Walk Time: Celebrating the last weeks of summer
In theme parks and entertainment, "walk time" is the name for the final paid minutes of your shift, when you gather your stuff and start heading home. At Theme Park Insider, "Walk Time" is our weekend look back at the past seven days in theme park news.
Universal Studios Hollywood set its official opening date for Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift - September 16, just making the coaster's promised "summer" opening by a few days. Meanwhile, the park opened its 2026 edition of Halloween Horror Nights, with a spectacular "Sinner" house and two original concepts leading this year's line-up of haunted houses. We talked about Orlando's HHN debut on the podcast this week and then welcomed industry legend Bob Rogers, who shared some of the secrets of creating emotionally resonant attractions, which he details in his new book, "Deep Story."
In other roller coaster news, Six Flags Magic Mountain's promised announcement this week about its next attraction turned out to be an announcement of announcement. Maybe we will get the actual announcement on Thursday? Or, maybe not.
We also are expecting more news following the Arie family's announcement this week that it has sold the ArieForce One roller coaster and that the highly-rated RMC creation will be moving to a new (undisclosed) home.
Efteling this week announced that its new Raveleijn show, Raveleijn: Battle for the City, will open December 1, along with the new Ravenring ride. Efteling is spending €10 million on the new show, which it is producing in collaboration with Puy du Fou.
As one production prepares for its debut, another is getting ready to call a wrap. Universal Orlando announced this week that its Animal Actors show close November 2. The show was one of the few remaining opening day attractions from Universal Studios Florida, with only ET and the Horror Makeup Show (which is closed until this winter for a rewrite) still going.
In personnel news this week, Liseberg has appointed Amanda Rydenstam as its new Creative Director, succeeding David Schofield. She joins Liseberg from her role as Creative Director at Okidoki Architects.
Storyland Studios has named Adam Moore as the firm's first-ever Vice President of Story. He comes to Storyland from from Walt Disney Animation Studios, following his role as Chair of the Department of Cinematic Arts Cal State Long Beach.
The Themed Entertainment Association this week honored its 2026 TEA Masters, "honoring themed entertainment professionals whose careers have made significant and lasting contributions to the global industry." This year's honorees are AOA co-founder Tom Acomb, Universal Creative's Eric Baker and Patrice Ragusa, Groupe F's Christophe Berthonneau, Animal Repair Shop's Susan Bonds, RWS Global's Paul Kent, and KirPaint founder Kirsten Ruhs.
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