News: CEDAR FAIR, L.P. TO ACQUIRE PARAMOUNT PARKS

I am quite happy with the purchase. I wasn't so sure about it at first, but now that I know that we don't have to worry about Tomb Raider: the Ride becoming Dominator the Ride or anything like that for a while. I hope that the parks decide to do a cross park season pass acceptance, because I wanna go to King's Island, Damn I can't even abbr. it anymore. King's Island, King's Dominion and Canada's Wonderland better keep their names but I don't really like the name Carowinds, they could think of something better of add Cedar Fair's to the beginning, same with Great America, when I hear that I think of Six Flags. I think that this is a great plan along with whatever is up CF's sleeves.

I really would hate to see Spongbob brought to CP mainly because I hate Spongebob. But I think it would be a decent idea because it draws more people to those areas. I'm pretty sure CF pays a hefty amount to keep the PEANUTS and I'm pretty sure it would cost a hefty amount to keep NICKALODEON. I think both are good and I like my snoopies but I still don't mind.

I've seen it too many times already not to say something. It is Nickelodeon. ;)

Nickelodeon can come to the point as long as they bring Ren and Stimpy with them.

Yes, I love Ren and Stimpy. But what about Invader Zim? That was my all time favorite Nickelodeon show EVER. Although I doubt it because both shows have been canceled for some time now. Although you can still catch them both on the Nicktoons Channel.

I think the corporate headquarters would sit very nicely right where the mystery track resides next to Breakers Express. The convenient location of the hotel is ideal for management in town for corporate meetings. Oh yea, not to mention it would free up just a little bit more room for future expansion at Cedar Point. I agree with Jeff I don't think they are going anwhere with 3 of the parks in Ohio. The threat of a move sure is a good negotiating tool with the city of Sandusky though :)

A few more things.

Will they retain the chain restaurants(skyline,graters..etc)?

Will winterfest continue?

What will become of king cobra that is in storage at the park? I can think of a park in michigan that could use it.

What will happen to son of beast? Remember herculies(sp), they demolished it because it did not meet the cedar fair standards.

Coke or pepsi?

What will happen to the paramount walkthrue next to the eifel tower?

I am sure it is too early to answer some of these questions, but I was just wondering what you guys thought of this?

Pete said:

Chris Mills said:
When they say the 1.2 billion dollar transfer is in cash, do they mean actual cash bills or is it something like stock or a big check? Sorry if this sounds stupid, I am just clueless.

It's rolls of quarters. You will be amazed how many trucks it will take to deliver the load.

Ah. That explains the cotton candy pricing. They have to get all those quarters somewhere!

(the rest come from the arcade)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

If corporate moved, what does the city really lose besides the income tax of a half-dozen executives?

And the mainland next to Breakers Express is not a good place for anything other than a hotel. They're not going to waste customer-accessible land on an office.

Jeff, Isn't their current corporate office 'customer-accessable'?

They're essentially split between two small buildings in the middle of the park. I doubt the square footage adds up to more than a couple thousand feet at most. They're packed in there. That makes a lot more sense than putting them where, logically, they could build another Breaker Express and reap huge profits on that land.

That's true, especially since "Cedar Point is not running out of space." :-P

There has been talk for years that they would build a facility off-Point that would accommodate some of the non-operational departments such as Purchasing, HR, Planning, etc. This might be the time to move forward with that idea taking into account room for the corporate growth that is undoubtedly going to occur.

The plot of land where the A-frames and Condos are might be a place to look at. If they build a garage on the first floor or two they could put corporate and departmental offices above and they would be in a pretty prime location on the bay that doesn't have room for any extensive guest-related uses.

I think the aquisition of these parks is great. I did read somewhere that CF plans to have season passes for all 12 of its parks next year.

CF came out with this news at opportune time didn't they? Maybe trying to give "bigger news" than all the speculation of "project 2007". ;) Kinda hush all the talk about that for awhile?

Pete said:

It's rolls of quarters. You will be amazed how many trucks it will take to deliver the load.

Well, if the average roll of quarters weighs 1/2 pound, and assuming that a dump truck can hold 30 tons.....that makes it about 1042 dump truck loads full of quarters. :)

For a corporate headquarters building...

There is a building in downtown Sandusky right on the waterfront...actually right next to a ferry dock...that appeared to be vacant the last time I went past it. Not a huge building, but I think it is larger than the current administration buildings, and it could certainly be renovated to make a nice corporate headquarters facility for Cedar Fair...... :)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Dave,

I belive that was the original fairy depot...or ticketing station. If they used the facility for HR I don't think they would want to be that far from the park.

There is also that older building in the employee parking lot across from the Commons (for the life of me I can't remember what it was called). That could be leveled in order to make room for a more modern office building. So long as Snoopy isn't holding up the roof I'm sure it can be done with class.

If John Taylor is still with P&D then let him design the corporate offices. That man oozes talent.

HR is actually in a different building on point. And I think HR is one of the departments that are managed by each park individually, with overlap to corporate of course. :)

I agree that if corporate is moved, Sandusky isn't losing much besides the prestige of corporate being in Sandusky. I really don't think Snoopy will be removed. As said throughout this forum, many generations know Snoopy. A very small generation of people know the numerous Nikalodean characters. Snoopy is a classick, Nikalodean is not. I don't think CF will remove Snoopy from any of its existing parks, and I wouldn't be surprised if Snoopy was worked into Paramount parks in the coming years.

Chief: I was referring, of course, to the Cedar Point building (I thought their name was still on it, in the masonry, but I don't see it in the photo) which was not merely the ticketing office for the ferry...I am pretty sure it also served for some years as the administrative offices for the park at least in the winter, if not year round. I had hoped somebody would pick up on that. :)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

If they plan on buying out all of the Paramount Parks, I wonder what they going to do with PCW...

*Been posting it around...*

I think this good news for PCW, that area across the road is perfect for a Hotel and a "Lighthouse Point" type area... or employee dorms...
I see them tearing out most of the roller coaster there already: Topgun, Skyrider, Wildebeast, Tomb Raider... reaplacing them with B&M's, Intamin's and better Woody's.
I could see a B&M hyper going behind the 'pond' along the entrance road, that'd be rally neat.

I think the water park could use a bit of updating... better slides, and more colour...

Right now PCW is a POS amusment park, but with CF in control, I think it can win me back and get me to spend my money there again.

*** Edited 5/24/2006 11:42:29 PM UTC by Screamomatic***