DonHelbig

John Reilly brings the kind of experience and mindset Six Flags desperately needs. But as every park veteran knows, intent only matters if execution follows. https://themeparksbydon.com/what-im-watching-john-reilly-six-flags-ceo/

Some things I expect to see happen with John Reilly as CEO are ticket and season pass prices being raised, a stronger focus on customer service, and less regionalization with departments. It will eventually get back to the way it was and should be with more boots on the ground at the park level.

I don’t know John Reilly, so before sharing my thoughts and opinions on Tower Topics I’ll need to talk to some people who do. I will have a piece published tomorrow on TPBD on what I’m looking for on the new CEO.

John Reilly has been named the new CEO for Six Flags. https://themeparksbydon.com/six-flags-names-john-reilly-ceo/

You can get a 1-day Walt Disney World ticket for less than $130.

It would make more sense to run these polls while events are happening.

I can see a seat on the board.

Land of Illusion Adventure Park in Middletown, Ohio, is lighting up the holiday season once again with its Christmas Glow celebration. https://themeparksbydon.com/land-of-illusion-christmas-glow-midwest-holiday/

What could have been and maybe what should have been. https://themeparksbydon.com/cedar-fair-seaworld-merger-story/

The Holiday Meatloaf Burger is back for WinterFest. It’s moving from Miami River Brewhouse to Juke Box Diner.

Here’s a piece I wrote for the Sandusky Register. It won’t win a Pulitzer but I think it captures the spirit of the thing. https://sanduskyregister.com/news/667144/cedar-point-parent-co-considering-park-sales/

Here’s a piece I published on TPBD on how Kings Island transforms the Royal Fountain into Snow Flake Lake at WinterFest. https://themeparksbydon.com/kings-island-snow-flake-lake-ice-rink-winterfest/

With the right marketing, promotion and relationships, they could win it.

They were just using it for the most part to park sales and promotional content the past couple years instead of using it for its intent to tell stories. If they’re not going to use it for storytelling, it doesn’t serve a purpose.

The Silver Pass will return. Come spring you’ll see “Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare now open. Buy a Silver Pass” posts on the parks social media channels.

The Kings Island website has been updated with a fresh new look. It’s easier to navigate and find exactly what you’re looking for. https://www.sixflags.com/kingsisland

I saw the billboard this morning on my way to Paycor Stadium for the Bengals game. It’s an engaging ad.

From thrills to heartfelt service, Dollywood does it right. Forbes names them a 2026 top company for customer service. https://themeparksbydon.com/dollywood-forbes-best-customer-service-2026/

Dollywood had released its 2026 operating calendar. Highlights include the $50 million NightFlight Expedition, the inaugural Run Dollywood weekend, and the separately ticketed Harvey’s Boo Bash. https://themeparksbydon.com/dollywood-2026-nightflight-expedition-run-dollywood-harveys-boo-bash/

Over 6 million lights, magical shows, and festive fun await the 35th annual Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood starting Nov. 1. https://themeparksbydon.com/dollywood-smoky-mountain-christmas-2025/

Nice addition. I like the theme.

Taking over the Midwest? The podcast has listeners from coast-to-coast and Canada (Ontario area) each and every episode. Ranking the trash cans has potential. The placement of each one, how often the bags get changed, which one overflows the most. We can work with that.

Oh, I’ll never forget where I came from. Hustling up and down every aisle at Riverfront Stadium, selling souvenirs at Reds and Bengals games from 1980 to 1982 for a straight 15% commission, built the foundation for every success that came after.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end and pop-culture favorite Travis Kelce is adding “theme park investor” to his resume. http://sanduskyregister.com/go/682896025f90d

As far as sucking the soul right out of it and throwing it all away, a full-time Six Flags employee told me this morning we keep knocking it out of the park with our episodes. That being said, I appreciate your interest in Tower Topics and your thoughts on the direction of the podcast. We’re a little over two years and 300 episodes into this with Tower Topics, and the podcast is continually evolving with the format. There are more tweaks to come that should continue to make the episodes better.