DOSWELL, Va. — Kings Dominion laid off a group of workers at the Central Virginia theme park this week.
While park officials would not confirm to CBS 6 the number of people who lost their jobs, they said the staff had grown larger than the park's business needs allowed and added that no department was spared from the job losses.
A laid-off Kings Dominion worker who reached out to CBS 6 said they believed the number of job cuts was more than 30 positions spread across full-time workers in the rides, park services, aquatics, food and beverage departments, human relations, safety, and entertainment departments. The worker indicated they believe the park employed between 150 - 200 full time workers prior to the layoff.
"Those hard-working, dedicated, and valuable employees, some of whom had been employed by the park for over a decade, [were] essentially kicked out the door with zero warning and told maybe we can come back as seasonal employees after a 13-week period," the laid-off worker, who asked to remain anonymous, said. "We were given no time to prepare or search for new jobs and were not even allowed to finish out the day, only being permitted to stay on the premises long enough to collect personal effects from our offices."
Kings Dominion spokesperson Geoff Zindren said the decision to reduce the park's workforce was not made lightly and that the park was providing assistance to not only the workers who were laid off but also those who remain employed.
Watch: Long-time roller coaster coming down at Kings Dominion
"This has caused panic among people I care deeply about," the laid-off anonymous worker continued.
Kings Dominion's parent company, Cedar Fair, merged with fellow theme park corporation Six Flags Entertainment in a deal finalized in July 2024.
The new Six Flags owns more than 40 theme parks in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, including Kings Dominion, Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Six Flags America in Bowie, Maryland.
Another laid-off employee who asked to remain anonymous said they believed the layoffs were company wide and impacted closer to 80 Kings Dominion workers.
"We were called to be in a meeting that would take place five minutes later. We were given a brief speech about how appreciated we were and then handed our papers. We were told to turn in our badges and collect our items," that worker shared. "As we collected our items and ourselves, mangers remained in the room reminding us we had to leave and could not take long. It was very emotional for everyone involved but the lack of empathy from management was the worst. They knew about this decision at least a week prior and still decided to blindside everyone."
Both workers commented that the layoffs came at a time when the park was ramping up efforts to hire seasonal workers for when the park reopens in the spring and summer.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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