Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30

Six Flags confirmed that ArieForce One, the RMC coaster it bought when Fun Spot America Atlanta closed, will reopen at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2028 or 2029. The news landed a few weeks after Magic Mountain closed X2, amid the Goliath fallout, and days before Six Flags reports earnings.The company also sent a letter from the CEO to every passholder on October 23 with two commitments: seat belts on Goliath and other coasters with similar restraints, and independent engineers and ride inspection specialists reviewing safety procedures at every park. Seat belts raise the obvious question of why the rides ran so long without them. The outside review is the right move, although Six Flags has not said who the reviewers are or who holds the company to their findings.In the second half of the episode, we take stock of this year's Halloween and look at the trends driving Halloween innovation: Guest Play, Good Seamless Entertainment, and Great FoodListen to weekly BONUS episodes on our Patreon.

Comcast reported Q3 earnings on October 22, and the parks had little good news. Universal parks revenue fell 4.4%, and adjusted EBITDA fell 17%. CEO Mike Cavanagh said, “Competitors were quicker to anticipate and recognize softness in demand and adapt their marketing strategies.” Japan is still losing attendance as China discourages travel there, and Epic Universe is still working through ride throughput.Comcast expects Orlando to stay soft through the first half of 2027.Comcast also warned of a Q4 charge of over $1 billion for what Cavanagh called “the most significant operating and cost transformation in our company’s history.” No one mentioned layoffs, though Bloomberg and TheWrap have reported them, and there is no savings target or timeline. Listen to weekly BONUS episodes on our Patreon.

A 42-year-old man died on October 12 after he was ejected from Goliath, the B&M hyper coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, striking four children on his way down. Six Flags closed Goliath that afternoon and, by the next morning, nine coasters it calls similar at six other parks, and SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Williamsburg closed Mako and Apollo’s Chariot. Magic Mountain reviewed Goliath and reopened it within three days. Hersheypark never closed Candymonium: its own inspectors and an independent one cleared the ride, and the manufacturer found no engineering basis to shut down similar coasters. Three investigations are open, and none has named a cause. The park reopened for Fright Fest on October 16 with Dr. Fright’s Dead Man’s Party renamed Dr. Fright’s Party, and Six Flags shares have fallen every day since, from $11.92 to $8.11.IAAPA’s statement puts the serious injury rate at 1.27 per million roller coaster rides, which makes a shark attack more likely. Those numbers matter to everyone except the public, who hear "roller coaster" and "death" and remember X2 from last month. The rest of the industry should get in front of it with its safety procedures, because every park that closed a coaster just told its guests the ride might be dangerous, and that question spreads. Meanwhile, Universal Orlando is bringing back the horror makeup show with Blumhouse attached, spanning the classic monsters through modern horror. Classic monsters get a contemporary hook, Blumhouse gets a physical touchpoint, and the backlash to the show’s removal confirmed the demand.Finally, Nashville Zoo canceled Zoolumination after visa applications for its Chinese lantern artisans were denied. Any event that depends on artists from outside the country needs a parallel plan.Listen to weekly BONUS episodes on our Patreon.

Six Flags Magic Mountain has permanently retired X2. The announcement follows two hospitalizations in July, three brain-injury lawsuits filed in September, and a law firm that says hundreds more riders have contacted it. Park president Brian Oerding says the ride consistently passed safety tests and was closed because “when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously.” The plaintiffs’ attorney responded the same day, saying the closure came too late and the lawsuits continue. Meanwhile, Six Flags is surveying passholders about adding its name to Cedar Point and Kings Island, with options like Six Flags Cedar Point and Six Flags Over North Ohio. Mattel’s first indoor waterpark is set for Bellevue, Nebraska, at the end of 2027, with a Barbie pool and a Hot Wheels slide tower. The city owns the building and is funding it with up to $110 million in bonds.Listen to weekly BONUS episodes on our Patreon.

Netflix House is adding a K-pop Demon Hunters experience, opening November 12 in Dallas and November 20 in Philadelphia. It's a linear, play-based experience where guests start backstage with HUNTR/X, help restore the Honmoon after a demon crashes the show, and meet Derpy Tiger as a giant puppet built by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. In Dallas it replaces Stranger Things, and in Philadelphia it replaces One Piece. That means Netflix House is swapping experiences in under a year, while Horror Unleashed won't change a house until late next year. The asset-light model, the viewing data behind every IP choice, and that price point all work in Netflix's favor. The detail isn't at Univers's level, and guests increasingly don't seem to need it to be. Making the tiger a puppet also reads the room at a moment when audiences are tired of screens.Meanwhile, Chimelong has deployed more than 300 humanoid robots from Agibot at its Spaceship park in China, covering live entertainment, guided tours, retail, hotel check-in, and table tennis with guests. Plenty of hospitality jobs go unfilled, and robots that give directions or move luggage could free staff for personal work. Whether operators use them that way or simply to cut jobs will decide how this lands. Adoption in the U.S. is unlikely anytime soon, since American sentiment toward AI runs the other way, while China's tighter AI rules have left its public more comfortable with robots.Listen to weekly BONUS episodes on our Patreon.