Six Flags over ... Disney? - About.Com - 7/18/06

[sir clinksalot]

http://themeparks.about.com/b/a/257219.htm

New Six Flags CEO Mark Shapiro has been saying that one of his main goals is to make the chain of coaster-crazy theme parks more family friendly. The former executive at ESPN, which is part of the Walt Disney Company, clearly wants to emulate the Disneyland model. But Six Flags may be taking things a bit too far in its quest to mimic The Mouse. On a recent visit to Six Flags Darien Lake, near Buffalo, New York, I stumbled upon Curiosity's. The shop, known as Winter's Treasures before this season, used to sell Christmas-related items. Now, it features Disney merchandise. You read that right. Amid the Superman hypercoaster, the Dodgems, and Elmer Fudd's Tiny Tooter Railroad, there is a store offering Mickey Mouse T-shirts and toys from the new Disney-Pixar film, Cars. There are even posters hyping the movie. The sign for the store uses the distinctive Disney typeface. It's curious indeed to see Little Mermaid key chains alongside Six Flags' Justice League autograph books. According to Six Flags, other parks in the chain are also hawking Disney stuff, but there is no official relationship between the two companies.
Photos of Darien Lake's Curiosity's Shop .

[PragmaticIdealist]

I smell trademark infringement. Employing that logotype is clearly not fair use.

[pineapplewhipaddict]

Lame. Instead of taking Disney's merch, they should hype what they have already. I'm sure they could do it in a family-friendly way. Their biggest problem is their amount of intense coasters and lack of family rides, at least from what I've seen...and their lack of theming. That's what makes Disney parks Disney...not the stuff you can buy.

[cellarhound]

It is my understanding that this particular vendor was contracted to be there prior to Shapiro. And it is independant of Six Flags...

I don't think Six Flags agreement with Time-Warner would have allowed such a vendor. But I guess it passed their legal team...

[mrtommorrow]

Yeah, a couple of months ago I was at Six Flags New England, and I was really surprised to see them selling Disney/Pixar's Cars merchandise. They had a cart/stand that sold all Cars stuff - beach towels, t-shirts, collectible figurines, etc. I didn't know it was at other Six Flags parks, too, nationwide.