On November 2nd, 2023, Cedar Fair and Six Flags announced they will be combining in a merger of equals operating under the Six Flags name. As the two largest theme park chains in North America, this is a terrible move.

If this merger succeeds, Six Flags will have a total of 42 parks, resulting in a monopoly no other chain could possibly compete with. For example, Herschend Entertainment, one of the largest regional chains in the US consisting of parks like Dollywood and Silver Dollar City, only has 4 parks, nowhere near the scale of the new Six Flags. The only other chains that can compete at that scale are Disney and Universal, who focus more on experiences and immersive entertainment rather than the focus on thrill that most other parks offer.

We will also see an overall drop in innovation due to the lack of competition, as not only did they compete for the same audience, many parks are within very close proximity with each other (California's Great America and Discovery Kingdom, Knott's Berry Farm and Magic Mountain, etc.). Competition is what pushes other companies to do better, if there is no competition, they won't see any reason to improve and they'll also raise ticket prices, harming the consumer in the long run. This is especially apparent when considering the fact that many regional record holding coasters across North America will be owned by this monopolizing corporation.

The merger is expected to close within the first half of 2024, we don't know which month, so urgent action is needed. We can't let Six Flags dominate the American theme park industry.