Easter timing hits Q1 results for Six Flags
– Jim Reid-Anderson
A later Easter holiday this year than in 2018 has affected Six Flags Q1 results, with the theme park company saying that some 200,000 guest visits will instead be included in Q2 figures.
Its revenue in Q1 2019 was US$128m (€115m, £99.4m) and attendance was 2.2 million guests – both down on Q1 2018 by US$1m (€900,000, £780,000) and 189,000 guests. However, guest spending per capita has risen, driven, says Six Flags, through its success in upselling guests from single day tickets to higher-priced memberships.
Guest spending per capita was, in fact, at an all-time high, at US$48.48 (€43.56, £37.66), as was its Active Pass Base, which includes all members and season pass holders. This increased by 5 per cent year-on-year.
The firm's adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter was a loss of US$32m (€28.76m, £24.86m), which is an increase of US$13m (€11.68m, £10.1m) on Q1 2018, caused primarily by the timing of Easter, as well as incremental lease and other costs associated with the five new US parks that Six Flags acquired in June 2018, and which were not, therefore, part of the business in the first quarter of that year.
Chair, president and CEO Jim Reid-Anderson said he was pleased with the Q1 2019 performance as "strong membership penetration continues to be a key driver of our long-term growth strategy, providing both a platform of increasing recurring revenue at higher prices and the ability to further grow attendance".
He added: "With our record-high Active Pass Base, ongoing price increases, growing dining pass penetration, and both domestic and international expansion opportunities, we are well-positioned to deliver our tenth consecutive year of record financial performance in 2019."
Six Flags Entertainment is the world's largest regional theme park operator and the largest operator of waterparks in North America, with 26 parks across the US, Canada and Mexico.
Six Flags Six Flags Entertainment Corporation Jim Reid-AndersonSix Flags on the hunt for new CEO as Reid-Anderson steps down
Six Flags reports record results for ninth consecutive year
Rebrand, renovation and new attractions planned for US parks acquired by Six Flags
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by




















