Selling Conversions to the GP

[Jarrett]

So as of lately, the industry has seen a boom in the trend of taking an old, crappy, unpopular ride and turning it into a new, decent, liked attraction for the park. We've seen it at numerous Six Flags parks and Cedar Point, and we're about to see it at Kentucky Kingdom and CGA.

Now whenever I'm asked about that "new Rougarou coaster" at Cedar Point by some GP Ohioan that's never left the midwest, I have to excuse myself, lock myself in a closet, scream really loudly in frustration for thirty seconds, and come back out and politely explain to them that Rougarou isn't new and that it used to be called Mantis.

My question is, with all these rides being transformed and reborn, will the GP end up catching on to the fact that this does happen to the industry and just because the park portrays it as new doesn't mean it truly is? Since it's happening all over you'd think it would become common knowlege at some point.

Also, to anybody who lives near a Six Flags park with an RMC, do GP in those areas not understand that your conversions aren't necessarily "new" or are Ohioans just that stupid?

 

[zips_6]

In my opinion, the GP never bothers to look further into a ride after seeing a 30 second ad on TV show describing how hot the new attraction is. They hear "introducing the all-new Rougarou" and get excited they can take another trip to a park to ride the new big thing. And most, if not all, commercial advertising by parks is geared toward the GP. When they do ride it, most of the time they won't be talking about "how similar it was to that other one." And the cycle repeats with each conversion, and the GP will keep coming back for more.

Also, I live in Philly, so I'm nowhere near an RMC or any type of conversion, but this is how I imagine parks attract the GP with a conversion.

 

[Hutch]

I haven't discussed with any GP about this topic, but TBH, regarding the Iron Horses at least, they are technically new creds with a completely different layout and elements and whatnot. And while the Mantis conversion isn't exactly a new coaster, it's still offering a new and different experience. That's why the parks are marketing it as something "new," because it's more than just a name change.

In regards to the GP, they're not nit-picky goons like us so they probably don't know any better.

 

[Ben]

Yeah, I can excuse the RMCs because they are utterly different in every way.

And I doubt any GP who has been to CP before would really think Rougarou was new.

 

[Gavin]

Outside of the RMCs - which ARE totally different rides - and Rougarou, this mass conversion really isn't happening.

"Are the GP fooled by Rougarou?" would be a more accurate topic.