CoasterBuzz Podcast #205 - June 13, 2011

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

• Ferris Wheel mania hits Las Vegas. What audience is Vegas after these days?
• SeaWorld attendance is up. Perhaps there's a halo effect from the Harry Potter stuff at Universal Orlando.
• New Jersey touts low injury rate, until girl fall to her death from Ferris wheel. No mechanical issues suspected at this point.
• Fatal mini train accident attributed to speed. Questions arise about who is at fault. Gonch relates the story to the responsibility issues around the accident in Wisconsin.
• Former Santa's Village becomes a zoo-like attraction. Mike says they went from competing with Six Flags to competing with two zoos.
• Q Funding loses a proxy fight with Cedar Fair, then asks for another special meeting but is denied. Cedar Fair says it has pissed away $3 million on stuff relating to the Q lawsuits and proxy votes.
• Cedar Point's Wildcat has a minor crash, this time at the final brakes.
• Universal Orlando is totally Comcastic! NBC-Universal buys up Blackstone's half of the resort.
• Six Flags America to retire Skull Mountain. Jeff recalls a story there. Despite some scary news stories over the years, the park's coaster package is somewhat underrated.
• Dorney Park snaps up some new land. That park has awesome walk-ons when it's hot and everyone is in the water park.
• Dallas beats Miami, Jeff launches into a Lebron slam.
• Cedar Fair's CFO quits. Jeff saw it as a retention problem, but Carrie suggests that perhaps he just didn't see any upward mobility without going elsewhere.
• Microsoft previews Kinect Disneyland Adventures for Xbox. Jeff doesn't quite get it, but Mike's princess girls totally do.
• Water parks: Small kids and their dads.
• Jeff took his family to Great Wolf Lodge in Washington, had a good time. It's a fairly solid value, though the food selections need help.
• Coasting For Kids 2011 is go at Cedar Fair parks! Help us raise money for Give Kids The World. Register or donate today!
• The Fall Affair at Holiday World will be September 17, 2011... save the date! Also, BooBuzz is Friday, October 7.
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