CoasterBuzz Podcast #99 - December 31, 2007

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

• Six Flags and Tony Hawk: Is the 40-year-old skater the ultimately marketable guy?
• Heart attack victim on Disney's Everest probably only made the news because it happened at Disney. Richard says that the forces on Mission: Space, which has had a couple of deaths related to natural causes, is pretty intense.
• Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom accident that severed girl's feet becomes a little more clear, and maintenance manager says now that there should have been a stop mechanism when cable broke.
• Dubai getting the ultimate dinosaur park. Richard says that Middle East is being marketed to Europeans for tourism to a certain degree because it's getting easier to visit compared to the US.
• New monorail train shows up at Disneyland, and there are a whole lot of monorail enthusiasts out there.
• Jeff feels vindicated when a non-US resident makes fun of our huge cars.
• The Six Flags turn around is a three-year experience, according to the brass. It's still kind of a wait-and-see, but at least the current management is honest about what they don't do well, unlike Burke and company who acted like everything was fine.
• The guys talk about the cultural and staffing impact of year-round operations in various countries. The traveling fair phenomenon is something uniquely European.
• Sally Corp. has a nice niche to fill since so many parks don't have the product they offer.
• Cedar Fair might not have a ton of clout, but they sure have the contract that gives them the upper hand in Santa Clara in dealing with the 49ers.