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.

Talk about this in the CoasterRadio.com forums.

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.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from everyone here at CoasterRadio.com!

Sun 7 News

Of course, you can have a video like this for yourself too!

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!

A "Monster" Deal!

One of the coolest rides around is "Monster Plantation" at Six Flags Over Georgia. When, EB visited the park in 2006, he said it was his favorite ride in the whole park.

The ride is currently being renovated and some of the old monsters are "moving out" to make room for new tennants.

Six Flags Over Georgia has come up with a great idea to raise money for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. They are auctioning off one of the monsters to the highest bidder! That means YOU can own one of these classic creations!

The monster's name is "Scout," and he is one of the members of the "Little Monster Club." He was designed and created by Gary Goddard Productions for the ride opening in 1981. Scout is approximately 42" tall, 33" wide and 35" in depth. The animatronic figure used air compression for movement, and Scout comes with the air valves still in tact inside of him.

All proceeds from the sale of Scout will go towards Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. An adoption certificate will accompany Scout.