KSHB 41 News reporter Lauren Schwentker covers stories in Platte and Clay counties. Have a story idea? Send her an email.
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A Kansas City landmark is under new ownership. Six Flags sold seven of its theme parks for $342 million, including Worlds of Fun, to Kansas City-based EPR Properties.
EPR Properties is a real estate investment trust that owns destination properties across America. The company will not operate the park directly — a company called Enchanted Parks will run day-to-day operations. Enchanted Parks is currently undergoing a brand change and was previously called Innovative Attraction Management.
Brian Moriarty, of EPR Properties, spoke with KSHB 41's Lauren Schwentker by phone about what the sale means for the future of Worlds of Fun.
"With Six Flags being a larger operator, this creates more dedication on behalf of the operator," Moriarty said.
When asked why EPR trusts Enchanted Parks to run Worlds of Fun, Moriarty pointed to an existing relationship with the company.
"We've already got properties with them, and they have highly professional people; they know this business and have deep experience," Moriarty said.
For season pass holder Payton Smith, who has been visiting Worlds of Fun since childhood and has held a season pass for at least 20 years, the news of the sale initially brought concern.
"We were really worried Worlds of Fun might be in that situation," Smith said.
Smith says she is now optimistic about the sale, pointing to the fact that Enchanted Parks will be overseeing fewer parks than Six Flags did.
"I think it's a good situation overall," Smith said. "I'm excited for the future."
We reached out to Enchanted Parks for a statement, and the company is trying to set up an interview with its CEO. We will continue to follow through and bring updates as we learn more.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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