Tony Johnson Named New VP and General Manager

Register or Login to Hide This Ad for Free!
pickles

pickles

Aug 18, 2015
61
159
90
Spotsylvania, VA
Don’t know if this needs a new thread, but here:
http://www.richmond.com/business/local/kings-dominion-names-veteran-park-operator-as-its-new-general/article_31598e9a-675c-5da5-b4cd-336f3be8e041.html
I can’t believe Gary is getting replaced already, hopefully he’ll still work for the park.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jornor, Thomas, MAZ and 2 others
Goddamn, that was a quick run for Chadwick. According to the article, Chad has left the company entirely. Crazy how both BGW and KD gained and lost their short-lived leaders at around the same time- and how both of them left their respective companies.

Now that he is gone, I have to say I was not a tremendous fan of Chadwick's leadership. I'll explain more when I have time later, but in a nutshell I felt like the park's quality stalled a bit under Chadwick's control.

That Tony Johnson has been at the park since its founding gives me a lot of hope that he, like Pat Jones, understands the park's character and storied history. He worked at the park the day it opened, and from some quick research I found that he had a hand in the park's 40th anniversary celebration. What surprises me is that Johnson is coming from a VP position in Cedar Fair corporate. I don't think I've ever seen a corporate executive move to regional leadership before, but I certainly wish Johnson the best!
 
  • Like
Reactions: jornor, Hokie305, Zimmy and 7 others
I think that Gary and David ran off together to continue their illicit, homosexual, extramarital love affair.

lets_go_spread_the_yaoi_jr_by_chaoticpuppetmaster-d7qbgy6.gif
 
madmax said:
All I need to do is point to the Planet Snoopy debacle to show the failure of the Chadwick regime.
Click to expand...

Are you seriously suggesting that the project that was announced two months after Chadwick arrived was his "fault"?

I did not agree with all of Chad's leadership decisions, but he was an incredibly kind and personable man. He clearly had an enormous passion for the park and its guests and I will certainly miss that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jornor, horsesboy, Luke and 1 other person
Joe said:
madmax said:
All I need to do is point to the Planet Snoopy debacle to show the failure of the Chadwick regime.
Click to expand...

Are you seriously suggesting that the project that was announced two months after Chadwick arrived was his "fault"?

I did not agree with all of Chad's leadership decisions, but he was an incredibly kind and personable man. He clearly had an enormous passion for the park and its guests and I will certainly miss that.
Click to expand...

I don’t hate the guy himself but the way they HANDLED the Snoopy thing wasn’t good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: horsesboy
RollyCoaster said:
You may not have loved the Planet Snoopy announcements, but that doesn't mean it did no good for the park. You mouth at Chad because he didn't add what you want? Do you actually know how much input is made from other people to make those choices? Did you ever meet him in person?

That's like getting timeout in Kindergarden and that be the only thing that anybody will ever remember you as - that bad kid in Kindergarden. Do you still go to Kings Dominion since there is plenty of things for you to do? Or did you just stop going because you didn't like something the park was adding. They didn't have to add anything at all, yet they did. Children are going to have memories to cherrish for a very long time with Planet Snoopy. That was us at one point, riding Scooby Doo with our parents. We may not like the additions today, but when we were kids there is no denying you begged the parents to take you to Kings Dominion to say hi to Yogi Bear, or Spongebob. And while you were at the park you probably got your parents to buy you 50 million things you never needed; likewise, Planet Snoopy does well for the park financially.

I can't believe some people have absolutely nothing better to do then talk out of their ass whenever an oppurtunity is given. I then remember that MadMax was dissapointed in Twisted Timbers because it wasn't the way he imagined/wanted. I am in disbelief.
Click to expand...

I loved Twisted Timbers from the beginning. The Planet Snoopy debacle was bad for sales. KD got very low attendance this past year.
 
madmax said:
I loved Twisted Timbers from the beginning. The Planet Snoopy debacle was bad for sales. KD got very low attendance this past year.
Click to expand...
Yeah, InvadR hit KD where it hurts, but remember that BGW's lineup for the little kids is very poor compared to KD's now. KD is winning the family market.
 
I don't know any facts myself but I do witness the June Weekday Tumbleweed Factor. It was quite empty at times but 2009 truly had me wondering if I'd see tumbleweeds blowing across the empty asphalt. Anyone who doubts I305 got people going back to the park are not aware just how empty the place was getting.

As to changes in management, is this a sign of turbulence and desperation, or just a difference of opinion or trying to find the right person for the job?
 
  • Like
Reactions: jornor and SLC Headache
If someone has actual evidence that expanding the family area somehow hurt attendance, I recommend creating a new thread for that discussion. Otherwise, I would request that we stick to the topic here, which is the new KD VP/GM.

Has anyone heard anything official about it? We haven't gotten a press release from the park, and it feels a bit sudden.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jornor, Mushroom and Zachary
You must log in or register to reply here.
Consider Donating to Hide This Ad