I don’t typically rant, but I am pretty angry at Six Flags (and Cedar Fair, since it’s the same thing now).
I was already really upset after learning my home park, Six Flags America, will close Nov 2 this year. They announced the park closure on May 1, and at the time all the hours for the year had already been posted. They had all the hours for Fright Fest, and were advertising Fright Fest, and recently had the signage up in the park and the stuff on their website, and were asking people to audition to be scare actors.
Few days ago, FF is cancelled. They’re staying open only for “Kids Boo Fest,” which is basically some staff handing out candy to kids. They will close at 7 on Sat and 6 on Sun, so no nighttime rides. I’m aware they are having staff issues etc. I’m sure morale is pretty low at a park that’s about to close permanently. But, a lot of their help is seasonal anyway. A lot of people suspect they’ll just close unceremoniously after Labor Day with little notice.
Now, FF is one of my favorite things. And, I know they have these all over, but specifically, I loved a haunted house that was out in a bamboo forest. It was called Haunting of Hill Manor and was about Elinor (I think that was how it was spelled). Who, might have been real? Depending on whom you talk to. I really wanted one last spin through this haunted house. They changed it up every year.
If anyone knows of a similar thing, please tell me. People on the SF internets seem to think it was fairly unique. Someone on Reddit called it the GOAT of haunted houses.
There are also a lot of people going way out of their way to go say goodbye to SFA only to find most of the rides closed when they get there. Or, at least, Batwing, which is the one people are the most interested in. So far my family’s been able to do what we wanted, but, we’ve also done all the rides before.I really hope they can save The Wild One, but it’s a 100 yr old wooden coaster, and people seem to think it’s relocation is unlikely.
Anyway, there is more to this, b/c SF also just announced cancellations of at least 2 other Halloween events at other. parks, and several Holiday in the Park events which is the SF Christmas. All of these were advertised when people were buying season passes, and they have suddenly been taken away. So, entire months of a season pass useability gone, with no real compensation (oh, Btw, SFA passholders get one free ticket to FF at the NJ SF, which is about a 3 hr drive away so few will venture there for that).
I’m unhappy b/c we used to have HITP at SFA, but it was taken away a few years ago. I understood that—park was often pretty empty when we went, although we were sad, it made sense. So I was looking fwd to going to HITP at one of the close SF or CP properties, since I’d have to venture out there anyway to get any park once SFA closes.
Nope; They just canceled HITP in the NJ SF. And they had previously cancelled the Winterfest at Kings Dominion, which is 2 hrs away from us and will become our home park. And, also they took away the Georgia HITP, which I could have gone to b/c I have family there.
If the entire company suddenly folds I’ll be feeling silly to be feeling so betrayed right now. I know they’re a hideous amount of money in debt. But they knew that when they started advertising these events and sold season passes all that same time.
And yes, I know about the All Parks Pass. I even purchased it this year because we went to Cedar Point. I’m glad I didn’t renew our SFA passes. I bought Kings Dominion ones when we went there over spring break, then added the all parks to go to CP. And we’ve been to SFA too b/c we have the all parks. I’m doing all this b/c my kids love coasters. I can’t even ride the coasters. I am that mom who waits with the bag with all the waters and the other stuff in it, trying to get a video of her kids on the ride, even though you can’t tell which people they are (is that his hair? His blue shirt?).
I’m well aware that SFA wasn’t a good park. But it was my park, and we have more than 10 yrs of watching our kids grow up riding those specific rides. It was 15 min drive from our old house and 30 min from our new one. I’m really hoping a few of the rides survive. People on the internets seem to think they won’t, b/c they are old. I get it.
Thanks for listening to my rant. I am planning to renew the Kings Dominion passes with the special where you get the all parks pass for free, which is if you buy or renew before, I think, Labor Day. I’m sure I left out info I intended here. I’m exhausted from kids’ summer activities and other family stuff.
