Busch Gardens + Cedar Fair = WOW!

Last week we visited Busch Gardens in Virginia and I was amazed at the attention to detail, extreme theming, and overall quality of the park.

Today, the company (A-B) accepted a takeover bid (from InBev), and the buyers aren't that interested in the theme park portion of the business. It is rumored that they might just sell off that piece after the merge is complete.

My question is this, given Cedar Fair's debt - do you think would they consider bringing on the Virginia and Tampa parks?

It would be a match made in heaven as Cedar Fair desperately needs the theme talent and exposure to the Florida market making them a threat to Disney and Universal on both coasts. There would be overlap with competition between Kings Dominion just like in Ohio (CP & GL) - but that's another topic.

What do you think?

Seriously doubt it. Kinzel said in an interview earlier this year that there are no current plans for expansion.

http://pointbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/22815.aspx

Yes, but this would be a small purchase - and it evolved very quickly. In any case, the anti-trust and paperwork would most likely put it into next year.

Given the current high debt load and the need to concentrate on integrating the Paramount parks, it would be beyond foolish for CF to take on the AB parks, which would include Sea World. Universal (doubt they have the money or desire to take on the debt), Six Flags, and even Disney (as a site grab and also to lock out competition) might be suitors, if it comes to that.

I doubt that Cedar Fair would have any interest in the SeaWorld property. That is why I specifically pointed out the Virgina and Tampa locations.

Disney wanted to put a park in Virginia some time ago with a historical theme but I think they were looking for something closer to Washington DC.

The Florida location would be a year-round destination that would certainly make a yearly Cedar Fair pass much more valuable to midwesterners.

Dear Mr Kinzel,

Please do not purchase more parks at this time.

Thanks

xoxoxoxox

Ben

I think it is more likely that Disney would buy the Busch parks than Cedar Fair. Actually, Universal may give it some thought too.

Please to God if anybody buys these parks let it be Universal.

Busch Gardens + Cedar Fair = BLOW!

Please don't buy anymore parks, kthxbye!

~Rob

I would rather see Cedar Fair save their money and put new rides at Cedar Point!!!!

If anybody's going to buy the parks, it's going to be some previously unknown (or little known) player like Parques Reuinidos before the Kenny deal.

Disney -- doesn't wish to dilute its brand name
Universal -- NBC doesn't want to get into the park business more than it already is
Cedar Fair -- overextended up to its corporate gonads
Six Flags -- doing its best imitation of a brontosaurus gazing up at incoming asteroid

No other American player has the clout or financial muscle to pull off this kind of a purchase. Anyone who does will be coming out of left field.

Alternately, the parks might sell individually. I think that might have ugly results, but it could happen.

First of all, I haven't seen any credible indication that anything will happen with regards to the Busch theme parks.

Furthermore, I wouldn't trust Cedar Fair to run the Busch parks, and we don't have to worry about it because they're over-leveraged as it is. They can't afford it, and they sure as hell don't have the expertise.

Not a chance. If they hadn't already overpaid for the Paramount parksand left themselves teetering on the brink of financial disaster,then maybe they'd go after the Virginia or Tampa properties, but Idoubt they'd ever have been interested in the Sea World parks.

Honestly, I haven't grown any less worried about CF's future over thepast several months. I think they have not only a much biggerfinancial problem than they are leading their shareholders to believe,but also, they've got a big human resource problem caused by the guyat the top who won't empower anyone in the company to do anything.

How would CF buy Universal and keep the characters? If CP bought theparks I could see it going down hill in terms of themeing because CPwouldn't be able to afford to keep the same hot current characters thatare popular with children.

There are no way platinum passes would be the same price.

Mr. Kinzel said earlier this year no expansions. But....this is totallyout of ordinary news. No one seen this coming, and this new opporunityposes a big opportunity to CF to step up and expand, or continue to payoff its current debt. I could see them eliminating Kings Dominion.

This news isn't completely out of no where. There have been talks of the buyout for a couple of months now. I know some people that made quite a bit of money from this deal. I visited Busch Gardens in Tampa earlier this year and it was a beautiful park. I hope things remain unchanged through the takeover.

MDOmnis said:
...left themselves teetering on the brink of financial disaster... Honestly, I haven't grown any less worried about CF's future over thepast several months.

Based on what? You keep poo-pooing the company's financial condition, and I don't see why. I'll be the first to stand up and say they do a lot of things poorly and have made some stupid decisions, but I've yet to see anything that screams they're screwed. Just because you or I don't like the way they run things doesn't mean there's impending doom.

Cedar Fair is doing fine financially. They aren't overextended. They have some good lawyers somewhere in the chain because they do some really interesting and smart borrowing schemes that keep them fairly healthy in spite of taking on more debt. They can afford to buy the Busch parks if the price is right.

Cedar Fair cannot afford to buy BEC, in whole. It would be tough for any group in the US to afford them. We are talking about 4 major parks (BGW, BGT, SWO, & SWSD) plus a handful of other smaller money makers.

If the price is right, it wouldn't matter that they're taking on more debt.

Do you guys even understand how debt works?