Differences...

What is the difference between Six Flags and Cedar Point? Everyone says that Six Flags sucks! Is it really that bad? What makes Cedar Point better?

Everything!

Bite your tounge!

I've never visited a Six Flags park, but I know there are a select number of SF parks that are actually well ran. Bad business decisions and lack of attention to guest service is the main part of this debate. Operations is very poorly done at many of SF's major parks across the country as well.

CP is far from perfect, but it has a good history of being great at crowd control and getting people through the lines quickly. Majority of the employees are happy to be there and the park is kept clean and nice looking from opening to closing day. Operations has taken some dives here and there the past few years, but the park still manages to have every ride open every day and have coaster running all the trains. It is also very apparent that Cedar Fair is much more superior in management skills than SF's is, even with their new team in place.

The other aspect to this question is that next to Disney, CP has developed its own group of loyal fans. This makes some debates and question such as this very bias. Especially here, on a CP only forum.

Six flags installs many of the same rides and coasters at multiple parks like Deja vu, superman ultimate flight...

the loading and unloading takes a much longer time than CF parks.

When Kingda Ka opened up it had many problems and when the lines got very long, they became very discorganized

also the flash pass slows down the normal lines and create multiple problems

The parks have more problems and are also created as a branch of the company whereas CF makes each park run more individually

And, if I saw the coaster show describing KK's construction right, the companies they hire to assemble their rides are horrid. I believe it took them forever to realize and then correct the tophat being at least a foot off template at the top.

In a word: Leadership.

superglu101 said:
Six flags installs many of the same rides and coasters at multiple parks like Deja vu, superman ultimate flight...

See, I think quite differently. If a ride worked else where, why not put another half way across the country. The cost is dramatically lower due to the design already being set. For example, if CP built a great coaster in a few years and they decide to build one at Valleyfair because it worked so well. How many people would go to both parks and say, "Hey this ride was at Cedar Point, this sucks?" Thing is, not many people go to more than one park (other than those who travel to Florida for Disney).

And I get called a CP fanboy in other forums. I try my best from being non biased. :)

superglu101 said:
discorganized

So, if Smashing Pumpkins hadn't broken up, Six Flags would have been a top notch chain?

Wow, that's a stretch. ;)

I've been to Great Adventure twice and Six Flags over Georgia once. My biggest complaint is the parking, admission, and food prices (outrageous!), the 5+ hour wait times on their biggest attractions (which has to do with the slow load/unload times) and the fact that, at Great Adventure at least, over half of their coasters and major thrill rides are closed on any given day.

Every time I go it's really bad and I swear that I'll never go again, but then after about a year I forget just how bad it was and get talked into going back again. And then it's even worse.

I went to Six Flags St. Louis last night and it was ran pretty well. Of course, Cedar Fair is by far better, but it was making improvements. All of the rides were open and all of the trains were running in every single ride!

The only cons were that the food was expensive and it was a little dirty (not greatly though). I packed my lunch and ate with my friends in the parking lot, but I had to eat a small dinner which was chilly cheese fries with a soda, and it cost about $9! I took advantage of free water but everything was still expensive. One other thing is the cockroach consessions. I really think it is dumb. Why wait over an hour to eat a cockroach just to go on one freeline ride? Disgusting.

Go Cardinals!! (started a chant in the Freeze station :) )
*** Edited 10/22/2006 4:50:40 PM UTC by cpandbball5***

Me and my friends last night started a cardinals suck chant when the 1st inning was on the big screen and there were about 100 people doing it. It was funny until i got home to see we lost by I thin 6 but im not sure. Oh well start over tonight and win.

Each park has it's good and bad. I think the key to CP is the room all the midways have for large crowds. When I go to SF great america, I feel like I'm in line walking on the midway! You bump into everybody, and watch out for those basketballs! Then there is the matter of cost. tickets and parking are about the same (after you get the $20 off coupon!). But the food at GA is priced up to $2 more an item compared to CP. I also believe CP does a much better job with staffing.

I'm from Chicago and I would rather drive the 5 hours and goto CP then goto SFGA!

The difference is one is owned by Six Flags, Inc. while the other is owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment. ;)

Never been to a SF park. I have nothing to judge it by.

I have been a season pass holder for both Six Flags and Cedar Fair properties fro over 10 years now. There is one MAJOR difference, ATTITUDE!! The workers at Dorney Park and Cedar Point and Great!! Thay are friendly and courteous, they take care of the guest as well as the park.

The workers at Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags America (Washington DC) don't seem to care as much. I go to all four parks every year and Cedar Point is the best run park. I have not been to Guega Lake since Cedar Fair bought it, but when it was Worlds of Adventure is was a terrible place. It was dirty and they workers were rude, it was one of the worst parks I have ever been to.

As my name says I would rather drive 9 hours to CP then go to any other park.

I often wonder about what is said about Six Flags. I've never been to one of they parks so I have nothing to base off of, but a lot of stuff sounds like fanboy talk. I'll make a little comparison.

I work at an Italian banquet hall in Windsor. We are the Ciociaro Club. Along with us, there are two other clubs in the city. The Caboto Club and the Fogolar Furlan. Each of the three facilities has one purpose, to provide banquet halls for wedding, dinners, meetings, etc. While we each may offer different menus, or our halls don't look exactly the same, or one may have a bigger parking lot than the other, they are just variables. If someone wants to have a wedding, all three would be options.

Let's switch to the amusement park industry. Cedar Fair parks and Six Flags parks are all amusement parks. They are looking to do the same thing, make people come to their parks and spend money so they can make a profit. Some parks may offer more variety than others, but there are some which are very similar. If I want to have a fun time at an amusement park, both companies are options.

Often on this site people are so quick to say things like "ohh the ride ops there suck" or "don't bother, half the rides will be closed." If I go to a Six Flags fan site I sure I would see the exact things said about Cedar Point. So that brings me to the point, who is right? We love Cedar Point and defend it, while they love (insert Six Flags park name here) and will defend it. I was just in a staff meeting and we talked about how often times people say "we can't do that because Dominic (manager) said so." 85% of the time he didn't say that, but the person doesn't question it because the manager said so. I can say "don't go to (insert Six Flags park name here) because I hear they aren't that good."

Point of the story, I think we need to see things for ourself. Don't make a judgement on a park because you hear it's bad, make a judgement because you have experienced it for yourself.

Wha~~!

There's such thing as a Six Flags fan site? Wh-wh-why?

+as I further prove your point+

Six Flags has been improving lately, thier just not great. You know, not a single ride was closed when I was at Kentucky Kingdom.

On a side note, I went to Holiday World before Kentucky Kingdom, and fell in love with The Voyage. So on the lift hill of Twisted Twins I see this big billboard for "The Voyage, roller coaster!"

I wanted to cry. :)

I hate to bring back an old thread, but I just watched something funny. I'm watching a Discovery Channel special on the building of Tatsu at SFMM and they said "this project is especially difficult. Usually coasters are built on level parking lots but this one is being built on hilly terrain." That's the difference. Not to mention the 6 week delay in opening and one of the foundations being poured 18 inches too long, being in place of where the track is supposed to be.

*** Edited 11/7/2006 1:30:08 AM UTC by Vince982***

When was that special on? By the way, when is are they going to make a new "World's Largest Amusement Park?" I like the current one, but it's a little out dated? Wasn't filmed in 2001? They should have done one "Behind the building of Maverick" That Would have been so cool!! Here's one they should do, "World's Largest Amusement park during Nov-April." That would be really interesting.