Jeff DePaoli

News was recently made as it was revealed that SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. made a $3.4 billion offer to buy Cedar Fair amusement parks. If the deal were to go through this would include the iconic park Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. SeaWorld has had to start thinking of different ways to expand and remain in business considering the controversial animal shows that have been the heartbeat of their parks for so many years. Ironically, Knott’s Berry Farm had a similar problem decades ago.

The cost to simply enter a theme park is quite high. It’s no wonder that theme park excursions have become known to some as the “most expensive day ever.” Due to the high cost of entry, any additional costs on top of that can make your budget spiral out of control. There are many things you can choose to add onto your day like souvenirs and front of line access, but those are optional. One thing you do need to spend money on if you’re spending a full day in a theme park is food. Food is a necessary added cost on top of your theme park ticket. Perhaps that’s why so many people complain about the cost of eating in a theme park. But is it really that much more expensive than dining outside of the theme park?

As a kid, if someone had asked me what my favorite theme park icon was, Epcot’s Spaceship Earth probably would have been the last one on my list. As a youngster, it never really did much for me. As many refer to it, I just thought of it as the “giant golf ball.”

This week in DePaoli on DeParks: Jeff makes his case for a permanent exhibition for the Walt Disney Archives and its artifacts.

This week in DePaoli on DeParks: Jeff shares his list of favorite small animatronics both past and present in the Dinsey Parks.

This week in DePaoli on DeParks: Jeff shares the tale of how one Nickelodeon IP, “Doug,” eventually made its way over to Disney-MGM Studios.

Munsters mega-fans took their fandom to a new level when they recreated the iconic mansion home of The Munsters in Waxahachie, Texas.

This week in DePaoli on DeParks: Jeff makes his case as to why theme parks aren’t just for kids, but for adults too.

This week in DePaoli on DeParks: Jeff wonders why there isn’t a searchable database like IMDB for theme park talent.

This week in DePaoli on DeParks: Jeff shares his disappointment at the decrease in Grinchmas offerings over the years at Universal Hollywood.