In this first audio edition of Green Tagged Insights, Philip reads the inaugural newsletter analyzing what he calls "The Uncertainty Epidemic" affecting the attractions industry. With economic uncertainty now higher than during COVID and consumer confidence plummeting, hear how industry leaders are responding through strategic diversification. The episode explores Universal's multi-faceted approach with their UK expansion, United Airlines' barbell strategy revealing shifting tourism patterns, and what attractions of all sizes can learn from these examples. Philip also covers Merlin's entertainment outsourcing partnership with RWS, Disney's Paris expansion plans, and Sphere's content strategy - all presented in a straightforward, analysis-focused format that complements the main podcast.

Travel patterns are changing. United Airlines' latest earnings reveal a strategic pivot as they prepare for two economic scenarios in 2025, cutting domestic flight capacity by 4% while seeing surges in both premium and budget travelers – but not the middle market. This "barbell demand" mirrors what's happening across the attractions industry, where guests increasingly choose either high-end experiences or budget options. This week, we examine whether regional parks should prioritize local audiences as flight routes decline. Additionally, Merlin confirms its partnership with RWS Global as their entertainment partner – is outsourcing creative talent the new economic reality for operators navigating uncertain waters? Listen to weekly BONUS episodes on our Patreon.

Come with us to IAAPA's Middle East Trade Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This episode is presented as a series of diaries over the course of three days, so you can hear our reactions in real-time to Qiddiya City and BLVD World. 

We're in Chicago for the Midwest Haunters Convention, recapping learnings from the weekend. We're also looking at the upcoming Halloween announcements from Disneyland, Ocean Park in Hong Kong, and Knott's Scary Farm.

SeaWorld Abu Dhabi Opened in May, and Scott was there to bear witness. Also this week: Fiesta Village Reopens at Knott's Berry Farm, the final night of Splash Mountain saw wait times of 260 minutes, and Six Flags Great Adventure will implement Amazon's Just Walk Out technology.

IAAPA released its 2022-2026 Global Theme and Amusement Park Outlook Report and forecasts a seven percent boost in attendance for North American theme parks, with an estimated attendance of 308.5 million in 2023. We discuss the report, and Scott reflects on his six months in Abu Dhabi.

Disney has canceled the Lake Nona Campus plans and will no longer require those Imagineers to relocate from California to Florida. Meanwhile, Disney announced that the final Galactic Starcriser voyages will be Sept 28-30, 2023. We have opinions.

Disney’s Parks, Experiences, and Products division saw an astounding $17% increase compared to the same quarter in 2022. SeaWorld is operating at a loss but is improving. Cedar Fair is trending down on all metrics.

Unlock the food & beverage potential of attraction with the latest insights and tips from the 2023 Bar & Restaurant Expo. In this special, we blend food trends with practical advice and mouth-watering inspiration!

Disney is suing DeSantis; Meanwhile, Cedar Fair has instituted chain-wide chaperone policies in response to escalating violence at its parks.

This week: Haichang Ocean Park plans tourism investment in Saudi Arabia, Annual Passes are back at Disney World, Hershey’s Great Candy Expedition opens May 19, Pride Nite comes to Disneyland, and Katmandu Park Punta Cana announces its opening date. Subscribe on our website.

Sustainability, Safety, and Staffing- these areas continue to be challenging in the attractions industry. We don't have answers yet, but IAAPA plans to ask questions. We'll discuss what it might mean for the industry and whether politics has anything to do with it.

Everything you need to know about the Disney VS DeSantis debacle involving the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

Tokyo Disney Resort is thriving with Fantasy Springs and seasonal events driving record-breaking revenue, while Universal Studios Hollywood is experimenting with a bold new event: Fan Fest Nights.This week, we break down Oriental Land Company’s latest earnings, revealing how Fantasy Springs and seasonal activations like Halloween helped boost attendance and spending—while also creating operational challenges. Then, we dive into Universal’s Fan Fest Nights, which blends pop-up experiences, immersive LARPing, and haunt-style walkthroughs to test new event formats. What does this mean for the future of park events? And will Universal’s experimental approach lead to year-round second gates? Subscribe to our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes.

Theme parks nationwide have announced expanded Halloween schedules; meanwhile, more horror experiences are opening up in the off-season. Will 2023 be the Year of Year-round horror? In this episode, we look at the Creepiest Trends for 2023.

We recap the major takeaways from the First Annual IAAPA North American Trade Summit, specifically, the central theme of Authentic Reality. The IAAPA Trade Summits have replaced the former Leadership Summits, and each region will host a local trade summit annually. The trade summits combine member connections and education on regional issues with a trade component. This year’s North American summit took 134 attendees on 5 facility tours in the San Diego area over 4 days, with 21 trade partners and 3 keynote speakers. This episode features on-location audio and interviews with Michael Shelton (VP and Executive Director, IAAPA North America), George Walker (CEO & Founder, The League of Extraordinary Dining), Jim Lake (President of SeaWorld San Diego), Spencer Meinburg (GM of Plunge San Diego), Andrew Terbush (Executive Chef, SeaWorld San Diego), and the San Diego Zoo. Special thanks to Rachel Wilkinson for assistance with audio recording and Caitlin Dineen (Director, Global Communications, IAAPA) for coordinating permissions.

Political clashes are shaking up the theme park world: Biden against Resort Fees and Disney versus De Santis. Plus, trends are unfolding in the world of Six Flags expansions.

Universal announces a rebrand as their expansion in Texas is approved. Meanwhile, Disney is hitting a price ceiling due to a lack of demand for the Galactic Starcruiser.

We're breaking down the 2022 earnings for Six Flags and SeaWorld this week!
Overall good news, as despite lower attendance, the parks showed more profitability.

Six Flags Magic Mountain is opening its haunts in March! Scream Break is a new after-hours event happening Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from March 18 to April 16. Philip and Scott discuss the event and what you can learn from it. Plus, wage raises at Tokyo Disney and Rogers: The Musical.

We discuss the impact of Super Nintendo World on the themed entertainment industry and look at the pay raise Universal Orlando is offering.

We recap the latest earnings call from Disney and their union challenges.

Scott and Philip discuss Key Takeaways from Transworld's Halloween & Attractions Show in St Louis.

Comcast's Q4 earnings show record profit, prompting the company to announce additional investment in theme parks for 2023. Meanwhile, 2022 marked the largest population decrease in China in 60 years.

Is Disney’s success unstoppable? Despite rising ticket prices, hurricanes disrupting domestic parks, and the looming Epic Universe, Disney still delivered strong earnings. This week, we dive into Disney’s Q1 FY25 earnings to explore how robust international attendance propped up U.S. shortfalls, Bob Iger’s plans to make ESPN Flagship a 24/7 sports streaming powerhouse, and why Disney+ and Hulu are now three-quarters profitable—even with subscriber challenges. Plus, learn how the cruise line expansion factors into Disney’s long-term play. Will consumers keep paying more, or is there a limit to how high Disney can push prices before families tap out?
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In contrast to last week's show, we look at recent Disney Policy changes and discuss their impact. Plus, it's Chinese New Year, and theme parks all around the world are celebrating.

Universal took the industry by storm by announcing two major attractions coming to Dallas and Las Vegas. Stories: Universal Parks & Resorts Plans to Bring New Concept for Families with Young Children to Frisco, Texas; Universal Parks & Resorts to Bring Entirely New Year-Round Horror Experience to Las Vegas.

China has reopened its boarders, signaling the final phase of tourism recovery for the world. This week, we'll look at how different countries are responding to Chinese travel resuming. We'll also discuss how one attraction is rethinking career paths.

For our year-end episode, we look at some large stories from 2022 and how they will impact 2023. We've broken them into 4 large buckets: Recovery, Supply Chain, Attention Wars, and AI Technology.

Nearly 250 million people around China were infected with COVID this December, but that didn't stop "Frostival" at Shanghai Disneyland, happening through Feb 19th. Sources: China and COVID cases ; Frostival coming to Shanghai Disneyland ; Haunted Mansion Holiday gets extension.

We have an opening date for Super Nintendo in Hollywood, and its set off an avalanche of announcements from the US Parks. Meanwhile, massive investment continues to be announced for the UAE. Stories: SUPER NINTENDO WORLD Opens at Universal Studios Hollywood; SEVEN begins construction of Al Hamra entertainment district; Free Queen Mary guided tours offered during the holiday season.

Stories this week: NBCUniversal CEO shares more details of new Epic Universe; Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee says quarantine-free travel to mainland China next year ‘very realistic possibility’; Ocean Park posts deficit of almost HK$1.82 billion; Minion Land featuring Villain-Con Minion Blast attraction and Minion Café coming to Universal Orlando; and Dubai Parks and Resorts in UAE celebrates holiday season

We take at look at how the trends predicted last year are taking shape

We discuss the return of Bob Iger as CEO of the Walt Disney Company.

Scott and Philip walk the IAAPA Expo Show Floor, meet with some friends, and discuss the 2022 show.

Trump’s proposed tariffs could drive up costs for theme parks, and Merlin Entertainment is cutting live entertainment across multiple locations—but what does it all mean for the industry?
This week, we break down how new tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada could lead to higher construction costs, delayed projects, and rising ticket prices. Meanwhile, Merlin’s staffing cuts in Florida, California, and the UK are raising concerns—are they shifting to third-party contractors, or is this part of a larger trend away from live entertainment? Join us as we analyze these industry shake-ups and what parks should be doing to prepare. Listen to bonus episodes on our Patreon.

Scott and Philip outline their plan for the annual IAAPA expo in Orlando.

Cedar Fair Earnings are great; Supply chains will be strained more for Chinese New Year; Seoul's Halloween Stampede is a cautionary tale.

Scott and Philip discuss the 2022 Halloween Season

Scott and Philip take a break from the news to discuss marketing a Halloween event at your attraction.

The price of genie+ will increase at both Disneyland and the Walt Disney world resort. Plus, we review a listener message about TikTok and takeaways from the new secret bars at Hush haunted attraction.

The WTO's outlook for 2023 isn't great. Scott and discuss what that means for the attraction industry plus takeaways from Eastern State Penitentiary.

While parks have reopened after Hurricane Ian, Knott’s tweaked their chaperone policy and Kennywood reels from shooting during Phantom Fall Fest.

We break down Bob Iger's interview for Code, Dark Nights at Hersheypark, and DARK at Fort Edmonton park.

We recap the Disney Parks announcements from D23, including Pacific Wharf in Disney California Adventure Park to Be Reimagined into San Fransokyo from “Big Hero 6;” Disney100 Celebration at Disneyland Resort Kicks Off in Late January 2023, and EPCOT's Harmonious to be replaced with new nighttime spectacular in 2023.

This week we’ll discuss some takeaways from Knott’s Scary Farm and Oogie Boogie Bash, plus the new Harry Potter: A Yule Ball Celebration.

Immigration reform, tariff hikes, federally controlled ride safety, and drone regulations - The Trump Administration's policies will shake up the theme park industry, and we must be ready. 
This week, we discuss IAAPA’s position on these critical topics, including how changes to youth employment laws and visa programs might address the looming labor crisis. We explore the financial strain tariffs could place on park development and why IAAPA advocates for federal no-fly zones over amusement parks to ensure safety and security. Join us as we unpack the big questions: Can the industry adapt? And what should operators do to prepare? Subscribe to our Patreon for weekly bonus shows.

Scott and Philip celebrate their 2 year anniversary by reflecting on Lost island's early closure and the opening of Halloween Horror Nights

Disney is listening to guest reactions and is adjusting several policies, including Magic Keys and reservations. Plus, Year 2 of Seaworld Orlando’s Howl-o-Scream demonstrates an impressive amount of story cohesion.

For the first time ever, streaming outperformed cable & broadcast TV; Shanghai factories are shut down again due to record heat waves; Both Knott’s and Universal Orlando test chaperone policies to curb violence at their parks in preparation for Halloween.