The Light Park 2026 Season

2026 Budget Request

Targeted investment to support operational readiness, production execution, guest experience improvements, and a stronger 2026 season across all venues.

Budget Framework

This request is organized into five buckets so the ask is clear, financially structured, and tied directly to execution, reliability, and guest-facing value.

Must-Do Maintenance & Improvements Story / Guest Experience Flex / Production / Labor Creative / Marketing Assets
Current Known Total $393K to $397K+ after adding asset tracking production budget, before remaining labor, FM, transport, and staffing items
Working Target Range $550K to $600K expected full request as remaining items are added

Must-Do Maintenance & Improvements

Core repairs, replacement items, and operational upgrades required to keep the season reliable and improve execution across all venues.

  • 40ft trees pixel replacement (replace 2 of 3 existing inventory trees), $6,200
  • Replace PVC gift boxes with metal frames + pixel strip, $6,500
  • Finish truss plates / replace older plates, $1,000
  • Update truss and tent plate racks with better corners, $2,800
  • More truss plate racks, $600
  • Expanded metal for multiple projects, $1,800
  • Upgrade 16’ trees to 2” square tubing, $3,500
  • HDPE tunnel rack, $2,000
  • 30x PiCap 16ch + 30x Raspberry Pi 3B+, $4,350
  • AI/LPR traffic camera system, 3-camera setup at each of 9 parks, $21,600
  • Wheels, 400 units at $6.50 each, $2,600
  • Tent storage racks for the actual tent frames, $7,500
Known Subtotal: $60,450+
These are the core physical and operational investments required to reduce downtime, improve readiness, and support a more dependable season.

Story / Guest Experience Investments

Guest-facing upgrades intended to make the 2026 season feel new, more immersive, and more marketable.

  • Tent display racks and shelving parts to better present F&B, which drives roughly 30% of total revenue, $80,000
  • 25 disco balls with motors plus 50 high-powered RGB-selectable beam lights, $55,000
  • Themed area signs, $27,000
  • Pixel screens for front of tents, $45,000
  • Change 1x 40ft tree to pixel tower, $7,500
  • Truss arch + pipe tunnel conversion, which stretches our existing props to cover more footage and allows extra items for cue lanes, $63,000
  • DJ Polar Ice booths x9, $45,000
  • FM coverage validation package, $6,500 to $8,500
Known Subtotal: $359,500 to $361,500
These are the upgrades that make the show feel new, support the season’s creative direction, and improve overall guest perception. This also includes tent shelving to better present F&B, which represents roughly 30% of total revenue, and FM coverage testing that could become a guest-facing standard across all 9 parks.

Flex / Production / Labor

Production readiness costs required to organize, complete, and execute the 2026 build at scale.

  • Flex-related purchasing and production support
  • Labor for organization, prep, and execution
  • Buildout support tied to deployment readiness
  • Asset tracking, inventory completion, recipes, and BOM work
  • Asset Tracking System, Phase 1 for 9 venues / 13,215 assets, $43,000 to $47,000
Known Budget: $43,000 to $47,000 + additional production items TBD
This is the operational layer that allows capital purchases to become installed, organized, and executable show assets. The Asset Tracking System adds RFID + QR tracking, warehouse devices, scanners, and labor for 13,215 tagged assets across 9 venues.

Creative / Marketing Assets

Creative development required to support the 2026 story platform and marketing rollout.

  • 4th Wall Digital, character development, animation, voice, and marketing/story assets, $38,000
  • Additional creative support items can be added as finalized
Known Subtotal: $38,000
This work supports the identity, storytelling, and promotional strength of the 2026 season.

Why This Investment Matters

  • Reduce operational risk
  • Improve execution across all venues
  • Deliver a stronger guest experience
  • Support a more scalable rollout
  • Strengthen the marketability of the 2026 season
This budget combines operational needs with strategic guest-facing investments to support a more reliable, more scalable, and more compelling season.