Last week, Six Flags Over Georgia shocked the theme park world by giving their originally-new-for-2024-but-now-new-for-2025 roller coaster - formerly known as a Georgia Surfer - a new name and backstory, before the coaster ever gave its first rides. 

It led us to think about other coasters whose names have changed and as coaster enthusiasts, we're inclined to pick one name or another. John and Evan join Andrew for a game of "this or that" when it comes to past or current names for roller coasters. 

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 c101.co/teepublic!

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

As theme park fans, especially recently with D23 announcements, we're familiar with the term "blue sky," used to tease ideas that are just that - ideas. They might happen, they might not. Usually, the people making these decisions have an idea of what they're doing. This podcast...is not that. 

Andrew is joined by his younger brother J.T., who took an idea he had over the holidays and ran with it to the point where his ideas would change Universal Orlando Resort + Epcot forever. Definitely more of a casual theme park fan, J.T. has ideated a world where Universal no longer has the Marvel theme park exclusivity rights on the east coast, and instead replaces it with another franchise. He also decides to temporarily full close a park to "gut it."

Buckle up, this episode is a wild ride - and we will go ahead and note - this is 100% a "what if" idea/scenario, and we're just having fun. 

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 c101.co/teepublic!

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

Several years ago, we interviewed Broadway actor Nik Walker on our podcast, and talked all things theme parks. Many people claim to be theme park "nerds." Nik, who played Aaron Burr in Hamilton, Otis Williams in Ain't Too Proud, and Sir Galahad in Spamalot, not only "walks the walk," when it comes to being a theme park fan - he can "talk the talk." Folks, this man literally told People Magazine how big of a theme park fan he is.

Nik rejoins the Coaster101 podcast to chat about finding fellow theme park fans in the wild (including his Spamalot co-star Taran Killam), his Halcyon voyage onboard the Star Wars Galactic StarCruiser, his on-going rivalry with James Monroe Iglehart, and how he's hoping to have it written into the contract of his next acting gig that he'll be allowed to miss a technical rehearsal in order to attend the Grand Opening of Universal's Epic Universe. (We're manifesting it, anyway.)

Two nerds, nerding out about decidely nerdy things. It's honestly a delightful listen! 

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 c101.co/teepublic!

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

It's our first podcast episode of 2025 - so of course, we have to join the discourse of the news that dominated the last few months of 2024 - closed and closing roller coasters. 

Roller coasters like Scorpion at Busch Gardens Tampa got a send-off, while others, like Kingda Ka and Anaconda did not. Did these coasters need to close? Did the parks owe fans a send-off? Are there probably plenty of factors at play as to why these parks didn't give a send-off? Are coaster enthusiasts always going to ensure that they're the main character in any story?

These answers and more as Andrew, Eric, and Larry bring the Coaster101 Podcast into 2025! 

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 c101.co/teepublic!

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

Do you like the sound of Andrew's voice on the Coaster101 podcast? Well, sorry. Because this week, there's no Andrew, but there is the dynamic duo of Eric and Shane, who attended the 2024 IAAPA Expo in Orlando!

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 c101.co/teepublic!

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

One of the more fascinating ongoing stories in the theme park world in the past several years has been the construction of Mattel Adventure Park in Glendale, Arizona. Featuring two roller coasters from Chance Rides, including the first-ever launched Hyper GT-X coaster, the Mattel Adventure park is scheduled to open in the next few months. 

This week on the podcast, Andrew is joined by Cindy Emerick, Vice President of Attraction Design for Mattel Adventure Park to talk all things about the new Arizona park, as well as its sister park, scheduled to open in the Kansas City metro in 2026. We learn more about the coaster design, family rides, go-karts, and more for this unique family friendly indoor-outdoor theme 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 c101.co/teepublic!

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

Deep in the throes of announcement season, the Coaster101 team comes together to talk all things "New for 2025" Coasters in North America. Yes, there are coasters opening elsewhere, but have you looked at our listening audience?

What's our favorite coaster? What will be the sleeper hit? How do you pronounce Rakshasa? All these questions and more answered by Andrew, John, Larry and Evan on this week's 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 c101.co/teepublic!

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

No Blue Sky. Dirt is Moving. We're getting the long rumored door coaster, the Rivers of America are being replaced by Cars, and the best Disney Parks announcement might be at Hong Kong Disneyland? That can only mean one thing, it's D23 time. 

Nick, John, Shane and Andrew join the podcast, sans musical interludes, to discuss everything that came out of the Disney Experiences Panel at D23. No stone is left unturned. We'll warn you, this one gets passionate - especially if you happen to be a fan of the Navi River Journey. 

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 c101.co/teepublic!

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

Following the success of their "Legacy of Arrow" Documentary, the team behind shorts and films including the "Lost Parks of California" and "The Path to Railblazer" is back again with a new documentary, "The Legacy of Schwarzkopf," debuting this fall. 

Andrew is joined this week by Producer Kris Rowberry and Cameraman Robert Ingle to talk all things about the new documentary, which will be premier this November at COTALand. You're not going to want to miss it! 

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 c101.co/teepublic!

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

It's no surprise that we talk about Carowinds a lot on this podcast, but this week, we're joined by one of the people whose job it is to make Carowinds look and sound good, both in and outside of the park. 

A longtime friend of the podcast and industry veteran, Carowinds' Brand Activation Manager Chris Keith joins the podcast to talk all things Carowinds, his career in the industry, tangents, the return of the Cash Coaster FunTV (if you know, you know) spots, and 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 c101.co/teepublic!

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