The Fall of California's Great America Explained

Cedar Fair shocked everybody last week when they announced they had agree the sell the land under California's Great America. This came just a few years after the park received Railblazer, and plans were put in place to scale up the park and make it one of the best in the chain. Today, we will be analyzing what happened that made Cedar Fair do a 180 on a park that they had shown great interest in.
Cedar Fair's Press Release: www.cedarfair.com/blog/2022/c...
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[@moon993]

Living in a residential area nearby, I grew up with California's Great America as my home park. This news feels like hearing that a lifelong friend, who you've had since childhood, has terminal illness and only has 11 years to live. This park played the biggest role in turning me into a coaster enthusiast. My favourite memory there was when I went on two double dates in one day with a friend during the summer of 2009. We didn't ask either of them out though, we were just assigned to sit with them on the ride by park operators but we did talk a lot with them. Double date 1 was on the Logger's Run while double date 2 was on the Rip Roaring Rapids and Delta Flyer.

[@amusementscape]

That’s terrible. I really hope the park finishes strong

[@TOONMAN200]

The best thing for me is the park is only 30 miles from my home. This means I can have the amusement park experience, without long travel, and spending nights in a hotel, all the locals will tell you this is probably the best part of having this park here. Then some will say what about Discovery Kingdom, it's about 50 miles away, but the operation of the park is terrible, anybody has been there tell you, Discovery Kingdom can be unpleasant at times. That's another reason I don't want to see Great America go away, always had a great time, and the park operations is really professional and great.

[@jakem4361]

OG’s know that planet snoopy used to be nickelodeon

[@jeta8431]

the real OG's know that even before Nickelodeon it was Forest of Fun and Yukon Territory ;)

[@mikeriley2766]

Such sad news. I started going to this park when it opened in 1976. It was also my first job, while I was in high school I worked there from 1981 through 1983. I left the area at the end of 1983 and have not been back to his park since, so I only know it during the Marriott era, as such this place will always be Marriott's to me. I really enjoyed the time that I spent there, both visiting the park as well as working there. I will certainly hope that something comes along to save this park from extinction, but either way, I have many wonderful memories of this place that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, this truly was a very special place.

[@ItsSiebay]

I knew people called that several parks would be closing after the pandemic but I don’t think anyone saw CGA on that list. I just find this eerily similar to what Six Flags did with AstroWorld, and I wonder how much it’ll affect the locals.

[@grobble8954]

The park is not closing b/c of the pandemic. They were offered way more for the land than the park is worth by park operations. CGA makes little net profit, single digit millions. They were able to sell the land for $160M profit in 3 years , which would take CGA 15yrs to make.

[@cryptic4762]

@@grobble8954 On top of that, they can also recycle rides throughout the chain. I will be surprised if gold striker disappears forever, it's still a new coaster. And the invert could definitely be put perfectly into Worlds of Fun

[@michaelmilioto2142]

I worked at GA for the 1986, 1987 and 1988 season. Great park, great place to work place to work and I made some great friends too. It is so sad for two reasons. One we need places like this in Silicon Valley, and two the city got screwed out of this as they sold the land for half the value CF received, and that really makes me angry. When the park was built all that was out here was Marriotts Great American and a Marriott hotel, and nothing else. Who would have thought the land value in the end would be the parks undoing. It's really sad 😔 to see it go

[@ct6852]

Do you think Paramount made the park better? Or it pretty much stayed the same for those years?

[@JP-rf7px]

When they started building the park in the early 70s, the land was a pear orchard!! And most of the trees were dying!

[@PlusUltraAdrian]

This is my childhood going away. My family would always go here for the weekends when I was a kid. I hope something happens where the park doesn't close.

[@albertcalleros9489]

i simply hope that Busch Gardens (Sea World Parks & Entertainment) could possibly step in and take over the soon-to-be defunct California's Great America (Cedar Fair). The hypothetical Busch Gardens San Francisco would essentially be an 'Americana'-type theme park.

[@quintinrice2733]

Has Cedar Fair given up on the Northern Ca. Market? Gilroy and Roseville both have large populations for a possible park. I have never been to Gilroy Gardens but, I would imagine they have room to expand. Maybe they could add rides to Sunsplash in Roseville. I live in Clovis and it's almost an equal distance between CGA and SFMM. CGA was so much better that we basically stopped going to SFMM. Maybe Six Flags will see this an opportunity to beef up SFDK. Without CGA, they will be the premier park in the area. I hope they take advantage of this HUGE opportunity to grab the No, Ca. Market.

[@neutrino78x]

Well, there is SOME good news. This is from San Jose Inside, which is a blog funded by one of the weekly newspapers in San Jose (Santa Clara and San Jose are both in "Silicon Valley"; San Jose is the largest city there), article title "Prologis Buys Great America Site in Santa Clara for $310M, Seals Fate of Amusement Park": "Gillmor noted that the city cannot comment on the economic impacts of the park’s closure, as it does not know the new property owner’s plans. She invited Prologis to a series of community meetings to “share their vision for the Great America property,” and said the property is currently zoned for a theme park, with any changes subject to approval by the Santa Clara City Council." (Gillmore is the mayor of Santa Clara.) So it sounds like the City of Santa Clara is interested in "throwing down" in terms of keeping the park. Hopefully :)

[@zacharyyamashita8554]

I pray 🙏 to god you’re right.

[@grobble8954]

You're delusional. It's done. The city had no recourse and neither do whiny enthusiasts unable to understand business.

[@neutrino78x]

@@grobble8954 "The city had no recourse" They can buy the land back. Also Prologis can't tear it down and put housing without permission of the City Council.

[@grobble8954]

@@neutrino78x You're the expected clueless enthusiasts. The city isn't spending 310M plus for the park st makes less than 10M per year profit. How stupid are you? Prologis is a major developer in the area the city is going to do what is smart, not what is stupid thst satisfies the whim of enthusiasts. The GP doesn't really give a shit, the only earners are people like you that have no understanding of business and how things work in the real world.The deal is done, paid, completed. Find something else to whiner about. The park is closing.

[@Kuson2]

@@grobble8954 I found the Prologis employee everyone lol

[@ct6852]

Awe that's a major bummer. Good memories there. I really thought being that close to the new stadium would make them safe for a long time coming. Sucks they already shipped off some of their best coasters.

[@amusementscape]

They haven’t taken anything out just yet but it’s really sad

[@moose8goose]

Sad to see the park go...if it does. It has the world's tallest carousel. It's worth a visit just for that.

[@ChuckE.CheesesIllinois]

Six Flags Great America carousel: *AM I A JOKE TO YOU?*

[@moose8goose]

@@ChuckE.CheesesIllinois The carousel in Six Flags is the sister carousel to this one, and it is one foot shorter. Both parks were originally owned by the same company that had both of these built.

[@Yeomen1986]

I don't think they really ever planned to keep the park. What do you do if you cannot sell your house? You take it off the market, make improvements to it to increase its value and worth till someone buys it. I'm guessing Railblazer over delivered and made it much more viable to sell the park.

[@Kuson2]

they sold the land, not the park.

[@TOONMAN200]

Being a pass holder for so many years the first thing I noticed, is after the sale the property, the park closed a lot of attractions, cut back on rides, cut back on shows. People found out about this and the word got out, you not getting enough entertainment and park for your money.

[@ct6852]

True. It's always been kind of a given that parks were supposed to expand and improve...not shrink.

[@TOONMAN200]

@@ct6852 Talking to other people, they notice the cut backs. If GA keeps this up, it will be a excuse to close the park. There have been a lot of complaint's Great America don't care. The wife and I were pass holders for many years, and yes,we are heartbroken and upset.

[@ct6852]

@@TOONMAN200 Have good memories of that park. We're up here in Chico and the whole school used to go down there every summer before classes started. That was when Paramount owned it.

[@derekwtang]

I used to work at CGA now I work at CP. I used to work there from 2018-2021 as a ride op mainly at Railblazer

[@clarksoderberg6445]

this is my home park ive been going since i was like 6. im 18 now and moving away but it makes me so sad to know that future kids wont be able to experience this park like i did.

[@lfroncek]

I wonder if end of service life for their rides is an issue. Demon is getting close to 50 years old, Grizzly is 30+, and Patriot and Flight Deck are early B&Ms.

[@scottyjbd]

They’d have to replace nearly all their rides in the next10-15 years or less. I’m sure that was a factor

[@JCBro-yg8vd]

That might be it.

[@ct6852]

Top Gun was cutting edge there for a while.

[@tallywhacker1]

This park used to be the bee's knees back in the 1990's...

[@ct6852]

Sure was. Top Gun was one of the best coasters ever.

[@thedinogamer_fn3073]

Great America is my home park I’ve been going there since 2009 when I was three years old enjoying the taxi toaster in the planet Snoopy, I went on field trips with summer camps and we spent all day in boomerang bay. I was always the carnival game junkies and would win huge prizes that I would carry around all day. the park grew with me, in third grade and I was finally 48 inches tall, Gold Striker opened, and it was the talk of the playground. When vertigo reopened as patriot, I made cardboard shoe soles, to stretch my height 2 inches in fifth grade in ride patriot with my friends. Then I entered middle school, my mom started dropping me and my friends off we can do whatever we wanted we usually spend the day in the new reopened South Bay Shores, then I would hit the arcade and win more stuffed animals, after years of begging I finally got to go to the haunt with my mom and friend in 2019 and 2021. I have so many amazing memories in that park like spending all my money on a 4 foot long gummy snake and eating the whole thing then writing patriot😅 I was a real smart 12 year old. Or the time I really didn’t want to get wet on white water falls, so my friends told me to take a video of them from the bridge, I stupidly didn’t read the signs, and got wetter than them by standing yon the bridge. Then there was one of the highs of my carnival game career, I won the bottle up game and won a stuffed snake over 8 feet long. And then I went with my friends family all day, the park was literally closing and we decided to go on the demon we were the last car and we got stuck for 30 minutes😂 the park literally was closed and we had to get escorted through an employee exit. Good times. Great memories. Hopefully 10 more years of that to come.

[@aiv4873]

This is really sad news for the Bay Area, but it could also be good news looking at SFDK. They're are expanding extremely fast. We got an RMC conversion in 2016, Wonder Woman in 2017, Harley quinn in 2018 (now shut down) we got a S&S free spin in 2019, and a spinning coaster in 2022. I think with CGA shutting down we'll be seeing even more expansion considering the bigger crowds SFDK will draw. Which is a double-edged sword, I live 10 minutes from SFDK but the lines already are pretty long.

[@chris_allupinya5613]

My opinion but I don't believe this is good for SFDk. No competition means no necessity to get big new additions

[@amusementscape]

I can see both of your points. It’s really up to Six Flags. They could really make the park into an awesome place, or they could see on their advantage and just use the park the support others

[@aiv4873]

@@chris_allupinya5613 Yeah that makes sense as well, but if they're not attracting as much of a crowd as they could they might expand. It could go both ways and really just up to six flags.

[@ct6852]

SFDK is Marine World?

[@aiv4873]

@CT Yeah the park used to be called Marine World and it pretty much only had animals. Then six flags bought it and added roller coasters to it.

[@SurflinerBoy455]

This will be the first RMC to permantly close

[@JCBro-yg8vd]

Doubt it. Railblazer seems like too much of an investment to just discard. Worst case scenario, they move it down state to Knott's.

[@Marissaiscool53]

What sucks the most is that it’s going to become retail

[@williammanthey6763]

The elimination of Haunt at Valleyfair is still a huge mystery. This October will be the first season without it. I know for a fact that their Haunt event was the most profitable season for Valleyfair. I believe we will see the revival of the event in the future. One thought I had is that 3 of Valleyfairs mazes for Haunt are located in the same area where Dino's was located. It's the same place where our next coaster will likely go. It may be possible that they are taking a break from Haunt to prepare the area for a new coaster. Time will tell.

[@troyvsc]

They doubled their investmen in under 4 years as far as land goes. And they can sell or relocate a few of the rides/attraction/etc... as the purchase is for the land and not for all the park.

[@bradyryan5105]

I'm hoping Railblazer and/or Patriot get relocated to Carowinds. Flight Deck could go to Canada's Wonderland (given they get rid of that awful SLC of the same name)

[@neutrino78x]

There are four other theme parks in the area: * Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, which has lots of roller coasters * Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, which has some roller coasters * Raging Waters in San Jose, which is a water park * Gilroy Gardens, a theme park that really only has a couple good adult rides lol So yeah....it sucks that Great America is going away. I hope the City of Santa Clara can prevent it.

[@randywest5149]

California's Great America Lost Sad Souls Miss in Northern California 11 Years Further in Santa Clara, California USA 🇺🇲 EST. 1976-2033.

[@a-line2636]

This Is my home park and it sucks to see it go. I come here at leas 30 times a season and I have so many memories on the coasters. I just hope the park doesn't wind down and remove all the coasters until they close the park. Hopefully cedar fair does at least something for the last season many just a small event would be nice. Now that the park is closing getting to 1000 rides on gold striker is going to be wayyyy harder. only 437 more to go.

[@Metal_Groove45]

I hope Railblazer doesn't get scrapped!

[@scottyjbd]

It wont

[@jeta8431]

I worked at Great America during the Paramount to Cedar Fair transition (but if you ask me, as an employee, Paramount was far superior!). I have some of the best memories from those years and met my lifelong friends. It will be sad to see the park go. I'm really hoping that some miracle happens and the park is able to stay open. It really creates so many jobs in the bay area. I knew people that commuted from Oakland to work, that's some dedication!

[@NottiDDosama_BESTDUO]

please dont sold Great america

[@myleslee6959]

I’m so sad that is where I used to be during summer since when I was 3 since now I’m ten I’m so sad😭😢😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😢😢😢😢😢😢😢atleast they should build one

[@garrettsmith8591]

I just hope all or most of the Rides get moved to other parks

[@derekwtang]

I am very upset about this and will be very sad when it goes

[@nicholasfield6127]

What's the most wild to me? Is the population near the park, I feel like it could be one of the biggest profitable parks in the Cedar fair chain.

[@tylerkriesel8590]

The population in all the San Francisco Bay Area has seen the biggest loss in population in the nation. I’m top of that, California as a whole has been losing population for the last 3 years. Nobody wants to be there anymore.

[@ct6852]

Yeah all that tech money and the stadium. Weird to me too.

[@kl6361]

I have good news there is a them park that is always open it”s called six flags Discovery kingdom

[@just-dashin]

there’s another one that’s open mainly in the summer named “Knott’s Berry Farm.”

[@marcocampos2332]

Why can’t they do a lottery

[@jakem7200]

My home park is SFDK but CGA was always a fav. I'll never forget how good their pride ride nights used to be! THE Wendy Williams hosting a drag show with local talent, Lady Bunny, Detox, Willam, and Vicky Vox, Karmin the band headlined. It's such a good fun park, so clean and pretty. They always have great food festivals and events beside the rides. Discovery Kingdom is trash compared to this park, and it's a shame we're losing Great America instead.

[@bradyryan5105]

Medusa seems to be SFDK's only good coaster

[@jakem7200]

@@bradyryan5105 I actually like most of the rides, but the park is ugly, dated, unclean, and all around boring outside of their ride package and the depressing animal shows.

[@bradyryan5105]

@@jakem7200 true. then again, San Francisco isn't the cleanest city in America lol

[@maximevankerckhoven9865]

How do you know that CGA will operate at least till 2024? Is that well confirmed ? I would like to know if I have to rush there 😅

[@amusementscape]

Yeah I think it’s in the contract somewhere

[@neutrino78x]

From the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose is the largest city in the bay area with 1 million people, also largest in silicon valley), "The beloved amusement park could shut as soon as six years from now - and by no more than 11 years from now - under the terms of a real estate agreement filed Monday with federal regulators that this news organization reviewed."

[@ct6852]

@@neutrino78x Would think a lot could change in seven years? Maybe?

[@neutrino78x]

@@ct6852 " Would think a lot could change in seven years? Maybe?" It's hard to say. I know the mayor of Santa Clara has stated that the land is currently zoned as a theme park, so if they want to do anything else, they would need permission from the City Council of Santa Clara, who would presumably say no. I grew up with that park, so I definitely wouldn't want it replaced with housing, as much as we do need housing in Silicon Valley. And Vallejo is quite a ways away, it's part of the San Francisco Bay Area but iirc it takes two hours to get there on Amtrak. Shorter to drive, of course. I dunno, I hope Great America stays there. Maybe the City of Santa Clara should try to buy the land back. 🙂

[@ct6852]

@@neutrino78x Seems like such a missed opportunity for Silicon Valley with all the talent there, and the money, and the stadium next door. They could do something really special with it.

[@jonathannichols2043]

They really pushed the 11 year story here. This park will close quickly. I here mouse ride will get ripped out immediately. I think the land was zoned for amusement for like 26 more years but they paid 11 million to change that already. Leaving us 6 flags who have more than doubled their price this year. The Santa Cruz Boardwalk has no room for expansion.

[@neutrino78x]

well, the mayor of Santa Clara said it was zoned as a theme park and they would have to go to the city council to change that, "She invited Prologis to a series of community meetings to “share their vision for the Great America property,” and said the property is currently zoned for a theme park, with any changes subject to approval by the Santa Clara City Council. “On the surface, it appears California's Great America will not change in the short term,” Gillmor said. “My hope and goal is to keep California's Great America there as long as possible in the long term.”" That's from San Jose Inside, article title "Prologis Buys Great America Site in Santa Clara for $310M, Seals Fate of Amusement Park" (we can't put links in youtube comments anymore)

[@ct6852]

I think SF Marine World was like $36 last time I was there. How much is it now?

[@jonathannichols2043]

@@ct6852 Single day is like 35. The 149.99 season passon was 49.99 not so long ago then it was 59 then 69 then huge jump to 149

[@JP-rf7px]

@@neutrino78x I would say invited them to see how much money they could get from them to change the zoning back to commercial!

[@neutrino78x]

@@JP-rf7px yeah, they'll have to demonstrate that there is going to be a huge benefit to Santa Clara by changing the zoning, because they CANNOT build housing there as things stand right now. Currently it is zoned as a theme park, so the City of Santa Clara would have to agree to change the zoning there. 🙂

[@floridamaddogg]

The land value is the highest it will ever be and Cedar Fair was smart to sell before values drop. California can't stop the number of people in UHauls leaving their state, so it's best to sell high and get out when you can. I don't blame them. If California was run differently (past couple of years and present), it's possible things may have been different.

[@aiv4873]

They haven't completely left California, besides CGA they have Knott's Berry Farm in LA, which is one of their favorites. I think what really hit them hard was Discovery Kingdom expansion with covid mixed in. I live 10 minutes from discovery kingdom and I can see why SFDK is a problem for CGA. They've added a new ride year over year. We got an RMC conversion in 2016, Wonder Woman in 2017, Harley quinn in 2018 (now shut down) we got a S&S free spin in 2019, and a spinning coaster in 2022. I think that's the base of it, with CGA closing SF might invest more into this park, they've got some space and now they've got a whole lot more customers after CGA closes.

[@grobble8954]

California's population is growing, educate yourself. It's the 6th largest economy in the world & it runs a surplus, while paying the bills for federal moocher states like Florida.

[@floridamaddogg]

@@grobble8954 😂😂😂...your comment gave me a good laugh, thank you! If California's population is growing, then why did CA lose 2 seats in the house and FL and TX gained seats? That only happens when you have a population decrease. The exodus out of CA has been unprecedented.

[@overbanked]

@@grobble8954 LOL you don't have a clue

[@neutrino78x]

@@overbanked no, grobble is right. Our GDP as a state is 3.4 trillion USD. THAT IS HIGHER THAN THE GDP OF GREAT BRITAIN. Britain's is 2.2 trillion. Florida's is 1.2 trillion. Texas 1.9 trillion. California median household income 78k Texas median household income 63k Florida median household income 59k

[@MrJimmy527]

(imitated Willy Wonka): The whole Wave Swingers of Beauties of the swing rides of beauties of the attractions with the Gallery of Beauties on them all at between fairgrounds and amusement parks of the whole countries from around the world with all of them. I want you to bring them all. (to myself): But Jimmy, don't forget what happened to Joseph Karl Stieler who suddenly got everything he always wanted. He lived happily ever after.

[@wrestlingandamusementparkl7789]

There may be more then we know. The park itself may have debt that causing it to close. But it sucks it’s closing where people won’t have jobs or go do something

[@matthewchang6263]

Why do they have to sell the park

[@amusementscape]

They don’t. They chose to

[@JP-rf7px]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!

[@williampavichevich4877]

Does the CEDAR FAIR Merger with SIX FLAGS have any Impact Or change things a bit whereas CGA can still be spared❓️🤔

[@44bthknuckles]

is the water park being sold to or just the amusement park side?

[@KaliforniaLA]

Lakewood Village Sunnyvale MGA 1979 SHS 1981 Save the carousel.

[@RyzOhm007]

Good outcome: Prologis becomes a multipurpose company that will handle, both real estate and entertainment

[@schlesinger29]

See it’s the pandemic that is to blame non of this would have happened if it weren’t for the pandemic but it is what it is and you have all these other businesses going out of businesses it’s hard times

[@DilanCommunications]

Marriott, the original owner of Great America must stop this closure from happening.

[@JP-rf7px]

Never happen. I worked for Marriott. They are excellent at hotels and restaurant operations, but never understood a seasonal business where you had to hire 3000 people in the spring and lay them off in the fall.They even divested themselves from a cruise line they owned years ago. Mainly they build hotels, then sell the facility to investors and take back contracts to operate them long term. Then build again and repeat.

[@oldschoolsteve5116]

I wonder if it’s got a lot to do with the California restrictions and laws and stuff that they don’t have in other states?

[@neutrino78x]

Not really unless you count the covid lockdowns which were just common sense.

[@davpart7723]

The problem is that people nowadays have more fun being on there phones than going to an amusement park 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@coolkid7029]

ok grandpa

[@djavatar68]

Didn't seem like that great of a park. Only a few good rides. Pretty sure the B&M coasters, and the Single rail will be relocated. The Demon may end up as spare parts for the other CF parks.

[@ct6852]

I think the Demon would probably be scrapped. It's felt really old for a while now.

[@ChuckE.CheesesIllinois]

Six Flags had the better Great America anyways

[@JCBro-yg8vd]

I guess Cedar Fair decided it wasn't worth trying to run two parks in the crowded California theme park market.

[@justinkyle09]

Sad but not a big deal for me lol

[@scottyjbd]

Yeah real funny

[@mrhead6856]

Money talks ..310 million dollars for land that will be worth less than half that in 15 years when that complete mistake of a stadium is torn down couldn't be passed up ... And 2 BILLION dollars in debt?!!!!! That's horrible business running.. .of course they have to sell off assets. It's a shame but that's how capitalism works