CoasterRadio.com #504 - They Can't All Be Like Clark Grizwold

"I gotta be crazy!
I'm on a pilgrimage to see a moose!"

Clark W. Grizwold was the ultimate parent.

All he cared about was giving his family the best vacation ever.

He would do ANYTHING to make his family happy, even if it meant kidnapping John Candy and making him ride the "Screamie Meemie" against his will.

Of course, the antics in the movie "Vacation" are overblown.  But the stories we have for you this week are 100% authentic!

This week, EB and Mike will share listener stories about the horrible parenting they have seen at the parks.

You'll be absolutely shocked at what some of the listeners have seen.  Thankfully, much of it is also pretty funny.

The guys will also crown a winner in the "Arquette Arithmetic" contest.  Find out who will win two season passes to the (non-Disney) theme park of their choice!

Plus, there's more info on "The Neil Patrick Harris Project!"  The guys will present proof of NPH's love of theme parks and talk about future plans to get his attention.

LISTEN TO THE SHOW

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

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

The Neil Patrick Harris Project - Proof of NPH's Love of Theme Parks

Happy Friday everyone!

For anyone doubting NPH's love of theme parks, we sent Elmo from Sesame Street to ask Neil a few questions on the subject.

Elmo got the scoop! Let the NPH Project Begin!

CoasterRadio.com #503 - Sweep The Leg, Mikey!

Is that really Mike Collins? Or is that Johnny from "The Karate Kid?"

Halloween week is here!

To celebrate, Mike gets into the spirit of the season by dressing up as one of the most iconic characters from the 1980's.

Yes, even though it's radio, Mike has has dressed up like Johnny from "The Karate Kid."

Along with all of the expected imitations from the movie, the guys will talk about Mike and Greg's recent trip to Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

Mike will give his review of the various haunted houses and talk about Busch's "Quick Queue" system.  You'll hear why Mike and Greg were somewhat embarrassed to use the "front of the line" system.

Plus, Mike has audio from one of the houses!  You'll be surprised at how he whimpered like a baby while moving through "The Catacombs!"

The guys will also have word on "The Neil Patrick Harris Project," a live trip report from "Midget Wrestling" at Kings Island's Halloween Haunt, and some taunting by Larry from Legal.

Plus, a Halloween update from Hagrid...who decided to call in from a very unusual place.

It's all coming up on this very spooky episode of CoasterRadio.com!

LISTEN TO THE SHOW

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 by leaving a comment here on the blog!

CoasterRadio.com #502 - Inside Universal Orlando and Halloween Horror Nights

We're one week closer to Halloween!

If you love All Hallows Eve and you love theme parks, this is the episode for you.

This week, we're joined by Seth Kubersky.  He's the author of Universal Orlando 2011: The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Theme Park Adventure.

He'll give us the insider scoop about the 20th Annual Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando.  He'll tell us what we should make sure to see and what most people tend to miss.

He'll also tell us some behind the scenes stories about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure.  He'll tell us how you can see Hogwarts Castle without waiting in line and if guests will ever be able to spend the night within it's enchanted walls.

Plus, he'll tell us about how the Wizarding World almost ended up at Walt Disney World and what happened that caused it to be built at Universal.

This week, we also have details about a possible encounter with Neil Patrick Harris.  We're only one week into "The Neil Patrick Harris Project," but the possibility exists that NPH is already a fan of the show.

Could "The NPH Project" do what "The David Arquette Project" could not?

LISTEN TO THE SHOW

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 by leaving a comment here on the blog!

The Neil Patrick Harris Project

NPH is one of us!  He's a big fan of theme parks.

Now that Season 5 of Coaster Radio.com is here, we're ready to mix it up a bit.

We've made some good changes to our website and blog.  Now it's time to make a change on our podcast too!

For Season 5, we're unveiling "The Neil Patrick Harris Project!"

Everyone knows NPH!

He's the star of the hit series "How I Met Your Mother" on CBS.  He's been in big movies, on broadway and even showed that online content can be wildly successful with "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog."

He also happens to be a big fan of theme parks!  Living out in California, he's a regular visitor to Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm.  He often posts about the parks on his Twitter feed (@ActuallyNPH) and has even hosted events for Disney.

So, our goal with "The NPH Project" is to make him aware of of our show and to convince him that he should record the opening voiceover for our podcast.  It's that simple.

Even though we spent Season 4 with another celebrity, NPH is the right choice for this show and project.

So, keep watching the blog and listening to the podcast and we dream up ways to catch Neil's attention.  We'll need your help!

CoasterRadio.com #501 - The House at Haunted Hill

"The House at Haunted Hill" is one of the best
home haunts anywhere!

Season 5 of Coaster Radio.com is here!

AND... It's EB and Mike's favorite time of year, Halloween!

This week, the guys interview Matt Ford.  he's the creative genius behind "The House at Haunted Hill," an amazing Halloween show in Southern California.

The great thing about the show is that it's not located at a theme park or at some commercial venue.  Matt, along with his family and friends, have created this amazing experience at his home!

You'll hear the details behind this innovative home haunt and how it was inspired by Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.  You'll also hear how some Disney theme park voice talent came on board to make "The House at Haunted Hill" even more special.

EB and Mike also will fill you in on some changes to both the podcast and the website for Season 5.  There's also big news about "The David Arquette Project" and our "Arquette Arithmetic" contest!

Plus, EB will fill you in on the behind the scenes story about how his son Mark won Holiday World's "#1 Fan Contest!"

LISTEN TO THE SHOW
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 by leaving a comment here on the blog!

Video Preview - The House at Haunted Hill

EB is a guest on The Season Pass Podcast!

There are certain things you can bank on in this life... death, taxes and people's love of EB.

Flava used to say that the rest of the Coaster Radio cast could stay home, but as long as EB was on the show, it would survive.

So, that's why it's interesting to note that EB has never been a guest on someone else's podcast.

Until now.

This week, EB is a guest on The Season Pass Podcast's ERT with Nick Hutson.

You can listen here!

EB and Nick have a conversation about theme park queues, online theme park marketing, Halloween Haunted houses, musicals, and EB's thoughts on the future of television.  EB also tells the behind the scenes story about how his son Mark won Holiday World's #1 Fan Contest!

And somehow, Hagrid makes an appearance!  (I thought he was under exclusive contract to our show!  We'll get the Lift Hill Media lawyers on it.)

We didn't get to do a show this week because of technical programs, so this is a wonderful substitute!

Do you want to discuss this topic?  Leave a comment here on the blog!

What do you look for in a Halloween Haunt?

You need the right mix of fear and fun for a good event!

The Fall season is upon us and that means that the parks are unveiling their Halloween events.

It's always interesting to see what the parks dream up for this time of year.  Some parks go for the all out gore, while others opt for a more family friendly fare.

We want to know what you look for in a great Halloween Haunt?

What do you absolutely expect to see when you're at a park's Halloween event?

Is it possible for a park to go to far in the scare factor?

Let us know by leaving a comment here on the blog!

Help EB's son Mark become Holiday World's #1 Fan!

Holiday World is having a contest to find their #1 Fan.

A lot of people sent in videos to show why they were worthy, but only four finalists remain.  We just received word that EB's son Mark is one of the four finalists!

This is one of times for all of the listeners to unite behind one of our own!  Let's push Mark over the top by voting for him often!  If he wins, he'll receive four season passes to Holiday World.

Of course, this will translate into excellent content for Season Five of the show! (Which starts on October 7th by the way!)

VOTE HERE! Vote for "Mark, the Little Boy!"

poll by twiigs.com

The David Arquette Project - Jonathan's Arquette Photo Tour (Part 2)

You probably saw Part One of Jonathan's Photo Trip Report from his cross-country roller coaster tour.  If you're anything like me, you're extremely jealous of all of the parks he and his wife got to visit this summer.

To us, the amazing part of their trip is that they remembered to bring along the "Arquette Arithmetic" image to each and every park they visited.

To date, Jonathan and his wife have submitted the most photos to our contest.

Will the sheer number of photos be enough to win our "Arquette Arithmetic" contest?

The David Arquette Project - Coastin' Steve Sports an Awesome T-Shirt

Our "Arquette Arithmetic" contest has been going on for awhile, but no one has done what Steve just accomplished.

While on a visit to Cedar Point, Steve wore his homemade "Arquette Arithmetic" shirt.  His original goal was to buy an on-ride photo while riding Millennium Force or Top Thrill Dragster, but the cameras were not working that day.

So, Steve sent in this photo in front of Cedar Point's iconic record breaker.

Steve had a good idea!  Not only did he promote CoasterRadio.com, but he also promoted "The David Arquette Project."

Stacey's Money Saving Tips!

Stacey is hunting down money saving tips!

Some call me cheap and others call me a penny-pinching tightwad.

I like to think of myself as a savvy frugal spender that is always on the prowl for a good deal.

When it comes to having fun I like to go all out but far too often I find myself on a tight budget. There are so many ways to save a few bucks here and there when taking a trip to a theme park.

Before buying your theme park tickets be sure to check online for special discounts. Check the actual theme parks website for deals and coupons. Sometimes buying your tickets online ahead of time will save you some dough. Also don't forget that Google is your friend. You never know where you will find coupons. Keep in mind that local credit unions and grocery stores sometimes sell discounted tickets as well.

Often times you can get a value on park tickets if you go during the off-season. They need to get people in the door and discounted tickets are a sure-fire way to do it. On top of that, if you have to fly to a park your plane tickets will most likely be cheaper when other people are staying at home and not vacationing.

Do you have a large group of people that you're taking with you? Most parks offer group discount rates that decrease the price of tickets significantly. Don't forget that carpooling with your friends and family also saves you a bundle on fuel costs.

If you plan to visit a theme park for more than one day, be sure to take advantage of staying at on-site hotels if available. You may be able to get a discount for your park tickets and/or gain early entry into the park. Who doesn't love the feeling of having the park to yourself?

One of the ways that theme parks take your money from right under your nose is by making you spend a ridiculous amount on generic food. Pack a lunch instead and keep the cooler in your car until your family is ready to eat. Most theme parks now have a picnic area. Try and eat a late dinner outside of the park where prices and food are sure to please your tummy and pocketbook more so than inside of the park.

Be an early riser! Those that get to parks before opening almost always have significantly shorter waits at the newest and best attractions. Take a break mid-day and then come back later. If you stay until park closing, the crowds will be virtually non-existent and the temperatures much more tolerable. Make the most out of your day. Get the biggest bang for your buck!

Talk about this in the CoasterRadio.com Forums!