DonHelbig

When the numbers miss the park, they blame it on weather. When the numbers are good, they say it’s attributed to their strategy.

Holiday World’s Happy Halloween Weekends return Sept. 20 with life-sized dinosaurs, a Dino Corn Maze, dazzling drone show, and family-friendly fun. https://themeparksbydon.com/holiday-world-happy-halloween-weekends-2025/

The perfect spot for a Tilt-A-Whirl.

They dropped from second to third in the GTA for Best Kids’ Area. Not panning out is putting it mildly.

That would be a CP thing to do.

If you think they’re selling a lot of these, I’ve got a friend that sells swamp land in Florida you might be interested in.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s award-winning Howl-O-Scream event returns Sept. 5. https://themeparksbydon.com/east-coasts-premier-halloween-event-returns-this-september/

This episode is what Tower Topics was meant to be.

Good to see the interest in Haunt remains strong with guests quick to purchase the product.

Some do but not the majority of Passholders. It doesn’t make the money you think it does.

A lot of locals who have a season pass, drink plan, dining plan that aren’t spending any additional money to visit the park during WinterFest.

Six Flags likes winter events but they have to cut expenses and that’s why you’re seeing events cancelled. It’s not what they want to do. It’s what they have to do right now.

Enjoy WinterFest this year.

Carowinds cut some Fridays, too. The 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. hours can work if they market it and promote it right.

On the latest episode of Tower Topics, Ryan Suhr and I sit down with Barry Hutzel, one of the original crew members on The Beast. Watch here:

Swoop was going to be the name. It would have been a good name, better logo.

It’s always a rough ride after a merger. In 3-4 years, I believe things will be heading north for the company and we’ll be excited about the things they’re doing.

“It’s going to be fine, Cedar Fair will be running it” said many when the merger was announced.

They’d have to have a bunch of scareactors in the mazes for them to have nothing to do.

When did Tricks and Treats become a night event?

When the merger was announced, I said on the Tower Topics podcast one of the things people would see is the mazes being an upcharge at Kings Island and legacy Cedar Fair parks. I was told by a lot of people that I was wrong, that wouldn’t happen. I haven’t heard from any of those people today.

Decisions, decisions. My thoughts on the Six Flags MVP offer. https://themeparksbydon.com/renew-upgrade-or-wait-weighing-2026-six-flags-mvp-choices/

Decisions, decisions. My thoughts on the Six Flags MVP offer. https://themeparksbydon.com/renew-upgrade-or-wait-weighing-2026-six-flags-mvp-choices/

Someone on a podcast about Kings Island said after the merger was completed last summer this was one of the things guests would see coming to Kings Island and the legacy Cedar Fair parks.

Families have comprised the majority of the park’s annual attendance since 1972.