👟 Big ups to Vessi for keeping my feet dry! Check out vessi.com/eltororyan for 15% off your first order! Free shipping to CA, US, AUS, NZ, JP, TW, KR, SGP.
One thing they do need to improve on is operations. It's only going to be harder to sell a pricey experience that involves waiting 1+ hours for 30-60s of fun or a burger. If you can improve ops you'll sell a richer day to guests.
Agreed. I’ve worked in fast food before, now I must say not theme park fast food, but I put in a few years between Dairy Queen & McDonald’s. If there’s one thing I leaned it’s making a burger and fries with a long line isn’t that hard.
@@jricedrums batch cooking not overly difficult. At Corners Cafe at CGA it literally takes 15 minutes to get a burger even if the line is 0 people. They don't start cooking til you ask for one.
@@AmusementLabs Also not to mention you're waiting in the entrance line for nearly 2+ hours just to ride what, a 2 to 3 minute roller coaster ride (thank god I'm able to have the disability pass for once in my life).
Welcome to the world of fatherhood Ryan! Congratulations on your first child! Most videos I skip the commercials but I look forward to seeing how you segway into your Vessi spots!! I’m a fan of the merger. If it keeps the theme parks competitive and modern that is a win win! You did an excellent job of explaining why the merger is a good thing.
This is even better than the last one about the merger. You did forgot to mention symphonies, ballet, musicals, operas and rock concerts. I saw Metallica in Frankfurt and Gotterdammerung by Richard Wagner at the Vienna State Opera both in May 2009 and the only coaster I rode on that trip was a mountain coaster in Merano Italy; I think it's called Merano 2000. I haven't skied for a long time but I'm intimately familiar with Whistler and Blackcomb in the 80s and Whistler/Blackcomb in the 90s. I even skied the Whistler creek bunny hill cable tow in 1976 at the age of 6! I skied Whistler then Blackcomb in the 80's multiple times and started skiing on both mountains the same day like you can now in the 90's and naughts. The skiable terrain hasn't expanded much since the 90's, but I oughta somehow get back, but I've been busy doing something else, not including music 😉 (BTW I never ruled out learning how to snowboard). But this only goes to show how many other things there are that people are interested in that aren't about roller coasters. I oughta know. It's nice seeing my instincts about this reflected in your thoughts. Time will tell, but I'll let what I said last time keep riding: I think the merger is a positive thing overall. Again, nice seeing you w Brandon at Carowinds in April! That was a shock that matched my already bedraggled coaster ridden hair, matched w edibles. 😵💫 Since then I went on two separate coaster trips to King's Island and and California's Great America respectively from Surrey B.C. Canada. I can't ride a coaster again until Playland opens (which I only visited this year during the PNE fair without riding anything) and my next trip is probably gonna be my 1st trip to Holiday World. Thanks for posting, Cheers! Also congratulations for the new baby.
You’re a snowboarder too?! I love that I share so many hobbies in common with you lol. You also got me hooked on Vessi shoes, so I appreciate that too!
Great video! I really like how you outlined how this could help drive sales of all-park seasons passes. Even a lower priced regional multi park pass could help incentivize season pass holders to buy a multi park add-on and drive up attendance in neighbouring parks. I would love to see Darien Lake tap into the huge number of Canada's Wonderland seasons pass holders.
Interesting comparison with the ski resorts. As a Colorado resident, the way the system is set up discourages people greatly from single-day use and has forced a lot of people into making whichever pass they get a part of their personality. The other result is that the resorts are all packed because so many have access to several of them instead of just one or two. With more variety, the snow lovers can go every week and keep the resorts full compared to maybe a once a month trip to their favorite spot. The other aspect though is that during the winter, there are considerably less activities for people to do. The competition of ski resorts in the winter against other activities is less than the competition of amusement parks in the summer against water or mountain activities, outdoor sports, etc. All of that to say I'm really interested to see what this merger does to single day/park entry and passes and whether it starts to breed a different type of consumer, the way the ski resorts did once they became a conglomerate instead of separately owned.
2 take aways. 1: So exciting, congratulations on the new baby. We also added “Baby Dude” to the world a few days ago. 2: loved the deep dive on the Vail Epic Pass. I had no idea my home ski resorts were part of that chain. Keep up the great work and here’s to our babies growing fast and healthy so we can start working on their credit counts.
It's this video, and not the first one, that was actually depressing for me. In the United States, so many parks aren't transit-accessible, often located in the middle of nowhere, making many other entertainment options easier to get to. So the new Six Flags is making this move while most of their parks are *only* accessible by car, which I hope by now many people understand the negative externalities of such a car-centric world, including limiting how many people can get there in the first place.
As a fellow skier I love the compare/contrast of Vail Resorts! I’ve thought about that exact thing, I actually got an epic pass for the first time last year and I was like “it’s just like my six flags pass! I can go whenever I want and it’s ‘free!’”
I live in Northeast LA, so MM is much more accessible than Knott’s. I haven’t been to Knott’s in years. With the merger, I’m gonna schlepp my butt down to Buena Park on a regular basis FOR SURE. Also the greater LA area is more like 20mil people. And Knott’s is technically in Orange County, which adds another 5 or so. Doing a combined pass deal is going to be massive.
Interesting video. You skiing comparison is interesting, but I wish you could compare to other forms of entertainment. For example movie theaters especially the big chains (AMC, Regal, and Cinemark) have a history of antitrust and anticompetitive issues.
11:00 What if SDC can’t compete with the combined power of the new Six Flags? I don’t buy into this positive spin on consolidation of greater competition begets more profits for the industry writ large. Especially in light of the greater entertainment industry.
When I go to a theme park, I want a clean place and good food! I enjoy watching the rides in motion even if I hesitate to try them out! I used to love most rides including roller coasters when I was younger!
I love how he just dropped the news of El Toro Pequeño outta nowhere. Thanks for making drop by bowl of Flaming Hot Cheetos in lemon juice on my carpet! Jerk…😆😅
I am a husband and father of 3. I live 25 min away from one of the largest GA in the north east. This news doesn't change my opinion about purchasing a season pass at all because the parks are just to crowded. I'm not going to stand in line for a ride for 2 1/2 hrs. I will just drive 20 min further and visit the jersey shore or go to the Poconos for the day. Over crowding is a huge issue and It need to be addressed for the overall encounter for the patron.
"regular people" really need to get their priorities strait! I think there can be significant cost savings in terms of management, HR, and other overhead. I would hope that they put that savings back into keeping the parks not only healthy but growing! There is no way this merger could be considered a monopoly! Great video... you keep setting the bar higher and higher for yoursel!
9:41 Bazzi c: I for one am definitely hopeful for the merger; obviously if things aren't handled well it won't go too well, but I'm hopeful that that's not the case, and like you said, they've got the best opportunity to improve things with it
I'm very tempted to say that the general public wont really care or even notice😭 If you've been going to Dorney Park your whole life Or been going to great escape An existing park being added to the theme park chain (which they probably wont notice) isn't gonna make you stop going to Dorney park randomly Also youve gotta remember the large amoujt of people (GP) who dont know that theres another theme parks outside of their local six flags or cedar fair parks
Congrats on the baby!! I also, just had my 3rd child , Maverick(not after top gun 🙄damn GP😂). Taking your children to the parks as an enthusiast and watching them ride their first rides is a whole other special experience! Enjoy!!
I hope they have a regional pass for people who have parks close to each other. Using your example I can also see them consolidating parks.If you shut down Dorney (not saying they should) you could move their better rides to SFGA and then make that park top tier with the investments made to it.
Hi Ryan! I noticed that in one of your videos you were comparing use of electricity! I find that very interesting! Are you aware that they are selling the LOMI on the internet! I was wondering what you think about this gizmo because you are a smart engineer. Does it use a lot of electricity?
Id say Epic pass is a monopoly though, it stinks that all of these local resorts are being consolidated under ever larger and larger corperate structures. Its kinda like how walmart has destroyed all the local "main street" type buisnesses and now going to walmart is your only option.
The more time spent trying to justify this merger by folks in both organizations and theme park enthusiasts, the more the similarities to Vail and the ski industry rings true. It won’t happen overnight. But when the combined season pass equates to an epic pass, you will see the same effects.
Let me say up front I hope you're right, and this merger will only mean the best for the parks involved as well as the "specialty entertainment" industry as a whole. I still have some stubborn concerns that even through the perspective you hold still have some validity. While theme parks do compete with all "specialty entertainment" properties, from single focus (bowling, go kart, TopGolf, etc.) to other full theme parks from Disney, Universal, and the other smaller theme parks, the expected price point of the Six Flags and Cedar Point parks are more aligned with those of Disney and Universal, with the single focused attractions being targeted at a more lower-middle class and corporate retreat budget. As such, while these are the same industry overall, I see a significant division between the two categories. Considering that, the parks of this merger are admittedly more roller coaster focused with food and smaller entertainment feeling more like secondary thoughts, while its most direct competitors (Disney and Universal) focused on a balance of thrill rides, family rides, smaller show experiences, and food experiences more than any singular attraction style. If the New Six Flags intends to compete at their level, more investment will have to go into the family and show experiences to draw similar numbers of visitors to the others. (A small aside about the Disney park numbers, many of the Orlando parks get tickets sold in bundles for week long vacations, and I'm sure that practice helps to bolster the numbers at all the local Disney parks. Not to say that means the numbers are wrong, but it helps more of those parks get a higher yearly visitor rate than the New Six Flags can attain even after the merger.) Also consider that no matter how many more... I hate to use "casual" here, maybe "mainstream" is better... how many more mainstream visitors these parks get, they will always still be draws for the extreme ride enthusiasts, and investment into those types of rides is likely to drop off for at least a little while. Finally, I agree that this merger is unlikely to cause a true monopoly, but with this consolidation, it is more likely that an oligopoly will form amongst New Six Flags, Disney and Universal. If you're unfamiliar with the term, consider how internet service providers are arranged across the United States. While there are easily a dozen ISP's in the United States, they are very regionalized, and many users don't have more than one or two options. This has resulted in less push to update back end hardware, and end user connection speeds are measurably lower than many other first world countries per dollar spent. It is possible that such a situation might develop between the major three theme park companies, making it harder for the remaining companies to compete, and any others from coming in to bring new competition. Again, I hope that I'm proven wrong, but having seen similar behavior in so many other industries, and knowing the greed that so many "C-suite" corporate types have, I find it hard to feel optimistic. Either way, I do enjoy the content you make, and congrats on the Mini El Toro.
Isn't it obvious that this will inhibit dynamics like the decades-long competition that built up Cedar Point and Magic Mountain? With central focus upon paying down crazy amounts of debt rather than accumulating even more debt through further investments? If the public is more interested in debt payments rather than actual experiences, then it is a win for them. And they can just as easily stay home to watch it through their investment brochures- making the situation even worse. When a business chooses its investors (theory) over its customers (reality), it chooses closure.
I don’t understand people (including six flags) that think they either are competing with, or will compete with Disney and universal. Sure, there are a couple parks that are near Disney and universal, but the majority are not and will never have any effect on Disney and universal
What about when Cedar Fair bought the Paramount Parks? Some of them did not receive nearly as much love as they were used to from Paramount. I'm not saying I disagree with what you said, but are you sure they'll keep investing a whole lot?
Tbh i kinda didnt like how six flags owned so many parks to begin with. Im in the uk and the majority of our parks are owned by different companies. We ofc have the big three ( alton, Chessington & thorpe ) that are owned by merlin entertainments, but we have alot of parks that are owned by smaller companies with large investment opportunities. This means that our parks have so much more of a competitive aspect to them. Always trying to beat one another and be the best. Its what i wish alot of parks in the states did. I mean take busch gardens for example. Two huge parks, closely monitored and maintained, new additions and things. Why? Because the company has 2 theme parks which is easier to handle! No point in having 20 odd parks if u cant cope with them all!
The two Busch Gardens parks are owned/operated by Sea World Parks & Entertainment. They own 7 parks, which sounds small on the surface, though by revenue they’re a larger company than Cedar Fair & the old Six Flags were. The combined new Six Flags will now be larger than Sea World Parks & Entertainment
@jricedrums I didn't know that actually! Thanks for letting me know. I suppose it also comes down to how many they have in each country. Merlin own 4 theme parks and several other attractions in the UK but have several out in Europe. When you say seven parks, is that worldwide? Because if that's the case that's much easier to handle instead of 20 odd in one countrie if u know what I mean
@@Amusementnational A correction on my end. Sea World Parks & Entertainment own 8 parks, and yes 8 worldwide. I absolutely see what you’re saying about stretching themselves thin with too many properties. From the late 90s into the 2000s Premier Parks (Six Flags) expanded too fast and it got a little crazy with them owning more properties than they can handle. I looked up Merlin just now, and they own 21 theme parks worldwide on top of the other attractions they own. I’ve personally only been to one Merlin park and it was a fantastic experience! If they can handle 21 parks plus other attractions. I do agree some companies wouldn’t be able to handle that sort of volume, but I think the new Six Flags will be able to handle and manage all of their properties well.
@jricedrums ah thanks for telling me. Merlin parks in Europe are most likely better than the UK. At least from 2010-2020. They have management teams in each country I believe and the smaller amount they own the easier it is to control and maintain. If u look up Paultons Park and compare it to alton towers, u will be shocked how much better it is presented in comparison to towers. And by present, I mean the appearance and presentation of the park and how well kept it is. The ppl who own Paultons are very small in comparison to merlin but they have less property's meaning its easier for them. I hope six flags and cedar fair joining goes well but I just hope that six flags sells some of their smaller more neglected parks. Forgive me if I'm wrong, six flags America is a good one. ( I believe its the park that has firebird in it. The b&m floor less.) That looks rlly neglected and I feel a business that's smaller and can look after it would be better
This video sponsored by Vessi and Six Flags. The only good thing about this merger is it seems like it will reduce Salim’s control over Six Flags. However, this is a consolidation of competitors and there’s no reason to think that will lead to more investment in the parks. They are in fact competitors, though it’s not perfect competition it’s more of an oligopoly situation with a few large competitors wielding considerable market power. This is because it’s a capital intensive business with massive barriers to entry. It’s not a monopoly but this move will lead to reduced competition. Just look at the consolidation of airlines for example. It always leads to worse service and higher prices. It’s not a perfect analogy because airlines are more in direct competition, but there are still some of the regional differences where certain cities are hubs for certain airlines and will control the bulk of the business in that market. In these situations the merging companies all claim “efficiency” and “synergies” will benefit both the business and their consumers, but 99% of the time it’s a move out of greed or desperation to reduce competition. Also consider there are macroeconomic forces (inflation, high interest rates, consumers cutting back as price increases outpace wage increases) that will likely lead to lower attendance at theme parks in the medium term. This probably was a motivating factor in the merger happening now, and it will also directly make these companies want to slow down investment in the parks. If we suddenly see a massive increase in the rate of investment at the six flags and cedar fair parks, then I’ll be proven wrong, but I see no reason to expect that.
Cedar Fair would definitely not get rid of Dorney. It is one of the oldest parks in the country and is extremely historical. They also had a 10 year plan to turn Dorney into one of their tier 1 parks prior to the merger with Iron Menace being the start. If they have a Great Adventure and Dorney combined season pass they can absolutely dominate and take a lot of the market back from Hershey and honestly cause a coaster war again in that area which would be awesome. They wouldn’t invest in a new B&M which is extremely expensive if they planned to sell off the park knowing talks of a merger were in the future. Also if they gave up Dorney and a company like Sea World bought it that would be really bad for them and too much of a risk.
Yeah use a pair of shoes to compare Six Flags Cedar Fair the Walt Disney Company and Universal Comcast I don't think so the shoes are small were the other two parks are very big
So here's what's probably going to happen you will see prices go up across the board much like Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Walt Disney World and Universal Florida
If the ftc cared about this they would go after it. They spent almost two years now and are continuing to fight Microsoft buying ABK and that’s not even remotely close to a monopoly either…. That being said they are losing hard.
Honestly, I think this has more to do with #1 debt (as you said) and hiring practices going forward because of the problems with employees and security in the last few years. This will be to iron out legalities within human resources and probably consolidate fledgling park areas like midway games and other things that aren't valuable.
I can only partly agree that themeparks compete with other options in "the entertainment industry". In my experience, most people plan a themepark visit up to weeks in advance whereas the other options you mention are more often last minute decisions. Furthermore, a themepark visit takes a full day whereas for example bowling and karting take about an hour. This is not compareble. I also do not find the comparison with disney and universal strong, they do not operate troughout the whole country. Furthermore, they offer a wildy different experience at a much higher pirce. They are in a different league and can hardly be seen as competition for anything but themselfs. I would say there are competing more with other hollyday destinations than with other themeparks. When deciding which park to go to, you mention price as one of the bigger factors. I am not from the US and not up to date on pricing, but Six flags used to be the cheaper option as far as I know. Whith this merger, the company can up the price of the cheaper park to similar levels as the more expensive cedar fair parks. This may result in less income for the sixflags park, but more income for the cedar fair park, as the same amount of people will visit the parks combined. This will not be a problem as both money streams go to the same company. Disney and universal are much more expensive than both six flag and cedar fair and a price increase will therefore not impact the amount of visitors for six flags and cedar fair parks all that much. You also mention the "better deal" you get with the all acces pass, ase there are more parks close by. However, as this gives much more value to that season pass, I expect that the prices will also increase drasticly. Why would the company give acces to an extra park for free?
I'm more concerned about this leading to a potential lack of variety in investment. How many manufacturers have Cedar Fair blacklisted that now may not be able to work with Six Flags (and vice versa)? e.g. How many North American parks will be left with the kind of budget and customer base that could be potential clients for Intamin?
That blacklisting likely goes away with this merger, as Six Flags gets a say on investments. I suspect the slate will be wiped clean, and as long as any new Intamin/RMC coasters perform well, the past will be the past.
They’re gonna turn Cedar Point into Spirit Airlines. Since the paramount parks merger decades ago, it is noticeable how Cedar Point service & park as a whole has gotten worse.
👟 Big ups to Vessi for keeping my feet dry! Check out vessi.com/eltororyan for 15% off your first order! Free shipping to CA, US, AUS, NZ, JP, TW, KR, SGP.
I'm sitting here wearing my vessi Sunday slippers which are great and I love my boardwalk slip ons too.
Always grea5 content and perspective Ryan. And thanks for introducing Vessi I will definitely check them out.
I really like the low cut blue ones in todays video!
Congrats on a successful ElToroRyan-ElToroWifey merger!
Underrated Comment
The ROI on this merge will be productive
Will baby eltoro have more breakdowns then irl eltoro?
That was SMOOTH
One thing they do need to improve on is operations. It's only going to be harder to sell a pricey experience that involves waiting 1+ hours for 30-60s of fun or a burger. If you can improve ops you'll sell a richer day to guests.
Agreed. I’ve worked in fast food before, now I must say not theme park fast food, but I put in a few years between Dairy Queen & McDonald’s. If there’s one thing I leaned it’s making a burger and fries with a long line isn’t that hard.
@@jricedrums batch cooking not overly difficult. At Corners Cafe at CGA it literally takes 15 minutes to get a burger even if the line is 0 people. They don't start cooking til you ask for one.
@@AmusementLabs that does mean you are getting a fresh burger though, to me that's worth it
@@a_cowwithlegs it does, but it also cuts into coaster time. 😫
@@AmusementLabs Also not to mention you're waiting in the entrance line for nearly 2+ hours just to ride what, a 2 to 3 minute roller coaster ride (thank god I'm able to have the disability pass for once in my life).
3:10 i love needing to devote a few minutes of a video to remind your viewers that normal people exist lol
I’m glad he put that in there too
19:27 Someone's shoe came off!
Welcome to the world of fatherhood Ryan! Congratulations on your first child! Most videos I skip the commercials but I look forward to seeing how you segway into your Vessi spots!! I’m a fan of the merger. If it keeps the theme parks competitive and modern that is a win win! You did an excellent job of explaining why the merger is a good thing.
Skipping commercials means he doesn’t get paid. The ads are what gives him a paycheck
@@nancyfarkas3592 not the ones in the video. Only the ones that interrupt the video.
lol yes those adds that interrupt the video are like 70% of his revenue stream fool. @@MichaelRei99
I’m really excited for the future of both companies going forward. This looks exciting but I’m hoping it does go well
This is even better than the last one about the merger. You did forgot to mention symphonies, ballet, musicals, operas and rock concerts. I saw Metallica in Frankfurt and Gotterdammerung by Richard Wagner at the Vienna State Opera both in May 2009 and the only coaster I rode on that trip was a mountain coaster in Merano Italy; I think it's called Merano 2000.
I haven't skied for a long time but I'm intimately familiar with Whistler and Blackcomb in the 80s and Whistler/Blackcomb in the 90s. I even skied the Whistler creek bunny hill cable tow in 1976 at the age of 6! I skied Whistler then Blackcomb in the 80's multiple times and started skiing on both mountains the same day like you can now in the 90's and naughts. The skiable terrain hasn't expanded much since the 90's, but I oughta somehow get back, but I've been busy doing something else, not including music 😉 (BTW I never ruled out learning how to snowboard).
But this only goes to show how many other things there are that people are interested in that aren't about roller coasters. I oughta know. It's nice seeing my instincts about this reflected in your thoughts. Time will tell, but I'll let what I said last time keep riding: I think the merger is a positive thing overall.
Again, nice seeing you w Brandon at Carowinds in April! That was a shock that matched my already bedraggled coaster ridden hair, matched w edibles. 😵💫 Since then I went on two separate coaster trips to King's Island and and California's Great America respectively from Surrey B.C. Canada. I can't ride a coaster again until Playland opens (which I only visited this year during the PNE fair without riding anything) and my next trip is probably gonna be my 1st trip to Holiday World. Thanks for posting, Cheers! Also congratulations for the new baby.
You’re a snowboarder too?! I love that I share so many hobbies in common with you lol. You also got me hooked on Vessi shoes, so I appreciate that too!
Hope this leads to SeaWorld going back to their roots in zoological focus to differentiate themselves more
YOU DECIDE TO DO A BABY REVEAL IN YOUR AD?! EVIL! jk jk congrats DadRyan!
hahah!! thanks mang!
Great video! I really like how you outlined how this could help drive sales of all-park seasons passes. Even a lower priced regional multi park pass could help incentivize season pass holders to buy a multi park add-on and drive up attendance in neighbouring parks. I would love to see Darien Lake tap into the huge number of Canada's Wonderland seasons pass holders.
Congrats on fatherhood. Can’t wait for the all park pass and hitting some parks out west.
If the FTC didn't stop the Viacom merger, they're not touching this.
I didn't think of that. Yeah the FTC probably won't but they can be picky about stupid shit sometimes
The FTC didn’t because the merger was a reconciliation and end to the divorce of CBS and Viacom.
YOOOOOO!!!! Congrats dude!!!! ElToroRyan? More like ElToroDaddy!
Interesting comparison with the ski resorts. As a Colorado resident, the way the system is set up discourages people greatly from single-day use and has forced a lot of people into making whichever pass they get a part of their personality. The other result is that the resorts are all packed because so many have access to several of them instead of just one or two. With more variety, the snow lovers can go every week and keep the resorts full compared to maybe a once a month trip to their favorite spot. The other aspect though is that during the winter, there are considerably less activities for people to do. The competition of ski resorts in the winter against other activities is less than the competition of amusement parks in the summer against water or mountain activities, outdoor sports, etc. All of that to say I'm really interested to see what this merger does to single day/park entry and passes and whether it starts to breed a different type of consumer, the way the ski resorts did once they became a conglomerate instead of separately owned.
2 take aways. 1: So exciting, congratulations on the new baby. We also added “Baby Dude” to the world a few days ago. 2: loved the deep dive on the Vail Epic Pass. I had no idea my home ski resorts were part of that chain.
Keep up the great work and here’s to our babies growing fast and healthy so we can start working on their credit counts.
ElToroBaby’s gonna be four years old and teaching the kids in Planet Snoopy about block zones
Congrats on the kiddo!!! New coaster fan in process!
It's this video, and not the first one, that was actually depressing for me. In the United States, so many parks aren't transit-accessible, often located in the middle of nowhere, making many other entertainment options easier to get to. So the new Six Flags is making this move while most of their parks are *only* accessible by car, which I hope by now many people understand the negative externalities of such a car-centric world, including limiting how many people can get there in the first place.
I’m scared
0:50
Dear god the tower is swaying
Congrats ElToroDad. Finally no more shame in riding kiddy coasters
CONGRATULATIONS on becoming eltorodad
thanks mang!
As a fellow skier I love the compare/contrast of Vail Resorts! I’ve thought about that exact thing, I actually got an epic pass for the first time last year and I was like “it’s just like my six flags pass! I can go whenever I want and it’s ‘free!’”
Congratulations on Lil Toro!
I've thought of this ever since I heard of the big news about the 2 chains merging
Ayeee man congrats on being a dad! A lil enthusiast in the making! ☺️☺️
I live in Northeast LA, so MM is much more accessible than Knott’s. I haven’t been to Knott’s in years. With the merger, I’m gonna schlepp my butt down to Buena Park on a regular basis FOR SURE.
Also the greater LA area is more like 20mil people. And Knott’s is technically in Orange County, which adds another 5 or so. Doing a combined pass deal is going to be massive.
Interesting video. You skiing comparison is interesting, but I wish you could compare to other forms of entertainment. For example movie theaters especially the big chains (AMC, Regal, and Cinemark) have a history of antitrust and anticompetitive issues.
As a kid who grew up at great adventure, it sure was special bring my kids there for the first time! Congrats!
Damn I've got a block zone shirt, but what about a monopoly shirt? you gave a real good definition in there brother
11:00 What if SDC can’t compete with the combined power of the new Six Flags?
I don’t buy into this positive spin on consolidation of greater competition begets more profits for the industry writ large. Especially in light of the greater entertainment industry.
When I go to a theme park, I want a clean place and good food! I enjoy watching the rides in motion even if I hesitate to try them out! I used to love most rides including roller coasters when I was younger!
I love how he just dropped the news of El Toro Pequeño outta nowhere. Thanks for making drop by bowl of Flaming Hot Cheetos in lemon juice on my carpet! Jerk…😆😅
It’s sick to see someone else who is a coaster nerd and a snowboarder especially one that loves terrain parks!
Congrats ElToroPapa!
I am a husband and father of 3. I live 25 min away from one of the largest GA in the north east. This news doesn't change my opinion about purchasing a season pass at all because the parks are just to crowded. I'm not going to stand in line for a ride for 2 1/2 hrs. I will just drive 20 min further and visit the jersey shore or go to the Poconos for the day. Over crowding is a huge issue and It need to be addressed for the overall encounter for the patron.
THANK YOU. People have been complaining about monopolies and lack of competition and I’m just not buying it
Congrats eltorodaddy!
Congrats to you and ElToroWifey!!
congrats on the baby!
Think about what Disney is brought up merged everything into them but made them worse
"regular people" really need to get their priorities strait! I think there can be significant cost savings in terms of management, HR, and other overhead. I would hope that they put that savings back into keeping the parks not only healthy but growing! There is no way this merger could be considered a monopoly! Great video... you keep setting the bar higher and higher for yoursel!
I hope this merger means Cedar Fair can start buying RMCs again and Six Flags can start buying Gerstlauers.
9:41 Bazzi c:
I for one am definitely hopeful for the merger; obviously if things aren't handled well it won't go too well, but I'm hopeful that that's not the case, and like you said, they've got the best opportunity to improve things with it
I'm very tempted to say that the general public wont really care or even notice😭
If you've been going to Dorney Park your whole life
Or been going to great escape
An existing park being added to the theme park chain (which they probably wont notice) isn't gonna make you stop going to Dorney park randomly
Also youve gotta remember the large amoujt of people (GP) who dont know that theres another theme parks outside of their local six flags or cedar fair parks
Congrats on the baby!! I also, just had my 3rd child , Maverick(not after top gun 🙄damn GP😂). Taking your children to the parks as an enthusiast and watching them ride their first rides is a whole other special experience! Enjoy!!
Ughhhh and you shred. Confirmed we would be awesome friends haha
I hope they have a regional pass for people who have parks close to each other. Using your example I can also see them consolidating parks.If you shut down Dorney (not saying they should) you could move their better rides to SFGA and then make that park top tier with the investments made to it.
Ad skippers will never know what they missed. Congrats!
Hi Ryan! I noticed that in one of your videos you were comparing use of electricity! I find that very interesting! Are you aware that they are selling the LOMI on the internet! I was wondering what you think about this gizmo because you are a smart engineer. Does it use a lot of electricity?
awwww ElToroBaby!!!!
Congrats on ElToroBaby!
Congratulations on fatherhood brodie 🗣️💯‼️
3:00 AMEN BROTHER AMEN
19:27 Guys this is why you don't bring phones, wallets or flip-flops on rides!
I just noticed that😭💀
Id say Epic pass is a monopoly though, it stinks that all of these local resorts are being consolidated under ever larger and larger corperate structures. Its kinda like how walmart has destroyed all the local "main street" type buisnesses and now going to walmart is your only option.
The more time spent trying to justify this merger by folks in both organizations and theme park enthusiasts, the more the similarities to Vail and the ski industry rings true. It won’t happen overnight. But when the combined season pass equates to an epic pass, you will see the same effects.
Awesome video yet again and congrats on the little one
Let me say up front I hope you're right, and this merger will only mean the best for the parks involved as well as the "specialty entertainment" industry as a whole. I still have some stubborn concerns that even through the perspective you hold still have some validity. While theme parks do compete with all "specialty entertainment" properties, from single focus (bowling, go kart, TopGolf, etc.) to other full theme parks from Disney, Universal, and the other smaller theme parks, the expected price point of the Six Flags and Cedar Point parks are more aligned with those of Disney and Universal, with the single focused attractions being targeted at a more lower-middle class and corporate retreat budget. As such, while these are the same industry overall, I see a significant division between the two categories.
Considering that, the parks of this merger are admittedly more roller coaster focused with food and smaller entertainment feeling more like secondary thoughts, while its most direct competitors (Disney and Universal) focused on a balance of thrill rides, family rides, smaller show experiences, and food experiences more than any singular attraction style. If the New Six Flags intends to compete at their level, more investment will have to go into the family and show experiences to draw similar numbers of visitors to the others.
(A small aside about the Disney park numbers, many of the Orlando parks get tickets sold in bundles for week long vacations, and I'm sure that practice helps to bolster the numbers at all the local Disney parks. Not to say that means the numbers are wrong, but it helps more of those parks get a higher yearly visitor rate than the New Six Flags can attain even after the merger.)
Also consider that no matter how many more... I hate to use "casual" here, maybe "mainstream" is better... how many more mainstream visitors these parks get, they will always still be draws for the extreme ride enthusiasts, and investment into those types of rides is likely to drop off for at least a little while.
Finally, I agree that this merger is unlikely to cause a true monopoly, but with this consolidation, it is more likely that an oligopoly will form amongst New Six Flags, Disney and Universal. If you're unfamiliar with the term, consider how internet service providers are arranged across the United States. While there are easily a dozen ISP's in the United States, they are very regionalized, and many users don't have more than one or two options. This has resulted in less push to update back end hardware, and end user connection speeds are measurably lower than many other first world countries per dollar spent. It is possible that such a situation might develop between the major three theme park companies, making it harder for the remaining companies to compete, and any others from coming in to bring new competition.
Again, I hope that I'm proven wrong, but having seen similar behavior in so many other industries, and knowing the greed that so many "C-suite" corporate types have, I find it hard to feel optimistic. Either way, I do enjoy the content you make, and congrats on the Mini El Toro.
Congrats! What’s his/her/its credit count?
Another great Vessi plug along with the announcement of adding more kiddy rides to your credit- I mean being a father! Congrats 🎉
So we have these other park chains called Disney, Universal, and Sea World amongst many other smaller ones. This isn’t even close to being a monopoly.
What is the name of the coaster @ 00:30?
You are the preeminent scientist of all my beloved coaster YubTubbers
Isn't it obvious that this will inhibit dynamics like the decades-long competition that built up Cedar Point and Magic Mountain? With central focus upon paying down crazy amounts of debt rather than accumulating even more debt through further investments?
If the public is more interested in debt payments rather than actual experiences, then it is a win for them. And they can just as easily stay home to watch it through their investment brochures- making the situation even worse.
When a business chooses its investors (theory) over its customers (reality), it chooses closure.
Congrats!!!!
I don’t understand people (including six flags) that think they either are competing with, or will compete with Disney and universal. Sure, there are a couple parks that are near Disney and universal, but the majority are not and will never have any effect on Disney and universal
What about when Cedar Fair bought the Paramount Parks? Some of them did not receive nearly as much love as they were used to from Paramount. I'm not saying I disagree with what you said, but are you sure they'll keep investing a whole lot?
CF has a controlling share of 51.6%. Hopefully, that will bring the quality, cleanliness, and class back to the ghetto SF parks...
ELTOROBABY!!!
What are these amusement park projects in Oklahoma and South Dakota?
Tbh i kinda didnt like how six flags owned so many parks to begin with. Im in the uk and the majority of our parks are owned by different companies. We ofc have the big three ( alton, Chessington & thorpe ) that are owned by merlin entertainments, but we have alot of parks that are owned by smaller companies with large investment opportunities. This means that our parks have so much more of a competitive aspect to them. Always trying to beat one another and be the best. Its what i wish alot of parks in the states did. I mean take busch gardens for example. Two huge parks, closely monitored and maintained, new additions and things. Why? Because the company has 2 theme parks which is easier to handle! No point in having 20 odd parks if u cant cope with them all!
The two Busch Gardens parks are owned/operated by Sea World Parks & Entertainment. They own 7 parks, which sounds small on the surface, though by revenue they’re a larger company than Cedar Fair & the old Six Flags were. The combined new Six Flags will now be larger than Sea World Parks & Entertainment
@jricedrums I didn't know that actually! Thanks for letting me know.
I suppose it also comes down to how many they have in each country. Merlin own 4 theme parks and several other attractions in the UK but have several out in Europe. When you say seven parks, is that worldwide? Because if that's the case that's much easier to handle instead of 20 odd in one countrie if u know what I mean
@@Amusementnational A correction on my end. Sea World Parks & Entertainment own 8 parks, and yes 8 worldwide. I absolutely see what you’re saying about stretching themselves thin with too many properties. From the late 90s into the 2000s Premier Parks (Six Flags) expanded too fast and it got a little crazy with them owning more properties than they can handle.
I looked up Merlin just now, and they own 21 theme parks worldwide on top of the other attractions they own. I’ve personally only been to one Merlin park and it was a fantastic experience! If they can handle 21 parks plus other attractions. I do agree some companies wouldn’t be able to handle that sort of volume, but I think the new Six Flags will be able to handle and manage all of their properties well.
@jricedrums ah thanks for telling me. Merlin parks in Europe are most likely better than the UK. At least from 2010-2020. They have management teams in each country I believe and the smaller amount they own the easier it is to control and maintain. If u look up Paultons Park and compare it to alton towers, u will be shocked how much better it is presented in comparison to towers. And by present, I mean the appearance and presentation of the park and how well kept it is. The ppl who own Paultons are very small in comparison to merlin but they have less property's meaning its easier for them. I hope six flags and cedar fair joining goes well but I just hope that six flags sells some of their smaller more neglected parks. Forgive me if I'm wrong, six flags America is a good one. ( I believe its the park that has firebird in it. The b&m floor less.) That looks rlly neglected and I feel a business that's smaller and can look after it would be better
This video sponsored by Vessi and Six Flags. The only good thing about this merger is it seems like it will reduce Salim’s control over Six Flags. However, this is a consolidation of competitors and there’s no reason to think that will lead to more investment in the parks. They are in fact competitors, though it’s not perfect competition it’s more of an oligopoly situation with a few large competitors wielding considerable market power. This is because it’s a capital intensive business with massive barriers to entry. It’s not a monopoly but this move will lead to reduced competition. Just look at the consolidation of airlines for example. It always leads to worse service and higher prices. It’s not a perfect analogy because airlines are more in direct competition, but there are still some of the regional differences where certain cities are hubs for certain airlines and will control the bulk of the business in that market. In these situations the merging companies all claim “efficiency” and “synergies” will benefit both the business and their consumers, but 99% of the time it’s a move out of greed or desperation to reduce competition. Also consider there are macroeconomic forces (inflation, high interest rates, consumers cutting back as price increases outpace wage increases) that will likely lead to lower attendance at theme parks in the medium term. This probably was a motivating factor in the merger happening now, and it will also directly make these companies want to slow down investment in the parks. If we suddenly see a massive increase in the rate of investment at the six flags and cedar fair parks, then I’ll be proven wrong, but I see no reason to expect that.
This is going to mean park closures. Or they will be forced to divest these parks. I can see both Dorney and SFA shuttering.
Cedar Fair would definitely not get rid of Dorney. It is one of the oldest parks in the country and is extremely historical. They also had a 10 year plan to turn Dorney into one of their tier 1 parks prior to the merger with Iron Menace being the start. If they have a Great Adventure and Dorney combined season pass they can absolutely dominate and take a lot of the market back from Hershey and honestly cause a coaster war again in that area which would be awesome.
They wouldn’t invest in a new B&M which is extremely expensive if they planned to sell off the park knowing talks of a merger were in the future. Also if they gave up Dorney and a company like Sea World bought it that would be really bad for them and too much of a risk.
Yeah use a pair of shoes to compare Six Flags Cedar Fair the Walt Disney Company and Universal Comcast I don't think so the shoes are small were the other two parks are very big
So here's what's probably going to happen you will see prices go up across the board much like Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Walt Disney World and Universal Florida
Congrats on becoming a dad! 🎉
ElToroFather has joined the chat 👏🏾
As someone who lives in LA and has family in Ohio, I am so excited for this merger. KI, Cedar Point, Magic Mountain, and Knotts all in one pass!
Kinda wish they would have called it Cedar Flags instead of just going with 6 flags.
This is going to be like Disney plus but and the theme park Wars think about it nobody wins even Cedar Fair Six Flags they lose
If the ftc cared about this they would go after it. They spent almost two years now and are continuing to fight Microsoft buying ABK and that’s not even remotely close to a monopoly either…. That being said they are losing hard.
ElToroDad!!! 🧔
Honestly, I think this has more to do with #1 debt (as you said) and hiring practices going forward because of the problems with employees and security in the last few years. This will be to iron out legalities within human resources and probably consolidate fledgling park areas like midway games and other things that aren't valuable.
NO! this is a silly question - As long as Disney is around in the game this cannot be a monopoly.
StL is has Hershen parks closer
Now you have to get somebody to watch your baby while you go on the roller coaster congratulations
I can only partly agree that themeparks compete with other options in "the entertainment industry". In my experience, most people plan a themepark visit up to weeks in advance whereas the other options you mention are more often last minute decisions. Furthermore, a themepark visit takes a full day whereas for example bowling and karting take about an hour. This is not compareble. I also do not find the comparison with disney and universal strong, they do not operate troughout the whole country. Furthermore, they offer a wildy different experience at a much higher pirce. They are in a different league and can hardly be seen as competition for anything but themselfs. I would say there are competing more with other hollyday destinations than with other themeparks.
When deciding which park to go to, you mention price as one of the bigger factors. I am not from the US and not up to date on pricing, but Six flags used to be the cheaper option as far as I know. Whith this merger, the company can up the price of the cheaper park to similar levels as the more expensive cedar fair parks. This may result in less income for the sixflags park, but more income for the cedar fair park, as the same amount of people will visit the parks combined. This will not be a problem as both money streams go to the same company. Disney and universal are much more expensive than both six flag and cedar fair and a price increase will therefore not impact the amount of visitors for six flags and cedar fair parks all that much.
You also mention the "better deal" you get with the all acces pass, ase there are more parks close by. However, as this gives much more value to that season pass, I expect that the prices will also increase drasticly. Why would the company give acces to an extra park for free?
Aw congrats ElToroDad!! The newest little coaster enthusiast 🥹❤ xoxo
Congratulations 🎉🍼👶👨🍼
Can we get a baby vlog?
Will we see Vail acquire Six Flags? 🙄
Sixdar Flags
i can't even spell monopoly
Day one of asking for a mountainidiots vlog
I'm more concerned about this leading to a potential lack of variety in investment. How many manufacturers have Cedar Fair blacklisted that now may not be able to work with Six Flags (and vice versa)? e.g. How many North American parks will be left with the kind of budget and customer base that could be potential clients for Intamin?
That blacklisting likely goes away with this merger, as Six Flags gets a say on investments. I suspect the slate will be wiped clean, and as long as any new Intamin/RMC coasters perform well, the past will be the past.
They’re gonna turn Cedar Point into Spirit Airlines.
Since the paramount parks merger decades ago, it is noticeable how Cedar Point service & park as a whole has gotten worse.
Cedar Fair's stock FUN is consistently $10+ above Six Flags. SIX. Just sayin
Congrats on becoming a dad!!!
Cred counter boutta get filled with kiddy rides 👌
thanks mang!
El torita
@@cadewyatt5549that’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen
LilToro 😎👍