• California’s Nice America is shedding 184 part-time employees in November, elevating questions concerning the park’s future.• The Silicon Valley park’s proprietor, Six Flags, says the park will stay open for the 2026 season, and that cuts are a part of its seasonal operations.• The park’s final season may very well be as early as 2027, except the park extends its lease for an extra 5 years.
Whereas the theme park titans proceed to pack individuals in, some smaller spots which were round for many years are struggling.
Newest within the highlight is California’s Nice America in Silicon Valley. Six Flags Leisure, the corporate that controls the park, disclosed this month that it’s going to lay off 184 seasonal employees in November.
Longtime followers and analysts of the virtually 50-year-old theme park and its iconic double-decker merry-go-round are nervous about its future.
Nice America shortened its season this 12 months, which is able to wrap up on Oct. 26, in contrast with the earlier season, when it led to early January. A lot of its reside leisure for the 2025 season was canceled this 12 months, as had been its marquee seasonal occasions, together with its Halloween-themed Tips and Treats and Winterfest, that includes Snoopy ice skating.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a sign that the plug is being pulled,” mentioned Martin Lewison, affiliate professor of enterprise administration for Farmingdale State School in New York, who can also be a Six Flags shareholder.
Hypothesis concerning the timing of Nice America’s closure in Santa Clara has swirled ever for the reason that 112 acres beneath the park had been bought to a San Francisco actual property firm in 2022.
As a part of an settlement, the park’s earlier proprietor had agreed to a lease that expires in the midst of 2028, with an possibility to increase it till the center of 2033. The earlier proprietor, Cedar Truthful, had deliberate to shut the park on the finish of the lease.
One problem for Nice America and different parks in California is the rising wages and different prices of labor. One other burden is the burden of the corporate’s debt.
Six Flags mentioned it filed the discover of the Nice America layoffs as required by state regulation. The Charlotte, N.C.-based firm mentioned all full-time positions at Nice America will probably be retained and its seasonal workers can apply to get rehired subsequent 12 months.
“This is typical of a seasonal park and the timing reflects our operating schedule,” Six Flags mentioned in a press release. “We look forward to welcoming back many of our associates in 2026.”
Six Flags mentioned it doesn’t but know what number of associates it can make use of subsequent 12 months.
The San Francisco Chronicle earlier reported the layoffs.
Nice America has already began promoting season passes for 2026 at its theme park. The Gold annual season move sometimes consists of entry to Nice America and the close by Gilroy theme park, Gilroy Gardens.
This 12 months, in a particular deal that ends Sunday, the Gold Move for 2026 additionally consists of entry to different theme parks within the Six Flags ecosystem, together with Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo.
Six Flags has been struggling to scale back prices after a 2024 merger with Cedar Truthful. Earlier this month, the corporate introduced its CEO Richard Zimmerman is stepping down.
Zimmerman mentioned in August that the corporate’s second-quarter outcomes fell in need of its expectations, noting that poor climate and a difficult shopper atmosphere harm gross sales.
The corporate reported a internet lack of $99.6 million within the second quarter, in contrast with a internet revenue of roughly $55.6 million in the identical quarter a 12 months earlier. General park visitation was 14.2 million company, down 9% within the second quarter in contrast with a 12 months earlier.
Christian Dieckmann, Six Flags’ chief business officer, at an investor’s assembly in Might, outlined a technique to regain 10 million company a 12 months that had been misplaced throughout the pandemic.
In the course of the Might assembly, executives mentioned their focus for the corporate has been increasing the variety of season move holders. The corporate mentioned it needs to make its parks “comfortably crowded” once more.
Growing visitor numbers and contours can enhance revenues by convincing individuals to remain longer on the parks, purchase extra meals and drinks, and buy particular passes to keep away from the traces.
It has been robust for regional theme parks to compete towards different types of leisure, together with video video games, sports activities and different reside occasions.
“There are so many new distractions and ways to spend your time,” Lewison mentioned.
Opryland, a rustic music-themed park in Nashville, closed in 1997 and is now a mall. Six Flags AstroWorld in Houston closed in 2005, as did Geauga Lake in Ohio in 2007. Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor, in Bowie, Md., will shut after its final working day on Nov. 2, and the land will probably be put up on the market.
Not like main theme park operators akin to Walt Disney and Common, regional theme parks typically lack the deep pockets to speculate billions of {dollars} in new parks and rides. In addition they lack new points of interest related to massive names akin to Star Wars and Harry Potter.
Six Flags is making an attempt to maintain up. It’s investing greater than $1 billion in 2025 and 2026 in its parks.
The corporate introduced this week that it has prolonged its licensing settlement with Peanuts Worldwide, permitting it to make use of Snoopy and the Peanuts gang for one more 5 years.
Santa Clara’s Nice America followers wish to see it thrive.
Though it might not function rides from the newest Pixar films, it does supply Planet Snoopy for the youngsters. It additionally has what it calls the world’s tallest carousel and long-loved rides, like Gold Striker, one of many nation’s high 20 wood curler coasters, and the steel-inverted coaster Flight Deck, initially known as High Gun when it opened 32 years in the past.
For Jose Aguirre, 23, of Castro Valley, Nice America has lengthy introduced pleasure to his total household. He mentioned his 14-year-old brother, A.J., loves using RideBlazer, which plunges riders down a single-rail monitor at a 90-degree angle, and he likes tucking into the spicy hen sandwich bought close to that experience.
“It’s just overall fun — gives good memories, even if it’s like the smallest trip ever,” mentioned Aguirre, a season move holder. “It’s one of those spots you can be at in the Bay Area, and just say, ‘Oh, yeah, we’re gonna go to Great America and just hang out.’”
“This is our Disneyland,” Aguirre mentioned.
Instances employees author Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.
