The Attractions Group Podcast

🎙️ BEHIND THE SCARE:  Hersheypark Dark Nights — Master Planning, Immersive Design & The Business of Fear   What does it take to turn Sweet Town into a realm of pure terror? In this exclusive episode of The Attractions Group Podcast (Behind the Scare series), host David Detling sits down with two of the key creative and operational masterminds behind Hersheypark Dark Nights: 🎃 Brewer Lister –...

🎃 Holiday World’s Happy Halloween Weekends with Lauren Crosby | Gourd Behind the Scenes In this episode of our 2026 Gourd Behind the Scenes series (recorded September 1st), hosts David Detling and Clete Reinberger welcome Lauren Crosby, 4th Generation Owner and Director of Entertainment and Events for Holiday World & Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana! Join us as Lauren shares an inside...

🎃🎃 Gourd Behind the Scenes at Dollywood’s Great Pumpkin LumiNights! 🎃 Experience the ultimate fall family getaway at Dollywood’s Harvest Festival and the award-winning Great Pumpkin LumiNights in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! Nestled in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains, this world-renowned autumn celebration combines thrilling theme park adventures, wholesome family entertainment, and breathta...

Season 6, Episode 14- Gourd Behind the Scenes: Building the Ultimate Fall Tradition with Scott Bengsten How Bengsten’s Pumpkin Farm Scales Fall Family Fun | Gourd Behind the Scenes   Welcome to Gourd Behind the Scenes, a special sub-series from The Attractions Group Podcast where we go behind the curtain of top autumn destinations, agri-entertainment venues, and seasonal events! In this episode, w...

Season 6, Episode 013- this episode of the Attractions Group Podcast takes us behind the scenes to the insight behind the Lake Compounce Phantom Fall Fest. We welcome Madison Burnes-Baker, Events & Entertainment Manager.   “Play all day... fright all night!” 👻🎃 In this exclusive episode of The Attractions Group Podcast, host David Detling sits down with Madison Burnes-Baker, Events & Ent...

Welcome to another episode of Behind the Scare, brought to you by the Attractions Group Podcast! In this episode, host Clete Reinberger is joined by guest co-host Matthew Miller ("America's Theme Park Technologist") as they dive deep into the world of haunted attractions, themed entertainment, and seasonal event operations. Our featured guest is Jordan Jones from Brimstone Haunt, recognized as Ohi...

Go Behind the Scenes of The Darkness with Haunt Industry Legend Larry Kirchner! 🎃 Why do some haunted houses terrify millions while others fail to make an impact? In this episode of The Attractions Group Podcast, host David Detling sits down with industry icon Larry Kirchner, creator of the world-famous The Darkness in St. Louis and owner of HauntWorld. Whether you're a haunt operator looking to...

Season 6, Episode 009 of the Attractions Group Podcast "Behind the Scare" series takes us all the way to Portland, Oregon to the states largest Haunted Attraction: "Scare Grounds PDX at Oaks Park". Flying solo again, David interviews Oaks Park Marketing & Events Director Emily MacKay and Alex Fulmor, Owner of Vendetta Productions (event, film, and audio production company located in the Portla...

the Attractions Group podcast sits down with Logan Sanderson, Marketing Director for Kentucky Kingdom to "Gourd Behind the Scenes" of what it takes to put together thousand of pumpkins each year for the annual "Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom" event! A more detailed description will post after the Premier ends.

s6, e 007- Gourd Behind the Scenes with Six Flags Boo Fest and Tricks & Treats! | the Attractions Group Podcast   Full episode description coming after Premier!

In this episode of The Attractions Group Podcast Fall Series: "Behind the Scare," co-hosts Clete Reinberger and David Detling sit down with Bud Stross, co-owner of the world-famous Dent Schoolhouse in Cincinnati, Ohio. Discover what it takes to build, operate, and continuously innovate one of America’s top-ranked haunted attractions. Bud shares behind-the-scenes insights into haunted house operati...

Don Helbig returns to The Attractions Group Podcast! In this special Behind the Scare episode (Season 6, Episode 005), host David Detling sits down with theme park industry veteran and former podcast co-host Don Helbig. Together, they dive deep into what truly makes a Fall event or Halloween Haunt experience successful. From the storytelling and immersive decor of Dollywood’s Harvest Festival and...

Step inside the magic of Silver Dollar City’s iconic Harvest Festival! In this episode of the Gourd Behind the Scenes series (Fall 2026), host David Detling sits down with Brandei Clifton (Publicity Director) and Maddie from Silver Dollar City to talk all things autumn in the Ozarks. Discover the rich history of Herschend Family Entertainment, how Silver Dollar City transforms from summer to fall,...

In this episode of Behind the Scare on the Attractions Group Podcast, host David Detling interviews Tim Nealon, the Founder and CEO of Ghost City Tours. From his unexpected beginnings building early-2000s websites as a whitewater rafting guide to building the world’s largest ghost tour company—serving over 700,000 guests annually across nearly 60 markets—Tim shares the fascinating journey behind G...

Welcome to the special prequel episode of our seasonal favorite: Behind the Scare and Gourd Behind the Scenes! 👻🍁 Join Clete and David as they kick off the fall season, share what goes into planning theme park haunts and harvest festivals, and give a teaser of all the amazing guests lined up this year! From world-famous haunted attractions like The Dent Schoolhouse and Brimstone Haunt to ghost t...

In Season 6, Episode 002 of The Attractions Group Podcast, hosts David Detling and Clete Reinberger dive deep into a post-mortem breakdown of ArieForce One following the unexpected closure of Fun Spot America Atlanta. As one of Rocky Mountain Construction’s (RMC) premier hybrid thrill machines, ArieForce One’s sudden shutdown leaves a massive question mark over the amusement park industry: What ha...

The Attractions Group Podcast is BACK! After an unintentional 6-to-7-week summer hiatus, David Detling and Clete Reinberger catch up on a massive season of theme park travels, coaster marathons, and wild park experiences. David checks in with a whopping 12-park run across the country, including: Kings Island, Cedar Point, Dollywood, Universal's Epic Universe, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, EPCO...

Is the summer heatwave driving you crazy, or is it just the roller coaster news cycle heating up? In today's episode, David and Clete dive deep into a wild viral coaster marathon, break down a massive new ride announcement from a beloved theme park, and react to the shocking, bittersweet closure of a major regional park. From 1988 heatwaves and the legend of HVAC savior Willis Carrier to the futur...

In this episode of the podcast, Clete and David are back after a brief recording hiatus to catch up on a packed summer of theme park travel, industry tech, and major coaster news! From a multi-park trip through Northern California to checking out the latest hospitality tech in San Antonio, there is plenty to dive into. Plus, a deep dive into the massive industry news regarding Bolliger & Mabil...

Season 5, Episode 038 Sondra Shannon on Frankenstein Tech, the Dynamic Pricing Debate, and Gamifying the Guest Journey Are your attraction's systems working together, or are they quietly costing you millions? In this episode of The Attractions Group Podcast, hosts David Detling and Clete Reinberger sit down face-to-face at the IAAPA Global Headquarters in Orlando with Sondra Shannon, CEO of Gatema...

Season 5, Episode 037 Join the Attractions Group Podcast for an exclusive deep dive with Eugene Naughton, President of The Dollywood Company. In this episode, Eugene shares the "secret sauce" behind Dollywood’s world-class guest experience, their industry-leading 93% host retention rate, and the highly anticipated 2026 opening of Nightflight Expedition. Matt Miller (America’s Theme Park Technologi...

This episode of "The Attractions Group Podcast" features an interview with Matt Eckert, the President and CEO of Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, who stops by to talk about 2026. Hosts, David and Clete, begin by discussing recent roller coaster rankings from USA Today, sharing their own strong (and sometimes humorous) opinions on the list. The conversation then shifts to Holiday World's recen...

If this were baseball, David would be on the 10-day injured list—meanwhile, Clete is carrying the load like a true "big leaguer!" 🎢⚾️   With David sidelined for this episode, Clete takes the mound solo for a high-stakes, fast-paced "A-Z Coaster Challenge." The rules are simple but the pressure is on: name two roller coasters for every letter of the alphabet, entirely from memory. No internet, no...

How do you resurrect a legend? Just three days before its world premiere, we sit down with Drew Edward Hunter, Creative Lead for Sally Dark Rides, to discuss the design, development, and debut of Kings Island’s "Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare." "To the Faithful...": Relive the magic of the original 1992 classic! We dive deep into the return of the Maestro and how this "new" attraction honors t...

With Clete away in Chicago, David is in the studio and is joined by special Guest Host: Matt Miller of Innovated Studios. Known across the industry as "America's Theme Park Technologist," Matt joins David to peel back the curtain on how technology is reshaping the guest experience. In This Episode: The Origins of a Technologist: We dive into Matt’s unique career path and how he earned the title of...