Strategy Episodes

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...

A historic day for our industry as Comcast confirmed it will separate into two independent publicly traded companies, one focused on entertainment and one focused on connectivity, through a tax-free spin-off of NBCUniversal, expected to be completed within roughly 12 months.

Six Flags and Disney both had excellent earnings calls, but they seem to have opposite strategies.

Disney is laying off 1,000 employees across film, streaming, and marketing as it continues to shed costs and reorient itself.

Six Flags is selling seven of its parks to EPR Properties for $331 million in cash, but will they sell more? We think so.

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 9 after a $116 million wrongful death judgment - this episode is about what it means for the industry.

This episode is structured as an environmental SWOT analysis of the attractions industry, intended to support 2026 strategic planning.

Netflix announced plans to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a $72 billion deal - a deal that will shake the very foundations of the theme park industry.

A new report reveals how Gen Z and Millennials plan to travel in 2026.

This week, we respond to your comments from last week's show regarding Six Flags. Scott recaps his visit to IAAPA Expo Europe; Lego invests £200 million in the acquisition of Lego Discovery Centers from Merlin; and a New immersive art venue, Atlas9, opens in Kansas City. Listen to weekly BONUS episodes on our Patreon.

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...

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 posted a nearly $100 million loss in Q2—down from a $55 million profit a year ago—on 1.4 million fewer visitors, a smaller base of season passholders, and what it calls “adverse weather.”

In this special, we examine the last 18 months of news to surface the largest trends in the theme park world.

Herschend finalized its acquisition of Palace Entertainment’s 24 U.S. attractions with a $1.1 billion leveraged loan—and vows 2025 will be a “listening year.”

"The Great Reset," Six Flags' new strategic plan, aims to reach 58 million in annual attendance and $3.8 billion in revenue by 2028.