CoasterBuzz Podcast #186 - August 2, 2010

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

• Coasting For Kids raised more than $30,000 last week! You can still donate, it's not too late to help out Give Kids The World!
• Theme parks keep targeting people with more money, to the extent that Disney is even selling high-end homes on the property. It's not creating a class system, it's just capitalism and market forces.
• Disney is building a resort on Oahu. Jeff rants about how much he loves Hawaii.
• Room rates jump in Orlando, thanks in part to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. First time we've talked about hotels outside of the Disney influence in awhile.
• Mother of the year leaves her kids at home while she goes to Holiday World.
• Snoopy turns 60, doesn't look a day over 6. Carrie does her Peanuts adult impression. The issue of licensing comes up again in contrast to Blackpool's Pleasure Beach which adopts a Nickelodeon theme. We're starting to wonder if the Peanuts aren't "good enough" for a brand. And what happened to the Looney Tunes?
• Vekoma Boomerangs have a bad time. The LaRonde ride apparently had a restraint failure, while the one at Trimper's had a lift break.
• Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom situation is settled, company walks away with $2 million.
• Del Toro wants to do a Haunted Mansion movie for Disney, and we think that's OK if it has the feel of Hellboy, Blade II and such. No Eddie Murphy is already an improvement.
• Harry Potter ride prompts a 911 call, plus stories of other non-event ride failures.
• Cedar Fair successfully refinances, making the whole Apollo fiasco even more ridiculous.
• Seattle has big amusement park history, and unfortunately, it's all history and no now.
• Jeff is annoyed with the negativity around the Muslim Family Day at Six Flags Great America.
• SCAD Tower accident is super scary.
• Register today for The Fall Affair at Holiday World! Join us Saturday, September 18.
• BooBuzz returns to Cedar Point on Friday, October 15.
• Check out the event list on the CoasterBuzz Club page. Got a ticket for Holiday World? Come to the Fall Affair for a couple of bucks extra!
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