© Clint Novak

Forty-five years ago, a small theme park opened in Texas. It’s name was Six Flags over Texas. This park would start a theme park chain. Which would grow to become the world's largest theme park chain. Six Flags would soon get the nickname the thrill-parks, where people could ride some of the tallest and fastest roller coasters on the planet. From hair-raising loops to great entertainment. Even kids and families could have fun at the parks.

© Devin Olson

But Six Flags as a chain has had their share of problems over the years, such as their most known problem, their massive amount of debt. Over the last few years, this giant chain of parks has held more then two billion dollars in debt.How was the chain trying to fix the problems one might wonder? Well Premier Parks, who in 2000 changed their names to Six Flags, would try solve there debt by building some of the biggest rides to date, to bring in more people to the parks. Some of the coasters they would go on to build would become some of world's biggest roller coasters ever seen.

Of course, this plan almost never worked and just pulled them deeper into dept. Their next plan was to bring in a new exciting character to the parks, with a familiar noise. Their idea, Mr. Six, how you may have seen him on your televisions dancing his way across Six Flags theme parks with an exciting tune.

Then in late 2004, the company announced one of their biggest expansions for any of their theme parks, at one of their biggest theme parks: Six Flags Great Adventure. Their expansion was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world called Kingda Ka bringing also a whole new area to the park. This set the scale with the management with great advertising, great themeing, great entertainment and their great new ride. But the ride failed to open on it’s target date and moved from a week back, to a month back, to nearly two month delay. Finally, the word got out that Kingda Ka was going to open. The whole theme park industry put their eye on Six Flags with them setting new standards for their company.

But, just a little over two weeks after Kingda Ka opened to the world, a loose bolt caused the ride to be closed for almost two months. One person who thinks that Six Flags is addicted with roller coasters now got the chance to make a stand. Daniel Snyder, who is more known for his ownership of the Washington Redskins, for the last few months was trying to buy as much stock as possible of Six Flags to gain ownership of it the company Just a few months after Kingda Ka’s accident the Six Flags chain was for sale, and Dan Snyder bought it.

His first act was, no more Mr. Six. The new famous mascot for the Six Flags chains was going, with his theme song. Next was no more hand stamps at the exit of the parks for re-entry. Finally, he announced he plans to target more families then roller coasters, and bring more characters to the parks.

Also, he appointed Mark Sharpio as CEO for the Six Flags chain. But during the time being, their was many people complaining about their was no more re-entry to the parks, so the re-entry came back, but the Six Flags mascot was gone, and the future of the company was not looking to bright for the company.

From their on, the off season left everyone in question on what will happen to this giant chain. Soon, it would no longer be a question as late April came. Advertisements came with the Justice League and the Looney Tunes showing more the rides through out the parks, and more of the beautiful scenery then the roller coasters and the day the parks opened, everyone was impressed, being loaded with characters, great shows, and a lot of entertainment. The parks where a hit also many rides where open, a lot of security, looked like Six Flags hit new highs.

© Joshua Davidson

May would bring great things for the parks, with many rides being opened without being open for quite some time. Rides were running better then ever.

Parades by day, fireworks by night. Entertainment all around with music in the air. Rides open, and friendly staff. Six Flags had become how it was dreamed forty-five years ago as a large scale Disneyland around the United States and the world. But, things would start to turn once everything was starting to work out. At Six Flags Great Adventure Batman and Robin the Chiller was finally running both sides in full operation, but not for long. Soon, the Robin side held a accident stranding passengers for almost a hour causing not just the Chiller down, but every LIM roller own by Six Flags down except for one at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. This would start a change of events with the company.

Many rides started to breakdown on the parks. Now the parks would enter their busiest part of the season. But, right as they entered this part of the season, Six Flags announced they plan to sell several parks to get them a little bit more out of debt. The parks are Six Flags Darien Lake, Six Flags Waterworld, Six Flags Elitch Gardens, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor, and Wild Waves and Enchanted Village.

Six Flags Elitch Gardens soon right after fired most their costume characters. Soon after, many parks started to be cut in operation hours, and some even planning to ending a season more then a month earlier then planned. At Six Flags Great Adventure, the chain's largest developed property, more than thirty years of firework shows and nightly parades have come to an indefinite end. The park announced that those events along with shows such as "Welcome to the 60s" would also be cut.

© Clint Novak

The parks which just earlier this season held so much joy, music, entertainment, and rides where beginning to crumble, and the parks went from new highs to new lows. But, how could have this happened? Taking a lot closer into this, you may know that every season the company puts out a yearly budget, so they will not over spend, and before the new management came in they spent up the whole entire year’s budget.

So when Snyder and Sharpio wanted to bring more characters and shows to the park he brought them all a little bit to early. What could have they done? Possibly bring out most of the characters and shows during the busiest parts of the season instead of the quietest parts.

A new rule has been set in that if a ride was to breakdown and need a part, they would not be able to buy the parts until next year’s budget to save money for the parks’ yearly Fright Fest, a Halloween event that Six Flags has been doing for the last fifteen years with their parks.

So what will lie ahead with Six Flags future? Will Fright Fest become a huge train wreck or could it be one of the most successful events in Six Flags history. The new management may know what they are doing, but the old management have left them some marks which could be haunting them for many years to come but one thing is certain, that next season we will see what the new Six Flags has in store for us for the better or the worst. We know that the new management can do some great things, but we just have to wait to see what they have in store.