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Dates and sources

We distinguish original observations, official announcements, calculated results and directly measured evidence. Reporting identifies its sources and check date. Films identify the recording date. Archived footage does not establish current conditions, and an operator’s announcement is not a firsthand review.

Aggregation and original reporting

News briefs summarize material we have read and link directly to its source. When another outlet reports a fact first, we name and link that outlet where we use the fact. An operator’s announcement supports what the operator says; it does not independently prove a promotional claim.

We use our own concise summaries, quote only what is needed and keep outside images with their owners unless we have permission to use them. We distinguish the date an event happened, the source’s publication date and the date we checked it. Rumors stay out of confirmed-news headlines.

Opinion and authorship

Opinion pieces are labeled in listings and on the article. An ATP editorial represents the publication’s argument; a named personal column represents its writer’s supplied views. Neither label relaxes the need to verify factual claims. We explain the reasoning and address relevant counterarguments.

AI tools assist with research, drafting and production. We check the source material and final wording. We do not create invented eyewitness accounts, personal memories, interviews or quotations to give a piece a voice.

Films and narration

We preserve source footage and check selected shots for privacy before release. Children are kept out of published footage and narration. AI-generated narration is identified; its script must be supported by the footage or cited reporting. Licensed music carries attribution and any required license and editing notes.

Research

Studies state their question, source, sample, calculation method and limitations. Posted waits are distinct from waits measured in a queue. Missing records remain missing. We show uncertainty and do not turn a small historical sample into a forecast or a park-wide claim.

For structured visit comparisons, our optional Family Field Test protocol defines evidence thresholds, visit conditions, height eligibility and cost scenarios. No overall Family Index or completed comparison series is claimed.

Live planning data

Park catalogs use checked park and attraction identifiers from ThemeParks.wiki and Queue-Times.com. These lists are incomplete. A listing does not establish current operation, admission requirements or rider eligibility.

Current crowd estimates use posted waits collected within the last 15 minutes, with one latest reading per attraction and at least three usable attractions. The time shown is when we collected the data; a provider may have updated its reading earlier.

These estimates compare posted waits with historical averages or baseline assumptions. They are not attendance counts, measured queue times or family scores. Coverage and forecasting availability vary by park, and missing data cannot establish a quiet park.

Access and independence

Hosted admission, travel support and other material benefits are disclosed when they apply. We distinguish previews and preferential access from ordinary visitor conditions. We retain control over editorial conclusions and do not accept mandatory positive coverage.

Corrections

Substantive corrections receive a dated note explaining what changed. Updated reporting keeps its original publication date and adds an update date. A change in park policy is identified as an update, so readers can distinguish it from an error in the earlier report.

Park catalog correction · September 8, 2026

We found errors in how ATP matched external feeds to parks. Some catalogs, including Carowinds and Kings Dominion, showed another park’s attractions. We corrected the mappings, rebuilt the affected lists and withdrew mislabeled historical summaries. The original records are preserved for review.

We also withheld duplicate listings and entries whose identity we could not verify in current feeds. Missing from our catalog does not establish that an attraction has closed.