The Coaster101 Podcast

Holiday World is a place where holidays can be celebrated all-year round, and on the heels of the 4th of July Holiday, the park recently announced a new-for-2027 to Holiday World's "4th of July" Section - a new MACK Rides water coaster called Cannonball.

Andrew is joined on the podcast this week by Leah Koch-Blumhardt, Director of Communications for and 4th-Generation Owner of Holiday World. There's Cannonball talk, for sure, but there's so much more going on at Holiday World - beyond the world-class wooden coasters, award-winning water park, and free parking, soft drinks and sunscreen that make Holiday World a must-visit family destination.

We talk about Holiwood Nights, embracing the absurdity of giant gravy boats and neighborhood swimming pools becoming settings for new attractions, how the "blue sky" process often devolves into a "yes, and" improv session, and the manifestation of inviting Nick Offerman to Cannonball's opening day! (We told you, it's a great conversation!)

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

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a park that's near and dear to Andrew's heart. He rode his first-ever "big" roller coaster there - not sure if it was Python or Scorpion, and even had his bachelor party at the park prior to getting married in 2023. When you get the opportunity to talk to park leadership at a park you love, you jump at the chance.

Andrew is joined on the podcast this week by Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's new Park President, Jon Vigue. A 30+ year industry veteran, Jon comes to Busch Gardens after multi-year stops at Lake Compounce and Wild Adventures, and started in his role as Park President in May - and has hit the ground running!

We talk all things Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, including some ongoing park improvements, Jon's favorite things about Busch Gardens Tampa, and how his biggest critic might not be a park fan, but one of his own daughters! Join us for a fun conversation!

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

The rumors started quick, and where there was smoke - there was indeed fire, as Fun Spot America Atlanta (and by extension, Arie Force One) will close forever on August 2.

Andrew is joined this week by John and Shane, as they recount their experiences at Arie Force One and Fun Spot Atlanta - and one thing is for certain, we all want Arie Force One to be relocated to another park - it's too good not to.

In the spirit of armchair blue sky-ing meant to be purely for fun, all three of us presented some hypothetical locations for the iconic RMC coaster. Yes. We know. There are costs, elevation changes, and all sorts of things to consider when relocating a coaster. Fortunately, we're a roller coaster podcast and don't have to actually consider these issues - it's a fun thought exercise, nothing more!

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

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