Here’s what to know about Cedar Fair and Six Flags amusement park companies
Charlie Brown and Batman may become good friends at Carowinds soon.
Cedar Fair and Six Flags are joining forces and merging in an $8 billion deal to provide a better experience for millions of guests taking trips to their amusement parks, which includes Carowinds in Charlotte. The combined company also will make its new headquarters in Charlotte.
The companies made the announcement Thursday during a conference call about the merger of 42 parks and nine resort properties across 17 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico.
Here’s what to know about Cedar Fair and Six Flags.
From Ohio to NC
Based in Sandusky, Ohio, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company operates 11 amusement parks, four water parks and resorts with more than 2,300 rooms and over 600 luxury RV sites.
Its flagship park was established in 1870 on a peninsula of Lake Erie in Ohio. The original site included a bathing beach, boat dock, and dance hall.
Cedar Fair’s parks are now located in 10 states and Toronto. Last year, 27 million people visited those places, including Carowinds. It straddles the North Carolina and South Carolina state line in the Charlotte region. The park has 64 rides, slides, and attractions.
Cedar Fair has 4,400 full-time employees and about 49,000 seasonal and part-time workers.
The company’s generated net revenue of $1.8 billion last year.
Planting a flag in the Carolinas
The first Six Flags park opened in Texas by 1961 by Angus Wynne. It had parts with themes from six countries that once controlled Texas land.
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. says it is the largest regional theme park in the world, with 27 parks in the U.S. Mexico and Canada.
It’s associated with DC Comics and Warner Bros, which allows visitors to meet characters such as Bugs Bunny, Superman and Wonder Woman.
Last year, more than 20 million visited the parks. The company employs 41,000 people and 1,450 are considered full-time workers.
Six Flags had revenue of $1.4 billion last year.
