The entertainment industry, specifically amusement parks, is going through its worst moment. This is the case of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, owner of numerous amusement parks across the United States, with locations in Santa Clara, California, Orlando, and Florida. The company is struggling to remain an entertainment option for Americans.
In recent statements, Richard A. Zimmerman, President and CEO of Six Flags, declared that neither Six Flags America nor Hurricane Harbor will remain open as they do not fit the company’s strategic plan. After decades of operation, they will say a final goodbye during the first week of November, when they will close their doors permanently. According to a former theme park executive, Dennis Speigel, the company’s corporate debt does not have an easy solution.
Six Flags Entertainment
Six Flags Entertainment, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, is an American amusement park company founded in 1961. It has 42 parks across the country, including some of the most beloved amusement parks and water parks in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as indicated on its website. Although it has been one of Americans’ main entertainment options for more than a decade, the truth is that it is not at its best moment. Changes in consumer preferences force the company to make adjustments, implementing closures and reduced operations.
Goodbye to Six Flags America
It has recently been announced that the Six Flags America amusement park in Maryland will be closing and put up for sale. According to Richard A. Zimmerman, the president and CEO of Six Flags, “As part of our comprehensive review of our park portfolio, we have determined that Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor do not strategically fit into the company’s long-term growth plan. After reviewing a series of options, we believe that marketing the property for redevelopment will generate the greatest value and return on investment.
We anticipate strong interest in the property and will continue to strategically seek portfolio optimization opportunities as we work to unlock the full value of our portfolio.I am fighting back tears… I’m afraid it’s going to be bulldozed.” In addition to the announcement of this closure, there has also been talk of the company’s intention to close its park in Santa Clara, California, at the end of 2027, according to NBC reports. According to a former theme park executive, Dennis Speigel, “the company has been a ship at sea without a captain”, adding that the debt “is not going to disappear by putting in another roller coaster”.
New strategies for amusement parks
Faced with this increasingly difficult situation, amusement park companies are forced to look for alternatives to closure. This is why many of them have reduced their seasonal hours. This not only impacts the company itself but also the jobs it creates, the tourism it attracts, and the communities that economically depend on all of this.
A park visitor shared his last experience at the park with NBC: “I’m fighting back tears thinking about how much fun I’ve had on this trip and what has happened,” Huster, who traveled from his home in Orlando, Florida, to Six Flags America in Maryland for one last visit, told NBC. “I’m afraid that no one is going to come and save the park. That it’s going to be torn down with an excavator.”