Oct. 19, 2025

Six Flags’ Leadership Shake-Up and the Qiddiya Confusion

Apple Podcasts podcast player badge
Spotify podcast player badge
Castro podcast player badge
RSS Feed podcast player badge
Apple Podcasts podcast player icon Spotify podcast player icon Castro podcast player icon RSS Feed podcast player icon

Six Flags is losing more of its board—Executive Chairman Selim Bassoul and Lead Independent Director Daniel Hanrahan will leave the board at year’s end, following CEO Richard Zimmerman’s exit announcement. Bassoul, who also lined up a new role outside the industry, will remain as a consultant through the launch of Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia. The company stumbled when its first press release listed Qiddiya City opening in 2026, only to issue an immediate correction claiming 2025—adding to investor confusion. Philip and Scott unpack what the back-to-back departures mean for a company still struggling to execute its “Great Reset” strategy and whether the Qiddiya slip hints at deeper internal misalignment. They also discuss IAAPA’s Q3 Global Outlook—highlighting how weather, tariffs, and economic uncertainty continue to shape operators’ planning worldwide. Listen to weekly BONUS episodes on our Patreon.

WEBVTT

1
00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:04.639
Okay from our studios this week in Detroit and in Tampa.

2
00:00:04.759 --> 00:00:06.960
This is Green Tag to Theme Parker and thirty. I'm

3
00:00:06.960 --> 00:00:08.599
Philip and I'm joined as always on my co host

4
00:00:08.599 --> 00:00:11.800
Scott Swinson of Scott Twinson creat Development. On Green Tag,

5
00:00:11.960 --> 00:00:14.080
we look at the top news each week and explain

6
00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:17.359
why it matters to business professionals. And this week we're

7
00:00:17.399 --> 00:00:19.199
going to be talking a little bit about the uh

8
00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:22.160
more news from six Flags, so there's always use with

9
00:00:22.199 --> 00:00:24.600
six Flags nowadays. And then we're going to look at

10
00:00:24.760 --> 00:00:28.760
the latest global trans report from AYAPA and discuss some

11
00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:33.920
of the takeaways from that. So first, more is brewing

12
00:00:34.359 --> 00:00:38.439
over at six Flags. We got we got.

13
00:00:38.840 --> 00:00:41.280
Just the season for brewing, just the season for brewing.

14
00:00:41.479 --> 00:00:44.039
There's there's a coven sitting around a big cauldron somewhere

15
00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:46.880
and and it's certainly brewing, all right.

16
00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:50.320
And I guess two more members of that coven are leaving.

17
00:00:50.399 --> 00:00:54.039
So yeah, six Flags did announce that two.

18
00:00:54.039 --> 00:00:56.439
More members of the board are going to be resigning

19
00:00:56.479 --> 00:00:57.280
at the end of the year.

20
00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:00.439
This follows news a course of the CEO step down.

21
00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:09.159
So the two that are leaving first is Selim Bessel,

22
00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:12.640
which was the previous CEO of the previous six Flags

23
00:01:12.680 --> 00:01:15.879
only chain, right, so he's leaving along with Daniel who

24
00:01:15.959 --> 00:01:20.799
is the lead independent director. Now Selim would seem like

25
00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:23.719
the you know, the more important, not too more important,

26
00:01:23.719 --> 00:01:25.799
but you know, he has a lot of projects still

27
00:01:25.799 --> 00:01:28.000
in the mix. But they said that he's he will

28
00:01:28.040 --> 00:01:32.599
be staying on as a consultant for the company through

29
00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:34.400
the opening of the new six Flags Kadia Park in

30
00:01:34.400 --> 00:01:37.640
Saudi Arabia. And that's where the other piece of news,

31
00:01:37.719 --> 00:01:40.120
kind of news came in where in the initial press

32
00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:43.599
release where they announced that Seleem and Daniel were going

33
00:01:43.640 --> 00:01:45.200
to be stepping down at the end of the year,

34
00:01:45.640 --> 00:01:48.000
they mentioned that the six Flags Park was going to

35
00:01:48.040 --> 00:01:51.480
be moving its opening date till twenty twenty six. However,

36
00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:55.480
very soon after that press release went out, they issued

37
00:01:55.480 --> 00:01:58.680
a correction saying that no, it was actually going to

38
00:01:58.680 --> 00:02:04.239
still open in and so that created a second piece

39
00:02:04.280 --> 00:02:08.560
of news about that kind of back and forth. But

40
00:02:08.680 --> 00:02:11.120
the official news, I guess is that these two are

41
00:02:11.120 --> 00:02:14.400
stepping down, and like I said, that follows the news

42
00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:17.599
that we had previously about Richard Zimmerman stepping down. Now,

43
00:02:17.639 --> 00:02:21.159
a replacement or successor for Zimmerman has not been named,

44
00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:23.919
so it's kind of like, well, Zimmerman will be around

45
00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:25.879
while they find a replacement, and then also Slim will

46
00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:28.159
be around until this opens as a consultant. So it's

47
00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:33.120
not a complete loss of this. But in terms of

48
00:02:33.159 --> 00:02:36.599
what Basul said, I just thought his quote was interesting.

49
00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:40.919
He said, leading the Six Flags board directors through a

50
00:02:40.919 --> 00:02:43.039
period of transformation has been one of the most super

51
00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:46.120
awarding experiences of my career. Together we built a stronger,

52
00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:50.159
more innovative company, one that successfully completed the industry's largest merger,

53
00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:53.360
expanded its growth opportunities, and refined the guest experience through

54
00:02:53.400 --> 00:02:56.840
technology and creativity. I'm especially proud of that Six Flags

55
00:02:56.879 --> 00:02:58.719
has been recognized as one of the best and brightest

56
00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:01.080
companies to work for a nation. I'd prove of our

57
00:03:01.479 --> 00:03:03.919
exceptional culture and dedication of our people.

58
00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:05.520
I'm not sure how much of that is true.

59
00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:08.800
Well, you know, I don't know whether I have just

60
00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:12.759
become in this world or because of my age or whatever.

61
00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:16.199
I've just kind of become cynical, especially when I immediately

62
00:03:16.199 --> 00:03:21.199
recognize rhetorics speak and that's exactly you know, basically, I mean,

63
00:03:21.240 --> 00:03:24.120
let's break this down here. I'm so proud I'm so

64
00:03:24.199 --> 00:03:26.319
glad that we got through this transition proving that this

65
00:03:26.360 --> 00:03:27.919
is a great place to work, and now I'm leaving,

66
00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:31.439
and not only leaving work. We got to point out

67
00:03:31.479 --> 00:03:34.599
he's not just leaving work, he is now actually leaving

68
00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:37.599
the industry because he's lined up a new gig as

69
00:03:37.639 --> 00:03:39.639
the chairman of a Canadian online grosser.

70
00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:40.400
Yep.

71
00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:45.639
So it was like, oh, my god, my guess and

72
00:03:45.719 --> 00:03:49.159
this is pure speculation, So pure speculation on my part.

73
00:03:49.840 --> 00:03:52.439
My guess is he feels so beat up by this

74
00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:58.199
whole transition period that it is time to focus on

75
00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:01.199
something new, something different, to just kind of relax a

76
00:04:01.240 --> 00:04:03.919
little bit. I don't know whether that's true or not.

77
00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:11.280
That maybe oversimplifying the situation, but yeah, it's it's unfortunate

78
00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:13.879
because again, I'm I've become very very cynical when I

79
00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:20.160
hear when I hear phrases like together we built. As

80
00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:23.079
you're leaving, you're saying together we built, I just get

81
00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:27.839
a little sarcastic, I guess about that because it's hard

82
00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:28.240
to buy.

83
00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:31.399
Yeah, it's one of those whatever the saying is where

84
00:04:32.040 --> 00:04:34.240
you know, everything you say is an admission you kind

85
00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:40.160
of thing where it's like, well, you know why, there

86
00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:41.879
are other things he could have said, So it's kind

87
00:04:41.879 --> 00:04:45.160
of like joining attention to these things almost makes it

88
00:04:45.160 --> 00:04:48.319
seem like, yeah, it is a.

89
00:04:48.279 --> 00:04:50.839
Weird lily a bit. It's it's it's certainly really. I mean,

90
00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:52.600
if he had said, if he had said, you know,

91
00:04:52.639 --> 00:04:57.079
this has been a rewarding experience for me, I'm very

92
00:04:57.120 --> 00:04:58.879
proud of what we were able to accomplish. But it

93
00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:01.279
is I recogniz that it's time for me to move on.

94
00:05:02.120 --> 00:05:05.800
Yes, right, that's a great story. That's right, that's right,

95
00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:06.319
that's right.

96
00:05:06.680 --> 00:05:10.600
But he's still but he's still a consultant, so he can't. Yes,

97
00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:14.240
he has to still tow the party line, which I understand.

98
00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:16.639
You know, we've all worked for corporations. I understand that

99
00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:17.439
that necessity.

100
00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:21.199
But it just it's it's.

101
00:05:21.240 --> 00:05:24.560
A whole paragraph that basically says absolutely nothing in my opinion.

102
00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:28.720
Yeah, well, uh, and so was speaking of him staying

103
00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:29.519
on as a consultant.

104
00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:30.600
So that.

105
00:05:32.199 --> 00:05:34.519
This is interesting again because I think the first time

106
00:05:34.519 --> 00:05:36.839
we heard about Richard, I meant I mentioned how that

107
00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:40.120
was kind of like not a great sign when you

108
00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:43.279
were trying to execute this this big vision, right that

109
00:05:43.319 --> 00:05:46.519
we talked about they had the whole leadership vision where

110
00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:49.240
they presented to investors about this plan that we thought

111
00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:52.920
was actually a good plan. But where we have argued

112
00:05:53.199 --> 00:05:54.600
and again this is just us where we have been

113
00:05:54.680 --> 00:05:56.279
arguing it is it kind of seems like it has

114
00:05:56.319 --> 00:05:59.800
not really been executed. And maybe that's because there's so

115
00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:02.759
many staff, it's such a big who knows why. But

116
00:06:02.839 --> 00:06:05.240
the execution doesn't seem like it's quite gotten there. And

117
00:06:05.319 --> 00:06:07.360
so then you're saying we're going to remove leadership. Well

118
00:06:07.399 --> 00:06:10.160
that's never a good sign classically when you're trying to

119
00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:12.759
get a new initiative done through. Is the leaderships changing

120
00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:16.160
and now it seems it seems like it's now more

121
00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:19.759
leadership is leaving. However, maybe not, because a lot of

122
00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:22.120
the pushback we got in comments when I said that

123
00:06:22.279 --> 00:06:25.199
was that he's still going to be around anyway, and

124
00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:27.319
that this gives the opportunity for new blood to come

125
00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:32.639
in and maybe connect more of the park manager park Nation,

126
00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:35.040
you know, maybe basically be a better bridge. And so,

127
00:06:35.399 --> 00:06:37.160
you know, I think maybe that's the same case here,

128
00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:39.279
like Saline will still be around. If somebody has a

129
00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:43.160
question about working with the government in Kadea or something

130
00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:46.600
about logistics he'll still be around, but maybe it gives

131
00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:50.519
the opportunity for a better bridge between the people need

132
00:06:50.519 --> 00:06:52.560
to actually execute, which would be the park managers and

133
00:06:52.600 --> 00:06:55.079
the area managers, and then the people who are in

134
00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:56.560
the Ivory tower, which is the board.

135
00:06:56.839 --> 00:06:57.879
So maybe.

136
00:06:58.120 --> 00:07:01.240
So I mean, yeah, I think that anytime you have

137
00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:04.800
two major conglomerates coming together, there's always going to be

138
00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:10.639
growing pains, and sometimes it is beneficial to instead of

139
00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:15.399
doing it six Flags way or Cedar fairway, is to

140
00:07:15.399 --> 00:07:17.800
do it a new way and to find new people

141
00:07:17.800 --> 00:07:23.879
who can and execute that. With this number, however, abandoned

142
00:07:23.879 --> 00:07:27.360
abandoning ship, I think is probably a safe analogy to use.

143
00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:30.040
With this number of people abandoning ship, I have to

144
00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:31.720
ask what do they know that we don't know.

145
00:07:32.439 --> 00:07:34.000
That's true, because you know.

146
00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:37.000
They have information that will not be released, nor should

147
00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:41.519
it be it's you know, proprietary business stuff. But and

148
00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:44.040
could it be something may be something as simple as

149
00:07:45.040 --> 00:07:48.360
they know what the new leadership is going to look like,

150
00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:52.759
and they don't necessarily recognize their place in it, or

151
00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:58.360
they don't recognize their it's contrary to their belief in leadership,

152
00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:00.839
because let's face it, there's a million different ways to

153
00:08:00.920 --> 00:08:03.560
lead a company, and well not a million, but there's

154
00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:08.160
many different ways to lead a company, and sometimes you know,

155
00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:11.319
it is it is best for the company overall to

156
00:08:11.480 --> 00:08:14.600
cut ties with the opposition. You know, it's it's time

157
00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:17.079
to say, okay, we're now. I don't know, I didn't

158
00:08:17.079 --> 00:08:18.680
see it anywhere in the in the article, but maybe

159
00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:21.480
you've seen anything. What kind of what kind of exit

160
00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:23.959
packages did these guys get? What kind of golden parachutes

161
00:08:23.959 --> 00:08:24.279
were there?

162
00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:26.040
So I didn't see that.

163
00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:29.040
I'm sure the information is probably out there somewhere, but

164
00:08:29.079 --> 00:08:30.680
I didn't see any articles that I read.

165
00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:34.360
I'm assuming that there's there's something. There's always always something. Yeah,

166
00:08:34.360 --> 00:08:38.840
there's always something. But I but again, I I hope,

167
00:08:39.639 --> 00:08:43.879
I hope that what we're saying here is is true

168
00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:46.320
for the company as a whole. I hope that there

169
00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:49.200
is you know, it will bring in the or will

170
00:08:49.240 --> 00:08:51.159
open up the possibility to bring in some new blood.

171
00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:53.600
The challenge, I think is going to be finding that

172
00:08:53.679 --> 00:08:58.279
balance between pruning to allow for new growth and cutting

173
00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:01.480
so far back that the tree dies. So you kind

174
00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:04.440
of have to find in any corporation. You know, I'm

175
00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:07.159
not even speaking necessarily about six flags in any corporation

176
00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:11.120
where you have a change of strategy or as change

177
00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:16.879
of leadership leadership strategy, you have to kind of find

178
00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:19.120
that balance. You have to figure out how much can

179
00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:21.240
we trim back so that we can allow for some

180
00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:24.720
new growth, some new ideas, some new people, some new experiences,

181
00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:27.320
And how much is it when we cut too far

182
00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:31.360
back that we don't have any sort of history knowledge.

183
00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:34.360
You know, you're kind of going in green, because then

184
00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:37.679
you're tempted or likely to make the same mistakes that

185
00:09:37.720 --> 00:09:40.559
have been made before, because you know, the first time

186
00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:42.159
they made those mistakes, it sounded like a good idea.

187
00:09:42.200 --> 00:09:45.120
And if there's nobody around to remember that it was

188
00:09:45.399 --> 00:09:47.399
we thought it was a good idea, but it wasn't,

189
00:09:47.919 --> 00:09:50.279
then you just end up spinning your wheels and making

190
00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:52.840
the same mistakes over and over again. So I'm hoping

191
00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:54.639
that this is not a landslide the beginning of a

192
00:09:54.720 --> 00:09:58.759
landslide trend. And I'm hoping that, you know, the folks

193
00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:02.480
who commented it opens up space for new you know,

194
00:10:02.519 --> 00:10:08.200
new blood, new ideas. But I don't know, you know,

195
00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:11.440
based on what we've seen with the Six Flags properties

196
00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:14.840
and the Six Flags parks, and I'm not sure who

197
00:10:14.879 --> 00:10:15.240
they're going.

198
00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:20.919
To be able to draw into their fold. That is true.

199
00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:21.720
That is true.

200
00:10:21.879 --> 00:10:25.879
It is worrying that there's not a successor being like

201
00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:28.759
groomed like more publicly, you know, for zimmer Man, that

202
00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:34.399
is that is concerning, you know. And yeah, but the

203
00:10:34.559 --> 00:10:39.080
the other piece too, which I think is interesting, it

204
00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:39.840
is about.

205
00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:42.559
The date change and yeah.

206
00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:46.480
And so basically six Flags is is a telling everybody, oh,

207
00:10:46.519 --> 00:10:48.799
it was just a typo, basically like it was just

208
00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:51.759
a mistake, you know, et cetera, et cetera.

209
00:10:52.279 --> 00:10:56.720
Now, Scott, you know, as someone.

210
00:10:56.600 --> 00:10:58.440
Who's worked in corporation, so that both of us have,

211
00:10:59.159 --> 00:11:01.440
I don't really think it's likely that there was a

212
00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:05.120
mistake of that magnitude in the press release. I think

213
00:11:05.159 --> 00:11:09.240
it's more likely that it was announced because now there

214
00:11:09.279 --> 00:11:11.600
have been quite a few reporters that have talked about

215
00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:13.720
who are more there locally in the area, who have

216
00:11:13.799 --> 00:11:18.080
talked about how the site is not doesn't look like

217
00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:20.720
it's at all close to being reaid open, right, this

218
00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:23.799
is not prepared. So there's been quite a few reporters

219
00:11:23.879 --> 00:11:27.320
mentioning that. But we also know that when they want

220
00:11:27.320 --> 00:11:29.039
something to open, they can just throw money at it.

221
00:11:29.080 --> 00:11:30.840
I mean the amount of money they can throw that

222
00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:34.679
will really that they can build stuff very quickly there

223
00:11:34.840 --> 00:11:35.559
if they want to.

224
00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:37.759
But so I do.

225
00:11:38.279 --> 00:11:42.159
Again, this is conjecture, right, I do suspect that they

226
00:11:42.519 --> 00:11:46.279
probably thought that. I think maybe it's a difference of Again,

227
00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:50.679
that's like a cultural difference. Like probably when this site

228
00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:52.840
will be ready it is probably twenty twenty six, but

229
00:11:52.879 --> 00:11:54.600
when it will open will be twenty twenty five, and

230
00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:57.799
it will just open where not everything is ready, but

231
00:11:57.840 --> 00:11:58.639
it will still be open.

232
00:11:58.919 --> 00:12:01.120
If any, if any of our listeners have ever worked

233
00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:04.679
in the Middle East, you know, you know as well

234
00:12:04.679 --> 00:12:05.159
as I do.

235
00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:09.039
You do not, you do not, You.

236
00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:12.720
Do not open late, doesn't matter what you open. Those

237
00:12:12.759 --> 00:12:15.879
gates open on time. And you know, having having opened

238
00:12:15.879 --> 00:12:21.600
two different attractions there, it's amazing what can happen in

239
00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:27.399
the last I would say month or even week as

240
00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:30.919
to what gets installed. And there are even times that

241
00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:33.360
I have witnessed, not in the attractions that I've worked in,

242
00:12:33.399 --> 00:12:35.759
but the attractions that were adjacent to some other attractions,

243
00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:38.039
and talking to other people, there were times where things

244
00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:42.080
were opened and then sections were opened and then closed

245
00:12:42.120 --> 00:12:44.919
again so that they could go back and do it correctly.

246
00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:48.000
But they had to they had to open on time.

247
00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:50.440
You know, in the US, it's we think about it

248
00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:54.480
in many cases as let's let's underpromise and over deliver.

249
00:12:55.080 --> 00:12:58.480
But the mindset, from at least my experience in the

250
00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:01.399
Middle East is if we announce a date and then

251
00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:05.000
we back away from it, that shows weakness. So we

252
00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:06.679
don't want to show weakness. We want to show that

253
00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:11.799
we know what we're doing. We're completely in we're completely

254
00:13:11.799 --> 00:13:13.840
in sync with you know, what we said we were

255
00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:15.480
going to do, we are going to do, and it

256
00:13:15.559 --> 00:13:18.559
is going to be the biggest, fastest. I find it

257
00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:22.399
interesting that, you know, even on social media, we're seeing

258
00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:28.519
test runs of the Falcon coaster, Falcon's flight, We're seeing

259
00:13:29.559 --> 00:13:33.320
we're seeing ads for it looking like the park is

260
00:13:33.320 --> 00:13:35.799
completely open and people are playing in it and having

261
00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:41.320
a lovely time. So yeah, I think that it was

262
00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:48.600
probably an attempt to manage expectations so that way, if

263
00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:51.000
they did open, you know, say they opened at the

264
00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:57.919
end of twenty five for a sneak peek or a

265
00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:01.720
preliminary open or whatever, then open fully in twenty six.

266
00:14:01.960 --> 00:14:06.440
It's just an attitude shift, you know. It's really if

267
00:14:06.440 --> 00:14:08.279
you think about it, It's really no different than saying

268
00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:11.399
we will officially open in early twenty five, I'm sorry,

269
00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:15.679
in early twenty six, and then do a beta test

270
00:14:15.759 --> 00:14:19.440
or a sneak peek or whatever in twenty five. You know,

271
00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:22.279
you either open in twenty five or you don't. That's

272
00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:24.080
the mentality they have in the in the Middle East.

273
00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:25.639
And when we say we're going to open in twenty five,

274
00:14:25.759 --> 00:14:28.039
we are going to open in twenty five. I've also

275
00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:32.679
found that in many cases, and again this is conjecture,

276
00:14:33.080 --> 00:14:36.039
but in many cases in the Middle East, with the

277
00:14:36.080 --> 00:14:40.240
construction companies, they don't get paid until the job is done,

278
00:14:40.600 --> 00:14:45.159
so they've been fronting salaries for all of the workers

279
00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:48.000
and some cases, in some cases, let me put it

280
00:14:48.039 --> 00:14:49.840
that way, I don't know whether it's true with everything

281
00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:53.240
at Kidea City or not, but in some cases they

282
00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:57.480
will have to front the salaries and literally hold the people,

283
00:14:57.879 --> 00:15:02.080
hold the workers in the country until the project is complete.

284
00:15:02.799 --> 00:15:07.120
So I could I could see it, and I'm this

285
00:15:07.240 --> 00:15:11.279
is a hypothetical situation based on my experience, but I

286
00:15:11.320 --> 00:15:14.120
could see very comfortably them saying, well, if we're not

287
00:15:14.200 --> 00:15:16.679
opening until twenty six, then we're not paying you until

288
00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:20.679
twenty six and companies going that will shoot twenty five

289
00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:23.559
in the foot for all of us. So there's a

290
00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:28.120
lot of there's a lot of unique cultural issues that

291
00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:31.559
are going on here. And to me, it sounds kind

292
00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:35.120
of like the Americans were the American side was trying

293
00:15:35.159 --> 00:15:38.480
to say, yeah, we're going to open, but we won't

294
00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:41.200
be completely open, and and the other side is saying, no,

295
00:15:41.240 --> 00:15:43.320
we're gonna open. We're gonna open and people are gonna

296
00:15:43.320 --> 00:15:44.519
be in the door, and we're gonna start making our

297
00:15:44.519 --> 00:15:45.519
money back and then we'll pay you.

298
00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:47.000
Yeah.

299
00:15:47.559 --> 00:15:50.639
So I don't know. I think it's I think it's interesting.

300
00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:52.919
I think it's unfortunate because you know, when we were

301
00:15:52.919 --> 00:15:58.000
there obviously, when we when we toured six Flags Kadea,

302
00:15:59.159 --> 00:16:00.960
it was no where and you're ready and we knew it,

303
00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:06.440
but that was quite quite some time ago. Well, yeah,

304
00:16:06.440 --> 00:16:09.159
you're absolutely right though, when you throw money at it, Yeah,

305
00:16:09.639 --> 00:16:12.159
when you have to make it's amazing how your your

306
00:16:12.200 --> 00:16:14.279
work schedule can expand or contract to the amount of

307
00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:15.000
time you actually have.

308
00:16:15.559 --> 00:16:16.440
That's right. Yeah.

309
00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:19.159
See, I actually disagree with some of the reporters just

310
00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:22.600
because when you and I were there on site, I

311
00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:25.399
was like I was almost shocked at how much was

312
00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:28.360
ready then in a paradoxical way, like they had the

313
00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:32.720
basic infrastructure, the buildings, the sewer lines, the power, and

314
00:16:32.759 --> 00:16:35.559
that's the stuff you can't I mean all the other stuff,

315
00:16:35.639 --> 00:16:37.279
like you know, maybe you don't you don't have to

316
00:16:37.320 --> 00:16:40.519
open this one section or you know whatever, But I.

317
00:16:40.440 --> 00:16:42.120
Mean, as long as you have like the main area.

318
00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:44.600
We were in the main hub area, and then there

319
00:16:44.679 --> 00:16:47.080
was a few food and beverage locations that were pretty

320
00:16:47.080 --> 00:16:49.679
close to opening. That's all you really need, you know,

321
00:16:49.799 --> 00:16:52.240
just open one ride and some food and beverage locations

322
00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:55.080
and the main hub and that's that's open basically. That's

323
00:16:55.320 --> 00:16:58.320
that's close enough I think for for what they're doing,

324
00:16:58.360 --> 00:16:59.799
then you can open the rest of the lands later.

325
00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:04.720
But and I think, knowing how quickly they work in

326
00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:07.920
that region when there's money, I think that they can

327
00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:08.319
get there.

328
00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:13.000
Yeah, I don't see it. I was kind of surprised

329
00:17:13.119 --> 00:17:16.680
when when they pushed the date back originally because it

330
00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:20.200
didn't it didn't seem like it didn't seem like that

331
00:17:20.279 --> 00:17:23.920
was necessary. But you know, again, we were there earlier

332
00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:24.519
in the year, so.

333
00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:27.200
Yeah, I don't know.

334
00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:32.519
Well, Okay, our next story here is about the the

335
00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:35.559
state of the Global Attractions industry for the third quarter,

336
00:17:36.039 --> 00:17:38.839
and this was put out by AYAPA and it is

337
00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:43.599
basically a synthesis of interviews that they did with their

338
00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:48.160
advisory committee, which is about twenty two members that operators

339
00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:51.480
that are spread all throughout the world about trends are seen.

340
00:17:51.920 --> 00:17:54.519
And basically they.

341
00:17:56.279 --> 00:18:01.440
They identified three trends and then there's an information per region,

342
00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:02.880
and then there's some.

343
00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:04.640
Additional research they added to it.

344
00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:08.759
And the first trend, the biggest one is of course weather,

345
00:18:10.279 --> 00:18:14.839
So I can't it says unfavorable weather has defined twenty

346
00:18:14.920 --> 00:18:17.599
twenty five. Many operators report that the spring months have

347
00:18:17.720 --> 00:18:22.240
proved wet and unseasonably cold, discouraging guest visitation. By contrast,

348
00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:25.240
the early summer months proved exceedingly hot, which also had

349
00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:29.400
a negative impact on visitation. Well, geez, and I will

350
00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:32.839
just say that also. You know, here in Detroit where

351
00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:35.920
we are, it has been unseasonably warm for a long

352
00:18:35.960 --> 00:18:39.880
period of time, like it just this week and we're

353
00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:42.960
already halfway through October, is when it started to drop

354
00:18:43.079 --> 00:18:46.359
below sixty five and then the tree started to change color.

355
00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:49.240
And so that does discourage people going to haunted houses

356
00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:52.440
and going to indoor attractions because if it's warm in Michigan,

357
00:18:52.440 --> 00:18:52.880
you're going.

358
00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:54.839
To want to do stuff as long as you can. Yeah.

359
00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:57.640
Yeah, So there is some to it, right, But at

360
00:18:57.680 --> 00:18:59.440
the same time, as we've always been saying over and

361
00:18:59.480 --> 00:19:03.079
over and over, at this point, the weather trend isn't

362
00:19:03.079 --> 00:19:03.559
a trend.

363
00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:06.079
It is just a fact.

364
00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:09.599
Well, and to me, this shouldn't be This shouldn't be

365
00:19:09.640 --> 00:19:11.960
excuses for why twenty five is going to be low

366
00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:13.599
for me. This should be a list of here's what

367
00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:15.839
we need to plan for for twenty six, you know.

368
00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:16.119
Right.

369
00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:20.039
It goes back to that post crisis leadership mentality of Okay,

370
00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:22.160
what do we learn here, and we need to have

371
00:19:22.200 --> 00:19:25.559
parallel paths going going. If it's if it's too cold,

372
00:19:25.640 --> 00:19:27.319
then we need to have heaters for our cues.

373
00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:28.079
If it's too.

374
00:19:27.960 --> 00:19:32.440
Warm, then we need to find a way to perhaps

375
00:19:32.519 --> 00:19:34.839
move some of our attractions outside. I mean, we need

376
00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:36.599
to find you need to find ways to deal with

377
00:19:36.599 --> 00:19:38.880
this kind of thing. And that's that's what long range

378
00:19:38.920 --> 00:19:43.920
business planning is, you know. And and yes it may

379
00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:47.480
have come up, you know, for some reason weather magically

380
00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:53.160
started in twenty twenty five. I don't necessarily think that's true.

381
00:19:53.319 --> 00:19:54.799
But it's the kind of thing that I think we

382
00:19:54.799 --> 00:19:57.519
should all look at and the takeaway should be plan

383
00:19:57.640 --> 00:20:01.400
for whatever. You know, have a plan in place. If

384
00:20:01.440 --> 00:20:03.440
you never use it, you never use it, not a problem.

385
00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:07.079
But but go through that exercise and find somebody who can,

386
00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:10.319
you know, help you with those kinds of with those

387
00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:14.440
kinds of plans. It may be something as simple as marketing.

388
00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:17.680
You know, it may be some market it differently if

389
00:20:17.960 --> 00:20:23.559
if the if the weather is rough. You know. One

390
00:20:23.559 --> 00:20:26.480
of the things that locally they did here for a while.

391
00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:27.799
I don't know whether they're still doing it or not,

392
00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:32.319
but Florida Aquarium and Zoo Tampa used to say they

393
00:20:32.359 --> 00:20:35.680
had a reciprocal ticket agreement, so that if it was

394
00:20:35.960 --> 00:20:38.240
raining and you had a ticket to the zoo, you

395
00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:40.079
could go to the aquarium. And if you had a

396
00:20:40.119 --> 00:20:42.079
ticket to the aquarium and it was a beautiful sunny day,

397
00:20:42.119 --> 00:20:44.759
you could go to the zoo. So to me, that's

398
00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:46.839
just good business planning. And then they would share in

399
00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:51.359
those they would share in those revenues. So it's making

400
00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:54.559
certain it's kind of going back to the basics. It's

401
00:20:54.599 --> 00:20:58.079
making certain that your guests are happy. It's making certain

402
00:20:58.119 --> 00:21:00.759
that you're because the happy guests are gonna come to

403
00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:01.519
your park.

404
00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:03.519
You know, I do.

405
00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:06.079
I do think this is a little bit of a pendulum.

406
00:21:06.920 --> 00:21:09.880
Of of course, during the pandemic, we went all the

407
00:21:09.880 --> 00:21:12.680
way to the one, you know, to one side with

408
00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:16.559
ticketing where we're saying you have to have a date

409
00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:19.359
reserved and a time slot reserved, and this whole time ticketing,

410
00:21:19.880 --> 00:21:21.680
and there is a lot of merit to that. You know,

411
00:21:21.720 --> 00:21:24.480
how much have we discussed time ticketing and dynamic pricing

412
00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:25.960
and how much it helps and et cetera, et cetera.

413
00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:29.079
But then on the flip side, if your attraction is

414
00:21:29.119 --> 00:21:33.680
not prepared for weather, then I don't think that you

415
00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:37.839
can enforce that sort of those sort of rules about

416
00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:40.200
time ticketing and about you. I mean again, if you're

417
00:21:40.200 --> 00:21:42.079
telling the customer they have to show up in this

418
00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:44.920
half hour window for your attraction, but then parts of

419
00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:47.400
your attraction are not open during that time or there's

420
00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:50.359
negative weather on there, I don't think that's going to work.

421
00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:52.400
So I do kind of think that we're going a

422
00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:55.359
little bit into the other side of it, being more

423
00:21:55.359 --> 00:21:59.880
flexible like it was pre pandemic, you know, But even

424
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.799
now with a we were talking about last week the

425
00:22:02.839 --> 00:22:05.480
Disneyland prices and Disneyland. I mean, you still have to

426
00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:09.519
make your park reservations in California, and then there's again

427
00:22:09.559 --> 00:22:11.680
that thing what happens if it's something closes or this

428
00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:14.160
or that or whatever, well then you've just and that's

429
00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:16.200
a lot of money in that case, you know, and

430
00:22:16.200 --> 00:22:17.839
they're not going to give you a refund or let

431
00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:18.519
you change your day.

432
00:22:18.599 --> 00:22:22.440
Like that's we're starting. That's starting to get difficult. And

433
00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:23.319
one a.

434
00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:26.200
Perfect example where time ticketing is beneficial to the company

435
00:22:26.200 --> 00:22:26.960
but not to the guest.

436
00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:28.519
That's right, that's right.

437
00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:32.440
And I think one example recently that I just just

438
00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:36.599
this weekend, I visited Hannah Haunted Acres in Indianapolis, and

439
00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:40.720
they changed their policy last year due to rain, and

440
00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:44.920
they've kept the policy, which is that they have their

441
00:22:44.920 --> 00:22:48.079
tickets are good for their five attractions. I believe any

442
00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:50.400
general tickets good for those five. And they changed the

443
00:22:50.400 --> 00:22:54.559
policy last year to say if you as long as

444
00:22:54.599 --> 00:22:57.599
you do at least one attraction, you can come back

445
00:22:57.640 --> 00:22:59.799
any other night that they're open and do any of

446
00:22:59.799 --> 00:23:02.799
their attractions. So if you show up and it does

447
00:23:02.839 --> 00:23:04.680
happen to rain and you don't want to go through

448
00:23:04.680 --> 00:23:07.119
the corn maze in the rain, then you can come

449
00:23:07.160 --> 00:23:09.160
back and do it another night. And they also are

450
00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:12.519
open every day in October, like every their Halloween stuff

451
00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:15.960
is open every day, you know, seven days a week,

452
00:23:16.079 --> 00:23:19.200
and so you truly can come back anytime. Now that

453
00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:21.720
still doesn't help people that are visiting who are just

454
00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:24.200
there for one day, but I think for the locals

455
00:23:24.200 --> 00:23:26.039
it does make a big difference where you can say

456
00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:30.759
and it also you talk to me about how basically

457
00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:32.880
you can cheat the system because you can buy a

458
00:23:32.880 --> 00:23:35.279
Monday ticket for twenty five dollars and then you come

459
00:23:35.319 --> 00:23:38.480
back back that on Saturday, And he kind of was

460
00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:41.880
saying that it's worth it to him to allow that

461
00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:46.000
just because of the goodwill that it buys them, where

462
00:23:46.200 --> 00:23:48.519
if price really, really really is a concern for them,

463
00:23:48.920 --> 00:23:51.599
then you just buy a Monday ticket, show up, and

464
00:23:51.640 --> 00:23:53.480
then come back with your friends on Saturday. And I

465
00:23:53.480 --> 00:23:56.839
think that attitude is probably more where we're going to

466
00:23:56.920 --> 00:24:00.079
have to start swinging if if nobody can do anything

467
00:24:00.119 --> 00:24:02.960
about like if the attractions continue to just say we

468
00:24:02.960 --> 00:24:05.960
can't do anything about weather and like cross their arms,

469
00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:07.640
and then I just think you're gonna have to start

470
00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:09.640
going to that direction with ticketing.

471
00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:13.160
Yeah, and it's so it's funny because I'm listening to

472
00:24:13.279 --> 00:24:18.400
I've gone back and I'm revisiting make it stick or

473
00:24:18.440 --> 00:24:21.839
made the stick and make it and one of the

474
00:24:21.880 --> 00:24:23.599
things they one of the things that they talk about.

475
00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:26.200
I just listened to it this morning as a matter

476
00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:29.240
of fact, that you know, they talk about the guests

477
00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:33.039
the customers. The customers don't want to buy a drill bit.

478
00:24:33.079 --> 00:24:35.480
They want to buy a three quarter inch hole so

479
00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:38.160
they can kick pictures of their kids. Guests don't want

480
00:24:38.160 --> 00:24:40.359
to buy tickets. They want to have an experience where

481
00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:44.480
they have fun. And if the if the ticket doesn't

482
00:24:44.920 --> 00:24:47.799
you know, is only for this time, the ticket's useless.

483
00:24:48.279 --> 00:24:51.160
The ticket is worthless to them because they can't get in.

484
00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:54.039
And I love the idea that. Okay, so you get

485
00:24:54.039 --> 00:24:56.640
somebody who cheats the system. We're so you know, we're

486
00:24:56.640 --> 00:24:59.799
so concerned about cheating the system. But it goes back

487
00:24:59.839 --> 00:25:02.480
to you know, my slice of cheese story. There's so

488
00:25:02.480 --> 00:25:05.839
many stories about how when you make a guest centered

489
00:25:05.960 --> 00:25:09.400
choice that you actually improve your business. It doesn't, it's

490
00:25:09.440 --> 00:25:13.079
not detro metal to your business. So I guess my

491
00:25:13.240 --> 00:25:16.559
argument or a con argument or the opposite argument to

492
00:25:16.680 --> 00:25:18.720
the people say you can scam the system is okay,

493
00:25:18.720 --> 00:25:20.640
but you sold a ticket that you might not have sold.

494
00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:23.680
That's right, you know, because if they are and they

495
00:25:23.720 --> 00:25:25.400
are cost averse, then.

496
00:25:26.720 --> 00:25:28.880
Yeah, and most people don't do that, you know.

497
00:25:29.160 --> 00:25:33.240
Again, it's back to the whole thing about it's usually

498
00:25:33.240 --> 00:25:36.599
like eighty or seventy twenty twenty. It's where it's like,

499
00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:38.839
you know, eighty percent of the people are just gonna

500
00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:40.640
do the normal thing, and then you're always going to

501
00:25:40.680 --> 00:25:42.079
get the ten percent that are going to try you

502
00:25:42.119 --> 00:25:44.200
whenever they can to do anything. And then you're always

503
00:25:44.200 --> 00:25:46.079
going to get the ten percent that will always you know,

504
00:25:46.079 --> 00:25:48.240
you get the really really good and the really really

505
00:25:48.519 --> 00:25:50.519
you know how we want to call it that, or

506
00:25:50.559 --> 00:25:53.519
the people that want to you know, but that's not

507
00:25:53.559 --> 00:25:56.400
the majority of people. And so if you're punishing the

508
00:25:56.440 --> 00:25:59.480
majority just to prevent something from the minority, you need

509
00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:00.960
to just look at it is sunk costs, Right, You're

510
00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:02.480
always going to get people that are going to claim

511
00:26:02.519 --> 00:26:05.119
that they never received the package you sent them, or

512
00:26:05.160 --> 00:26:07.880
that it was defective even though they used it improperly

513
00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:09.839
and all that. So you actually just have to plan

514
00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:12.240
for that in rather than punishing the rest of the

515
00:26:12.279 --> 00:26:16.480
people by making your policies too strict. Yep, yep.

516
00:26:16.519 --> 00:26:19.119
Agree, And just recognize, just recognize that what we're selling

517
00:26:19.160 --> 00:26:21.880
is not tickets. What we're selling is experienced and anytime

518
00:26:21.880 --> 00:26:28.119
we can make that experience easier, better, more more memorable

519
00:26:29.319 --> 00:26:32.279
than our revenue. And I know this sounds counterintuitive, and

520
00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:34.920
I know there are accounting people out there who are

521
00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:37.279
looking at me and saying, Scott, you don't understand You

522
00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:40.200
just don't understand money. But I do understand human behavior.

523
00:26:40.680 --> 00:26:42.799
And if people are pissed off at you, they're not

524
00:26:42.839 --> 00:26:43.559
going to come to your park.

525
00:26:44.400 --> 00:26:45.559
YEP, that's right.

526
00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:49.039
Well, the next trend here, there are three trends that

527
00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:52.599
IOP identified in this quarter. The next trend is Uncertainty

528
00:26:52.680 --> 00:26:56.920
in the economy and politics also affected consumer sentiment, as

529
00:26:56.960 --> 00:27:02.240
guests adopted a weight and see mentality before committing to visit. Yeah,

530
00:27:02.359 --> 00:27:05.640
I don't know, I've actually heard. So I've been trying

531
00:27:05.680 --> 00:27:08.559
to put together some sort of article about the haunted

532
00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:11.920
attraction in space and how the trending data is going there.

533
00:27:11.960 --> 00:27:13.759
And I've talked to a lot of folks in a

534
00:27:13.799 --> 00:27:16.839
lot of different regions and I'm just getting so many

535
00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:19.359
mixed signals. You know, some markets are up, some markets

536
00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:22.839
are down, Some attractions in a market are up, and

537
00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:28.200
some are down. But it does seem like talking to

538
00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:29.799
some of the owners, a lot of them are saying

539
00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:32.759
that it's just it is due to these things like

540
00:27:32.920 --> 00:27:36.519
whether and I would my hypothesis here again is a

541
00:27:36.599 --> 00:27:39.559
disomb been four is there's two things at play in

542
00:27:39.599 --> 00:27:43.519
both of them, Iyapa captured. There's the uncertainty in the economy,

543
00:27:43.559 --> 00:27:45.079
and then there's the politics of it, and so like,

544
00:27:45.079 --> 00:27:48.759
for example, the attractions I've talked to in Chicago say

545
00:27:48.799 --> 00:27:52.000
that their numbers are down, and they think it's due

546
00:27:52.039 --> 00:27:56.039
to the stuff going on in Chicago, right the perceived

547
00:27:56.119 --> 00:27:59.640
danger happening there. But then when you talk to people

548
00:27:59.720 --> 00:28:04.519
in other segments, you know they they're up, like in

549
00:28:04.599 --> 00:28:06.599
Vegas is up and some other markets are up. But

550
00:28:07.400 --> 00:28:09.839
you hear people on the other side saying that they

551
00:28:09.839 --> 00:28:12.200
had they change their ticket options to make it more

552
00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:15.240
like like the Hannah option like talked about, or they

553
00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:18.720
change their ticket options to make it more value option,

554
00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:21.119
and that value option is selling better now than you know.

555
00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:24.880
So I've seen both trends. But it's hard because there's

556
00:28:24.920 --> 00:28:28.160
so many it's like everyone is almost saying a different story.

557
00:28:28.160 --> 00:28:30.000
And I feel like, only with a large amount of

558
00:28:30.039 --> 00:28:32.680
data could you really look at it and say, oh,

559
00:28:32.759 --> 00:28:33.599
this is what's going on.

560
00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:35.200
But it does feel like it's and.

561
00:28:35.079 --> 00:28:37.279
I think that just I think that just reinforces the

562
00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:40.359
uncertainty of things some people are, you know, it's it's

563
00:28:40.400 --> 00:28:42.720
there is no there is no clear cut answer. And

564
00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:46.920
if we think that this uncertainty is just in the

565
00:28:47.039 --> 00:28:47.960
United States, it's not.

566
00:28:48.119 --> 00:28:48.720
It's global.

567
00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:53.079
And that was probably one of the biggest discussions during

568
00:28:53.240 --> 00:28:55.720
I app Europe with with some of my friends that

569
00:28:55.799 --> 00:28:59.720
are just like, tourism around the world is being impacted

570
00:28:59.720 --> 00:29:03.200
because they don't know quite what's going to happen with

571
00:29:03.319 --> 00:29:06.799
the US, and with the US in conjunction with other

572
00:29:06.839 --> 00:29:12.359
countries around the world, there's nobody knows, so no one acts.

573
00:29:12.680 --> 00:29:15.000
I think what's going to happen with the seasonal experiences.

574
00:29:15.160 --> 00:29:17.680
I think they will make up money as we get

575
00:29:17.720 --> 00:29:20.279
closer to Halloween, because people will finally go, well, we've

576
00:29:20.279 --> 00:29:21.759
waited as long as we can and we don't want

577
00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:23.039
to miss out, so let's go Yeah.

578
00:29:23.359 --> 00:29:27.680
Yeah, that's my guess. That's right, that's right. I guess

579
00:29:27.759 --> 00:29:28.720
the last big trend.

580
00:29:28.759 --> 00:29:30.559
We're almost out of time, so we're going to discuss

581
00:29:30.680 --> 00:29:33.000
the rest of this on our Patreon show. But the

582
00:29:33.079 --> 00:29:36.519
last trend here is just about uh. While terrorsts remaining concern,

583
00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:39.960
many manufacturers are optimistic for the years ahead, as orders

584
00:29:39.960 --> 00:29:41.720
for new equipment to be delivered in twenty twenty seven

585
00:29:41.759 --> 00:29:46.599
and beyond or strong. So the onliest story, we did

586
00:29:46.680 --> 00:29:49.160
hear about the Mattel Park in Kansas City that has

587
00:29:49.200 --> 00:29:52.279
been delayed and primarily due to terrorists. But so we

588
00:29:52.599 --> 00:29:55.160
have again heard about but we've been talking about that

589
00:29:55.160 --> 00:29:56.920
for the entire year. So I think that that's not

590
00:29:56.920 --> 00:29:59.079
even a trend. That's also just like a fact of

591
00:29:59.480 --> 00:30:01.599
you know, the and I think that ties factually, it.

592
00:30:01.599 --> 00:30:04.319
Ties back into the uncertainty as well, because again you

593
00:30:04.359 --> 00:30:06.359
can't necessarily make plans if you don't know what tariffs

594
00:30:06.359 --> 00:30:07.319
are going to happen this week.

595
00:30:07.640 --> 00:30:08.359
So that's right.

596
00:30:09.079 --> 00:30:11.599
Yeah, anyway, all right, well we'll dive we'll probably, if

597
00:30:11.640 --> 00:30:13.039
I know Philip and I, we will dive into this

598
00:30:13.079 --> 00:30:15.200
tariff thing a little bit more deeply in our Patreon

599
00:30:15.240 --> 00:30:18.559
show in Unhinged. But for those of you who are

600
00:30:18.559 --> 00:30:21.720
listening here, thank you so much. Please subscribe. If you

601
00:30:21.720 --> 00:30:23.680
are watching us on YouTube, please subscribe. We would really

602
00:30:23.720 --> 00:30:26.359
appreciate that. Send us your comments, we'd love to hear them.

603
00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:29.279
And until next week on behalf of Philip Bernandez myself

604
00:30:29.319 --> 00:30:31.519
Scott Swinson. This is Green Tag Theme Park in thirty

605
00:30:31.640 --> 00:30:33.359
and we will see you next week