CoasterBuzz Podcast

Jeff, Carrie, Mike and Gonch reunite after more than seven years to talk about what they're up to, and ponder the future of amusement parks in a post-pandemic world.

The COVID-19 and 20th anniversary edition.

Jeff and Carrie talk about stuff that is loosely related to roller coasters and the amusement industry. It sure has been a long time since we did this. The noise in online communities (football and politics). Cliques, inside jokes, making the community better by participation. Voting up posts, the scoring game. The process of moving cross-country, Carrie and Jeff share their stories. The wing coaster is an interesting "thing" now for coaster enthusiasts. Jeff approves of the Dollywood ride. Cedar Point's new front end, with GateKeeper. A great year of fundraising for Give Kids The World across several events. Jeff explains why CoasterBuzz supports it, and why you should help. Another good year coming for new rides. Jeff shows love for Premier Rides. Is Kentucky Kingdom ever really going to come back? Attention Conneaut Lake Park: It's a business, not a constant fundraiser. Jeff would totally pay for a tour of the rotting Six Flags New Orleans. BooBuzz is coming up October 12 at Cedar Point. CoasterBuzz Club is eleven years old! You can get the latest headlines on CoasterBuzz from the Twitter. Follow us @coasterbuzz. You can also like us on Facebook. CoasterBuzz Club is $25 per year. You can join or renew today. Enjoy CoasterBuzz with no ads.

Community noise, politics, voting up posts, moving, wing coasters, GateKeeper, GKTW, Premier Rides, Kentucky Kingdom, Conneaut, stuff.

Jeff, Gonch and Mike review this week's news in the amusement industry. New Orleans can't sell the former Six Flags site. Is it even viable? How is the city doing? Cedar Fair going to spend $90 million in its amusement parks. Leviathan is the big one at Canada's Wonderland. US travel goes a long way, some people don't feel like they need to leave the country. Not a lot of 300-foot roller coasters open, so any new one is an event. Universal Orlando continues to score big time, mostly because of the Harry Potter attractions. Jeff is playing Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7. Dollywood's Wild Eagle is track complete. Jeff has high hopes for this B&M flavor, particularly with Dollywood's terrain and tree retention. Remember what a big deal it was when the first floorless roller coaster opened in 1999? Speed won't be a part of the new Sahara, which is a bummer. Dippin' Dots files for bankruptcy. Jeff is skipping IAAPA this year, but is regretting it, missing people. Hopes to go next year. Coney Island has a record year, which has to be good for Zamperla. Will the numbers stay up after a year of newness? Occupy is all about the free camping. Occupy Sillynonsense!. Welfare dollars appear in Orlando from Missouri. Moral and political debate ensues. Disney hitting much higher margins as room rates jump. Jeff researches some packages. The magic of Disney is mostly paying for as much as possible ahead of time. When you work from home, every day is pants optional day. CoasterBuzz Club is ten years old! You can get the latest headlines on CoasterBuzz from the Twitter. Follow us @coasterbuzz. You can also like us on Facebook. CoasterBuzz Club is $25 per year. You can join or renew today. Enjoy CoasterBuzz with no ads.

New Orleans, Cedar Fair spending, passports, 300-foot roller coasters, Harry Potter, Lego, Dollywood, floorless anniversary, Speed, Dippin' Dots, IAAPA, Coney Island, Occupy, Disney margins.

Jeff, Carrie and Mike review this week's news in the amusement industry. Obligatory excuses about why we haven't had a show in a month and a half. As quarterly results come in for amusement park companies, the results just keep getting better and better. So how is it that the economy is allegedly so terrible? How did Six Flags realize a 44% boost in profit? The national tone toward the economy is so negative. From the tea bag to the occupy movement, no one actually seems interested in innovating or doing anything. Carrie talks about perspective: This ain't the Great Depression. Where did hamburgers come from? Mike is a Disney Kool-Aid® drinking freak. Jeff describes his drive back across the country. And his new drill. That thing can screw. PETA sues SeaWorld for slavery. The whales are apparently making keychains 20 hours a day for sale in the gift shop. Legoland Florida opened, and Jeff wants to go next year. Mike will skip it because his kids are princess freaks. Jeff finally understands why Disney has so many parades. His 20-month-old loved the Halloween parade at Cedar Point. Does anyone know the total number of boat rides inside the gates of Disney World's four parks? The cast is disappointed about the no-duel rule of Dragon Challenge at Universal's Islands of Adventure. Despite the gruesome accident, we hate that it can't just be chalked up to "bad things happen." Carrie gives a shout out to the staff of Dorney Park for the VIP tour service. Several parks out east have their seasons cut short because of the crazy Nor'easter storm that dumped snow on them. You can get the latest headlines on CoasterBuzz from the Twitter. Follow us @coasterbuzz. You can also like us on Facebook. CoasterBuzz Club is $25 per year. You can join or renew today. Enjoy CoasterBuzz with no ads.

Excuses, financial results, Six Flags, national attitude, occupation vs. action, perspective, hamburgers, Disney, drills, PETA v. SeaWorld, Legoland Florida, parades, boats, dueling, VIP, storms.

Jeff, Mike and Gonch review this week's news in the amusement industry. Jeff gives a trip report for Silverwood, and it isn't very favorable. Iron Wolf being retired from Six Flags Great America. Zippin Pippin starts doing night rides, city has a huge success on its hands. Disney has a damn good quarter. So is the economy really as bad as the headlines would lead you to believe? Our bubbles don't indicate that. Legoland Florida is doing all of the right things prior to opening the park, now giving teachers annual passes. How did Hard Rock Park miss this boat? Off topic: Don't hate the pretties. Take care of yourself. Don't wait until you can't fit in a roller coaster. Jeff tells a Coke story, with extra sugar. Six Flags Magic Mountain's Deja Vu moving to Six Flags New England. Canada's Wonderland announces Leviathan, a 300+ foot B&M roller coaster. Jeff approves. Enthusiasts whine a little. Cedar Point announces fake dinosaur walk-through, retirement of Paddlewheel Excursions. Cedar Point fans are annoyed, especially if they have kids. Lightning strike at Discovery Cove sends some people to the hospital. Off-topic: Hot tennis players. The Fall Affair at Holiday World will be September 17, 2011. The registration deadline is approaching! Also, BooBuzz is Friday, October 7. Get the details! You can get the latest headlines on CoasterBuzz from the Twitter. Follow us @coasterbuzz. You can also like us on Facebook. CoasterBuzz Club is $25 per year. You can join or renew today. Enjoy CoasterBuzz with no ads.

Heat, Silverwood, Iron Wolf, Zippin Pippin, Disney financials, the economy, Legoland Florida, the pretties, Deja Fu, Canada's Wonderland, Cedar Point fail, lightning strike, tennis.

Jeff, Carrie, Mike and Gonch review this week's news in the amusement industry. Coasting For Kids at the Cedar Fair parks was a big success! We raised more than $62,000 this year. Ouimet says all the right things, and Gonch is in "like" during this dating phase. Jeff gives Windseeker a big thumbs up, really enjoyed the ride. Ed Markey ups rhetoric as family of Darien Lake accident victim mourns. When will this guy go away? Lawsuit delivered to Darien Lake over the fatality, not surprisingly. Harry Potter bonus hours offered to people who see the midnight showing of the final film at Universal Orlando. Excellent marketing effort! LA Times writer visits Kennywood, one of our favorites. California Adventure rehab continues, the entrance is done. Mike was there last weekend, says there are a lot of workarounds to get to stuff. Little Mermaid is his favorite ride. Geauga Lake Big Dipper: Yes, there are still interested parties. Mother claims discrimination against her daughter with Down Syndrome at Dorney, who was prohibited riding. Couple gets stuck on a slingshot ride in Dallas. Jeff wouldn't ride it. Mike wouldn't because he's cheap. Bad Illinois cop gets busted at Michigan's Adventure for being a drunk idiot. Six Flags posts excellent gains. So where is the bad economy? Carrie hit Six Flags America and Great Adventure. "Marriage is so gay" shirt causes great controversy at Dollywood. You can still donate to the Coasting For Kids 2011 effort! Help us raise money for Give Kids The World. Donate today! The Fall Affair at Holiday World will be September 17, 2011. Also, BooBuzz is Friday, October 7. Get the details! You can get the latest headlines on CoasterBuzz from the Twitter. Follow us @coasterbuzz. You can also like us on Facebook. CoasterBuzz Club is $25 per year. You can join or renew today. Enjoy CoasterBuzz with no ads.

C4K for GKTW, Ouimet, Windseeker, Markey, Darien Lake lawsuit, Harry Potter, Kennywood, California Adventure, Geauga Lake, discrimination, stuck slingshot, bad cop, Six Flags results, "gay" shirt.

Jeff, Mike and Gonch review this week's news in the amusement industry. Roller coaster safety with Patrick Warburton (the guy who does the intro on Disney's Soarin', among other things). Goofy's Sky School panned at Disney's California Adventure. Gonch suggests that people who enjoy something too much actually end up complaining more than enjoying. Dania Beach Hurricane might get a new lease on life at Zoo Miami. Movie news: Matterhorn and Transformers. Legoland Florida announces schedule, will be closed a few days a week, with short hours. Green Lantern opens up at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Discussion revolves around capacity. Latest Walt Disney World rumor among the geeks is that the company wants to sell a stake in the parks. Doesn't make sense for an established park. Baboon loose in New Jersey, Six Flags Great Adventure says they're not sure if it belongs to them. The headline writes its own jokes. People busted for selling fake Cedar Point tickets. Happened in Gonch's shady neighborhood. Worker dies despite fall protection on Magical Midway's Star Flyer. Kennywood announces a holiday lighting event. Questionable given Pittsburgh winters, but a good idea if they can pull it off in the long term. Too mad Kings Island wasn't able to continue theirs. Ouimet makes first comments as new Cedar Fair president at annual meeting. Jeff doesn't think we'll see impact from new leadership until next year. Boy dies in or near Knoebels pool. No clear reason for death yet. Family of girl who fell from Morey's Ferris wheel sues the park. The recurring theme: Should a park have to protect you from yourself? Mike points out flaws in height used to determine age and maturity measure. Universal Orlando allegedly being sued for using an unlicensed font in Harry Potter merchandise. FunSpot USA opens up its spinning mouse roller coaster from Cypress Gardens. Quassy getting a lot of press for Wooden Warrior. The dynamics of those Timberliner trains probably contribute to the awesomeness. Man without legs ejected from Ride of Steel at Darien Lake, died. Lots of questions about why he was allowed to ride something that restrains by the legs. 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. Also, BooBuzz is Friday, October 7. Get the details! You can get the latest headlines on CoasterBuzz from the Twitter. Follow us @coasterbuzz. You can also like us on Facebook. CoasterBuzz Club is $25 per year. You can join or renew today. Enjoy CoasterBuzz with no ads.

Roller coaster safety video, Goofy Disney enthusiasts, Dania Beach, movie crap, Legoland Florida hours, Green Lantern, baboon in New Jersey, fake tickets, worker death, Kennywood Kristmas, Ouimet speaks, deaths at Knoebels and Darien Lake, naughty fonts.

Jeff, Mike and Gonch review this week's news in the amusement industry. What are the reasonable expectations for avoiding injuries at amusement parks? A court says you can't assume anything, and you can sue. Orlando parks up their gate prices again, now around $85. Gonch wonders if Disney will add a fifth park at some point. Biggest rises were in multi-day tickets. Jersey recommends dual occupancy and bigger height requirement for Ferris wheels. What's up with new rides not opening in time? Fuji-Q opening what they call the steepest roller coaster, a Gerstlauer ride. Cedar Fair annoyed by Q Investment lawsuits. I think we all are at this point. Former Disney guy, Matthew Ouimet, named to the president and eventual CEO position at Cedar Fair. Jeff has a wishlist for what he'd like to see him do. Kennywood's Pitt Fall is up for sale. What's next for them? Attendance stories for 2010, Universal Orlando wins big, of course. Chicago's Riverview remembered, remnants found. Disneyland grad night will move to California Adventure in 2013. Zippin Pippin brings in 45% more revenue. Al Weiss retiring after a staggeringly long career with Disney, mostly at Walt Disney World. Check out Richard's photos from North Korea. 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. Also, BooBuzz is Friday, October 7. Get the details! You can get the latest headlines on CoasterBuzz from the Twitter. Follow us @coasterbuzz. You can also like us on Facebook. CoasterBuzz Club is $25 per year. You can join or renew today. Enjoy CoasterBuzz with no ads.