Past data, while interesting, does not seem predictive given the change in ownership. Six Flags had a reputation for mishandling parks, but Great Adventure is under new management.
Attraction Skyride
- Thread starter Gavin
- Start date
The park has had a string of new owners who repeated the mistakes of their predecessors for 18 years such as removing rides faster than the replacement rate. The 2024 season mirrors Redzone's first season in 2005, and not in a good way. The pattern has already started to repeat with CF as their first year was a mess just like it was with Redzone and their successors. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
Every ride that has been Purged was in some way unhealthy. To continue with them would have been more unhealthy. GA did have a "perfect storm" but it's not like it would have made sense to start removing any of them 5 years ago to avoid the situation. There are indications that they do have big plans for GA and some other top tier parks. Furthermore the parks not getting removals (so far) are the bottom tier parks.
As to "kiddie rides", I expect there will be addition(s) aimed at what they perceive to be the same audience as the Skyway, probably lacking some of its long term and adult appeal, but not just a little cheap thing either.
Generally I agree with your post but this isn't exactly true. I'd consider (Six Flags) Great America not a bottom tier park and they haven't announced any closures this or last year. Magic Mountain also hasn't announced any closures yet (rumors are floating but nothing concrete yet). I think there's a large amount of higher tier parks that haven't had any closures thus far.
To be fair, Premier put too many rides in without upping the budgets for maintenance and operations. When things aren’t maintained they tend to have issues and short lives. The management teams since have had to figure out the best course forward after the previous poor decisions they were saddled with.
Great Adventure’s problems for most of its existence have been inconsistency with each successive owner/management team having different priorities that often contradicted the one they followed. What the park has always needed is stability and a consistent plan for maintenance and growth.
Exactly. It’s insane to me that there are people who think they’re just indiscriminately removing rides. We’re finally seeing responsible management at Great Adventure after years of short sighted moves.
Removing rides is not bad management; having more rides than you can effectively manage is bad management. The replacement rate doesn’t matter when they already have more than they can handle at the park. Baffling that some people can’t wrap their heads around that
Removing rides is not bad management; having more rides than you can effectively manage is bad management. The replacement rate doesn’t matter when they already have more than they can handle at the park. Baffling that some people can’t wrap their heads around that
I can’t recall if I’ve said it on these forums before, but every removal at Great Adventure this offseason can be pretty easily explained.
Kingda Ka was an aging hydraulic money sink and wasn’t drawing in nearly the crowds it used to prior to the rumors, and Zumanjaro goes where Ka goes. Green Lantern has always made sense as the next coaster to go, it was polarizing, relocated, and nearly 30 years old. Cyborg was constantly closed and was one of two installations, the other being removed a few years ago. Parachuter’s Perch was a pre merger silent closure. Twister’s removal has been rumored for nearly half the time it’s been at the park. DDD likely cost more to staff than it made most days.
The Skyride is the one removal that can truly have any blame placed, and that blame should fall ENTIRELY on the park’s less than subpar maintenance over the past few years, not the new management.
Most of the various management regimes were pretty half ass and ended up compounding the problems caused by their predecessors instead of solving them. The first thing the last several regimes did when they first took over was to remove rides. We both saw how Redzone was promised to be the second coming for Six Flags and it sadly didn't pan out anywhere near close to that and I see this being repeated with the CF merger. Its hard to grow something when you keep cutting it back excessively.
Its a good thing the refurbishments for the flume and big wheel were initiated under Bassoul as Zimmerman would have likely just ripped both of them out too. This isn't a defense for Bassoul just to be clear, just good timing for those two rides.
They were all trying to make a profit using their vision. None particularly cared beyond pumping out more money.
Hersheypark is removing their Skyride this season too, appears they are going extinct.
It's probably insurance liability coupled with the challenges of evacuation one when there is a problem.
I’m sure they have valid reasons, but the removals make me pretty sad.
To anyone that reached out about to the company with their feedback, I'm curious if you heard back anything at all?
I don't think there was anything we could do in this situation, but I'm curious how much our voice was heard and if we would stand a chance against anything similar happening in the future.
I never even got any kind of confirmation regarding my letter.
I don't think there was anything we could do in this situation, but I'm curious how much our voice was heard and if we would stand a chance against anything similar happening in the future.
I never even got any kind of confirmation regarding my letter.
I'm sorry you never got a reasonable reply. Perhaps things were still up in the air when they received it. I know there were a lot of people talking about the ride as local radio stations picked up on it. The park has to know people loved the ride.
Regardless, it will be missed. It's definitely sad seeing the ride's supports without the wheels on top and slowly being shrunk down.
The nasty ole ugly Skyway station in Fantasy Forrest has been replaced with a beautiful gravel yard. Kidding aside, they did plant a few saplings which indicates that likely nothing will be placed in the former station lot in the near future. However, they left a dilapidated utility shed that is not well hidden from view by a fence. The Fort station is half gutted as of opening weekend. Surprised they have a skid loader up in it.
The shed likely houses the electrical utilities that used to power the Skyride. My guess is that it may require special permits to refurbish if it houses high voltage leads and mains. The roof is sagging so it likely needs new decking besides shingles, maybe even frame repair. The fascia is really rotted too.
I thought they going to leave the sky ride area a empty ride lot like they did with the teepee but I guess not (missed opportunity to move the gardens that was removed for flash to there)
