WHAT SIX FLAGS, CEDAR FAIR BRING TO BLOCKBUSTER THEME PARK DEAL

Thursday’s deal bringing together regional theme park operators Six Flags and Cedar Fair creates a company that spans coast to coast.

Here’s what each company brings to the table:

SIX FLAGS

The Arlington-based company operates 16 amusement parks, 11 water parks, two hotel/resort properties, two campgrounds and two animal/safari experiences.

History: It started in 1961 with the opening of Six Flags Over Texas, the vision of Dallas real estate developer Angus G. Wynne Jr., who visited Disneyland and wanted his home state to boast a similar attraction. Its theme parks primarily carry the Six Flags name and its waterparks are branded Hurricane Harbor.

Key parks: Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Fiesta in San Antonio, Six Flags Magic Mountain in California, Six Flags Over Georgia in Atlanta, Six Flags St. Louis and Six Flags Great Adventure in the New York/new Jersey metro market.

Signature rides: In the theme park business, enthusiasts seek out the tallest, fastest and steepest rides. Six Flags has its fair share of draws, including Kingda Ka, a 456-foot high steel coaster, and Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom, a 415-foot drop ride, at its New Jersey park. In Texas, its Titan hypercoaster at the Arlington park features a 255-foot drop at speeds up to 85 mph. In all, its parks have some 940 rides and 140 coasters. Revenue: $1.1 billion in 2023 through third quarter. Attendance: 17.9 million in 2023 through third quarter.

CEDAR FAIR

The Sandusky, Ohio-based company operates 11 amusement parks, four water parks, seven hotel/resort properties, five campgrounds, two sports facilities and three marinas. History: The company began in 1870 as a single park in Ohio — its flagship Cedar Point on the shores of Lake Erie. Cedar Point is considered one of the top parks for roller coaster enthusiasts. The company grew considerably in 2006 when it acquired five Paramount parks from CBS in a $1.24 billion deal.

Key parks: Cedar Point and Kings Island in Ohio, Carowinds in North Carolina, Kings Dominion in Virginia and Knott’s Berry Farm in California. In Texas, it acquired two popular Schlitterbahn waterparks in New Braunfels and Galveston in 2019.

At Cedar Point, the company opened a 145,000-square-foot sports complex in 2017 to host youth sports and tournaments in basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball and other mat sports. It has since added an esports gaming venue.

Signature rides: Cedar Point boasts multiple hyper and hybrid coasters, including Steel Vengeance, Millennium Force and Magnum, and next year plans to reintroduce an enhanced triple-launch Top Thrill Dragster ride.

Revenue: $1.4 billion in 2023 through the third quarter.

Attendance: 20.9 million in 2023 through the third quarter.

– Paul O’donnell, Dallas Morning News