NEW YORK, July 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Six Flags (NYSE: SIX) announced today that surveys conducted during the month of June, the first month of the full-time operating season, show its guest approval ratings continuing to rise, an indication that park guests are responding favorably to the company's renewed focus on a family strategy. The surveys were conducted by independent firm Delta Market Research of Hatboro, Pennsylvania, a nationally-recognized company which has researched all aspects of the theme park industry for companies including The Walt Disney Company. The survey asked guests to rate every aspect of their park experience, from atmosphere, food, rides and cleanliness, to "how do you rate your visit overall," "will you visit the park again this year or next?" and "will you definitely recommend Six Flags to a friend?".

"The turnaround is in motion at Six Flags and the American family is coming back home," said Mark Shapiro, Six Flags President and CEO.

On a scale of 1-10, respondents gave Six Flags its highest scores since 2002 in the following categories:

-- Overall safety;
-- Ride safety;
-- Park cleanliness;
-- Employee service;
-- Character presence in the park;
-- Thrill rides;
-- Rides the whole family can do together;
-- Speed of ride lines;
-- Number of rides you were able to go on in a day;
-- Variety of things to do in the park;
-- Shows;
-- Restroom cleanliness;
-- Food quality;
-- Variety of food.


Other highlights include:

-- 96% of Six Flags guests will or definitely will recommend the parks to a friend;
-- 92% of Six Flags guests will or definitely will visit again this year or next;
-- Overall, guests surveyed ranked their overall visit to Six Flags at an 8.6 on a scale of 10.0 - the highest number since the survey's inception in 2002.


The results reflect input from guests at 14 Six Flags branded locations. In addition to the high overall company-wide ratings, several individual parks are experiencing their best year since the survey's commencement. For example, this summer, respondents who visited Six Flags Over Georgia in Atlanta, GA, gave record ratings for the following categories:

-- Ride safety;
-- Feeling of overall safety inside the park;
-- Rides the whole family can do together;
-- Kids' or children's rides;
-- Employee service;
-- Park cleanliness;
-- Food quality;
-- Thrill rides.


Shapiro continued, "Our Guest Code of Conduct and Non-Smoking policies are being enforced and being well received. As we sustain this atmosphere in our parks, word of mouth will continue to spread and Six Flags will reclaim its position as the pre-eminent summer entertainment value the whole family can enjoy together."

Six Flags, Inc. is the world's largest regional theme park company. Founded in 1961, Six Flags celebrated its 45th Anniversary in 2006. Six Flags, Inc. is a publicly-traded corporation (NYSE: SIX) headquartered in New York City.

For over 30 years, Delta Market Research Inc. has been a nationally- recognized market research company, and for over 10 years has researched all aspects of the theme park industry for companies including Disney and Six Flags. Delta has also conducted research projects for GMAC, DiTech, Lowes, ConAgra, Rohm and Haas, United Way of America and the NFL.

Website: http://www.sixflags.com/