Regional Theme Parks Are Facing a Financial Cliff

in Busch Gardens, Six Flags, Theme Parks

A colorful swing ride at a theme park with numerous people enjoying the ride.

Credit: Waldameer Park & Water World

It’s no secret that 2024 has been difficult for the theme park industry. While thousands of visitors headed to Halloween parties at their local park this fall, theme parks are reckoning with an uncertain future as their bottom lines have become increasingly tight.

A lively scene at Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A. with visitors walking along the brick-paved road. The street is lined with themed shops adorned with patriotic décor, including banners and American flags. A central flagpole stands tall in the distance.
Credit: New York Post, X

There are several reasons for this downturn in local theme park attendance, which has also struck larger parks like Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando. However, unlike their larger counterparts, regional theme parks don’t have large corporations to fall back on.

In the years after the pandemic, there was a theme park boom. Desperate for entertainment, visitors flocked to regional parks across the country for new attractions.

However, those attractions quickly became old, and those same visitors were looking for something new. Then, a perfect storm struck the theme park industry.

EPCOT looking empty
Credit: @innoventioneast via Twitter

Related: America’s Theme Park Building Boom is Crushing Disney World

Guests lost interest coming out of COVID, as they flocked to international destinations, and inflation caused some guests to cut back on tickets to their local park.

To help cope with this downturn, you see regional theme park giants like Six Flags and Cedar Fair merge, while others like United Parks, which owns SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, continue to see a decrease in attendance.

Parks in Asia and Europe continued to invest in new attractions during the pandemic, while American parks remained mostly inactive. Now, American parks are trying to catch up by building thrill rides and attractions to attract children.

To make matters worse, there has been a boom in theme park construction, with Universal spreading to Texas and Las Vegas and Mattel building in Kansas City and Arizona. All of those new parks have the backing of major corporations.

The solution to this problem seems to be to reduce staffing at some of the parks. This year, guests at Cedar Point and Six Flags parks complained that some areas of the parks were not open due to low staffing.

Cutting staff tends to have the opposite effect on the theme park industry. It worsens the guest experience, making them less likely to return, which in turn forces more cuts.

Entrance of Six Flags America featuring a large building with white pillars and a triangular pediment displaying the park's name. Ticket booths are visible below, with employees assisting eager visitors, surrounded by signs and people. The sky is partly cloudy.
Credit: Six Flags

Many parks have realized that building a new thrill ride or family-friendly ride can help attract visitors. Die-hard roller coaster fans will come, but without much else at the park, it’s hard for them to come back.

So, what is the solution for these regional parks? There is the possibility of more parks joining forces, like Six Flags and Cedar Fair, but with 42 parks already under their umbrella, it seems unlikely they’ll be adding more.

For now, the main goal of these regional theme parks is to weather these challenging times and hope to make it to another season. With more and more parks popping up nationwide, there’s no telling what could be around the corner.

Are you concerned that your home theme park could be in financial trouble? 

in Busch Gardens, Six Flags, Theme Parks

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