Thrills, Spills, and Dollar Bills: Cedar Fair & Six Flags’s M&A Rollercoaster

Introduction On the news of the potential merger between Six Flags and Cedar Fair, we thought it might be worthwhile to look back at their history and consider their place in the attractions landscape. With their thrill park offerings, both chains occupy a distinct niche within the theme park industry. Both chains are also characterized […]

A 50-Year Panorama of the Attractions Industry

Won here. This is my interview with Ray Braun, partner emeritus at Entertainment & Culture Advisors, and former lead partner of the Attractions Practice at Economics Research Associates.  Over a 50-year career, Ray has truly worked with everyone.  Here, we cover a wide range of topics and developments, including his work with the Getty, Universal […]

Theme Park Signatures

Besides the branding, what makes a Disney or Universal different from a Seaworld or Legoland?  Are there true differences to speak of?   Well, based on these charts, yes. This is the third installment in our ongoing series where we dissect the economics and characteristics of attractions.  Previously, we reviewed the economics and business models of […]

The Business of Theme Parks (Part II): How Much Do They Cost? And Earn?

In the first part of this series, we evaluated the revenue side of theme park business models.  In this series, we’ll continue our exploration of the economics of theme parks by reviewing the cost of building amusement and water parks. More importantly, however, we will be looking at what theme park development costs mean for profitability. […]