CoasterBuzz Podcast #77 posted

Posted | Contributed by Jeff

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

Richard is live from the airport in Tokyo.
Jeff has a report on Chocolate Buzz last weekend at Hersheypark. He's undefeated with eleven laps on Lightning Racer.
A little more on Maverick following the media event for the ride.
Very strange accident getting people off of the river ride at Animal Kingdom.
Harry Potter is coming to Islands of Adventure. Richard feels this is a huge score for the UK tourists that Universal is currently lacking.
Richard says that the X clone at Fuji-Q, Eejanaika, is not an improvement. A ride once to say you did ride.
Japanese safety and maintenance seems to vary quite a bit, according to Richard, and found a Togo stand-up that you could "sit on" all day.
The Japanese Disney parks are best in the company.
Hollywood Dream, a B&M at Universal there, is a very cool ride with on-board music you can choose. It has on-board lighting as well.
NASA has truly lost its way, but they have a new simulator in Florida.
Marriott is licensing the Nickelodeon brand. Viacom is making a ton, but aren't they diluting the brand for the licensees?
Cedar Fair gives a peek to early numbers. Per cap spending is up, and they've already got 3 million guests up through Memorial Day for the year.
Jeff grows tired of all the Geauga Lake dogging. The gloom and doom is unfounded.

Jeff, this is what we could gain by going to the moon.

I saw recently on the Discovery Science channel a show about why we want to return to the moon. The rocks on the moon contain plenty of Helium 3, which is an element needed to create nuclear fusion. This element is very rare on earth, but if we can develop the technology to get it from the Moon it could solve all of our energy problems on earth.

From what I remember from physics 2 in high school, nuclear fusion is much cleaner than nuclear fission, which is what we use today. Once nuclear fusion is started it is self sustaining, and is much safer than fission because there isn't a risk of nuclear melt down.

One of the major reasons for going to the moon is for real-life-testing for equipment that we will eventualy use on Mars. If we send a robot to mars and it doesn't work, all we lost is a robot. If we go to Mars, and something doesn't work, it'll be 18 months+ before we can get a replacement. That is how often Mars and Earth pass each other. We're using the moon to try and make sure we get Mars right on the first try.*** This post was edited by Jason Hammond 6/4/2007 9:22:18 PM ***

I didn't think about that, but it is very true.

The Space Shuttle attraction was not funded by NASA. The KSC visitor center is totally funded by the money it makes on admissions, food, etc... Additionally, the budget that NASA gets is so small compared to other programs the government funds.

Here's that Wired editorial I was talking about...

http://www.wired.com/science/space/magazine/15-06/ff_space_nasa

I think it's the most spot-on thing I've read about NASA in a long time.

hey thats saying that we already have been to the moon.

I went down to the Cedarfair last week - they had a great special on flooring. After that I got a great deal at the bookfair before going to the jobfair. Next week I get to go fishing at Lake Island.

I agree with the Midwest (Sandusky) bias. To me it seems they are applying operational techniques they have developed mostly at Cedar Point. The adopted children will have to wear new clothes for a while until their new parents can figure out how special they are.

On another note, would there be similar podcast enthusiasm to Blue Man group if it opened at Disney, or even Seaworld?*** This post was edited by 6/5/2007 6:00:17 AM ***

I believe there would be, at least on my part. I'm a Blue Man Group fanboy (remember, I'm the one who made sure to catch their Berlin show while I was there). However, I'm not necessarily a Universal fanboy (although I DO love their Florida parks).

Granted I'm not the one going down there just yet (hopefully in the fall). The fact that BMG IS at Universal is probably a plus for Jeff, but I'd be just as happy to see it at Disney. Heck, maybe moreso, since I still have 4 days left on my nonexpiring park hopper :)

I went to Dayton, Ohio, to see a Blue Man show. Dayton! Do you honestly think I'd have a problem seeing a show at Disney? :)

Yeah, it's not the Universal fanboy in these guys that make it a frequent topic, it the BMG fanboy in them. ;)

As a guy who's gone to Disney every two years, and Universal only once, I have to say thank god BMG is at Universal. I'm more than happy it's there. They'll be treated better, not competing against Cirque, and fits in with everything better. Plus I have an excuse to go to the parks again there. :D

Jeff you should have Richard for the lottery numbers

This season the number of Cedar Point ads has increased considerably in the Cin-Dayton area.

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