Snoopy

Okay I say this with great caution so as not to offend any lovers of Snoopy, but seriously this is 2017 and Snoopy has long since been "dead". He is not known by kids nowadays, and he is not on TV nowadays, except during the holidays. I think it is time for the children's section to get a new mascot, something more modern that they have heard of but that is not violent since most children's things today are violent-ish. I do not have a suggestion for what but Snoopy is old and kids that I know do not know what Snoopy is And when they see it they think it is boring. I do not know what the change should be for the mascot, but a change is due. And no offense because I grew up in the eighties when Snoopy was still semi alive but.

I'll be the first to bite.

The Peanuts is a great IP that actually just had a very successful movie come out in 2015. It's, for my money, the best comic strip movie (Garfield, Marmaduke, etc are awful) that's come out in the last decade or so.

The movie made $246 million worldwide (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=peanuts2015.htm) and is at 87% on Rotten Tomatoes (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_peanuts_movie/).

It's wholesome, clearly popular, and has a great cast of characters that kids can relate to today.

But sure, the kids you know that don't know what Snoopy or the Peanuts are is a great sample size and should reflect on whether or not Cedar Fair should continue with the Peanuts theme they continue to add to their parks.

If you think Snoopy is dead to kids, you either 1) don't have kids, 2) there is something wrong with your kids, or 3) you are raising your kids incorrectly.

or 4) you are a hip parent who likes spongebob.

There is nothing hip about SpongeBob, Linus is much hipper!

Ugh.

Clearly it's a successful endeavor or they would've dropped it. I see TONS of Snoopy/Peanuts merch being sold when I go to CP. Kids love meeting the dressed up characters, and you ended your rant with "but."

And yes sir, YOU HAVE OFFENDED ME. (Not really, but I do love me some Snoopy.)

It's quite the feat for CF to remain profitable, much less record profitably for the last 7 years, since they are so clueless about their partners and guest relations. I mean between a dead unknown beagle as a corporate mascot and offending every guest with money wasting security screening, it's some crazy dumb luck that the place manages to keep the lights on.

F1rePhant0m said:

Kids love meeting the dressed up characters, and

..being humped by snoopy.

wouldn't mind that so much myself.

Gawd, not this again...

I just want to say that I love PEANUTS and I wish they stay, but I'll play along. I don't see it happening, but there's always a possibility that Cedar Fair will go the way of Universal's and Disney's recent trend of building 'lands' related to hot properties.

Warner Bros owns the rights to DC, Harry Potter, and Lego's, currently the studio's three hottest properties. DC characters have multiple homes in the amusement park industry, including Six Flags in the states, so I don't think they'd be coming to Cedar Fair anytime soon. Harry Potter has exclusivity at Universal, and Lego's... well Legoland. Warner Bros lesser popular property, their MonsterVerse, also has a home at Universal. I can think of one Warner Bros property that carry's a lot of clout, but the movie franchise is basically done (until some studio hack one day approves a reboot), that does not have a home at any amusement/theme park, and that's Tolkien's Middle Earth movie-verse. I would LOVE to see a Middle Earth themed area at Cedar Point, but I don't think Cedar Fair will dish out the money necessary to make it happen. If it ever does become a reality, I think it would be at Universal Studios.

Walt Disney Studios: all Disney intellectual property will remain within the company at Disney Parks. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Universal Pictures: like Disney, I think Universal's IPs will remain within the company at Universal Parks.

20th Century Fox's current hot properties are Avatar, the X-Men, Ice Age, Kung Fu Panda, Alvin and The Chipmunks, Planet of the Apes, Night at the Museum, How to Train Your Dragon, and The Simpsons. Avatar has an exclusive home at Disney Parks, and The Simpsons are at Universal. All other properties are open to exclusivity in American parks, except for X-Men (I will get to this). Personally, I would like to see Ice Age and/or The Chipmunks added to Cedar Fair's properties (while keeping PEANUTS) and both would make great Children's areas. X-Men is a tricky one. Fox has movie exclusivity, but the property is owned by Marvel, which is owned by Disney. As far as theme parks go, I don't know where X-Men belong. They aren't part of Marvel Superhero Island at Universal, and as far as I know, Disney does not plan to include them in their Marvel themed areas. Maybe someone can enlighten us? Personally, I think a Deadpool themed ride would be hella awesome, but again, I don't think Cedar Fair would spend the money necessary to make it happen.

Sony Pictures' hottest current properties are Spider-Man, Ghostbusters, 21 Jump Street, 007, and Men in Black. Sony's current properties reveal the bad state Sony is in, when their star character was strong-armed (somewhat) back into Marvel's (hence Disney's) control. The other properties are all revivals from days long past. As far as theme park exclusivity, Spider-Man is at Universal, and possibly at Disney Parks in the future. No other Sony property would make a good amusement park ride/themed area, in my opinion.

Paramount Pictures: currently, their hottest properties are Transformers, Mission: Impossible, Madagascar, and TMNTs. They're also trying to expand on their Hasbro line and rumors are they're trying to bring their GI Joe franchise into their Transformer movie-verse. As far as theme parks, Transformers are at Universal, but I believe all other properties are open for Cedar Fair to consider, again hypothetically.

And finally, we come to the baby of them all, but a studio who's been showing more and more willingness to compete with the big dogs, Lionsgate. Currently, their hottest properties are Power Rangers, Hunger Games, John Wick, Saw, and the Divergent Series. Saw is currently the only property that has expanded into the theme park world, at Alton. Personally, I don't think any of the other Lionsgate properties have the clout to remain current long enough to become a theme park ride/themed area, except maybe Power Rangers.

Then we come to the properties that don't belong to any movie studios, as far as I know, but are making their way to the theme park industry, and that's Nintendo at Universal.

Can anyone think of any other hot properties?

Licensing rights are different that studio production rights.

Examples:

Disney owns Marvel Studios, but Universal has rights to Hulk and Sony has rights to Spider-Man; and Universal Studios has license to theme areas to Marvel characters.

Fox owns Avatar, but Disney has rights to theme areas of their parks.

Warner Brother owns DC and HP movie rights, but Six Flags has rights to DC themes and Universal has rights to Harry Potter themes.

If you read my post, you'd see that is exactly what I said. I was just categorizing them by movie studios for some organization.

DC characters have multiple homes in the amusement park industry, including Six Flags in the states... Harry Potter has exclusivity at Universal, and Lego's... well Legoland.

Avatar has an exclusive home at Disney Parks, and The Simpsons are at Universal.

As far as theme park exclusivity, Spider-Man is at Universal

Transformers are at Universal

FYI, Warner Bros doesn't just own DC's film rights, they own DC comics entirely.

I did read it. My point was that movie studio is irrelevant when it comes to licensing the characters for use in theme parks.

Right, and my point is I was just categorizing the properties by movie studios for organization. I understand that licensing rights for parks are different then production rights, hence why I broke it down each paragraph further into what is licensed at what park.

You missed the point of my post all together. I'm simply stating possible available properties that don't exist in any park yet, to go along with the topic's theme.

cpworshiper said:
but seriously this is 2017 and Snoopy has long since been "dead".

Absolutely! Bring back the Berenstain Bears!

He is not known by kids nowadays, and he is not on TV nowadays, except during the holidays.

Known by kids? Maybe not. Known by parents (who are footing the bill)? Yeah.

And he is not on TV nowadays, except when he is? Networks aren't airing Peanuts specials to fill empty air time, they're airing them because they're popular.

And kids (and adults) aren't lining up to have their pictures taken with the Peanuts characters for no reason. As noted, the recent Peanuts movie was successful.

^ That needs to be a Cedar Point shirt! I'd buy it!

Am I the only one here who does not like "lands" built around movie intellectual property? I can't think of one movie I like enough to be immersed in that stuff at an amusement park. One of the things I like about CP is that it is an amusement park, not some make believe land with a bunch of movie theming.