Archive: April, 2007

CoasterBuzz Podcast #72 - April 30, 2007

Download... | Length: 44:20 | Size: 20MB | Downloads: 2862

posted by Jeff | Monday, April 30, 2007, 7:13 PM | comments: 0

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

  • X-Flight reborn as Firehawk at Kings Island. Weird!
  • The Ohio parks are connected in terms of how they scan season passes. Six Flags is doing some clever things with season passes as well.
  • The rumor about Harry Potter coming to Islands of Adventure keeps getting stronger. What would it mean for the park?
  • Conneaut Lake is still not getting any help. They're trying to raise money by selling old tokens.
  • The Simpsons are replacing Back to The Future at the Universal Studios parks. We hope they're going to replace the motion base.
  • Mike clears up any confusion about what a churro is.
  • Dorney wants to build a "LIM coaster" that we assume is Geauga Lake's Steel Venom. Dorney is sweet.
  • Anaheim mayor sides with Disney over the low-cost housing. Mike tells us how Chicago handles the issue of affordable housing.
  • Euro Disney still losing money, but less than before.
  • A big conversation ensues about big corporations versus small business. Mike loves himself some Target, and we hate Wal-Mart.
  • Don't forget that the deadline is approaching for Chocolate Buzz. Register today!

CoasterBuzz Podcast #71 - April 23, 2007

Download... | Length: 36:43 | Size: 16MB | Downloads: 2935

posted by Jeff | Monday, April 23, 2007, 6:44 PM | comments: 0

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

  • The Cedar Fair Maxx passes are a little different from one place to the next.
  • Six Flags Great Adventure wants the legal backing for its smoking ban.
  • Gonch wouldn't take the Paula challenge. Oh, and The Voyage scares you silly.
  • Conneaut Lake gets a band-aid with some debt relief, but Jeff and Pat firmly believe that the debt issue was only one of many problems for the park.
  • Six Flags probably has to spend some money to make money in the long run, just in different places than giant rides.
  • Shapiro didn't get a bonus, and we're not going to concede that being a chief executive is easy, especially when you have to come in and fix things.
  • As the Six Flags parks open, we can see now that many of the marketing agreements are in place. Wiiiiiiiii!
  • Cedar Fair refuses to pay for a bus route to Kings Island, so they got local government to pick up two-thirds of the cost. Well done!
  • We're excited about Maverick. Less than three weeks to go!
  • We've got a round-up of events coming soon. We'd love to see you at Chocolate Buzz, The Fall Affair and BooBuzz!

CoasterBuzz Podcast #70 - April 2, 2007

Download... | Length: 47:50 | Size: 21MB | Downloads: 3160

posted by Jeff | Monday, April 2, 2007, 10:32 PM | comments: 0

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

  • Holiday World is a best value. Duh.
  • This week on the Conneaut Lake Show: No zoning changes for you!
  • Alton Towers gets its appeal in terms of the noise restrictions.
  • Still more protests over the redevelopment of Astroland.
  • Mt. Olympus is an interesting case study in the development of an amusement park. Mike says they have Mario Kart tracks.
  • Kings Island sites all have new names, and they're watching the installation of Firehawk (formerly known as X-Flight).
  • Sell and lease... the trendy way to infuse capital into your park!
  • Michigan's Adventure named best attraction in the state. Jeff strongly agrees that it's a nice park.
  • What is the HR crisis facing amusement parks? Why do they have to go overseas to fill the spots?
  • The free soda challenge: Value is about perception, not science. Gonch just doesn't get it.