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Six flags vs Cedar fair

Which do you prefer?

  • Six flags

    Votes: 1 8.3%
  • cedar fair

    Votes: 11 91.7%

  • Total voters
    12

Alex B

Mega Poster
Match-ups for parks are based on where they rank in terms of favorites for the chain, individual based off best in the chain

Magic mountain vs cedar point
Great adventure vs kings island
Great america vs kings dominion
Fiesta texas vs knot's berry farm
Over texas vs canadas wonderland
Great escape vs michigans adventure
twisted colossus vs steel vengeance
x flight vs gatekeeper
El toro vs renegade
wonder woman vs railblazer
Goliath(over georgia) vs daimondback
Bizzaro(Gadv) vs Hydra the revenge
Batman the ride(all parks) vs banshee
*note i didnt include ka vs dragster because it would be an unfair blowout
 

Howie

Donkey in a hat
10 years ago, maybe even 5 years ago, I would have said Six Flags. Even though they'd already ran into their financial troubles by then, the big Six Flags parks still had more bucket-list coasters that I was mad for - Ka, Toro, Tatsu, X2 etc... but since then they've taken to installing endless free-fly's, super-loops and Justice League dark rides that just don't pump my nads. Meanwhile, Cedar Fair have continued investing in large scale, high-end, quality hardware such as Fury, SteVe, Copperhead and Yukon etc...
Nowadays I'd pick Cedar Fair in a heartbeat.
 

Hyde

Matt SR
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
Like @Howie said, take a look at both chain's investment track record over the last 5 years. Cedar Fair is continuing to round out coaster offerings at parks, while Six Flags is hitting a different, smaller thrill/dark ride procurement that leaves a lot to be desired.

While Six Flags has some serious standout parks, Cedar Fair has really boosted a number of their mid-tier parks with larger attractions.
 

Hutch

Strata Poster
I'm basing this off of what I've done...been to three parks from each chain (Cedar Point, Kings Island, Carowinds; Six Flags New England, Great Adventure, Over Georgia). I'll say without a doubt that Cedar Fair is the better chain. Cedar Fair parks are just much more enjoyable for me, for many reasons.

The staff are much better than Six Flags, in every way shape or form. They are friendlier, more efficient at operations, and more disciplined. The staff at Six Flags are a big reason why I'm not a huge fan of their parks. I've had encounters with SF staff that have left me annoyed or unsatisfied... they're really just there to "get the job done." At least Cedar Fair staff actually care about what's going on, and in the past I've had some pleasant little conversations with them as well.

Cedar Fair parks are also just a nicer places to be in. While neither chain focuses a lot on theming, at least Cedar Fair presents their parks pretty nicely. The landscaping/foliage/etc is much nicer compared to the Six Flags mindset of buildings and rides placed on concrete (more or less). Look at the recent Cedar Fair coasters: they all have cool plazas that dominate the ride's area. They'll include gardens, plant trees, maybe even design a cool station. With Six Flags it's just plop down a ride, put up a big tacky sign and that's it. There's no character.

Then obviously you got the investment conversation. Both parks love investing in rides, but again Cedar Fair wins here. They may end up giving some of their parks jack ****, but that allows them to invest in one (sometimes multiple) $25 million ride every year. Six Flags likes to spread the love and get something new for all their parks every year. That's a fair approach, but then you end up with stuff like S&S free spins, Larson loopers, and pendulums at every park, which people (at least enthusiasts) are sick of by now. Meanwhile Cedar Fair are pumping out Furies and Steel Vengeances. I'll give Six Flags the RMC's though, they've done a good job with investing in them and they're the perfect ride for them, given their financial situation. But overall, I'd rather have a chain go all out on one or two of their parks and invest in major and unique rides, rather than a chain half-assing investments on a bunch of rides that all kind of blend together.

So it's not even a question. Cedar Fair is the better chain, at least in my experience. I can't speak for the lower-tier Cedar Fair parks, but I still think I'm more interested in visiting a California's Great America or a Michigan's Adventure than a Six Flags America or a Great Escape.
 
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