Warner Bros. creates new division for theme parks and global attractions
Warner Bros. theme parks and in-person experiences are now streamlined into a new department of the Warner Bros. Discovery corporation.
In a change that could be significant for theme park fans, the entities formerly known as “Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment” and “Warner Bros. Discovery Worldwide Studio Tours & Retail” have combined to form the new “Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences.” The company announced the news Sept. 5, 2024.
New approach to theme parks for Warner Bros.
What does this mean? Under the previous structure of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), one department was responsible for managing attractions and experiences that license WBD’s intellectual property, (like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a partnership with Universal Destinations & Experiences).
A completely separate department of WBD was responsible for location-based entertainment owned and operated by WBD itself (like Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood).
Now, both of these departments are under one roof: Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences.
The (partial) portfolio of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences
Here’s a list of WBD Global Experiences attractions worldwide to give you an idea of the scope of the assets now managed by the same department (to name a few):
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood in California
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter in London and Tokyo
- theme parks like Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi (partnership with Miral Group), Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia (co-owned with Village Roadshow), and Parque Warner in Spain (co-owned with Parques Reunidos)
Photo courtesy of Miral
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park lands in Orlando, Fla.; Hollywood, Calif.; Osaka, Japan; and Beijing, China (partnership with Universal Destinations & Experiences)
Photo by Blake Taylor
- theme park lands and attractions based on Looney Tunes and DC Comics (partnership with Six Flags)
- touring attractions like The Friends Experience (partnership with Original X Productions) and Harry Potter: The Exhibition (partnership with Imagine Exhibitions)
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery / Original X Productions
- pop-up attractions like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: The Afterlife Experience (partnership with Fever)
- retail stores like Harry Potter New York and The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 3/4 in London
Photo by Jeff DePaoli
In particular, the press release announcing the new Global Experiences group cites The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, and the trio of WB Studio Tours as examples of the types of experiences WBD Global Experiences will be in charge of “pursuing” and “expanding.”
‘An obsession for detail’
The former leaders of the two previously separate entities — Peter van Roden for Global Themed Entertainment and Sarah Roots for Worldwide Studio Tours & Retail — will continue to do so under the new structure, focusing together on Warner Bros. Discovery’s collection of theme parks and experiences. Both will report to Simon Robinson, who will lead the newly formed WBD Global Experiences in addition to performing his existing role as chief operating officer of WBD Studios.
Photo courtesy of Six Flags
“Our teams have an obsession for detail that we bring to each project,” Robinson said, “and together, we will be able to bring partners — and fans — even more of what they’ve come to expect from a Warner Bros. experience.”
Era of new names for theme park companies, including Warner Bros.
Reorgs, renames, and mergers are the name of the game in the themed entertainment industry at the moment. In addition to the new department for Warner Bros. theme parks and attractions, within the past 18 months alone:
- “Universal Parks & Resorts” became “Universal Destinations & Experiences”
- “Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products” became “Disney Experiences”
- “SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment” became “United Parks & Resorts“
- “Cedar Fair Entertainment Company” and “Six Flags Entertainment Corporation” merged, now collectively named “Six Flags Entertainment Corporation“
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