jedimaster1227

http://thedailydisney.com/blog/2010/05/disney-hires-san-fran-mass-transit-exec-to-run-resort-transportation/

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviation/2010/05/gatorland-announces-plans-for-new-zip-line-over-gator-breeding-ground.html

http://thedailydisney.com/blog/2010/05/disney-picks-general-contractor-for-art-of-animation-resort/

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2010/05/18/109965_local-news.html Let's play: What the $35 million water park will look like. Success: Developer Paul Freebody celebrates the decision which clears the way for his $35 million water theme park Picture: CHRIS HYDE

http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2010/05/17/front/doc4bf0c8a1b9f67546833250.txt

http://unofficialjazzlandinfo.yuku.com/topic/1957/t/More-missing-rides.html Looks like Danny Rogers hasn't given up yet... Now he wants to move the remaining salvageable rides from Six Flags New Orleans to a new park he plans to build in Mississippi in the event that he and Southern Star Amusements isn't able to re-open the park...

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/six-flags-entertainment-announces-first-quarter-2010-results-93924859.html Note that Mark Jennings has also resigned from the Board of Directors... It looks like the Board may be headed in a new direction after all...

http://buschgardensva.wordpress.com/2010/05/17/making-coasters-accessible/

http://www.parcrewards.com/

http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/rock-band-live-6921/

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/six-flags-entertainment-enters-into-marketing-partnership-with-post-foods-93773114.html

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/05/new-construction-photos-of-the-disney-dream-bow/

Larry for the win! I can't help but notice how SFA Regular keeps looking at the parks in a certain light... Almost as if each was a child in the family that deserves as if by justified right, to receive equal treatment no matter the performance. If your one son goes out and wins a scholarship while the other gets a parking ticket of the same value, are you going to give both children toy cars because they are both your children who have accomplished something despite the result? If a park underperforms, it doesn't warrant continual investment unless the results are to offer a guaranteed turn around that would recoup the initial costs. Parks like Six Flags Great Adventure, Six Flags New England and Six Flags Magic Mountain tend to have a guaranteed return on investment for their major expenses (i.e. the larger coaster additions you seem to believe Six Flags America deserves just as much). As I have said before, based on my own visit to Six Flags America (and many others here were on that same trip, so they can echo my regards), the park has potential to succeed, but it needs some serious redirection that a single new coaster can't provide on its own. The park was lacking in so many areas that it really felt like the least valued member of the family. I'm sure Six Flags will continue to invest in the park, but I don't expect to ever see it get the amount of attention that Great Adventure and Magic Mountain receive, mostly because major investments for the park take a great deal of time to recoup.

Funtime and Ride Entertainment has sent us some photos of the completed StarFlyer. I will go ahead and post the entire batch (even though there are some duplicates from the above post), since it was sent to us as a bundle.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15073083?nclick_check=1

As long as they include the incident where the carousel flies off of its base into the sky after dialing up to deadly speeds, the first theater to show the film will have my $7.

HEIMO has sent us a press release about their latest King Kong installation with Huss, this time at the Changzhou Dinosaur Park.

Universal Studios Hollywood has sent us their latest press release about the new King Kong experience coming to the Studio Backlot Tour this Summer.

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/05/restore_cedar_fair_dividend_la.html

^Definite brain fart there. I was thinking of Kings Dominion while I wrote about Canada's Wonderland. This is what happens when you work at a computer and telephone for 8 hours a day...

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/brooklyn/judge_sides_with_city_to_allow_coney_0IRH0yuKrbJGPy3nSw2YAM

I think that this is a very interesting move on the part of Six Flags. I think that (as has been said before) Mark Shapiro left a positive impression on the Six Flags culture and the direction in which the company was finally moving. But, like has been said before, Mark Shapiro was able to create some great partnership/sponsorship opportunities that ultimately benefited the company's bottom line, but not the guest experience. I would have like to see him continue with the company in a marketing or corporate partnerships division, but I'm not sure he would have taken the downgrade had it been offered to him. As for the former CEO of the Paramount Parks coming onboard, I'm definitely interested to see how things go with the move. The Paramount Parks were doing pretty well by the time they were bought by Cedar Fair, which shows a positive motion on the leadership/management side, but the sale changed much of that. I'm not one of those theorists that believe's he's been appointed to facilitate some massive Cedar Fair/Apollo/Six Flags merger, so I won't go there, but that being said, I could certainly see more "Kentucky Kingdom" and "Astroworld" situations arising given the trigger-happy sales nature many of these leaders seem to be having with their underperforming and overperforming parks.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20104280640

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/05/disneys-art-of-animation-resort-unveiled/ http://thedailydisney.com/blog/2010/05/disney-to-build-2000-room-hotel-dubbed-disneys-art-of-animation-resort/ Disney Imagineer Joni Van Buren sculpts a model of King Triton, who, in his final form will be 35 feet tall and tower over guests at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts newest Resort. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will be one-of-a-kind, with themed building exteriors and room interiors that bring to life The Lion King, Cars, Finding Nemo and The Little Mermaid. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is expected to open by the end of 2012.

Honestly, I don't see any reason for Canada's Wonderland to need anything bigger or faster. The park has a stellar B&M hyper in Behemoth and three different launched coasters. I see no reason for the park to invest in anything higher or faster. Rather than play the game of statistics, I'd like to see the park get something that could be different for it, like a Maverick-style coaster, or dare I say it, an AquaTrax. Then again, I would be more than happy to see it get a GCI woodie instead.