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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Stop number two on my northwestern trip was California's Great America in Santa Clara, CA.  This park has an interesting history of ownership changes, and despite its sister park, Six Flags Great America being one of the darlings of the legacy Six Flags chain, this park's future is uncertain.  Cedar Fair sold the land beneath the park to a development company post-pandemic with a lease set to expire in 2028.  Join me for my first, and quite possibly last rides on coasters like Flight Deck, RailBlazer, and Gold Striker at this awesome NorCal amusement park.  

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A few months after my summer road trip, I continued my quest to ride new roller coasters by flying northwest to visit three parks for the first time.  Stop number one was Lagoon in Farmington, UT.  It's a family-owned amusement park known for doing things differently.  They've built their last three roller coasters completely in-house, and they're unlike anything else out there.  Join me for my first-time reactions to Cannibal, Wicked, Primordial, and so many more unique attractions at Utah's only amusement park!

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The final stop on my summer road trip was Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN.  This family-owned park is home to quite possibly the greatest collection of wooden roller coasters on the planet, the Raven, the Legend, and the Voyage.  They're also home to Thunderbird, the world's first B&M launched wing coaster, and the new for 2024 Good Gravy! Vekoma Family Boomerang.  Join me for my ravin' review of this legend of a park as I conclude my summer voyage in this episode.

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The seventh stop on my summer road trip was Kentucky Kingdom.  Located in Louisville, this park's had a roller coaster of a history, being operated by local businessman Ed Hart, Six Flags, then Ed Hart again, and now Herschend Family Entertainment.  Rides have come and gone from this state-owned property, but it's now home to a triple-threat of small roller coasters that deliver big on thrills!  Join me for my first visit to this unique park for my opinions on Storm Chaser, Kentucky Flyer, Lightning Run, and more!

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