Great Escape Dropping Looney Tunes Themes

[GAcoaster]

In further interesting development with licensing, the Great Escape has not only dropped the Wiggles World theme, but also the Looney Tunes theme. Looney Tunes National Park is now Timber Town with generic theme rides.

 

I wonder if this is just a cost cutting move (since it's not officially a Six Flags property), or some kind of preparation for selling the park?

 

I wonder if other Looney Tunes themed area will be getting re-themed?

[RobertDavid]

I would just like to see the Character Cafe return to the Yum Yum Palace and Granny's back to Gingerbread Fancy.

[Up_Up_and_Away]

I agree with you, but this thread is about the Great Escape.

I would just like to see the Character Cafe return to the Yum Yum Palace and Granny's back to Gingerbread Fancy.

[scipiomask]

I agree with Screamscape's prediction that this is to ready the park for sale - there's no reason to retheme just one Looney Tunes area other than to make it easier for a liscense-less buyer - unless its for the park's heritage, which I doubt

[acq10uaz]

Why would Six Flags care about making it easier for the buyer though? I think since its not a Six Flags branded park, they thought it should be ran its own way, with its own characters and things...

[BuddyChrist]

I don't see them selling the park due to it's lucrative Hotel and indoor waterpark that can operate year round. Since The Great Escape is the only park in the chain not to expressly use the Six Flags name, it seems as though they are moving away from the corporate and licensed themes in favor of returning it to it's roots. Plus taking off one park from the licensing fees could make room for improvements around the change. Warner Brothers still has a stake in Six Flags itself with the loans they've given them after emerging from bankruptcy, I don't see a complete removal of the Looney Tunes from the park.

 

I'll also pre-empt talk of the Looney Tunes not being relevant anymore with how relevant are the Peanuts characters? Or even Scooby Doo these days? Just because they aren't as popular as they once were does not mean that a cartoon cleansing is coming to town. Six Flags and Warner are too intertwined at this point to try and separate them, and with GL opening in two different parks, I wouldn't worry about the Looney Tunes going anywhere in the near future.

[Up_Up_and_Away]

Update from Screamscape:

 

(12/28/10) I did a little digging and found out that the plain and simple reason the WB owned characters are all being removed from The Great Escape is that Six Flags doesn’t have a general blanket license to use them, but instead pays individual fees for every park who uses them. Obviously, The Great Escape is a very different park than the other larger Six Flags branded parks like SF New England or SF Great Adventure.

I would view this as more of a plus for The Great Escape in this case, as this little park has a charm of it’s own and really has no need for big corporate branded characters. People visit The Great Escape for The Great Escape... not for the Looney Tunes characters. So by not having to pay a huge license fee to WB, this money could be put to much better use improving the park itself.

 

It's a shame they ripped out a LOT of charming things to put these areas in...

[29yrswithaGApass]

This is a little off topic, but they should save some additional licensing money and change Bizarro back to Medusa or a new western theme.

[acq10uaz]

^Agreed, since most of us know that Bizarro was a last minute decision.

 

http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic...art=580#p978853

Of Note-- Screamscape reported that Six Flags removed all of the branding from Great Escape and intimidated that they were possibly prepping for a sale.

 

The most recent update from Screamscape squashes those sale rumors by mentioning that Six Flags doesn't have a blanket license for the Looney Tunes characters. I can tell you with absolutely certainty, that Six Flags is planning on selling Great Escape and Lance was either fed these rumors by a PR person or an overzealous fan.

Since statements without any proof are frowned upon here, I will share this.. I was told that the park is about to be actively shopped from an executive of the Corocan Group. I'm told that this sale is not a fire sale and that Six will market it privately and only sell it if the correct price is found.

 

Take it with a grain of salt, I believe it 100%... Makes perfect sense IMO.

[RobertDavid]

I wish they would get rid of ALL the branded characters. The parks were so much better before all that nonsense took over. Provide great rides, quality food and entertainment in a pleasant atmosphere. That would attract more people than licensed characters.

[warnerleroy]

get rid of the wiggles, thomas, tony hawk, poppa john, johnny rockets, etc

 

BUT KEEP THE LOONEY TUNES!!!!! They have become part of six flags culture, their not out of place, and looney tunes are one of the few things that arent over done. and most ppl are die hard looneu tunes fans...

[scipiomask]

^ I agree. The Looney Tunes sections are cool. But I think the Looney Tunes Character meet'n'greets should be INSIDE the kiddie areas, not on Main Street or in Golden Kingdom messing up the theme.

[acq10uaz]

Guys, were talking about TGE here, there is no chance of GAdv dropping the Looney Tunes...