When Andrew was in college at UNC-Chapel Hill a thousand (okay, 16) years ago - there were no student groups focused on themed entertainment or the amusement industry. However, things have changed at Carolina, as the group has their own Themed Entertainment Association Chapter - TEA @ UNC. 

Andrew is joined this week by the club's co-presidents Jax McGuire and Grant Sizemore to learn more about the student organization, but to also talk all things Rip Roarin' Falls media day - which Grant and Jax had the chance to attend.

We talk all things themed entertainment and how Rip Roarin' Falls will change the landscape at Carowinds! Check it out! 

You can connect with the show by hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram. We also have a website, if you're into that sort of thing: www.coaster101.com

Also, be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode! And please give us a rating and review wherever you listen, it helps new listeners find us!

Find the latest and greatest Coaster101 and theme park-inspired merch at coaster101.com/merch

Thanks to JM Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmentgrp.com

Last week, we attended the announcement for Carowinds' new-for-2027 record-breaking water attraction Rip Roarin' Falls. Like many media events, there is the opportunity to interview people from the park and the manufacturer during the event, but to be cognizant of everyone's time - including other people who might have questions - sometimes you need to keep those interviews brief - not ideal for a podcast. 

Fortunately, after chatting for a few minutes with David Chesney, who is a water ride engineer for Whitewater, the manufacturer of Rip Roarin' Falls, I knew that we needed a longer conversation - and just a week later, here we are. 

David takes us through his career in the industry, Whitewater's reimagining of the classic log flume, and everything else - even beyond the three World Records -  that's going to make Rip Roarin' Falls an amazing addition for Carowinds. (For the coaster nerds out there, there's even a little conversation about one of David's first-ever coaster projects - a backyard coaster he build in his late teens!) 

You can connect with the show by hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram. We also have a website, if you're into that sort of thing: www.coaster101.com

Also, be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode! And please give us a rating and review wherever you listen, it helps new listeners find us!

Find the latest and greatest Coaster101 and theme park-inspired merch at coaster101.com/merch

Thanks to JM Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmentgrp.com

Tormenta: Rampaging Run is nearing its first rides, and is getting a Texas-sized amount of attention as the World's First Giga Dive Coaster. However, it's not the only coaster-related project at Six Flags over Texas that's happened recently. 

Early this year, the park teased some upgrades and refreshes to the queue of Mr. Freeze, which has been thrilling guests at Six Flags' original park for nearly three decades. The park worked together with Plague Productions to breathe new life into the queue experience for guests - a true way to beat the Texas heat (especially when it snows)

We were able to connect with Clayton Lawrence, Corporate Creative Producer for Six Flags Entertainment Company (and allegedly a listener of the podcast when he's on the treadmill!) to learn about what goes into a project like this. Take a listen and go behind the scenes! 

You can connect with the show by hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram. We also have a website, if you're into that sort of thing: www.coaster101.com

Also, be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode! And please give us a rating and review wherever you listen, it helps new listeners find us!

Find the latest and greatest Coaster101 and theme park-inspired merch at coaster101.com/merch

Thanks to JM Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmentgrp.com

If you're someone like me who is chronically online, you've likely seen the videos from "Zooder Loopers" come across your TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube feeds. Whether he's riding in an Arie Force One-inspired bicycle build on a Red Bull-built track or arriving at Walt Disney World hours before opening in order to be the first person into the park, his content is a fresh take on a lot of traditional theme park video creation. 

We chat with Zooder - real name Bryan - about all things content creation - some of our favorite videos of his, how he finds himself in certain situations - be it creating a "used car"-style ad for the Fast & The Furious Hollywood Drift train at the IAAPA Expo or on-stage with Flo Rida at SeaWorld. 

Check out Bryan's channels: Instagram | YouTube | Tiktok

You can connect with the show by hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram. We also have a website, if you're into that sort of thing: www.coaster101.com

Also, be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode! And please give us a rating and review wherever you listen, it helps new listeners find us!

Find the latest and greatest Coaster101 and theme park-inspired merch at coaster101.com/merch

Thanks to JM Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmentgrp.com

Last year, Universal Studios Hollywood debuted a highly immersive new after-hours event, Fan Fest Nights, which is back for its second year in 2026. An event designed "for the fans" around some of pop culture's most iconic IP - Fan Fest Nights takes place this year beginning on April 23. 

Eager to learn more about this year's event, and what it takes to bring to life, Andrew and Eric are joined this week by Stephen Siercks, Senior Director of Entertainment Production at Universal Studios Hollywood, and Executive Producer of Fan Fest Nights. 

The 22-year Universal Studios Hollywood veteran takes us through all things Fan Fest Nights, and how the event was built from whiteboards and concepting all the way through installation and execution! 

You can connect with the show by hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram. We also have a website, if you're into that sort of thing: www.coaster101.com

Also, be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode! And please give us a rating and review wherever you listen, it helps new listeners find us!

Find the latest and greatest Coaster101 and theme park-inspired merch at coaster101.com/merch

Thanks to JM Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmentgrp.com

One of the biggest pieces of news that we're still processing from last year's IAAPA Expo in Orlando was the announcement that Family Kingdom Amusement Park in Myrtle Beach (of all places) would be the recipients of Rocky Mountain Construction's latest single-rail "Raptor" model. 

Someone else who is still processing the attention that the announcement received? Family Kingdom's Dean Corl, whose family, owners of Powers Great American Midways on the east coast fair circuit, took over co-ownership and operations of the seaside Myrtle Beach seaside amusement park. 

Joined by park superfan Michael Dutterer (coasters.haunts.darkrides on TikTok and YouTube), Andrew talks to things about all things Family Kingdom - from history, to how the family makes decisions on attractions, and yes, there's a good bit of conversation about that RMC Raptor as well. 

If you're looking for a candid look behind the scenes at one of the southeast's amusement park "hidden gems," look no further than this episode of the Coaster101 Podcast. 

You can connect with the show by hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram. We also have a website, if you're into that sort of thing: www.coaster101.com

Also, be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode! And please give us a rating and review wherever you listen, it helps new listeners find us!

Find the latest and greatest Coaster101 and theme park-inspired merch at coaster101.com/merch

Thanks to JM Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmentgrp.com

Spring has sprung at Carowinds. It's the 63rd season at the "place where the Carolinas come together," and there are some amazing happenings on the state line, including, for the first time ever, "Scream Break," where guests can experience last year's breakout success haunted experience "The Conjuring: Beyond Fear."

Andrew is joined on the podcast this week by Six Flags Regional PR Manager for Carowinds (and Six Flags Over Georgia) Chris Foshee, and East Region Social Media Manager Patrick Wisniewski to talk all things Carowinds - from Spring Break to Scream Break, Viva La Fiesta, and even a little bit of conversation about Carowinds' newest giant crate that has popped up inside the park. 

You can connect with the show by hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram. We also have a website, if you're into that sort of thing: www.coaster101.com

Also, be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode! And please give us a rating and review wherever you listen, it helps new listeners find us!

Find the latest and greatest Coaster101 and theme park-inspired merch at coaster101.com/merch

Thanks to JM Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmentgrp.com

A few episodes ago, we talked about our wishlist for the new Enchanted Parks - a good listen if you haven't listened yet! - and we jokingly said on the episode that we'd love someone from Enchanted Parks to come on the podcast to talk about their own wishlist. 

Funny how things happen, because just two weeks later, Andrew was able to grab a few minutes with Enchanted Parks' CEO, James Harhi - a longtime industry veteran who is working with the rest of the Enchanted Parks team to breathe some new life and excitement into the six properties that the company will manage. 

The interview has a little bit of everything - James' background in the industry, why those parks, the vision for the future, and if you listen all the way to the end, the "Dining Plan" discourse from the original announcement is addressed. 

You can connect with the show by hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram. We also have a website, if you're into that sort of thing: www.coaster101.com

Also, be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode! And please give us a rating and review wherever you listen, it helps new listeners find us!

Find the latest and greatest Coaster101 and theme park-inspired merch at coaster101.com/merch

Thanks to JM Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmentgrp.com

You've obviously heard about Disney adults. But what about LEGOLAND Adults? With a brand new coaster now open in Florida (and also in California), LEGOLAND continues to build something amazing in Central Florida - brick by brick. 

Andrew is joined by three LEGOLAND Florida first timers and members of the Coaster101 team on this week's episode - John & Eric visited the park during a recent Florida trip that overlapped with the media day for Galacticoaster - and despite living in Florida for four years, Shane had not visited the park until the following week. 

We talk all things LEGOLAND Florida - Galacticoaster, Crazy Dark Rides, Building Experiences, Chicken Sandwiches with Purple and Blue sauces, Minilands, and basically everything else - except Apple Fries, which none of them ate on their visit, and Andrew is still slightly annoyed. 

You can connect with the show by hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram. We also have a website, if you're into that sort of thing: www.coaster101.com

Also, be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode! And please give us a rating and review wherever you listen, it helps new listeners find us!

Find the latest and greatest Coaster101 and theme park-inspired merch at coaster101.com/merch

Thanks to JM Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmentgrp.com

Some of the biggest industry news in a while dropped late last week, with Six Flags announcing that the chain was selling seven of its parks - Six Flags St. Louis, Worlds of Fun, Valleyfair, Six Flags Great Escape, Michigan's Adventure, La Ronde, and Schlitterbahn Galveston - to EPR Properties, and a majority of the parks would be managed by the new "Enchanted Parks."

Enchanted Parks' CEO James Harhi recently gave an interview to the St. Louis Post Dispatch talking about what fans could expect at the park soon to be known as Enchanted Parks' Mid-America, which got us thinking about a wishlist for the other parks involved in the sale. 

Andrew is joined by two separate Eric/k's from the Coaster101 - Eric with a C in California, and Erik with a K in Canada, to talk about what we'd all like to see at these seven parks going forward. 

You can connect with the show by hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram. We also have a website, if you're into that sort of thing: www.coaster101.com

Also, be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode! And please give us a rating and review wherever you listen, it helps new listeners find us!

Find the latest and greatest Coaster101 and theme park-inspired merch at coaster101.com/merch

Thanks to JM Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmentgrp.com