Six Flags says they have no plans to close any of its amusement parks following a report that said the company could close parks following its merger with Cedar Fair.
WGN News published a story last week that said Six Flags Entertainment Corporation will consider closing some parks.
The news report cited Six Flags’ 2024 third-quarter results which were published last Wednesday.
In the results report, Six Flags said it intended to review its park portfolio over time, “optimize the asset base,” narrow management’s focus and help “reduce net leverage.”
The quarterly results report was the first since Six Flags merged with Cedar Fair to form Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. That deal was completed on July 1.
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation operates 42 amusement and water parks in the United States, along with Canada and Mexico, including Six Flags Great America in Gurnee.
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation Corporate Director of Communications Gary Rhodes told Lake and McHenry County Scanner this week that the company has “no plans to close parks.”
The third-quarter results report said the company reported $1.35 billion in net revenues and $111 million in net income. 21 million guests attended the company’s parks.
“We delivered solid results in our first quarter as a combined company and are encouraged by the continued momentum we see in the business,” Six Flags President and CEO Richard A. Zimmerman said.
“While extreme weather and other operating disruptions at critical points during the third quarter impacted our financial results, consumer demand for our parks remained strong during normalized operating conditions. The strength of our business and considerable demand for our parks was particularly evident over the past five weeks, when attendance was up more than one million visits compared to combined legacy Cedar Fair and legacy Six Flags attendance over the same period last year,” Zimmerman said.
In August, Six Flags Great America in Gurnee announced that it would be opening a new ride called Wrath of Rakshasa in 2025.
The ride will break multiple world records. It will feature a beyond-vertical, 171-foot drop, which is the steepest of any dive coaster in the world.
Wrath of Rakshasa will reach speeds up to 67 mph, breaking a second-world record with five inversions — the most of any dive coaster in the world.