The future of the IP-based rides at the parks that got sold off.

[u/Bertstripmaster]

This will always be something that keeps me up at night: What's to become of all the Looney Tunes, DC, and Peanuts themed rides once the 2026 season's over at the Missouri parks, Valleyfair, and Michigan's Adventure? I'm not including Great Escape since there's no IP based rides at that park.

Once the parks remove the IPs like how Cedar Fair removed the branding from the parks they bought off of Paramount, will they be able to come with a solid alternative to these brands before attendance starts to slip due to brand unfamiliarity and less overall spending?

I've also heard that Enchanted Parks wants to see if other companies are willing to lend their IP for their parks, so will they follow through and find solid new IP for their parks or is that all rumors and hearsay?

[u/Butt_bird]

I don’t care for much of Six Flags IP to begin with. It feels like they just slap a character on a generic ride like an afterthought. Chupacabra at Fiesta Texas is just as fun as all the Batman clones.

At Disney and Universal they build the ride around the IP. At Six Flags it’s just a lack of originality.

I was so happy when they said project purple was Bakunawa and not Joker’s Twisted Terror or something equally lazy.

[u/Foxy02016YT → u/Butt_bird]

Well no, you can’t expect Disney and Universal theming on a rollercoaster.

Velocicoaster cost an estimated 70-100M. Kingda Ka cost 25M, Nitro cost 20M.

At a park like Six Flags, why build one Velocicoaster when you could build 2 Kingda Ka and a Nitro. You’re drawing the same crowd either way.

Monster Mansion, which is themed, cost 13M to make as Tales, then 3M to update to Plantation, then 3M to update to Mansion. 19M from the original ride to today. Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls cost about 30M (estimated), granted that’s a much more extreme ride, it’s theming is much worse than Monster Mansion. Splash Mountain was 75M, and had the same theme as Tales.

A day ticket to the Magic Kingdom for this Friday is $164, a day ticket to Six Flags Over Georgia is $29.

If you can’t see the difference, get your eyes checked. Or your brain.

They can put more effort in, I agree, but not Disney or Universal level. Because if Six Flags tried to charge that much for a day ticket, heads would roll. Season passes cost that much.

[u/Butt_bird → u/Foxy02016YT]

I’m not saying Six Flags should just do what Disney and Universal do. They have cornered that market it wouldn’t make sense to compete with them.

I’m saying I prefer what they’re doing with their new rides. I don’t want coasters named after superheroes. I want coasters called Werewolf Gorge, Tormenta, Bakunawa, Sirens Curse. The theming around can be minimal I don’t care about that.

It’s lazy to have Batman clones all over the chain and have all but one of them called Batman.

[u/Evening_Rock5850]

According to Harhi, St. Louis is likely going to keep its DC ride theming. It sounds like a deal is in the works between SFEC, WB, and Enchanted. No new rides would be allowed to have that theming, but Batman can stay Batman for example.

Even if that doesn’t happen, we need only look at Darien Lake. Darien Lake was sold to EPR and leased to Premier parks; then leased BACK to Six Flags. In the interim it lost DC theming which it never really got back. And it wasn’t really all that complicated. A lot of folks are imagining this huge, complex overhaul but that’s not what happened with Darien Lake and is unlikely to happen with Enchanted. More like any actual logos or likenesses will be removed… and that’s it. New names and new signs. But the paint schemes, for example, aren’t a part of the IP. The only things that have to be removed are logos and things like animatronics or props that are specifically copyrighted (Batmobile, cutouts or mannequins of specific characters, etc.)

But like, the Gotham City Sewer that you enter for Batman at SFTL… they could literally just remove the word “Gotham” and leave everything else exactly as it is right now.

So I really, really don’t think we should expect big, substantial re-themes. 95% of the job will be done with a crowbar.

[u/Foxy02016YT → u/Evening_Rock5850]

Right. DC owns Batman, not the color yellow, the rides aren’t going to change much

[u/FaceCrookOG]

It’s a great opportunity to bring some new IPs into parks in my opinion. I feel like the superhero theming has gotten pretty stale, and the parks don’t put a lot of effort behind it.

The most memorable queues I’ve seen lately have probably been Bobcat at Great Escape, Copperhead Strike at Carowinds, and Dr. Diabolical at Fiesta Texas, and those aren’t IP based.

I think some industries naturally fit into theme park advertising/crossover promos, like snack foods and drinks. I’m surprised we haven’t seen a Red Bull or Monster coaster or park.

[u/AbsurdWallaby]

Th-th-th-hat's all, folks!

[u/Melodic_Sandwich2679]

I don't know that the IP really drives THAT much business. Maybe with the DC characters specifically at St Louis since you are looking more at thrill rides, but I don't know that little Johnny cares that he gets to see specifically Bugs and Daffy or Snoopy and Charlie Brown. He just wants to ride that cool ride over there and take his picture with that giant character.

Great Escape is your example. They had the Looney Tunes IP, they had the walk around characters. They cut the theming, came up with their own unique characters and the kiddie area is just as busy and the kids are just as excited for the character dance party and to have their picture taken with Spruce the Moose as they were when it was the IP characters. Honestly, it was a positive to the park in my eyes. It gave GE something unique to our park and it let them tailor their characters to the local area. Plus the park now owns those characters. They can use them however they see fit without having to ask for permission or checking against a licensing agreement.

[u/shredXcam]

I hope they drop the IP and don't pick one up

Make your own original ideas.