SANDUSKY, Ohio – Cedar Point will cease daily operations this weekend, marking the end of the park’s first full summer under the Six Flags brand.
The historic amusement park has undergone numerous changes in the past year, some positive and some negative.
Among the positives: a new roller coaster, Siren’s Curse, which was originally scheduled to go to another Six Flags park, is thrilling fans in Sandusky. The downside: This fall, the park will charge an additional fee for haunted houses during its popular HalloWeekends event, which was previously included with admission.
And that’s just the start
Rest assured, more changes are on the way. Earlier this month, Six Flags announced that CEO Richard Zimmerman, who led Cedar Fair for six years prior to the merger, would depart at the end of 2025. The announcement came on the same day that the company reported a 9% drop in attendance during the second quarter of 2025.
Capital investments are expected to be more modest next year as the company cuts spending in an effort to reduce its debt.
But first, let’s take a look back, keeping in mind that Cedar Point’s 2025 season runs through November 2.
How the merger has altered Cedar Point:
Staff reductions
Early this year, the company implemented a 10% staff cut, which resulted in the elimination of approximately 40 positions at Cedar Point.
It’s difficult to quantify how the layoffs have impacted the park. Some long-time parkgoers believe that staff cuts have resulted in more rides being closed for extended periods of time. “Rides appear to be broken more frequently and for longer periods of time because maintenance is spread out between more popular rides,” said Clevelander Fraser Hamilton, a long-time Cedar Point fan who follows park developments on X at @TopThrillStatus.
However, Carsten Anderson, who runs the CP Rundown fan site, believes the park has not seen an increase in ride down time. Siren’s Curse and Top Thrill 2, another new coaster, have been running smoothly this summer, he said. “Most of the ‘issues’ came early in the season or can be attributed to weather,” said the physician. “My friends and I have all visited the park at least a dozen times this season and we have all ridden Top Thrill 2 on almost every single visit, sometimes multiple times, without any sort of issue.”
Headquarters moved
The new Six Flags is now headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Prior to the merger, Cedar Fair was based in Sandusky, which is now a satellite office for the parent company.
Despite the headquarters relocation, Cedar Point remains the company’s flagship park, with more visitors than any other Six Flags park except Southern California’s Knott’s Berry Farm, which is open all year.
A new coaster
Without the merger, Cedar Point would most likely not have received a new coaster, Siren’s Curse, this year. The coaster was originally intended for Six Flags Mexico in Mexico City, but it could not be built there due to regulatory issues. Instead, it was relocated to Cedar Point and opened in June.
“Our guests were already highly interested in that type of coaster model,” said Cedar Point spokesman Tony Clark.
Despite some early hiccups, including a few well-publicized evacuations, the ride has been consistently reliable in recent weeks and is proving to be very popular. The tilt coaster has a 60-foot-long section of track that rotates from horizontal to vertical, leaving riders facing straight down for nearly ten seconds.
A new pass
This summer, the company introduced a new season pass that provides unlimited admission to all 42 Six Flags parks, including Cedar Point and Kings Island, for a single price. The price is $99 until September 1.
Charges for Haunted Mazes
The most recent change that Cedar Point fans have complained about is that the park announced this month that many of its HalloWeekends attractions, which were previously free with park admission, would now require an additional fee. The new Haunted Attractions Pass costs an additional $10 to $30, depending on the day of the visit. This new policy is consistent with the fee structure that has existed at most Six Flags parks for many years.
More corporate sponsorships
Finally, many parkgoers have noticed an increase in corporate sponsorships following the merger. While Cedar Point has had corporate sponsors for rides and events in the past, the new Six Flags appears to be more focused on maximizing sponsorship dollars. New this year: HalloWeekends. Snickers presents the Corkscrew roller coaster, which is sponsored by M&Ms.
“While our partnership program has always been in place at Cedar Point, the expanded company does provide more opportunities and avenues to partner with other businesses,” Clark said.
