How two journalists turned their love for theme parks into a beat

By Savannah Grooms

In journalism, an entrepreneurial spirit can transform a personal passion into a niche beat. As more reporters go independent, some have built audiences around specialized interests like theme parks, capitalizing on big stories like the $7 billion opening of Epic Universe this summer. 

To see how journalists can turn a topic of interest into a beat, the Institute spoke with two leading theme park journalists, Robert Niles and Carlye Wisel. 

Niles runs the Theme Park Insider, a digital guide to the world's top theme parks. He also regularly contributes to a theme park column for the Orange County Register. 

Wisel is a theme park journalist and travel writer whose work has appeared in Vanity Fair, GQ, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also hosts the Very Amusing Podcast, which focuses on all things theme parks. 

Here are their tips for carving out this kind of beat.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Click here to read the full conversation.

For those unfamiliar, what is theme park journalism, and how does it fit into the larger media landscape?

Wisel: I've covered theme parks for over a decade now. Essentially, I'm a travel journalist whose beat is themed destinations. My work consists of anything from attending a stranger's Walt Disney World wedding to covering park openings to interviewing John Stamos about his theme park fandom on my podcast, Very Amusing.

It may sound niche, but theme park coverage folds into nearly all other news topics: Entertainment, technology, business, finance, government, and even public health, in regards to monitoring wastewater levels when Walt Disney World's theme parks were reopening during the pandemic. It has afforded me the opportunity to report many different kinds of stories, despite all being tied to the same location.

At the end of the day, whether I'm yelling into my phone about a soft pretzel or interviewing an engineer on how a new patented ride technology was created, I'm reporting on one of the biggest corporations in the world, and the layers within that remain endlessly fascinating to me. 

Why are we seeing a surge of interest in theme park coverage now?

Niles: Disney and Universal are investing billions of dollars in their parks and in expanding them around the world. Disney just announced an expansion to Abu Dhabi, while Universal is building in the UK. 

Domestically, the industry has seen acceleration in M&A activity, with Six Flags and Cedar Fair merging under the Six Flags banner, and privately-held Herschend acquiring the Palace Entertainment chain from Parques Reunidos. So there's a lot happening on this beat. 

Of course, it's also fun. While there is much financial, personnel, and safety news to report, reviewing a new roller coaster or theme park land are perks that few other beats in the field can match. 

Wisel: Social media has laid the groundwork for so many more voices to participate in discussions of all kinds of news, while also allowing the audience to also be more active participants. 

Years ago, I'd write about a new theme park hotel for a travel magazine and the comments would live on the website or Facebook. Now, not only are more people organically originating theme park-related stories, but the technological ability allowing those posts to be remixed and reposted — or comments to be easily replied to with videos — means each discussion can offer multiple touchpoints, increasing the longevity of a single news item.

My podcast's hotline, 747-CHURROS (a real number!) offers listeners the opportunity to call in and comment or ask questions about stories we've told on air. That kind of back-and-forth is so much more intimate and involved than theme park discussions ever were before.

We're also seeing an absolute boom of growth at the moment. The Walt Disney Company has invested billions into new themed experiences, Universal just opened Orlando's first new theme park in over 25 years, and Disney Cruise Line is launching an unprecedented number of cruise ships. There is so much more to talk about, and so many more ways to do it.

How can journalists provide this type of coverage on a limited newsroom or independent budget?

Niles: You pretty much have to live near a major industry community to cover this beat, unless you have a robust travel budget. That means living in Southern California or Orlando in the U.S. 

But if you do, annual passes to the parks are a relatively inexpensive investment that will allow you plenty of first-hand reporting opportunities. Attending industry events such as the IAAPA Expo in Orlando also provide countless opportunities for networking with potential sources. 

Add in self-training on examining local government planning and building documents, and you will have almost all of what you need to get started.

Wisel: I've only ever been freelance in this capacity, but if I was attempting to cover theme parks from within a newsroom, I'd push for service-y social coverage — people will always need help visiting these destinations because there is so much to know!! — and SEO. Theme parks can be some of the trickiest travel destinations to navigate, so there is an unlimited need for advice, guidance and help.

Click here to read more storytelling tips for specialized beats.