Archive: August, 2008

CoasterBuzz Podcast #121 - August 25, 2008

Download... | Length: 43:29 | Size: 19MB | Downloads: 9430

posted by Jeff | Monday, August 25, 2008, 12:26 PM | comments: 0

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

  • Jeff was in Fort Myers getting the total Fay experience.
  • Hard Rock Park lays off some people. Lots of strong opinions about the park so far, but a combination of mismatched expectations and poor marketing appear to be hurting the park.
  • A bunch of companies are allegedly interested in Busch parks. Jeff doesn't do Spanish. Thank you, Cleveland Public Schools.
  • One more year for Coney Island? Gonch loves the dirt of New York, and Jeff thinks it's too big.
  • Holiday World announcement forthcoming. Regardless of the new ride, what's the new free service? Lo-Jack your kids? Are parents over protective these days?
  • Six Flags offers more results mid-quarter. Have the changes led to long-term gains or just short-term? Investors sure don't care for the company. Cedar Fair says they're making meaningful progress on their debt.
  • Disneyland Resort workers not happy about cut benefits. We're surprised Disney offered non-full-timers medical in the first place.
  • Kennywood wants no new taxes in writing.
  • Who owns the Big Dipper? Pretty sad to see the fly-over video of the park. Villain sure had a short life, and Jeff is more sad about that than whatever happens to the Dipper.
  • Stinky story: fair ride powered by cow farts.
  • Jeff reports on the progress of the new version of CoasterBuzz. There are science projects and new things in the pipe.
  • We record the podcast using a Mackie 1202-VLZ, for those who were interested.
  • CoasterBuzz Club events coming up this year: The Fall Affair at Holiday World, and BooBuzz at Cedar Point. Visit the CoasterBuzz Club page for more information.

CoasterBuzz Podcast #120 - August 11, 2008

Download... | Length: 1:08:50 | Size: 31MB | Downloads: 8376

posted by Jeff | Monday, August 11, 2008, 12:34 PM | comments: 0

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

  • Olympic fever! Gonch loved badminton until the US lost, Jeff is all about the indoor volleyball.
  • Moron criminal uses his daughter to scam people for worthless Cedar Point ticket coupons.
  • Blackstone allegedly interested in Busch parks.
  • Busch Gardens Europe adding a Sesame Street area with solid family attractions.
  • Kings Island announces Diamondback, the ride that KI fans have been waiting for. Is there any reason to really keep Son of Beast?
  • Asian-American activists offended by Six Flags TV spots. We're not entirely sure how it's offensive. Even PC Jeff doesn't entirely get it, and thought it was emulating a Japanese game show or something.
  • Gonch gives his take on the Great Wolf results, believes that the occupancy percentage number is the missing thing in the financials. Is the indoor water park result concept a success so far?
  • Six Flags says they're still going to have positive cash flow this year. Gonch says this is indicative of them doing things right.
  • Cedar Fair results seem positive enough, but Jeff's concern is that per cap has finally slid a little, and even with a slight boost in attendance, this seems like the inevitable bubble we've been talking about for years.
  • Dick Kinzel says "people have to eat" and it's unsettling to a lot of people. The bigger picture issue is a belief that he has lost touch, and doesn't have the experience to manage a company of this size. See errors in the last few years.
  • Has the "Wal-Marting" of America caused people to settle for crap? Is poor service the result of consumer complacency? Jeff thinks Chipotle is a case study in high quality with high margin.
  • No closing weekend for two-hundred-something a night for cobwebs and burned out lights.
  • CoasterBuzz Club events coming up this year: The Fall Affair at Holiday World, and BooBuzz at Cedar Point. Visit the CoasterBuzz Club page for more information.

CoasterBuzz Podcast #119 - August 4, 2008

Download... | Length: 40:05 | Size: 18MB | Downloads: 10009

posted by Jeff | Monday, August 4, 2008, 2:36 PM | comments: 0

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

  • Cedar Point, Disney, maybe others, raise ticket prices. (Note: I learned later that CP prices are actually still less than 2005.) No significant number of people go to Disney World for one day anyway.
  • Jeff rants about the ridiculous price for everything at Kings Island. Six bucks for fries? More than three bucks for a 20 ounce soda? Count me out!
  • Kings Island once sold as much as 250,000 season passes a year according to one former employee. Then Cedar Fair thought they knew better, took a huge hit in sales, then went back to the deals this year.
  • Cypress Gardens dials back off-season hours, which probably shouldn't be considered a failure, just the seasonal nature of the place.
  • Fire strikes Six Flags America and knocks out a haunted attraction.
  • Busch starts doing a meal deal, all you can eat, in the Florida parks. We wonder how much someone would spend on food ordinarily, because it might be less. But with drinks, it's probably a good deal. Universal doesn't include drinks.
  • Questionable politician who saw Bell's close on her watch loses primary election to one of the Bell's. That's karma.
  • Six Flags New England looking for a permanent zoning variance to build stuff up to 200 feet.
  • Hong Kong Disneyland wrestling with government over financing. Mike reminds us that this is the chuckin' babies park.
  • Lassiter/Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom suit scheduled for 2010, we wonder if it'll go to trial.
  • Better account of violent attack at Valleyfair published, charges upgraded. Crazy that people go nuts like that inside of a park.
  • Gonch is hoping to go to Indianer Beach.
  • CoasterBuzz Club events coming up this year: The Fall Affair at Holiday World, and BooBuzz at Cedar Point. Visit the CoasterBuzz Club page for more information.