CoasterBuzz Podcast #115 - June 23, 2008

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

• Cedar Fair early season and the rising cost of fuel. Gonch thinks the expense of a driving vacation is relative. The plan for CF was diversity to reduce risk.
• No seriously, Wild West World has been sold for real this time, to a Florida developer. Gaming is on the radar for the site.
• Geauga Lake auction is complete with drama, suspense, an attention whoring auctioneer and the appearance of a leadership failure among coaster enthusiast and preservationist leadership.
• We drop a little nostalgia about the place, and point out that the biggest winners are Schlitterbahn, who bought a bunch of the old slides.
• Long dark water slides are scary. Water and dark is associated with drowning.
• Anheuser-Busch is under siege by a foreign buyer. What might happen to the parks?
• Jeff sings the praises of AirfareWatchdog.com in looking for flights to goofy destinations like Richmond, Virginia.
• Buckeye Lake was a big deal back in the day. Jeff saw the WOMAD festival there.
• Jeff went to Waldameer finally, and Ravine Flyer II is a sweet ride. It has charm. And a lot of bad tattoos.
• Gonch does a whirlwind tour of Eastern Pennsylvania and Jersey. Dorney has grown in and has more charm, he was not that impressed with Fahrenheit at Hersheypark, the Dark Knight at Great Adventure is better than most people are saying, Great Nor'easter is still a crappy SLC, the Jersey piers are a dump.
• Vegas brief: How'd we get on that topic again?
• 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.