Episodes

Comcast's Q1 earnings call delivered good news almost across the board, and we break down what it means for the theme parks division.

Six Flags is reinstating park president positions at 10 of its parks, less than a year after eliminating the role. This is the first major structural change under new CEO John Reilly, who, after his listening tour, described a chain that suffered from inconsistent standards and a lack of accountability after the 2024 Cedar Fair merger. When you lose a park president, you lose accountability and coherent differentiation planning. Corporate can drive real economies of scale, but corporate don't al...

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

Six Flags appointed Richard Haddrill as executive chairman of the board, replacing Marilyn Spiegel (who stays on as lead independent director). Haddrill comes from the gaming industry — he was CEO of Bally Technologies and executive vice chairman at Scientific Games. The move continues the board refresh that Jana Partners demanded, and it puts more pressure on CEO John Reilly to deliver results now that the "board is in the way" excuse is gone. Merlin Entertainments reported its 2025 annual r...

We recap the world's largest Halloween trade show.

Jana Partners sent a letter to the Six Flags board pushing the company to explore a sale and replace board chair Marilyn Spiegel — just one week after the Travis Kelce brand ambassador announcement. We break down what Jana actually wants, why the timeline doesn't add up, and what this means for CEO John Reilly's turnaround plan. Then: Sesame Workshop filed a federal lawsuit against United Parks to terminate their licensing agreement. United Parks stopped paying royalties in September 2025, took...

Six Flags has officially named Travis Kelce as a brand ambassador. Kelce, who joined investor group Jana Partners when they acquired a 9% stake in the company last October, will provide marketing support across Six Flags' portfolio of parks — including digital content on his own social media platforms and the use of his name, image, and likeness in broadcast, streaming, and in-park marketing. We also tackle what listeners have been asking us about for weeks: the impact of the Middle East situat...

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

United Parks & Resorts reported fiscal 2025 results this week; Revenue, attendance, net income, EBITDA were all down.

Six Flags posted Q4 2025 results this week, and the results weren't good.

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.

Six Flags is rolling out a simplified season pass structure and Disney has a new CEO.

Comcast’s Parks division crossed $1 billion in quarterly EBITDA for the first time in Q4 2025, driven by a 22 percent increase in parks revenue and a 24 percent increase in EBITDA.

Six Flags is expanding Grad Nite in 2026, adding Knott’s Berry Farm and Carowinds to a program the company has relied on for years; Meanwhile, Disney is poviting the story of Galaxy's Edge.

A new set of trademark filings has raised fresh questions about Six Flags’ long-term portfolio strategy.

Six Flags has announced a major debt refinancing, issuing $1.0 billion in senior notes due in 2032 at an 8.625% interest rate to retire bonds coming due in 2027.

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

Universal Destinations & Experiences has begun early planning for a theme park in Saudi Arabia, according to an exclusive Wall Street Journal report.

Six Flags Magic Mountain has delayed its highly anticipated “first-of-its-kind” coaster to 2027, and will instead add a Looney Toons Area.

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.

Six Flags has appointed John Reilly as its new CEO—a leader who spent 21 years at SeaWorld and later held top roles at Palace Entertainment, the parent company of regional parks like Kennywood and Lake Compounce.

IAAPA Expo 2025 set a new record with 38,520 verified attendees, more than 28,000 qualified buyers, and an expanded floor featuring over 1,100 exhibitors.

Disney’s stock dipped 7% after its latest earnings show cable is collapsing faster than expected.