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Art the Clown Takes Over HHN, Six Flags Opens 2027 Passes

Universal detailed its Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood plans at Midsummer Scream, and the throughline is small IPs moving fast. Art the Clown returns in three controlled deployments: a Terror Tram takeover built around an original storybook and metal Christmas covers from Ice Nine Kills, a dedicated photo op, and a character encounter. Nikki from Curry Barker's Obsession joins as a character experience two months after the film premiered, the kind of deal that only closes that fast with an ind

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Art the Clown Takes Over HHN, Six Flags Opens 2027 Passes
Aug. 16, 2026

Art the Clown Takes Over HHN, Six Flags Opens 2027 Passes

Universal detailed its Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood plans at Midsummer Scream, and the throughline is small IPs moving fast. Art the Clown returns in three controlled deployments: a Terror Tram takeover built around an original storybook and metal Christmas covers from Ice Nine Kills, a dedicated photo op, and a character encounter. Nikki from Curry Barker's Obsession joins as a character experience two months after the film premiered, the kind of deal that only closes that fast with an ind
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Six Flags Q2: Parks Made Money, the Reported Loss Doubled
Aug. 9, 2026

Six Flags Q2: Parks Made Money, the Reported Loss Doubled

Six Flags’ new leadership is successfully reorienting the company toward repeat visitation, yet this quarter its debt cost more than its parks earned. The strategy of getting more passholders to attend more often and spend more, thereby increasing lifetime spend, is working. Revenue and attendance were up, adjusted for the divested parks, and the upcoming Halloween season, with 448 Halloween-themed experiences from coast to coast, should supercharge that strategy. Yet, while the parks made mone
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Can IP Save Howl-O-Scream?
Aug. 2, 2026

Can IP Save Howl-O-Scream?

United Parks is bringing licensed IP to Howl-O-Scream for the first time, licensing two Sony films across all five of its events. Busch Gardens Tampa and Williamsburg each open an Anaconda house on September 11 with different storylines, Fear Has No Escape in Tampa and Dead on Arrival in Williamsburg, while I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Final Catch opens at SeaWorld Orlando, San Diego, and San Antonio. Sony says it is the first time either film has been licensed for a major Halloween even
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Fortnite Comes to Halloween Horror Nights, Orlando Market Slows
July 26, 2026

Fortnite Comes to Halloween Horror Nights, Orlando Market Slows

Halloween Horror Nights is bringing Fortnitemares to both its US events this fall, a scare zone modeled on the game's annual in-game Halloween event, complete with the Battle Bus and a few HHN-exclusive additions. Fortnite is the most-played console game in the United States, with more than 650 million lifetime registered players, a brand larger than the event hosting it. The creative objection is the weakest one, since Fortnitemares is already a Halloween event. The harder questions are operati
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Legoland Shanghai Hits 2 Million: What China's Fastest Park Launch Means
July 20, 2026

Legoland Shanghai Hits 2 Million: What China's Fastest Park Launch Means

Legoland Shanghai passed 2 million guests in its first year, the fastest any LEGOLAND resort has reached that mark. We break down the numbers behind the milestone: an 80% family guest base, 230,000 minifigures sold, and a guest pool expanding well beyond the Yangtze River Delta. Then we turn to what Delta and the big banks just revealed about the travel economy. Premium seats outsold coach at Delta for the first time in a summer quarter, average trip costs jumped 24%, and 53% of Americans say th
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Six Flags Hires a New COO, Meow Wolf Flips the Disney Model
July 13, 2026

Six Flags Hires a New COO, Meow Wolf Flips the Disney Model

Six Flags has appointed Mark Pauls as Chief Operating Officer, an operator who worked alongside CEO John Reilly at both Palace Entertainment and SeaWorld. At Kennywood, Pauls converted Phantom Fright Nights into the hybrid Phantom Fall Fest and expanded Holiday Lights to 24 nights, adding the park's first January operating days. Reilly has board support for now, but not much time, and a partner with shared shorthand and a proven seasonal-events record saves years as they pivot back to the season
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Recent Blog Posts

Why Independent Horror IPs Are Changing Theme Park Haunt Design
Aug. 16, 2026

Why Independent Horror IPs Are Changing Theme Park Haunt Design

Independent horror intellectual properties are transforming how seasonal theme park events are designed, budgeted, and executed. By shifting away from rigid studio franchises toward nimble, grassroots horror phenomena, parks can secure bleeding-edge…
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