Coney Island An Industry Look At Coney Island Redevelopment
Coney Island Dan Aylward 38 years in the industry Coney Island of the West Kings Island Riverside Boblo Island Old Tucson Studios Silverwood Six Flags Marine World European Division Magic Springs / Themeparks LLC / PARC Management LLC
Coney Island Tough Business Turn Around projects Yahoo Finance Story 2/9/09 Listed Six Flags as one of 15 companies poised to fail
Many parks have closed Libertyland in Memphis Six Flags Astroworld Six Flags New Orleans New parks often fail West World in Wichita Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach Coney Island
Coney Island Regional Parks differ from destination parks Less theme More thrills Draw from 200 mile radius Hire from 30 mile radius Less reliant on tourists (over night visitors) 80/20 split More reliant on residential market
All parks are different Urban versus suburban Destination vs. regional Regional vs. local Local vs. waterparks Waterparks vs. FEC Coney Island
Coney Island Different appeals in different parks Tivoli aesthetics Blackpool beach Six Flags Great Adventure Intense thrills Silverwood airport Old Tucson Studios movie studio Alton Towers historical Carowinds -- cultural
Unique appeals of Coney Island Beach History Traditional building Styles Quirkiness Different feel Different look Coney Island
Realities of Redevelopment High cost of entry Land Facilities Infrastructure Limited physical plant City buying land Limited land available Coney Island
What we are going to cover Market Attractions Design issues Support What steps should be taken Coney Island
Coney Island New York is one of the most competitive entertainment markets in the world Numerous parks compete in the market Six Flags Great Adventure Six Flags New England Playland Splish Splash Numerous smaller operations
Theme park competition is intense Biggest roller coasters Fastest rides Intense experiences Coney Island
Kingda Ka Six Flags Great Adventure
Superman Six Flags New England
Coney Island strengths Heritage Unique style High current attendance levels Coney Island weaknesses Old fashioned Uncertainty Coney Island
Coney Island Iconic Attractions are a must for any entertainment venue Pepsi Max Blackpool Pleasure Beach Volume of rides must be competitive Tivoli Gardens 26 rides Blackpool Pleasure Beach 37 rides Types of rides must play to demographics Mix of adult and children s rides
Pepsi Max Big One Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Coney Island Creation of critical mass must: meet the competition accommodate the market demographics fulfill the history of the facility
Attractions Thrill Rides Family Rides Children s Rides Indoor Attractions Coney Island
Coney Island Parks typically feature: Four or five iconic attractions Seven or eight other adult rides 10 or 11 children s rides Seven to 10 family rides Selection depends on capacity requirements Seven experiences in a day is normal
Coney Island Lay Out of Facilty More important today than ever before Business approach to design Aesthetics equally important Design adds to escape quality of the experience Mom drives the business
Kings Island Cincinnati, Ohio
Tivoli Gardens Copenhagen, Denmark
Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool, England
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Santa Cruz, California
Pacific Park Santa Monica, California
Size No set size parameters for a facility Measure visitation level at peak How long do guests stay? What waiting times are acceptable? What facilities will be available? What ride capacity is desirable? Coney Island
Land use varies by style of park Suburban sprawling facilities Piers Beach front parks Urban parks Coney Island
Coney Island Suburban Park Piers
Coney Island Beachfront Park Urban Park
Coney Island Some basic design considerations Facility must contain iconic attractions Layout must be controlled Comfortable passage between attractions Coordinated design and attraction placement Convey safe and secure environment
Support facilities are important Hotels Food, Merchandise and Games Restaurants on-site and off-site Rest Rooms Utility Support structures Warehouse space Maintenance building Offices Shared operator facilities Beach support functions Stages Dressing Rooms Coney Island
Coney Island How to approach the facility Aggressive Management is critical in any entertainment scenario Regular introductions of new attractions keep the park fresh for the audience Single minded facility management is needed to move the business forward A cohesive business plan will be needed to serve all the stakeholders Experienced park management will always win out over inexperience in this business Many derivatives in structure but not all structures improve the results Government owned / leased to private Government owned / contracted management Government owned / government operated
Recipe for success Coney Island
Most parks target families Women 18-34 Coney Island
Coney Island Operational Philosophy Everyone leaves Coney Island happy
Coney Island Build Community Involvement Expand Relationships with area tourist attractions Grow Governmental Relationships Support local groups and organizations
Coney Island Marketing Aggressive advertising and PR effort Reach outside the immediate markets Creative ticketing and promotions Coordinated activity and support from all attractions
Operating Philosophy One Priority Safety Coney Island
Coney Island Integrate attractions into one entertainment venue Amphitheater Keyspan Park Aquarium
Select attractions carefully Consistency in operation Quality of experience Coney Island
Coney Island Consider integrating water park elements into design Take advantage of the beach traffic Indoor or outdoor waterpark attractions Combined with hotel property?
Coney Island Operating Goals Quality Service Superior Operations Strong Supervision throughout facility High and consistent standards between operations Higher overall satisfaction levels Excellent Secret Shopper scores
What benefits will the area enjoy? Quality of life Additional entertainment in the neighborhood Family memories Jobs Full time and part time Multiplier effect of spending Economists vary Additional development Hotels Restaurants On-site and off-site Coney Island
Coney Island Photo Credits Wikipedia Six Flags Great Adventure Widipedia Six Flags New England www.belmontpark.com Belmont Park www.santacruz.com Santa Cruz Boardwalk www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com Blackpool Pleasure Beach www.tivoli.dk Tivoli Gardens Google Earth Aerial views All other photos property of Dan Aylward