Archive: December, 2005

Jeff and Pat review this week's news in the amusement industry.

• There's nothing to talk about with regards to Six Flags for a change.
• Conneaut Lake Park: Is it even a viable business anymore?
• The bonuses at Euro Disney go away for the working folk while the managers get theirs.
• The Disney World Resort is doing a podcast. We contemplate the place of podcasting in the world, especially when it's used as a marketing tool.
• Cedar Fair does 75 straight quarters with a distribution to unit holders.
• The Pigeon Forge park with the fatal Hawk accident settles.
• We agree with the Motley Fool analyst... selling the Paramount Parks is a really bad idea.
• High Roller is history atop the Stratosphere in Las Vegas. Does anyone care?

Jeff, Pat, Greg and Mike review this week's news in the amusement industry.

• Paramount Parks might be shed from CBS. Why bother after the split of Viacom?
• Mitch Hawker's Internet-based poll again ranks the top wooden coasters in the world, separating quality from quantity.
• Busch Gardens Tampa and SeaWorld Orlando hike their gate prices, but also offer repeat entry to residents. Orlando parks are railroading us into multi-day passes.
• The Six Flags transition to new leadership is complete with Mark Shapiro in place as the new CEO. The week was filled with headlines about the new chief's plans, and we're not convinced.
• Oh, and it's funny to us that no one wanted to buy Six Flags.
• Valleyfair is doing its media event for Xtreme Swing in December with the Rockettes.

Jeff, Pat and Mike review this week's news in the amusement industry.

• Goodbye Mr. Six, we hardly knew ye. Snyder doesn't like the old man.
• Cypress Gardens: Double the intended attendance, but per capita spending and non-local tourist count not what they hoped for.
• Camp Snoopy is at risk of losing its Peanuts license. Is this kind of licensing critical to the success of a park?
• Libertyland is in trouble. What's the balance between preservation and fiscal reality?
• The Florida theme parks get to police themselves for safety. Should there be greater oversight by the state or feds?

Jeff, Rob and Greg review this week's news in the amusement industry.

• Great Wolf has a great year in Williamsburg, Virginia, and we like that area of the country.
• Oakwood gets a Euro-Fighter, and Greg says it's a great new ride for the park. Do rides like this have a disadvantage in bigger parks due to relatively small capacity?
• Disneyland admits liability in Big Thunder Mountain Railroad death. No surprises.
• Dan Snyder is the new chair of Six Flags, and he and the board are still ready to go through with the sale of the company.
• Why would you ditch Mr. Six?
• Rob thinks that Six Flags may be beyond the point of no return in terms of being a quality park chain.