Hey @cory,
Sorry for the delayed reply; I’ve been testing this and have been trying to recreate your issues but cannot recreate theme.
So at this time I think there is a theme or plugin code conflict that is prevent YouTube videos from working properly in your events.
I would recommend performing every single step in the process described here → https://theeventscalendar.com/knowledgebase/testing-for-conflicts/
After EACH STEP in that process, go to a test event that has a YouTube link in it that does not auto-expand; click “Update” on this event without actually changing anything; and then check on the event on the front end of your site.
Does the video seem to start behaving properly anywhere along the way?
Thanks,
George