Rides delay deflates coaster fans
From detnews.com:
TweetSANDUSKY, Ohio — Roller coaster fans who have been closely watching Cedar Points newest roller coaster rise above ground since last summer were deflated when the park said the ride wont open this weekend.
“I was very disappointed,” said Mike Kaman, who operates a Web site for Cedar Point fans. “But I understand — the park needs to do what they need to do.”
The $21 million Maverick coaster is undergoing a last-minute fix to repair three sections of track and wont open until at least early June, the park said this week.
The steel coaster is one of the most expensive projects in the history of the amusement park, which is popular with coaster enthusiasts because of its collection of record-breaking rides.
Maverick will have a 100-foot first drop and launch riders through a tunnel at speeds of 70 mph. It will be Cedar Points 17th roller coaster, more than any other park in the world.
While the coaster wont be the parks fastest or tallest, it has generated a lot of excitement.
“Nobodys more disappointed than we are,” said Cedar Point spokesman Bryan Edwards. “We put a lot of time, money and effort to have this ride ready for opening day and we cant now.”
The park is replacing three sections of track where the coaster goes through a 360-degree roll. Tests showed there was too much stress on the trains, the park said.
Professor Disney
From cnn.com:
Business 2.0 Magazine — Its hardly Harvard, or even the University of Phoenix. But Walt Disney is getting into the education business.
CEO Robert Iger isnt satisfied with making your movies, amusement park rides, TV shows, toys, Halloween costumes and lunchboxes. Now he wants to educate you — about technology — free of charge.
Starting today, Disney Charts, Fortune 500 will open enrollment for seven online courses on Family.com, its how-to site for moms that covers everything from quick cooking to home schooling.
Disneys goal is pretty clear: Its family-friendly websites attract ads for juice boxes and credit cards, but its content isnt a natural fit for tech advertisers. So all the classes — which you can find at learningcenter.family.go.com – cover tech topics: “Digital Photography Made Simple,” “Digital Music Your Way, “Getting HDTV in 4 Easy Steps,” “Converting Videotapes to DVD,” and more.
TweetDisney Travel Channel Launches
From mediapost.com:
TweetIN AN EFFORT TO PERK up two business categories–travel and theme parks–Walt Disney is launching a video-on-demand channel, Disney Travel.
Two cable systems will be part of the initial launch, Cablevision Systems and Time Warner Cable, which will reach more than 9 million viewers. The channel will include reality, special-event content and concerts, all focusing on Disney parks worldwide.
“Consumers are multi-channeling all the time,” says Michael Mendenhall, executive vice president of global marketing for Disney Parks & Resorts. “And 86% of our guests use the Internet.”
Unique to this channel is its interactivity, which will include letting viewers talk to a Disney travel agent. “Before, you would have to enter all this information on the Disney site,” says Mendenhall. “Now, within five and 15 minutes, we will call your home.” For a long time Disney has had it own travel agency business–an effort to push its theme-park business.
Disney got the hint that a travel channel might work, given the strong response to its vacation-planning DVDs. Mendenhall says there is a lot of entertainment on the DVD, and people were screening it as regular TV content.
Ski show coming to Islands of Adventure
From universalorlando.com:
TweetHydroAction Ski Show – June 15 – August 18
Thrills and excitement take to the water as world-class athletes turn the Lagoon at Universal’s Islands of Adventure into their own water-filled playground.Guests will delight as these thrill seekers perform aquatic acrobatics. Add to the mix the latest toys, including high-speed boats, jet-skis, and wakeboards, set to a blend of high-energy music and you have a show jam-packed with action!
NECA Gets The Princess Bride
From action-figure.com:
The Princess Bride will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a licensing program befitting a queen. Act III Licensing plans a variety of programs, including exposure at Steve & Barry’s with T-shirts and loungewear for men and women in fall. Fox Home Entertainment will also come to market with a special-edition DVD to hit stores this fall. Details surrounding the release and marketing plans will be revealed soon. Other new licensees include: NECA for figures, novelty gifts, accessories and stationery
I hope there is a 2-pack with Inigo Montoya and the 6-fingered-man.
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