The global theme park industry is a very big market with extremely high capital expenditures and enormous revenues. This course is not a pure financial course, but it helps you to better understand the decisions that are being made in de board room of global theme parks. Why should the Efteling for instance invest in a second gate? And why is Universal Studios using Harry Potter for the expansion of their theme park in California? How do we define the feasibility of a new park, like Disney in Shanghai? And what is the impact of a new roller coaster, compared to a show or parade in the park?

Upon completion of this course, attendees will be able to broadly describe worldwide spending/ attendance forecasts for this industry, identify the major players in the industry, define the major income and expense items for facilities, describe the financial metrics that attractions should be monitoring regularly and why, describe the key principles of operation margin and yield management, explain depreciation, and EBITDA, and be able to conduct a simple feasibility study.

Lesson 1 The global theme park industry

Lesson 2 Feasibility study (the basics)

Lesson 3 Design day & physical planning

Lesson 4 Site & concept review

Lesson 5 Theme park (re)investments

Lesson 6 Board room challenges