SweetBabyJames
Conservative Coaster Connoisseur
Yes, both good business models. I hope for the best and hope whatever plan they have pays off for them... and us!
News Cedar Fair Merges with Six Flags
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SweetBabyJames
Conservative Coaster Connoisseur
As far as I know, the regional PR manager is Ryan Eldridge. The new GM of Dorney is Jessica Naderman.
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I know Kristin Fitzgerald who had been Great Adventure's head of PR for years is running the PR department for all of Six Flags. She was one of those laid off by the Selim regime.
I have heard that Jessica Naderman is the new regional GM for KD, Dorney, Carowinds, and SFoG. Fortunately, I’ve heard only good things about her from people familiar with her.
Dutra was at InBev when they dumped the Busch parks, right? I'd like to believe that he wants to atone for plunging the Busch parks into a dark age, but it's the business world where cold rationalism reigns supreme.
Going into this merger, both chains had deep benches of great, super passionate people spread throughout their corporations. There are definitely some super exciting promotions that have resulted from this round of layoffs—a handful of folks I super respect or have heard great things about have way more responsibility now—but I also know of a lot of great people who have now been lost through this consolidation.
I know good people remain and some of them have now been significantly elevated, but god, just from the almost unimaginable brain drain that has occured, that doom and gloom feels justified.
I also remain skeptical that taking away decision-making responsibilities from a boots-on-the-ground leadership at each park is going to lead to the best for each park. I just think there are some things about what a park needs that you can only understand if you are deeply entrenched in the park’s culture, history, community, and all its little minutiae and quirks day after day. The big things might not be affected as heavily (it’s not hard to set a corporate strategy that says “KD needs theming investment to expand upon the Jungle X momentum”), but it’s the small, easy to overlook things I worry about.
For example, I remember Bridgette Bywater saying last year that she really wanted to turn the bathhouse roof behind Victoria’s into an elevated rooftop patio. She got her wish this year (with it coming to fruition sadly just a few weeks before she left). It’s small opportunities like that which I think only arise when you’re forced to pay attention to all the ins and outs of the park and what might make it better — not a monthly strategy visit to the park.
That said, outside of that concern (which is a big one), I’ve warmed up slightly to the idea of this new corporate structure. I think it’s important not to lament a change because “it’s always been this way” — and it’s possible that Six Flags genuinely believes, given their unprecedented scope and scale, this new structure is an opportunity to more effective manage the parks (in addition to the obvious cost-saving motivation). They’ve talked for months about their desire to flatten the organization and streamline decision-making to make it faster and less bureaucratic. Under CF’s pre-merger structure, the GMs had lost considerable decision-making power several years ago once CF added the SVP of Operations role — with every GM reporting directly to Jason McClure or Pat Jones, and all big decisions ultimately being decided by them or another corporate office. Simultaneously, many roles previously managed by the GMs (finance, marketing, capital planning, etc.) had been centralized to corporate.
I wonder if SF realized two things:
Wasn’t planning to write so much about this, but I’ve thought a lot about this change in my free time. It’s cliche to say the theme park industry is ultimately all about people, but it’s true. KD in particular has throughout its history been shaped and rocked by people who cared about and understood the park to varying degrees. I just hope Six Flags had more than just a cost-saving motivation behind this change and that they felt this was a legitimate opportunity to put the right people in place to make the right decisions.
For example, I remember Bridgette Bywater saying last year that she really wanted to turn the bathhouse roof behind Victoria’s into an elevated rooftop patio. She got her wish this year (with it coming to fruition sadly just a few weeks before she left). It’s small opportunities like that which I think only arise when you’re forced to pay attention to all the ins and outs of the park and what might make it better — not a monthly strategy visit to the park.
That said, outside of that concern (which is a big one), I’ve warmed up slightly to the idea of this new corporate structure. I think it’s important not to lament a change because “it’s always been this way” — and it’s possible that Six Flags genuinely believes, given their unprecedented scope and scale, this new structure is an opportunity to more effective manage the parks (in addition to the obvious cost-saving motivation). They’ve talked for months about their desire to flatten the organization and streamline decision-making to make it faster and less bureaucratic. Under CF’s pre-merger structure, the GMs had lost considerable decision-making power several years ago once CF added the SVP of Operations role — with every GM reporting directly to Jason McClure or Pat Jones, and all big decisions ultimately being decided by them or another corporate office. Simultaneously, many roles previously managed by the GMs (finance, marketing, capital planning, etc.) had been centralized to corporate.
I wonder if SF realized two things:
- With 27 parks in the portfolio, having the GM/president of every park report to a regional executive for decision-making and accountability would lead to slower decision-making and redundancy
- Much of the GM’s/president’s job responsibilities were an anachronism of a time when the GM led business functions like marketing and finance, and with those centralized at corporate the GMs spent less and less of their time making strategic business decisions
- Park Manager: What does the park need today?
- Regional GM: What does the park need over the next 5 years?
Wasn’t planning to write so much about this, but I’ve thought a lot about this change in my free time. It’s cliche to say the theme park industry is ultimately all about people, but it’s true. KD in particular has throughout its history been shaped and rocked by people who cared about and understood the park to varying degrees. I just hope Six Flags had more than just a cost-saving motivation behind this change and that they felt this was a legitimate opportunity to put the right people in place to make the right decisions.
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How about co-managers? One that focuses on the day-to-day and one that focuses on more big picture kinda stuff?
Look, it doesn't take a genius to know that any organization thrives when it has two leaders. Go ahead, name a country that doesn't have two presidents. A boat that sets sail without two captains. Where would Catholicism be without the popes?
FunTV and Pathside screens are running Superman trailers.
Along with a Six Flags style M&Ms ad.
Looks like a bunch of the parks are instituting chaperone policies for this weekend. Is there some specific reason/threat?
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2026 season passes for Canada's Wonderland are now on sale, and admission for all parks in the chain looks like it's included at the Gold and Prestige levels without the need for a passport add-on (!).
www.canadaswonderland.com
Season Passes | Unlimited Visits All Season Long | Canada's Wonderland
With a Canada's Wonderland Season Pass, enjoy unlimited visits and exclusive theme park deals. Get season pass perks and benefits online today!
www.canadaswonderland.com
I think house upcharges are coming to the majority of the legacy Cedar Fair parks' Halloween events. I posted about Canada's Wonderland, Carowinds, and Kings Dominion specifically because I have way more info on those, but I have seen signs that the upcharges are coming to Dorney, Kings Island, and Cedar Point as well.
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Just another reason for patrons to not buy passes anymore. Keep taking away benefits from people after they buy season passes and people like me will say enough. Next will be announcements about closing more parks. Most people can see the writing on the wall.
2026 season passes for Canada's Wonderland are now on sale, and admission for all parks in the chain looks like it's included at the Gold and Prestige levels without the need for a passport add-on (!).
Season Passes | Unlimited Visits All Season Long | Canada's Wonderland
With a Canada's Wonderland Season Pass, enjoy unlimited visits and exclusive theme park deals. Get season pass perks and benefits online today!
Hmmm— wonder if this will be chain wide with 2026 passes rolling out this early? Seems like they may be desperate to make up attendance and entice passholders back to the parks.2026 season passes for Canada's Wonderland are now on sale, and admission for all parks in the chain looks like it's included at the Gold and Prestige levels without the need for a passport add-on (!).
Season Passes | Unlimited Visits All Season Long | Canada's Wonderland
With a Canada's Wonderland Season Pass, enjoy unlimited visits and exclusive theme park deals. Get season pass perks and benefits online today!
If pass members get free admission to the houses (not confirmed), I’d argue that’s a benefit for pass members. Shorter lines and potentially higher quality houses.