TOLEDO, Ohio – Stuck in a dreary staff meeting this summer, the new president of the nation’s third-biggest amusement park chain decided to shake things up by taking everyone for a spin on one of the world’s fastest roller coasters.
As they neared the coaster, a young woman noticed an executive wearing a tie and somewhat jokingly asked if he could get her group to the front of the line. “As a matter of fact, I can,” Cedar Fair Entertainment Co.’s Matthew Ouimet told her.
“It just made my day, and it made theirs,” he said.
Ouimet, who was named Cedar Fair’s president this summer and adds the chief executive post this week, wants to bring more such magical moments to the company’s parks in the Midwest and along both coasts. He knows how to do it after spending 17 years managing Walt Disney Co.’s resorts, theme parks and cruise line.
He sees adding more rides that entire families can enjoy together and using technology to better connect with guests before they arrive and once they’re inside the parks. And there might be a few surprises added along the way.
“We’ve always got to be known for great thrills,” Ouimet said in a recent interview.
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