Fall Visit

[Blauer]

I got news for you but even if Six Flags invested 10s of millions into Kings Dominion Doswell Virginia is just not going to be a tourist destination in the foreseeable future. Dollywood has a lot going for it. One location location location. Believe it or not the Smokey Mountains are a huge tourist draw in fact the national park has been the most visited national park in all the different measurements that the national park system uses to track visitors since 1979. That has allowed Pigeon Forge to grow into almost a baby Vegas. Then you have Dolly herself and her connection to the park which opens demographic doors that wouldn't be as easy to open without that link.

What exactly is there to do for someone that doesn’t like coasters at Kings Dominion or an average Six Flags park? Eat mediocre overpriced food? They have eliminated their live entertainment and most gentle attractions. They don’t even try to expand the market wider than children and thrill seekers. They are a poor investment.

BGW at least has enough non thrill things to do that they can operate more days than KD or a Six Flags park.

Parks and other tourist destinations such as Myrtle Beach and Vegas have failed. Dollywood succeeds because of its excellent management.

 

[Nicole]

I’m not sure what any of that has to do with @horsesboy’s point that KD has neither the location nor the celebrity sponsor that Dollywood enjoys.

Regardless, to address your points:

- In what way has either Myrtle Beach or Las Vegas (both popular tourist destinations) failed?
- What is wrong with targeting families and thrill seekers? It seems like a valid business model to me. The fact that your specific preferences and demographic are not catered to by an amusement park doesn’t make it a “failure.”
- CP/SF parks all have live entertainment. People can debate the quality, but the claim that it doesn’t exist is simply incorrect.
- The food at KD is widely considered very good and much better than the current culinary offerings at BGW. In addition, in my opinion, the food at Dollywood is actually overrated.
- I’m not sure of the relevance of year round operations at parks in the Mid-Atlantic.

 

[Blauer]

I’m not sure what any of that has to do with @horsesboy’s point that KD has neither the location nor the celebrity sponsor that Dollywood enjoys.

Regardless, to address your points:

- In what way has either Myrtle Beach or Las Vegas (both popular tourist destinations) failed?
- What is wrong with targeting families and thrill seekers? It seems like a valid business model to me. The fact that your specific preferences and demographic are not catered to by an amusement park doesn’t make it a “failure.”
- CP/SF parks all have live entertainment. People can debate the quality, but the claim that it doesn’t exist is simply incorrect.
- The food at KD is widely considered very good and much better than the current culinary offerings at BGW. In addition, in my opinion, the food at Dollywood is actually overrated.
- I’m not sure of the relevance of year round operations at parks in the Mid-Atlantic.

THEME PARKS at Las Vegas and MB have failed. That’s what this discussion is about, but it has to be explained to you literally as usual.


They are NOT targeting families. They are targeting their children. There is hardly anything worthwhile for the non-thrilled seeker in the family to do. Also limiting the target market is this big wide world two younger, lower income. Individuals isn’t the most ingenious idea either.

Oh yeah, and targeting that market only ends up with disasters like Kings Dominion had last weekend

KD eliminated all of their live entertainment this summer. Carowinds reduce their live entertainment to nothing. Most Six Flags parks have no worthwhile live and entertainment.

If one considers the food at any of these amusement parks, very good one needs to get out in life and taste some real quality food. It’s edible and mediocre. Definitely overpriced. Nothing that one cannot get elsewhere outside of the park of equal or better quality.

The relevance is all these billions of dollars of investment that sits there vacant the majority of the year earning zero revenue. Poor investment.

It seems to bother a lot of people that Dollywood treats their customers and employees much better than these lower class theme parks that they have to defend their short sided practices

 

[Nicole]

Noted