Top Five (non-Disney) Parks - #3 - Islands of Adventure

The park that came in at #3 on our listener-voted Top Five (non-Disney) parks is Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando.

Back in 1999, Universal took the world by storm when it opened this state-of-the-art theme park.

The theming rivaled anything that Disney had to offer and experience was completely immersive.

The star on opening day (and ever since) was The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman. This incredible dark ride blurred the lines between what was real and what was virtual. The attraction is over 10-years old and is still considered by many to the the best theme park attraction anywhere.

The fun thing about this park is the variety of islands (or lands) that you can experience. You can meet comic book icons on Marvel Superhero Island, you can dodge dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, you can meet the Cat In The Hat in Seuss Landing.

Of course, everyone knows about the next chapter in Island Of Adventure's story. This spring, we will be treated to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The early word is that the top-secret attraction, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, will once again set the standard for theme park attractions.

This new "island" comes along at just the perfect time too. One of my long standing complaints about Islands of Adventure is that nothing much has been added since the park's opening in 1999. But this new land should more than make up for the drought.

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Top Five (non-Disney) Parks - #4 - Six Flags Magic Mountain

Coming in at #4 on our listener-voted Top Five (non-Disney) parks is Six Flags Magic Mountain.

On the podcast, I said that of all the parks I haven't visited, this is the one I want to experience most.

I suppose that it's because Magic Mountain is the park Clark Grizwald and his family visited in the movie "Vacation." The park looked pretty cool back in 1983 and it's gotten even better since.

I mentioned in my post about Busch Gardens Williamsburg that the park is probably in the Top Five because of the iconic rides. I think the same thing can be said for Six Flags Magic Mountain.

There's no other West Coast park that can compete when it comes to the number of roller coasters and thrill rides.

With one admission to Six Flags Magic Mountain, you can experience iconic rides like Riddler's Revenge, Superman: The Escape, Revolution, Goliath, Tatsu, Batman, X2 and many others.

While this park does have it's critics, I think the new Six Flags management has been making some positive changes over the past few years that have made the park experience better for everyone.

When you read trip reports that have been posted online, almost all of them mention how the park seems to be cleaner and run better than before.

I also like how they always seem to have something new and exciting. Last year's Terminator wooden coaster seems to be a big hit and they're looking to follow that with a Mr. Six Dance Coaster this year.

It might be time for me to finally get out to California to visit Magic Mountain. They're our #4 park after all!

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Top Five (non-Disney) Parks - #5 - Busch Gardens Williamsburg

On this week's show, we unveiled the Top Five (non-Disney) Theme Parks as voted on by the listeners of CoasterRadio.com.

We invited our listeners to submit their favorite five parks. We tallied the votes, assigned a point system and came out with an interesting list.

Coming in at #5 is Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

In our opinion, it's one of the closest parks you'll find to Disney's cleanliness and theming.

The thrill rides are top notch and iconic. You've got legendary coasters like The Loch Ness Monster, Alpengeist and Apollo's Chariot all in one park.

You also have newer attractions like Griffon and Curse of DarKastle that keep people coming through the gates.

Busch Gardens is also known for their excellent food, which goes above and beyond the normal park fare. They also continually receive awards for their landscaping, which blows away most parks that we have visited.

One comment I made during the podcast is that it's one of the few parks where I don't mind watching shows. The stage shows in Oktoberfest, Ireland and Italy are particularly good.

It's no secret that Busch Gardens Williamsburg is one of my favorite parks and I would have liked to have seen it voted a little higher than #5.

So I wonder what parks will make up the Top Four? They must be good!

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CoasterRadio.com #422 - The American Idol Experience

The Original Theme Park Podcast is back with a brand new episode!

This week, we talk with Stacey Lantz who was a winner at The American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida.

She'll tell us what it was behind-the-scenes at the attraction and give Mike some advice on what he should do during his audition.

You can check out Stacey's Blog about the experience and also watch some of her videos on YouTube too!

EB and Mike have also tabulated the hundreds of e-mails that came in last week and have the official Top Five (non-Disney) Theme Parks.

Who will make the cut? Who will be #1?

The guys also go Off-Topic to discuss two very different experiences for the Wii video game system. Plus, there's potentially interesting news on The David Arquette Project!

Direct Podcast Link
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Click here for our podcast RSS Feed.
Click here for our iPhone App.

Or you can listen online by using the podcast player on the right hand side of this page.

Talk about this episode in the CoasterRadio.com Forums.

Your Ultimate Top Five

It's the Off-Season, so you're probably bundled up in your winter gear, dreaming of warmer temperatures and the start of the theme park season.

Perhaps you're even staring to plan trips to far-off parks that you've always wanted to visit.

For our next show, we want to know about your Top Five Theme Parks. It can be any five in the world, with one caviat... you can't include a Disney Park.

So, what's your Top Five? Tell us by e-mail, Twitter, Facebook or the Forums.

Be sure to give our voicemail line a call at 206-339-3360 and talk about which park is in your #1 spot!

Here are the different ways to contact us:

* Post your idea on Twitter
* Post your idea on our Facebook Fan Page.
* Visit this topic in the CoasterRadio.com Forums
* Call our voicemail line - 206-339-3360
* E-Mail Us (the address is to the right of this page)

CoasterRadio.com #421 - 3-D(oomed)?

James Cameron's new blockbuster 3-D film Avatar is on pace to become the most profitable movie of all time.

(Actually, that doesn't count for inflation. Gone With The Wind is still the number one grossing movie in history.)

But anyone who has seen Avatar is blown away by the 3-D imagery.

On this week's show, we talk about if films like these constantly in the movie theater will eventually lead to 3-D films becoming less popular in the theme parks.

We'll also reveal your ideas on how Disney and other park operators should use the new Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies that are sweeping the industry. The listeners came up with some very interesting and entertaining ways to make our park experience interactive.

Plus, we'll go "Off Topic" to hear about EB's plans to introduce his son to the legend of the "Tooth Fairy." Mike also admits to his strange reaction after watching the teenage vampire flick "Twilight."

In addition, Mike announces his on-air training marathon for the American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios and we'll unveil a brand new contest!

Direct Podcast Link
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Click here for our podcast RSS Feed.
Click here for our iPhone App.

Or you can listen online by using the podcast player on the right hand side of this page.

Talk about this episode in the CoasterRadio.com Forums.

The British Take On The David Arquette Project!

Ever since we unveiled The David Arquette Project last August, it has been rapidly moving around the world.

We recently received two submissions from the United Kingdom recently. The first is from Oliver, who has a patriotic view of Arquette Arithmetic. The Queen would be proud!

We also got an e-mail from Peter, who took this iconic photo in front of Big Ben!

Thanks to our friends in England for taking part in The David Arquette Project!

Your best RF ID(ea)

Last week, we talked about how Radio Frequency Identificaton (RFID) could bring a whole new world of interactivity to the parks.

For instance, a small chip inside your theme park ticket could be programmed with a ton of your personalized information. That information could be used to tailor certain attractions and other experiences to your likes and tastes.

The question we have for you for this week's show, is...

What do you think would be the best idea for the use of this wireless technology?

Can you come up with an idea theme park designers haven't thought of yet?

To get your thoughts on the show, here are the different ways:

* Post your idea on Twitter
* Post your idea on our Facebook Fan Page.
* Visit this topic in the CoasterRadio.com Forums
* Call our voicemail line - 206-339-3360
* E-Mail Us (the address is to the right of this page)

We'll talk about all of your answers in our next show! We especially want to hear from you on the voicemail line!

Weekend Theater - Say Goodbye To The Big Bad Wolf

Filmmaker Rob Warren takes a look at what made Busch Gardens Williamsburg's infamous roller coaster "The Big Bad Wolf" so special.

A Brave New Theme Park World

Earlier this week, The Orlando Sentinel's Daily Disney Blog posted an article about how Disney is working on a "major technology initiative that boosters hope could radically transform the theme-park experience."

The $1 Billion Dollar project supposedly focuses on the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). This technology would allow for a small microchip to be placed in a wristband or even a theme park ticket. Then, as you navigate the parks, the "wireless-communication technology could be used in concepts ranging from keyless hotel-room doors to rides and shows in which the experience varies based on an individual guest’s preferences."

On this week's show, EB and Mike discuss the possible applications for this type of technology and what we hope to eventually see in the parks. Will this forever change the way we experience the parks? Or will it just be another way to easily buy a churro without reaching for our wallets?

We also pick up on last week's discussion about turning popular television shows into theme park attractions. We'll hear your best ideas on what classic shows should be immortalized at the parks. Some of you had great ideas! (Some of you didn't.)

We'll go "Off Topic" to discuss an controversial documentary that EB saw. We'll also talk about Mike's trip to an ocean resort in the dead of winter where he got to see a few parks in hibernation.

Plus, we'll hear about how one of EB's dream predictions from last week's show came eerily true!

Direct Podcast Link
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Blustery Boardwalk Trip Report

Molly and I took a weekend trip to Ocean City, Maryland to see the ocean resort during the winter.

There was absolutely no one on the beach!

The famous Ocean City boardwalk had a few people on it, but not many!

The Ripley's Museum was closed, but the shark was still impressive.

All of the Pier Rides were shuttered... and quite eerie looking.

The "Looping Star" on the Pier.

There's nothing like playing Skee Ball in the winter.

The arcade was one of the few businesses that were open. But they had an amazing collection of both new and old games.

The Tidal Wave Vekoma boomerang at Trimper's Rides.

The famous Bill Tracy designed Fun House.

This ride was just sitting out in the middle of the parking lot.

The famous Haunted House on the Boardwalk. Unfortunately, it wasn't open.

It was fun seeing this summer resort in it's winter slumber!

Weekend Theater - Mike Collins is a "Broader-Caster"

To help get people interested in their new User Generated Content competition, the people who run the NAB Show called upon CoasterRadio.com to show people how it's done!

You can enter the contest yourself by heading to nabshowcontest.com!

I think the winner gets a free trip to Las Vegas for the NAB Convention.

CoasterRadio.com #419 - Freudian Theme Park Trip

Dreams are funny things.

They tell us so much about who we are, where we're going and what we want.

On this week's show, listeners have called in with their most interesting dreams about theme parks.

We've got everything from disappearing lap bars to chainsaw wielding maniacs chopping down a wooden roller coaster.

To make things more interesting, EB has found some dream analyzing web sites and will use some armchair psychology to tell us what the dreams mean.

We'll also talk about an article on Movieline.com that claims Disney Imagineers are work-shopping a new dark ride based on ABC's hit television show "Lost".

We'll also go "Off Topic" to talk about EB's haircut conundrum and Mike's take on NBC's Late Night situation with Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno.

Plus, we unveil the new CoasterRadio.com iPhone App! Now you can take the show on the road!

Direct Podcast Link
Click here to subscribe through iTunes.
Click here for our podcast RSS Feed.
Click here for our iPhone App.

Or you can listen online by using the podcast player on the right hand side of this page.

Talk about this episode in the CoasterRadio.com Forums.