Archive: April, 2009

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

• Mike is about to be a dad for the second time. He's not that involved in naming.
• PointBuzz posts a preview for Cedar Point, including Magnum photos. Magnum is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
• Six Flags sent to the ghetto of stock trading.
• A Walt Disney museum is coming together for San Francisco for a price of $110 million.
• Cedar Fair declares its much lower quarterly distribution.
• Cedar Fair may have a deal for the excess land sale around Canada's Wonderland.
• Universal Orlando takes a big attendance hit for the quarter, though a lot of it is the movement of the Easter holiday between quarters. Those parks are streaky in attendance.
• Alton Towers neighbors complain over Nemesis noise, this time caused by new wheels of a different material. Gonch says they have the right to complain.
• People gather to do something, or maybe nothing, about Geauga Lake's Big Dipper.
• Freestyle adds kids rides, Gonch says it will have zero impact on the park. Mike thinks the ride names are dumb.
• Universal Studios Florida coaster is delayed while they pimp the "new" elements of the ride.
• An industry exec tells Jeff that a debt-for-equity swap in Six Flags wouldn't be all that bad, since the company certainly is loaded with assets.
• New Orleans wants the buy-out deal back on the table for Six Flags' lease. Ain't going to happen with Six Flags' future status in limbo.
• We appreciate your support of CoasterBuzz by joining the club. It's still just $20 per year.

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

• Recap of the party on a boat, which Gonch missed. Jeff is happily married now.
• Adventureland suffers from indifferent reviews, and Jeff thinks it was sold completely wrong. Kennywood is more or less just a background for the story.
• Diamondback opens at Kings Island and it is good. Gonch and Jeff take a number of spins and are surprised at the intensity. Listen for a complete review.
• Opening day at Kings Island yields enormous lines for Diamondback, and the public appear to love it.
• CoasterBuzz posts HD video of Diamondback, starring Gonch.
• Hard Rock Park former owners own the IP? Seriously? Does it matter now that they've changed it to the horrible name, Freestyle Music Park?
• Six Flags may be facing bankruptcy, but the management team is looking at potential bonuses for getting them through it. The hate toward anyone making a lot of money ignores the skill required to lead a company.
• Universal Hollywood is getting the Google Maps street view treatment. It's creepy, but incredibly useful.
• Ghost Town bankruptcy causes a chain reaction to small businesses that served it.
• Coney Island drama continues, as NYC makes play to buy some of the property owned by Thor Equities.
• Virginia parks saying things are starting out well. We hate the term "staycation," but are the parks positioned for success in this economy? Gonch thinks so.
• Researchers put out attendance report but Jeff is annoyed that they don't establish credibility or show their methodology. Busch Entertainment says they're about 10% off.
• Universal Orlando is trying to sell itself to consumers like it's a used car dealer, according to surveys they're sending out. Jeff is annoyed that they want to compete on price instead of the awesome experiences they can offer.
• Orlando parks do well over the Easter holiday time. Is this an indication of economic recovery or the heavy discounting?
• Waldameer's Disk-O is going up, and they're pretty cool rides. The stand-up version is kind of weird.
• Jeff and Gonch got to ride Diamondback with the mayor of Cincinnati, and it was entertaining.
• We appreciate your support of CoasterBuzz by joining the club. It's still just $20 per year.