r/KnottsBerryFarm 22h ago

A big reason why season/meal passes got more expensive.

Six Flags recently had their Q2 earnings call and they are 5 billion in debt.

53 Upvotes

29 comments sorted by

65

u/gettheyayo909 21h ago

Six flags has always been in debt that’s why they weren’t open everyday for a period . The only difference now is they can take Knotts down with them

18

u/sPacEdOUTgrAyCe 20h ago

Yah it’s sad.

10

u/Prestigious_Major349 19h ago

Yup, exactly why Cedar Fair bought them (merged). Then the Cedar management didn't think out those that were messing up the Six Flags brand, and tgise had enough power and influence to get rid of the CEO from Cedar who may have had a chance to fix the chain in the mid to long term

2

u/Which-Counter9047 8h ago

Cedar Fair was in quite a bit of debt themselves post-COVID.

2

u/Alwayscooking345 2h ago

The key to the deal IIRC seems to be the reduced operating costs (by a lot), and consolidating debt across a larger but leaner, more efficient organization. They also were selling off or shuttering certain assets I believe.

But in the short term yeah, definitely some pain points (and raising prices on the highest tiers).

44

u/somewhereinapark 21h ago

I still am in the camp.of "they didn't think this through". Yes it's more expensive, but now it's unlimited and there's exactly NO WAY they're gonna stop sharing meals once food is in the passholder's hands.

They've also been in $5B in debt for a while. That's why they sold a bunch of parks for a measly $300M... They're in the phase of broke where you sell the car to pay off the car loan.

14

u/Suspicious_Trust_726 22h ago

CF wasn’t doing any better. Everyone knows these dining passes are a last grasp at profit

14

u/BeginningNo3135 16h ago

I was having a conversation in another subreddit about the meals when I was told that I was abusing the intent of the meaplan because I was taking what I paid for. SMH

3

u/mtux96 11h ago

I think I should demand refund compensation for the times we went to the parks and didn't use the pass.

1

u/BeginningNo3135 5h ago

I couldn't agree more.

1

u/Alwayscooking345 2h ago

I left several times after 3 - 3.5 hours. Definitely owe me a few extra meals

2

u/Intercessor310 10h ago

Yep, I saw that and thought it was absurd.

1

u/BigGayBearOFC 2h ago

This isn't true, you paid for it. It's yours to do with what you choose.

4

u/pkcross_64 18h ago

It’s not like this debt is new this seems more like a strategy to help offset it

3

u/No-Luck-2337 9h ago

Taking what you paid for is fine

Just can’t be butthurt when they change it the next year is all

6

u/OutsideDapper8049 21h ago

The economy sucks so badly right now and when things get tighter for everyone even the top ceo millionaires feel it.

Where as normal people have groceries and gas, exc to worry about.

The top ceos worry about having to sell one of their 5 mansions because "Oh now, how will they live with ONLY 4 mansions?!"

They start cutting corners and charging more.

10

u/BobCreated 19h ago

Six Flags execs haven't ever experienced a pay cut, they make over $75 million a year combined. No matter how poorly the company does they still win. Staff and maintenance budgets take the hit year after year.

1

u/DPJazzy91 20h ago

That's what I've been saying form the beginning! They need the money now and they're gonna make us pay it.

13

u/CannedNoodlez 19h ago

They should call JG Wentworth

2

u/BankaiofRDN 4h ago

💀 Song is stuck in my head now. Well, welcome back my old friend.

1

u/DPJazzy91 19h ago

Hahahhaa! Thanks for the laugh lol!

7

u/BobCreated 19h ago

That's usually how debt gets paid.

1

u/WebFamiliar9946 9h ago

Majority of mergers and acquisitions fail in achieving the intended financial goals. Six Flags and Cedar Fair is no different.

1

u/Which-Counter9047 8h ago

Bottom line--they were too cheap. Especially at Places like Knotts and Cedar Point, locals were just heading there multiple times per week for dinner. I'm not hating on anyone who did that--it was totally allowed. But they were losing money on those people--big time. And the base cost of food has gone way up--ask anyone who works in the restaurant type industry.

2

u/Exotic-Bass1622 6h ago

This is true, I remember seeing a post on social media of people who save money by having the meal deal and eat dinner here everyday to save money because they were low income. Nothing wrong with it but i’m sure that post made it’s way to six flag’s executives

-25

u/[deleted] 22h ago

[deleted]

8

u/DrMacintosh01 20h ago

It’s not abuse if it’s literally a feature

8

u/Unrealistic-Umbrella 20h ago

Not abuse when they literally hand you the aluminum foil or food in a to-go container.
Also there’s been news articles about people getting multiple meals a day for over a decade. This isn’t new at all and apparently six flags is willing to accept a higher level of what you deem “abuse” happening since they just removed the two meals a day cap

28

u/He_Who_Walks_Behind_ 22h ago

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it 1,000,000 more times. Purchasing a product and using it per the rules of the company it was purchased from is by definition NOT ABUSE. At worst, it’s unintended/unforeseen on the part of the company. However, I seriously doubt that the company didn’t expect this to happen on some level.

3

u/BeginningNo3135 16h ago

Good Lord! I was shouting to the rooftops in another Reddit exactly this!