Kansas City Worlds of Fun staff among swath of Six Flags layoffs after merger
Employees at Worlds of Fun are being let go as part of broader layoffs by Six Flags, the amusement park’s parent company, a spokeswoman for the corporation said.
It’s unclear how many positions at the Kansas City park are being cut.
In an email to The Star on Thursday, Grace Peacock, a spokeswoman for Six Flags, pointed to the company’s May 8 earnings call in which Chief Executive Officer Richard Zimmerman said the company was in the process of reducing full-time staff by more than 10% across the board as it zeroed in on $120 million in trimmed costs by the end of the year.
“This decision was made after careful consideration and a thorough review of our evolving business needs,” Peacock said. “This does include Worlds of Fun; however, the number of associates is considered confidential.”
“We are committed to supporting our associates through this transition,” she said. “All eligible associates will be presented with either an opportunity to continue in a part-time role or will be provided with a separation package and other benefits. We expect to complete the majority of the restructuring before the end of June.”
Peacock didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment about how the cuts would affect park operations.
Worlds of Fun opened for the season May 3. Oceans of Fun is scheduled to open for the season Friday morning.
In the earnings call earlier this month, Zimmerman said the company was going through a corporate restructuring and had eliminated multiple senior executive positions. The reorganization and other cost-cutting initiatives were designed to create an additional $60 million in savings by the end of 2026, he said.
“These changes and others we have underway will create new opportunities for the next generation of leadership within the company, support the cultivation of talent across the organization and meaningfully reduce cost,” he said.
News reports this week indicated staff were being cut at Six Flags parks in California, North Carolina and Ohio as well.
Worlds of Fun was previously owned by Cedar Fair, which completed an $8 billion merger with Six Flags last year. The company owns 42 parks in North America, including Six Flags St. Louis & Hurricane Harbor.
Earlier this month, the company announced plans to close Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor in Bowie, Maryland, after the 2025 operating season. The company said it would list the park’s 500-acre property for sale and market the space for redevelopment. That park employs 70 full-time staff members.
