California Great America (CGA) Discussion Thread

Still kind of far away, but is anyone going opening day? Or plan to go to the park at all even with the omission of a new coaster/ride?

I'll probably go on opening day and a few times during the season, especially during Halloween Haunt (which I went to twice last year). I'm a loyal P/(nothing/CGA season pass holder since 01 and I will not be ending that this year.

Nope! I'm not going until I see some big changes to the park & especially a few new coasters.

^Ok, that's understandable but the park is not going to be some gigantic coaster park! It's not going to be SFMM in a million years! You wanna know why? Because they don't have the room! Sure they can fit that new wooden coaster in, but unless they somehow have a path that can lead to the parking lot from inside the park, I can only see a maximum of two more coasters being able to fit in the park. The only other way of course is to remove another one.

As it has been pointed out many times in other threads and regarding any park for that matter, it does not matter if it SEEMS like there is room for a new coaster or not nor how big or small the park is... if they really want to put one in they will find room to do so. So to say they could only fit maybe two more coasters in is actually not true. Whether that means removing something or not doesn't matter. If they want it bad enough they will find a way.

According to the park website, they raised the general parking to $12. I checked Knott's website and it is also $12. Maybe it's a California CF park thing because the other CF parks I checked are still $10. Maybe this is a move to get more people to buy a season pass since it includes free parking.

CGA has been sold today! It was announced on the radio.

^ Care to elaborate? Name the radio station on which they mentioned it.

From reading this article released yesterday, this does not surprise me at all. Maybe you are confusing it with "the potential sale of California’s Great America" as mentioned in the article. However, if it has indeed been sold, good riddance.

That was quick. One day it's doing fine, next day it's possible that it may get sold, next day it's sold, hmm...wonder what's going to happen tomorrow

I don't believe it's sold until I see it or hear it for myself.

I did a quick google search and nothing came up...I call BS until link is provided.

Please don't be true.

Not sold for sale, Today's San Jose Mercury news article. Also with the new coaster plans being delayed again till April before the city council they are making it tough on the park. Plus they are re tracking the grizzly It needed that though.

Dws

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11874211?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

For sale: Great America theme park — but how will it impact the 49ers' stadium plans?

 

By Mike Swift

 

Mercury News

Posted: 03/09/2009 06:09:59 PM PDT

 

In a development that could lower one roadblock to the 49ers' stadium plans in Santa Clara, the Ohio company that owns Great America said Monday that it plans to raise cash by selling a number of its properties, including the amusement park adjacent to the stadium site.

 

The 49ers said Monday they are still talking to Cedar Fair Entertainment about buying the park but are focused first on finalizing a deal with the city of Santa Clara to finance the stadium.

 

Cedar Fair had vetoed the 49ers' original proposal to build the stadium on Great America's main parking lot on Tasman Drive, one of the biggest obstacles to the 49ers' stadium ambitions in Silicon Valley.

 

Although the 49ers moved their stadium plan to an overflow lot, Cedar Fair said the stadium would damage Great America's revenue on game days and demanded to be compensated by the team. Sources familiar with the talks said the 49ers had discussed paying the company more than $1 million a year to close Great America on game days.

 

A publicly traded partnership based in Sandusky, Ohio, Cedar Fair announced Monday that it would slash the distribution it pays to investors nearly in half and would seek to sell excess land or theme parks in Toronto, Cleveland, Kansas City and Minnesota, as well as continue discussions with the 49ers about the potential sale of Great America.

 

"In light of current economic and market conditions, reducing our debt and strengthening our balance sheet

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must continue to be a priority," Dick Kinzel, Cedar Fair's chairman, president and chief executive, said in a written announcement.

 

Cedar Fair first said it would be willing to sell Great America to the 49ers in October 2007. While team and Cedar Fair officials have met several times, both in Santa Clara and Ohio, no deal appears imminent. Cedar Fair said Monday that it would not discuss potential asking prices for its properties, or the timing of those sales.

 

49ers officials confirmed Monday that they are talking to Cedar Fair about buying the park. But the team said it is focused on completing a deal with Santa Clara about the financial contribution, through redevelopment funds and a special tax on area hotels, the city would make to the stadium.

 

Santa Clara officials and the 49ers continue to meet for negotiating sessions every week, with both sides saying they are making progress. Successful or not, a resolution could still be weeks off — or longer.

 

"Patience is critical in all big deals," 49ers President Jed York said Monday. "We're getting close."

 

The full project, estimated at $916 million last year before the full brunt of the recession hit — potentially reducing those costs — would also be financed by the NFL, the sale of stadium naming rights and sponsorships, as well as seat licenses bought by fans.

 

Given the weakness of the economy and the disarray of the credit markets, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been pushing the 49ers and the Raiders to consider sharing a new stadium, along the lines of the venue being built by the New York Giants and New York Jets.

 

The park's market value is unclear. While Cedar Fair claimed in tax appeals last year that the park was worth about $44 million, the county's assessment appeals board set the park's value at about $104 million. Cedar Fair bought Great America from Paramount Parks in 2006 as part of a package of five parks, in a $1.24 billion transaction.

Whoever buys the park, I hope it's not the 49ers because I really do not want to see this park close no matter how good it would be for other CF parks and CF. Unfortunately I can't think of another buyer for the park in this economy especially for a park like CGA.

I thought the park looked mediocre and I knew it was choked up with the surrounding business park atmosphere but the postings of the last few our changed my view of the park even more. I thought the buildings came later around the park but an older member mentioned the park was built in an industrial zone. The order is different now I realize. I do appreciate the history of the park with it being built with its twin. I really wished the coaster worked out. I respect all the Super Bowl wins the Niners have but I never liked the baseball only looking Candlestick Park. I won't like their new place either if they actually do buy the park for the new stadium and provide Cedar Fair the favor of funds to help pay down debt.

I'm super big on the Philadelphia EAGLES and NFL football but for the sake of CGA I like the commissioner's idea of the Raiders and Niners sharing a stadium. Hopefully the Raiders half would affect the stadium in moving north closer to Oakland, between San Fran and Oakland for a new shared stadium.

I guess I'll always complain about the park's removal of the train for a Vekoma prototype that eventually got moved.

The park was pretty much in the middle of nowhere back in 1976 when it opened. I remember going there the opening season. While my memories from that age have faded to some extent, I do still remember pulling up in front of the park after having driven for some time over what was pretty much mostly empty pasture land. There weren't any tall buildings in the immediate area, or much of anything else in the way of already established businesses.

The idea that the park was plopped down in the middle of an already burgeoning industrial and business center just isn't accurate. Almost everything else that butts up against the park nowadays did not exist when it was built. Not that it matters, but the park was there first. Any company that built anything near the park was well aware of its existence.

Edit: A picture that shows what it looked like back in 1976 should go a long way in backing up what I just posted: Click here for the picture

That was my first impression and then I thought it was otherwise just the other day. Thanks for setting me straight. I can get that bit of respect I have for the place back.

I noticed that there hasn't been an update for over a month with CGA's blog. Did it die off or something? Did they lose interest?

^Unfortunately their PR director was laid off.

Stupid economy! Hopefully the next buyer will keep it 'Great America' and will be able to run it well and let's hope it's not the 49ers, it would be nice if they ended up sharing the stadium with the Raiders.

Kind of long to read, but this is regarding the proposed coaster. It looks like it is closer to being a reality. It says on section 2C (which is page 18 of 24 on PDF) that the council approved the height variance. Also interesting is that they also submitted a different proposed location for the coaster before the current one.

sireweb.santaclaraca.gov/cache/2/gtvdybr3cu3o3u55l1esoe45/10268704082009052914593.PDF

It's amazing how how much red tape a park has to go through just to build a new ride.

Think of how many parks have suffered just trying to build something new. (IE: Dorney, Waldameer, Geauga Lake)

Let's now hope that this all comes together. Design-wise, I wouldn't mind the coaster having 'sheds' over the high-scream sections...just some more headchoppers for all of us! With the noise tests being made, I'd assume that the coaster would already need to have been built and giving people some rides.

Just to let everyone know, the Inside Track blog has started up again.

cfpl3.cagreatamerica.com/public/fun/blog/index.cfm?entry=61b43a4c-f8b9-4d75-b3d7-e622b70c7dd6

I'm visiting SFDK and CGA in July and I know it's going to be crowded. Is there anyway I could get all 8 credits (hit all 8 coasters) in 1 day or would I need to do it in 2 days or something? Because I know Cedar Fair parks don't have flash pass.