Coaster Redux

Back in October, I made a road trip back to my hometown in Massachusetts to visit my parents and friends.  Six Flags New England was the typical choice for a theme park visit in the area, but come to find out, my friend Eric's daughter was going to Canobie Lake Park with her Girl Scout troop.  I hadn't been there since my eighth grade class trip, so I loved the idea of going back as an adult.

Join me for a trip down memory lane to re-experience this New England gem with rides on the Yankee Cannonball wood coaster, their newest addition Untamed, and more on this quick stop at Canobie Lake Park.

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I visited Cedar Point last June, hoping to ride Top Thrill 2, the re-imagined version of the world's first continuous circuit 400-foot tall roller coaster.  It closed a few weeks before due to technical issues with the prototype trains, and unfortunately never re-opened for the remainder of the 2024 season.  

Then out of nowhere, Cedar Point announced Siren's Curse, North America's first Vekoma tilt coaster, would open in 2025 alongside Top Thrill 2.  Now, with two spectacular new roller coasters to ride, I had to get back to Sandusky.  

Join me for my first-time reactions to both of these outstanding new roller coasters, and hear from my brother Karl who joined me at Cedar Point for the first time in 26 years!

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Kennywood, located just outside Pittsburgh, PA is one of America's finest traditional amusement parks.  I last visited in 1998 as a budding coaster enthusiast when Steel Phantom had loops.  That ride has since been reimagined into Phantom's Revenge, and the park's added the Sky Rocket launched coaster, and Steel Curtain, an innovative multi-looping monster to stand alongside their historic trio of wood coasters.  Plus, I have family in Pittsburgh, and it was great to catch up with them in addition to returning to this timeless gem.

Join me for my first-time reactions to Steel Curtain and Phantom's Revenge, as well as re-rides on the park's timeless classics and more!  

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My brother Karl returns to the podcast bringing us the story of his latest international layover!  He's an airline pilot who regularly flies overseas and he recently found himself with a weekend off in Osaka, home to Universal Studios Japan.  He gives us an in-depth look at the Japanese Super Nintendo World, the Hollywood Dream B&M mini-hyper, the awesome park food, and of course the legendary Flying Dinosaur, which many consider the best B&M Flyer in the world!  

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After a long first day battling nasty weather and heavy crowds at the brand new Universal Epic Universe, I finally got my first rides on their marquee roller coaster, Stardust Racers.  Repeated announcements led me to believe that somehow, keeping one's shoes on was counter-intuitive on this ride, yet somehow, I successfully enjoyed this stellar attraction with my shoes on.

Day two at Epic began with my longest line ever, three and a half hours for Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry.  I then finished out my experience with Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge followed by free time to re-ride my favorite attractions in this stunning new park.  Join me for my first-time impressions of Stardust Racers,  Battle at the Ministry, Mario Kart and more!  

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It's not every day a brand-new theme park opens, especially on this level.  Known for immersive theming, cutting-edge attractions, and world-class roller coasters, Universal Orlando Resort debuted Epic Universe in May, and I visited shortly after opening.  The park is home to five themed worlds: Celestial Park, Super Nintendo World, Dark Universe, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic, and How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk.  

On my first of two days at Epic Universe, I focused on riding the four outdoor roller coasters because heavy rain was forecast for day two.  Join me for my first day beyond the gate home to gardens green and epic worlds to fill your dreams.      

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Sometimes theme park road trips don't go perfectly to plan, but a good trip is what you make it.  It's all about being flexible, and above all, don't forget to enjoy the ride.  My first expedition of 2025 brought me to Kings Dominion looking forward to riding their brand-new B&M launched wing coaster Rapterra.  While in the neighborhood, I planned visits to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Carowinds.  I had the pleasure to spend my day at Kings Dominion with my new friend Mike from Fun Time Coasters, and he joins me on the podcast to talk about our experience.  It was a whirlwind five-day trip filled with plenty of ups and downs, but it's also one I'll never forget.         

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Welcome to the first episode of Redux Rundown!  Coaster Redux is all about in-depth storytelling from my visits to new theme parks, and I'm going to continue bringing you that type of content.  Redux Rundown episodes will now join full Coaster Redux episodes on this same feed, giving me the ability to step outside the story timeline and talk about the news, what's going on with the podcast, tell a quick story that doesn't warrant a full episode, or interview a fellow enthusiast.  I can't wait to bring you more interesting and up-to-date theme park and roller coaster content with Redux Rundown!    

Theme Song: Alex Grohl/Electronic Rock (King Around Here)

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Between my two big trips last year, I had a last-minute long weekend pop up, so I headed north Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and SeaWorld Orlando to check out their new B&M family coasters, Phoenix Rising and Penguin Trek, respectively.  This Sunday would also be the final day of operation for Scorpion, a classic Schwarzkopf looping coaster at Busch Gardens.  While I've talked about Busch Gardens several times on this podcast, I've never done a full episode on it.  So join me for my first impressions of two new Florida roller coasters, a full audio-vlog on Busch Gardens Tampa, and my final rides on Scorpion.  I'm also joined by my new friend JJ who I met that day, and we talk Scorpion and the future of the park in this Season 3 finale!  

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My third and final stop on my northwestern trip was Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, CA.  With the future of California's Great America very much in doubt, this just may be the only major theme park in NorCal within the next five years.  The park experienced staggering growth during the Coaster Wars with a whopping seven roller coasters installed between 1998 and 2001.  The headlining attractions are the massive custom B&M floorless Medusa, and the Joker, the first GCI coaster converted to IBOX by RMC.  Join me for my first visit to Discovery Kingdom where I ride my 250th roller coaster!

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