We're deep in the midst of the 2025 Holiday Season, and with not a lot of news going on - there are a few winter events here and there - we thought it might be fun to have a draft of our favorite holiday "things" at parks - decorations, food, entertainment, ride overlays, etc. 

Except, Shane doesn't understand the concept of a draft and sent Eric and Andrew his list before we started recording - so this "draft" episode really turned into a discussion of our favorite holiday moments at the parks. 

From the antics of Universal's walk-around Grinch character and discussions of how cold it actually gets in Central Florida to the long-lost traditions Gobbler sandwich at Carowinds' WinterFest and Kings Dominion's "Four Drummers Drumming" show, we encourage you to gather around the fireplace with a warm beverage and listen to three grown men discuss the Christmas season at theme parks. There's even a little "Earl the Squirrel" lore! 

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 JMMD Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

When you don't get to go to the IAAPA Expo, you're usually stuck following along on social media as all of the new ride vehicles are revealed, news breaks, and other general excitement abounds on the Expo floor. 

Luckily, we were able to connect with Jessica Gardner - an actor, audiobook narrator, host of the American Coaster Enthusiasts "Ride with Us" podcast, and above all - theme park fan, probably best known by her online "persona" (which is really just her real personality) - The Themeparkette. 

Andrew joins Jessica to talk all things IAAPA Expo, including ride reveals, what news is more shocking between Family Kingdom getting an RMC and Mango's on International Drive getting an S&S coaster, and just how serious Nate Bargatze is about his theme park aspirations. 

Follow Jessica on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook at @themeparkette!

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 JMMD Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

It's Thanksgiving Week, so what better time to talk about Food? As part of the Six Flags & Cedar Fair merger, a trend typically reserved for the Cedar Fair side of the aisle is making its way to Six Flags parks - the addition of an executive chef - including Chef Priscilla Hamilton, who joined Six Flags Over Georgia earlier this year.

This week on the podcast, not only are we joined by Chef Priscilla, but we're also joined by Angel Salgado, the park's Food & Beverage manager, to talk about the culinary transformation that has taken place this season at Six Flags Over Georgia. 

With food becoming a more integral part of the theme park experience, we talk menu favorites, restaurant re-designs, and what it's like managing 39 dining outlets and more than 400 associates - all in the name of bettering Six Flags Over Georgia's culinary reputation! 

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 JMMD Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

Recently, the National Roller Coaster Museum was a topic of conversation in theme park internet circles - specifically when they held a fundraising campaign to raise money to bring four iconic coaster trains to the museum in Plainview, Texas. However, the sentiment was not "Wow, it's awesome that the organization is working to preserve roller coaster history." but rather "Wow. I can't believe this private collection (wrong) is hoarding coasters and will never open to the public (wrong) and it's 100% a scam organization." - (Again, wrong.)

Newsflash to the coaster enthusiasts who are somehow also well versed in traditional museum opening timelines and operations. These things take time. They take money. It's not as cut and dry as you might think of "well they have coasters I want to see so let me reenact the Eric Andre fence shaking meme in real life so they'll let me in."

This week on the podcast, we're joined by National Roller Coaster Museum & Archives Members Kris Rowberry (Ride Entertainment) & Mark Rosenzweig (3DX Scenic) to talk all things Roller Coaster Museum. History. Donations. Processes. Inspirations. The ideal experience. Teal Team Six. Did we get an opening date? No. Did we get a reason why? Yes. You'll have to listen to find out more. 

This podcast is brought to you by the one person who fundraised to bring Time Warp to the National Roller Coaster Museum (not really - but if you're out there, we'd love to hear from you.)

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 JMMD Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

After several weeks of (fantastic) interviews with people in the industry - Andrew is once again joined by one of his Coaster101 co-writers, Evan, who recently made his first ever visit to Knoebels. (Evan did not invite Andrew, Andrew is only slightly offended as he writes this episode description.)

Celebrating 100 Years in 2026, Knoebels has 60 rides and attractions, including six roller coasters - several of which were built entirely in-house by the Knoebels maintenance team. They've also got some serious hardware from the Golden Ticket Awards - Phoenix has been named the best wooden coaster in the country for the seventh straight year, and the awards had to retire the "Best Food" category because Knoebels won it so often. 

Come hang out and learn about why Knoebels is the perfect fall park to visit - $8 brisket sandwiches and all! 

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 JMMD Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you might notice that Zamperla's Roller Coaster department is on a bit of a hot streak in the recent past. This week on the podcast, we got to talk to one of the people who gets to sell these attractions - Adam Sandy, Roller Coaster Sales & Marketing Director for Zamperla. 

Adam joins Andrew to talk all things Zamperla, including Top Thrill 2, the new Naruto-themed Family Thrill Launch coaster coming to France in 2026, the Double Heart Model's impending Asian debut, and just what we might see from Zamperla at next month's IAAPA Expo. 

We also dive a little into flat rides - including Zamperla's newest "instagram superstar" - WingZ, which will make its debut on the show floor! 

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 JMMD Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

As they say, everything is bigger in Texas - and in this instance, that includes our podcast guest this week. Six Flags Regional General Manager for the state of Texas, Jeffrey Siebert, joins the show this week! 

With a nearly 30-year career in the industry, Jeffrey tells us about his career, what exactly a Regional Park manager does, and oddly enough, the promotional schedule for a minor league hockey team. 

We also have a healthy dose of what's happening at the Texas Six Flags parks, including Six Flags Over Texas' new-for-2026 giga dive coaster, Tormenta: Rampaging Run, and a tease for the future at both Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Schlitterbahn New Braunfels. 

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 JMMD Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

It's officially the Spooky Season, and what could be scarier than two coaster content creators coming together to talk about roller coasters their local theme park haunt - SCarowinds! 

Michael Dutterer - maybe better known by his Tiktok alias "Coasters Haunts & Dark Rides" joins Andrew to talk all things Coasters (Michael is a Southeast Assistant Regional Rep for the American Coaster Enthusiasts) - Haunts (Michael is a former SCarowinds Scare Actor and SCarowinds Superfan) - and Dark Rides (we do talk about this, I promise.)

There's a lot new at SCarowinds this season - make sure you read our review on Coaster101.com - but if you prefer to listen to two passionate theme park fans talk about how Carowinds has made a change for the better this season - this is the podcast for you! 

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 JMMD Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

Can you believe that Dollywood is celebrating its 40th season? We can't either. Earlier this year, the park released a new documentary on their YouTube channel (and in syndication in their local television market) called "The Dollywood Dream."

In just 40:00 - a clever easter egg, if you will - Director Devin Olson of Devin Olson Media (a familiar name to longtime Coaster101 readers) weaves a tale that talks about the park's past, present, and even touches on the future. 

We're joined by Devin and Dollywood's Vice President of Marketing Public Relations (and Executive Producer of "The Dollywood Dream!") Pete Owens to learn more about what went into the documentary, the stories that might have been left on the cutting room floor, and even a quick hint at what Dolly and the park have up their sleeves in 2026. 

Watch the documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO0x0OoW1us

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 JMMD Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

Yes, we know. It's been a while. (You try having any free time with a 3 month old puppy.) But we are back with a vengeance with an INCREDIBLE guest - the perfect person to bring us out of our hiatus. 

If you've been following Coaster101.com's website, you'll know that we just celebrated our 20th birthday, and have been chronicling a number of notable coasters that opened in 2005, and like Coaster101, are also celebrating two decades. 

One of - well, two of those coasters are the former Italian Job Stunt Tracks, now known as Backlot Stunt Coaster at Canada's Wonderland or Queen City Stunt Coaster at Kings Island. The Kings Dominion version opened the following year. 

One of the creative minds behind the ideation of this attraction was industry veteran and past Coaster101 podcast guest, Dave Cobb. Dave joins Andrew to talk all things Italian Job, from budget constraints, to the original ride concept (it's not what you think it is!), to what it felt like to bring a little bit of "movie magic" to the regional park level. Buckle up folks, because this is going to be a fun one. 

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

You can head to Dave's website at www.davecobb.com, and check out his YouTube channel for more great theme park content. 

Videos Referenced: 

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmXYjBmBI78&list=PLp9PErz-ReBhumyu-4WQADmsDPp1OyEyo&index=1&pp=iAQB
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4Gq9Rcv76M&list=PLp9PErz-ReBhumyu-4WQADmsDPp1OyEyo&index=7&pp=iAQB0gcJCc0JAYcqIYzv
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_i1F0zb5a4&list=PLp9PErz-ReBhumyu-4WQADmsDPp1OyEyo&index=8&pp=iAQB
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiGLs_30pfo&list=PLp9PErz-ReBhumyu-4WQADmsDPp1OyEyo&index=18&pp=iAQB0gcJCc0JAYcqIYzv

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 JMMD Entertainment for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.