Posted Monday, December 4, 2006 8:05 PM | Contributed by Jeff
Jeff, Mike, Greg and Pat review this week's news in the amusement industry.
- Gatorland gets support from the locals.
- Mall of America will install a Euro-Fighter. Is it the new mouse?
- The plot between Bell's Amusement Park and the local fair board thickens. Someone should be suing somebody.
- Greg says that former Astroland development could be a build-and-flip, but hopes the Cyclone will remain.
- SeaWorld "attack" was a non-event. Must have been a slow news day.
- Lagoon launched fun? You bet!
- A new park for SoCal, but can the tourist community support it?
- Off-topic: Wii!
- Changes coming for CoasterBuzz, including better advertising.
- Lots of CoasterBuzz Club events are coming in 2007, including the Fall Affair at Holiday World, Saturday, September 29.
Link: CoasterBuzz Podcast
nesdude
Monday, December 4, 2006 9:03 PM
I think it's the memorable one liners that keep me wanting to listen to this podcast. I love the off topic tangents when there isn't much to talk about coaster wise.
"Dude, man, I wanna play Plinko!"
Woo on the advertising, and yay for next years events. But I wonder what that mystery event could be? It's out east, and "there is sweet smells in the air".
Hmm.
-nesdude
Jason Hammond
Monday, December 4, 2006 10:04 PM

They are still building standard "non-spinning" wild mouse rides.
http://www.rcdb.com/id3703.htm
Jeff Young
Monday, December 4, 2006 10:08 PM
For the record....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaJzgJMc5h4
Sea World boating accident on YouTube.
Jason Hammond
Monday, December 4, 2006 10:23 PM
"there is sweet smells in the air" I think that's a dead giveaway, but for those who havn't figured it out, I'll keep my mouth shut.
Lord Gonchar
Monday, December 4, 2006 10:24 PM
They are still building standard "non-spinning" wild mouse rides.
Obviously. But of the last 25 new (not relocated) mouse installations world-wide, my count nets three non-spinning models.
That's a pretty big shift.
Neuski
Monday, December 4, 2006 10:30 PM
I feel so dorky for practically having a trip planned for an event that hasn't even been announced. Now I just need to know when.
Jason Hammond
Tuesday, December 5, 2006 8:58 AM

I completely agree Gonch, but from the podcast, it sounded like you guys wern't sure if any were even being built anymore. That was the reason for my post. The Reverchon Spinning Mouse at Kennywood and the Maurer Söhne spinning Dragon at Waldameer were my first 2 spinning coasters, but I must say that the Gerstlauer's at MOA, Worlds of Fun and Six Flags New England are my favorite among the spinning coasters.
rollergator
Tuesday, December 5, 2006 11:38 AM

Myself, I prefer Waldameers, but I've only got one lap each on SFNE's and MoA's compared to about 30-40 laps at Waldameer...just seemed WAY *spinnier* to me...just another reason to get to Lagoon (as if I needed *another* reason, LOL)... :)
Regardless they're all (Reverchons, Gerstlauers, and M-Ss) good rides, and it doesn't surprise me IN THE LEAST that the non-spinning mice are eating the crumbs while the spinning ones get all the cheese... ;)
Is this where I make some corny joke about "building a better mousetrap"? Or maybe compare the non-spinning mice to a TRS-80?
Richard Bannister
Tuesday, December 5, 2006 1:17 PM
I think the replacement for the wild mouse is the Gerstlauer "bobsled" coasters. The name is a bit of a misnomer - think of them rather as custom wild mice. Some pictures:
http://www.rcdb.com/ig2590.htm
http://www.rcdb.com/ig2723.htm
http://www.rcdb.com/ig2591.htm
Jeff
Tuesday, December 5, 2006 1:37 PM

And that's a pretty fantastic idea too. I never understood why more hasn't been done with the mouse concept other than the fact that it's design once, build many times. Big sweeping drops and a tight helix here and there sounds like a ton of fun to me.
Richard Bannister
Wednesday, December 6, 2006 3:37 AM
They're great rides, honestly - I've done about two thirds of them and can't wait to get to the others. The theming on some of them (Lagunasia, Tripsdrill, and Klotten to name three) also is seriously cool.
http://www.rcdb.com/ig2591.htm?picture=8