CoasterRadio.com - Theme Park Blog and Podcast: 2016

Thursday, May 26, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1033 - Summer is Here!

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THIS WEEK:
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!

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FEEDBACK + PROMOTION
You can ask your questions, make comments and be part of the show!
• Download the FREE CoasterRadio.com App for iOS (you can call the show directly from the app)
• Email: feedback@coasterradio.com

Talk about this episode by leaving a comment here on the blog.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1032 - Your Most "Engaging" Rides

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THIS WEEK:
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!

Friday, May 13, 2016

2016 Elementary School Coaster Design Project!

For the fourth year in a row, Layer Elementary and Lawton Elementary have asked the listeners of CoasterRadio.com to help them crown a winner in their "Coaster Design Project!"

The elementary school students, under the direction of their teachers (including CoasterRadio.com listener Keith Erickson), have designed amazing roller coasters using No Limits software.

The students are learning about the physics and design of thrill rides while having a lot of fun!

The entries have been narrowed down to ten finalists and now it's your turn to vote! Watch all ten and then vote for your favorite! If you want, leave a message for the kids here on the blog or on our Facebook page!

Thanks for voting and for supporting the students at Layer and Lawton Elementary!

ENTRY #1 - THE TUMBLER by Isabella and Khayari

ENTRY #2 - WATERMELON by Odyssey and Genesis

ENTRY #3 - THE BLACK SHADOW by Emily and Peyton

ENTRY #4 - THE BLACKOUT by Tyler and David

ENTRY #5 - THE CHEETAH WARS by Alicia and Giselle

ENTRY #6 - PHYBIX by Emily and Hannah

ENTRY #7 - BFF UNIPHANT

ENTRY #8 - VIPER

ENTRY #9 - THRILLER

ENTRY #10 - ZOOM

Thursday, May 12, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1031 - Cedar Secrets with Matt Ouimet and Tony Clark

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THIS WEEK:
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.

All this and much, much more!

Wednesday, May 04, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1030 - Media Day! Valravn and Storm Chaser

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THIS WEEK:
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!

Thursday, April 28, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1029 - Indiana Beach: A Diamond in the Rough

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THIS WEEK:
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!

All this and much, much more!

Thursday, April 21, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1028 - "He's HUGE! He's HUGE!"

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THIS WEEK:
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!

Thursday, April 14, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1027 - Hagrid Goes Hollywood

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THIS WEEK:
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!

Thursday, April 07, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1026 - Get Your Ass to Mars!

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THIS WEEK:
Mike and EB have returned from from Dollywood and are back in-studio!

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!

Thursday, March 31, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1025 - 2016 "Reel" Design Contest Finals

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THIS WEEK:
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!

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1024 - LIVE at Dollywood!

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THIS WEEK:
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!

WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
• Click here to subscribe via RSS
• You can also subscribe via Stitcher

SUPPORT THE SHOW
Start your AMAZON.COM shopping by clicking here!
Help produce the show!

HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!
We’d love it if you could please share CoasterRadio.com with your twitter followers. Click here to post a tweet!

If you liked this episode, head to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe!

FEEDBACK + PROMOTION
You can ask your questions, make comments and be part of the show!
• Download the FREE CoasterRadio.com App for iOS (you can call the show directly from the app)
• Email: feedback@coasterradio.com

Talk about this episode by leaving a comment here on the blog.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1023 - Dollywood Meet-Up Preview

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

All this and much, much more!

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Vote for the Finalists in the 2016 "Reel" Design Contest!

We received dozens and dozens of entries for this year's "Reel" Design Contest - where we give listeners of CoasterRadio.com a chance to design a theme park attraction based on any movie ever made.

We narrowed the entries into 10 Semi-Finalists and then down to the three finalists you see before you.

Check out their ride designs and then VOTE!

Soon, you'll find out if you vote matched our industry experts!

Tim Wilson - Creature from the Black Lagoon
Tom from Louisville - Crimson Peak: Descent into Madness
Kevin Wilson - Dick Tracy: Calling All Cars

CoasterRadio.com #1022 - "Reel" Design Contest Semifinals

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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

Don't forget to vote for one of the finalists!
(But don't click this link until you've listened to the whole episode!)

All this and much, much more!

Thursday, March 03, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1021 - The Park's Urge to Surge?

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THIS WEEK:
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!

Thursday, February 25, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1020 - The Legacy of Arrow

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THIS WEEK:
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. You can watch the full documentary below. (31:52)

All this and much, much more!

Thursday, February 18, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1019 - Off Season High Rollers

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THIS WEEK:
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!

Thursday, February 11, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1018 - Listener Questions: Part II

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THIS WEEK:
It's an off-season favorite! 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!

Thursday, February 04, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1017 - Listener Questions: Part 1

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THIS WEEK:
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!

Thursday, January 28, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1016 - 2016 Preview with Arthur Levine: Part 2

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THIS WEEK:
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!

Thursday, January 21, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1015 - 2016 Preview with Arthur Levine: Part 1

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THIS WEEK:
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
Derren Brown's Ghost Train 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!

Thursday, January 14, 2016

CoasterRadio.com #1014 - CoasterDaums 2016

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THIS WEEK:
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!