Daily Spin 10.10.09

The industry blogosphere has expanded yet again! Busch Entertainment Corporation has launched its own blog which will cover the latest and greatest news from all the Worlds of Discovery parks. In addition to original content, the blog also contains links to relevant articles which have appeared in local media outlets. To help kick things off, Worlds of Discovery President Jim Atchison has provided a video welcome message as well as a personalized "letter" containing some general remarks about the recent sale of the parks to The Blackstone Group.

Wild Adventures PR Coordinator Micha Hogan has told the local media that the park will be adding three new rides for the 2010 season, all of which will be coming from the recently closed Celebration City, another Herschend property. The three rides slated for relocation are the Scrambler, Flying Scooter, and a "family roller coaster". As you might imagine, the reporter was not savvy enough to inquire about which Celebration City coaster will be relocated, but the dominant rumor is that it will most likely be the Jack Rabbit, a Miler family coaster. If that's the case, it's an interesting move (pun intended), as Wild Adventures already has a plethora of "family" coasters. But I'm sure it will be a great addition to the park nonetheless.

After being raised from the ocean floor just one short month ago, the historic bell from Coney Island's long lost Dreamland Park continues to make its exhibition rounds. This week, Borough President Marty Markowitz welcomed the bell to Brooklyn Borough Hall, where it will remain on public display through October 23. The recovery of the bell has sparked interest in more than just Dreamland. Local architect-slash-historian David Grider has since uncovered some interesting details abouts its maker, James Gregory. Amusing the Zillion has a great article which highlights his research and also includes some first-hand speculation from diver and bell discoverer Gene Ritter regarding where the bell may appear in the future.

If all goes well, a roller coaster may come to Green Bay, Wisconsin as early as 2011. A couple weeks ago it was reported that the city, which owns and operates Bay Beach Amusement Park, was seeking approval from the City Council to include a roller coaster as part of the 24-acre park expansion that's planned for the coming years. That approval came on September 30, and the city has already begun to explore its options. At this point it is unknown whether the proposed coaster will be a new construction or a ride purchased from another park, but city officials have stated that they are looking for something wooden, family friendly, and bigger than a kiddie coaster. It seems to me that there are a few SBNO coasters out there that could suit their needs nicely...Time will tell!