Archive: January, 2008

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

• Dreamworks latest to want to build in Dubai. Do their properties really translate culturally?
• Lo-Q coming to more Six Flags parks. Mike says that tolerance for up-charge queues is high because it has been around for awhile at these parks.
• Off-seasons are weird in Orlando, but obviously when the kids are out of school. Tourism down there sure made a nice recovery since 9/11, especially with foreign tourists given the weak dollar.
• Darien Lake announces motor bike style coaster, the first big ride since Six Flags sold the park. Jeff's not fond of the biker position.
• Casino tangent, and how non-Vegas casinos generally suck.
• Cedar Fair distribution still going strong. Jeff still doesn't understand why they're buying a big coaster for Canada's Wonderland, but maybe because he's grumpy about the lack of human resource retention company wide.
• Santa Clara is crazy for football and losing their minds. And oh yeah, they can't do anything without the blessing of Cedar Fair. They seem to keep overlooking that.
• Georgia water crisis may close water rides at Six Flags Over Georgia.
• New board member for Cedar Fair: Rubber stamper or management challenger?
• We really need Rick on after the big results are released because we don't know what we're talking about.

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

• More details come out of depositions on the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom accident. Mike talks about the operating procedures at the similar ride at Six Flags Great America.
• Santa Clara's city council wants to move forward with the 49ers stadium, but no word yet on how they plan to pacify Cedar Fair and California's Great America.
• New Kings Island sign is installed, and they warn of new ride names coming with lapsing licenses. We gasp in horror at some of the names they've already come up with for other former Paramount Parks, like "Flight Deck." And by the way, Cedar Fair is still not a brand.
• New Cypress Gardens owners interviewed, balance tradition and business. Ski shows rule.
• The Six Flags Magic Mountain vs. Cedar Point debate is very much over. At least we had some interesting years during the peak of the coaster count debate.
• Six Flags intends to cut expenses drastically, especially in terms of marketing. Sounds like they didn't get a lot for their dollar.
• Disaster! A Major Something or Other With The Rock and You, or something like that, now new and refurbished at Universal Studios Florida!
• Disneyland wins their battle in the resort district as plot intended for low-income housing sold to a hotel developer.
• Can't convince people to deny the alcohol permit at Six Flags Over Texas? Do a bleeding heart kids story! Manipulate your children to advance your agenda.

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

• The kids look back at the highs and lows of the show, and Gonch pitches some stats at us. He liked interviewing Dick Kinzel.
• Check out the construction pictures on CoasterBuzz.com under the Nickelodeon Universe park page. The Mall of America is a pretty sweet thing to see.
• Dolly's Dixie Stampede has a price in Orlando, and we're dying to know who put up the cash to buy a successful Orlando business. The Stampede will eventually relocate.
• Disney Hollywood Studios is kind of a stupid name seeing as how the park is in Orlando. Back in the day, Disney didn't have the studio brand to put behind a park, thus the Disney-MGM tie in.
• Six Flags says the quarter ended stronger than expected, as will the year, but the announcement lacks context without knowing what they spent.
• Cedar Fair plugs their total year attendance, but it lacks context not only because it's absent of financials, but they're not counting the new parks in last year's number prior to the acquisition. The analysts better ask some really hard questions in the conference call this year.
• That dark ride at Legoland California is shaping up to look very cool.
• Cedar Point announces Planet Snoopy. A lot of new rides are duplicates from other areas of the park (imported from Geauga Lake), and people are critical of that. Duh, most kids like every one of those rides that go in circles.
• Six Flags aligns with cosmetic brands for live event sponsorship.
• "Flight Deck" is the single worst name for a roller coaster ever conceived. Gonch asks they Carowinds didn't just drop the "Top Gun" off of "Jet Coaster."

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

• Six Flags Over Texas is enduring a whole lot of drama over an alcohol permit. What's going on in select southern locations? Dancing is immoral too. Rob's dad drinks beer, but has never seen him drunk. Jeff thinks there's no legal ground to reject the permit.
• Rob says that the stock roller coaster is largely a created situation. FUN seems more a victim of the sector in general than its own performance.
• Orlando tourism has it good, but location makes a difference for hotels, and the spread in terms of room rates is huge. Disney is covering every market for on-property stays.
• Diamonds are a hotel snob's best friend. Gonch looks up the AAA diamond ratings for various Las Vegas hotels. Rob loves downtown. There are three five-diamond hotels, going on four.
• Kent Buescher replaced at Cypress Gardens by firm with park management experience. Did he get a raw deal, or did he not play nice with others? We'll probably never know.
• Conneaut Lake trustees try to figure out if the park has any future. Gonch says the location is ultimately what killed the park, with better choices near by. Jeff says smart investment on similar sized parks all over also contribute to success in that attraction size.
• Jeff would really like to go to Indiana Beach, but it's so far away!
• Looking back at a hundred episodes, Jeff liked the live events the most. Gonch was with the show from the start. Rob is still waiting for the drunken naked podcast. Lots of fun guests over the years.