ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the changing dynamics of the amusement park industry by scrutinizing the shifting trajectory of one of the industry's leaders. Six Flags has been the world’s largest regional theme park operator for over twenty years. In 1961, a Texas oil baron named Angus Wynne sparked a new concept with his first park, Six Flags Over Texas, which took its name from the six countries who had flown their flags over the state throughout its extraordinary history. Six Flags’ strategic direction changed in 2004 when Daniel M. Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins, began investing heavily in the company. Snyder’s efforts to advise management on how they could improve the parks with a new marketing approach resembled those he had used to invigorate his football franchise. In the spring of 2006, Six Flags shifted its focus to appeal to free-spending affluent families who were likely to stay longer, play more games, and eat more food.
