erinys
Posts: 230
Registered: 9/28/2005
Rank: Bronze Critic
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 5/14/2006 1:08:02 PM
I did a Google search and didn't find anything like it - please feel free to point me in the right direction if I'm off or duplicating.
Visited last weekend, and the employees sucked. Not meaning this as a trip report, but an inquiry. Only 1 employee seemed to be having a decent time (girl on Batwing - kudos) The rest were rude, sullen, more interested in flirting, taking breaks, fighting over who's turn it was to do what, screwing around, or physically shoving me back behind a gate when a water ride had broken down (and my butt was already wet from sitting in the boat). Nearly all the SFGAdv employees were perky or at least friendly.
Did Shapiro visit there? Does someone want to keep the parkgoers' experience miserable so they don't return and SF can justify selling the land? Is there some kind of survey card like they have in many businesses to fill out to tell them where they shine & where they bite?
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Hercules
Posts: 4037
Registered: 10/13/2004
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/14/2006 2:11:52 PM
Yes he did. The link to the article is not working for me.
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erinys
Posts: 230
Registered: 9/28/2005
Rank: Bronze Critic
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5/14/2006 8:00:48 PM
Thanks for checking. It was disappointing after improvements at SFGAdv. Perhaps they are focusing changes on the major parks first.
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larrygator
Posts: 4654
Registered: 11/7/2002
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/14/2006 10:32:28 PM
If any park was going to have trouble with the attitude of employees I'm not surprised it was SFA.
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Hercules
Posts: 4037
Registered: 10/13/2004
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/15/2006 2:03:11 PM
There is nothing more true in this world than that statement.
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erinys
Posts: 230
Registered: 9/28/2005
Rank: Bronze Critic
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5/15/2006 2:42:47 PM
I guess I was a little more optimistic 
I thought if SF was genuinely committed to creating a family friendly atmosphere then upper management would do what was necessary to hire the right employees ($, interviews, personality assessments?). Clearly they haven't and it is a sharp contrast to SFGAdv. Since they haven't done more it seems to be an indication that the park is likely to end up on the chopping block. Although it isn't a great park, I'd hate to lose it - I need more Batwing. 
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Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/15/2006 3:12:11 PM
SFA is the only Six Flags park I have been to, and it wasn't pretty. It had terrible landscaping, horrible employees, and just a terrible atmosphere.
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Hercules
Posts: 4037
Registered: 10/13/2004
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/15/2006 3:33:29 PM
The employees actually wanted a slight raise, but Shapiro told them that they couldn't get it because the company is in such debt, which I agree with. But it is kind of hard to work with disgruntled employees. I think it is just a bad area to get good employees and the park has bad management. I say it is going to be one of the next to go.
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mrceagle
Posts: 13804
Registered: 6/9/2001
Rank: TPC News Minister
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5/16/2006 10:22:51 AM
I'm sorry to hear you had suc a bad time. Looking at the park and the land they have the park could be somthig great.
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ABR
Posts: 277
Registered: 3/22/2003
Rank: Silver Critic
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5/16/2006 11:05:50 PM
Most of the employees were alright this weekend. Tweety was espicially friendly, LOL!
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mrceagle
Posts: 13804
Registered: 6/9/2001
Rank: TPC News Minister
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5/16/2006 11:19:46 PM
Employees can have a bad day. I've had many bad bays at SFNE but a few good ones as well.
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Fedor
Posts: 59
Registered: 5/5/2006
Rank: Senior Critic
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5/16/2006 11:30:20 PM
I gotta say, there are such things as bad days. I have them. BUT, I always make sure the customers don't know and most importantly not be rude to customers. Thats my job, and I get mad when people especially at theme parks don't do their jobs.
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Hercules
Posts: 4037
Registered: 10/13/2004
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/16/2006 11:56:02 PM
Right.
However, employees at Six Flags America don't have "bad days"... they are just terrible at what they do.
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CoastrGlxy
Posts: 358
Registered: 5/23/2005
Rank: Silver Critic
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5/17/2006 10:42:25 AM
It boggles my mind how invisible this park is in the DC Metro area. I could see why it would have been back when it was Adventure World, but even since Six Flags have taken over they haven't quite been able to take this park to the next level. I've asked people at work what park think of when it comes to nearby theme parks and they answer Kings Dominion or even Busch Gardens. SFA is about half hour from where I work and no one knows about it. Something needs to be done or it may be on the chopping block. Anyone know how successful it is? Attendance? Revenues?
I agree the subpar employees and cleanliness are some big issues. Plus the overall park just isn't attractive. I'm not sure if it's the lay of the land or how the park is laid out. Something ain't right there. It also doesn't help that the park is in PG county. I don't blame locals who watch the news for staying away.
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mrceagle
Posts: 13804
Registered: 6/9/2001
Rank: TPC News Minister
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5/17/2006 11:11:37 AM
Well thats an operatinal ishue. SFI has not been putign attention into this park along with a few others. hopefully this will change with new managment.
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hrrytraver
Posts: 1270
Registered: 7/16/2005
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/17/2006 11:14:42 AM
Quote:
CoastrGlxy said:
It also doesn't help that the park is in PG county. I don't blame locals who watch the news for staying away. |
doh! a dis of pg county.
seriously though, if you can hang in coney island, or on the jersey shore, you can hang in PG.
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ABR
Posts: 277
Registered: 3/22/2003
Rank: Silver Critic
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5/17/2006 11:07:28 PM
I work for Wal-Mart in Fairfax County Va and for a month last year I got sent to one in Prince Georges County... for an overnight shift .
Well, nothing will ever be worst than that (cops had to throw a drunk guy out of Dennys at 2am), so I'm fine with Prince George's County, during the day at least.
Anyway, I was shocked at the low number of people in attendance on Sunday. Sure there was a chance of rain, but I have been to Great America in chicago when it was pouring and the place was packed. I wrote a trip report on my trip to SFA and all the rides were walk ons.
Here's my view on it's progress and attendance:
I have been visting "the park in Largo, MD" since it was Wild World. I remember when it was simply a water park (a pretty good one too), the Wild One Coaster, and a bunch of Carnival rides. I enjoyed visiting it when it was Adventure World because they WITHOUT FAIL added something every single season, and it wouldn't be an elcrappo rethemeing (like Kings Dominion's Kidzville from Hanna Barbera land), but a big attraction. The waits were never that long on weekdays. Weekends were another story, but that's to be expected, I guess. Then in 1999, Six flags came, and they also added 2 new coasters, Joker and Two Face. We went there on a Sunday (the 3rd weekend it was open), and it was packed. They weren't even selling season passes anymore as too many had been bought before the park opened at Safeway stores. We had to try 4 Safeway stores to get ours. During the first weekends Central Avenue (the road the park is on) was bumper to bumper, and the parking lot got full. I remember an article saying "frusturated famlies began parking their cars in nearby grassfields). this is why there's that "West Entrance" that was opened the 2nd weekend I believe, for overflow parking. The parks progress continued in 2000 with Superman: ROS. And then in 2001, they did it again with Batwing. Well, after all these years of new things, I was eager to see what they had to offer for 2002. It was nothing. 2003? Well, we only had to wait one season for Batwing after superman, so I assumed it would be something grand. It was Penguin's Blizzard river. a good water ride, but not nearly as thrilling as a coaster. It was one of those rides that you'd check out if you were in the park anyway, not a ride like Batwing that would get you in the park. This is about the time that I remember attendance dying down. The new attractions kept people coming in, but when they stopped adding them, the people stopped coming. I will admit that if Superman wasn't there I'd never go.
I also think it's location isn't all that good. Look at Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens that are right off the interstate. Six Flags is a pain to find for an out of towner. If you are heading north on I-95 (from the Wilson Bridge), you'll see a sign for Six Flags on exit 15a, there's a fork in the road right when you get on Central Avenue. Ok, so you've never been here before, do you go left or right? There's no sign saying which one goes to Six Flags. If you are lucky enough to go left, there's a small sign that says Six Flags is Straight Ahead, well after it is too late to change your mind for those who went right. Even so, Central Avenue isn't one of those roads you'd expect to see a Six Flags on, especially that far back from the interstate. I wouldn't be suprised if a few people just gave up, you know "we must have missed a sign."
I also don't think all these construction projects help. I mean, a guy coming from the south would have to go through the Springfield Interchange, the Wilson Bridge corridor, and the Branch Avenue interchange which is undergoing a major reconstruction. But wait, Kings Dominion is down the Constrcution free 95 right? Let's go there. for me it's no bigee, when I went to work in PG county I got used to all this. but it may be a bit of a shock for a first timer.
Message updated 5/17/2006 11:08:59 PM by ABR
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Fedor
Posts: 59
Registered: 5/5/2006
Rank: Senior Critic
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5/17/2006 11:21:04 PM
Hey, ABR. Just straight up. From the stuff you read from me. "Six Flags America, worth a pass?".
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mrceagle
Posts: 13804
Registered: 6/9/2001
Rank: TPC News Minister
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5/18/2006 7:02:46 PM
SFNE is nearly that far from the City and the intersection but overall each yer to get to. Fewer turns needed.
LC is the same way. allot of parks that were started small and grew especially the older ones.
But it's true you need to offer up something new. weather it's a show, Ride, or other attraction. But many parks were ignored. SFDL, SFAm, SFEG, etc.
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ABR
Posts: 277
Registered: 3/22/2003
Rank: Silver Critic
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5/18/2006 7:50:24 PM
Truth be told, Six Flags America is one of those parks that you should see at least once. If you just want to pay the full price of admission at Six Flags America before memorial day (or stop by a Safeway store and simply pay, and not visit the park til July or whatever) then yeah, it's worth it. And if you don't want to visit again, then oh well, you are out like $7 by not using a coupon. Plus, I got a free unrestricted bring a friend coupon, and 2 bring a friend coupons that, when combined, I can get someone else in for free another day, so it's a great value. Remember though, parking is $15, a little steep.
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mrceagle
Posts: 13804
Registered: 6/9/2001
Rank: TPC News Minister
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5/18/2006 10:42:44 PM
Next year or the year after if money is better I will try to make a weekend trip to Baltimore. Hit a game between the Sox and O's and hit the park. I can fly there for about the same cost as gas.
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coasterwom
Posts: 1446
Registered: 3/23/2001
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/19/2006 2:19:22 AM
I visited SF America last summer and I liked it very much. It has alot of good rides. It's ranked #8 in attendance as seen on Save Astro World. I hope they keep this park for along time.
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mrceagle
Posts: 13804
Registered: 6/9/2001
Rank: TPC News Minister
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5/19/2006 11:04:16 AM
It's not the park there thinking of sellign it's the Acres of extra land.
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erinys
Posts: 230
Registered: 9/28/2005
Rank: Bronze Critic
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5/19/2006 5:54:23 PM
As I understand it, it's not just the 'extra' land that is at issue at SFA. Just selling the surrounding land would mean condos would be built near a potentially noisy amusement park - that land and those condos wouldn't be very valuable. But if you remove the amusement park and sell the entire property, the value of the land goes up immensely.
If I had a major stake in a corporation that was 2 billion in debt with about 2.5 billion in assets (I am rounding and guestimating IMMENSELY since I'm tipsy & can't find the old prospectus), I'd seriously think about selling the property with the highest market value. Which SFI or Shapiro have said is SFA.
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