Daily Spin 6.6.09

As the "on" season kicks into full swing, the ever innovative marketing gurus at Hersheypark continue to assault our senses with technology. This week the park reminded the Facebook community to check out the "Hersheypark Today" mobile web site (mobile.hersheypark.com), which provides up-to-the-minute information on burning topics such as ride statuses and entertainment schedules. Definitely something to check out for all you technophiles who are cool enough to own an iPhone or some other fun toy that actually makes surfing the web on a mobile device somewhat enjoyable! On another technological front, the team has supplemented the supremely entertaining Hersheypark Hits the Road blog with an equally entertaining series of videos that capture John and Luke's antics during their recent trip to the Sunshine State. These videos are available for your viewing pleasure on Hershey's YouTube channel as well as the blog itself. Hilarious!

Speaking of technology, this week Morey's Piers launched their brand new web site, a facelift that was 10 months in the making. Norris Clark, Director of Sales and Marketing, called the effort "the most involved project the marketing department has undertaken in years". I must say their hard work has paid off, because the site looks great! Among other things, a slew of new multimedia components have been added, including a new and improved 360-degree interactive tour, audio introductions to each of the main navigation areas by their respective team leaders, and the option to view the site in "day", "night", or "thrill" mode. Be sure to check it out!

In other seaside news, the North Myrtle Beach City Council has approved new amusement park guidelines which will allow the proposed plan to build a small, family-oriented park along Ocean Boulevard to move forward. The park, which will be called O.D. Pavilion and Amusement Park ["O.D." referring to the Ocean Drive section of Myrtle Beach], is scheduled to open August 1 and will stay open through Labor Day weekend. If all goes well, it will reopen next year for a full summer season. You can read more about the park in this article from The Sun News.

Carol and Jerome Albert, former owners of Coney Island's beloved but now defunct Astroland, have donated one of the stars that used to adorn Astroland's entrance to the Smithsonian collection according to this article. The 8-foot tall, 200-pound star, which features 160 light bulbs, is slated to be put on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Northern Virginia sometime in 2011. Margaret A. Weitekamp, a curator at the National Air and Space Museum who hand-picked this particular star, noted that the Alberts had originally offered to donate Astroland's famed rocket simulation ride but that particular item proved to be "a little more than the Air and Space Museum could handle". But since the rocket has since found a good home-not-away-from-home as well, the story has a happy ending. Or at least, as happy of an ending as you can get when it comes at the expense of losing Astroland. At least we will not lose its history!