back in January, but since the rumors continue to fly, we decided to run the story again here.)The recent rumors about Six Flags buying land around here, etc., etc. got our interest up and so the 4042.com Web Dog picked up the phone and called the source directly to get the info.
Speaking with Justin in the Marketing Department for Six Flags was really pretty interesting...he filled us in on the business behind theme parks like Six Flags.
Here's what we learned:
1. Six Flags doesn't build parks from the ground up. Their business model is to purchase an existing park and then rennovate it up to their standards.
2. Why don't they build? The incredible expense. It is a *billion* dollar investment to build from the ground up, with first year advertising expenses being around 50 million just to let people know you are there and open.
3. The only companies known for building
from the ground up are Universal and Disney (Justin said the latest Universal park in Florida cost them over 2 billion to construct).
4. If Six Flags *was* to build, they would probably choose to do so in Florida. Why? Because the season never ends due to the climate, which means you can stay open year round...a necessity in recouping the huge investment. Justin pointed out that any parks above South Carolina are limited to a 7 month season.
5. The average Six Flags park
is on 500 - 900 acres. If hotels are part of the complex, add another 30 acres per hotel.
To quote our new buddy Justin, "I haven't heard anything about going into North Carolina and if we did, we would be buying an existing park...not building."
So, looks like no Six Flags...but if you have some insider info, make sure you
