CoasterBuzz Podcast #141 posted

Posted | Contributed by Jeff

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

Freestyle marketing, any marketing is an improvement over no marketing. And why are the locals more upbeat on it this year?
And then there was the lawsuit trying to prevent the park from opening at all based on IP and trademark issues. The park opened anyway.
Magnum opened 20 years ago, and we agree that it's an important roller coaster in history due to its height and speed.
A new Kong ride is headed to Universal Studios Hollywood, with 4-D elements. Jeff is not a fan of projection rides.
Texas state fair wants to compete with Six Flags.
New Orleans keeps bugging Six Flags, but for what purpose?
Ghost Town gets a mystery investor.
Chicago's Kiddieland will close after 80 years, and it seems like the only reason is that one faction of the family thinks the land is better sold.
Manta opens at SeaWorld Orlando. What makes a good flying coaster? Up high or down low?
Terminator opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and the focus has moved mostly to the theme pieces before the ride.
Epcot Innoventions scores Disney a million for each exhibit.
Conneaut Lake sort of opens.
Cheating the height requirements is something only stupid parents do.
We appreciate your support of CoasterBuzz by joining the club. It's only $20 per year, and your membership helps support this podcast.
Jeff completes a three-park tour in eastern PA, and finally gets why enthusiasts love Phoenix so much.

And why are the locals more upbeat on it this year?

The sense I get, reading between the lines, is that the MB business community is a bit of an old boys network. The HRP folks basically ignored the local businesses, and acted as though they were the best thing to come to MB since beach sand. The FSP folks have reached out.

http://cse.umich.edu/

In the Conneaut portion Food stands were brought in along with Games. So yes there is conssesions. And it was packed this weekend.

Re: Hershey gate prices, how about that season pass cost that provided Jeff the nice discount? $140 for one park -- it very well might be the steepest single park seasonal pass out there. And I do think HP has the pricing right--they have been packing them in for the last several years.

Paul

I don't really consider the value of the season pass being connected to the number of parks it provides access for. Maybe it does, but it never occurred to me that way.

In my mind, the multi-park pass better positions the parks for a larger number of sales because the convenience of having one extends itself out geographically. But I don't really think a pass should be less expensive if it only pertains to a single park.

Regarding HP specifically, the pass is $130 if you purchase early. And I think it carries a lot of value for that price. The preferred parking and 15% discount on park food purchases enhances its value greatly.

"If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins." --- Benjamin Franklin

I agree, especially because I doubt that many people get to that many parks on a single pass (save for some obvious markets like Columbus). I would absolutely pay even $150 for a pass for any park that had a reasonable amount of stuff to do.

Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog

Again, this includes parking and a food discount to one of the better parks in the country, it was a no brainer purchase for me when I lived in DC (along with my Busch/Water Country Gold Pass.)

Of course if the CF sale would have not gone through I probably would have bought a CP and KI pass as well. Bonus for me that it got included on one pass and started offering parking as well.

There are definitely places where the extra parks on a chain season pass get used. Texas and the North East for Six Flags come immediately to mind. In fact, from Hershey, there are at least 4 SF parks (GE, SFNE, GAdv., SFA) that are long day trip distance.

Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."

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