CoasterBuzz Podcast #174 - April 12, 2010

Jeff, Gonch and Carrie review this week's news in the amusement industry.

• Gonch has a birthday, Jeff hangs some roller coaster photos.
• Intimidator opens at Carowinds to a warm reception. Compared favorably to Diamondback and Behemoth.
• Intimidator 305 opens at Kings Dominion. Jeff thinks it's an awesome ride, but falls just short of the best ride ever due to the defensive riding required. Kings Dominion overall is looking like a great park compared to nine years ago, and has a great general manager.
• Cedar Fair and Apollo deal fails without the vote even being considered. What's next?
• Herschend CEO appears on reality show, Jeff thinks it wasn't terrible, Gonch says every show is the same, Carrie says it's all contrived.
• Circus is coming to Coney Island. Does anyone still go to the circus? Gonch is indifferent because of the evil clowns.
• Shocker: Freestyle Music Park won't open this year. It gets the Price is Right horns. No Plinko for you. Drew Carey was hanging out in Seattle because he's a part owner of the Sounders soccer team. Jeff doesn't care for soccer. Carrie thinks that sports that anticipate scoring don't do well in the US. Freestyle still won't open.
• Autopsy of SeaWorld Orlando trainer comes back with expected results.
• Walt Disney World suffers a series of bus accidents, the most recent enough fatal for a boy at the campground.
• Silver Dollar City turns 50. Good story about how the park came to be, from a Chicago newspaper, no less.
• The Wild West World fraud case is finally over, as Etheredge gets five years in jail.
• Universal's marketing for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter draws criticism from those who booked spring vacations. It's also strange how many media reports paint it as a full theme park. Will the blurry message bite the park in the ass? Gonch and Carrie are not that familiar with the Harry Potter books or movies.
• Japanese firm wants to license the Paramount Pictures stuff for a theme park in Osaka. Jeff explains how this is just a licensing deal, not "Paramount" trying to get back into the theme park business.
• Walt Disney World nerds freak out over the "TRONorail," a monorail wrapped in a big Tron movie promo. Try on your souvenir T-shirts before leaving, please.
• Jeff contemplates putting a podcast player in the CoasterBuzz Feed.
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• Plugs for Coasterimage.com and Vimeo.
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