Six Flags and Cedar Fair are the 7th and 8th biggest amusement chains in the world, respectively, and therefore major competitors, which took the coaster world by surprise when it was announced that the two companies would merge under the Six Flags name and is expected to officially close in 2024. So what does this mean for us? The future of Six Flags Great America could be at risk with the merger; however, “coaster-heads” are optimistic of the effects this deal will have on parks. It’s highly unlikely that Great America will fall low on the company’s priority list, as it is the third largest Six Flags park in the United States, only trailing behind Magic Mountain and Great Adventure. We will probably not see many major changes from this merge in the next few seasons, but some predictions can be made as to what these changes might be. Both companies have strong connections with major manufacturers, so the combination of the two may result in a wider variety of rides for parks from both companies. Six Flags Great America, specifically, is in need of a larger scale ride to draw more visitors to the park, our latest being 2019’s Maxx Force. It is also expected that park quality will improve, as many parks are suffering a steady decline in quality of experience such as food and ride maintenance. Membership perks may also see significant changes in coming years. 

That being said, we can’t truly know what to expect for the future of these parks, so park-goers should keep an open mind in the coming seasons as changes start to gradually take effect.