Impacts of the Six Flags Merger on Kings Dominion

[Thriller]

I believe that Bridgette Bywater did the best job she could do there with all of the corporate restraints.

However, I believe Kings Dominion would flourish under great ownership. It has a prime location on one of the busiest if not the busiest. interstates on the East Coast. It’s a beautiful park that could be more beautiful than BGW with the right improvements (it doesn’t have a hideous right away, running down the middle).

The crowds would improve if they had attractions for more expanded types of people. There’s not much to do there are right now if you don’t like thrill rides. But Six Flags is not interested in any of this. Just squeezing every dollar they can out of the parks.

 

[CoasterBroCam]

I believe that Bridgette Bywater did the best job she could do there with all of the corporate restraints.

However, I believe Kings Dominion would flourish under great ownership. It has a prime location on one of the busiest if not the busiest. interstates on the East Coast. It’s a beautiful park that could be more beautiful than BGW with the right improvements (it doesn’t have a hideous right away, running down the middle).

The crowds would improve if they had attractions for more expanded types of people. There’s not much to do there are right now if you don’t like thrill rides. But Six Flags is not interested in any of this. Just squeezing every dollar they can out of the parks.

Honestly, fuck six flags for ruining an amazing, beautiful park like KD. Literally ANY other owner could do better than SF is doing right now. It’s a god damn shame!

 

[Tacky3663]

I still believe that Kings Dominion isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, especially when Six Flags America is shutting down at the end of the year. But it does really feel that they’re trying to squeeze out as much as profit as they can out of the park. Probably one step away from just adding sponsorships to rides lmao.

Get ready for Pantherian “Presented by Animal Planet” & Batman Knight Flight

 

[harry580]

I still believe that Kings Dominion isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, especially when Six Flags America is shutting down at the end of the year. But it does really feel that they’re trying to squeeze out as much as profit as they can out of the park. Probably one step away from just adding sponsorships to rides lmao.

Get ready for Pantherian “Presented by Animal Planet” & Batman Knight Flight

animal planet is owned by Warner bros so, while you at it, maybe add willy wonka and the chocolate factory dark ride to the six flags parks

 

[the_pantsmith]

Still think it's a bit pre-emptive to say SF is ruining KD, though I understand the concern.

Also I don't think KD could ever be more beautiful than BGW. Not many parks have the setting Busch does

 

[Avalancher]

I might have to take back some of my previous comments. Heard a rumor the GM of KI got canned also. I assumed it was a KD specific move

 

[CoasterBroCam]

I might have to take back some of my previous comments. Heard a rumor the GM of KI got canned also. I assumed it was a KD specific move

Damn, it just keeps getting worse and worse. At this point, I'll be commenting "This company is ruining everything" every single day!

 

[Tacky3663]

I might have to take back some of my previous comments. Heard a rumor the GM of KI got canned also. I assumed it was a KD specific move

I unfortunately have to confirm these rumors. Seems indeed Chad was fired a few days ago. Which absolutely blows.

 

[Aidansn07]

Not KD specific but carowinds hasn’t had a park president in what’s going on 2 years.

 

[Tacky3663]

Not KD specific but carowinds hasn’t had a park president in what’s going on 2 years.

I wonder if they’re moving to a more regional manager type of thing. Where one person oversees multiple parks (terrible idea btw)

 

[RollyCoaster]

More of a personal experience on having a regional run multiple parks in place of a GM at each park.

Has anybody else ran a business where you did so much work with little support of your regional manager? Not that I needed it, because we were very successful, but just knowing they won’t be around as long as everybody just does the bare minimum.

The company I’m referring to has a very similar build to what I’m expecting SIX to look like in the coming years. My location was great, but another location 3 hours away was falling apart and nobody seemed to care.

Point is, sometimes it’s these GM’s that turn something bad into something great, or maintain greatness. The issue with having a regional run several sites is that it’s very easy for things to get lost. Or if a bad regional takes over, things can tank quick if the team they are overseeing has little self motivation. My regional straight sucked and I had to make business decisions that I had no business in making, but did so for the betterment of guest experience and employee morale.

I hope they are really thinking hard about this. It takes a person that understands the market they operate in and a person passionate about excelling and providing an excellent guest experience for all to thrive. The pressure from corporate and the “fun” of the job is surely going to slip.

Maybe I’ll be proven wrong. But a regional theme park manager with no park president to report to sound horrible. These aren’t small parks. They are simply just too large!

Think of guys like Jeffrey Siebert. That whole park is a passion project. Does he get the boot too?

 

[Tacky3663]

More of a personal experience on having a regional run multiple parks in place of a GM at each park.

Has anybody else ran a business where you did so much work with little support of your regional manager? Not that I needed it, because we were very successful, but just knowing they won’t be around as long as everybody just does the bare minimum.

The company I’m referring to has a very similar build to what I’m expecting SIX to look like in the coming years. My location was great, but another location 3 hours away was falling apart and nobody seemed to care.

Point is, sometimes it’s these GM’s that turn something bad into something great, or maintain greatness. The issue with having a regional run several sites is that it’s very easy for things to get lost. Or if a bad regional takes over, things can tank quick if the team they are overseeing has little self motivation. My regional straight sucked and I had to make business decisions that I had no business in making, but did so for the betterment of guest experience and employee morale.

I hope they are really thinking hard about this. It takes a person that understands the market they operate in and a person passionate about excelling and providing an excellent guest experience for all to thrive. The pressure from corporate and the “fun” of the job is surely going to slip.

Maybe I’ll be proven wrong. But a regional theme park manager with no park president to report to sound horrible. These aren’t small parks. They are simply just too large!

Think of guys like Jeffrey Siebert. That whole park is a passion project. Does he get the boot too?

Please don’t say that….Siebert is a legend

 

[Fiender]

I've seen mention that Siebert is now the regional manager of SFFT, SFOT, Frontier City, and the Schlitterbahns.

 

[Unagi]

I've seen mention that Siebert is now the regional manager of SFFT, SFOT, Frontier City, and the Schlitterbahns.

Can confirm per my industry sources. Also heard there will be 6 regional managers throughout the chain. Six Flags is done with the individual park GMs and Presidents.

 

[Tacky3663]

Can confirm per my industry sources. Also heard there will be 6 regional managers throughout the chain. Six Flags is done with the individual park GMs and Presidents.

Think Tony Clark now does Great America, Cedar Point, Kings Island & I think 1 more

 

[CoasterAuditor]

Ugh it sounds like an excuse to pay the “GM” or the direct report to the “regional managers” a lot less than that what they paid them before.

“Synergy!”

 

[Fiender]

Think Tony Clark now does Great America, Cedar Point, Kings Island & I think 1 more

He's just PR though, right? And I would assume Valleyfair is the other one, and this might suggest which parks will be grouped together

 

[Zachary]

Other people may know what other regions there are and which parks are in them, but I know East Region is Carowinds, Dorney, Kings Dominion, Six Flags America, and Six Flags Over Georgia.

 

[warfelg]

Other people may know what other regions there are and which parks are in them, but I know East Region is Carowinds, Dorney, Kings Dominion, Six Flags America, and Six Flags Over Georgia.

Not for long!

But looks to be set up as flagship (Caro), two mids, and one “starter” (for lack of better terms) park.

 

[SweetBabyJames]

More of a personal experience on having a regional run multiple parks in place of a GM at each park.

Has anybody else ran a business where you did so much work with little support of your regional manager? Not that I needed it, because we were very successful, but just knowing they won’t be around as long as everybody just does the bare minimum.

The company I’m referring to has a very similar build to what I’m expecting SIX to look like in the coming years. My location was great, but another location 3 hours away was falling apart and nobody seemed to care.

Point is, sometimes it’s these GM’s that turn something bad into something great, or maintain greatness. The issue with having a regional run several sites is that it’s very easy for things to get lost. Or if a bad regional takes over, things can tank quick if the team they are overseeing has little self motivation. My regional straight sucked and I had to make business decisions that I had no business in making, but did so for the betterment of guest experience and employee morale.

I hope they are really thinking hard about this. It takes a person that understands the market they operate in and a person passionate about excelling and providing an excellent guest experience for all to thrive. The pressure from corporate and the “fun” of the job is surely going to slip.

Maybe I’ll be proven wrong. But a regional theme park manager with no park president to report to sound horrible. These aren’t small parks. They are simply just too large!

Think of guys like Jeffrey Siebert. That whole park is a passion project. Does he get the boot too?

I feel like this model is just going to become a corporate clusterf-u-know what.

I agree with what you are saying... it's a lot of pressure to place on park GM's with little pay to back up the work. Also where does this leave other park directors such as director of entertainment, F&B, Operations etc. ? Surely they would not be let go as they play a crucial operational role.

I just want to reiterate I am really sad that park presidents are no more. They bring the heart and soul to the parks; Jeffery Seibert is a prime example. When I was working fulltime at The Great Escape, the park president, Rebecca Wood, was such a phenomenal cheerleader for each department and fulltime team member. She also was able to encourage and bring her enthusiasm on a personal level! For the last several years of her tenure, she has been a fundamental player in turning the Great Escape from a mediocre park into a much better facility with a stronger focus on detail and family friendliness. With her support, we were able to do our jobs well knowing she was right in the trenches with us. A regional director may have the experience but would not be able to be right in the trenches with his team. Thus, that key support will be lacking and would need to be picked up big time by the new GM.

I hope the good team cultures that the parks currently have can somehow be retained with this change. However, imagine with me for a moment, each park as a cruise ship and there is one captain controlling 3 ships with a remote control from some office inland and nowhere near the action. That does not bode well with me.

...Just my thoughts on the matter.