Check Your Bikini and Smokes at the Theme Park Door

Six Flags adopts a family-friendly approach in the hope of turning a profit

Heading to the theme park this summer? Put on a T-shirt and stamp out that cigarette. Declining consumer confidence and rising gas price are spelling a pretty rough summer for the amusement park industry. And while some companies are responding with wilder and more outrageous thrill rides, Six Flags is seeking a more sedate experience. Bikini tops have been banned and smokers relegated to far corners of their parks as Six Flags seeks to create a more family friendly atmosphere at its 20 amusement parks around the nation, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. The change in policy may be working, the Journal reports. The company, which hasn't posted an annual profit in years, turned a profit of $94.6 million in the second quarter, which was also due in part to some debt restructuring. The trend looks to continue as Six Flag Chief Executive Mark Shapiro tells the Journal that he remains unimpressed with the bigger-and-wilder-is-better credo that attracted young teens to the parks. Shapiro is looking to emphasize rides linked to cartoons and movies in the hopes of luring youngsters and their deep-pocketed parents through the gates.

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