What do you want to learn from interviews with theme park leaders?
I just posted on the front page an interview with a VP at Miral - the company that landed the new Disney Abu Dhabi theme park: https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202512/11214/
I want to do more interviews with theme park creatives and executives in 2026, but experience has taught me that they only way that this happens on any type of consistent basis is if I do the interviews via email. That's never my preference, as a reporter. I much rather would conduct interviews in person, where I have an opportunity to pick up on visual cues, read the context of the room and the interviewee's emotions and then ask follow-up questions.
But scheduling those interviews is next to impossible, so they rarely happen. So for anything like a weekly interview feature, it's gotta be email. That makes it super important to ask the best questions up front.
And that is why I am turning to you today. What are some questions that you would like me to everyone that I interview on Theme Park Insider?
Obviously, some questions will depend upon on the specific subject of the interview. But beyond that, I like to start by asking people where they are from and what drew them into this business. Also, what inspires them and how have they been able to show that inspiration in their work? What are the challenges they are facing or have faced and what would the recommend to others as a result?
What should I add to my standard questions list? I want these interviews to be insightful and useful to you, as a theme park fan and TPI reader. So what should I ask to help make sure that these interviews are worth your time to read?
Also, your wish lists for interview subjects would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Replies (23)
I'd like to get a better understanding of the difference in operating costs when it comes to attractions vs. live entertainment (meet and greets and stage performances). I firmly believe in the "park as a platform" approach to crowd management. Live performance/performers play a key role in PAAP concepts. Since creative leaders are responsible for (and experienced in) developing both live performance and attractions (rides) it would be interesting to learn about the development and operating costs considerations related to each of those productions?
I'd like to see which manufacturers that theme park executives like the most. I think it could be an interesting look into what type of coasters that parks think will be the most profitable/ exciting/ reliable.
Ask him Why Disney wants an Abu Dhabi theme park?
No democratically elected government, no political parties, strict limits on free speech and assembly.
Government critics, academics, and activists face detention, imprisonment, and harassment.
NO THANKS...
Brian Emery: "Ask him Why Disney wants an Abu Dhabi theme park? No democratically elected government, no political parties, strict limits on free speech and assembly".
Me: Cool. Then ask them why Comcast wanted the same thing in China which has no democratically elected government, no political parties, strict limits on free speech and assembly.
Also ask why Comcast CEO BriaN Roberts has been meeting with the Saudis (another oppressive group of leaders) to explore getting funding for his company's projects.
New York Post (11/12/25): "Comcast CEO Brian Roberts recently visited Saudi Arabia as he has been exploring a possible bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. While abroad, the exec met with reps for the Middle Eastern Country’s deep-pocketed Public Investment Fund, Puck News reported Tuesday."
Coming soon: Epic Universe Qiddiya.
Great TH - Lets ask?
No one gets off easy..
Don't forget about 9/11 either.. I guess the Veteran in me is NOT a fan of the Middle East?
I can tell you never served TH....
Brian: "No one gets off easy."
Me: And yet you neglect to mention Comcast in your original post.
Comcast - There, you Happy Now......
Comcast Comcast Comcast Comcast Comcast - Yippie....
Brian, you do know that 9/11 was caused by one terrorist organization and not a coordinated effort of the entire middle east, right?
Oh lord.
Robert, a few questions that I'd like to hear an answer to:
1. What do you think the theme park experience will be like in 20 years?
2. With an aging population across the world especially in the areas where theme parks are prevalent, do you see a change in the ride mix to accommodate the older folks?
3. When it comes to developing a new park and growing an existing park, what appears to be an ideal ride mix that meets the requirements of all demographics?
4. Ride augmentation with VR appears to be a failure, do you see it coming back into the theme park experience in any form in the future?
5. For that matter, is there a technology that is underrepresented or overrepresented in theme parks?
6. Will a major destination, year round, theme park be built in a cold weather location in the next 20 years?
7. How do you define a successful visit for your patrons? Obviously it is going to be different for different demographics as well as types of patrons (passholders, day trippers, and vacationers), but is there a "sweet spot" that you're aiming for?
8. At what point do you say that there are enough DVC-type of accommodations in the resort?
9. For that matter is there an ideal mix of attractions (theme parks, water parks, shopping, dining, other entertainment venues, etc.) that you see as essential to be part of a complete theme park resort?
10. When it comes to the Cedar Fair/Six Flags chain, what steps have to be taken to make the chain viable for the long term? Do they need to try to move into the direction of Disney and Universal or should they continue to do what looks to be a hand-to-mouth business model?
11. Can you see theme parks moving into the African continent sometime in the next 20 years? Why or why not?
12. Can American theme parks learn valuable lessons from European and Asian theme parks?
This was just a quick dump, but there are so many things that come to mind, and it really depends on the subject of the interview (executive, creative talent, engineering, park operations, etc,)
I could probably list 10-20 specific questions for pretty much any of the major players, but for a general one-size-fits-all type of question set, these would be my top five (excluding those you've listed, of course)...
1. What do you see as the biggest differences between the present day theme park audience and those of generations past, and how are you adjusting to cater to their particular interests and preferences?
2. Are you finding that technological enhancements are making the design and operation of theme parks easier, harder, or just different?
3. Utilizing IP from other media in the theme park space has become increasingly common over the past few decades. How do you decide which properties are a good fit for your project? Is it more based on the strength and drawing power of that property in isolation, or is consideration given to whether or not it meshes well with others already featured in the same location? If you're developing something original (not tied to e4xternal IP), what are the benefits and drawbacks of that versus licensing something in the same genre?
4. We're now in a somewhat uncertain time for the themed entertainment industry. Do you foresee a general trend of growth across the industry, or do you think it's more likely that some areas are strengthening their appeal while others are waning in popularity? Any specific examples?
5. If you had the opportunity to redo something with the knowledge you have now, what would you want to redo and how woud you adjust the product?
Famously Disney and Universal employees make sure to pay attention to what park/company executives do when they walk past trash - if they pick it up as Walt and Jay would have or if they walk past it tells them a lot about how the parks and they will be treated going forward.
Do you have a similar litmus test? Is there one thing you can see in a potential or actual colleague and say “yes, this is going to work” or “No, I need to get away from this person ASAP”?
VelocicoasterFan - Where were they from and where did hey Train?
Yes, not the entire Middle east but the entire Middle east treats their citizens horribly especially the women and poor...
The reality is that executive interviews are a waste of time. There is zero chance any executive honestly answers any of the provided questions in an interview, and if Robert asked a challenging or thought provoking questions he would never get an interview again. As someone that worked for Disney for 15 years, I can answer all of the questions you asked so far with exactly what they are trained to say. There is a reason they only do these through email, its because all of their answers are being vetted and changed by PR before being sent back. And even the ones about their personal background, I mean seriously what corporate executive is going to do an interview where they speak honestly about what its like trying to move up in corporate America? Nobody that wants to keep their job, at least.
Nowadays these big corporations see nothing to gain by doing this because of things being way over sensationalized to garner clicks. Things that are mundane get all over the fan blogs and then make their way onto national media and get blown way out of proportion, especially with Disney where Fox News will take anything anyone says and make it headline news with some absurd twist on it.
the_man26: "The reality is that executive interviews are a waste of time."
Me: Joe Rohde, John Lasseter, Marty Sklar, Bob Kennedy and Tony Baxter are/were executive level. So there would be no value interviewing them?
I see.
Thank you to Tim and AJ for those suggestions.
I definitely understand the limitations of executive interviews. But my idea is that if I can get enough of them on the site, all it takes is one interviewee to decide, "what the heck - let's send it" and submit novel answers to inspire others to be more candid when talking with us at TPI. But ya gotta pound that rock a lot of times before it cracks.
That's the hope, anyway.
Also, I do want to hear any suggestions for names to reach out to for interviews, as well. Thanks again.
I do agree with many here that there's a worry that any interview would be a list of "canned" answers with little true insight into the creative process or the interviewee's journey to their current role (aside from how it reads on their LinkedIn resume/CV). Some questions that would be good to get some honest answers to...
1. Given how costly it is to create major parks and attractions, is there a sense that concepts are being more compromised by management/corporate to deliver a less-than-ideal result in order to meet a budget? Are the increasing price of admissions and upcharges to visit and enjoy theme parks a result of creatives pushing management/corporate to expand budgets (and thus revenues needed to offset development/construction costs), or are these increases just pure business decisions to meet shareholder expectations?
2. Would you rather work on a project that was unburdened from a creative perspective, but had limited public exposure because of it's cost to experience or difficulty to visit, or would you rather work on a significantly constrained project that could be easily visited by tens of millions of people every year?
3. Do you see project opportunities as a way to introduce the creative culture to a new market/society? Is working in a foreign region with morally questionable policies and history an opportunity to normalize a westernized belief system in those areas, an acceptance of potentially repugnant societal norms, or just another job?
On the use of Artificial Intelligence and theme parks
1. AI has been getting of a lot of press recently, is your company looking at using AI to improve the theme park experience?
2. Do you think AI will allow you more insight into your customers’ interests and expectations?
3. What are currently the areas where AI can provide the greatest impact?
4. Do you think that AI can be used effectively to design new rides and attractions?
5. Within limitations, can AI be an effective tool to shape and design an entire theme park?
6. With respect to operations, do you think AI can be used to streamline park operations?
7. Where do you think AI will have the greatest near-term impact? Food service? Ride operations? Crowd management?
8. Can you envision a scenario where AI can be used to personalize the theme park experience and shift rides and attractions from a spectator viewpoint to a participant viewpoint?
9. Do you see the day coming when AI will manage the patron’s day in real time by moving patrons to attractions and events and dining, avoiding crowds and bottlenecks, and providing the best return for the patron’s time and money?
10. What one thing that you want to do but can’t do right now because of some limitation will AI help you achieve?
11. How can AI help enhance the merchandising aspect of the theme park visit?
12. Do you think AI will help you get the focus of patrons away from their cell phones and onto the immediate theme park environment that you have spent so much time and money creating?
13. How can you implement AI functions in a way that will not be intimidating and/or frustrating to Luddites?
Oh my - Tim finally learnt and new word - AI
Allen Iverson is the Original AI "because we talking bout Practice"
"Practice man, we taking bout Practice"
For those who know will get this...
Ah Brian, it's always nice to hear from you when the orderlies forget to lock the door to your room, and you get out and use the computer in the common room. Good times. Good times.
The AI genie is out of the bottle, and even an old, slow adapter like me is checking it out. I used it the other day to design a Cousin Eddie themed Christmas tree and it was amazing! Never would have thought to use Aunt Edna's spare dentures as an ornament.
So you can bet that theme parks are looking seriously at AI as a way to improve the bottom line.
@Tim - AI is definitely a big unknown, especially given some recent comments from respected experts in the creative field - James Cameron actually praised recent developments in AI and committing to use it even more on his future projects, and that is where I would be more concerned than the remote possibility of AI making its way into the theme park design and development process.
I want to think (or maybe hope) that the current AI fad is just that, and that companies are embracing and promoting the technology because Wall Street is demanding it as a way to boost value/perception of individual businesses, but once the rubber hits the road, smart managers and professionals understand that AI is not a silver bullet that will automatically decrease costs and provide value in every aspect of a business that investors think. However, what really concerns me are the business leaders (including Bob Iger) who are pushing AI for aspects of their business that heavily rely on creativity and a human element - Iger explicitly noted that Disney would start allowing core Disney characters to be used by OpenAI in a $1 billion licensing deal. If that's not a slippery slope, I don't know what is.
@Russell - I totally agree. AI has incredible potential, but the creative realm is one where I think it will cause more harm than benefit. I can see a day in the future where generic creative activities are handled by AI, and the human creators end up trying to produce "not-AI" type product so people can tell the difference. I personally feel that creativity comes from the spirit of humanity and losing too much of the creative endeavor to AI will reduce us as humans.
Where I do think that AI will have some positive benefit to theme parks will be in the non-creative areas. Predictive models that accurately predict crowd behavior throughout the day and allow managers to move resources and opportunities to the area of greatest return. Theme park design that creates a multisensory experience that embraces the patrons instead of overwhelming them. There are some very smart people that can do these things right now through a combination of experience and talent, but I think that AI can eventually help them achieve a higher level of competence and creativity.
The obvious problem with these email interviews is that, while Robert's questions are excellent, the replies seem so corporate-approved and laden with buzzwords ("storytelling"). Perhaps all email interviews should be labeled as such, even though they are often obvious.
As for questions to ask, I'm a very curious person so the questions I would like Robert to ask are questions he could never really ask:
- How much do you earn annually?
- Are you under contract?
- Do you own stock in the company?
- Where do you want to be in 20 years?