CoasterRadio.com: The Original Theme Park Podcast

"The Beast" at Kings Island is one of the most legendary coasters in the world. On this week's episode of CoasterRadio.com, we present "The Beast" with a very special honor.  We also talk with two of the original designers of this iconic coaster... Jeff Gramke and Al Collins. Mike and EB will also talk through some of the latest news from around the industry.  What do the guys think of that fence surrounding the Millennium Falcon at Star Wars Galaxy's Edge?

It's not often that a completely new concept is added to a roller coaster train.  This week, we heard about an interactive one from Gerstlauer... and it is amazing. During our Quick Hits segment, we talk about leaked blueprints, new metal detectors, new ride reviews and an animatronic of our beloved half-giant Hagrid. Plus, EB reviews Six Flags Great America, the Championship Round in our "Best Coaster Name" tournament, the CoasterRadio.com MAILBAG and the return of an original game... SOUNDWAVE!

Kings Dominion posted an interesting sign outside the de-construction walls of "Volcano: The Blast Coaster." We talk about what it says and what it could mean. During our "Quick Hits" segment, we review three new rides that recently opened.  Then, EB will tell us about an EXCELLENT visit to Six Flags Great America outside of Chicago.  Not only does EB say this is his favorite Six Flags park... he also goes so far to say it might be his new "home park!"

There's a lot of action on this week! First up, Zamperla has asked Mike and EB to provide the voices of two "booty loving" pirates for their Galleon ride.  The guys will record their original script live on the air! Mike talks about his experience at The Void in Las Vegas.  He had a chance to check our "Secrets of the Empire," the Star Wars VR experience that actually puts you in the movie. Finally, Kevin from Ohio and Cincinnati Jon head to Kings Island to find out what's new for 2019!

This week's show is all about themed environments! We start off with our FIRST DROP... and it's all about two different types of dark rides... interactive and passive.  We'll talk about whether it's better to create rides where guests are shooting targets or ones where they simply get taken in by the story. Then, we interview Branden Powell, Creator and Managing Partner of The Golden Tiki in Las Vegas. We'll talk with him about the inspiration for creating the bar and the secrets inside. 

One of our FAVORITE shows of the year is where we can drop our regular format and take an entire episode to answer all of your questions. The fun thing about this show is that the questions are all over the place. Yes, there are questions about theme parks and thrill rides. But there are also questions about pop culture, Mike/EB, the podcast itself and a lot of other topics!

Kings Dominion was in the news again as they started the removal process of "Volcano: The Blast Coaster." We kick off this week's show questioning whether or not the iconic mountain structure will survive. Finally, Mike and EB share tales from their recent park visits. EB was at Six Flags Fiesta Texas... riding "Wonder Woman: Lasso of Truth" and "Iron Rattler." Mike was at Busch Gardens Williamsburg checking up on construction for the new S&S Screaming Swing!

This week's show kicks off with a review of Carowinds' new roller coaster for 2019 - Copperhead Strike! Cincinnati Jon was on-site for a first ride and a first look at this double-launch coaster from Mack! Then, it's time for us to take a look at some of the most talked about industry-related topics and decide whether they are HOT OR NOT! The CoasterRadio.com audience joined us as we recorded this episode to vote in real-time as we discussed each topic. They decided the "flow of the show!"

We had originally planned to take this week off to make room for our Spring Break plans.  BUT, we decided to record a special episode to talk about EB's visit to Six Flags Over Texas and his upcoming visit to Six Flags Fiesta Texas!

This week, Busch Gardens Tampa announced that RMC will be working their magic on the former wooden dueling coaster Gwazi. We'll have some news about what is expected for 2020. After some announcements and peek inside the Mailbag, we welcome USA Today's Arthur Levine back to the show! He was invited to tour Lucasfilm, Disney Imagineering and "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" which is currently under construction at Disneyland! He'll tell us what he saw and experienced... in detail!

We start off this week's show with an update on the tragic story at Schlitterbahn. A judge recently tossed out the case brought against the park's owner and ride designer. We'll talk to our old friend Hagrid to get an update on his new roller coaster at Universal Orlando. Then, we'll check in on the first round of our "Greatest Coaster Names" brackets to see if there are any upsets in the making!

This week, EB will unveil the Interactive Brackets that will help us decide the "Greatest Roller Coaster Name of All Time." He'll also read some letters from the Mailbag! After that, he'll interview Paula Werne from Holiday World to hear stories about how they decided upon the names for classic rides like The Voyage, The Legend, The Raven and Thunderbird. Finally, EB will read some letters from our female listeners. They have stories from dating at the parks too!

The off-season is usually pretty quiet here at CoasterRadio.com. But this week, we're talking about one of the biggest theme park stories we have heard in awhile. Kings Dominion has announced that "Volcano: The Blast Coaster" will no longer be operating at the park. We'll talk all about this ride and the reaction to its removal. We'll celebrate Valentines Day by hearing some of your dating horror stories from the parks. We'll also talk about whether a park is really a good place to take a date.

Last week, we had a fun time talking about many of the new attractions coming to parks in 2019! But there are STILL MORE to talk about! Once again, we are joined by our good friend, theme park expert Arthur Levine. On this week's show, we'll preview rides like the Harry Potter coaster at Islands of Adventure, West Coast Racers at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Kentucky Flyer at Kentucky Kingdom, Copperhead Strike at Carowinds and MORE!

2019 is shaping up to be one of the more amazing years in recent memory when it comes to theme park attractions. This week, we are joined by our good friend, theme park expert Arthur Levine. Arthur writes about theme parks for USA Today, Trip Savvy and others. He says we are are currently living in a "golden age" of theme parks. On this week's show, we'll preview rides like Yukon Striker at Canada's Wonderland, Maxx Force at Six Flags Great America, Steel Curtain at Kennywood and much, much more!