We kick off the show by apologizing for mispronouncing ArieForce One last week and addressing some of the comments about the UAE. A used coaster really is cheaper than a new one, but moving it is never as simple as it sounds, because the queue, the layout, and often the ride itself need changes. On the UAE, listeners raised labor conditions, LGBTQ safety, and J.K. Rowling, and we address each one based on firsthand experience living and working in the region.
Then, the news. Legoland Dubai, Real Madrid World, and Motiongate reopen on October 7, which means many people in the region are going back to work.
Sphere is bringing The Wizard of Oz back on September 25 with new effects, including animatronic winged monkeys flying overhead, scents, glitter, and what the release calls pyrotechnics. The building and the screen were the expensive part, so each new layer is relatively cheap, and each one makes the show something you can't recreate at home.
In Pigeon Forge, Rocky Top Mountain Coaster is running a nighttime overlay called Zombie Invasion, with live actors, fog, and military props along a track that already had half a million dollars of lighting. The coaster is already paid for, and fog rising off a hillside on the Parkway is better marketing than any billboard.
Finally, the Golden Ticket Awards. Dollywood won four, the most of any park. Six Flags Fiesta Texas won for Monster Mash Bash a year after winning for Voodoo Dolls, and Europa-Park was named best park. Nobody agrees with every winner, but the awards recognize excellence, and the whole industry benefits when they do.
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