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PODCAST

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30

Philip Hernandez

An insider’s take on the theme park and themed entertainment industry trends, Green Tagged Covers the Top Theme Park News from each week. From theme parks to zoos and aquariums to haunted houses, we scour the world for what you need to know. We may not have all the answers, but we ask the right questions. Subscribe to PRO content on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GreenTagged

news news commentary

All Episodes

32:03

Six Flags Q4 Earnings: A New CEO, a 27% Margin, $5.1B...

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/02/23

Six Flags posted Q4 2025 results this week. Modified EBITDA margin fell from 33.2% to 27.1%. Attendance dropped 13%, with roughly 425,000 of those lost visits tied directly to cutting winter holiday events at four parks — a decision the company now calls a self-inflicted headwind. New CEO John Reilly is two months into the job and was candid about not yet having a full plan. He's toured 14 parks, collected over 300 employee proposals, and shared examples from his listening tour: increasing ride

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31:09

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park Files for Bankruptcy:...

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/02/16

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 9 after a $116 million wrongful death judgment. The park generates up to $16 million a year and is operationally healthy, but a judge's "felonious killing" ruling removed Colorado's damages cap, turning what would have been a $1.2 million verdict into one that's seven times the park's annual revenue. We break down what happened on the ride, why the training failures matter, and what this means for insurance costs across the

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30:41

Six Flags' Regional Passes & Disney's New CEO

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/02/08

Six Flags is rolling out a simplified season pass structure. Silver passes grant access to a single park. Gold passes now cover all parks within a regional tier: East, Midwest, Texas, or West. Prestige passes unlock the entire North American chain. Existing gold passholders who added the All Park upgrade are automatically bumped to Prestige, and for a limited time, gold passes are available at the silver price at select parks. Is this simply a turnstile play? Or is it a hedge to keep customers when

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31:07

Universal’s Flywheel Is Working

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/02/02

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. Much of the attention went to Epic Universe, but the most striking numbers came from hotels. Universal added 2,000 new rooms in Orlando and still raised average daily rates by 20 percent, with occupancy up 3 percent. That outcome runs counter to basic supply-and-demand logic and signals a shift in how guests are using

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31:07

Doubling Down: Six Flags Expands Grad Nights & Disney...

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/01/26

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. These closed-park events are built around a highly invested audience—graduating students—offering predictable attendance, controlled environments, and a clear value proposition for schools looking for local, cost-effective celebrations. We discuss why this expansion makes sense now, as parks prioritize experiences with reliable demand and lower operational

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30:29

Is Six Flags Preparing to Sell More Parks? What the...

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/01/19

A new set of trademark filings has raised fresh questions about Six Flags’ long-term portfolio strategy. An entity called Enchanted Parks Holdings, LLC—linked to Orlando-based Innovative Attraction Management (IAM)—has filed trademarks incorporating the names of several current Six Flags properties, including Michigan’s Adventure, Six Flags St. Louis, Oceans of Fun, Water Safari, and Great Escape Lodge. While trademark filings alone don’t confirm transactions, the scope and specificity of these

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31:52

Buying Time is Expensive: Six Flags Aims to Refinance...

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/01/12

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. The move extends the company’s debt maturity by five years—but at a high cost. Compared to the retired notes, the new debt increases annual interest expense by roughly $30 million per year, reflecting today’s higher-rate environment and investor risk pricing.Six Flags will buy more time, but at an opportunity cost. Every additional dollar

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31:34

The State of the Attractions Industry in 2026

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/01/05

This episode is structured as an environmental SWOT analysis of the attractions industry, intended to support 2026 strategic planning. Rather than focusing on individual announcements or company-specific outcomes, we identify the external forces currently shaping the business environment—capital flows, guest behavior, technology, politics, and global development patterns. The purpose is not to predict results, but to help teams assess which of these factors represent strengths, weaknesses,

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38:40

Universal Considers New Middle East Theme Park

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2025/12/29

Universal Destinations & Experiences has begun early planning for a theme park in Saudi Arabia, according to an exclusive Wall Street Journal report. The project would be structured as a licensing deal with government-backed funding—the same model Disney announced for its Abu Dhabi park.This marks Universal's second attempt in the region. In 2008, the company broke ground on Universal Studios Dubailand, but the project stalled after constructing little more than an entrance arch when financing

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30:46

Six Flags Swaps Coasters for Toons

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2025/12/21

Six Flags Magic Mountain has delayed its highly anticipated “first-of-its-kind” coaster to 2027, citing the attraction’s complexity and a commitment to quality. The project—reported to be a Vekoma Thrill Glider—was part of the company’s broader $1 billion investment plan and would have been the park’s first major coaster addition since 2022.At the same time, Six Flags confirmed a significant pivot toward family-focused IP with the announcement of Looney Tunes Land, a fully reimagined children’s area

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30:20

Netflix, Warner Bros., and what it means for Theme Parks

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2025/12/15

Netflix announced plans to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a $72 billion deal—only to face an immediate hostile counterbid from Paramount. Either path would take months, if not years, to resolve and must clear regulatory and shareholder hurdles. But even at this early stage, the implications for themed entertainment are significant.Warner Bros. currently licenses its characters across a wide theme park footprint, including Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, Movie World, and major IP deployments at Six

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30:36

The 2026 Guest Is Chasing Childhood Memories

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2025/12/07

A new report reveals how Gen Z and Millennials plan to travel in 2026: 78% say they’ve recreated a childhood vacation or plan to, and 69% avoid overcrowded destinations; 67% cited escape from burnout as a motivator, and interest in wellness and sober travel experiences is rising.That context frames the debut of Netflix House, now open in King of Prussia, with another location opening this week in Dallas. The venue’s design aligns almost point-for-point with the survey data: flexible IP that can

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31:53

Six Flags Appoints a New CEO — What It Means for the...

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2025/12/01

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. Philip and Scott discuss why that résumé matters: Reilly comes from chains where executives wear multiple hats, work with tight budgets, and operate parks that feel far closer to the “scrappy” reality of Six Flags than the polished, expert-driven models of Disney or Universal. The hosts

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30:34

IAAPA Expo 2025: Indoors, Interactive, and Value-Driven

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2025/11/24

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 exhibitorsgt-nov-23. Philip and Scott break down the trends that truly mattered this year: the push toward indoor attractions (from SeaWorld Orlando’s new Vekoma indoor inverted coaster to Merlin’s $90 million Galacticoaster installations), the explosion of 'interactive' dark rides like Sally’s Phantom Theater and its new Mini™ dark ride heading to Qatar, and

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31:20

Six Flags Bets on Travis Kelce as Disney Faces a...

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2025/11/16

Six Flags will attempt to leverage Travis Kelce’s 9% investment into a full branding partnership, leaning into ‘the new world.’ Meanwhile, Disney’s stock dipped 7% after its latest earnings show cable is collapsing faster than expected. Streaming and the parks remain its lifeboat, with both those sectors performing well, underscoring that the company’s future lies in IP that monetizes across screens and physical spaces. Finally, Herschend struck a deal to acquire Silverwood Theme Park. Philip and

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33:05

Six Flags Plans More Park Closures — Here’s Why It...

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2025/11/10

Three companies, one economic reality—and three very different responses. Six Flags is doubling down on its “smaller and more nimble” plan, prioritizing core parks and openly confirming that more closures or sales are coming. United Parks & Resorts (SeaWorld/Busch Gardens) is battling brand confusion after a 25% profit drop, citing weather and marketing challenges while its Halloween events hit record highs. Meanwhile, Disneyland Resort announced 100 layoffs as part of an “organizational

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31:48

Halloween Special: Trends, Tropes, and Takeaways

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2025/10/31

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. Sliders continue to grow as choreographed street theater, chainsaws remain the undeniable American haunt anthem, and creative teams nationwide are finding new ways to give guests something active to do between scares. From selfie moments and staged photo ops to queue-line performers and mini-interactions, the focus is shifting from watching horror to

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31:52

Travis Kelce Buys into Six Flags & TEA Global...

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2025/10/26

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 Ouimet, however, wasn’t impressed—publicly calling out the board for “cycling through CEOs, destroying value, and failing to show ownership” while urging the next chief executive to rebuild with leaders who actually understand entertainment. Philip and Scott unpack what Kelce’s

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30:35

Six Flags’ Leadership Shake-Up and the Qiddiya Confusion

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2025/10/19

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

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30:49

Disney Raises Prices—Is the “Happiest Place on Earth”...

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2025/10/13

Disney has hiked prices again—day tickets, annual passes, parking, and even Lightning Lane. At Disneyland, parking now costs $40 a day and the top-tier Inspire Key annual pass jumps to $1,899, still with blockout dates and reservation limits. In Florida, annual passes are up as well, though one-day tickets remain steadier. Philip and Scott debate whether these moves are a strategy to manage crowd levels or a sign of the parks leaning further into exclusivity—especially as Disney faces stock pressure

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292 results

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