Event Canada's Wonderland Halloween Haunt 2025
- Thread starter Zachary
- Start date
So does this mean the park won't close at 5 every night for Haunt prep anymore? I know Carowinds did away with making Scarowinds a hard ticketed event, so it would make sense that CW does away with that too.
If Six Flags is closing rides and parks to get by, adding upcharges to their popular Halloween events that were previously included with admission... fine. The company is over $2 billion in debt, reportedly, and if things are grim then you need to make changes where you can to stay afloat.
But then I'm sorry, this should also mean you don't get Executive bonuses this year, or prioritize shareholder dividends. Any extra money you are making needs to go into paying the debt down.
If they can't figure this out, there's not going to be a Six Flags. Plain and simple. Maybe it's time for me to find a new hobby?
But then I'm sorry, this should also mean you don't get Executive bonuses this year, or prioritize shareholder dividends. Any extra money you are making needs to go into paying the debt down.
If they can't figure this out, there's not going to be a Six Flags. Plain and simple. Maybe it's time for me to find a new hobby?
Can we make a sticky post or something to reference whenever someone mentions Six Flags being “in debt”? Corporate debt is super common and financially beneficial and says nothing about the health of a company.
Apologies. Some debt is normal but I just don't like the changes that I'm seeing.
Halloween events are profitable and at least when I worked in the parks many years ago, can be some of the busiest days on the calendar (especially Columbus Day Weekend). Charging extra for Halloween attractions seems like a step in the wrong direction for the company to be going in, and it comes off as a desperate move to boost revenue.
I'm worried. I'm worried they will make changes to this, and the casual audience will lose interest - nothing easier to do than someone showing up for something that was "free last year but now I have to pay this year." And maybe it will take a few years to erode those busy days into something less busy, and give less of a reason to stay open late, or even go after a scary audience at all (something they already abandoned at Valleyfair with their Tricks and Treats event taking the place of ValleyScare/Haunt).
I don't know what the numbers are for paid versus included haunts, or "scary versus family events" - all I can do is speculate.*
*(For context, Hersheypark is my home park. In 2022, they started Dark Nights with four houses and two scare zones - and made the houses an upcharge. I had friends who asked me at the time, which was better: Hersheypark or Dorney Park Halloween Haunt. Dorney had seven houses and five scare zones included with admission, and had more actors inside the zones and houses, plus more live entertainment. It was an easy call at the time with Dorney having the more complete package, and Hershey charging extra didn't magically make it a better event and did not keep crowds down. Despite it being the debut season plenty of people paid extra for the privilege. It wasn't until the next year when Hershey removed the upcharge requirement. As these events got closer in number of offerings, plus Dorney cutting live entertainment, that made it harder to recommend one over the other.
While some corporate debt is good, not all of it is always good. There’s always going to be a point where the debt is healthy debt.
I fear the behavior that SF is showing is not good. They are discounting passes a significant amount, upcharging things they didn’t, and sounds like closing some spots and downgraded food options are concerning. I would say those combined changed with the amount of debt is what sows some concerns because it sounds like they are having problems repaying creditors.
I fear the behavior that SF is showing is not good. They are discounting passes a significant amount, upcharging things they didn’t, and sounds like closing some spots and downgraded food options are concerning. I would say those combined changed with the amount of debt is what sows some concerns because it sounds like they are having problems repaying creditors.