News Plus Notes took care of the Weekly Topic this time and the topic posed the question, “Does theming matter on a coaster?”
At a quick glance my reaction was yes. Theme adds a ton to a coaster, or so I thought. Then I thought about it a bit more, and of all of the themed coasters I have ever been on, I really just remember the ride. The theme might help to stir some memories, but the ride experience doesn’t change all that much.

Last Monday was April Fools Day, and as part of the usual amusements associated with the day, Jeff Putz, the CoasterBuzz editor, created a site for a park called Charmland USA. The site is generally poking fun of the people who hate when parks remove trees and “atmosphere” from amusement parks for future attractions. It is interesting to note that there are two distinct camps when it comes to this issue. The first is those who want a park to maintain as many trees as they can. The other group …