91. Roller Coasters

They’ve long been associated with crime and blight. Now, the investors are moving in. Zachary Crockett follows the trail. This episode was originally published on September 17th, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collect ... Show More

It takes fungi-sniffing dogs, back-room deals, and a guy named “The Kingpin” for the world’s most coveted morsel to end up on your plate. Zachary Crockett picks up the scent. This episode was originally published on September 10th, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. ... Show More

Who makes the stacks of fake cash used in movies — and how do they stay clear of counterfeit law? Zachary Crockett follows the fake money. This episode was originally published on September 3rd, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information a ... Show More

<p>Amusement parks are enduring vacation destinations for American families. The rides, the long lines for rides, the concessions, the long lines for concessions — these are practically familial rites of passage. Theme parks are also enormous moneymakers, with industry leaders su ... Show More

Around the world, entertainment companies are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on shiny new theme park rides and attractions. It's a highly competitive market.They're big money-spinners for the owners and can help boost local economies too. We look at why a medium-sized t ... Show More

Meta just launched ad-free Instagram in Europe — But we think Zuck doesn’t want it to work because price ($17/mo) is a signal.Estée Lauder’s beauty stock just plummeted to its lowest level in 6 years — Because it turns out nearly ⅓ of its sales come from airports.And Six Flags ju ... Show More

On today's show, an amusement park has a new rollercoaster with a twist! ...or should we say tilt?? For the whole podcast, as well as a ton of other exclusive perks, sign up to be a Fancy Idiot at FreeBeerAndHotWings.com! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio ... Show More

Square wraps up a strong fiscal year but shares fall on slowing growth. Same-store sales for Lowe’s grew 28% in the 4th quarter, but pessimism remains about 2021. Despite a rough 4th-quarter report, Six Flags hits a 52-week high on optimism for “The Great Reopening”. Clay Bruning ... Show More

Subscribe to The Best Idea Yet here: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/Who wouldn’t want to visit the happiest place on Earth? Well — at the start of the 1950s, it seemed like no one did, at least not when Walt Disney pitched the idea. Sure, Walt had revolutionized anim ... Show More

Leah Washington and her new boyfriend Joe Pugh are on their first day out together. They're at Alton Towers theme park, where they've chosen to ride the "Smiler" rollercoaster: a terrifying tangle of track that loops and swoops through a world-record 14 inversions. Leah and Joe a ... Show More

Fiona Eastwood, CEO of Merlin Entertainments tells Sean Farrington what it is like running one of the world’s leading entertainment companies. Merlin runs over a hundred theme parks and attractions around the world from Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures, to Sea Life ... Show More

Coney Island still has the classic amusements you’d expect today like roller coasters, water slides, and carnival games. But over a century ago, it looked more like a proto–Disney World, with multiple theme parks, colossal buildings, and wildly imaginative rides. The most extrava ... Show More

Tesla just opened something completely wild: a drive-in movie theater diner / charging station… run by robots.About ½ of all zippers are made by 1 company: YKK… it’s the most international brand on earth.WNBA All-Stars wore pay-protest t-shirts on the court… so we’re breaking dow ... Show More