SANDUSKY, Ohio – Cedar Point ceases daily operations this weekend, the end of the park’s first full summer under the Six Flags brand.

It’s been a year filled with changes for the historic amusement park – some good and others not-so-much.

Among the positives: a new roller coaster, Siren’s Curse, that was previously scheduled to go to another Six Flags park, is thrilling fans in Sandusky. And the negatives: The park this fall will charge extra for haunted houses during its popular HalloWeekends event, which had previously been included with admission.

And that’s just to start.

Rest assured more changes are coming. Earlier this month, Six Flags announced that CEO Richard Zimmerman, who led Cedar Fair for six years before the merger, would leave at the end of 2025. The announcement came the same day that the company revealed a 9% drop in attendance during the second quarter of 2025.

Capital investments are expected to be more modest next year, as the company reins in spending in an attempt to reduce its debt.

But before we look ahead, let’s take a look at where we’ve been, keeping in mind that Cedar Point’s 2025 season continues through Nov. 2.

How the merger has changed Cedar Point:

Staff reductions

Early this year, a 10% staff cut was implemented across the company, which equated to about 40 positions eliminated at Cedar Point.

It’s hard to quantify how those layoffs have affected the park. Some long-time parkgoers believe that more rides are shut down for longer periods of time because of those staff cuts. “Rides seem to be broken more frequently, and for longer periods of time because maintenance is stretched between more popular rides,” said Clevelander Fraser Hamilton, a long-time Cedar Point fan who tracks park developments on X at @TopThrillStatus.

However, Carsten Anderson, who runs the CP Rundown fan site, said he doesn’t think the park has seen an increase in ride down time. Both Siren’s Curse and Top Thrill 2, another new coaster, have run reliably this summer, he said. “Most of the ‘issues’ came early in the season or can be attributed to weather,” he said. “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 based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Prior to the merger, Cedar Fair was headquartered in Sandusky, which is now a satellite office for the parent company.

Despite the headquarters relocation, Cedar Point has retained its position as the company flagship park, with more visitors than any other Six Flags park besides Southern California’s Knott’s Berry Farm, which is open year-round.

A new coaster

Without the merger, Cedar Point likely would not have gotten a new coaster, Siren’s Curse, this year. The coaster was initially planned for Six Flags Mexico in Mexico City, but couldn’t be built there due to regulatory issues. Instead, it was relocated to Cedar Point and debuted 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 handful of well-publicized evacuations, the ride has performed reliably in recent weeks and is proving to be very popular. The tilt coaster features a 60-foot long piece of track that rotates from horizontal to vertical, leaving riders facing straight down for nearly 10 seconds.

Read more: Cedar Point’s Siren’s Curse stalls again, raising safety and protocol concerns

First ride on Cedar Point’s Siren’s Curse: ‘Prepare to meet your doom’ (photos, video)

A new pass

The company this summer debuted a new season pass that includes unlimited admission to all 42 Six Flags parks, including Cedar Point and Kings Island, for one price. That price is $99 through Sept. 1.

Charges for haunted mazes

The change that Cedar Point fans have griped about the most in recent weeks: The park announced this month that many of its HalloWeekends attractions, previously included in park admission, would cost an extra fee. The new Haunted Attractions Pass runs an extra $10 to $30, depending on the day of your visit. This new policy mirrors the fee structure that most Six Flags parks have had in place for years.

More corporate sponsorships

Finally, many park fans have noticed an uptick in corporate sponsorships since the merger. While Cedar Point occasionally had corporate sponsors for rides or events in the past, the new Six Flags seems more intent on maximizing sponsor dollars. New this year: HalloWeekends Presented by Snickers and the Corkscrew roller coaster presented 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,” said Clark.