Bankrupt - Six Flags

[@jlee1522]

The main draw to Six Flags was instead of dedicating 4 days, airfare, and a lot of money for admissions and lodging, you could take your family or a group of friends to the local amusement park with none of that hassle. A day trip to Six Flags was wonderful and much lower cost and headache. But once they started raising their prices without any added benefit....well, it all went downhill

[@Chris-xo2rq]

People who say Six Flags competes with Disney must live in Florida or California... because here in New York I'm telling you... the two companies are NOT competitors. I have a diamond elite membership to Six Flags and I go with my kids a dozen times each year. I went to Disney World TWICE in my life, once when I was a kid and once last summer with my own kids.

[@nevaehhamilton3493]

Blame the CEO for being a greedy cheapskate

[@SpudFilms]

Plus the one in Illinois looked terrible. The grounds and buildings weren’t updated and they stopped the entertainment shows they had and didn’t replace them with anything. They added the water park but in Illinois that’s not a good business move as Illinois weather isn’t feasible for an outdoor water park.

[@FoxdenGamer]

Let's not forget they also forced people to pay for a full year when you signed up for their membership pass

[@punker4Real]

@@FoxdenGamer why would they let anyone go for 13$?

[@aquaisuseful682]

I love how a CEO can lose a company 400 million dollars and still keep his position; yet if I show up to work late, I’ll get fired immediately.

[@rodw4057]

Same here. I suppose we are easily replaceable than a CEO. I read they still even get bonuses! Makes no sense. We get fired from a $20 an hour job for being late, but CEO's can lose hundreds of millions and still keep their job. Only in America.

[@Sniperboy5551]

So don’t show up late, get an MBA.

[@michaelangeloh.5383]

Not my case. I might have a genericass low-wage function as a mail deliverererer person, but I can choose when I show up, as long as I get it all delivered on the day. - Also, they're desperate for employees, so I'll have to do something pretty bad to get fired. - Your job or employer just sucks if you're considered to be that worthless. - It's probably also a very American thing (as another comment pointed out), which is not where I am. This whole "You're late and fired!" cliche is something I only know from American movies and things people claim on the internet. Well, it's probably also not really a thing they can do here, as I believe we're protected from just being fired on the spot, at least for something as simple as being late once.

[@newbladey]

@@Sniperboy5551 getting an MBA doesn't fast track you to a ceo position or even make it particularly likely to become a CEO. Many CEOs are picked from upper management based on fitness to lead and not degree. It's basically being in the right place at the right time.

[@maxmarx2]

Don’t forget to mention they still get bonuses

[@this_is_nick]

I had diamond elite passes to Magic Mountain. I was paying $40 a month for them. They closed the park in March 2020 and continued to charge me for months even though they weren't open. I cancelled my passes. They told me I'd get those months back when they reopened. I showed up when they reopened and they told me that because I stopped paying I wouldn't get those months back until I renewed my passes. So I had to renew my pass in order to get those four months back that they owed me. Such a grimey ass company.

[@Adam444Tv]

Wow. 😮 wtf

[@erikarabie]

Or you’re just a spoiled freeloader 🤷

[@yourbudbuddy.]

Having to pay extra just to skip the line is honestly grimey to begin with. Used to hate the rich people that could afford passes like that 😂

[@this_is_nick]

​@@yourbudbuddy.$18 a month was their most expensive pass. The cheaper passes were like $12 a month. Pretty affordable compared to places like Disney.

[@901Kari]

That would of been an instant call to my bank and I’m telling them I ain’t order that shit😂

[@roelbrook7559]

The fact that they can save 120 million / year just by merging corporate oversight" says enough; the people at the top of these companies get paid WAY too much, regardless of how they "manage" their company.

[@bokhans]

The sad thing is that management compensation have little to do with success. Corporations paying huge management salaries and bonuses are almost never more successful than others. The opposite is more common. Bonuses are often a road to shortsighted planing just to cash in a move on!

[@Godvivec]

@@bokhans That seems blatantly false. Pretty much every Fortune 500 company pays it's higher managers with high salaries and extreme compensation packages. It incentives calculated risk and outward venture, which is how you get to be a wildly successful company (E.g a fortune 500 company). If your company wants to play it safe, your chances of successful expansion or more business heavily lowers.

[@mitchelldunn4460]

​@@bokhansalso makes the stock more appealing with possible buybacks and divided payments

[@tyrone6820]

@@Godvivecyou know nothing about how the real world works do you? Only what you see on tiktok and KZbin?

[@ThrawnFett123]

I think people tend to forget that "corporate oversight" also tends to include things like finance, hr, IT, and legal departments. You have a base cost to establish those departments that rises with the size they need to be able to handle. But the difference between operating 2 20 million guests a year brands and 1 40 million guests a year brand can become massive. You can just scale one up with your ready made pool of qualified candidates from the merger (taking the top talent), and close the other now that you don't need 2 seperate systems. This can produce significant savings just in total overhead and oversight impossible to achieve by the either alone.

[@horsepowermultimedia]

Six Flags: *advertises itself as a cheap alternative to Disneyland* Attendance: *rises* Six Flags: *raises prices for profit to the point of making it harder for low-income families to attend* Attendance: *drops to zero* Six Flags: HoW dId It Go WrOnG!!??

[@tmrmccloud1996]

😮😅

[@toddabowden]

Surprised Pikachu faces by the CEO and board of directors of Six Flags

[@MyCommentCT]

The CEO was the lazy eyed “looks good to me” meme guy lol

[@wesleykim6523]

It honestly somewhat hurts seeing Six Flags on the Bankrupt series, I still remember the “More Flags, More Fun” commercials back around the late 2000s. Even as someone who never actually went to a Six Flags park, still seeing it here is just a big reminder of how fast time will pass you by whether you’re ready or not.

[@LoveMyUnusual]

The ad music is playing in my head as I read this lol. It's true! I love Disneyland, but I loved the Looney Tunes and DC Hero tie-ins at Six Flags, too. It was so fun to go, such a shame they're falling on hard times. Hope they can get back on track, it's such a fun, affordable option!

[@AntoinetteChanel]

Were those the Venga Bus ads with the old man dancing? Because those commercials zap me back to my adolescence 😅

[@huangGQ]

You didn't miss much. Their main selling point was being more affordable than the other options and they failed that by trying to upmarket.

[@MidtownMeezus]

They were fun when you went for free on your parents or schools dollar

[@047Kenny]

As someone who lives 15 minutes from a six flags, and worked at one for 4 summers through high school… Meh.

[@alypialpha2712]

I laughed when the CEO of Six Flags called itself a premium park and upped its prices without changing anything. My home park is the St. Louis one, and I have been increasingly disappointed with it each year. We cancelled our membership this year once they started cutting perks while raising prices on everything. I really hope Cedar Fair will manage the parks better.

[@Temulon]

I live in Northwest Arkansas and my girlfriend and I were going to visit the Six Flags - St. Louis park this spring. I'm glad I saw your comment. We'll give it a pass.

[@doctordemento965]

Six Flags in the 60's and 70's was ahead of it's time. In the 80's they started doing 'concerts' and a bunch of other nonsense that started filling the place up with party people. That's when it started going downhill. BAD MANAGEMENT ruined it.

[@gwheelock911]

@@Temulon six flags st louis isn't that bad of a park, but i definitely wouldn't drive there just for that. Great America is my home park.

[@alypialpha2712]

@@gwheelock911 I agree. It’s a fine park if you don’t go nearly as often as I did, but I wouldn’t go on a road trip just to experience the park. Make it an additional thing you do if you’re planning on doing a general St. Louis trip.

[@Noturaveragenugget]

STL one is my home park, too, and in addition to the pricing the physical state of the park itself is absurd. Had a membership for three-ish years as a Diamond Elite and every time I went there was another thing broken or another ride just outright GONE. The one addition of Catwoman Whip isn’t enough to save it, that’s for sure. I do want to acknowledge, though, that I had my membership up until May 2023. I mention my level of membership because during the time period I had it I was basically flooded with offers and discounts to get me to stay in/come back to the park. This can even be seen in how I was granted the status of “VIP” with even more perks attached after just a year simply because I had a membership during covid. And even with all the benefits, the park just offered so little as mentioned previously. I’ll be shocked if they manage to fix the STL location even with this merger. I can count at minimum 4 rides that were iconic to this location that were removed in my time visiting there.

[@killervirgo]

As a coaster enthusiast, I really enjoyed this video. The Six Flags and Cedar Fair merger will be interesting and I am hopeful that the Six Flags parks will improves as a result.

[@TonyRealTalk07]

Specially the one at Jersey

[@Vespyr_]

I feel cedar has always had its shit together and as long as they sack most of Six Flags execs this will turn out to be a good thing.

[@androiduberalles]

I'm just hoping they don't take Cedar Fair down a peg. I've always enjoyed cedar point.

[@Omegapork]

I hope it doesn't have an affect on Canada's Wonderland... It's my local park and it's managed well. I really don't want that to change!

[@gordon1545]

They have reduced their competition enormously, which means they can cut spending and increase prices. That never benefits customers. Six Flags' parks may improve from what they've been recently but only as little as is needed.

[@MattyChap]

My grandfather was a chief engineer, and ride designer, of Six Flags parks for over 35 years. In the 90s, when I would go to work with him, the parks were always an absolute delight. It's a shame to see how modern management have handled the parks.

[@danbuckley6584]

I agree. Back in the 90s, when I was a kid, Six flags St Louis was amazing. Last time i went probably 5 years ago it was a total dump. Sad, i have so many great memories of that place

[@pimplepickerton]

If yals haven't noticed that is happening to the entire country..

[@TheMasterGamer64]

This is probably the saddest comment in the section.

[@Hazendal777]

wef 😢 rules 😢

[@Hazendal777]

​@@pimplepickerton high " elite " 😢 rules 😢

[@TheKusa5]

Current employee over at Magic mountain, the price hike was a huge mistake, our attendance has gone down massively, so we closed up in the middle of the week to help save money, which pissed off alot of pass owners and alot of employees as well since now we're getting paid peanuts, I'm really hoping the merger helps us out, maybe we can lower prices again and open up all week again, and we could use help with renovations as well.

[@xblade11230]

the PRICE HIKE is a good thing, otherwise the park would be full of ghetto trash and you will literally have to go to work everyday knowing full well that you were going to witness ghetto thugs fighting over cutting in line

[@senorbusyman]

Former Magic Mountain employee from 2010-2020. The problem with Six Flags especially with Magic was the person running the park. When Bonnie was in charge she practically killed Magic Mountain. She let the park run dry, didnt care for the park & only cared about penny pinching. Everytime something happened at Magic the damage was done & Bonnie would have to spend money to fix those problems especially the many lawsuits that happened between 2014-2019. Six Flags thought by opening daily it would help them make money & save the park but cuz Bonnie was in charge everything went to shit hence after so many mistakes she was forced to step down & Six Flags had to bring Neil who put Magic on the map with all the crazy cool rides but Neil had so much mess to clean that Bonnie made. Due to the pandemic, I was let go but know all the secrets & backstabbing I dealt with in my years. If ur Operations Manager is Monika then be prepared for a major knife stab in the back hence I sued them back in 2021 & won $10k for Monika's abuse of power & wrongful termination.

[@cas2985]

The prices need to be high to keep out the trash. An amusement park that operated in an outlying suburb closed only a couple of years after the local mass transit agency started a direct bus line from downtown to the park. The nasty inflow of trash people caused good people to stop going. Attendance dropped like a rock. Of course no one would ever say that this was the reason the park failed.

[@troytran1723]

@@cas2985magic mountain is pretty isolated. Just drove by it the other day on a road trip. Cheap theme parks is like Carnival cruises, the crowd will be less wealthy, perhaps more ignorant. As for the homeless, they'd be living off the nearby mountainous land to survive a week

[@leeraxd]

I used to go to MM all the time in high school! It sucks that Six Flags went downhill :/

[@hypersonic9394]

I never thought that I would even think that Six Flags would ever get into bankruptcy, but here we are now. At least Cedar Fair has bought them. Also what a wonderful way to end the year with this video. Great job BSF! Edit: I started a war in the comments section. Also I’m a complete dummy. I made this comment before finishing the video so yeah.

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thank you so much!

[@CJSPENO]

I live in NJ and I don’t really now too many people who still go to the Jackson NJ park . And it gets Cold here and they aren’t open all year round .

[@samplautz5586]

I’m pretty sure SF has gone bankrupt at least 2 times

[@AirborneAnt]

@@CJSPENOme too…the prices are insane…it’s now choosing eating dinner for a week…or a day at six flags…what would you pick?

[@AirborneAnt]

@@usernameisusernamethey’re horrendous at the pools and water parks…

[@ToniWolfe-r7g]

I remember when I was a kid that the only way we could afford to go was to collect Coca-Cola cans with discounts for six flags on it. But when my husband and I got our first jobs, we got season passes. It socks to know there just isn't that excitement anymore

[@kriscynical]

I live in Arlington and Six Flags is practically in my backyard. Fright Fest and Holiday in the Park were staples when I was growing up in the '90s, and in high school if you didn't work there yourself, you had at least one friend who did. What many people don't realize is that Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor (which a lot of old farts like me still call Wet n' Wild), Cowboys Stadium, the old Rangers Ballpark, and the NEW Rangers ballpark are _all right next to each other._ They're literally separated by parking lots with Hurricane Harbor directly across I-35 from everything else. Now, imagine this: there is a magical time of year when the stars align and a portal to hell opens in that area, because... 1) The Rangers have a home game 2) The Cowboys have a home game 3) Six Flags is open 4) Hurricane Harbor is open And the games end and the parks close _all at the same time._ Just _try_ to imagine that.

[@EJ-74]

I bet that was hell on Earth trying to get home huh 😂

[@josephtafur]

That's a Traffic Hellscape my Dad wouldn't bear to deal with

[@kriscynical]

@@josephtafur There's a reason my family always left Ranger games at the bottom of the 8th. We'd listen to the end of the game on KRLD on the way home. 😂

[@speedocowboy]

If only the DFW metro area invested in public transport to transport large numbers of people quickly and efficiently

[@kriscynical]

@@EJ-74 Most people on that side of Arlington barricade themselves in their homes when that happens, yes. Sometimes in a circle of salt just to be safe. 🫣

[@tayzonday]

I won an essay contest for Six Flags Great America’s “Space Shuttle America” ride launch in 1994 (at age twelve), and got a full-ride scholarship to Space Camp Florida.

[@dante_fr0mspac3]

Dude, you're fucking everywhere.

[@jayquelan6132]

Ok

[@Nattraks]

Chocolate raaainn

[@drmegaman]

You've had an interesting life, Tay. You should do videos talking about things like that.

[@MissyMuthaTruckiN]

😮 That's pretty dang neat!

[@SomeoneElsesStory]

I’m a 25 year pass holder at the original Over Texas park. While the theming and rides are still pretty solid, the constant mix of new ownership has steadily driven the park, and the brand, into the ground. Hopefully Cedar Fair is the magic that turns things around.

[@robertramirez5883]

I am wondering was over Texas the one with the one attraction that stuck with me it was as a house or small building that when you went in you walked sideways not straight at all I’m asking because I was a kid when I went there so I could be misremembering

[@jeffdrafahl2571]

Yep@@robertramirez5883

[@c.jarmstrong3111]

Cedar Fair will so a good job, but it sucks to see everything get monopolized

[@jpdrummer86]

@@robertramirez5883you are correct, over Texas is the park with that funhouse where things were sideways and defied gravity. I had forgotten about it till you just mentioned it.

[@txsoutherngoth]

once they changed the Pink Things recipe, i was DONEEE. lol

[@Jws61187]

I'll never get over the closing of Astroworld. The land it sat on is still just an empty lot used as parking for Texans games.

[@a.revolution961]

Or parking lot for other big events like Rodeo Houston

[@GetFitEatRight]

It didn't make any sense. Just really bad management.

[@beck2752]

Hey? At least it got some use...cries in six flags New Orleans.

[@taylorhenderson7674]

@@beck2752I’m from Shreveport and I’ve heard heard of this ?!!😮 girl they shoulda knew better than to put it in a city that is well below sea level 🕺🏻😂… I wish it was still in the state.

[@GotA-do4ob]

Does anyone in these comments happen to remember the name of that big white roller coaster that was at Astroworld? I just remember it as "The Tweetie Bird" because of the giant Tweetie on the side.

[@CNW1015]

As a theme park and railroad enthusiast, the fact that the Pennsylvania RR owned Six Flags for a bit is wild.

[@raylopez99]

I recall reading somewhere that PA RR is one of the oldest in the world. And given the 19th century wheeling and dealing in RRs, perhaps not that unusual that they expanded into theme parks.

[@thomasthomsoniii]

Agreed, especially since they themselves went bankrupt just a couple of years later.

[@mackenzietoscan3602]

⁠​⁠@@raylopez99 it nothing’s new railway, trolley and Interurban companies all built themes parks near their lines to attract weekend ridership

[@loganmcdonald5460]

He should really cover the Penn Central Bankruptcy in this series, it's a wild story!

[@ikemeitz5287]

At the end of the day, roller coasters are just fancy railroads.

[@Getlucky12]

I put this video on the living room TV to watch it by myself and by the end of the video my whole family was invested. My mom even said "I've watched that one" when you plugged your documentary

[@jricedrums]

I'm a roller coaster enthusiast. I have a pass that gets me into all the Six Flags parks. In 2023 I visited four of the Six Flags parks, but over the years I've visited nine of them. For me, Six Flags has the thrills and that'll keep me coming back to them. Taking the whole experience into account though I've always considered Six Flags the "Walmart" of theme parks. The parks aren't very clean, you can tell certain areas/rides haven't been upkept/painted in years and stuff like that. Hopefully this merger will see these parks cleaned up to the standard of the Cedar Fair parks.

[@foundouthowtochangeytnameb1997]

No no no, you mean the “Carnival Cruises” of theme parks

[@christiankneupper7011]

as a fellow thoosie myself I can't wait for Six Flags Cheddar Point

[@josephromano6168]

As a midwesterner I was worried when I heard about the merger. Cedar Fair has some amazing parks that are constantly innovating and are always clean. I'm sure its exactly what Six Flags needs, but im worried that the massive debt that SF has will drag the whole company down. Lets hope its not like the Sears/Kmart merger 👀

[@JeffreyPiatt]

based on the management Ceder fair is buying Six flags gutting it clean of all the bad management and putting on it's brand a skin.

[@nevaehhamilton3493]

Try not to be optimistic. Things always get worse, never better.

[@brookecardwell9521]

@@nevaehhamilton3493shut up

[@jolietpinball7439]

Neither company is in good financial shape. Currently/pre-merger, Cedar Fair is carrying nearly as much debt ($2.17B) as Six Flags ($2.43B). There are a few excellent Six Flags parks, in terms of park operations and rides, but Cedar Fair does seem to do a better job of managing and theming their parks overall.

[@paulw.woodring7304]

@@jolietpinball7439 That sounds a lot like the PennCentral merger of 1968, the joining of the two largest, struggling eastern U. S. railroads (the Pennsylvania and New York Central) followed by the then largest bankruptcy in U. S. history two years later. Let's hope for something better. I'm a veteran of the Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad in the late 1970s. That ride has contracted steadily over the last 30 years, going from the most ridden attraction in the park to number 5.

[@carolinemanuel5996]

I visited SF Over Georgia a couple years ago and it was in a horrid state. It was run down and dirty, most of the building's thatched roofs were growing moss and decomposing. Half the rides were not operating, and we spent hours of our time trying to get help with the lockers malfunctioning and the staff struggling to reopen them, and then trying to charge us fees over it. We entered a very long line for the Joker when we saw that not only was the ride stopped, but everyone was being evacuated off the top from it, which I've never actually seen happen and is a total nightmare to me. They didn't even notify the line of people who continued to stand there waiting to get on a ride that was malfunctioning. We were only able to ride one type of rollercoaster, and managed to fight to get our money back and the staff were really nasty about it. Very very very bad vibes there.

[@robertsmith2956]

The Deja-Vu coaster is one of the better ones, and it would be down 2/3rds of the season. Usually fails by lunch when it was open.

[@dwaynerobinson7629]

Agreed Visited early Visited later The change was jaw dropping and frightening. SFOG is a landfill grade park now compared to what it was

[@scottrackley4457]

In the early 80s that was a cool place. First loop rollercoaster I ever rode, The Mindbender. We lived 2 hours away, so day trip.

[@toddabowden]

I remember how absolutely amazing it was, Six Flags over Georgia. Fright fest was great, they had cool festivals and cool deals where you bring a Coke can and get a huge discount on your ticket potentially. Just a different time. It's completely unrecognizable the last time I visited a year ago or so

[@Gigi-yy7jp]

I have a relative that went to SF in Atlanta years ago. She said it was horrible. Half the rides were broken, it was filthy, expensive, rude local people shoving and breaking in line, disgusting food. No business can last like that.

[@CZsWorld]

Great use of the Kingda Ka drop to illustrate the falling stock price.

[@hitmantyson]

Great use of Taylor Swift and not bashing her head in

[@acnhsasha3085]

@@hitmantysonnot related

[@hitmantyson]

@@acnhsasha3085 doesn't matter, I will forever stalk this poster for that weird ass poll they did that one time and just inexplicably deleted, never let them forget the shame

[@smitmastaflex]

@@hitmantysonShame! SHAME!!!

[@Sonic-gy7kq]

The early 2000s bankruptcy was the best thing to ever happen to coaster enthusiasts. All we care about is unique and crazy coasters, so six flags going haywire and adding more than one coaster in one year to one park... is unheard of and let to some amazing coasters/additions.

[@nevaehhamilton3493]

You only think that because of your blindness to reality. Six Flags was never going to make it in a world where it's impossible to be successful without committing crimes to do so. And now, they're being bought out by Cedar Fair, and Six Flags will no longer exist as its own park.

[@brianfoss571]

Uh-huh... Remind me: how many Boomerangs, Batman clones, and SLCs does Six Flags have, again? Six Flags only blessed a handful of parks with multiple shiny new B&Ms in that era, you know.

[@Sonic-gy7kq]

@@brianfoss571 Do more research buddy your wrong. Batman and the rest you mentioned were not part of the bankruptcy era. smh. X2... 🤦‍♂

[@brianfoss571]

@Sonic-gy7kq Oh really? Does your definition of the *"bankruptcy era"* include the late 90s, my dude? Because it absolutely should. That's when Premier Parks overextended themselves rebranding too many of their parks to Six Flags properties. Over Texas and La Ronde both got Batman clones during that time, and multiple other parks received SLCs and Boomerangs then. But you're too busy drooling over what Magic Mountain and Great Adventure got to remember those awful Vekomas.

[@ADHJkvsNgsMBbTQe]

I remember when Sears started charging for their catalog. The price of parking at Six Flags seems like an equally brilliant idea. /sarcasm Never underestimate how tone deaf or out of touch the tie-wearing chuckleheads in the C-suite can be. Borrow borrow borrow… Bonus bonus bonus… Bankruptcy bankruptcy bankruptcy.

[@calebharris4127]

Spoken like a true person of a non-business

[@ADHJkvsNgsMBbTQe]

@@calebharris4127 or a person who has been in the business world for almost five decades.

[@danbuckley6584]

​@@calebharris4127yeah that guy must be a total moron. Sears is doing great and 6 flags is just raking in money. I can't believe anyone would try to argue your business experience, Warren Buffet

[@robertsmith2956]

Love their warnings, your car isn't safe off site. yet in big print, we are not responsible in their own parking lots. LOL

[@misanthropist3]

Hey they need to buy another yacht, don't be too harsh on them, poor souls (sarcasm 😂).

[@michaeldobbs7112]

Excellent analysis as usual. A additional point you need to make is that the people that are driving these companies into the ground to bankruptcy are making millions of dollars on the way out the door only incentivizing this type of behavior.

[@DOUGHBOY420.]

every upload, is better than the last. Thank you, Jake, for making such amazing content after all these years. Here is to a great 2024.

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thank you for making this year great!

[@James-mw7zv]

Execs take their huge cut and declare bankruptcy. Taxpayers pick up the pieces. Disgusting.

[@frenchy1224]

As a coaster enthusiast and a Six Flags employee, I really enjoyed this video! The history of this company has been a rocky, but interesting one. Here's to the new merge with Cedar Fair and hopefully a bright future for all Six Flags parks!

[@jmabs5096]

"Six flags, mo flags, mo fun!" - weird bald guy in a suit. If you know, you da real mvp.

[@xxTexas_outlaw71xxttv]

HIS NAME WAS MR FUN back in the day

[@tedschmitt178]

That was a great ad campaign.

[@Jack1994hoo]

When he said on the video that they declared bankruptcy and that they focussed on domestic parks and were paying off their debt I was like "ok, they made some bad choices, but now they must have learned their lesson, they will wait to have some cash before exp..." "And then they started expanding and buying parks again" "Oh come on!"

[@thepilotist7297]

Another point worth mentioning is that six Flags has been suffering with an increase of gang activity and violence within some of their parks. I have witnessed massive fights and heard of a few shootings at six flags parks in recent years. Many people I know just don’t want to go to six flags anymore because they perceive it as unsafe as a result. If they can clean up the gang stuff and make it more family friendly, that will help

[@aluvrianne]

I was just going to say this. Magic Mountain was dealing with this problem 20+ years ago.

[@Sr9-b8e]

The Six Flags in Santa Clarita has had this problem since it first opened. Many gangbangers from poorer parts of LA would go there, mainly because of the low prices. As a result, a lot of violence would happen on the regular there due to rival gang members running in to eachother. Hell I heard that in the 80s, stabbings would happen atleast once a month. I am from a rough part of LA, by the way.

[@aluvrianne]

@@Sr9-b8e It's been 20 years, but I went to USC, so I know all about the non-glamourous parts of the city. But, wouldn't you know, it was when I was parked in front of a multi-million dollar house in Redondo that my car got broken into and trashed. In the ghetto, having Montana plates meant the majority of people were more scared of me than I ever was of them. Bangers left me and my car alone. That said, the only issues I ever had with other patrons at Magic Mountain were the friggin' cigarette smokers. Like the air wasn't already bad enough, they'd leave me sucking on my inhaler and cursing the day of their birth.

[@Anr1231]

Knotts too!

[@panzerabwerkanone]

Six Flags over Georgia is downright dangerous place to go. Car break-ins muggings and gang activity as well as being in one of the highest crime areas of Atlanta. My family hasn't thought of going there in ten years.

[@matthewnormand2041]

I grew up in the Houston area and visited AstroWorld many times. It was a shock to everyone when it closed. Hard to believe it was considered more profitable to raze it and occasionally use the empty lot as overflow parking for events at the stadiums than to keep it going.

[@Jenova180]

Right! What sense does that make? You close the one park that you have the most attendance to?

[@lucasrem]

Bad management, so it was not profitable. Local management is better.

[@sydwashere8659]

From what I remember they thought they could get much more money for the land than they actually got. I believe the rodeo ended up buying it.

[@hkmp5s]

Astroworld became a ghetto full of ghetto kids. It became a daycare for future gang members. They ran the families off and with them the money They should have raised the prices to keep out the riff-raff. They became the Walmart of amusement parks.

[@Tornado1994]

@@sydwashere8659 Kieran Burke sold the NRG land off to Reliant with the Backing of GOP Real Estate Lobbyists in 2005. They brought it for the so purpose of tearing down Astroworld and outsourcing its rides.

[@moonlightstarlight_5285]

As someone who used to work there as a lifeguard, I’m sorta glad yet sad at the bankruptcy. There was a lot of things that happened behind the scenes that really sucked and made me quit at the end of the summer. My Grandma used to be the head nurse at the park I worked at so that was neat.

[@Sonic-gy7kq]

Six Flags single-handedly brought RMC into the big leagues of coaster manufacturers. What many consider to be some of the best rides in the world, may have not existed without Six Flags working with RMC.

[@LadyLakeMusic]

I was on the team that developed the live and local independent music series throughout all of the parks, so this really hits home with me! Thank you so much Jake for your always interesting and informative videos! Wishing you a wonderful new year, Cindy 👱‍♀️🎶🎢

[@oldmanloki]

I was one of Selim Bassou’s two executive assistants based out of Arlington from November 2021 until December of 2023 and I can confirm, it was most easily comparable to when Robert California ran Dunder Mifflin. He is legitimately a mad man.

[@neptunium7121]

So many take-overs, acquisitions, transitions, stock accumulation, buy-in' s, expansions and finally a merger. The perfect story for studying U.S business practices and mechanics.

[@emhu2594]

And bankruptcy where they end up screwing the workers and causing mass unemployment so the board members can squeeze a few more cents out of their stock.

[@GrzegorzDurda]

The scourge of investors and bankers.

[@lightningboat]

Insane how horribly this company failed.

[@horsepowermultimedia]

Yeah. It also shows a picture of what would happen to places like Disneyland if prices continue to be jacked up. Six Flags serves as a canary in the coal mine for companies like Disney.

[@gordon1545]

Six Flags hasn't been a failure. It has delivered exactly what the market wants - the maximum possible short-term return for owners and shareholders, and the maximum possible interest payments to banks and lenders. Doesn't matter if it eventually bombs, the money will just move to the next best short-term opportunity.

[@alveolate]

corporate execs are totally worth their bloated salaries you guys! all with next to zero accountability!

[@SethMethCS]

As long as the curren cy we use is based on frac. Tional re. Serve bnaking, we will lose and get poorer.

[@nevaehhamilton3493]

It was because of some terrible financial decisions made by a greedy cheapskate who doesn't know basic math and finances. Now the parks are in danger of permanently closing.

[@mochaest1994]

I was in 5th grade when Astroworld in Houston Texas closed down. This video brings me some closure as to why these wonderful memories had to fly away in the winds of time. Thank you for the insight! As heartbreaking as this is/was, Dan Schneider doesn’t deserve anything this good.

[@mariebelladonna437]

Louisville, Kentucky native here. Wanted to offer a little more insight into what happened with (Sucks Flags) Kentucky Kingdom. This is long, sorry, lol. I pretty much grew up at Kentucky Kingdom, having a season pass from the time I was about 13 (back then the passes were laminated paper, with your picture glued into them, and got you into KK and the zoo, lol), until I was in my early 20s. I spent most of every summer there. Our park was a beloved local icon. I remember how it started out so small, and grew and expanded over the years. It was beautiful, and safe, and clean. I remember there was always someone walking around the concourses with a broom and dustpan. When Sucks Flags took over, almost everyone who went to the park noticed a decline, and that started almost immediately. As soon as Bugs and Tweety went up all over everything, the prices were jacked way up (this was all the way back in the late 90s/very early 00s). They didn't clean the park, they didn't repair anything. Half the park's fun little themed eateries closed, and never opened back up. there was always a ride or two that weren't operational, on any given day. Then they started trying to draw the teens in. They had this thing called "Day 5 Alive", every Friday night. It was like a dance party, for teenagers, and it was very popular. Unfortunately, it was also pretty unregulated. I think you had to be a certain age to go, maybe 14 or 16? Not sure. But parents would drop their kids off, or teens that could drive brought others who couldn't. There were huge crowds. And with that many teenagers, and that little staff, it was impossible to supervise them all. Not that the staff really cared anyway. There were always reports of fights, injuries, vandalism. It was so rough, my mother never actually allowed me to go. The rough crowds and the reputation they brought, drove a lot of families away from wanting to even go to the park at all. And it just kept going downhill. When Sucks Flags left in 2009, they didn't just drop their lease. They picked a fight with the Fair Board (who owns/manages the land the Park and our Fairgrounds share) over some amendment they wanted, to their lease. When the board (rightfully) wouldn't budge, they *broke* their lease, and abandoned the park. But before they left, they took several favorite rides that they were NOT supposed to take (they took some before it even closed, under the deceitful guise of expanding the water park). IIRC there was legal action over that, and a settlement was reached. But that didn't give us back our only standing roller coaster, or any of the other stuff they pinched. And our community was heartbroken. Generations had grown up there, and many, like myself, had hoped to continue the park's legacy, by sharing it with our own children one day. And Sucks Flags just threw the park away like trash. It was left dilapidated, rotting and molding, for years. Several companies expressed interest in reopening it, but none were successful. Hope began to slip away, and it looked more and more like our beloved little park was going to go the way of Geauga Lake Park (who, btw, I firmly believe was killed by Sucks Flags; I think it was simply too late, by the time Cedar Fair took over). But in a wonderful turn of events, our park survived, and still thrives today. A group of Louisvillians spearheaded a grassroots effort, that grew into a local movement. And, through donations from the community (myself included), and a large investment from a local hero, Ed Hart-the man who really started Kentucky Kingdom himself, way back in 1990-an agreement was reached with the city and the Fair Board. Lots of work was done, some of it also donated, and many hours of loving labor were put in. And in May of 2014, five years after Sucks Flags screwed Louisville over and left it for dead, our park repoened to much fanfare, under the original Kentucky Kingdom nameplate. It's still thriving today, though the operating rights have since been sold, they were sold to Herschend Family Entertainment, the awesome company that also owns Dollywood, and the Harlem Globetrotters. It's as clean, friendly, and beautiful as ever, and now offers things like free drink refills, free sunscreen, and free innertube rentals (may sound like little things, but Suck Flags never did *anything* like that.) We're all so happy to have our wonderful park back. All in all, I'd say we were very lucky. But maybe it's less luck, than an example of how tight-knit and supportive out awesome community can be. And we're all glad Sucks Flags is gone. I, for one, will never spend a penny at another Sucks Flags park. My pennies may not matter to them. But I have my morals and my principals, and they have nothing to do with anyone but myself. I can only hope Cedar Fair, which now has controlling interest, really takes these parks up to the level at which they should be. Because I've been to some Cedar Fair parks, too, and they know how to run the hell out of an amusement park. But Sucks Flags...well, SUCKS. If you read to the end, thank you. Again, I'm sorry it was so long. I get excited, sharing things about my hometown. I enjoyed writing this. I hope you enjoyed reading it.

[@AshBlossomWorshiper]

Next time im even REMOTELY close, I'm making it my mission to visit Kentucky Kingdom

[@mariebelladonna437]

@@AshBlossomWorshiper thank you!! Louisville would love to have you! 😊 And while you're here, you should take a tour of on of our other beloved-and world famous-landmarks: Waverly Hills Sanatorium!

[@Kari_._]

You've made me want to go to Kentucky just to go to Kentucky Kingdom, is such a nice thing that it ended coming back to its roots.

[@Juuuseeepeech]

You’re a fantastic story teller

[@mariebelladonna437]

@@Juuuseeepeech wow, thank you. It's always been my dream, to be a published author. So that really means a lot.

[@Reverie42]

As a bit of context into how insane the Six Flags spending spree in the early 00s was... I worked at Sea World for 2 years prior to the sale. Both Sea World and Geauga Lake had been seeing declining attendence for years. Sea World was hit particularly hard due to being a seasonal park that still had to care for live animals all year. By the time the buyout happened, the retail side had been losing money for awhile. Both parks took a big nose dive almost the moment SF took over. The supply chain for merch basically collapsed and we couldn't keep anything in stock. The entire Sea World side of the park only lasted 2 more seasons after the buyout. That they bought into two floundering parks and spent insane amounts of money on new rides was insanity. If their other acquisitions were anything like this, they never even had a chance not to fail.

[@xiaoka]

Putting a Sea World in Ohio seems insane.

[@Reverie42]

​@@xiaoka It actually lasted for 30 years. The theme park market was dramatically different in the 70's when it was built, but as the market for regional parks slowly collapsed, the margins evaporated.

[@tacticalmatt7030]

Had no idea you made that closed for storm documentary still one of my favorite documentaries to this day. It's constructed so well.

[@foxracing8973]

As someone who has never been a big Disney fan, (even when I was a kid) Six Flags was the ultimate theme park for me. Especially since I have always loved Looney Tunes and considered their rides to be much more thrilling than Disney ones. I was lucky to grow up not far from the Saint Louis location and spent every summer there. To this day, the Mr. Freeze ride at SFSTL is my fav roller coaster ever. Thank you for another great episode of Bankrupt Bright Sun Films...even if it did make me kinda sad 😔 😅

[@Referee583]

Jake again with your high end documentary... It must take you A LOT OF TIME to research and develop your videos and it DOES NOT go unnoticed.... Thank You

[@BrightSunFilms]

I seriously appreciate that so much. Thank you

[@billybassman21]

His content is good, but he's popular largely because KZbin promotes Canadian content more than the US. They have basically shadow banned any content from the southern US to prevent more conservative minded opinions. Try to search something like pickup trucks, you'll get a bunch of videos from a guy in Utah, little to nothing from the south where you would expect it.

[@Jlaps941]

As a Louisville native, Six Flags selling their lease to Kentucky Kingdom was the greatest thing for the park in the long run. It sucked having the park just sit abandoned for 5 years, especially as a 10 year old who LOVED Kentucky Kingdom when it closed, but it’s been in MUCH better hands under Ed Hart and Herschend since 2014. Especially since no one’s feet have gotten brutally chopped off by the rides since either took over, and the prices have stayed affordable

[@Viggenpower]

I worked at Geauga Lake back when it was owned by Funtime Inc. it's a shame what happened to the area, with both Geauga Lake and SeaWorld, once thriving parks, now completely gone.

[@VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM]

I just looked up Geauga Lake, it was first created in 1887.....geez what a waste. That's a piece of history. Destroyed by greed and fools. No respect for what came before them.

[@syd_sterb]

I grew up near Geauga lake and loved it up until it closed. It will be truly missed

[@jricedrums]

@@VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM My grandparents rode their first roller coaster at Geauga Lake, my parents rode their first coaster at Geauga Lake, I rode my first coaster at Geauga Lake. I was in High School when the park closed for good. Over 100 years of history just gone. While I don't live in the area anymore my parents still do, and locally that park still comes up in conversation from time to time. We all miss it.

[@Eargesplitten-Loudenboomer]

I got to go a few times as a kid and loved it. I've wired a few of the houses going up in the area and it's so strange how different it is

[@RobertSwickard-o1w]

​@@VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMIT WAS BOUGHT AND CLOSED BY CEDAR FAIR AS NOT TO TAKE MONEY FROM THE BABY CEDAR POINT GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT

[@tonywright1962]

Hey, Jake! As you say at the end there is much you might have missed. Six Flags did not open Great America north of Chicago; for a while Marriott got into the theme park business and it opened as Marriott's Great America and it was Marriott who brokered the deal to use Loony Tune characters. Keep up the good work!

[@BDUBZ49]

That's why I was never jealous of kids whose grandparents took them to Disney. Bugs and Daffy are way cooler than Mickey and Minnie.

[@QAMan23]

Former SFDK maintenance guy here. Thanks for showing shots/vids of SF Discovery Kingdom (what SF rebranded Marine World as). Most people dismiss the park, probably because it isn't exclusively rides rides rides. Half of it is an animal sanctuary/rescue and is very cool in it's own right. During my time, the company had a directive of adding a new major ride every year, even though most of the employees wondered where we were going to put them with the limited space we had. We did have a separately priced go-kart track that was very popular and we used to think that it'd never close because that attraction was always busy. Went back there a few years later and they had installed a Batman themed 4D coaster in that space. Stupid IMHO as the go-karts made a LOT of money. Full disclosure, I'm the one who broke the Voodoo ride (it's true).

[@OsageScoutMom]

I worked for Fiesta Texas (San Antonio) the summer of 2005. After seeing the "behind the scenes" with the amount of time rides were down for maintenance and how many injuries for workers and guests alike, my husband and I decided that it was not a place for us to visit. Seeing their current pricing for season passes, the day ticket, parking, and cost of refreshments, they have priced us out of the opportunity to change our minds about visiting. I wish them well and hope they can turn it around.

[@shawneel5339]

I grew up in Arlington and loved going to SF over Texas . My first job was at the park and I had a similar experience. Working there completely turned me off from visiting the park again. It was the worst job I’ve ever had. Despite employees getting free season passes, I never once visited the park as a guest during or after my employment. Hopefully the merger is able to fix things especially the guest and employee experience.

[@stuntin732]

I was stationed in San Antonio in 2005, I loved it except for the rattle snake that gave me and a few of my battle buddies a headache for 2 days. We went back to the barracks and wasn’t very long when we went to the infirmary for some Advil. I hated that ride!!

[@EmilyPie99]

I grew up going to fiesta Texas all the time and still go now. $100 for their platinum pass for a year really covers all I need (regular park + parking + water park) and they let me bring in water. I go like 10 times a year (sometimes just popping in an hour or two before closing with no lines) and it’s comparable in price to going to a movie or buying a game/puzzle. Rides are closed sometimes but if you have the pass, at some point certain rides open up. Also a good way to get my steps in, cheaper than the gym membership!

[@DhampirVampire]

I grew up in SoCal so Magic Mountain is my local Six Flags. It's funny watching this and comparing my last visit when Magic Mountain was still a seasonal park around 2006... The lack of maintenance for the rides was showing and my father's harness opened on the loop on Viper. Lucky he held on tight enough for the backwards journey through the loop. I have not been back since, but I still want to ride the new Wonder Woman coaster. I do miss those early 2000s commercials too though. Lol.

[@robertsmith2956]

I couldn't believe you never saw the log ride mountain at Walley World in Vacation.

[@vaughnmcmillan8400]

That's a heartbreaker. Part of my Texas experience was having m'cousin and his wife introduce me to 6 Flags Over Texas in Arlington, and I thought I was in Heaven! Two major rollercoasters, and even plays performed by young, good-looking, aspiring starlets, it had it all. And throughout that year and the next, my 2nd home was at Wet 'N' Wild across the highway! To me, those two ruled my world! Now I'm sad.

[@darringuy9542]

Small correction… Six Flags did not open Great America in Gurnee, IL. Marriott Corporation opened that park in 1976. Six Flags’ parent company, Bally Manufacturing, purchased the park in 1983. After the purchase, the park took on the Six Flags name in 1984.

[@ImpetuouslyInsane]

That park's twin was featured in Beverly Hills Cop 3.

[@Stagnant_Gravy]

Also, he said Nitro was at Great America when it’s at Great Adventure.

[@JeffreyPiatt]

Marriot opened two Great America Parks and some rides are cloned between the two. irony is that when Marriot divested them one went to six flags another went to what became Paramount parks and later sold to ceder Fair.

[@sunlitegodis]

@@Stagnant_Gravythank you! I know I’m getting older because for a second I had to really think about if Great America had a ride I had somehow missed!

[@nayhem]

@@JeffreyPiatt Yep, and that other Great America in Santa Clara is slated to close in ten years, barring any further consequences from the merger. So cue one poor family who came to Discovery Kingdom, mistook it for Great America elsewhere in the Bay, and confused it again for the Six Flags Great America all the way in Illinois when they had purchased their tickets online. That mother was *howling*. I don't recall if she ever calmed down enough to get that fixed.

[@jefferiah10]

Six Flags Astroworld was where I rode my first roller coaster (Excalibur). It broke my heart when I found out it was going to be wiped off the face of the earth for no real reason. When that happened, I started going to Six Flags Fiesta Texas and appreciating it more since it was in my hometown of San Antonio. I even worked there during college a couple of Summers. Now my daughters are becoming fans of it. I really hope they get their act together with this merger so that the parks can stick around a while longer!

[@antonnym214]

I lived about a half hour from Six Flags over Georgia and during my teenage years, got a very reasonable season ticket and me and my friends would go all the time. It was the highlight of our summers.

[@donnadelrey6744]

Just a small correction: Nitro is not located at Great America - it is located in Great Adventure

[@BrightSunFilms]

Yeah that was my bad!

[@jolietpinball7439]

@@BrightSunFilms And Six Flags did not open Great America in 1984...it already existed as one of two Marriott's Great America parks, 1976-1984. Also, the reason why Six Flags has Looney Tunes is because the rights/licensing were transferred over when they bought Great America (Gurnee, IL) from Marriott. Prior to that, only Marriott's Great America parks had the exclusive licenses for Looney Tunes.

[@carriejones4230]

​@jolietpinball7439 i scrolled down to see if someone had corrected the information about Great America. Six Flags chose to only acquire the Gurnee, IL location because it had room to grow, was the more profitable park, and i believe the CEO at the time lived in the suburban Chicago area.

[@alyxgraff9121]

This was a great way to end out the Bankrupt! Series here. As someone with a friend who grew up with SixFlags Astroworld, it's always the first thing brought up when 6 Flags are mentioned. The Ceder Point merger is new news to me, but hopefully that could actually work. Here's to 2024.

[@andrewdahlstrom5965]

I live in the DFW area and went to six flags several times growing up. I went a couple of years ago during the fright fest, and the quality of the park had fallen off quite a bit. Several ride were broken/closed, the park felt over crowded, and dirty. Hopefully the merger will get the park back in the right direction.

[@carnauris1726]

I always found it interesting that Knotts regularly outperformed Magic Mountain, despite Magic Mountain having way more coasters

[@jordancaleb3419]

Knotts is definitely a more family oriented experience! More families more money spent at knotts!

[@carnauris1726]

@@jordancaleb3419 this is very true, however Disneyland is down the street from Knotts so it has heavy competition for families

[@micoasters]

Magic mountain has a quantity, but not the quality. Knots doesn’t have any many rides. But they have quality in ghost rider, xcellerator, montezumas revenge, and hang time. But magic mountain only really has apocalypse, Wonder Woman, west coast racers, and twisted colossus

[@micoasters]

@@carnauris1726knotts is cheaper than Disney which probably helps

[@bluekewne]

​@@carnauris1726Knott's makes up for Disneyland by having more coasters & being significantly less expensive. And their boysenberries & funnel cakes.

[@lostlegend2197]

SIX FLAGS?! LET'S FREAKING GO FOR LAST BSF VIDEO OF THE YEAR! 🎉🎉🎉

[@llamajuice]

This episode is way longer than 20 seconds. 0:25

[@gustavoarios]

Your production value is even better than network television. Thank you for such a great and entertaining chapter here.

[@Metroid250]

This is the usual outcome that happens when corporate networks don't want creativity and only want revenue. I'm glad KZbin has allowed for independent creators to flourish

[@joshuachaney7338]

As a resident of Arlington, TX my whole life I have always had a love for Six Flags. I am happy to see the merger with Cedar Fair in hopes for the company’s future and our park here. Thanks for spotlighting a company that is close to my heart BSF! ❤ Great work!

[@asrr62]

ive only been to fiesta texas a few times cause its close. i really like fiesta texas. its cool cause it is built in a quarry.

[@terencejay8845]

As a visiting Brit with ties to Texas, I went to the Arlington Six Flags way back in 1976. As it was Bicentennial Year, it was very busy and it had a more vibrant atmosphere than I'd found at Disney World previously. I still have the fold-out park map somewhere. Good times.

[@raaah]

I am glad! Me and my friends and family used to go to six flags in New Jersey. Then every year they started increasing the parking fees and charging you extra for every little stupid thing to the point where we stop going. I hope it's a lesson to be learned corporate greed

[@philjohnson8037]

Sorry, corporate America will never lower prices. That would admit they made a mistake when they raised prices.

[@naturesorchestra2785]

I miss Great Adventure in New Jersey. Moved to North Carolina and they have CaroWinds which is lame!

[@alexcutionman4569]

As a student in the Cedar Fair college program this video is a very interesting take on everything. Well done Jake!

[@micoasters]

Since you are kinda involved with cedar fair, can you get us with Michigans adventure a new ride? Or atleast some track work on shivering Timbers?

[@Stagnant_Gravy]

@@micoastershe’d be one insider college student if he knew that. I work at an amusement park as an employee and get little to no insider knowledge with future additions.

[@alexcutionman4569]

@@micoasters as per previous agreements with the program I’m not sure if I can discuss what parks within the chain may have planned

[@rlg1976x]

When Six Flags sold the former Geauga Lake/Sea World property to Cedar Fair, most folks knew it was a wrap for that amusement park since Geauga Lake was a direct rival (only 86 miles apart) with Cedar Point for years. I'm also concerned about the future of Cedar Point post Cedar Fair/Six Flags merger. Under Cedar Fair, Cedar Point was the crown jewel of all their properties. Under Six Flags, they could end of being treated as just another property.

[@FrothingFanboy]

Cedar Fair has the controlling shares (barely).

[@heatherprincipe8537]

I don't care what happens to Cedar Point since Cedar Fair killed Geauga Lake. It was out of greed.

[@nicolemonus3974]

Yes and Six Flags used the funds from the sale to purchase Jazzland which was immediately destroyed by Hurricane Katrina 🥴

[@kingmo8789]

​@heatherprincipe8537 technically, Six Flags set that park up to fail just like what they did other parks in their chain. (besides New Orleans) like Astroworld and my home park Kentucky Kingdom

[@xanbyr]

I love finding out you went to my childhood theme park when you were younger too! Darien Lake will always hold a special place in my heart

[@Accension]

As a close resident to Six Flags Fiesta Texas, seeing this news hurts, but I could see it coming with how the park had been slowing and areas deteriorating through time. Great video on the topic!

[@jricedrums]

What's wild is Fiesta Texas is one of the nicest Six Flags parks in the chain. As a whole I generally consider Six Flags the "walmart" of amusement parks, but Fiesta Texas is nice enough I'd call it a "Target" in the amusement park world.

[@i-Sparki]

It was incredibly shortsighted to raise prices for everything while cutting costs in maintenance and other important areas but so it goes for the C-Suites currently in rotation in this country. They all seem to have the same idea of cut costs, raise prices until it all blows up in their face. It simply doesn't work for more than a few years unless you're a business that is crucial to multiple industries like Adobe or Autodesk who can do it with ease and little pushback. Not only that but Six Flags parks are not exactly "destinations" people are willing to spend so much money on. Great Adventure is in the middle of south Jersey. Close to many markets but also means that people have A LOT of options too. Why go to Great Adventure (or other Six Flags parks in the Northeast) when you can go to one of the many parks littering Pennsylvania? They have no hook other than rollercoasters. There's no "experience" to have. Just rides and overpriced food. Cedar Fair parks at least try to give you something and it works.

[@captiannemo1587]

It’s depressing how often the C suite cycle happens.

[@erizzle67]

This is just crazy to me. I live a couple hours from the regional theme park Tweetsie Railroad, but I had/have several relatives who work at Disney and tons of family in the Orlando area. So we not only went to Disney every year since it opened but I’d sometimes get dropped off for the whole summer. I would often just ride to work with my aunts and uncles to hang out at the park all day with my cousins. Needless to say, back in North Carolina I had a very different summertime experience every year than most of my friends. Most of them had never even been to Disney once. I had heard about Six Flags and other similar parks, but really just dismissed them from my mind (finally just went to Carowinds for the first time last year, despite only living an hour away!). To me Disney was the best and it was free! Before watching this video, I swear there were maybe five or six Six Flags parks! I had no idea they were larger than Disney. I just assumed they were slightly better than Tweetsie - which I still love by the way! Love your videos keep it up!

[@samplautz5586]

As a coaster enthusiast, thank you for this! What an awesome video. I’m so interested to see what the merger between them and cedar fair will look like

[@boingkster]

Dude! I'm in Australia and I know what Six Flags is! Awesome content, absolutely loving it. Thanks heaps mate, have a good 2024!

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thanks for watching! See you in 24!

[@fayecox9401]

Happy new year to you from uk 🇬🇧

[@triumphantsam]

As a kid in the 1970s and 80s, Six Flags over Georgia was the annual treat. We were broke, but we could scrape up enough for a trip, a few games and snacks, and great memories. I spent time away and didn’t go back until 2001- I got a season pass and went every Friday after work, hitting the 6p to 9p sweet spot and enjoyed the heck out of it. Until, that is, I took my turn girlfriend on a Saturday. The park was hot, crowded, and the attitude was generally bad. A literal gang fight/near riot occurred at the Scream Machine waiting area. We left and I stayed away until trying it again in 2013. My wife wanted to go during peak hours (I have no idea why people do this). We waited in line for around 1hr and 45 minutes to ride the Mindbender. The park was dirty, crowded, and overpriced. There was an issue with my season pass paperwork (we got them at work for less than a one day ticket) and the staff had no interest in fixing the issue. An HOUR later, I realized that was wasted time. We went once. Our son and his friends went a few times, but it was the end for me. I love roller coasters. I love amusement parks. But I’ll never go back. Stories like mine are why Six Flags and other amusement parks are going bankrupt.

[@DoyleFM]

Exactly. My story is the same, having grown up in the Austell/Mableton area during the same timeframe. We'll likely never visit SFOG again. 😕 🇺🇸

[@subparnaturedocumentary]

i'm honestly shocked 6 flags being a topic of another excellent bsf bankrupt film, but here we are!

[@hannes3452]

I'm from Europe and i know what Six Flags is. As i said many times before, once again an another great Video. All the best for 2024, keep up this brilliant work! ✌️

[@micoasters]

They actually had multiple parks over there, they are now known as bellewaerde, walibi belgium, walibi holland, and walibi Rhône alps ( I may be missing some as I’m going off memory)

[@hannes3452]

​@@micoastersOh, i didn't know that. Thank you! 🙌

[@micoasters]

@@hannes3452 no problem

[@LisaF777]

Same. I visited Six Flags over Texas a while back

[@katiebatten5794]

My partner and I went to SF Over Georgia last summer and we were astounded by the mismanagement. When we got there, no one had set up line dividers and everyone was just standing outside the gates in one big crowd, jostling each other and climbing over barriers. Even when we got inside people were jumping barriers to cut the line and staff couldn’t do anything about it because they were extremely shortstaffed. Everything was really shabby, too. It had just opened for the season so there was really no excuse. Oh, and a plate of chicken tenders and fries cost $18. We ended up leaving early and I don’t think we’ll ever go back

[@carolinemanuel5996]

I went there a couple years ago and it was HORRIBLE.

[@cnony7427]

I remember being a teen and going to top-tier artists in concert at Six Flags over Georgia's Coca-Cola amphitheater. You'd play in the park all day and stay out there for a show. It was amazing and relatively inexpensive.

[@xblade11230]

Those days are gone now, same as the days where you could walk into a CVS in any metro area and see tons of shelves that aren't locked up

[@justcallmedylan6287]

Coming from Great America as my closest park to me, it was very odd how they had those fingerprint scanners for a year and then the season after, they vanished. Top notch episode Jake!

[@johnfritz1164]

Six Flags was sued under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. That is why they didn’t last long.

[@robertschwister3872]

Great America in Gurnee, IL was originally built/ owned by Marriott. Growing up, we would drive down once or twice a summer from the Milwaukee area (early/ mid 80's). Fun childhood memories.

[@Christoph-sd3zi]

That was back when it was mostly White patrons - now the clientele is a lot darker.

[@kristicabonor5421]

I remember when it was Marriott's Great America. It changed to Six Flags when I was a kid. Six Flags didn't build it. They bought it in 1984 and got the Looney Tunes characters with that purchase.

[@idrawpeopleandanimals]

Another gem of a documentary. As always, well done, Jake! 👏❤🎉

[@lucasrem]

You got the 60% off ? why cry that ?

[@carrie5123]

Nice video. Just a point of correction. Six Flags didn't open Great America in Illinois. Great America was built by Marriot and it opened in 1976. For years it was known as Marriot's Great America. Six Flags didn't acquire it until 1984.

[@junglenachos]

This in-depth video of the decline, and potential rise, of Six Flags encourages me to go revisit my nearest and most low key nostalgic theme park, Six Flags Magic Mountain. This was the place where I conquered my fears of roller coasters growing up and made many great moments with family as a teen and young adult. I hope someone in the board room of Cedar Fair/Six Flags brings up this channel for credit in boosting park attendance. I'm looking forward to the next time I can go to Knott's Berry Farm or Six Flags Magic Mountain and live like a king compared to a typical day at Disneyland.. Thank you Bright Sun Films for another hit!

[@JH-hd3oy]

Knott’s doesn’t have an attendance problem and actually sells out every night of their hard ticket Halloween haunt event supposedly. You won’t be “living like a king” though as the waits for coasters can be 3-4 hours on busy days due to one-train operations combined with other ride closures. It will never be Disneyland in quality of theming or experience.

[@Daredvl13]

I used to work at six flags, and jesus christ it was a mess. We couldn’t even open our new “expansion” for the park because we didn’t have enough employees. Hell, there were even times where everyone was sent home and the park would be closed for the day because we were so understaffed. All of this occurred AFTER six flags bought it over.

[@legopunk2655]

Legoland has always done VERY well with their measly 10 parks (currently) compared to SF. They've only closed one ever, and that was 50 years ago. They are about to open 4 more.

[@matthewdavis6741]

Who here went to Riverside in Massachusetts (right near the NBA Basketball Hall of Fame!) before it was Six Flags and rode the Mind Eraser and the Thunderbolt? Six Flags kept them when they took over in 2000. I got the chance to go to Riverside before they got bought out. Sadly, the last time I went there in 2017, the park was in severe disarray, severely understaffed, and clearly on the verge on closing. Paint was chipping, missing, and faded on a lot of the attractions and booths. Many things that needed repair were just closed, never to be re-opened. I had seasons as a kid from 2001-2003, and I went almost every summer until 2010. I had so many great memories at that park but to see how it looked in 2017 truly disappointed me. It was like walking through a ghost town, something way past its glory, barely hanging on.

[@clarissawagner9847]

Six flags st. Louis was my childhood. I was there every summer and watched the grand opening of many rides. As an adult I have gone back once. It's sad to see that they suffered like that but now makes me want to go back.

[@alexschneider8494]

The smell of asphalt when it’s 100 degrees outside is all I think of when I think Six Flags St. Louis lol

[@Dagoat09010]

I went there a few years ago and man it wasn’t in great shape.

[@KMO325]

Interesting story and explains a lot in retrospect. Despite growing-up in Prince George’s County, Maryland which has a Six Flags, I always preferred going to Kings Dominion in Richmond, Virginia which is owned by Cedar Fair.

[@Stanlayy-em4fk]

Yes. It was a little further away but at least we had options. "Wild World" brings back a lot of memories though.

[@donaldrobinson6298]

​@@Stanlayy-em4fkdidn't wild world become six flags? I'm from Alexandria Va and KD was my preferred choice. Hershey Park is the go to amusement park now. I remember wild world and the wooden coaster they had and Cal Ripken Jr did the commercials. SF had the jokers jinx and superman coasters but they were always broken down.

[@Stanlayy-em4fk]

@@donaldrobinson6298 It became Adventure World, then Six Flags.

[@treasurethetime2463]

What a rollercoaster. Couldn't resist. Seriously though, impeccable storytelling. "Great adventures" as it is known in my home state on NJ, was a pivotal part of my childhood. To this day I love theme parks and all the craziness that goes along with them. Fascinating story.

[@kentslocum]

Six Flags and Cedar Fair have always focused on Thrills over Theming. Now that Universal is doing both (plus branching out into regional offerings), it's no surprise that Six Flags has been struggling.

[@inkwithcaution]

As someone who went to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom a couple of times due to being in band (middle school band, orchestra and choir annual trips), I had to pull out my photos from that time. Lots of Looney Tunes which makes sense with the licensing in the late 90s/early 2000s. This was solid!

[@michaelandin1167]

Honestly, Darien Lake is great for those of us in the Buffalo area. It’s the biggest outdoor venue we have in the area for concerts. It’s the best option we’ve had for bigger artists to tour here. And I’ve seen many many concerts there

[@alextippitt9425]

You can see and hear all the hard work you have put in over the years. Thanks for the great videos

[@parkerrenshaw3157]

Thank you for another episode of Bankrupt, just wanted to say that the intro to this episode was pretty fire. Great job.

[@BrightSunFilms]

Much appreciated!

[@cressedangel123]

Been here ever since 2016, im glad to see that the quality has never gone down, and instead, has only improved Thank you for all the curiosity Jake!

[@NoahGragsonFan629]

I loved this video!! The idea with the Six Flags brand being in the ground for however long and the production is great! 🎉🎉❤❤

[@nickman2345]

"How tf could a company like Six Flags go bankrupt?" *Dan Snyder becomes owner* Well, that makes sense.

[@robertsmith2956]

crazy commifornia demanding they pay kids $20 hr probably.

[@nickman2345]

​@@robertsmith2956The fuck does that have to do with the fact that Dan Snyder is an incompetent hack, who in multiple industries has shown he's an awful owner

[@hangmanfsc]

Glad that "closed for the storm" is available on prime. Watched it and i thohgth it was great! Keep it up

[@Housewarmin]

I remember the day Jazzland became Six Flags New Orleans, I went 2 weeks before Hurricane Katrina. Over 15 years later, it's still sitting abandoned in New Orleans East.

[@micoasters]

As a coaster enthusiast, I’m glad you covered this as the videos on marine land, geauga lake, and the parks in china. Personally I have been to a sf park, great America. It wasn’t the most well run park with th Goliath crew only managing 1 train every 5 minutes, but still enjoyed my time and one of the better ride lineups

[@Karmy.]

Yeah I've been to Great America and I wandered into an area that straight up felt abandoned, I forgot where it was but there was a bunch of closed up mini game buildings and it all looked rather rundown

[@Karmy.]

SF has cool rides but the parks are always a poorly maintained dump

[@micoasters]

@@Karmy. agreed. But gam seems to be maintained better than the other sf parks. It's not just a concrete jungle

[@Virtual_Jester]

There’s a Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (Six Flags water park) less than an hour from my house. I think it’s still open. Used to go there all the time during the summer. I kinda miss it, but it got old after going so many times. I had never heard about any of this bankruptcy stuff before.

[@patriceminto5428]

I worked at Cedar Point for two seasons and I never saw this merger coming at all. I must admit tho that cedar point really has been doing well financially and this may be a great opportunity for six flags to finally move in the right direction. 😊

[@KlodFather]

Cedar Point always wanted Geauga lake, Idora Park, and KennyWood gone. Luckily KennyWood is historically protected and cannot be purchased or destroyed.