News Cedar Fair Merges with Six Flags

[GASM]

In Europe, Cedar Point is known, but the others don't even know what they are.

This is an insanely moot point when the average American isn’t going to know what Plopsaland de Panne, Phantasialand, or Efteling are.

I’m really not sure what the argument you’re trying to make here is. If it’s that Six Flags is more well known, that is of course the reason they kept the name for the merged chain. That said, there are negative connotations with the Six Flags name, which many see as the budget chain. People may be unfamiliar with Cedar Fair as a name, but for example a resident of the Carolinas is likely going to know what Carowinds is, hell my boss knew exactly what I meant when I said I wanted a day off to go to Kings Dominion.

 

[cackylack]

To anybody not mugnezz: The looks you'd get if you said (the aforementioned) Plopsaland de Panne, Phantasialand, or Efteling in the US. A razor thin amount of people in this country are aware of those parks. A larger number would know of Disneyland Paris, and that's about it for European parks.

Touché to your lame hot take on US parks.

 

[mtpelepele]

I understand that you're patriots, I understand it's hard to accept, but that's how it is.
In Europe, Cedar Point is known, but the others don't even know what they are.
Six Flags is a different story.

Dumbass. The only European park non enthusiasts have ever heard of is Disneyland Paris, and most of them still call it EuroDisney.

 

[horsesboy]

Dumbass. The only European park non enthusiasts have ever heard of is Disneyland Paris, and most of them still call it EuroDisney.

Kinda pushes the forum rules quite a bit. Maybe a more moderate tone.

 

[mugnezz]

View attachment 39523

Non è che tu abbia una buona reputazione

 

[Zachary]

Non è che tu abbia una buona reputazione

He does.

Anyway, debating someone's reputation isn't useful so can we please return to the topic of the thread?

 

[paintervision]

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250910481132/en/Six-Flags-Entertainment-and-Peanuts-Worldwide-Extend-Licensing-Agreement-to-2030

Six Flags extends Peanuts contract to 2030.

Interestingly, "[Carowinds] introduced the Camp Snoopy Bird Watchers Club, featuring augmented reality (AR) based games for the whole family" - which is not yet functional. Peek Adventures had an update from last week mentioning these kiosks have been unfinished for weeks, so I'm guessing this press release was written a while ago?

 

[AmyUD06]

Surprising absolutely no one, except the click-baity YouTubers who threw everyone into a panic over the contract "expiring."

 

[CarolinaDog]

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250910481132/en/Six-Flags-Entertainment-and-Peanuts-Worldwide-Extend-Licensing-Agreement-to-2030

Six Flags extends Peanuts contract to 2030.

Interestingly, "[Carowinds] introduced the Camp Snoopy Bird Watchers Club, featuring augmented reality (AR) based games for the whole family" - which is not yet functional. Peek Adventures had an update from last week mentioning these kiosks have been unfinished for weeks, so I'm guessing this press release was written a while ago?

In addition to them marketing the unfinished Bird Watchers Club, they also mentioned the new splash play areas and indoor meet and greet experience, which never came to fruition.

Regardless, the Peanuts branding remaining is incredible news, and I hope they continue to use the license long after 2030.

 

[paintervision]

In addition to them marketing the unfinished Bird Watchers Club, they also mentioned the new splash play areas and indoor meet and greet experience, which never came to fruition.

Regardless, the Peanuts branding remaining is incredible news, and I hope they continue to use the license long after 2030.

Good catch. Those two feel like straight-up budget cuts, while the AR game just looks unfinished and could be waiting on a little more budget to deploy.

That said, it's still a bad look for your Marketing team to be so out of touch.

 

[Zachary]

Is a renewal through only 2030 shorter than normal or has that been the regular cadence?

 

[AmyUD06]

Is a renewal through only 2030 shorter than normal or has that been the regular cadence?

It was an option on the current contract to extend to 2030. I imagine at that point it'll be a re-negotiation.

 

[MaxxForceFan]

Is a renewal through only 2030 shorter than normal or has that been the regular cadence?

The previous deal from 2017 included a 5 year extension option after the 2025 expiration.

 

[Mushroom]

Sigh of relief over here. I was so not looking forward to seeing the Looney Tunes at KD. I know some folks aren’t surprised, but between Six Flags’ dire financials, their intense penny-pinching, the discounted Peanuts merch at KI, and the reports from seemingly credible sources like Don Helbig, I was worried that there was a real possibility they wouldn’t extend the contract.

 

[themeparktribune]

Surprising absolutely no one, except the click-baity YouTubers who threw everyone into a panic over the contract "expiring."

Some of those YouTubers may have incorrectly assumed that Don Helbig knows anything anymore.

 

[GAcoaster]

Some of those YouTubers may have incorrectly assumed that Don Helbig knows anything anymore.

There are many "industry experts" and "insiders" who have been getting things wrong about the industry lately. So much has changed and there is no real way to read tea leaves or make predictions about what will happen next depsite people's connections to the parties involved.

 

[paintervision]

In brighter news: https://investors.sixflags.com/news...-Weekend-Reaffirms-2025-Guidance/default.aspx



Looks like attendance and season pass sales are up by small amounts.

Zimmerman added, “We have made smart investments since completing the merger more than a year ago, particularly across the legacy Six Flags parks, and are excited to continue improving our entertainment offerings – and park level results – across our portfolio of properties."

I don't really think entertainment offerings are improving but we shall see how the paid Halloween houses work this year. Maybe they're onto something?

 

[themeparktribune]

There are many "industry experts" and "insiders" who have been getting things wrong about the industry lately. So much has changed and there is no real way to read tea leaves or make predictions about what will happen next depsite people's connections to the parties involved.

Not disagreeing with you there -- it's not like any of that ilk really has a spotless record, save Alicia Stella on Universal.

But this rumor about the Peanuts license in particular seems, in retrospect, to have been entirely based on Don Helbig's vague speculation which wasn't even logical in the first place. Combine that with Don's obvious grudge against his old Cedar Fair employers and I don't know why it was ever taken seriously.

I don't really think entertainment offerings are improving but we shall see how the paid Halloween houses work this year. Maybe they're onto something?

I'm with you, that's a head scratcher. These mid-quarter financial updates often come when companies are desperate to put up some good news (and thus boost the share price) following a bad quarter, along with any positive spin they can add that isn't objectively false or misleading to investors.

Heck, just the fact that the chain is charging for Halloween houses could be seen as an "improvement" in the view of executives, even if the quality hasn't changed.

 

[warfelg]

I saw advertised a bunch that Sept 15th was the end on the MVP Sale but then as of 8am EST today the sale was still available on all park pages.

Did they extend it again without announcing or just not set it up to automatically revert at midnight?

 

[AmyUD06]

When I look at KD's Season Pass purchase splash screen (before you get into the actual "buying" pop up), the end date has been removed entirely. Seems like they just extended it without announcement.