Halloween Episodes

Six Flags settled the wrongful death lawsuit over X2 at Magic Mountain on August 27, two weeks before trial. Christopher Hawley, 22, rode the coaster in 2022, lost consciousness after exiting, and died the next day of a subdural hematoma. The settlement is not an admission of liability, and Six Flags maintained the ride passed daily inspections. X2 has been closed since July, when two riders were hospitalized with brain hemorrhages within days of each other, and Cal/OSHA opened an inspection that is still ongoing. We're divided on this, so let's take some time to tease it out.

Six Flags announced its largest Halloween lineup ever: 448 experiences across the chain, including 11 new haunted mazes, 196 scare zones, and live entertainment offerings. Four new licensed franchises headline the year, with Jason: Blood Reign, Final Destination: Death's Playground, Blair Witch: No Signal, and Diablo: The Infernal Path each landing at multiple parks alongside returning brands like The Conjuring, Saw, and Trick 'r Treat. The timing is the strategy: the announcement dropped three ...

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...

We recap the world's largest Halloween trade show.

From Hollywood to Florida and New York to Oregon, this year’s Halloween season proved that the industry is evolving—just not abandoning its roots.

Only 19% of U.S. adults say they want “scary vibes” this Halloween—while 30% plan to wear multiple costumes and 70% say organized events are steady or increasing. Philip and Scott unpack the annual HalloweenCostumes.com survey and why it matters: the demand for cute, funny, and cosplay-style experiences is growing faster than gore, audiences are starting to plan earlier, and AI is already a factor in how people search for inspiration. They also discuss how rising competition and budget-conscious...

How can we keep roaming characters safe at theme parks?

Halloween Horror Nights Orlando is quietly reshaping its playbook; will it work?

Legacy Cedar Fair parks are moving to the Six Flags model this Halloween, requiring a new $10–$20 Haunted Attractions Pass for mazes—and an extra $15 for The Conjuring house.

Six Flags just canceled its Christmas and Halloween events at multiple parks - will this save cost or cost more in lost visitors?

Universal leans hard into gaming IPs for Halloween Horror Nights while Winchester Mysery House doubles down on immersion.