The Coaster101 Podcast

As theme park fans who are chronically online, a fascinating story that has always eluded us with a conclusion was the disappearance of Buzzy - an audio-animatronic who was a central character in "Cranium Command" at Epcot's Wonders of Life Pavilion. 

There is a new documentary currently on the "Film Festival Circuit" that unearths a little more about Urban Exploration, Abandoned Locations at Disney, and maybe even a little bit more about the disappearance of Buzzy. Luckily for us, we are joined on the podcast this week by the documentary's director, Joshua Bailey, to learn more. 

The next chance to see Stolen Kingdom is at the Florida Film Festival in Orlando on April 11. Click here for more information!

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 the self-appointed "Roller Coaster Bureau Chief" of WGN-TV in Chicago, Marcus Leshock has seen it all, including a Double Rollback on Top Thrill "Cubs"ter at Cedar Point following a Cubs World Series win many years ago. 

This week on the podcast, Marcus joins Andrew to talk all things coaster enthusiasm, his home park of Six Flags Great America, the demise of Kingda Ka, and the roller coasters and attractions he is most excited for in 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.

Kentucky Kingdom is a park with a storied history - and they've recently announced one of the biggest investments in park history - the retheming of an area of the park, now known as Discovery Meadow. Three new rides, 10 reimagined rides. Two new dining concepts, the works! Best of all, this isn't the only thing to look forward to at Kentucky Kingdom in the next few years!

Marketing Manger Logan Sanderson joins Andrew to talk all things Kentucky Kingdom, Discovery Meadow, and how there's a $14 million investment still to come at 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 c101.co/teepublic!

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

On episode 14 of the podcast, we interviewed Chris Foshee about all things social media. Now, five years and 146 episodes later (don't do the math, making a weekly show is tough!) - Chris is back, where he's now Regional Manager of Public Relations for Six Flags Over Georgia and Carowinds. 

On this week's episode of the Coaster101 podcast, Chris joins Andrew to talk all things 2025 at both SFOG and Carowinds. There's definitely some Georgia Goldrusher, Snoopy's Racing Railway, and plenty of other news. Listen closely, and you might catch the occasional bad movie reference!

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.

If you follow theme parks on social media, you'll notice that a park in the Ozarks is built just a little differently. Interspersed with the "Buy your Season Pass Now" and "Hey, we're opening soon" graphics, you'll find a healthy dose of memes and the occasional shark reference. Funny enough the park prefers it that way, and you'll see why. 

Joining us on the Coaster101 podcast this week are Silver Dollar City Director of Communications Joey Thorsen & Communications Manager Dalton Fischer, who, in between noting that Andrew has still yet to visit Silver Dollar City, reveal a little behind the curtain for all things theme park communications, Fire in the Hole, Silver Dollar City Resort, and a hint of what might be happening in 2026. Maybe. TBD.

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.

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.