CoasterRadio.com #634 - AJ from The Disney Food Blog

For this week's show, we hope you brought your appetites.

Because we're going to talk about some of the greatest places on earth to eat and drink... Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

Some of the most renowned chefs on earth work at the various Disney Resorts... cooking up tasty dishes and unbelievable pastries to tempt the theme park tourist.

To help us with our Culinary Conversation, we'll be joined by AJ, the creator of the preeminent place to learn about Dining at Disney, The Disney Food Blog.

Every week, AJ and her team of writers check out what's tasty and new at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.  They've uncovered so much information, they've included it all in a series of e-books! (You've got to check them out!!!)

Plus, we'll get into a debate on whether or not Disney should sell alcoholic beverages in their parks.  Not just in EPCOT and California Adventure, but ALL THE PARKS.

Would you like to have a tasty cocktail while walking through Adventureland?  You might be surprised at how some listeners answered that question.

We''ll also have a Live Trip Report from Hollywood Nights at Holiday World and a visit from the unruliest guest to ever visit Disneyland!

It's all this week on an all-new episode of The Original Theme Park Podcast! (DING!) 

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CoasterRadio.com #626 - California Questions

We've spent the past two shows going over every details of our California Trip that included visits to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

But even with two whole hours devoted to both parks, there were things we missed.

AND... the CoasterRadio.com audience was quick to remind us of the things we forgot to talk about.

PLUS, there were some things that we said about the Disney's West Coast parks that upset some of our listeners.  So, they sent strongly worded e-mails to let us know how they felt.

We had so many e-mails and interest about the last two shows, that we decided to set aside this episode and answer all of them!

Plus, we preview next week's show which is all about our visit to the set of "How I Met Your Mother." We even spill the beans on some of the stories about what we saw and did!

Make sure to set your DVRs to record "our" episode of HIMYM!  It airs Monday, April 16th at 8pm est on CBS!

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California Questions?

We've spent the past two shows talking about our visits to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

Our show in a two weeks about our visit to set set of "How I Met Your Mother" to meet Neil Patrick Harris and be background extras on the show is coming up.

So, with all of this "California Content," we're pretty sure you guys have some questions.

I'm sure there are some things we forgot to talk about in our descriptions of the Disneyland Resort.

Perhaps you disagreed with some of our reviews or thoughts about some of the headliner attractions there.

Perhaps you want to know more about this picture of EB and Pluto.

Whatever your query might be, we're ready to give you some answers.  So ask away!!!

Send us your questions to us by Tuesday, April 3rd at 8:00pm EST by e-mailing us at feedback@coasterradio.com.  You can also write on our Facebook Page or use our Contact Page!

The best option though is to call our voicemail line at 206-339-3360. Be a part of the show!

CoasterRadio.com #625 - Our Visit to Disney California Adventure!

The Original Theme Park Podcast returns with Part II of our California Trilogy of shows!

This week, we talk about all of the stories and details from our trip to Disney California Adventure.

This park has been on people's minds a lot lately as Disney wraps up its major construction projects including Buena Vista Street and Cars Land.

But will EB and Mike enjoy the park after visiting Disneyland just a few days before?

What will they think of attractions like Tower of Terror, Soarin', California Screamin' and Toy Story Midway Mania?

Plus, for the first time ever, CoasterRadio.com will present Binaural Audio from several points in the park... including audio from EB's first-ever ride on Tower of Terror.  You'll want to make sure that you have headphones handy so you can close your eyes and pretend you're there!

Next week, we want to hear from you with your questions about our California trip! Send them via e-mail, on Facebook and Twitter or by calling our Voicemail Line at 206-339-3360!

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CoasterRadio.com #624 - Live from Disneyland!

The picture says it all!

EB and Mike reunite to take on the park that essentially started the theme park industry.

This week, the guys are at Disneyland!

After spending 15 hours in the park, they experienced almost every ride and attraction on the Disneyland Map!

In a show that's partially on-location and partially in our studios, the guys review the park and all of the famous attractions for which Disneyland is known!

You might be surprised at which rides they really liked and which ones lead to "anticipointment."

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CoasterRadio.com #621 - "Reel" Design Contest Semi-Finals (Part 1)

For weeks and weeks, people from all over the world have been dreaming up new ideas for theme park attractions based on hit movies.

They've tried to carefully re-tell a story from a beloved film using the latest and greatest technologies available to the amusement industry.

Some have been drawing up blueprints and schematics, others have been sketching out storyboards, while others have been writing simple paragraphs detailing their ride experience.

Today, we find out which ideas will take their first steps on the road to super stardom.

Today, we begin the Semi-Final Round of the 2012 "Reel" Design Contest.

On this week's show, EB and Mike reveal the first five Semi-Finalists and discuss each entry in detail.

What parts of the attraction concept work?  What are some things that might need to change?  Could the design actually work in a real-life theme park?

We'll announce the next five Semi-Finalists on next week's show.  Then, we'll narrow the Top 10 entries down to three finalists.

Those finalists will be judged by an esteemed panel of industry experts... including:

* Neil Patrick Harris
* Gary Goddard, Founder and CEO, The Goddard Group
* Dan Koch, President of Holiday World and Splashin' Safari
* Korey Kiepert, Engineer & Partner at The Gravity Group
* Dave Altman, President, American Coaster Enthusiasts
* Arthur Levine, Theme Park Guide, About.com
* Lance Hart, Editor of Screamscape.com
* Andre from Miami, FL - The 2006 "Reel" Design Contest Winner

Plus, we also have a LIVE REPORT from the Disneyland Resort.  Apparently, there has been a disturbance outside of the Terror or Terror at Disney California Adventure. We have a live microphone on-site to get to the bottom of the situation.

All that and much more, this week on CoasterRadio.com!

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A Surreal Scene at Disneyland

I don't know what's the strangest part of this video.

Is it the (allegedly) drunk, belligerent man who keeps throwing punches even after being doused with pepper spray?

Is it the group of "dudes" who keep a running commentary going throughout the incident?

Is it the annoying lady (who Lance Hart from screamscape.com says sounds an awful like our own "Hysterical Disney Mom?")

Is it the three or four park guests who jumped in to help the cast member?

Disney Security must have been dealing with something on the other side of the park, because most times, they're on an incident like this within 60 seconds!

Anyway, there is some strong language and a bit of violence in this clip.  It's PG-13, so watch at your own risk!

And on a separate note, when will people learn to shoot video the correct way?  They should be holding their phone horizontally, not vertically! Fill the screen, gentlemen!

I can't wait to give this a try!

Luigi's Flying Tires! Opening in 2012 at Disney California Adventure!

CoasterRadio.com #535 - Our New Voiceover Artist - NPH!

For each individual season of Coaster Radio, EB and Mike like to have something called a "story arc."

Basically, it's a common theme and storyline that can carry over throughout an entire season of the show.

For season four, we followed Mike as he prepared for and ultimately triumphed at The American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

But in Season Five, the guys  unveiled their most ambitious "story arch" ever - The Neil Patrick Harris Project.

EB and Mike wanted to have a major celebrity (who happened to love theme parks) agree to become the voiceover artist that introduces each episode of the show.

They locked on film, television and stage star Neil Patrick Harris, who turned out to be a listener of the show already!

This week, after ten months of wacky contests, Towers of Treats and major charity events, Neil is ready to announce whether he will become a part of the Original Theme Park Podcast!

We also welcome back an old friend, Arthur Levine - the theme parks guide at about.com!

Arthur recently had a chance to ride Star Tours: The Adventures Continue at Disneyland and The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure at Disney California Adventure.

He'll tell Mike and EB which ride made it to his list of Top Theme Park Attractions and which ride gave him a slight case of anticipointment.

We'll also hear from the CoasterRadio.com audience as they talk about their favorite water rides.  Which wet and wild rides are the best in the country?  The listeners have the scoop!

We'll also have a Live Trip Report from Dinosaurs Alive! at Kings Island and Mike will tell you about his upcoming trip to Hungary to ride one of the oldest coasters in the world!

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CoasterRadio.com #519 - The Best Money You've Spent

After you add up the price of admission, parking, food, drink and souvenirs, the cost of going to a theme park can be substantial.

Especially, if you're a family!

But there are some things that we buy at the parks that are totally worth the price.

On this week's show, we hear from listeners all over the world who tell us about the best money they've spent at the parks.

We'll talk about VIP Experiences, Front of the Line Passes, Disney Trading Pins, Upcharge Attractions and a lot more.

We also have news about our Listener Question Show which we will record on Tuesday, March 8th at 9:30pm est.  We'll have all the details about how you can call in to the show with your questions LIVE!

We'll also have an update on the "Day at the Park with Neil" contest and an update on the NPH Project!

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The "Day at the Park with Neil" Contest - Minion and Neil at Disney California Adventure

Minion kicks off this new week of contest entries with this photo of a dashing young couple taken at Disney California Adventure.  He writes:

You know, I never would have entered this contest, because it is just a stupid waste of time.

Why spend a bunch of time Photoshopping something, with the amazing resources of the internet at one's fingertips?
 
A quick Google search found this image ready-to-go on someone's Flickr account.
 
Interestingly, it also has a bit of Disney History involved.

Before he became the ubiquitous NPH, he was a starving artist like everyone else in LA. To make ends meet, he was forced to find temp work as a product placement hand model. 

This eventually led to his first big break in Hollywood:

You guessed it, California Screamin' Carny Barker, Voice Over Artist!"

If you want to participate in the fun, check out our blog post that explains everything you need to know about The Neil Patrick Harris Project and the "Day at the Park with Neil" contest!

CoasterRadio.com #513 - The Best of 2010

2010 may be officially gone, but it still lives on here at Coaster Radio! (for this week, anyway!)

On this week's show, EB and Mike take a look back and talk about the most interesting stories from 2010.  The listeners also get into the act by calling into the show and giving their opinion on what worked and what didn't in 2010.

From The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to World of Color to Intimidator 305, the listeners get passionate about their favorite stories.

There's also big news in the Neil Patrick Harris Project!  As you may recall, we produced a tear-jerking holiday tribute to NPH and released it on YouTube last Christmas Eve.  We've been waiting patiently to hear Neil's response.  Could this be the week he calls in again?

Plus, we have news about some upcoming shows and summertime activities here at the show!


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CoasterRadio.com #512 - EB's Candylane Adventure

We begin the first show of 2011 by ringing in the new year with styyllle!

We even have a special guest to help us with the countdown!  Grab your noise maker and a glass of champagne because you won't want to miss it!

Then, EB steps to the microphone to talk about his trip to Hersheypark's Christmas Candylane.  He recently made a trip back to the east coast and took his whole family to Hershey's holiday event.  Was it smooth sailing?  Or did EB run into Grizwald-like problems?

The guys will also discuss the record crowds at both the Florida and California parks during the winter holidays.  Is it worth it to visit the parks during one of the most crowded times of the year?

Plus, we'll hear from several listeners about their New Years Day theme park experiences! 

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CoasterRadio.com #506 - Soarin' With Morgan!

Imagine that you were a theme park designer with access to an unlimited budget.

As you began to design rides for your park, you'd probably want to enlist the help of some major celebrities to provide the voices behind your rides.

On this week's show, we gave our listeners a virtual blank check and asked them to match their favorite celebrity with their favorite theme park ride.

We received some very hilarious combinations!

Also, the guys will discuss a new driving simulator from Lexus and how it might be converted into the greatest dark ride system ever!  Will we see an attraction like this within the next five years?

Plus, there is MAJOR news this week in "The Neil Patrick Harris" Project.  CoasterRadio.com has had several milestones over the years, but the 6:43 mark in this week's show might be one of the greatest ones of all!

If that doesn't make you want to take a listen, I don't know what will.

We also have a live trip report from a very odd spot in Carowinds and one of our favorite characters makes a surprise appearance to talk sports.

It's all this week on CoasterRadio.com!


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CoasterRadio.com #505 - Uncle Walt Had the Right Idea!

The original theme park podcast is back with a brand new episode!

Back in 1954, Walt Disney had a weekly television show on the ABC Network where he unveiled his plans for Disneyland.

Not only did it help finance his park, but it also got people all over the country excited to make the trip to California to see it in person.

This week, EB and Mike talk about whether not it would be a good idea to bring this style of TV show back to television.

What would a show like this look like?  What parks could you broadcast from?  Would anyone watch?

The guys also take a look at a video showing what Six Flags New Orleans looks like five years after Hurricane Katrina.  They talk about what it would take to get them to set foot on the property and why we're fascinated by videos like this.

There's also news with The Neil Patrick Harris Project.  This week, it was announced that NPH is the new "Launch Voice" behind California Screamin' at Disneyland!  The guys also announce a holiday project where listeners can help get the attention of Mr. Harris.

Plus, you'll hear a live trip report from EPCOT's World Showcase and the story of Mike's failed attempt to get to Disneyland last weekend!

It's all on this week's new episode of CoasterRadio.com!

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Your Ideal Celebrity On-Ride Voice

We've been doing a lot of talking about Neil Patrick Harris lately.

Of course, most of it is because he is the star of our year-long story arc - The Neil Patrick Harris Project.

But this week, he was in the "theme park" news because he has provided the new "launch voice" for California Screamin' at Disney California Adventure.

You can check out the video below to hear NPH in action.

But it got us thinking... if you could match up any actor's voice with any theme park ride, who would you choose and why?

I think there are a lot of interesting combinations that are possible.

This is going to be our "interactive question" for next week's show, so tell us about your "dream match-ups" by leaving a comment on this blog post!

You can also let us know by using Facebook and Twitter. (If you aren't following us there yet, what''s wrong with you?!?!?)

CoasterRadio.com #449 - Disneyland Tips From A Pro!

Dreams do come true here at CoasterRadio.com! Just ask Travis.

A few months ago, he submitted this excellent entry into our "Being David Arquette" contest. We asked people to tape themselves recreating a scene from a David Arquette movie. The top prize was getting the chance to co-host an episode of the show with EB and Mike.

This week, his hard work pays off when he joins the show to give his top tips for an ultra-successful day at the Disneyland Resort in California. You'll be impressed with what this California native has to say!

The guys are also joined by a special guest who is in Paris, France to pave the way for Mike's visit to Disneyland Paris next week. Will he be as big a hit with the French people as C-Pain?

There's also a Live Trip Report from Cedar Point and the guys being back the infamous "Off Topic" segment! Can you believe that EB is actually building a chicken coop?

Plus, there's news on The David Arquette Project!

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Weekend Theater - This Will Be Worth The Wait!

They've been doing some late-night testing of "World of Color" at Disney's California Adventure.

Guests who are staying at Disney's Paradise Pier hotel are getting a birds eye view of the action!

This is gonna blow other nighttime shows out of the water (pardon the pun)!

CoasterRadio.com #415 - The Biggest "Turkey" of the Decade

The world's Original Theme Park Podcast is back with another episode!

Thanksgiving might be history, but we're still talking turkey.

This week, we talk about nominees for the Biggest Amusement Industry "Turkey" of the Decade.

The CoasterRadio.com listeners have checked in and have nominated what they think were the biggest busts from theme parks over the last 10 years.

You'll be surprised at some of their picks.

Also, EB and Mike talk about the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives. Is this a good idea? Or is it destined to be the biggest turkey of next decade?

We'll also go off-topic to talk about the DARPA Network Challenge. Can you find 10 giant balloons hidden across the United States? If so, you'll win 40,000. But why is the government sponsoring this challenge? EB has some ideas.

Mike also sounds-off about people going crazy with Christmas lights. When is enough enough?

Plus, we recap the Grandma Thanksgiving Challenge in The David Arquette Project!

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A Picture Says a Thousand Words...

On an episode of the Coaster Radio.com podcast called "Ten Things I Hate About You," we made a rather general statement.

We said that one of the things we hated most about visiting a theme park were the hordes of teenagers there.

We lamented about how you couldn't walk ten feet at your local park without having an annoying teen scream in your ear or bounce a basketball across your path. We complained about teenagers showing no modesty in the way they dressed and no morality in the way they casually sucked face in the lines.

I have to admit, that we played up our hatred of teens for entertainment value. The show was called "Ten Things I HATE About You," so we were expected to spit out some venomous comments towards the kids. But as we went through the show, we found out that most of the major annoyances experienced during a day at the park could be directly traced back to teenagers and their unruly behavior.

That show was recorded in summer of 2006 and ever since that time, I've had the attitude that teens are a major downer when it comes to my theme park fun.

But let's fast-forward to the summer of 2009, because I had an experience that changed my mind and more importantly, my attitude towards teenagers in the parks.

I was spending a day at Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim. I was alone at the park because my wife Molly was taking some summer classes at a university. So since I had a day to myself, I decided to head out to the park.

I don't know about you, but when I'm at a theme park by myself, I always try to ride things that might not exactly be popular when you're there with a group.

I got in line for Grizzly River Run, a highly-themed rapids rides at the center of the park. I had never ridden it before because the groups I've been with have never wanted to get wet.

So as I was in line, I noticed that there was a group of seven kids behind me, probably 15 or 16 years old. The guys all wore bandannas. The girls wore trendy t-shirts. They were excited, loud and were bouncing around with boundless energy.

"PERFECT," I thought, as my annoyance level began to rise. "Now I have to listen to these stupid kids talk about the lame-ass Jonas Brothers during the whole wait."

Luckily, the line moved quickly and before I knew it, I was at the loading area.

The cast member asked me how many people were in my group and I sheepishly said "one". As fun and liberating as it can be to go the park by yourself, it can also be a little weird and intimidating to ride alone.

The line wasn't long, so I thought I might get to ride alone. But if you look at that picture of the Grizzly Rapids Run rafts over there, you'll see that each raft holds eight people. So you can imagine my reaction when I saw that group of seven teenagers walking towards my raft.

Amazingly though, my reaction wasn't one of annoyance but more of embarrassment. I sort of felt like I was in middle school or high school again. I didn't want this group of kids to see me as a geek because I was alone. Even worse, I didn't want them to see me as a creepy "old dude" with who they were forced to ride.

So as they climbed in the raft, I offered an admittedly lame... "Hi guys, I'm Mike."

I was waiting for the eye-rolling and mean-spirited laughing to begin. But to my surprise, the "kids" turned out to be some of the nicest "people" I have ever met. They didn't care who I was. They didn't care how old I was either.

For the 15-minutes that we rode Grizzly River Rapids, I was an honorary part of their group.

We laughed as one of the dudes who looked like Zach Efron got totally drenched by a wall of water. We were amazed by the quick reflexes of the girl sitting next to me who caught my sunglasses before they fell in the water when our raft hit a big wave. We took bets on which section of the raft was going to plunge over the waterfall first. (I lost the bet and got pretty wet.)

During the quiet sections of the ride, we talked about our trips and what rides we had been on. None of the kids had ever heard of Disney's FastPass, so I filled them in on how to use it during the rest of their day.

But the best part about riding with these kids is that they were having fun... and it was contagious.

I think as adults, we sometimes get bummed out by the hot weather, the long lines, the expensive food and the need to do it all. Because of these things, we forget to have fun.

But my 15-minutes with these kids reminded me that when we visit the parks, it's a chance to become 16 again... even if it's only for a day.

So going forward, that's my plan.

I'm not going to scream for the sake of sceaming and I'm not going to bounce the basketball that I won across the midway.... but I am going to experience all of my future trips as if I were one of those kids.

Thanks for the reminder guys.

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