Cedar Fair to purchase ALL Paramount parks!

[Iggy ACE]

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060522/nym129.html?.v=39

Wow! But not surprising!

Iggy

[zjohn1988]

Looks like a good move by CF

[the_franchise]

Great, now there is little competition....What with like 4 or 5 companies in the US competing?

[zjohn1988]

yep

[Galvan]

Im not really sold (no pun intended) on this deal, Im not a huge fan of Cedar Fair in general, and I think that PKI was a better run park then the 3 CF parks that I have been too (KBF,CP,MIA)

Also about licensing and branding how exactly is that going to work now?

The only good thing that could come out of this is perhaps some new coasters in some of the Paramount Parks, Mainly PKI and PGA.

[EagleFan344]

Sweet now I can get into CP, GL and PKI next year with just one pass

[LAFFfan4lyfe]

well more parks for them...good move....

[CoasterDave316]

Wow, I hadn't been paying attention to the talk of them possible buying a few of these parks. So this caught me by surprise.

I think this will prove to be a great move by Cedar Fair.

[Iggy ACE]

Galvan as I understand it the Paramount parks have another 4 year agreement with the Nickalodeon licence and Cedar Fair attains that in the purchase with the possibility to extend it after 2010.

Iggy

[Chitown]

Now CF can say they own a Great America park.

Some details on the aquisition.

http://www.pointbuzz.com/news.htm?id=915

[DejaWoof03]

I wonder if the Boomerang Bays will be made over again in a few years.

[EagleFan344]

So will the parks just be called Kings Island, Great America etc?

[Chitown]

Given how CF has established names of their parks, I would say yes, the names will stay the same just with the Paramount name removed.

1. Kings Island
2. Great America
3. Carowinds
4. Canada's Wonderland
5. Kings Dominion

[CoasterDude12-2]

Cedar Fair only cares about Cedar Point. That's the only park that ever gets anything decent, and it's the cleanest and best run of all Cedar Fair parks. But I guess it can't get any worse for Great America (name?), but I hope PKI is still good.

[FRD714]

A few months back I did post something about Paramounts wanting to sell, so this doesnt surprise me.

[Director_Guy]

Cedar Fair only cares about Cedar Point. That's the only park that ever gets anything decent...

I'm sorry, but... Knott's has some amazing rides. So, that can't be true.

[Bob O]

Cedar Fair has done a good job running the parks it has and paying decent amounts of money to the investors.
They have made good moves in the past in acquiring parks, but did so slowly.
I wonder how good they will do in adding this many parks at one time and what will happen if they lose rights to nick characters in 4 yrs as they are much more popular than snoopy is.
And if the new combo of parks will have enough capital to invest in all of the parks as the theme park business needs to spend a good amount of money to keep themselves fresh so the guests dont become bored .
I hope it all works out well and much better than what has happened to SF parks over the year where they became deeply in debt.

[Trailblazer Tony]

Cedar Fair only cares about Cedar Point. That's the only park that ever gets anything decent, and it's the cleanest and best run of all Cedar Fair parks. But I guess it can't get any worse for Great America (name?), but I hope PKI is still good.

I would have to disagree with that statement, each one of their parks is special in their own ways. Look at Michigan Adventure, they are adding a raging rapids ride for this year and it is slowly becoming more of a well rounded amusement park compared to how it was before it was purchased by Cedar Fair. Geauga Lake, as well, has changed drastically for the better since that purchase as well. And with Silver Bullet, Hydra, Patriot, I think they are doing fine with spreading the coaster wealth, if anything, Cedar Point has been the one neglected recently.

When I first heard of talks of this deal, my worries were that they would lose the Nickelodean characters, with that idea being not a likely outcome, I guess I'm okay with it. The paramount parks could really use Cedar Fair's help, in my opinion. Hopefully, though, the company doesn't go the way of Six Flags and buy too many parks and hopefully they can keep the parks' good qualities the same (like the atmosphere of PKI).

[Chitown]

Why do they need CF's help? They aren't selling because of failures.

Last I checked, all 5 of the Paramount parks were pulling in great attendance numbers. Canada's Wonderland is the highest attended seasonal park in North America.

[Trailblazer Tony]

^I understand, I don't really remember why I said that, but I guess I was refering to the fact that a change in management would be neat.

[greatamerica2003]

I think that PKI was a cleaner, and better run park than CP. I also found the theme to be far better at PKI.

I do not think this is a good move for the surviving Paramount Parks, but it was out of their hands. I thought that the theming and atmosphere better at PKI than at Great America. I expect all of them to be run down and have less character than Six Flags parks in 3 years.

A thrill park operator buys a theme park operator? That means the death of the theme.

[Galvan]

^ Couldnt agree more with that.

Also think that PKI is cleaner and better run then CP.