Six Flags has hung a For Sale signal out in entrance of its smallest parks with out specifying which of the 42 places within the North American amusement park chain are formally in the marketplace — however now we have a good suggestion which of them is likely to be out there to the best bidder.
Six Flags introduced that some smaller parks within the chain have been up on the market through the firm’s newest quarterly earnings name final week after finishing a complete portfolio evaluation following the merger of Six Flags and Cedar Honest in July.
“We have completed our initial review having identified properties that are less strategic and critical to our long-term growth objectives, properties that we would consider divesting under the right circumstances,” Six Flags CEO Richard Zimmerman stated on the decision.
ALSO SEE: When will California’s Nice America shut? 7 indicators the tip is close to
Six Flags didn’t announce which parks have been on the market, however the firm plans to share extra particulars about its long-term technique at an upcoming investor day on Might 20 at Ohio’s Cedar Level theme park.
Which parks is likely to be up on the market or in play? And which of them are untouchable or secure for now?
Let’s take a more in-depth have a look at all the probabilities.
Individuals experience the Marvel Lady Flight of Braveness curler coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia. (Picture by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Every day Information/SCNG) Untouchable Parks
The chain’s eight largest parks based mostly on attendance embody Buena Park’s Knott’s Berry Farm (4.2 million annual guests), Ohio’s Cedar Level (4 million), Ohio’s Kings Island (3.5 million), Valencia’s Six Flags Magic Mountain (3.4 million), Canada’s Wonderland (3.2 million), Illinois’ Six Flags Nice America (3 million), New Jersey’s Six Flags Nice Journey (2.5 million) and Six Flags Mexico (2 million), in keeping with the TEA/AECOM report.
These places appear to be core properties within the new Six Flags and are untouchable in the intervening time.
ALSO SEE: Six Flags Magic Mountain will get a suspended bike coaster in 2026
Idea artwork of the Wrath of Rakshasa curler coaster coming to Six Flags Nice America in Illinois. (Courtesy of Six Flags) Secure For Now
Eight of the chain’s remaining parks are situated near main metropolitan areas: Philadelphia (Dorney Park), Dallas/Fort Value (Six Flags Over Texas), Atlanta (Six Flags Over Georgia), Washington D.C. (Six Flags America and Kings Dominion), Boston (Six Flags New England) and San Francisco Bay Space (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and California’s Nice America).
However a few these eight parks aren’t essentially secure.
You’ll discover instantly that two markets have competing parks — Washington D.C. and San Francisco.
The San Francisco rivalry will quickly kind itself out with California’s Nice America set to shut within the subsequent few years, possible pushing Discovery Kingdom into the secure column.
Kings Dominion would possible win out if Six Flags settled on the thought of getting just one park within the D.C. space, which might put Six Flags America in play.
Idea artwork of the AlpenFury coaster coming to Canada’s Wonderland. (Courtesy of Six Flags) On the Bubble
4 parks within the chain sit on the bubble in mid-sized metropolitan areas: Carowinds (Charlotte, North Carolina), Six Flags Fiesta Texas (San Antonio, Texas), La Ronde (Montreal, Canada) and Six Flags St. Louis (Missouri).
Carowinds is probably going secure since Six Flags company headquarters is now situated in Charlotte.
The opposite three parks may very well be in the marketplace if Six Flags discovered the best bidder.
The Marvel Lady Golden Lasso single-rail curler coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. (Courtesy of Six Flags) Six FlagsOn the Market
That leaves the six smallest parks within the chain — Frontier Metropolis (Oklahoma Metropolis), Six Flags Darien Lake (Buffalo, New York), Valleyfair (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Worlds of Enjoyable (Kansas Metropolis, Missouri), Six Flags Nice Escape (Albany, New York) and Michigan’s Journey (Grand Rapids).
Michigan’s Journey might argue that it’s close to Detroit and Chicago, however possible couldn’t compete with the larger Cedar Level or Six Flags Nice America.
The dueling Six Flags parks in upstate New York have coexisted for years — however are each among the many smallest within the chain. Six Flags doesn’t personal Darien Lake and solely serves because the lease operator, which possible means prices are decrease there.
Riders courageous Twister at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. (Courtesy of Six Flags Magic Mountain) Water Parks
The entire water parks within the newly mixed chain every draw lower than 1 million guests a yr.
A lot of the water parks are linked to an amusement parks, however not all of them.
The 2 Schlitterbahn water parks in Texas rank first and third in attendance amongst Six Flags water parks, in keeping with the TEA/AECOM report. Knott’s Soak Metropolis sits in between the Schlitterbahn parks.
The opposite high water parks by way of attendance are tied to Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Nice Journey, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Over Georgia and Cedar Level.
The stand-alone Six Flags Phoenix water park additionally makes the TEA/AECOM High 20 North American water parks record.
4 stand-alone water parks within the chain — in Northern California, Texas, Georgia and Mexico — aren’t straight tied to amusement parks and may very well be among the many smallest places within the Six Flags chain.
