Daved Thomson

With attendance surpassing 3 million visitors for the first time for the 1978 season and remaining above the 3 million mark for almost every season of the 1980's, I have to disagree about the merits of having so many roller coasters. Great Adventure had much more "balance" to it back then and resulted in the park drawing a higher and more balanced attendance (families in attendance together, crazy teens on their own, senior citizens who came for the safari and the shows). Despite recent efforts to appeal more to families (and I believe, improve the balance of attractions), GA and Six Flags, in general, appeal more to the polar ends of the demographic spectrum rather than the middle. While I have heard it said on here time and time again that Great Adventure changed "to keep up with the competition" and that theme parks began to focus "less on themes and more on thrills." If this is true, the revolving plethora of GA management made those choices from a very ill informed perspective. I can remember when Larry Cochran arrived as VP, General Manager in 1978 and how important he said it would be for theme parks to focus on and draw from the increasingly "aging" American family. The single largest demographic group in the U.S. (the baby boomers) would reach middle age in the 1990s and appealing to them would be vital to continually increasing attendance. Themeing would become "more important" to parks, not less important, because themeing is appeals to the adults/seniors and traditionally was what drew "families" to theme parks (the concept of being able to enjoy a park together as a family unit). Cochran demonstrated the increased importance of themeing to an increasingly successful Great Adventure when the Spanish section surrounding Rolling Thunder was added in 1979. A huge new attraction each season was "not" essential to increasing attendance over the prior season. While a simple flat ride (the Buccaneer) was added appropriately to what was then "Neptune's Kingdom" for the 1980 season, attendance that year surpassed that of both 1978 (Lightnin' Loops added) and 1979 (Rolling Thunder, Enterprise, Haunted Castle, Australian Section, and Pet-a-Pet). When the park added Roaring Rapids in 1981 (which, at the time, was the park's most costly investment in a new attraction), the park saw attendance decline below the 1980 level. Spending a great deal of money on a single attraction and expecting that attraction to increase attendance over the prior season's level is really naive. Growing a theme park requires good, cohesive themeing with a real concern for not just how many guests the new attraction may draw, but also the type of guest it will draw and how the new attraction will affect the balance of the parks attractions (i.e., the park's offerings overall). Again, all we have to do is look to Disney and Busch to understand and see the success that has come with good balance and well thought out planning. The Busch parks didn't come near Great Adventure's attendance in the late 1970's and 1980's but now regularly approach and/or surpass GA in terms of attendance. Both Busch parks have added roller coasters, but when they have added these rides, they were always added consistent with the themeing in the section of the park in which they would be introduced. And, clearly, Busch management balanced roller coasters with other theme consistent attractions. Without having seen recent demographics for GA's attendance, I am sure that the median guest age (as well as the median household income for guests) at the Busch parks are significantly higher than the median guest age and household income for GA. Simply put, because those parks offer a better balance of attractions, they do a much better job of attracting (the still very significant baby boomer) families (in attendance together) with money to spend, versus the likely younger (thus, likely to be less affluent) guest that visits GA.

My thoughts on this article in general... Things seem to be improving from a numbers standpoint largely thanks to the bankruptcy. Obviously one period of reporting following the bankruptcy hardly represents any kind of trend. I am, however, extremely disappointed that Mark Shapiro is leaving the company. Personally, while I am no fan of the flood of irrelevant advertising that now floods the park, corporate sponsorships of APPROPRIATE attractions should occur. What's appropriate, however, are company's/brands/products that fit naturally with the park's themeing. You don't fit the attraction to the advertising, you fit the advertising to the attraction in a non-intrusive, theme consistent manner. Follow the lead of Walt Disney Parks. The best thing Shapiro has brought to Six Flags is a clear knowledge and understanding that, from the outset, theme parks were developed as places where parents and children could enjoy the attractions together. Amusement parks, where parents sat on the bench while their kids went on the roller coaster with no rhyme or reason to the park layout (or the placement of attractions/restaurants/merchandise outlets), were the very reasons Walt developed Disneyland! Basic American demographics also tell you that the U.S. population continues to age significantly and these "older Americans" are the one's with money to spend. While I had hoped that Shapiro would have had a greater level of respect for a park's "overall theme" rather than individually themed attractions, the fact that Six Flags is far less of a teenage circus atmosphere today than it was a few years ago, is a very good thing. Most importantly, however, what Six Flags (and Great Adventure) really needs is a good ten year strategic plan (translate that to consistency). And I fear, with a new President/CEO (again), the company will continue on the road of inconsistent mediocrity. Just my two cents!

My sincerest condolences... While I have been single all my life and, if a mother's passing is anything like a wife's passing, know that there will probably not be another day in your life that at some point you do not think of her. My mother died a little over eleven years ago and I still think of her every day! And, while at first those thoughts may be sad, as time passes the memories of her will bring real happiness and strength to you, particularly when you need it most! Remember, there is a plan.

I would have to say... Antique Carousel The Big Wheel The Sky Ride

Either Larry B. Cochran, Allen Krantz, or Bob Kochane (not sure of the spelling of his last name). If I can have only one guess, it would have to be Cochran. Daved

I believe the Scrambler was called Hodge Podge (I think on the 1980 map). If it wasn't the Scrambler, it was the Music Express. Daved Thomson

I believe it's B, D, A (3,500 seats) and C (6,000 Seats). At least those were the original seating capacities.

Are you referring to what was called the "Hocus Pocus Gag and Magic Shop" that was located just to the right of the fountain (on the right as you would enter what is now Old Country) when the store was first built?

That would be False... But I have always thought it was so out of place in its location near the Big Wheel because it does look like the remnants of some theme park's train station.

And you can bet I am SO looking forward to it! You guys are great!

Okay, you got me on this one because I never even knew that water does actually get pumped to the top of the wheel... But now I've found some pictures with water coming out of the top... You learn something new every day!

When you say "operational," do you mean to tell me that the wheel actually turns? If it does, I have NEVER seen the wheel turn in the 35 years that park has been open. I can remember standing in line as a kid and getting close to it and thinking to myself "why did they put this in here and not have it actually functioning with the water?"

Okay... Is it the center pinning on the big wheel? It originally had the GA logotype on hit, then the SFGA Rainbow logo, then the Six Flags Theme Parks logo, and most recently the Six Flags 45th Anniversary logo on it.

Is it the Scrambler ride when it had NASA theme and was located near the Americana Music Hall?

QUOTE (JetsDevs4Lyf @ Feb 18 2009, 05:32 PM) 1988? If not 1987 or 1988, it would have had to have been 1986.

I worked there in 1985 and know there was not a fence on the fountain at that time... I'd have to say 1987.