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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

30:56

Six Flags Brings Back Park Presidents at 10 Parks

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/04/20

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 always

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31:28

Disney Cut 1,000 Jobs — But Not in Theme Parks

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/04/13

Disney is laying off 1,000 employees across film, streaming, and marketing as it continues to shed costs and reorient itself. This comes against the backdrop of two major digital plays failing: OpenAI killed the Disney/Sora partnership and Epic Games (which Disney invested $1.5B into) laid off 20% of its workforce after a 25% slump in Fortnite players. It's clear where Disney's moat lies, as its experiences posted $10 billion in quarterly revenue and 6% growth. In a parallel story, Meow Wolf is

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33:28

Six Flags' New Chairman, Merlin's Attendance Drops &...

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/04/05

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 results:

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30:59

TransWorld 2026 Recap: Robot Pigs, Chocolate Arms &...

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/03/31

We just got back from TransWorld's Halloween & Attractions Show in St. Louis, a show any attraction with a Halloween or Christmas event should attend. This week, we discuss the growing trend of immersive booth experiences, the robotic pig that won Best New Product, rising insurance costs hitting independent haunts, the record-breaking OSCARES ceremony, and why it all matters for professionals. Listen to weekly bonus episodes on our Patreon.

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31:24

Six Flags Pushed to Sell | Sesame Sues SeaWorld

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/03/23

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 over

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31:44

Middle East Tourism: The Elephant in the Room

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/03/14

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 situation on

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30:41

Six Flags just sold 7 parks for $331M - here's what...

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/03/09

Six Flags is selling seven of its parks to EPR Properties for $331 million in cash.Back in January, we flagged a series of trademark applications from an Orlando-based LLC called Enchanted Parks Holdings and connected those filings to the parks now being sold. This week, it became official. EPR is buying the real estate, Enchanted Parks is stepping in as the management company for six of the properties, and Kieran Burke — Six Flags' CEO before the company's 2009 bankruptcy — is picking up La Ronde

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31:22

United Parks: Buybacks, Assets, and a Missing Plan

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 ·

2026/03/02

United Parks & Resorts reported fiscal 2025 results this week; Revenue, attendance, net income, EBITDA were all down. "Our fiscal 2025 results did not meet our expectations. While the consumer environment was uneven and our results were impacted by negative international tourism trends and volatile weather during certain peak visitation periods, we should have delivered better results, particularly on the cost side of the income statement," CEO Marc Swanson said during the earnings call. The

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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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300 results

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