“By any measure, this is shaping up to be the best year in the history of the company,” said Mark Shapiro, president and CEO of Six Flags, in a news release. “We’re on track to be free cash flow positive for the first time, our customer satisfaction scores are at all-time highs, we’re building an international footprint, and our network of parks are increasingly being seen as an out-of-home solution for advertisers. The culmination of this turnaround is within reach and we’ve laid a solid foundation for long-term growth.”

Parking was $15 last time I visited the park. It’s nice to see it’s been made slightly more reasonable. It’s also nice to see that Cedar Fair extended their contract.

But I fail to see why their non-profit status is relevant. What, exactly is your point? Do you believe that all for-profit ventures are evil or that all non-profit ventures are automatically worthwhile? Non-profit status is just a matter of filing paperwork with the government. It’s still a far costlier park to visit with much less value per dollar spent.

As for comparing the financials of tiny Gilroy Gardens to the behemoth of Six Flags, that’s simply ludicrous. The only reason Gilroy Gardens is still afloat is because the City of Gilroy spent taxpayer money to pay off its debts. The park didn’t actually earn its way out of the hole as Six Flags has been doing.