It's The End Of An Era! It's Merger Day! 

The biggest thing with this merger that I feel people are missing out on is that both companies currently have similar objectives and goals with the parks. Six Flags wants to make the parks better, Cedar Fair knows how to make the parks better. I feel a lot of the things we’ve gotten accustomed to with Cedar Fair won’t go away, more likely is that Six Flags starts adapting some of the changes like better food and merchandise. While mergers barely benefit the consumer, in this business the guest is everything. These companies do not offer a necessity therefore they can’t just make everything more expensive and worse and expect consumers to go along for the ride. I believe that both sides have smart people who understand what works and what doesn’t, and I feel this merger will in the long run be beneficial to the park experience.

It would make sense to add tegional pass packages. For example, all 4 California parks on one pass, for west coast people who realistically are only going to those parks.

Im going to say it again. I HOPE that the cedar fair parks adopt the six flags ADA system, so it will cut out the blatant abuse of the ADA passes at the cedar fair parks. Doctor, and a third party site handles it, and you get a card to present to the park staff to get your ADA pass.

Mr. Six has already returned in a TV spot for Fright Fest! So I feel like he will be incorporated some way in the future

I believe Six Flags prevents misuse of the regional pricing by requiring you to first visit your home park once before the pass can be used elsewhere. Certainly that was the policy when I bought my membership. I haven't followed the pricing for many years though because I'm grandfathered into a really good price.

Back when I used to play roller coaster tycoon 3 a lot, I always created a Reds themed rollercoaster named The Big Red Machine. It would be neat to have trains numbers be the retired players numbers from that team, like 5 , 14 , 24 , 10, 13.

I think the Looney Tunes are still kinda relevant, and they'll be even more so with MeTV Toons now being a thing. I do agree that the Looney Tunes aren't necessarily for kids, however, my park, Great America has had the characters since the start and are imbedded in the park

The issue for this new company is their debt load. With high interest rates and that amount of debt, capital investment will certainly slow down. This is a long term win, but it will be 3-5 years before major capital investments kick back in.

They were quick at Wonderland to address what the overall park needed. Upgraded food offerings and Behemoth land clearing in year 2 of Cedar Fair. Year 1 was a lot of general upkeep improvements.

Excited. I think the opportunity to improve both companies to compete is certainly there.

I live in st louis and as a kid love watching both looney toons and the peanuts gang

Hopefully this merger will benefit the existing Six Flags parks so that they can be on the same level as the former Cedar Fair properties!

I saw that kings island has gotten approval for a multi million dollar water coaster for soak city next year.

With the IP's, I've heard a few times that they're keeping all of them. Good chance we see some DC rides in Cedar Fair parks, as well as seeing Peanuts in some Six Flags parks.

I juat hope that it means the parks will stop cheaping out on everything. Start staffing everything up again, having things stocked, etc

I don’t think camp snoopy at kings island would not have been put up if they planed on changing the theme overall

The jury is still out. Since Cedar Fair leadership seems to be more of the leaders I have hope. I am excited about the possible All parks passport/platinum pass. I have traveled to Valleyfair, Cedar Point, Michigan's Adventure, Dorney Park, Kings Dominion, and Carowinds. I think it could be an easy weekend trip to Six Flags St. Louis, Chicago, and Atlanta. I have watched a few people ranking all 25 parks and I have noticed Kings Island and Cedar Point have finished 1, 2 in a lot of them. Since Cedar Fair came into the picture Kings ISland has been the second fiddle to Cedar Point. Do we stay second fiddle to Six Flags in NJ or Magic Mountain?

As always, I love your podcast. I can’t believe it’s merger day for two separate companies already, and I am interested in seeing what changes they’ll do in our parks within the next several years. For the budget cuts, I have to say that I kind of disagree with the fact that the merger had nothing to do with budget cuts. They kinda do, and I figured that it was a sign for the merger, and it sounds like a fact that when companies merge, budget cuts are involved, to save money on it when it closes. I could be wrong, though. As for the IPs, I can see DC Comics, as well as Mr. Six (possibly) making their way at KI, but for Looney Tunes, while I do agree that it isn’t entirely kid-friendly because of most older shorts having a bit of vulgar language, tons of violence, and Elmer Fudd himself holding a rifle (he doesn’t do that anymore from what I found out recently), some kids are into it. I have a baby cousin that actually watched the Space Jam sequel, and he really enjoyed it. Though, regardless, I could still see the Looney Tunes coming in the parks, joining alongside the Peanuts, only if they renew the license past 2025. As for Scooby-Doo, even though it’s no longer in the parks, but one park in Spain that Six Flags still kinda owns, that is very skeptical. Other than that, I believe that the first couple of Six Flags-related things coming in the non Six Flags parks will be associates calling the Cedar Fair parks Six Flags (that’s what we’re hearing right now). Others will be obtaining access to the Six Flags in the prestige and silver passes, as well as the park passports, and the likelihood of associates in the new Six Flags uniforms, but I could be wrong about that. I wonder if they’ll bring the cargo pants back for the employees if they ever do that. I’m guessing also an up-charge of haunted attractions for Haunt, likely next year. Just those first several things that we’ll see in the parks before anything else would come in, as Six Flags. I had already visited Kings Island (my home park) one last time this past weekend before the merger began to take over.

Yeah but if I am at the water park, I'm in the water. My stuff is on a chair. Most of the time, all 3 of us use 1 chair.

There should be an add on (other than the all season locker rental) for a daily use all day locker rental that you can buy before you get to park to make it cheaper. Or just increase the price of a daily ticket or season pass that comes with a locker

i do not even use a chair at soak city. i go in with my pass and a towel. that is it. pass has drink/food plan on it. i usually change and take my stuff back to the car and then enter with just the towel and pass.

Just finished, thats my biggest question, pretty much about the passes. As far as ride changes i am a bit worried but then again im not. Im sure the well known rides will not change they have no reason too.

If Action Zone became a DC area, Top Flight Bat becomes….Top Flight Bat Man. You’re welcome.

Idk whats actually more relevant. I think looney tunes is a better franchise but lots of people love peanuts, a mystery to me. But I always thought peanuts was boring even as a kid. There was the new space jam, idk how well it performed amongst the kids.. and i think there was a peanuts movie a couple years before that.. again i have no idea if blue sky is happy with that performance either. Also.. 👏 kudos on that CYA to tshirt promotion haha

I still remember when Paramount owned it. Was awesome then ❤

The vast majority of people do not travel so there is no massive need for an all parks pass but there is a niche market for it. I want a two park season pass so I can go to Worlds of Fun and Six Flags *Mid-America* St. Louis. If I lived in Indiana, I would want a three park pass for Six Flags Great America, Cedar Point, and Kings Island. If I lived on the East Coast, I'd want a 5 or 6 park pass. Yes, us coaster freaks and amusement park junkies would love to snag an all parks pass...especially those people who make money with social media content careers. Looney Tunes and Snoopy can mix together just fine. Looney Tunes can also still drift over into "family rides". I don't see any parks getting name changes. Under the names of Cedar Fair parks will be added "a Six Flags Entertainment Company" property....or just "Six Flags Entertainment Company" On the upside....Six Flags parks might get to develop their own personalities. If you've been to Worlds of Fun, Cedar Point, and Kings Island....you can tell they are siblings and you know they aren't triplets.

It’s here!!!

just what we need another monopoly in another industry.

With the merger it is a future where both companies will give guests a new redefined experience in the theme park industry. It’s gonna be a heart pounding, jaw dropping, ride for everyone. Six flags tech and rides with cedar fair unforgettable memories and customer service together to make an unstoppable force in the theme park world. I welcome this change with open arms and hands in the air for future filled with new experiences and opportunities that will be cherished for years to come.

You are very correct on the locker prices though. Ridiculous

Do you think the Six Flag guy be at the event?

Also, I'm not sure I beleive that the budget cuts had nothing to do with the merger. I've worked for a company that went through a merge, and cost cutting was put into place HARDCORE for about a year, 2 years prior to its announcement and happening. They like to fudge those numbers, cut way back on spending and make people do 10 things at once to make their margins seem way higher

As someone with a 10 year old and 3 year old, if you want a relevant kids area you gotta re theme it to Mr. Beast and Blippi