The Season Pass: The Essential Theme Park Podcast

Nick goes behind the scenes of The Nightmare Realm, a brand-new Halloween attraction making the journey from Ireland to London — and discovers that the locations are almost as terrifying as the haunts themselves!

Nick is given a guided tour by Creative Director Karl O'Connor, exploring two ambitious attractions currently being created in some very unusual spaces: an asylum-themed maze inside an old training hospital and a vampire-infested mansion inside an actual old mansion!

Karl talks Nick through the creative challenges and the unique opportunities that come with transforming historic buildings into immersive horror experiences. They also discuss the logistical nightmare of bringing an entire attraction over from Ireland to the UK from transporting the set and scenic elements to rebuilding the experience in its new home.

Trigger warning: this episode contains strong language and a lovely Irish accent!

As Disneyland Paris prepares to restore Space Mountain to its full glory Steve Bramson joins the Season Pass Podcast to take us back to where it all began.

Steve composed the original music for Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune which opened at Disneyland Paris in 1995. Now more than 30 years later the attraction is being given a new lease of life and Steve reflects on the music he created for one of Disney's most ambitious and distinctive attractions.

Steve reveals how he came to work on Space Mountain and the extraordinary challenge of composing what was one of the first fully synchronised soundtracks for a roller coaster. He explains how he mapped the music to the twists, turns and emotional beats of the ride and how the score had to be flexible enough to accommodate changes in ride timing.

He also discusses the influence of John Williams and E.T., the musical techniques he used to create a sensation of propulsion, falling and spinning and what it was like finally riding the completed attraction and hearing his music play as guests experienced it.

We talk about the four-part structure of the score, the technical challenges of synchronising music to a roller coaster and the changes that had to be made when concerns were raised about the ride's speed.

And with Space Mountain now returning to its original form Steve looks back at a piece of music that has survived for more than three decades and considers what it means to hear that score return to the attraction for which it was written.

TSPP returns from Midsummer Scream 2026 at the Long Beach Convention Center to bring you reviews and audio from the floor. Plus a post-event conversation with Creative Director, Rick West, on ground zero. Along with the MSS conversation Brent fills the audience in on the happening's with Dollywood's new attraction, Nightflight Expedition, as well as a review of the D23 Expo. Haunt walk-through audio at the very end of the podcast. Enjoy.

Links:

Midsummer Scream Halloween Convention

Thrill Rags

Thrill Rags: The American Statehood Series

Walt Disney Birthplace

The Season Pass on TikTok

Check Out The Season Pass Podcast Website at:

www.seasonpasspodcast.com

Like the TSPP Facebook page! - www.facebook.com/theseasonpass

Check Out TSPP on Instagram! - www.instagram.com/theseasonpass

Season Pass is NOW on TIKTOK!! Check out our ugly-mugs there!

The Season Pass on TikTok.

Contact us:

Doug - [email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Thanks to each one of you for listening to the show. Your support is extremely appreciated.

© 2026 Season Pass Podcast

TSPP returns to preview Midsummer Scream 2026 (August 7-9) at the Long Beach Convention Center with Creative Director, Rick West. Along with conversation on the huge Halloween Event we pay tribute to the late great Richard Knoebel of Knoebels Amusement Resort, Doug's Knott's & Magic Mountain summer trip review, first haunt experience talk, and Six Flags Great Adventure's newly announced Bakunawa. Enjoy.

Links:

Midsummer Scream Halloween Convention

Thrill Rags

Thrill Rags: The American Statehood Series

Walt Disney Birthplace

The Season Pass on TikTok

Check Out The Season Pass Podcast Website at:

www.seasonpasspodcast.com

Like the TSPP Facebook page! - www.facebook.com/theseasonpass

Check Out TSPP on Instagram! - www.instagram.com/theseasonpass

Season Pass is NOW on TIKTOK!! Check out our ugly-mugs there!

The Season Pass on TikTok.

Contact us:

Doug - [email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Thanks to each one of you for listening to the show. Your support is extremely appreciated.

© 2026 Season Pass Podcast

TSPP is going "old school" this week! American Coaster Enthusiast and the Director of the Legacy of Arrow Development & the Legacy of Schwarzkopf, Meow Wolf's Nicholas Laschkewitsch joins Doug, Brent, and Robert for a full-blown Roller Coaster Geek-Out! Discussion on Universal Coasters, Busch Gardens Kumba, Six Flags Magic Mountain Revolution, Knott's Montezooma's Revenge, plus plenty of Meow Wolf talk (new location opening soon in Los Angeles, CA), and more. Recorded on July 15th (so it's already old news in the coaster world). Enjoy.

Links:

Thrill Rags

Thrill Rags: The American Statehood Series

Ace Online (American Coaster Enthusiasts)

Meow Wolf

Legacy of Arrow Development Documentary

Legacy of Schwarzkopf Documentary

The Great American Revolution—50 Years of a Coaster Legend

Nic's Corner Productions

Walt Disney Birthplace

The Season Pass on TikTok

Check Out The Season Pass Podcast Website at:

www.seasonpasspodcast.com

Like the TSPP Facebook page! - www.facebook.com/theseasonpass

Check Out TSPP on Instagram! - www.instagram.com/theseasonpass

Season Pass is NOW on TIKTOK!! Check out our ugly-mugs there!

The Season Pass on TikTok.

Contact us:

Doug - [email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Thanks to each one of you for listening to the show. Your support is extremely appreciated.

© 2026 Season Pass Podcast

TSPP 2026 rolls on with a good friend returning to the Season Pass! Bob Rogers (Founder of BRC Imagination Arts) discusses his new book DEEP STORY; coming soon to a book store near you…or online. We celebrate the world of Themed Entertainment and Experience, as well as hash up some of Bob's past experiences in the industry and old classic Walt Disney stories. Enjoy.

Links:

Bob Rogers Website (Deep Story Book)

Walt Disney Birthplace

MiceChat

Season Pass Closing Song - Wheels by Enuff Z'nuff on iTunes

Check Out The Season Pass Podcast Website at:

www.seasonpasspodcast.com

Like the TSPP Facebook page! - www.facebook.com/theseasonpass

Check Out TSPP on Instagram! - www.instagram.com/theseasonpass

Contact us:

Doug - [email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Thanks to each one of you for listening to the show. Your support is extremely appreciated.

© 2026 Season Pass Podcast

Join Nick Hutson and Mike Jeavons for another packed episode of Nick's ERT Season Pass Podcast as the duo dive headfirst into the latest developments surrounding the upcoming Universal United Kingdom Resort project! With infrastructure work accelerating, transport plans evolving and construction activity ramping up around the Bedford site, Nick and Mike break down what the newest announcements could mean for the future of theme parks in the UK.

Plus, Mike is preparing for an exciting adventure to Japan including visits to Universal Studios Japan and other iconic attractions, so the pair chat ride wish-lists, park strategies, Japanese theme park culture and everything Mike is hoping to experience on his upcoming trip.

What does the next decade look like for the UK theme park industry?

Nick sits down with theme park commentator and analyst Shawn Sanbrooke for a wide-ranging discussion about the biggest developments shaping Britain's attractions landscape. We explore the latest progress on Universal Studios Bedford, what the arrival of a major new resort could mean for the UK market, and how existing parks may respond.

We also look at what's on the horizon for Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, and Paultons Park, discussing recent investments, rumoured projects and how each park is positioning itself for the future.

With new rides, expanding resorts, and international competition on the way, how will the UK theme park scene evolve over the next six years — and beyond? Will Universal change everything, or will Britain's established parks rise to the challenge?

Join Nick and Shawn as they dig into the opportunities, risks, and exciting possibilities ahead for UK theme park fans.

Nick is joined by Serena from CoasterForce for a passionate deep dive into the legendary Halloween event Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida.

A huge fan of the event, Serena shares what makes Halloween Horror Nights so special – from the immersive storytelling to the unforgettable haunted houses that have defined the event over the years. Together, Nick and Serena count down some of their favourite houses, the ones they'd love to see created in the future, and even a few they hope never return. They also talk about the houses they regret missing and the legends of the event that have become part of Horror Nights folklore.

The conversation also explores how video game properties are increasingly influencing the event's haunted houses, and what that might mean for the future of Horror Nights. Finally, Nick and Serena look ahead to the arrival of Universal Studios Great Britain, discussing how Halloween Horror Nights could evolve when it eventually reaches the UK – and how the event might need to adapt for British audiences when the park is expected to open in Bedford in 2031.

A must-listen for Halloween Horror Nights fans, theme park enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the future of immersive seasonal events.

TSPP returns in 2026 celebrating the life of a good friend and a legend in the Themed Entertainment Industry, Eddie Sotto. Christopher Merritt (Creative Director-Universal Creative/Author of Knott's Preserved, The Happiest Place on Earth) joins Doug, Brent, and Robert to look back on the incredible legacy of Eddie. Enjoy.

Links:

Chris Merritt & Don Hahn's The Happiest Place on Earth (Amazon Books)

Walt Disney Birthplace

Check Out The Season Pass Podcast Website at:

www.seasonpasspodcast.com

Like the TSPP Facebook page! - www.facebook.com/theseasonpass

Check Out TSPP on Instagram! - www.instagram.com/theseasonpass

Contact us:

Doug - [email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Thanks to each one of you for listening to the show. Your support is extremely appreciated.

© 2026 Season Pass Podcast