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.