Archive: February, 2007

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

• Mike is working in Tel Aviv, and joins us at 5 a.m. his time.
• The ups and downs of X and the Magic Mountain Experience.
• Idlewild announces Flying Aces. What is the enthusiast fascination with these rides?
• Disneyland wins in its not-in-my-backyard opposition to low-income housing.
• Tony Hawk is the brand that doesn't age, and Six Flags gets it.
• Mason vs. Kings Island, yet another instance of a municipality making up for budgetary concerns by taxing a specific entity.
• Judge tosses the goofy Beech Bend lawsuits.
• Conneaut Lake can't be sold for the tax money either. Seriously, how did it all get this way?
• Michigan's Adventure expected to pay a huge assessment. Isn't it unreasonable?
• No trouble for Tigger this time.
• Hong Kong Disneyland hoping to avoid last year's lunar new year nonsense.

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

• Silver Dollar City opens up its own medical facility for its employees. We make the observation that the insurance companies have it all wrong, and this kind of preventative action is a good thing.
• Kings Island officially will get the ride formerly known as a X-Flight from Geauga Lake, and they'll call it Firehawk (groan).
• Universal Orlando starts pitching its value, and invites the direct comparison to the mouse.
• Greg is glad to see BMRX find new life at Camelot in the UK.
• Disney launches a new Web site, but Jeff complains the beauty is only skin deep.
• Cedar Fair releases its results for 2006, almost as a non-event. No news is good news, right?
• Wild West World ahead of schedule, Ghost Town making a come back attempt.

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

• Conneaut Lake Park financial condition gets worse every year.
• Disney has pretty ad campaign with celebrities.
• Carowinds goes cheaper for 2007. Was the price that high to begin with?
• Mall of America wants to license Nickelodeon characters. We love Sponge Bob. Snoopy is getting old.
• The value of the Disney parks means a lot of days to get that value. Different audiences get different value though.
• Busch Gardens Africa is tweaking SheiKra with the floorless treatment. Seems like a strange move without solid ROI.
• Legoland in the heartland. There are areas of the U.S. that are underserved by amusement venues.
• Sandusky the year-round destination is ripe for developing conference business.