...Several amusement parks in southern New Jersey reopened for the season Saturday, hoping to capture the same local interest as last year. Parks such as Gillian's Wonderland Pier in Ocean City reported strong attendance last summer, bucking a nationwide trend that has put more chills than thrills in the bottom lines of many national amusement parks hit hard by the recession.

Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., announced layoffs of hundreds of salaried employees last month, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Meanwhile, the Six Flags chain of parks is restructuring its finances in a move that might include bankruptcy filings....

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/181/story/449601.html

That first paragraph offers a broad generalization that is not necessarily true of the regional amusement parks. Both Six Flags and Cedar Fair reported increases in attendance last year, while the destination parks in California and Florida did see their attendance dip as more people stayed closer to home for their vacations.