A really interesting thread has been developing in the Coaster Radio.com forums.
It's all about the past, present and future of the site and the podcast.
As many of you know, I have been guest hosting on In the Loop during the past few weeks. It's made me remember how much fun it was to do the old CoasterRadio.com podcast.
But it's also made me realize that this blog isn't enough to keep the website active, fun and worthwhile to read.
This site needs a shot in the arm, or a good kick in the ass.
So I'm very curious to hear your thoughts and ideas on how we can continue the evolution of this website. If you're reading this, you probably have an opinion... and I really want to hear it.
Visit the forum topic, check out what other listeners have to say and let us know what you think!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
A look in the mirror.....
Friday, February 13, 2009
Happy Presidents Day Weekend!
"Fourscore and... seven minutes ago... we, your forefathers, were brought forth upon a most excellent adventure conceived by our new friends, Bill... and Ted. These two great gentlemen are dedicated to a proposition which was true in my time, just as it's true today. Be excellent to each other. And... PARTY ON, DUDES!"
I love having a blog, if, for no other reason than to post pictures like this!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
It's An Angry World
We're living in a time where there are a lot of serious problems out there.
The world's economy is in the tank....
There are war-torn regions all over....
And some chick with a recording contract somehow made it though to American Idol.
So in my humble opinion, there are more important things to get upset about than changes to a children's boat ride.
As most of you have heard by now, Disneyland has just re-opened "It's A Small World," which has been undergoing a major refurbishment for the past year.
You can see some video of the new elements on YouTube, but basically they have added 29 characters from Disney and Disney-Pixar films.
For instance, Alice and the White Rabbit from "Alice in Wonderland" were added to England, Donald Duck from "The Three Caballeros" makes an appearance in South America and Woody and Jessie from "Toy Story" are seen in a new "Spirit of America" scene.
Now, I recall Walt Disney once saying that "Disneyland will never be completed; it will continue to grow as long as there is imagination in the world."
So you'd think that fans of Disney Parks would take a cue from their leader and go along with the changes. But after the ride opened with its new additions, hardcore Disney fans around the world were extremely angry.
I read a bunch of Disney forums to check out the reaction and I saw words like....
Disgusting... Shameful... Disrespectful... Ridiculous.
What was really amazing to me was how passionate and angry some of the comments were. Some of the things I read bordered on fanatical. Seriously, some comments sounded like things we normally hear from religious fanatics.
Now, I think it's fun to discuss and debate rides, attractions, shows and polices at our theme parks. Heck, we built an entire podcast around that type of thing. But I've never been angry about a decision that a park has made.
Is getting angry about such things a distraction from the problems of everyday life? Maybe.
But I'd like to see people put that same passion and energy into something positive. I'd like to see them put that passion and energy into something that can actually change.
Because last I checked, online petitions and angry letters about what "Walt would want" aren't going to change any minds at Disney Headquarters in Burbank. Sorry.
What's your opinion? Talk about it in the CoasterRadio.com forums.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
My "Calling"
I had a "calling" this week..... and it has led me back on the air.
Actually, the "calling" came from Clint Novak, Will Holder and Pat McCabe from In The Loop. They called me on Monday and asked me to fill in on their podcast for a few weeks while one of their co-hosts takes an extended break.
It was kind of funny that they called when they did, because I have really been missing podcasting lately.
Over the past few weeks, I have been listening to some of my favorite old episodes of CoasterRadio.com and wondering if it's time to start up something new.... or resurrect something old.
For now, helping out on the new live version of "In The Loop" is a good way to get back into the swing of things.
For those of you who don't know, Clint and the gang have taken their long-running podcast and turned it into a live show. It airs every Monday night at 8:00 PM Eastern time. (You can link to the live show at coastercrew.com.
The amazing thing about the show is that listeners can call in and take part in the show live! Listeners can also participate in a live chat room that is active while the show is taking place.
Back when we did CoasterRadio.com, the technology was not advanced enough to handle live broadcasts. But now, In The Loop has taken the whole podcasting genre to a new level of interactivity.
Hopefully some of you guys from this site will take a listen and perhaps even call in! I'd love to hear from some of the old CR.com fans!
Talk about this in the CoasterRadio.com Forums
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
It's Easy Being Green
Kermit the Frog once sang that it's not easy "Being Green".
But it looks like theme parks are getting into the "green" spirit by taking on eco-friendly opportunities.
Six Flags Great Adventure recently announced that their 15-story park icon - The Big Wheel, is being completely refurbished for the 2009 season with 7, 824 new energy saving LED bulbs.
After these bulbs are installed, it will reduce approximately 8.5 million pounds of carbon emissions from the atmosphere.
It's amazing when you realize that this is equivalent to removing 72 cars from the road or planting more than 2,850 trees!
The new LED lights will also be part of an animated lighting display which includes chasing rim lights and the blooming of the ferris wheel's iconic flower petals.
Should be a sight to see! Kermit would be proud.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Obama Oath of Office from the National Mall
I know this has NOTHING to do with theme parks... but I was there and thought it would be nice to share this video with you/ ENJOY!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
The American Idol Concept Might Be Winning Me Over
When Walt Disney World first announced "The American Idol Experience" last year, I wasn't entirely sold on the concept.
The idea sounded like a "Karaoke Bar on Steroids" and a place where teenage guests could gather to scream.
But this week, the people over at MouseSteps posted pictures and details about the new attraction while it is in soft-opening.
Admittedly, I haven't seen the attraction with my own eyes. But the pictures make it look like it's the same type of fun as in the old "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire - PLAY IT!" attraction.
To me, the whole fun of Millionaire was that you were actually experiencing what it would be like to go to New York and attend a taping of the mega-popular show. It was really getting back to what the whole purpose of the Disney-MGM studios was all about in the first place.... to let people experience the magic of television and movie production.
Since most of us will never be in the audience for one of the American Idol live broadcasts (thankfully), this attraction gives us the chance to see what it would be like. We get to experience the drama of the competition while watching the interesting nature of the television production process.
The early reviews seem to all agree that the attraction needs a little tweaking. Supposedly there are a lot of video segments to watch during the actual show and not enough emphasis on the live performances. But I'm sure it's getting worked out during the soft-open process.
If any of you guys out there have a chance to see the show either during the soft-open or after the grand opening, let us know what you think in the CoasterRadio.com forums.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Free Beer Is a Thing of the Past
One of the most fun (albeit obscure) things you could do at the Anheuser-Busch theme parks was to take part in their free "Beer School".
In most cases, you'd get together in a bar-inspired classroom and learn about the beer making process while sampling some of Busch's finest brews.
It was actually an interesting experience and provided a nice break from the theme park day.
Today the brewer announced that they will stop giving free samples at the SeaWorld theme parks in Orlando, San Antonio and San Diego and its Busch Gardens parks in Tampa and Williamsburg, Va.
An Anheuser-Busch Parks spokesman says that the free samples had a "narrow appeal among park customers."
Bummer, man. But at least it gives me an opportunity to post that fun Octoberfest picture.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
What will be the story in 2009?
Happy New Year to everyone!
I hope you guys had a great holiday season and a very successful 2008.
When a new year begins, it's always interesting to look ahead and try to figure out what the next 365 days will be like. For our purposes here, let's focus on the theme park biz.
Just as it was in 2008, the biggest story in 2009 is going to be the economy. Sure, gas prices have dropped, but in this unstable time, will people still want to travel to theme parks?
We have a bunch of new rides and attractions premiering this year. Kings Island's Diamondback (pictured) looks like it will be a winner. Manta at Sea World Florida seems to be getting a lot of attention and rightly so.... the theming and layout looks very interesting.
Speaking of theming, we'll find out whether a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain can be successfully themed to The Terminator series. We'll also see if the Saw movies will make a good theme for a roller coaster at Thorpe Park in England.
I also wonder if 2009 will be a good year for "coaster enthusiasm" in general. One thing that I've noticed over the past several years is that interest in roller coasters and theme parks seems to be waning. Back in the late 90's (during the "coaster boom") the community was engaged, excited and growing. These days, it seems like there isn't the same level of enthusiasm as there was back then. I could be wrong, but I'm curious to hear what you think.
So what does 2009 have in store? What will be the big story in 2009?
Let's talk about it in the CoasterRadio.com forums.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
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!
