Six Flags Wants to Be a Bigger Theme Park Player in California


Skift Take

It makes sense to keep a theme park open year-round in a tourist-rich place where winter weather doesn't keep people away. The only question is: What took Six Flags so long to make this decision?
Hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires aren't good for the theme park business. Executives with Six Flags Entertainment Corp. — which has parks in areas including Texas, Georgia, Mexico, and California that were affected by storms and natural disasters— said attendance in August, September, and October had taken a hit. "We have never before seen a quarter with four hurricanes and three earthquakes," said Jim Reid-Anderson, the company's chairman and CEO, in a call with analysts to discuss third quarter earnings on Wednesday. The toll was so severe that the company no longer believes it can meet a scaled-down goal of $576 million in modified earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization for the year. In July, exec