CoasterBuzz Podcast #186 posted
Posted
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!
- You can get the latest headlines on CoasterBuzz from the Twitter. Follow us @coasterbuzz.
- CoasterBuzz Club is $25 per year. You can join or renew today. Enjoy CoasterBuzz with no ads.
Link: CoasterBuzz Podcast
Just a fun fact regarding the popularity of Nick.
Last Friday was the season four premiere of iCarly.
It was the most watched show of the night and the most watched show on cable for the entire week with 7.74 million views.
39% of kids aged 2-12 watching TV at that time were watching iCarly and 33% of all kids 12-17 watching TV were tuned in too.
Basically, more than 1/3 of everybody 17 and under who was watching TV Friday at 8pm was watching Nickelodeon.
Not that it necessarily translates directly to in-park anything, but on the subject of relevance and importance, it's huge. Maybe instead of the Nick cartoons, someone needs to be thinking of how to bring iCarly into the parks?
Maybe instead of worrying about licensing the kiddie area's at all, parks should just bring a giant big screen TV in and run these shows for the kids. Mom and Dad can go ride while the kids watch iCarly. (Now who's the genius? ;) )
"If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins." --- Benjamin Franklin
Put screens running the shows on the rides so the kids can watch while they ride. Duh!
Clone enough iCarleys to give one to every child that comes thru to ride with.
Beaver wins.
Lord Gonchar said:
Put screens running the shows on the rides so the kids can watch while they ride. Duh!
Don't you dare "duh!" me, mister!
(Though your idea does seem oddly familiar to the family drive to the park in the Caravan...hmmm...)
"If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins." --- Benjamin Franklin
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