The Coaster101 Podcast

Can you believe that Dollywood is celebrating its 40th season? We can't either. Earlier this year, the park released a new documentary on their YouTube channel (and in syndication in their local television market) called "The Dollywood Dream." In just 40:00 - a clever easter egg, if you will - Director Devin Olson of Devin Olson Media (a familiar name to longtime Coaster101 readers) weaves a tale...

Yes, we know. It's been a while. (You try having any free time with a 3 month old puppy.) But we are back with a vengeance with an INCREDIBLE guest - the perfect person to bring us out of our hiatus.  If you've been following Coaster101.com's website, you'll know that we just celebrated our 20th birthday, and have been chronicling a number of notable coasters that opened in 2005, and like Coaster1...

In news that was somehow surprising and also not surprising, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced yesterday that the company would be closing Six Flags America at the end of the 2025 Season.  Evan and Eric join Andrew to talk all things Six Flags America, including previous visits, where attractions could end up, and if we think this is the last closure in the chain.  You can connect with...

Arguably the most important theme park opening in the United States in more than 25 years, Universal's Epic Universe officially opens in May. Fortunately, Shane has been able to visit the new park a few times during preview periods, and therefore has the scoop.  Shane joins Nick and Eric to talk all things Epic Universe on this week's episode. (At least that's what they told Andrew, who is writing...

As theme park fans who are chronically online, a fascinating story that has always eluded us with a conclusion was the disappearance of Buzzy - an audio-animatronic who was a central character in "Cranium Command" at Epcot's Wonders of Life Pavilion.  There is a new documentary currently on the "Film Festival Circuit" that unearths a little more about Urban Exploration, Abandoned Locations at Disn...

As the self-appointed "Roller Coaster Bureau Chief" of WGN-TV in Chicago, Marcus Leshock has seen it all, including a Double Rollback on Top Thrill "Cubs"ter at Cedar Point following a Cubs World Series win many years ago.  This week on the podcast, Marcus joins Andrew to talk all things coaster enthusiasm, his home park of Six Flags Great America, the demise of Kingda Ka, and the roller coasters...

Kentucky Kingdom is a park with a storied history - and they've recently announced one of the biggest investments in park history - the retheming of an area of the park, now known as Discovery Meadow. Three new rides, 10 reimagined rides. Two new dining concepts, the works! Best of all, this isn't the only thing to look forward to at Kentucky Kingdom in the next few years! Marketing Manger Logan S...

On episode 14 of the podcast, we interviewed Chris Foshee about all things social media. Now, five years and 146 episodes later (don't do the math, making a weekly show is tough!) - Chris is back, where he's now Regional Manager of Public Relations for Six Flags Over Georgia and Carowinds.  On this week's episode of the Coaster101 podcast, Chris joins Andrew to talk all things 2025 at both SFOG an...

If you follow theme parks on social media, you'll notice that a park in the Ozarks is built just a little differently. Interspersed with the "Buy your Season Pass Now" and "Hey, we're opening soon" graphics, you'll find a healthy dose of memes and the occasional shark reference. Funny enough the park prefers it that way, and you'll see why.  Joining us on the Coaster101 podcast this week are Silve...

Last week, Six Flags Over Georgia shocked the theme park world by giving their originally-new-for-2024-but-now-new-for-2025 roller coaster - formerly known as a Georgia Surfer - a new name and backstory, before the coaster ever gave its first rides.  It led us to think about other coasters whose names have changed and as coaster enthusiasts, we're inclined to pick one name or another. John and Eva...

As theme park fans, especially recently with D23 announcements, we're familiar with the term "blue sky," used to tease ideas that are just that - ideas. They might happen, they might not. Usually, the people making these decisions have an idea of what they're doing. This podcast...is not that.  Andrew is joined by his younger brother J.T., who took an idea he had over the holidays and ran with it...

Several years ago, we interviewed Broadway actor Nik Walker on our podcast, and talked all things theme parks. Many people claim to be theme park "nerds." Nik, who played Aaron Burr in Hamilton , Otis Williams in Ain't Too Proud , and Sir Galahad in Spamalot , not only "walks the walk," when it comes to being a theme park fan - he can "talk the talk." Folks, this man literally told People Magazine...

It's our first podcast episode of 2025 - so of course, we have to join the discourse of the news that dominated the last few months of 2024 - closed and closing roller coasters.  Roller coasters like Scorpion at Busch Gardens Tampa got a send-off, while others, like Kingda Ka and Anaconda did not. Did these coasters need to close? Did the parks owe fans a send-off? Are there probably plenty of fac...

Do you like the sound of Andrew's voice on the Coaster101 podcast? Well, sorry. Because this week, there's no Andrew, but there is the dynamic duo of Eric and Shane, who attended the 2024 IAAPA Expo in Orlando! You can connect with the show by hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram . We also have a website, if you're into that sort of thing: www.coaster101.co...

One of the more fascinating ongoing stories in the theme park world in the past several years has been the construction of Mattel Adventure Park in Glendale, Arizona. Featuring two roller coasters from Chance Rides, including the first-ever launched Hyper GT-X coaster, the Mattel Adventure park is scheduled to open in the next few months.  This week on the podcast, Andrew is joined by Cindy Emeric...

Deep in the throes of announcement season, the Coaster101 team comes together to talk all things "New for 2025" Coasters in North America. Yes, there are coasters opening elsewhere, but have you looked at our listening audience? What's our favorite coaster? What will be the sleeper hit? How do you pronounce Rakshasa? All these questions and more answered by Andrew, John, Larry and Evan on this wee...

No Blue Sky. Dirt is Moving. We're getting the long rumored door coaster, the Rivers of America are being replaced by Cars, and the best Disney Parks announcement might be at Hong Kong Disneyland? That can only mean one thing, it's D23 time.  Nick, John, Shane and Andrew join the podcast, sans musical interludes, to discuss everything that came out of the Disney Experiences Panel at D23. No stone...

Following the success of their "Legacy of Arrow" Documentary, the team behind shorts and films including the "Lost Parks of California" and "The Path to Railblazer" is back again with a new documentary, "The Legacy of Schwarzkopf," debuting this fall.  Andrew is joined this week by Producer Kris Rowberry and Cameraman Robert Ingle to talk all things about the new documentary, which will be premier...

It's no surprise that we talk about Carowinds a lot on this podcast, but this week, we're joined by one of the people whose job it is to make Carowinds look and sound good, both in and outside of the park.  A longtime friend of the podcast and industry veteran, Carowinds' Brand Activation Manager Chris Keith joins the podcast to talk all things Carowinds, his career in the industry, tangents, the...

What if we told you that over the past few years, a major project that has been on the minds of coaster enthusiasts isn't at a "traditional" theme park but rather at a motorsports complex that hosts NASCAR, F1, and Moto GP races each year? Located at Austin, Texas' Circuit of the Americas, COTALAND is slowly but surely becoming a reality, proven by the fact that the track work park's first major c...

The biggest news in recent theme park history happened last week, so, officially a week after the dust has settled, Andrew and Eric are here to talk about it.  We're talking all things Six Flags Entertainment Corp this week. Should they have an all park pass? If so, how much should it cost? Should they offer a regional pass? What's something you want to bring from one legacy chain to the other and...

You always remember your first time...Wait. That sounded weird. But as coaster enthusiasts, heading to a park for the first time can be a memorable experience, especially when that park is Cedar Point.  Shane joins Andrew to talk about his first-ever trip to Cedar Point, which, while it lacked Top Thrill 2, made up for it with 50 coaster rides over three days! Shane also visited the new Dreamworks...

Baby, we're ready to go!  Coaster Enthusiast eyes around the world were fixated on Sandusky, OH for the debut of Top Thrill 2, the spiritual successor to Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster. Fortunately for us, two C101 team members were among the first riders to ascend to the top of Top Thrill 2's twin 420' structures.  The "Ohi-bros" Nick and Kyle join Andrew this week with a report from Top Thril...

We've reached the point of the year where new roller coasters are opening all across the country - and fortunately for us, we have some "boots on the ground" taking first rides! Andrew is joined this week by Coaster101's newest writer Evan, who headed to Allentown, PA to take on the 160' tall Iron Menace Dive Coaster at Dorney Park - the first of its kind coaster in the region!  Evan talks all thi...

Spring Break at Disney...but make it a double!  C101 writer Nick joins Andrew on the podcast to talk about their respective Spring Break Disney Trips - Nick with a traditional family vacation with his wife and two kids on a four-day Disneyland Vacation, and Andrew with a "Smash & Grab" day and a half at Magic Kingdom and Epcot while in Orlando for a conference.  We talk TRON, Guardians, Genie+...