The Coaster101 Podcast

This week we've got part 2 of our interview with veteran theme park designer Dave Cobb! In Part 1 we got into his work with Universal, and now we're moving on to his more recent projects, including a brief stint at Paramount, and then nearly 13 years at the Thinkwell Group. Maybe the biggest project in all of that was the design of Warner Bros World in Abu Dhabi, a giant indoor theme park.

We also get into some of Dave's favorite roller coasters and dark rides.  Be sure to follow him on Twitter at @DaveCobb and you should absolutely watch his live stream from last year about the 20th anniversary of Men In Black.

As always, you can connect with the show by emailing us at [email protected] or hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

If you haven't yet, make sure you're subscribed to the podcast, and please give us a rating and review if you can, it really helps us out!

Thanks to JM Music Design for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

This week we're joined by the amazing Dave Cobb, a 30+ year veteran of the themed attraction design industry. Dave is probably best known among Theme Park lovers for being the Creative Director behind Men in Black: Alien Attack at Universal Studios Florida, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2020. This week we talk to Dave about his start in the industry, his early work on things like Back to the Future: The Ride, and how he became in charge of Men in Black: Alien Attack.

Be sure to follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveCobb and you should absolutely watch his live stream from last year about the 20th anniversary of Men In Black.

Dave will be back next week with us as well, to talk about the work he's done since Men in Black, including work with Paramount Parks and most recently being the Creative Director for the construction of Warner Bros Movie World in Abu Dhabi. Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast so you don't miss it!

As always, you can connect with the show by emailing us at [email protected] or hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

Please give us a rating and review if you can, it really helps us out.

Thanks to JM Music Design for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

For the next few weeks, we're going to focus on interviews of people, both in and out of the industry, with the key linking factor that they have great stories to tell! We're back this week with another fantastic interview subject, Seth Kubersky, author of the Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando 2021!

Seth has more than 20 years experience in the theme park realm, and actually got his start in his career at Universal Orlando's former Ghostbusters show. Now in it's sixth edition, the Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando gives readers all of the ins-and-outs to plan the best possible Universal Orlando vacation. (And when we say all of them, we mean all of them.)

We're also giving away a copy of the most recent edition of the Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando. To enter for your chance to win: text "SETH" to 419-742-2101. It's that easy! We will select a winner at random, and will contact the winner on Monday, February 15! Thanks to Ulimi for our text code!

You can connect with the show by emailing us at [email protected] or hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

Be sure you're following Seth on twitter at @Skubersky and the Unofficial Guides on twitter at @theUGseries. And if you want to skip the chance to win and buy your own copy of the Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando, you can purchase it where ever books are sold! 

We also have our own line of Coaster101 and coaster-inspired merchandise at http://c101.co/shirts!

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!

Thanks to JM Music Design for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

We're deep in the recesses of the regional park off-season, which means that news is few and far between, save for park opening dates and the occasional raptors being placed at VelociCoaster. For the next few weeks, we're going to focus on interviews of people, both in and out of the industry, with the key linking factor that they have great stories to tell!

First up, this week, John is joined by Lindsay Graham (not the Senator), host of the Business Movers podcast on the Wondery Podcast Network. As part of the first "season" of Business Movers, Graham presents a different side of Walt Disney, more focused on the business side of things. As theme park fans, we all think we know the story of Walt Disney. Little did we know, we didn't know the whole story.

You can connect with the show by emailing us at [email protected] or hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

You can listen to Business Movers here!

We also have our own line of Coaster101 and coaster-inspired merchandise at http://c101.co/shirts!

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!

Thanks to JM Music Design for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

While we love roller coasters, we also feel that Dark Rides are among the most underappreciated and underrated theme park experiences out there, and of course, we have a a long list of favorites!

This week, join Andrew, Shane and John as we talk about our favorite dark rides, from the simple classics of Disney parks, to more modern versions, and a good focus on interactive dark rides! (Is it fair to call yourself a galactic hero if Buzz Lightyear stops mid-ride and you're next to a 100,000 point target?)

What's your favorite dark ride? Let us know by emailing us at [email protected] or hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

Posts/Videos mentioned in the podcast: 

• Secrets Behind Shanghai Disneyland Pirates of the Caribbean
• Horizons Recreated
• Nights In White Satin: The Trip from Sally Dark Rides
• Monstars of Rock POV
• Top Five Parts of Rise of the Resistance

We also have our own line of Coaster101 and coaster-inspired merchandise at http://c101.co/shirts!

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!

Thanks to JM Music Design for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

One thing we wanted to focus on with The Coaster101 Podcast in 2021 is increasing listener interaction. So, when no one really wanted to send us questions to read at the top of the show, we decided to turn it into a contest. Simple prompt: Ask us a question. Our favorite wins a prize!

This week, join Andrew, Nick, Shane and John as they tackle a wide variety of listener questions ranging from thought provoking to down-right absurd, and everything in between! 

Help us out with more questions for next time by emailing us at [email protected] or hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

We also have our own line of Coaster101 and coaster-inspired merchandise at http://c101.co/shirts!

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!

Thanks to JM Music Design for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

Happy New Year! Now that 2020 is behind us, it means its time to start riding some new-for-2021 rides!

This week, join Andrew, Shane, John and Nick as they discuss some of the most anticipated coasters in the United States, opening in the new year! Whether they were originally planned for last year, or announced last year and will open in 2021, we've got you covered with our picks for some of our favorites for 2021!

What'd we forget? Let us know by emailing us at [email protected] or hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

We also have our own line of Coaster101 and coaster-inspired merchandise at http://c101.co/shirts!

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!

Thanks to JM Music Design for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? For a majority of 2020, the answer to that question is "probably."

But for the Coaster101 team, 2020 was actually a fairly enjoyable year for theme parks and roller coasters, despite a lot of trips being postponed and cancelled.

This week, join Andrew, Shane, John and Nick as they recount their various 2020's worth of roller coasters and amusement parks in the year-end episode of the Coaster101 Podcast!

How was your year in theme parks? Let us know by emailing us at [email protected] or hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

We also have our own line of Coaster101 and coaster-inspired merchandise at http://c101.co/shirts!

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!

Thanks to JM Music Design for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesign.com.

Breaking News: Andrew visited a park in 2020 -- well, actually two of them. Join John and Andrew this week as we chat about Andrew's trips to Taste of the Season at Carowinds and Kings Dominion! We talk Tastes, Shows, Roller Coasters, and Christmas Lights. And realistically, what else will you listen to while traveling to your relatives' at the end of the week?

You can learn more about Andrew's trips to Taste of the season by texting CAROTASTE or KDTASTE or 419-742-2101.

Did you visit Taste of the Season or another holiday event? Let us know by emailing us at [email protected] or hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

We also have our own line of Coaster101 and coaster-inspired merchandise at http://c101.co/shirts!

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!

Thanks to JM Music Designs for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesigns.com.

This week, join Andrew, Shane and John as they discuss the finer intricacies of their favorite inverted coasters from Swiss Designers Bolliger & Mabillard? How many have they ridden? What's their favorite? Why doesn't every row have a "big boy" seat? Find out this and more!

What's your favorite B&M Invert? Let us know by emailing us at [email protected] or hitting us up on social media @Coaster101: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

It's officially the holiday gift giving season, and we're selling Calendars that benefit Give Kids The World Village! Find more at http://c101.co/21calendar. We also have our own line of Coaster101 and coaster-inspired merchandise at http://c101.co/shirts!

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!

Thanks to JM Music Designs for providing our theme song. For more on them, check out jmmusicdesigns.com.