musicman3204 said:
I've thought it through a lot, and feel like I've formed my best opinion off the rumored information. IF they were to move forward, I think it would be most beneficial to have both gates in the same entry plaza sharing the same parking/tram operations. The shared backstage areas helps too. I think it is most beneficial to have the gates sharing the same entry plaza so people are all in the same area seeing SPW and BGW. They're more enticed to visit both, or worst case, its free advertising for when the children get older and want the bigger thrills. Universal benefits tremendously from having the gates side by side and I personally feel like this is a trend the public is wanting.
I also agree with Zach on this one. In a worst case scenario, this is the safest financially. However, hearing this news I did a little poll at work and we have 60 people working in my office. So far, I've found that 2 in 3 people have heard of SP Pennsylvania. 1 in 3 have actually been either as a child, or have taken their children. Most have heard of BGW, but few have been. Most have or are starting their families. Those that have started their family, have heard of Sesame Place. I work and live in the DC Metro area. This is a huge gateway (I believe just over 6 million people) that I feel is quite the missed opportunity for the park. Most people I know make an annual day trip to KD, but can't bring themselves to do an overnight to Williamsburg. Heck, most people in my office had no idea that BGW has Water Country.
Being that most people in my office are fairly young, and have/are starting families, it would seem that the trip to Williamsburg is so much more enticing with the third gate. It, also, opens the opportunity for a resort hotel, if it proved financially viable. It does have two draw backs. SP Pennsylvania would lose all of these customers (unless they bought a multi-pass). Parking. IF they do nothing to beef up parking, I'd be pretty upset.
I could be wrong and a huge number of DC Metro residents go to BGW, but not in my office. I'm one of few who go regularly, even fewer have been in the last five years, and a significant portion have never been. Like I said, I could be totally wrong, but most people I know view this as a great idea IF they are going to have, or have young kids. Me personally, I'd enjoy the spur of the moment character meet & greet from time to time, but other than that, I'd walk right by it.
Plus, I have plenty of nieces and nephews that are going to be the perfect age come 2021, which is the year I believe the park is promised.
Based on friends and peers, DC is the "splitting" line.
From DC, it's a 2.5 hour drive to Williamsburg from DC. And in the reason alone is to visit parks and history, you got BGW, WCUSA, and Historic Williamsburg.
But 2.5 hours the other way, you got HP with the Boardwalk, Dutch Wonderland, Amish culture. Another hour east and you hit SPP, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Art Museum, 4 professional sports teams. I think for a family taking a week long trip with young kids, going the Lancaster/Philly area offers more than BGW.
If you go south from us in central VA, I think you can go quite far into NC, almost to SC, where if the families want to take a multi day trip that includes a park, that BGW is the area.
As someone that lived in NE, PA, and now VA...I can tell you there's certain area's you just didn't cross because of ease or knowing the traffic or just you feel there's better things that fit your families interest.
Like when I lived in CT, we never crossed south of NYC unless it was to visit family. Never went to Dorney, Sesame place, Six Flags NJ. Went to Lake Compounce (it was only 4 miles away), Six Flags NE, and about 3-4 other local small parks.
When we moved to PA, never went back to those NE parks. It was always HP, Dorney, Sesame Place (when I was a camp counselor), and Six Flags NJ.
Now down here it's all KD, BGW.
Personally I think a SPW won't hurt SPP at all, but rather it will keep that one a small regional kids park. SPW will push the SEAS Williamsburg parks into the multi-day destination.
There's not many examples of what they are proposing. The closest is SWO, DC, Aquatica trifecta. But DW and Uni overshadow it. It's not a huge multigate resort a la Disney's US parks, or Universal Orlando. It's the smaller regional version of that. I think it would push SEAS Williamsburg properties from Mid-Atlantic regional to North East Regional. Puts it in that Cedar Point territory.
Sorry that was long, but basically I think SEAS is thinking about how can we pull those people to a place where we have multiple gates and get them to stay longer, as opposed to a place where the gate is a single thing to do in a busy place where their stay might be shorter.
