In this English-language episode of How to Freizeitpark, Stefan talks to Nick Moran, the founder and creative mind behind Phantom Peak in London. Phantom Peak is not a classic theme park, not an escape room, and not simply a show. It is an open, walk-through experience world: a fictional town where guests become visitors, choose their own paths, discover stories, solve quests, and interact with the town’s inhabitants.

Nick describes Phantom Peak as a kind of open-world video game in real life. Guests follow interactive trails, meet different characters, and experience stories that evolve from season to season. This episodic storytelling is what makes Phantom Peak so special: it feels more like a living Netflix series in which the guests themselves become part of the story.

The conversation explores how much storytelling an experience really needs. Nick argues for simplicity, clear rules, and emotional understanding instead of overloaded lore. Guests should be able to feel a story without having to read a manual first. One especially fascinating element is the “Jonassist” app, which guides guests through the world, gives orientation, and helps distribute large visitor groups organically across the experience.

Another major topic is Phantom Peak’s move to Westfield Stratford. This leads to an exciting discussion about the future of shopping malls: away from pure retail and towards real experiences, dwell time, and emotional reasons for people to visit a place at all. Nick speaks very clearly about the fact that malls have a problem — and that experiential entertainment can be part of the answer. Of course, the word “immersive” also comes up. And Nick has a very clear opinion on that: not every projection show is automatically immersive. For him, true immersion needs interaction, participation, a sense of place, and emotional connection — not just images on four walls.

Who is behind How to Freizeitpark?

I’m Stefan Burian – a passionate theme park enthusiast with more than 20 years of experience in various roles across the industry. With my company, Amusement Business Support, I support leisure attractions of all kinds on operational topics, focusing on staff, guest experience, and operations.

My mission: to create memorable experiences for both guests and employees.

👉 Learn more about the podcast, my services, and partnership opportunities here: