CoasterBuzz Podcast #111 - May 5, 2008

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

• Gonch has a Wii problem, and it's called Mario Kart. Jeff isn't doing much better.
• Branson does what it does best: Branson. Jeff sucks at making it to new places unless it's on the way to another destination.
• Kings Island safety isn't anything new, but a Cincy TV station wants to make sure you know they inspect stuff.
• You can eat the flatware at Busch parks. OK, maybe not, but it is biodegradable. The company makes beer, so of course everything they do is a "good corporate citizen" PR effort to some degree. Jeff recalls his first exposure to Busch as the owner of theme parks.
• Behemoth opens at Canada's Wonderland, and the trains aren't that complicated, they're just two-row cars with a lot of space between the back seats. The design lends itself to different airtime sensations compared to the other B&M hypers.
• The Simpsons Ride opens at Universal Studios Florida. Good reviews so far. One of many changes abound at Universal Orlando, including serious construction at Islands of Adventure. Ever notice that Lost Continent basically has three themes?
• Cedar Fair tries to get its daily and season pass mix right, after screwing it up in the acquired Paramount Parks. How do you just change things while ignoring what the market expects?
• Morons try to steal some coaster track.
• The last Wild West World story: Time line paints former park owner as a total ego-driven moron with no business plan. The people who lent him money aren't much better.
• Paula already posted the flyer for the Fall Affair at Holiday World, on the official Holiday World club page.