New Disney CEO, Fast & Furious news & Europa Park season passes
This week highlighted how leadership, attraction strategy, and capacity control are increasingly shaping the theme park industry. Josh D’Amaro was announced as the next CEO of The Walt Disney Company, signalling Disney’s long-term focus on parks and physical experiences. At the same time, Universal Studios Hollywood is preparing for the summer opening of its new Fast & Furious coaster, reinforcing the trend toward large-scale IP-driven thrill attractions. Meanwhile, Europa-Park quietly closed season pass sales after a very short window, underlining how parks are increasingly using scarcity and controlled access as strategic tools rather than simply expanding capacity.
Josh D'Amaro appointed as Disney's new CEO
Josh D’Amaro has been appointed as the next CEO of The Walt Disney Company, officially taking over the role on March 18, 2026, from Bob Iger.
D’Amaro is a familiar face within Disney. With more than 20 years at the company, he currently leads Disney Experiences, overseeing theme parks, resorts, cruise line, and consumer products worldwide. Under his leadership, the parks division strongly rebounded post-pandemic while navigating higher costs, capacity pressure, and changing guest expectations.
Iger’s return as CEO was largely about stability. His focus was on restructuring, restoring confidence, and setting up a controlled transition. With D’Amaro’s appointment, that transition now feels deliberate and forward-looking.
An important detail is that Disney’s creative leadership remains firmly in place. Executives like Dana Walden continue to guide storytelling and content, while D’Amaro steps in with a background rooted in operations, guest experience, and physical entertainment.
Personally, I’m looking forward to this next phase. A CEO with deep experience in parks and live experiences sends a clear signal about where Disney sees its future. The real question now is how much creativity and risk D’Amaro will bring into the role.
Fast & Furius Opening this summer at Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood confirmed that its new coaster, Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, is on track to open this summer. The attraction is being manufactured by Intamin and will stand at around 125 feet (38 m) tall, featuring four inversions and a high-speed outdoor layout.
This marks a big step for Universal Studios Hollywood. It’s the park’s first major outdoor thrill coaster and a clear move beyond screen-based attractions and studio tour expansions. With heavy theming, on-board audio, and tight integration with the Fast & Furious IP, this is positioned as a true headline ride rather than a secondary addition.
On a personal note, I’ll be visiting Universal Studios Hollywood this April. With construction progressing quickly, I’m quietly hoping for a soft opening or technical rehearsal window during that period. Universal has done this before, and it would make sense operationally if the ride is close to completion.
Either way, Hollywood Drift signals Universal’s continued investment in large-scale physical thrills, especially in parks that historically leaned more on media-driven experiences.
Europa Park season passes already gone
This week Europa-Park made an unusual move in its ticketing strategy: after putting its ResortPass Silver and Gold season passes back on sale, the park stopped selling them again after just a few days, because the available passes were all snapped up.
Both pass types were only available online, with the Silver offering access on at least 230 opening days and the Gold providing unlimited entry for the year. Prices had been increased this season compared with previous years.
The quick sell-out and short sales window effectively created scarcity, whether intentional or not, and left many fans and regular visitors disappointed. From an industry perspective, this kind of limited availability can drive urgency and reinforce exclusivity, but it also raises questions about capacity management, pricing strategy, and how parks balance demand with accessibility.
For parks like Europa-Park that are pushing toward longer seasons and higher guest numbers, this moment feels like a small test case in controlling demand rather than simply increasing supply.
