What do you think were Cedar Point/Cedar Fair's worst investments?

The worst investment would have to be the one that has the worst ROI which was probably Geauga Lake. I'm assuming they lost a ton of money on that.

Cedar Points worst investment is probably STR. It has had quite a few problems. And the money that they are implied to lose because it flipped over is also there. The people that were already timid of coasters and over protective parents probably won't let there kids go to CP till they've forgotten about the accident.

Not surprised to see GL brought up multiple times...but it really wasn't a terrible investment it didn't end well but that had a lot to do with the timing of the purchase...the park had decent potential in time. The purchase of the paramount parks (their best move as a company) was the final nail in the coffin for GL... Go was a value at a cheap price for the company and in the Cedar Fair time never took any major losses in dollars... The park was poorly invested in by it's prior ownership and then CF didn't invest much a at all into the park...

As far as Cedar Points top three worst investments... 1. Disaster Transport in all forms. 2. Shoot the Rapids 3. SkyHawk

Top three... 1. Magnum 2. Gemini 3. Millennium Force

Six Flags lost their ass on GL. Cedar Fair actually going one hell of a deal.

The Paramount acquisition nearly bankrupted the company.

But it gave the company some of the best parks in the United States and Canada. Thankfully, it turned out to be a pretty good deal.

It went from really breaking the company to now being some of it's most successful parks...

We could also mention the failed Apollo privatization or Cedar Fair 4.6 million plus lawsuits from shareholders for nothing.

theleperfromwatts said:

The Paramount acquisition nearly bankrupted the company.

Only according to a CEO who was stuck in the last century.

Was it really the purchase or did it have to do with the banking industry and the changes that were made to lending paterns before/during/after the bailout. Until the banking industries problems it was okay to borrow as much money as you wanted. I am sure in the long run the Paramount Parks are going to pay for themselves 10 fold. Go big or go home!

To be considered an investment CF would have had to invest money in DA which they didn't. They probably payed for the bridge and the paths but that is it.

Yes, as far as the GL purchase, timing was everything. It is said that DK had buyer's remorse when they missed out on buying GL the first time, so when it became available again, he convinced the BOD to go after it. One of his great fears was that the Henninger's (Kennywood Entertainment Co.) would snatch it up. SF knew this which is why they got the premium price for the park. Remember, the value of the property is not just the what's there, it's the business itself, which at that time was tanking seriously. Yes there was potential there, but the Paramount acquisition diverted a lot of attention and resources (some say a lot of which was misguided) away from the rehab of GL. Undoing what SF did to the property would have been a lengthy, expensive proposition, one that we all know didn't end as we wanted.