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Episodes

Oct. 26, 2025

Travis Kelce Buys into Six Flags & TEA Global Experience Index

Kansas City Chiefs star—and Taylor Swift’s fiancé—Travis Kelce now owns a 9% stake in Six Flags alongside hedge fund Jana Partners, instantly making the struggling park chain a national headline. Former Cedar Fair CEO Matt Ou...

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Oct. 19, 2025

Six Flags’ Leadership Shake-Up and the Qiddiya Confusion

Six Flags is losing more of its board - what will happen next?

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Oct. 12, 2025

Disney Raises Prices—Is the “Happiest Place on Earth” Now for the Wea…

Are higher prices a reset for quality and capacity, or the next step in making Disney a luxury brand?

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Oct. 5, 2025

Stardust Racers Reopens: Safety, Accessibility, and Universal’s Tough…

Universal has sparked controver over the reopening of Stardust Racers at Epic Universe, following a fatal incident earlier this year.

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Sept. 28, 2025

Six Flags Questions, IAAPA Europe, & Lego's Acquisition

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 imme...

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Sept. 22, 2025

More Guests, Less Money: Six Flags’ Big Problem

Six Flags reported 298,000 more visits this summer, a 3% attendance bump compared to 2024. But guests spent 7% less on admission, pulling overall revenue down 2% even as food and merch ticked up.

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Sept. 17, 2025

Halloween Trends 2025: What Guests Really Want (and What That Means f…

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 surve...

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Sept. 8, 2025

Art the Clown Harassment? Navigating Safety Challenges at Theme Parks

How can we keep roaming characters safe at theme parks?

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Sept. 1, 2025

HHN’s Festival Future: Crowds, Comfort, and Casual Fans

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

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Aug. 25, 2025

Vegas Tourism Slumps, Disney and Epic Surge—What Story Do the Numbers…

Las Vegas has logged six straight months of year-over-year visitor declines, with June alone down 400,000 guests amid economic jitters, inflation, and weaker Canadian travel. Is Vegas a canary in the coal mine for U.S. leisure spending—or just a regional wobble?

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Aug. 17, 2025

Six Flags Adds Haunted House Fees—Will Guests Pay for What They Once …

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.

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Aug. 10, 2025

Six Flags’ $100M Loss, CEO Exit & the Season Pass Gamble

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.”

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Aug. 4, 2025

Six Flags Cuts —What Happens When Cost Savings Kill Return Visits?

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

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July 27, 2025

What Makes an IP Popular? Lessons from Comic-Con for Theme Parks

What makes an IP popular today? It’s not just the box office or streaming stats—it’s the fans who show up, dress up, and wait five hours for a free experience.

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July 20, 2025

Hotter Parks, Cooler Guests: How Asia’s Attractions Are Responding to…

As record heat continues to disrupt attendance, attractions in Asia are innovating to keep guests cool. Tokyo Disneyland is extending evening hours and spraying down guests in its summer parade, while Universal Studios Japan ...

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July 14, 2025

Asia’s Comeback? IAAPA Asia & Legoland Shanghai’s Opening

Asia was expected to become the new theme park capital of the world—then the pandemic hit. Where are we now?

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July 7, 2025

Holiday Nostalgia, Living Art & After-Dark Upsell—3 Plays for Year-Ro…

Whether it’s Christmas nostalgia, locally led art, or adult evening events, operators have fresh levers to boost replayability and spend beyond peak season.

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June 29, 2025

The Modern Halloween Event: Gaming IPs, Immersion, and $350 previews

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

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June 22, 2025

Louvre Walkout Shocks Paris | Netflix House Revealed

The Louvre closes due to over tourism, and Netflix announces themes for its first FEC.

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June 15, 2025

Disney’s Midjourney Lawsuit: Can Copyright Contain AI?

Disney and Universal just opened Hollywood’s first heavyweight copyright war against Midjourney, arguing the AI was trained on “countless stolen works.”

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June 8, 2025

Five TRENDS You Can’t Ignore: Mergers, Velvet Ropes, and the Rise of …

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

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June 2, 2025

Family Culture or Central Control? Herschend’s Acquisition & Six Flag…

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.”

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May 26, 2025

Six Flags Presses “Reset”

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

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May 19, 2025

Magic, Money, and the Middle East: Disney’s Record Quarter

Disney’s stock jumped 7 % after a blockbuster Q2 - and we breakdown why.

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