Thrill Rides, Kiddie Rides Or Sale: Six Flags CEO To Take On Struggling Knott's And Magic Mountain: Report

BUENA PARK, CA — The company that operates Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knotts Berry Farm has just named a new leader in an effort to revitalize the struggling Southern California parks.

Six Flags Entertainment Corp. has announced John Reilly as its new president and CEO, a longtime theme park operator, the Los Angeles Times reported.

With stints as interim CEO and chief operating officer at SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, the company hopes Reilly can help steer the Buena Park and Valencia parks toward a turnaround.

“He’s got his work cut out for him,” Martin Lewison, associate professor of business management for Farmingdale State College in New York, who is also a Six Flags shareholder, told the Times.

Last year, the company merged with Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, amid financial turmoil, implementing cost-cutting efforts, which included reducing live entertainment and canceling some seasonal events. Some fans haven't been happy with some of the changes they've seen at the two parks.

Now, the brand is deciding whether it wants its parks to be more family or thrill-oriented.

“The company is just sort of a mishmash of a brand right now,” Lewison told the Times.

Amid declining in-park sales and lower admissions — even with an uptick in season-pass holders — some fans are wondering whether either Southland park could be put up for sale.

Not at this time, Brian Witherow, chief financial officer for Six Flags, told the newspaper.

Read more from the Los Angeles Times: Struggling Six Flags names new CEO. What does that mean for Knott’s and Magic Mountain?