Hindsight is 20/20. With that said, I think CF should have kept the animals but returned it to a separate gate zoo. There isn’t a lot of overlap between the demographics of a zoo and an amusement park. By combining them into the same (more expensive) ticket, SF alienated customers for both products. If CF still wasn’t comfortable with the zoo’s performance after a few seasons they could have then sold that portion of the property.
I think CF made the right decision in making the waterpark their central focus. But I think they should have expanded and rebranded the existing waterpark rather than completely relocate it. Hurricane Hannah’s could have been doubled with the removal of X-Flight, Steel Venom, Head Spin, Skyscraper, Bel Air Express, Mr. Hyde’s Nasty Fall, go-karts, etc. GL would be able to expand its waterpark to the front gate while eliminating several of its expensive to operate rides.