Hershey and the other non-Six Flags parks are wording their releases to ensure a minimal loss in visitors as they planned well-before this tragedy to cash in on Halloween and Christmas events to round out the season. They don't necessarily mean to come off as callous or uncaring of what happened at SFOG, but behind the scenes, shareholders remain shareholders with their foot on the gas for a rounded margin to end the year. Parks must ensure that non-SF locations have public trust secured for continued liquidity, that is just a fact of the business I'm afraid.
Six Flags will not soon recover from this financially or otherwise. Memories are short, but perceptions linger like stink on a skunk well after you've driven past the roadkill. They will remain on the lower-rung of park management perceptions for the foreseeable future now more than ever, and likely far longer than they would have hoped post-mergers.
Still, most important thing remains keeping this family supported and other rides safe, perceptions be damned.
