Season-pass sales at Six Flags soar 50%

Theme park operator Six Flags Inc. sold 50% more season passes than it ever had before by this point in the year.

Passes to Magic Mountain in Valencia grew 33%, and total group sales rose 34% compared with a year earlier, Chief Executive Mark Shapiro said. Season-pass and group sales account for 50% of attendance.

The company’s shares added 5.3% to an 8.7% gain Thursday after Six Flags agreed to sell seven theme parks. The New York-based company is not selling Magic Mountain.