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Six Flags / Cedar Fair Merger Announced

Climb said:
Mixed feelings about Six Flags monopolising honestly
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It's not really a Six Flags monopoly. With Six Flags trying to get Cedar Fair to purchase their parks for years (if not decades) and since the new headquarters will be near Carowinds with "significant finance and administrative operations in Sandusky, Ohio", I assume Cedar Fair will be running the business while using the more well-known Six Flags as branding.
 
ECG said:
It's not really a Six Flags monopoly. With Six Flags trying to get Cedar Fair to purchase their parks for years (if not decades) and since the new headquarters will be near Carowinds with "significant finance and administrative operations in Sandusky, Ohio", I assume Cedar Fair will be running the business while using the more well-known Six Flags as branding.
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And to your point, this quote from Cleveland.com's reporting continues to paint a picture of "overall, Six Flags needs Cedar Fair more than Cedar Fair needs Six Flags": https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023...-will-be-headquartered-in-north-carolina.html

“This merger makes Six Flags a better company,” said Speigel. “And I don’t think it takes away from Cedar Fair at all."
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I do believe the "new" Six Flags will proceed with caution on branding/general operations to not disrupt or unsettle operations. This aint the 1990s Premier Park conversion of yore, with sizable parks (Canada's Wonderland, Cedar Point remain largest seasonal parks by attendance in North America) that have far more established reputation.
 
So now they only have Herschend and Sea World to offer any kind of competition to motivate investment? ...Great

Cedar Fair have had a great investment model which would work amazingly for the six flags parks. But I can't see this working out well when they have effectively a monopoly on most regions in the US.
 
Unfortunately, since CF is calling the shots on this one, I'd wager RMC and Intamin just got walled off from most of the NA market. RIP.
 
I wonder which park(s) will end up closing for good!? There is no way they are keeping ALL the parks in the long run.
 
ricklap77 said:
I wonder which park(s) will end up closing for good!? There is no way they are keeping ALL the parks in the long run.
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As I mentioned earlier, the only places that have true market overlap with this merger are LA and the Bay area, and also potentially some of the Bos-Wash parks like SFGAdv/Dorney and KD/SFA.


Everything else in the Midwest/Rustbelt/South/Texas/Canada/Mexico is already pretty well separated into discreet local markets.

They really will have most of North America pretty well blanketed, with the exceptions of the PNW and mountain west.
 
This definitely seems like Cedar Fair will be pushing the business, their creative team, etc., and using the Six Flags name to further their portfolio. From Six Flags' perspective, why not work with a chain of parks that excel at your weakness?

It really is a great fit, hope the investment level is maintained throughout the entire portfolio.
 
Little bummed that they're maintaining the Six Flags brand. I get why, but their branding and visual design is one of my least favorite things about SF in general. I'll still take Cedar Fair's planning/operations though. I just hope that the current CF parks won't be tainted visually.
 
First reading this I thought "Ist it April 1st yet?". For my trip next year to Texas and Georgia in June I assume most will be as today. From there on I lean back here in Europe and enjoy the news...
 
Just some quick bits of how this combined company will dominate the rollercoaster landscape of North America.

As of today, the combined 26 theme parks contain:

72.9% of all operating Arrow coasters in NA
72.7% of all operating B&M coasters in NA
66.6% of all operating RMC coasters in NA
59.1% of all operating Premier coasters in NA
57.1% of all operating GCI coasters in NA
51.4% of all operating Intamin coasters in NA
52.9% of all operating S&S coasters in NA
45.1% of all operating Vekoma coasters in NA
44.4% of all operating Mack coasters in NA
 
Steely Dan said:
Just some quick bits of how this combined company will dominate the rollercoaster landscape of North America.

As of today, the combined 26 theme parks contain:

72.9% of all operating Arrow coasters in NA
72.7% of all operating B&M coasters in NA
66.6% of all operating RMC coasters in NA
59.1% of all operating Premier coasters in NA
57.1% of all operating GCI coasters in NA
51.4% of all operating Intamin coasters in NA
52.9% of all operating S&S coasters in NA
45.1% of all operating Vekoma coasters in NA
44.4% of all operating Mack coasters in NA
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Um, you have Arrow twice, and with different percentages
 
Hutch said:
Little bummed that they're maintaining the Six Flags brand. I get why, but their branding and visual design is one of my least favorite things about SF in general. I'll still take Cedar Fair's planning/operations though. I just hope that the current CF parks won't be tainted visually.
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Likewise I do hope this is a purposely slow transition, even just the "Cedar Point, a Six Flags Company Park" or something to the effect of adding Six Flags as the "underwritten" corporate owner.

Putting a little more of a think on this to @Lofty's point, while this will lead to a more cost-effective corporation with lower overhead cost; there will still be 43 properties to feed (27 from Six Flags, 16 from Cedar Fair) and oversee now. While I expect the status quo for lower priority parks not to receive significant upgrades/investment (Michigan's Adventure, Darien Lake, etc.) and stay relatively stagnant so long as they turn a profit - I worry those low-priority parks could see ever reduced investment, especially if there is some sort of angle or thought to add investment to parks with delayed improvements or upgrades across either parks. IDK, it's hard to fathom the ride additions strategy from here when the two lead competitors are merging. 😅

The idea has been floated that somehow the smaller parks would be sold off or liquidated by some in the coaster community. I feel that remains a separate issue (you would sell off or close a property if it wasn't making target revenue, regardless), but do wonder what this all will mean for the not-Cedar-Points-and-Magic-Mountains of the world.
 
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