Are there any coaster/theme parks blogs?

Hi all, i'm new and should introduce myself! Im leanna, from London, UK. Im a big coaster and theme park fan even though we don't have too much here. One day ill go to the US and do a grand coaster tour!

Meanwhile though, ive persuaded my teacher that writing a paper on theme parks, coasters and their fans would be a good idea. She was up for it - cool...!

I wondered if anyone knew any 'big names' in the enthusiasts worlds, or if there are any blogs written about theme parks etc.

Of course this site will be a big help, but im also after more of a personal take on it by individuals.

Great if anyone can help - if not, keep riding those rails!

x

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Fizzz said:
Im leanna, from London, UK. Im a big coaster and theme park fan even though we don't have too much here.

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Hey now. Don't dis Alton Towers! That place is the bomb! :)

Anyways, welcome to Coasterbuzz. Cedar Point has a blog. So does Holiday World.

Other parks do as well, but I don't really look at them so I'll leave that up to other people to show you.

There is currently a fairly active blog following the construction of Voodoo at Dorney Park.

http://www.dorneypark.com/public/inside_park/rides/thrill_rides/voodoo/diary/

Indiana Beach recently started a blog too.

http://www.indianabeach.com/blog/

I think the OP meant blogs from enthusiasts, not blogs as corporate marketing devices from the parks. :)

^Careful of the word "corporate", you don't want to get Paula mad at you.... :)

Oooh, you're right. Let me reword that:

I think the OP meant blogs from enthusiasts, not blogs used as marketing devices from the parks.

Too late. :)

(I don't like the word "devices" either.)

Actually, The Motley Fool just adressed this topic.

Paula *** Edited 12/1/2007 8:13:54 PM UTC by Raven Maven***

The only blogs I'm familiar with that are run by enthusiasts are Screamscape and News Plus Notes.

I'm sure there are others though.

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(I don't like the word "devices" either.)

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Of course not. "Devices" is too transparent of a term. Doesn't any good PR/marketing person sell to people without them knowing it? (and I mean that sincerely)

Let me try again:

...not blogs used as marketing tools for the parks.

..not blogs used as marketing outlets for the parks.

...not blogs used for marketing purposes by the parks.

...not blogs used by the park to sell the park.

...not blogs used by the parks to generate interest in their product.

Am I getting close? No?

Let me just rip off Munarriz then:

...not blogs used to keep customers close and build anticipation.

(isn't it all saying the same thing in the end?)

When describing Holiblog, I would say, "blogs used by the park to make me laugh!" :)

Call me a sap, but that's one of the main reasons we chose to attend Holiday World this year. Paula is hysterical and her blog is a great reflection of the park. Even though she uses the blog to "sell" the park, it doesn't feel that way. She doesn't just use the blog to advertise a new ride or tell people ticket prices are "x" dollars this year.

She tells stories about her family, her travels, coworkers, etc... I really felt like I was visiting someone's home when I was at the park and that was awesome. Most regional parks used to be like this and now they're all corporate and sterile.

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Lord Gonchar said:
I think the OP meant blogs from enthusiasts, not blogs as corporate marketing devices from the parks.

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lol. yes, youre exactly right

Geez, I can't believe that nobody's recommended Gonch's blog. Same wit minus all of the background noise. Of course it's probably required reading for the course already.

Plus there's the occasional celebrity guest appearance.... like Huey Lewis this past summer. ;)

www.greatamericaparks.com has a great one. lots of cool stories on there!

Hello! In the U.S., California and Ohio have great parks. But I would recommend mentioning Six Flags Great America, which is just outside Chicago in Gurnee, Illinois.

This park has many "firsts" in the roller coaster industry, such as Batman:The Ride, a major player in future coaster technology.

My personal interests include roller coasters and information/statistics about them. In college, I delivered a speech on roller coasters, examining their history; the development of modern coasters; and local coasters in the area (to add to the relevance of the speech to the audience.)

If you would like any information besides that above, I would be pleased to answer any questions or provide any in-depth opinions about roller coasters for you to use for your project.

Thank you!

J. James

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Lord Gonchar said:...not blogs used as marketing tools for the parks.

Let me just rip off Munarriz then:

...not blogs used to keep customers close and build anticipation.

(isn't it all saying the same thing in the end?)

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Funny, Gonch, the word "tool" did cross my mind. :)

Maybe think of it this way...what if you invited your boss over for dinner? And it was because you truly like your boss and know your wives will enjoy each other's company as well. It'll be a fun evening and you won't even talk about work. Perhaps a stronger personal relationship will create a stronger professional relationship...but that's not the main purpose for the invite.

And then someone else does it, but just as a "kiss up" move in the hopes of a raise and a chance for a move up in the company.

Are they the same thing? Is there the same intent? Will they have the same end result? Should you not do it so as to not look like the kiss-up guy?

Something to ponder on a chilly December afternoon...

Paula

I have only met Paula on one occasion and I would have to say that her blog fits the first employee profile well, from what I saw, Paula truly is a coaster fan probably as big a fan as any of us. The only difference I see in Paula to the rest of us is she gets paid to do what we love to do. Paula is genuine and I believe the Holiblog was derived from her visits to boards like this where people (you, I and others) wanted an inside voice to know what was going on. Paula supplied this voice and if it furthers the patronage of Holiday World then that is just a bonus not the goal. I could be wrong, lord knows (not Goncher:) I have been before.

First off, I'd really love to thank Gator for dragging me into something I never said in the first place... thanks a lot, Bill!

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Raven Maven said:
Maybe think of it this way...what if you invited your boss over for dinner? And it was because you truly like your boss and know your wives will enjoy each other's company as well. It'll be a fun evening and you won't even talk about work. Perhaps a stronger personal relationship will create a stronger professional relationship...but that's not the main purpose for the invite.

Are they the same thing? Is there the same intent? Will they have the same end result? Should you not do it so as to not look like the kiss-up guy?

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Say one did invite the boss over with the best of intentions and later, completely due to work related performance, gets the promotion. Regardless of the intentions, those passed over for that same promotion and/or outside of the situation will see the invite as a 'suck up' that resulted in getting the promotion.

The boss should be hesitant to accept such invitations due to the exact ambiguity you describe and the potential conflict of interest down the road.

So are you saying how things may look to a few is more important than how they truly are?

My point is, there are those cynics who view what I do as manipulation. In truth, I have a wonderful job working for delightful people...and it's fun to tell stories about them. I know our guests enjoy learning about what goes on behind the scenes.

Maybe if I worked for a big corporation, it would be different. I would have a calendar to fill with specific sales topics to cover in the blog. So many posts per week making so many pitches. Instead, it's a matter of whatever pops into my head on a given day. Sometimes it turns out there's an underlying message (such as the Park of Doom post), but usually it's just chatty stuff. It's about as manipulative as a smile.

I know you meant no harm, Gonch, and no harm was done. But realizing how many people read these posts I do occasionally like to clarify how we approach things here in li'l ol' Santa Claus.

Until the next time, Paula

That's why I love Paula and her blog so much. She writes about stuff because she loves it and her writing brings smiles to so many people. How does a story about "killer mascara" have ulterior motives?

There are different people in the world. Some people live life to have fun, do what they love and make other people happy. Some people do things to make money and not worry about what people think. Other people do things for other reasons. I could go on and on and on.

Unlike what Gonch thinks, not everyone in the world is out to screw people out of money and only worry about the bottom line. They believe if they treat people like their own family, they'll be just as successful.

One of my main joys in life is to make people smile. That's why I liked working as an Imagineer so much (that's also why I love being in the architecture/construction industry). When you design something, build it and then see people experience your creation, there's no better feeling. The same can be said about when I did "cross-U" at Disney by working in the parks during holidays. When you can interact with guests who are having the time of their lives, it's an amazing feeling. I got paid for it, but I totally would have done it for free.