuff. thats just not right. does SF have the right to decline? saying no we dont wanna sell out to you?

[rct2wizard360]

Oh dear, SF being owned by money hungry people. Damn I need a parking pass....

[SFGAmfan]

I think this is very bad news if he does in fact buy Six Flags. I just hope he'll sell SFGAm to Universal Studios or something before he takes the company under. I know he said before that they could get $800 million for SFGAdv so its obvious he is thinking about selling some big parks to get money fast.

[greatamerica2003]

if Dan Snyder gets to be in charge of SF, you can just forget about it, that will be the end of Six Flags as we know it. What they charge for stuff now(parking , admission, food, etc will see like the deal of the century if he gets his way.

Also for the stadiums he runs, he blocks off all sidewalks leading to the statium, and I bed he'd try that with the parks, also he closes lots near the stadium, opened up one several miles awaty, chargeds $28.50 for parking, then his tram costs extra $$$. Anything assoiated with him in any of his businesses is the highest costing stuff in it's respective industry, and he has stated he'd do the same for SF (with corperate branding across the board and just like he said "making profits"

But Snyder knows that he can't get away with that and expect the company to survive? And you say thats the end of Six Flags as we know it? OK with me, the company isn' that great in comparison anyways (to other theme park operators).

[SFGA Bob]

yes, SF can decline the offer. but don't expect the owners to do what's right for the company. they'll do what's right for them. if they think this deal will put them better off in the long run, they'll do it.

[punkbunny24242]

Uh oh... this is a little scary

[SF Critic]

I believe Snyder has the marketing sense to get money out of people in amusement parks. As for the business side, he didn't know anything about football when he purchased the Redskins and was the youngest owner of a NFL team at the time of the purchase. However, he went out and hired people that new how to run a football team and just when he was about to be run out of town, he hires Joe Gibbs, a fan favorite.

I have no doubt if he was to purchase SF, he would hire advisors from within the industry that would tell him how to run the company.

The Redskins are one of the MOST valued professional sports franchises in the USA. I don't have time to get a link right now (anybody up to the challenge), but I'm pretty sure they are #1 or maybe #2 to the Yankees. From a business standpoint, thy are as profitable as they come. His onfield moves may be dumb, but his business sense is second to none. Do not confuse the two.

If you apply the parallels to Six flags, you can easily see why amusement park enthusiasts should be worried. I've no doubt, Snyder can make Six Flags more profitable. However, at what expense will this profit come? Read between the lines and it is obvious Snyder plans a sell off.

And if Snyder does not gain control, it is just a matter of time before somebody else does the same. Six Flags has taken on so much debt, that I see no way that all the parks in the chain can ever survive... just my opinion...

Snyder once said: Six Flags *The Thrill is Gone* Not only him but Bill Gates has been considering for Six Flags to either merge or sell it to another company. Give him a chance Six Flags!!!!!! They are willing to help

Will Comcast be willing to buy since they didn't get Disney?

[braindead666]

wow i hope that every think will be ok

[danieln84]

i will be so mad if he buys it and raises prices or removes rides. or sells out. if they sold to like universal. do you think they would expand at all? and make it like universal in orlando? or just keep as is. or am talking about the totally wrong thing. i hope nothing happens with our park

[greatamerica2003]

I can't see destination park companies like Disney or Universal purchasing any Six Flags parks. Frankly, I can't see ANY current operators buying any Six Flags parks. Its somebody buying the whole company is what its gonna be.

That person/party/company could do then just about anything with the properties. Sell them, sell rides, or tear everything out and just sell the real estate. In the case of some parks, the land that a park sits on is more valuable than the revenue it brings in.

If it were me, I would divest my company of underpreforming parks. Get rid of them any way I could. Then concentrate on the properties that are "flagship" parks, like SFGAm, SFoG, SFoT, SFFT, SFAW, SFStL, and a few others.

There is something wrong with the way the company is being run, and it needs to be changed. Sometimes change is very scary and nerveracking. But it has to happen.

[SFGA Bob]

AW's a flagship park? I thought that was SF's garbage dump.

[Danhockey04]

Six Flag's garbage dump is defiantly Elitch Gardens, they should have never acquired that park. Anyways, I think this will be better off for SF and even SFGAm, if SF does better, which it probably will with new owners, SFGAm and the other parks will be positively effected with new rides or improvements. I doubt that any rides would be removed except maybe one, Deja Vu for the lack of up-time and maintenance costs.

[greatamerica2003]

:lol: AW's a flagship park? I thought that was SF's garbage dump.

No there are other parks that are far worse than AW. As you can see I have picked the parks that were under Time Warner ownership.

None of the parks that Premier bought are theme parks. They should have never been branded as such, and should be bulldozed and condos built.

Just my $.02

[SF Critic]

I can't see destination park companies like Disney or Universal purchasing any Six Flags parks. Frankly, I can't see ANY current operators buying any Six Flags parks. Its somebody buying the whole company is what its gonna be.

That person/party/company could do then just about anything with the properties. Sell them, sell rides, or tear everything out and just sell the real estate. In the case of some parks, the land that a park sits on is more valuable than the revenue it brings in.

I couldn't agree more. Universal and Disney are destination parks. They will never expand. They want you to come to them, not the other way around. I also can't see anybody buying a SF park except Cedar Fair. If they want some properties in the south (like SFAW).

Snyder has been talking about SFI for a while especially SFA which is only 10-15 mins away from FedEx Field (Redskins Stadium). He said in the Washington Post that SF has not been showing their best. Due to their lack parks like SFA hasn't had any additions since 2003 which was Penguins Blizzard River. (Parks Competitors- Paramounts Kings Dominion, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and Hershey Park). SFA has been on the decline since 2002-2004. Snyder say SFA and other SF parks have potential but due to their financial problems, he said SFI is getting NO WHERE!!!! Snyder even urged SFI to sell SFA to another company so the park can grow (this is Maryland's only theme park).

Note- SFA hasn't received a coaster since 2001. This year its receiving New Hurricane Harbor, Bahama Blast, New Kids Water Play Structure, and popular Tornado. SFI said these new additions should boost attendance 5-10%.

Like I said, Snyder didn't know anything about football when he purchased the Redskins and was the youngest owner of a NFL team at the time of the purchase. However, he went out and hired people that new how to run a football team. He WILL hire advisors from within the industry that would tell him how to run the company. Snyder really wants to change the company around. Changes are good and he WILL turn the company around (Good News)

Will Comcast be willing to buy

[Ilovthevu']

I don't think it will be a good sign if he buys SF. Whenever new companies come in, they change everything to there liking. If I were owner, I would change things to. Many of these changes will be bad. If he buys SF, I don't think he will keep all these parks. Who knows, he might get rid of SFGAm. You never know about these things. SFGAm has also been losing profits (someone told me) before SUF was put in.

If it were me, and I was SF, I would definitely be focusing on the parks that are in need of desperate help. I wouldn't be pouring there money into SFGAm year after year. SFGAm is getting pampered to death. I don't mind it, but SFGAm is not SF's biggest problems. As someone said, SFAW might be considered a problem along with Elitch Gardens. I can see why these are piece of junk. It partly relates to the coasters they have, or don't have. We are extremely lucky to have three B&Ms and very many flats. So, count your blessings before Synder starts changing the company around (if he does).

[SF Critic]

We are extremely lucky to have three B&Ms and very many flats. So, count your blessings before Synder starts changing the company around (if he does).

Blessings? SFA does not have at least one B&M coaster yet (SFI were waiting). SFI has backed out on us. Snyder is basically say that SF parks have alot of potential but all they do is spoil the flagship parks. Flagship parks doesn't improve the whole chain.

SF Parks that don't have B&M's yet
SFA
SFDL
SFEG
SFAW (unless you consider BTE as one)

I'm happy that SF is adding alot to their parks this year, but it will take time to get theirselves out of debt. As much as I love SF, I just can't see all these parks surviving.

If Snyder doesn't buy out the chain someone will. SFI is already in bad shape compared to other theme park companies. Something its going to happen, its only a matter of time.

[greatamerica2003]

We are extremely lucky to have three B&Ms and very many flats.

Raging Bull
Batman: The Ride
Iron Wolf
Superman, Ultimate Flight

4 B&M's

And I agree with you on not even keeping SFGAm. It's been sold more than once, if you count the different owners of Six Flags as well.

Marriott's
Six Flags (when owned by Ballys)
Six Flags (when owned by Time Warner)
Six Flags (formerly Premier)

Don't count on the park being a Six Flags forever. It wasn't when it was built. Just like PKI started out life as simply "Kings Island" when it was owned by Kings Broadcasting, or Carowinds before Paramount ownership. Even Sea World was a whole private company before Busch snapped them up.

You just never know. SFGAm could be a cash cow for a company in trouble.

[FParker185]

Snyder doesnt want the parks, he wants the $$$, he already proposed selling off several parks to real estate developers. I.E. people who will bulldoze the parks and build condos. When the SF board told him to go shove it, that's when he got pissed and put out that angry press release saying he would sell off all his SF shares, which he never did.

[danieln84]

well then if he is pissed wouldnt he purposely buy the parks and then sell them all? but then think of the nationwide retaliation! o could see people going as far as getting the president involved. forcing synder to sell the park back or something. thats what i hate about people now a days. they dont care about what makes other people happy, as long as they have all the money in the world

[SF Critic]

Snyder doesnt want the parks, he wants the $$$, he already proposed selling off several parks to real estate developers. I.E. people who will bulldoze the parks and build condos. When the SF board told him to go shove it, that's when he got pissed and put out that angry press release saying he would sell off all his SF shares, which he never did.

I can understand that, but selling some of the parks to real estate developers was the last option. Snyder an Gates gave them ideas like merge with a company, or let another company buy them out.

When Premier Parks bought Six Flags they didn't know how to manage the parks. I know from experience. Six Flags America was owned by Premier Parks before it was flagged.

greatamerica2003, this is SFA park history

SFA History
Wild World 1982-1993. The park is born in Largo, MD. This park started out as an independent waterpark. In 1990 Wild World went bankrupt and the park was closed for the 1991 season. In late 1991 Tierco Group, Inc. purchased the park and it reopened for the 1992 season.

Adventure World 1994-1998 (Premier Parks) The Adventure World name change also changed the park's focus away from water rides to a more traditional amusement park. (It was treated like a flagship park because it got something new every year, including the popular water turntable coaster ride Typhoon Sea Coaster) First Premier Park to have Mind Eraser which opened in 1995. First Roar which opened in 1998, until SFMW got one. Now its cloned.

Six Flags America 1999 - ? (Premier Parks now SFI) With the Six Flags changeover came more amusement rides and the Six Flags characters, turning the park into a modern theme park.



This park is currently a cloned coaster park due to Roar being cloned at SFMW. Wild One is probably original since it dates back to 1917 (the oldest coaster in the SF chain). Hopefully a B&M (our first) will come soon and that we get a custom, but I doubt it. Can SFA get a custom soon?

This year SFI takes us back to our Wild World days when it was just a waterpark. They are rebranding Paradise Island into Hurricane Harbor. It is the biggest expansion is SFA history along with SFA which was branded in 1999. Six Flags America... So Big, So Exciting, We had to Re-Name it. Hurricane Harbor, May 28, 2005

Also Mind Eraser which is now 10 yrs. old, got a new paint job and the colors are different than the other Mind Erasers. Joker Jinx got paint but same colors. SFA got alot of improvements around the park just like the other SF parks. Premier Parks (SFI) really knows the history of this park, since they owned it for more than a decade.


Premier Parks (now SFI) was a good company no doubt, but after 2002 the company went down with less additions to the non flagship parks. 2005 they are adding alot everywhere, but it will take a while to get out of debt. It seems like they are trying to do this on their own... but well see what happens. Hopefully they can turn attendance around this year.

[Danhockey04]

I think that Premier just overall is the cause of the downfall of SF as we know it. Someone will eventually have to buy SF company, merge with it, or just sell off all of its parks. I agree that GAm will not always be a SF park in the future, who knows, CF may buy it (I hope not, it'll just get ruined). Let's just let things go out as it is and hope for the best for GAm.

[SF Critic]

Well the meeting was today. Reports have not been released yet. I wonder how it went