
MARCH 2010

Six Flags Over Texas entry lake as seen on Feb. 12.
AT PHOTO/GARY
SLADE
A record setting snow
It was a sight that North Texans had never seen before. On February
11 an all-day snow descended upon the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex
and when it did quit snowing, 24 hours later, 12-1/2 inches had
fallen, shattering the old record of six inches.
While this record
amount of snow is no big news to those industry professionals who
live in the north around the Great Lakes or on the eastern seaboard,
it was a big deal for North Texas.
If there was one advantage to
the massive snowstorm, it was beauty. It was a beautiful sight
to see the Arlington landscape draped in so much snow. That includes
the views of the sports stadiums as well as Six Flags Over Texas.
One look across the park’s entry lake with snow piled up on the
ground, in the trees, on the park’s wooden roller coaster, one
almost forgets for just a moment that this is still Texas.
There is no doubt this has been an unusual winter,
and certainly the calendar says that spring is just around the
corner. Many in our industry on the east coast can’t wait for the
spring warmup to begin. Let’s hope that winter is getting all this
crazy weather out of its system, so that everyone in our industry
will have an outstanding summer with perfect weather. As one former
park executive told AT, we’re all overdue. Amen. —Gary Slade
EDITORIAL
Discounts: friend or foe? - Andrew Mellor
Hard
economic times bring problems for us all in many different ways,
none more so that when you are trying to sell something. No matter
what the product, selling it at the best of times can be hard work
but when finances are tight, it’s a good deal worse.
In the publishing
game for example, we often see advertising prices slashed in an
effort to bolster space sold, particularly when times are tough
financially, and it can be the same scenario in other businesses
too. But does discounting really achieve the desired end result?
Perhaps unit sales will be maintained or even increase, but will
bottom line figures hold up or increase? That’s a debatable question.
And then there’s the position further down the line
when times come good again. Once you’ve lowered your prices can
you get them back up? Maybe, but over the longer term.
So what’s
going to happen in our industry where parks and resorts have been
offering discounts to keep visitors coming through the gates during
these troubled economic times? By no means has everyone had to
do it, of course, but some have and it remains to be seen what
the guest reaction will be when they try to get prices back up
to pre-recession levels.
Speaking at a conference recently, Disney
chief executive Bob Iger noted that the company will be reducing
the level of discounting that has been offered at its theme parks
over the past year due to the recession. The strength of the Disney
brand will no doubt ensure this doesn’t cause any problems, as
has been the case in the past, but for others in the theme park
industry who have discounted heavily of late or who have had some
very special offers going on, it may be a different ball game.
The Disney product is one that is in demand, so people
will pay for it one way or another, but for those not offering
a good, quality value for money product with excellent customer
service, it may prove a much steeper hill to climb. —Andrew
Mellor
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