What if we told you that over the past few years, a major project that has been on the minds of coaster enthusiasts isn't at a "traditional" theme park but rather at a motorsports complex that hosts NASCAR, F1, and Moto GP races each year?

Located at Austin, Texas' Circuit of the Americas, COTALAND is slowly but surely becoming a reality, proven by the fact that the track work park's first major coaster - the Gerstlauer Infinity Shuttle Coaster, Palindrome - is now complete, and the park is on track for a Summer 2025 Opening?

Andrew is joined on the podcast this week by Vice President of Park Operations for Circuit of the Americas, Matt Hughey, to talk all things COTALand, and how the park rose from the humble beginnings of a proposed housing development into the construction of two "North America's First" 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.

The biggest news in recent theme park history happened last week, so, officially a week after the dust has settled, Andrew and Eric are here to talk about it. 

We're talking all things Six Flags Entertainment Corp this week. Should they have an all park pass? If so, how much should it cost? Should they offer a regional pass? What's something you want to bring from one legacy chain to the other and vice versa? 

CNN suggested roller coaster fans were "nervous." Long story short, we're not.

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.

You always remember your first time...Wait. That sounded weird. But as coaster enthusiasts, heading to a park for the first time can be a memorable experience, especially when that park is Cedar Point. 

Shane joins Andrew to talk about his first-ever trip to Cedar Point, which, while it lacked Top Thrill 2, made up for it with 50 coaster rides over three days! Shane also visited the new Dreamworks Land at Universal 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.

Baby, we're ready to go! 

Coaster Enthusiast eyes around the world were fixated on Sandusky, OH for the debut of Top Thrill 2, the spiritual successor to Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster. Fortunately for us, two C101 team members were among the first riders to ascend to the top of Top Thrill 2's twin 420' structures. 

The "Ohi-bros" Nick and Kyle join Andrew this week with a report from Top Thrill 2 Media Day - talking all things TT2, from daytime night rides, to the intricacies of media live shots, to why Row 4 of all rows might just be the perfect sweet spot when riding this coaster! 

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.

We've reached the point of the year where new roller coasters are opening all across the country - and fortunately for us, we have some "boots on the ground" taking first rides!

Andrew is joined this week by Coaster101's newest writer Evan, who headed to Allentown, PA to take on the 160' tall Iron Menace Dive Coaster at Dorney Park - the first of its kind coaster in the region! 

Evan talks all things Iron Menace before a quick discussion on his most recent coaster credit - the infamous Big Apple Coaster at New York, New York. What happened in Vegas - and at Dorney! - certainly didn't stay there as we talk about it on 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 c101.co/teepublic!

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

Spring Break at Disney...but make it a double! 

C101 writer Nick joins Andrew on the podcast to talk about their respective Spring Break Disney Trips - Nick with a traditional family vacation with his wife and two kids on a four-day Disneyland Vacation, and Andrew with a "Smash & Grab" day and a half at Magic Kingdom and Epcot while in Orlando for a conference. 

We talk TRON, Guardians, Genie+ a triple 999,999 on Buzz Lightyear, and a Service Dog getting loose on Peter Pan. Yes. You read that correctly. 

We also discuss lockers and shoes and Top Thrill 2, because it feels like that's a significant news item this week. 

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.

Recently, members of the Coaster101 team took three separate trips to Busch Gardens Tampa - some repeat visitors, some first time visitors, and we're here to bring our experiences to you. 

C101 Founder John and one of C101's newest writers Evan join Andrew on the podcast to talk all things Busch Gardens Tampa - Iron Gwazi, the Skyride, Eating Vegetarian (or not), Falcon's Fury, 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.

When you have the opportunity to connect with a long-time industry veteran, you're bound to get some incredible stories. When that industry veteran is Dennis Speigel, the stories are even better.

A former Kings Island and Kings Dominion General Manager, Dennis Speigel joins Andrew to talk all things development of Kings Island and Kings Dominion with some great coaster talk in between. Check out Dennis in the documentary "The Roller Coaster Wars That Birthed a Beast" on the VeryLocal streaming service!

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.

Nestled deep in the Ozark Mountains of Branson, Missouri is a park that has long been on Andrew's theme park bucket list - Silver Dollar City. A park with an immensely rich history, Silver Dollar City is celebrating 64 years of operation this season with an all-new roller coaster, Fire in the Hole. 

Andrew is joined on the podcast this week by Dalton Fischer, Communications Manager for Silver Dollar City Attractions, to get the run-down on all-things SDC. From history, to coasters, to finding out if there are indeed sharks in Mystic River Falls, to Fire in the Hole, and more - you might even find out Silver Dollar City's secret ingredient for Cinnamon Bread in this week's episode. 

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.

After we dropped our most recent episode, a good amount of news dropped in the theme park industry, and in true podcast fashion, we're a few days late in covering the news. 

Nick and John join Andrew to talk all things Epic Universe, SeaWorld's name Change, Busch Gardens' Skyride $5 charge, and Lakemont Park before wrapping up on a more topical announcement - the Super Bowl bet between Worlds of Fun and California's Great America! Missed any news in the past 2 weeks? Here's a great way to catch up! 

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!

Our podcast is created on Zencastr. Visit https://zen.ai/_9ik4a95vlEomVaMwgRjTY5uTY166mUmml21q79pzhM for 30% off your first month of Zencastr services!

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