What 18 Months of Coverage Reveals About Industry Direction
On Green Tagged, we review the top news weekly, but periodically sit back and reflect on the emerging larger story. Last week, I took the previous 18 months of stories and broke them into several major trends, which, when taken together, show patterns in the attractions industry. Here’s what I discovered.
Consolidation Is Far From Over
The $8 billion Six Flags-Cedar Fair merger closed in early 2025, creating a 42-park portfolio already selling off underperformers like Six Flags America. In May, Herschend bought Palace Entertainment’s entire U.S. portfolio. Falcon’s Beyond acquired Oceaneering Entertainment Systems in April. RWS Global locked up exclusive entertainment partnerships with six Merlin flagship resorts.
Companies are racing to grab third or fourth position in their markets before consolidation opportunities disappear. As Scott predicted on our podcast, “We have not seen the last consolidation announcement.”
Premium Pricing Meets the Barbell Economy
Disney’s $400 Disneyland “Premiere Pass” exists alongside Six Flags’ $8-per-hour value messaging. Six Flags now charges $162/month for Flash Pass access across all parks, from an operator emphasizing budget positioning. Universal’s FanFest Nights offers a 7-hour evening event for a $50 upgrade, while Star Wars Nite was $160 for 4 hours just down the road.
This isn’t contradictory—it’s smart. The economy has bifurcated, and operators need multiple entry points. Merlin’s insight (during IAAPA 2024) that attractions “missed the pricing curve” post-pandemic drove widespread dynamic pricing adoption.
Fixed Assets & Festivals: The Best Combo in Theme Parks
We’ve heard ad nauseam about seasonal programming taking over—Halloween Horror Nights, Disney’s expanded holiday parties, Six Flags’ “seasons of fun” strategy. The industry increasingly recognizes that seasonal programming gives guests a reason to return.
However, that doesn’t mean parks can ignore infrastructure investments. With construction costs increasing, there’s a fine line between adding enough new ‘tentpole’ attractions to maintain relevance and investing in seasonal events that bring guests back.
Six Flags revealed major coasters deliver 20% attendance lifts for one year, while festivals drive multiple annual visits from the same guests. Construction costs force operators to build four attractions instead of five, making seasonal programming more attractive, yet guests lose interest in the long run without new attractions.
The Labor Window Is Open
After 33% of operators called staffing “critical” in 2024, conditions have flipped. Six Flags reported “the best labor market we’ve seen in almost a decade.” Universal and Disney are building workforce housing complexes while AI systems handle real-time staff reallocation.
Smart operators are exploiting this window. Seasonal festivals require heavy staffing, which is exactly what’s now available. Current conditions won’t last forever.
Technology Removes Friction, Nothing More
Technology is not a differentiator; it’s an expectation to reduce friction. The latest example is Six Flags, which is rolling out unified mobile apps and consolidated CRM platforms—catch-up investments, not innovations.
The focus shifted to operational tech that actually helps: payment systems, loyalty integration, and workforce management. These are boring but essential. The more guests encounter this technology in other sectors, the more they expect it at theme parks and other large entertainment venues.
Other Trends Worth Watching
International expansion accelerated by tariff policies (Disney Abu Dhabi, Universal London). Extreme weather became a budget line item—United Parks lost 432,000 visits to three hurricanes in 2024. Year-round horror programming expanded beyond Halloween (Universal’s Vegas Horror Unleashed).
How The Trends Connect
Everyone is vying for third place through consolidation (Disney in Streaming, Six Flags and Herschend in Regional Parks, Oceaneering in Manufacturing, RWS in event production, etc). This will likely continue, as firms think the size will drive pricing power and that using technology to become more efficient will save costs. Inevitably, this will swing the other way when one or more of the mergers fall apart, or when the companies cannot adapt to changing market dynamics.
In the short term, construction costs are higher and the labor market is better, making seasonal entertainment expansion an excellent choice. In the long term, though, guests will punish attractions that don’t update their infrastructure and plan ‘tentpole’ attractions.
What trends have you seen in the industry, and what did we miss? Let us know!
NEWS ROUNDUP
Hollywood studios sue AI firms over IP scraping
- Disney, Universal, and other major studios filed a landmark lawsuit against Midjourney and other AI companies, alleging unauthorized use of copyrighted material to train generative image models.
- The complaint cites specific character likenesses (e.g., Buzz Lightyear, Harry Potter) as being repeatedly replicated without permission, threatening future merchandising and branding revenue.
Chicago goes blockbuster with summer museum slate
Field Museum: “Ghosts of the Himalayas” immersive experience uses projection mapping, scent, and live narration.
Art Institute: Rare Monet–Hokusai side-by-side exhibit explores influence across East and West.
Museum of Science & Industry: New “Mars Now” interactive adds simulated rover missions.
Several after-dark events, including Adler Planetarium’s 21+ stargazing nights and Shedd Aquarium’s “Silent Disco by the Reef.”
Why it matters:
Chicago’s major museums are leaning into multisensory immersion and adult evening events—a formula also boosting visitation in Europe and Asia. As peak tourism windows compress and family travel softens, after-hours and limited-run experiences offer a fresh path to per-cap growth without permanent cap-ex.
Fallout blasts into Halloween Horror Nights—with a paid dress rehearsal
Amazon Prime’s Fallout becomes a headliner IP for HHN 2025 at both Universal Orlando and Hollywood.
Premium Scream Night returns Sept 4 (Orlando only): limited-capacity preview with lower waits and exclusive tasting menus.
Why it matters:
Universal is now charging for what used to be a staff preview—and using it to test food & beverage logistics before the HHN main rush. Premium Scream Night is now in its 2nd year, and it may become a permanent “night zero” product: lower ops risk, higher per-cap, and built-in FOMO for superfans. Expect others to copy this monetized dress rehearsal model.
Q&A: Ask Green Tagged
Have questions about the themed entertainment industry, operational strategies, or trends we’ve discussed on the podcast? Send them our way, and we’ll address them in upcoming newsletters.
Email your questions to [email protected] or reach out via our social channels. We’re looking forward to engaging with your most pressing industry questions!
On the Road
IAAPA Asia Expo | June 28-July 3 | Shanghai, China
Philip is attending the main show and EDUTours.
IAAPA Expo | November 17-21 | Orlando, FL
We’ll both be attending the industry’s flagship event.
Want to connect at any of these events? Reach out through our website or social channels—we’d love to meet you in person!
Want the unfiltered, gloves-off version of our industry takes?
Green Tagged: Unhinged is where we say what we really think about the latest theme park news. Available exclusively to our Patreon supporters, it’s where we tackle the stories too hot for the main show, debate the industry’s most controversial moves, and occasionally go on therapeutic rants about everything from tariffs to ticketing systems.
Recent Episodes:
- Disney’s Midjourney Lawsuit: Can Copyright Contain AI?
- Five TRENDS You Can’t Ignore: Mergers, Velvet Ropes, and the Rise of Festival-First Parks
- Family Culture or Central Control? Herschend’s Acquisition & Six Flags’ Silo Smash
- Six Flags Presses “Reset”
- Magic, Money, and the Middle East: Disney’s Record Quarter
- Pruning Parks, Powering Up Hotels: Six Flags Shutters as DC Invades Gaylord
- Can Universal Turn Spring Into “Second Halloween”? Inside Fan Fest Nights
- What United Airline’s Strategic Shift Signals for Theme Parks & Tourism
- Comcast’s Cash Machine: Can Epic Universe Replace Dying Cable?
