CoasterRadio.com #610 - The 2011 Holiday Gift Guide

With the holidays right around the corner, you might be scrambling to find the perfect gift.

But if you're looking for something for a theme park fan, the local mall might not have exactly what you need.

Never fear!

Here at Coaster Radio, we're bring back our annual tradition - The Holiday Gift Guide!

The 2011 version has a ton of great ideas, sure to impress the theme park fan in your life.  Hey, you might even want to check out some of these items for yourself.

Plus, EB and Mike get into a great debate/rant about the latest announcements from Universal Studios.

This week, we found out that Hogwarts (and the incredible Forbodden Journey attraction) are coming to Universal Studios Hollywood.  In addition, there were confirmed plans to expand the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando.

However, another recent annoucement had to do with the closure of the classic "JAWS" attraction at Universal Studios Florida.  The latest hot rumor is that Amity Island will make way for Harry Potter's London and Phase Two of the Potterverse.

Mike and EB will disect the rumors and give you their opinion on the current state of things.

Hey! As you listen to the show, here is a list of all of the gift items that the guys discuss!

Coaster Dynamix Kits
    - Full Coaster Kits
    - Train Models - Statix
Knex Kits
Quercetti Skyrail Rollercoaster with Elevator
Disney Monorail
Park Season Passes
Online stores - Holiday World, Busch Gardens, Cedar Point, WWOHP
Millennium Force Replica 
Space Mountain Seat at Mouse Surplus
Jungle Cruise Gallery of Light by Olszewski
Kinect Disneyland Adventures for XBox360
Imagineering Blueprints
Walt Disney Autograph
Touring Plans Subscription
Skee-Ball Game
Cotton Candy Machine
Sno Cone Machine
Rollercoaster DVD - Watch it with Our Unofficial DVD Commentary!
Vintage items from your home park on EBay (70s, 80s, 90s)

LISTEN TO THE SHOW

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Talk about this episode by leaving a comment here on the blog.

Holiday Gift Guide - Creating Magic

I had the opportunity to interview a lot of great people through the CoasterRadio.com podcast.

One of my favorites was Lee Cockerell, who just retired as Executive Vice President of Operations at Walt Disney World Resort.

I got to interview Lee during the Grand Opening of Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom and was totally impressed by his candor, knowledge and passion for the resort.

Lee has written a book called Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney.

The book focuses on the magic ingredients that Disney uses to provide great customer service. Even if we don't work at a theme park, we can apply the same methods to whatever line of work we are in.

The best parts of this book, and the reason I think you'd like it, are the many behind the scenes stories from the Walt Disney World Resort.

So if you're looking for a good Disney World read that just might teach you something too, check out this book!

Holiday Gift Guide - Duck Shoot

One of the best things about visiting a theme park is taking a break to play the games on the midway.

Back in the old days, carnival barkers used to set up elaborate shooting galleries where patrons could try their hand a knocking over wooden ducks with real guns.

It was like that scene in Back to the Future: Part III where Marty McFly is back in the Old West and gets challenged to shoot at the gallery with the Colt Peacemaker.

Now we have a chance to use modern technology to return to the golden age of carnivals with the Duck Shoot!

A midway barker's voice guides you through the game as you take aim with the wireless infrared pistol and pull the "trigger." The Ducks moving along on conveyor topple over with every successful "hit" which registers on an LCD display. There are different skill levels available and you can play with or without the sound effects, just in case you want to play this in your office.

Talk about this gift in the CoasterRadio.com Forums.

Holiday Gift Guide - Skyrail Roller Coaster

With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up this week, people will be heading into the malls to spend millions of dollars on holiday gifts.

As part of our public service to theme park fans across the world, we''ll be blogging over the next month about cool theme park-related gift ideas for the coaster fan in your life.

Hey, maybe you're looking for something to add to your own holiday wish list... we're happy to help.

The first gift we want to feature is the Skyrail Marble Run Roller Coaster 150-pc. Set.

EB was a huge fan of this toy when it first came out a few years ago. He bought a few sets and created a massive marble roller coaster around his desk at work.

It really is quite amazing what you can build with this set. You're really only limited by your imagination. It's also easy to break apart and store when you are finished creating the greatest marble roller coaster ever.

The best part is this kit retails for $34.99. So you won't break the bank building your masterpiece.

Talk about this in the CoasterRadio.com Forums.