CoasterBuzz Podcast #175 - April 26, 2010

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

• Cedar Fair is shopping for credit because they didn't know what the market was like. Duh!
• Yet another developer looks at the former Six Flags New Orleans site, and days later says no thank you.
• Orlando Flex Ticket: A good deal and competitive with Walt Disney World offerings? Do people actually show up and wing it in Orlando? Lazy river sidebar.
• Cedar Fair keeps threatening to sue Santa Clara over 49ers stadium stuff. Now they're trying to renegotiate the lease.
• Nickelodeon goes away at Kings Island, Snoopy arrives. Gonch has the perfect description about what that means.
• Seasonal business aren't sure if the new health care reform law will require companies to offer health insurance to seasonal workers.
• Smaller parks thrive in down economy, especially those who don't require admission.
• Off topic: Video game nonsense.
• More amusement parks covered by Google's street view.
• A ride injury lawsuit against Disney, about a guy who had a stroke weeks after riding, goes to trial. Any bets on whether or not that lawyer has ever seen the inside of a court room?
• Universal Singapore starts pulling down Battlestar Galactica coaster over a glitch. Go Vekoma!
• Universal parks down a little in attendance, but up in per capita spending. Probably because every kid who ever went has a Thing 1 onesie or T-shirt. And you can even get them at the Orlando airport!
• PARC spending lots of money this year.
• Volcano locks down travelers, Orlando attractions invite them in.
• Mike has seen the Kiddieland ride first hand at Six Flags Great America, and posted photos in the Day in Pictures forum. Family and kid sized wood coasters rock.
• Some dudes infiltrate an abandoned island on the Walt Disney World Bay Lake.
• Check out a copy of the recent newsletter outlining some of the features of CoasterBuzz. Also has info on our need to replace the site's Web server.
• Knoebels Flying Turns a labor of love, obviously, because at this point it doesn't make much business sense.
• Insert love for Zamperla here.
• Facebook is a little scary.
• Check out the growing event list on the CoasterBuzz Club page.
• You can get the latest headlines on CoasterBuzz from the Twitter. Follow us @coasterbuzz.
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