Could Kings Island get a new name? Everything to know about Six Flags, Cedar Fair

Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer
·4 min read

Six Flags Entertainment Corp. and Cedar Fair are merging into one amusement park giant, the companies announced Thursday.

Together, Cedar Fair and Six Flags will have an approximate $8 billion value, the companies said, and operate 42 parks and 9 resorts across 17 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico.

The companies will also combine their intellectual property portfolios, which include "Peanuts" characters, "Looney Tunes" cartoons and DC Comics heroes.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California, is among the 20-plus parks Six Flags owns.
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California, is among the 20-plus parks Six Flags owns.

Cedar Fair, the parent company of Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, is headquartered a few hours north in Sandusky, Ohio. The Six Flags headquarters are in Arlington, Texas. The combined company will be headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, but will maintain significant finance and administrative operations in Sandusky, a Cedar Fair press release said.

Here are some fast facts to know about Cedar Fair and Six Flags.

What amusement parks does Cedar Fair own?

Cedar Fair operates 17 parks in nine U.S. states and Canada:

  • California's Great America.

  • Canada's Wonderland.

  • Carowinds.

  • Cedar Point.

  • Dorney Park.

  • Kings Dominion.

  • Kings Island.

  • Knott's Berry Farm.

  • Michigan's Adventure.

  • Valleyfair.

  • Worlds of Fun.

  • Cedar Point Shores Waterpark.

  • Knott's Soak City Waterpark.

  • Schlitterbahn New Braunfels.

  • Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston.

  • Cedar Point Sports Center.

  • Sports Force Parks.

Cedar Fair, the parent company for Kings Island and Cedar Point, and Six Flags Entertainment Corp. are merging into one amusement park giant.
Cedar Fair, the parent company for Kings Island and Cedar Point, and Six Flags Entertainment Corp. are merging into one amusement park giant.

How many parks does Six Flags own?

The company, on its website, says it owns 27 parks across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. A map on the website lists these parks:

  • Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

  • Hurricane Harbor Concord.

  • Six Flags Magic Mountain & Hurricane Harbor.

  • Hurricane Harbor Phoenix.

  • Six Flags Fiesta Texas.

  • Six Flags Mexico.

  • Hurricane Harbor Oaxtepec.

  • Six Flags Over Texas & Hurricane Harbor.

  • Hurricane Harbor Oklahoma City.

  • Frontier City.

  • Hurricane Harbor Splashtown.

  • Six Flags St. Louis.

  • Six Flags Great America & Hurricane Harbor.

  • Hurricane Harbor Rockford.

  • Six Flags Over Georgia.

  • Six Flags White Water.

  • Six Flags America.

  • Six Flags Darien Lake.

  • La Ronde.

  • Six Flags Great Escape Resort.

  • Six Flags New England.

  • Six Flags Great Adventure & Hurricane Harbor.

When did Cedar Fair buy Kings Island?

Cedar Fair purchased Kings Island and four other Paramount Parks in 2006 for $1.25 billion.

Who is the CEO of Cedar Fair?

Richard A. Zimmerman has been the president and CEO of Cedar Fair since 2018.

Who is the CEO of Six Flags?

Selim Bassoul has been president and CEO of Six Flags since 2021.

Why is it called Six Flags?

According to the Six Flags website, the first Six Flags park – Six Flags Over Texas – included six themed sections "modeled after the culture of the six countries whose flags flew over Texas during the state's colorful history." Six Flags founder Angus Wynne opened the park in 1961.

Will Kings Island be renamed?

According to the merger announcement, once the transaction is closed, the combined company will operate under the name Six Flags. The release did not specify whether any individual theme or water parks will change names.

Other parks acquired by Six Flags in the past have changed their names, but not all made the switch. For example, Darien Lake near Buffalo, New York, is now Six Flags Darien Lake. However, Six Flags acquired Darien Lake and other parks through a purchase agreement, rather than a merger with another company.

What parks were recently acquired by Six Flags?

Six Flags acquired the leasing rights to five parks owned by EPR Properties in 2018.

  • Wet n' Wild Splashtown in Houston, Texas, renamed to Hurricane Harbor Splashtown.

  • Wet n' Wild Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona, renamed to Hurricane Harbor Phoenix.

  • Darien Lake near Buffalo, New York, renamed to Six Flags Darien Lake.

  • Frontier City in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

  • White Water Bay in Oklahoma City, renamed to Hurricane Harbor Oklahoma City.

What characters do Six Flags and Cedar Fair own?

Six Flags has a licensing agreement with DC Comics and Warner Bros. Consumer Products. It gives the company exclusive theme park rights to characters from the "Looney Toons" cartoons and DC Comics superheroes, including Batman and Wonder Woman.

Cedar Fair holds the rights to "Peanuts" characters, such as Charlie Brown and Snoopy.

How many parks do Disney, NBCUniversal own?

Disney's Parks, Experiences and Products division operates six resorts and 12 theme parks worldwide.

Universal Theme Parks, NBCUniversal's theme park division, currently operates two U.S. parks in Los Angeles and Orlando, as well as parks in Japan, Singapore and Beijing. The company is planning to open a new theme park in the Universal Orlando Resort in 2025, a horror-themed park in Las Vegas and another park in Frisco, Texas.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How many parks do Six Flags, Cedar Fair own? What to know about merger