Coaster Radio: The Original Theme Park Podcast

It's Memorial Day weekend! That means the parks are open daily! We start this week by discussing an LA Times article about the abundance of sponsorship at the theme park. Is this a major annoyance to guests? Or does nobody care at all? Our Park Hopper segment focuses on Rye Playland in New York! The guys learn a lot about the unique and antique attractions at this classic park. We also have a Live Trip Report from Carowinds and some updates on past CoasterRadio.com topics! Plus, we go LIVE to Layer Elementary School and Lawton Elementary school to talk with over 200 kids and find out the winner of their Coaster Design Contest! All this and much, much more!

We talk about the latest RMC to hit the scene... Joker at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom! We also have a Live Trip Report and a Wedding Invitation from Germany! Will Mike and EB travel to Europe for a listener's wedding? Our Park Hopper segment focuses on Dorney Park in Allentown, PA! There's a lot to know about this former trout pond and park! Finally, our Interactive Topic asks listeners to name their favorite ride with two stipulations. It can't be a roller coaster and it can't be at a Disney or Universal Park. All this and much, much more!

The Incredible Hulk is about to ROAR back to life at Islands of Adventure. We'll talk about the new entrance, queue, storyline and sleek coaster trains. Shanghai Disneyland opens next month, but the park is in soft openings now. That means people are starting to take video of the rides, including Soarin' Over the World, Tron Light Cycle Power Run and the incredible new Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Sunken Treasure. However, Mike isn't thrilled with the quality of the video. We have a Live Trip Report from Dorney Park and our Park Hopper segment about Enchanted Forest in Oregon! Finally, we have Kevin and Cincinnati Jon's interview with Cedar Fair's CEO Matt Ouimet and Cedar Point's Director of Communications Tony Clark. Yes, they talk about Valravn, but they also talk about the park itself and what plans they have for 2016 and beyond.

Tis' the Season for MEDIA DAYS! Fresh off their Media Day at Cedar Point, Kevin and Cincinatti Jon join Mike and EB to talk about their first ride on the longest, tallest and fastest dive coaster - VALRAVN! Then, we head to Kentucky where EB had a chance to ride RMC's latest coaster creation - Storm Chaser at Kentucky Kingdom! All this and much, much more!

This week's show epitomises the term "jam packed!" We start with our First Drop... focusing on the court appearance of Merlin. They took full responsibility for last year's tragic accident at Alton Towers involving "The Smiler." We play the first Live Trip Report for 2016! It comes from Ben at the Opening Day of Six Flags Great America. We have an update on Lightning Rod at Dollywood and new POV videos of upcoming attractions that were released this week. Mike tells us about his trip to Las Vegas and our Park Hopper segment is all about Six Flags St. Louis. Finally, we talk with Don Hurd, the Marketing Director at Indiana Beach to find out about their new ownership, the enhancements to the park and their 90th season!

Mike is out of town this week, much like he was back in 2006 when he attended the Media Preview for Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom. To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of this ride, we replay our interview with Animal Kingdom's Lead Designer, Imagineer Joe Rohde. It's fascinating to hear him speak about the ride nine months before it's grand opening. He talks about the storyline, the ride system and yes... the infamous Yeti. We'll also play Mike's on-ride audio from his first experience with Expedition Everest. It gave birth to a famous catch-phrase that still lives on in 2016! All this and much, much more!

Walt Disney World is experimenting with charging people for the privilege of entering the park early or be able to stay past normal closing times. Will the regional parks follow suit? What would a program like that look like at, say, Cedar Point? This week's ParkHopper is all about Legoland Florida. Would an average theme park fan enjoy this park? Or is it only for the kids? Universal Studios Hollywood opened its version of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. What are the early reviews like? And will we have an appearance by our favorite friendly Half-Giant? Plus, we talk with Roger Ross from California's Great America about recent rumors surrounding the park. Is it in danger of closing? We get to the bottom of it! All this and much, much more!

Mike and EB have returned from from Dollywood and are back in-studio! This week, they spend the First Drop segment going over all of the news they missed while out on the road... including a new roller coaster coming to Busch Gardens Williamsburg in 2017! In this week's Park Hopper segment, the guys turn their attention to Kennywood in West Mifflin, PA! And, the guys review what happened after the Dollywood Meet-Up! It's a full review of a bunch of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg attractions including Alpine Coasters, Haunted Houses and MOONSHINE! Plus, CoasterRadio.com Theater returns! All this and much, much more!

Mike and EB come to you from Dollywood to unveil the judges' decision in the 2016 "Reel" Design Contest! Over the past two months, CoasterRadio.com listeners have submitted their ride designs for attractions based on any movie, TV show or video game. This week, our esteemed panel of judges have each rendered their verdict! Our judging panel includes: Legendary Attraction Creator Gary Goddard Ernest Yale, CEO of TrioTech Korey Kiepert from The Gravity Group Dom McChesney from Sudden Impact Entertainment Arthur Levine, Theme Parks Guide from About.com 2012 Reel Design Winner, Travis LaRiviere Which of our finalists will be crowned the 2016 "Reel" Design Contest Champion? Kevin Wilson - Dick Tracy: Calling All Cars Tim Wilson - Creature from the Black Lagoon Tom from Louisville - Crimson Peak: Descent into Madness All this and much, much more!

The show comes to you from the first CoasterRadio.com Listener Meet-Up of 2016 at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN! Mike, EB and a LIVE studio audience review the rides, food and other attractions at this classic southern park. Plus, there are a few surprise guests!

THIS WEEK: Mike and EB preview the first CoasterRadio.com Listener Meet-up of 2016 at Dollywood! All this and much, much more!

THIS WEEK: Mike and EB detail each of the 10 Semi-Finalists in the Reel Design Contest! Check out each of the Semi-FInalists! Steve Mosley - Bilbo’s Barrel Rush Tim Wilson - Creature from the Black Lagoon Chris Ayala - A Goofy Movie Sean Catherall - James Bond: Life or Death Casino Benjamin Van Bowl - Dr. Who: Blink FD Kirkman - Rita Skeeter Presents - Behind the Scenes of the TriWizard Cup Tom from Louisville - Crimson Peak: Descent into Madness Matt Summers - Wall-E and Eve Rollercoaster at EPCOT Kevin Wilson - Dick Tracy: Calling All Cars Richard from Oregon - Jurassic Park Gyrospheres All this and much, much more!

Six Flags made a surprise announcement about how they will be adding Virtual Reality to nine of their roller coasters across North America. Mike and EB will discuss the pros and cons and whether this will be a fad or a longtime hit. (2:10) "Park Hopper" returns as we go into detail about Adventuredome in Las Vegas. (15:37) We unveil the final five semi-finalists in the 2016 Reel Design Contest! (24:37) Plus, Disney announced surge pricing based on the time of year you visit. Mike and EB (with the help of the audience) debate whether this trend will come to the regional parks. (47:17) All this and much, much more!

This week, Mike monopolizes the "Off-Topic" segment to complain about ABC's two-hour broadcast that was supposed to be a celebration of Disneyland's 60th Anniversary. (0:57) "Park Hopper" returns as we go into detail about Busch Gardens Williamsburg. (9:35) We unveil the next three semi-finalists in the 2016 Reel Design Contest! (18:22) Plus, we'll interview the production team who created a fantastic documentary called "The Legacy of Arrow." We'll talk about the history and tradition of "Arrow Dynamics" and the unique story of their company. The documentary will be available worldwide on Friday, February 26th at noon Eastern.(31:52) All this and much, much more!

This week, Off-Topic returns with a strange story about an "amorous" couple who got caught "knockin' boots" on the High Roller Ferris Wheel in Las Vegas. (2:58) We unveil the first three semi-finalists in the 2016 Reel Design Contest! (14:22) And we play Theme Park Smarts! The game show where a CoasterRadio.com listener must figure out how much an average person on the street knows about theme parks! (32:04) All this and much, much more!

Part II of our 2016 Listener Question Show is here! Mike and EB tackle your pressing questions, both on-topic and off-topic! Some highlights: 2:35 - What "holidays" would we add to Holiday World 5:32 - What countries would we add toWorld Showcase 8:30 - Our celebrity "Free Passes" 11:27 - Reactions to "CoasterBoy Christmas Carol" 12:58 - CoasterBoy Puppet Videos 14:45 - What sports did we play growing up? 18:43 - What if we received $100,000 per month on Patreon 22:21 - A Theme Park Conundrum 25:02 - Theme Park Change Haters 27:30 - A CoasterRadio.com Restaurant? 36:13 - Listeners who looks like their voices 38:52 - Preventing CR Burnout 41:20 - CoasterRadio.com without Mike and EB? 45:18 - CoasterRadio.com and LHM Lawyers 46:43 - Judge EB rules on a Summer Trip 49:39 - A Disney Listener Meet-Up 50:37 - A Show or character we regret 51:56 - Our views on Fastpass - Queue Jumping Systems 54:27 - EB’s favorite coaster 55:38 - Thoughts on Canada’s Wonderland New Attraction 56:53 - Which Non-American parks would we like to visit? 58:35 - Geocaching 1:01:05 - EB's Nintendo Games 1:01:57 - Kentucky Kingdom Renaissance 1:03:15 - What music do we like and dislike? 1:05:41 - Our Top Five Parks All this and much, much more!

It's an off-season favorite! The 2016 Listener Question Show is here! Mike and EB tackle your pressing questions, both on-topic and off-topic! Some highlights: 2:20 - What was your most memorable ride with a loved one? 3:28 - Is Millennium Force scarier than El Toro? 4:25 - Where was your first kiss? 7:10 - Have you ever been embarrassed to admit that you host a podcast about theme parks? 18:49 - Funny high school stories 36:54 - Will the Joint Chiefs Return? 38:52 - Have you ever seen a ride that you’re too terrified to ride? 41:00 - CoasterRadio: The Movie 43:56 - Should an alpine coaster count as a coaster credit? 46:10 - Holiday World’s Next Coaster? 47:08 - Fastlane vs. Frightlane 49:41 - Are theme parks better with alcohol? All this and much, much more!

The 2016 Season will be here before you know it! To get you ready, we're joined by Arthur Levine, the theme parks expect from About.com to preview 35 different new attractions. Part I of this series was last week! Part II is here now! This week, we'll preview: Shanghai Disneyland The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood The Iron Man Experience at Hong Kong Disneyland Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Gale Force at Playland’s Castaway Cove Pulsar at Walabi Belgium Valravn at Cedar Point Mako at Sea World Orlando Luigi’s Rollickin' Roadsters at Disney’s California Adventure Total Mayhem at Six Flags Great Adventure Hunger Games Attractions at Motiongate Dubai Lego Movie 4D at Legoland Taron at Phantasialand Cobra’s Curse at Busch Gardens Tampa Skull Island: Reign of Kong at Islands of Adventure All this and much, much more!

The 2016 Season will be here before you know it! To get you ready, we're joined by Arthur Levine, the theme parks expect from About.com to preview 35 different new attractions over the next two shows. This week, we'll preview: Galactica at Alton Towers Joker at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Storm Chaser at Kentucky Kingdom Soarin’ Round the World at EPCOT The Monster at Adventureland WC16 - Project Whitechapel at Thorpe Park Ghostrider at Knotts’ Berry Farm The New Revolution - Six Flags Magic Mountain Phobia Phear at Lake Compounce The Flying Dinosaur at Universal Studios Japan Lightning Rod at Dollywood Lego Ninjago at Legoland California Justice League: Battle for Metropolis at Six Flags Great America Wildfire at Kolmården Wildlife Park Mass Effect at California’s Great America Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare at Carowinds Frozen Ever After at EPCOT Disney Springs at Walt Disney World SFX Coaster at Ferarri World All this and much, much more!

It's the FIRST show of 2016! We kick off the new year by taking a look at your predictions about 2015? How many came true? How many were laughably off the mark, Then, we'll let you become "CoasterDamus" and make bold predictions for the 2016 Theme Park Season. What rides and attractions will be hits? Which ones will be failures? What crazy things will happen at the parks this year? Plus, we announce the start of the 2015 Reel Design Contest! Listen for details! All this and much, much more!

It's the FINAL show of 2015! We celebrate Christmas Eve by taking a look at the top new attractions in 2015! We take a look at listener voting from poll.coasterradio.com and crown the "Best New Attraction of 2015!" Plus, we have the traditional re-telling of "A CoasterBoy Christmas" and the finale of "A Coaster Carol!" All this and much, much more!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens this weekend! We are joined by Josh "Two Cents" Miely from Chips, Dips and Dorks to review his experience at Season of the Force at Disneyland - including a review of Hyperspace Mountain! Our Park Hopper segment heads to Fun Spot in Orlando, Florida. We'll talk about the interesting aspects of this park and review their two excellent roller coasters. We announce voting for "The Best New Attraction of 2015!" Cast your vote at poll.coasterradio.com. We also announce our next listener meet-up! Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 19, 2016 at Dollywood! We'll be among the first to ride the all new "Lightning Rod!" Finally, we'll be visited by the Ghost of Attractions Past... as CoasterRadio.com listeners regale us with tales of their favorite long-forgotten rides. Plus, we'll have PART III of "A Coaster Carol!" All this and much, much more!

Profiles in History is having an auction of some amazing pieces of Theme Park, Animation and Film History. On this week's "First Drop," we take a look at some of the headline items up for auction. We'll also have a Park Hopper segment that features The Great Escape and their unique place in the Six Flags Chain. We also have one of our "Interactive Topics" where we ask our listeners to call in with their most Controversial or Unpopular Opinions. As the title of this episode suggests... you won't believe what some of them think! We'll also have the second episode of our Holiday Classic - "A Coaster Carol!" All this and much, much more!

The SkyPlex project has been up for debate over the past few months. This week, we received word out of Orlando that the project has been approved by Orange County. What does this mean for the project and why did Universal Orlando object to the project in the first place? We have some ideas. We'll also have a Park Hopper segment that features Michigan's Adventure and their fantastic wooden coaster "Shivering Timbers." We'll welcome The Legend and Drew the Intern from "In the Loop" to talk about their coverage of the annual IAAPA Convention. We'll discuss all of the big announcements and find out about the interesting new things found on the show floor. We'll also have the first episode of our Holiday Classic - "A Coaster Carol!" All this and much, much more!

It's the 2015 CoasterRadio.com Holiday Gift Guide! This is our list of the best holiday gifts for Theme Park and Amusement Park fan!

Orlando's International Drive is set to be the home of the SkyPlex project - scheduled to include the world's tallest rollercoaster "Skyscraper." Joshua Wallack, the project's leader has been fending off opponents of the project, including Universal Orlando. We'll talk to Joshua to find out the latest on the project and and hear what could happen at the December 1st vote in front of the Orange County Commission. We'll also focus this week's "Park Hopper" segment on Quassy Amusement Park in Connecticut! Queasy is home of "Wooden Warrior..." a small, but thrilling wooden coaster from The Gravity Group! All this and much, much more!

This week, we interview Kevin Dumont, the owner of Liquid Planet Water Park in Candia, New Hampshire. He has chained himself to the top of one of his waterslides in an attempt to save his business from foreclosure. We have a live interview with him from his camp on top of the slide! We discuss the announcement from Sea World San Diego that they will be phasing out their Killer Whale shows from their park. Does this mean the end of all similar shows across the chain. We also discuss the new slew of attractions planned for 20th Century Fox World in Dubai... including one based on the 1997 film "Titanic." We also have our "Park Hopper" segment where we focus on Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho! All this and much, much more!

This week, EB reports from Kings Island in Ohio! He has tips and tricks to make your day at the park the best it can be!

It's Halloween Week here at CoasterRadio.com! We take a look at the Haunted Attraction Association's list of 17 "Top Haunted Attractions." We also have a bunch of Live Trip Reports from Halloween events all over the world. Our First Drop Segment focuses on a new World Record Roller Coaster attempt in England.... where all of the riders were naked. We also have this week's Park Hopper segment... featuring tons of tips and tricks for Six Flags Over Georgia! All this and much, much more!

It's October, 21, 2015 - the day Marty and Doc Brown travelled into the future in Back to the Future: Part II. To celebrate, we talk with the director of one of the greatest theme park attractions ever. This week, we're joined by Douglas Trumbull who created "Back to the Future: The Ride" at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood! We also talk about a developing story in Orlando - the Skyplex project (featuring the world's tallest roller coaster" is being opposed by several groups... including Universal Orlando! We'll discuss possible reasons. Last week, we discussed how a raccoon stumbled onto the tracks of Volcano: The Blast Coaster at Kings Dominion and met a sticky end. This week, we hear the real story behind the little critter. We have a trip report from Thorpe Park's Halloween event! We also have this week's Park Hopper segment... featuring tons of tips and tricks for Kings Island in Ohio! All this and much, much more!

Cedar Fair was testing Virtual Reality headsets on a roller coaster at Canada's Wonderland. We have the reaction. A raccoon stumbled onto the tracks of Volcano: The Blast Coaster at Kings Dominion and met a sticky end. We have thoughts about the raccoon's life. This week's Park Hopper segment features Lake Compounce in Connecticut. We all know about "Boulder Dash," but we'll also learn about the other great rides and attractions at this historic park. Joe from Parkscope joins us to review all of the houses at this year's Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando! All this and much, much more!

Mike and EB comments on how pieces of "The Incredible Hulk" coaster from Islands of Adventure are in the trash! Cincinnati Jon gives us a Live Trip Report from Kings Island's Halloween Haunt and Matt from Yorkshire calls in from Oktoberfest. We also have our first-ever "Park Hopper" segment focusing on Six Flags Great America! And we're joined by the creators of the "Mystic Motel" DIY dark ride!

This week, we kick off Season 10 with a re-cap of the past month's news... courtesy of CoasterBoy. We also have a Live Trip Report from Scarowinds, the results from our 2015 Listener Survey and the announcement of a brand new segment!

Season 10 of CoasterRadio.com kicks off with the premiere of our new video series starring the one and only COASTERBOY!

Phantasialand in Germany is building a new ride... and it's wild. An Irish guy took his taxi driver to a park in the UAE... and it gave us an idea. A Live Trip Report from Holiday World. The 2015 Listener Survey is here! Take it now! YOUR favorite theme park memories from 2015. All this plus a lot more!

Disney has announced something we've all been waiting for... STAR WARS LAND! Cedar Point's 2016 Announcement has been delayed because of a tradgedy. A Live Trip Report from Six Flags Magic Mountain. The 2015 Listener Survey is here! Take it now! YOUR favorite theme park attractions that use water creatively. All this plus a lot more!

Dollywood has announced "Lightning Rod" for 2016! EB and Mike break down the stats and the theme for you. Supposed details of Cedar Point's 2016 coaster have leaked. Do you believe it? A Live Trip Report from Midwest Jim gets interesting. Mike apologizes for a previous comment. The 2015 Listener Survey is here! Take it now! More stories from Cast Members! All this plus a lot more!

Riding a theme park attraction is fun enough as is, but now designers at HUSS want us to wear Virtual Reality devices to take the experience to a whole different level. Mike reviews Laff Track at Hersheypark and Flying Turns at Knoebels. Are they worth the hour-long waits? CoasterRadio.com listeners call in and write in for Part 1 of our Cast Member Stories Episode! All this plus a lot more!

EB tells behind-the-scenes stories from the second CoasterRadio.com Listener Meet-Up of 2015 at Knott's Berry Farm! He has reviews of Ghostrider, Pony Express, Silver Bullet and Voyage to the Iron Reef. We talk about "Storm Chaser," the new RMC retrofit at Kentucky Kingdom. All this plus a lot more!

The second CoasterRadio.com Listener Meet-Up of 2015 is at Knott's Berry Farm! EB made his first trip to Knott's and has reviews of Ghostrider, Pony Express, Silver Bullet and Voyage to the Iron Reef. Knott's Entertainment Supervisor Jeff Tucker joins us to talk about his career and his involvement with Knott's Scary Farm! All this plus a ton of listener interaction live from the park!

Cedar Fair CEO Matt Quimet gave an interesting interview to the Sandusky Register. The GM of Carowinds tweeted something interesting and then deleted it. OK, we'll bite. Our West-Coast Listener Meet-Up is at Knott's Berry Farm on Saturday, July 18th! Live Trip Reports make their triumphant return! Baron 1898 has opened at Efteling. Is it one of the best themed coasters in the world? They even make a 14-minute short film to tell its backstory! This and a whole lot more!

Disneyquest at Walt Disney World is closing down. We'll talk about the history of this attraction and why it didn't live up to its potential. One of our "Coaster-Damus" Predictions for 2015 has come to pass! Our West-Coast Listener Meet-Up is at Knott's Berry Farm on Saturday, July 18th! EB braves danger and shoots off high-octane fireworks for the The 2015 Sparktacular Exploosioloosa! This and a whole lot more!

Cannibal at Lagoon is almost ready to "devour" the competition. EB and Mike answer a listener e-mail from a man asking if he truly has the credibility to be a "Coasterboy." Our West-Coast Listener Meet-Up is at Knott's Berry Farm on Saturday, July 18th! Our Interactive Question asks listeners to vent about the Worst Policies invading theme parks this year. This and a whole lot more!

There might be proof of what new coaster Dollywood is getting in 2016. Is Disney coming back to Virginia with plans to finally build a park there? The Plusses and Minuses of "Plussing." Our West-Coast Listener Meet-Up is at Knott's Berry Farm on July 18th! Arthur Levine from about.com joins us to review Twisted Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Disneyland's 60th Anniversary. This and a whole lot more!

News this week about a fantastic new theme park attraction based on one of our FAVORITE 80's movies! We'll have an exclusive interview with the attraction's creators and, we'll explain how Mike Collins is involved.

New coasters are coming to Central Florida in 2016! Kenny joins us to review Justice League: Battle for Metropolis We tell some behind-the-scenes stories from the Listener Meet-Up! Brian and Juile review Wicked Cyclone We go live to the kids at Layer and Evans Elementary Schools in Florida to crown the winner of their Coaster Design Contest! This and a whole lot more!

Mike, EB and listeners from all over the world are at Cedar Point for the first-ever CoasterRadio.com Listener Meet-Up! The first-half of the show is from the Breakfast Tailgate party before the park opened. The second-half of the show is from the Lunch Cookout! The show features reviews of Cedar Point, a live raffle and interaction with the CoasterRadio.com Characters! This and a whole lot more!

Jonathan joins us for a first-hand review of Knott's "Voyage to the Iron Reef!" We have an interview with Triotech CEO Ernest Yale The CoasterRadio.com Listener Meet-Up at Cedar Point is a few days away. Six Flags opened Batman: the Ride and Justice League: Battle for Metropolis. Will we see ultra-themed lounges at the regional parks? This and a whole lot more!

Universal Orlando is on a roll! Kong returns in 2016 and Nintendo is on the way too! Mike visited Kings Dominion on their 40th Birthday and received a present of his own! The CoasterRadio.com Listener Meet-Up at Cedar Point is just one week away! Mike give in-depth reviews of Sea World San Diego and Belmont Park! This and a whole lot more!

We talk about a theme park that had a rough opening day. We have an opportunity for West Coast listeners to ride Knott's "Voyage to the Iron Reef" before anyone else! The CoasterRadio.com Listener Meet-Up at Cedar Point is just two weeks away! Mike and EB give in-depth reviews of Thunderbird and Tempesto. Not everyone loves Tempesto. This and a whole lot more!