Coaster Redux

Stop number two on my northwestern trip was California's Great America in Santa Clara, CA.  This park has an interesting history of ownership changes, and despite its sister park, Six Flags Great America being one of the darlings of the legacy Six Flags chain, this park's future is uncertain.  Cedar Fair sold the land beneath the park to a development company post-pandemic with a lease set to expire in 2028.  Join me for ...

A few months after my summer road trip, I continued my quest to ride new roller coasters by flying northwest to visit three parks for the first time.  Stop number one was Lagoon in Farmington, UT.  It's a family-owned amusement park known for doing things differently.  They've built their last three roller coasters completely in-house, and they're unlike anything else out there.  Join me for my first-time reactions t...

The final stop on my summer road trip was Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN.  This family-owned park is home to quite possibly the greatest collection of wooden roller coasters on the planet, the Raven, the Legend, and the Voyage.  They're also home to Thunderbird, the world's first B&M launched wing coaster, and the new for 2024 Good Gravy! Vekoma Family Boomerang.  Join me for my ravin' review of this legend of ...

The seventh stop on my summer road trip was Kentucky Kingdom.  Located in Louisville, this park's had a roller coaster of a history, being operated by local businessman Ed Hart, Six Flags, then Ed Hart again, and now Herschend Family Entertainment.  Rides have come and gone from this state-owned property, but it's now home to a triple-threat of small roller coasters that deliver big on thrills!  Join me for my first visit...

Kings Island was a perfect stopping point on my drive from Cedar Point to Kentucky Kingdom and I spent an afternoon enjoying one of my all-time favorite amusement parks.  I got my first ride on the Bat Arrow suspended coaster, the refurbished Adventure Express, and the new-for-2024 Snoopy's Soapbox Racers Vekoma Family Boomerang.  And of course, I got back on old favorites like Mystic Timbers, Orion, Diamondback, and more!  Jo...

The southbound run on my summer road trip began with two full days at Cedar Point, home to many of the greatest thrill rides ever, and that's even with their new for 2024 Top Thrill 2 being closed!  I was joined by my dad, an Ohio native, who hadn't been to America's Rockin' Roller Coast since 1999 when he brought my family and I for the first time.  Join me for two full days at A Place Like No Other riding top ...

The halfway point on my two-week summer road trip was Six Flags Great America.  One of the biggest legacy parks in the Six Flags chain, Great America boasts 15 total roller coasters.  Top on my hype list were Maxx Force, an S&S compressed air launch coaster with America's fastest acceleration, Raging Bull, B&M's only hyper with a twister layout, and Goliath, a punchy yet short RMC topper track wood coaster.  Join ...

My third stop on my 2024 road trip brought me to Kansas City, MO for my first ever visit to Worlds of Fun.  They opened Zambezi Zinger last year, their first new roller coaster since 2009.  It's a GCI family thrill coaster that sits right next door to Prowler, a highly praised out and back terrain coaster also from GCI.  The Mamba hyper coaster from Morgan also got reprogrammed a short time ago, and the mid-course brake run ba...

Stop number two on my 2024 road trip was Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO.  Dollywood's sister park is one I've wanted to visit for years!  It's got a gorgeous setting in the Ozark mountains, and some super unique roller coasters.  Powder Keg is a mash-up Premier water ride and S&S launched coaster, Outlaw Run was the first RMC wood coaster with multiple inversions, and Time Traveler was the first extreme spinni...

Season 3 begins with the first of eight stops on my 2024 summer road trip, Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN.  This is my second visit to this beautiful park, and since I was here two years ago, they've added Big Bear Mountain, a Vekoma launched family coaster, replaced the launch on Lightning Rod with a high-speed chain lift, and completed more trackwork on the Thunderhead wood coaster.  Join me for my in-depth reactions to new e...

It was a delight to share my 2023 theme park adventures with you, and it was my best year ever as a coaster enthusiast!  I'm currently knocking on the door of my 200th credit and preparing for my 2024 road trip.  I wanted to wrap up this season with my current Top 25 roller coaster list, and spill the beans on my plans for the first part of the next season of the podcast.  Thank you all for listening, and I can't wait to ...

The second stop on my SoCal trip was Knott's Berry Farm.  I'd briefly visited this park back in 2006 when I was in town for a wedding, and I wanted to get a better feel for it.  The Xcelerator Intamin hydraulic launch coaster had just re-opened after being closed for over a year, the Hangtime Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster had opened since my last visit, and I couldn't wait to ride Ghostrider since its major refurbishme...

My final coaster trip of 2023 brought me to Southern California to check out the next park on my must-visit list after Cedar Point and Hersheypark: Six Flags Magic Mountain.   It's home to 20 roller coasters, more than any park in the world, including X2, Twisted Colossus, Tatsu, and Full Throttle.  Join me for two full days at one of the world's greatest amusement parks during Holiday in the Park for my first-time experi...

My second theme park road trip concludes with two full days at Hersheypark joined by my brother Karl and his husband Marcus.  After visiting Cedar Point last year, this was next on my list of must-visit parks owing to its top-heavy coaster line up.  Join us for our first-time reactions to their three Intamins, Fahrenheit, Storm Runner, and Skyrush, as well as the new Candymonium B&M hyper and Wildcat's Revenge RMC.  Karl r...

The fifth stop on my August roller coaster road trip was Knoebels Amusement Resort, a quirky family-operated traditional amusement park in Elysburg, PA.  It's home to the one-two punch of Phoenix and Twister, two world-class wood coasters, an unbelievable collection of antique flat rides, and excellent food.

Join me for my first-time experience at this gem of a classic amusement park where I ride their legendary attra...

My fourth stop on my summer road trip was my former home park, Six Flags New England.  I grew up visiting this place, and when Riverside Park became a Six Flags in 2000, my first rides on the brand-new Superman: Ride of Steel catapulted my teenage coaster enthusiasm into the stratosphere.  This would be my first time returning to the park since 2005, and a lot has been added.  The Cyclone wood coaster got RMC'd and Superman un...

My third stop on my summer road trip was Six Flags Great Adventure.  I last visited in 2014 and loved the El Toro Intamin pre-fab wood coaster.  Unfortunately, Kingda Ka, the world's tallest roller coaster was closed that day, and I badly wanted to ride one of these Intamin hydraulic-launched stratacoasters.  The park has since added the Jersey Devil Coaster, the first custom-designed Raptor single rail coaster from Rocky Moun...

My second stop on this year's summer road trip was Six Flags America.  It was a perfect midway stopping point between Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Six Flags Great Adventure.  I was particularly excited for Superman: Ride of Steel, their Intamin hyper, and the Wild One, a classic wood coaster that was moved to Maryland from its original location mere minutes from where I grew up.  Join me for my first ever visit to the closes...

My second road trip begins with my return to Busch Gardens Williamsburg.  Since my last visit in 2018, they've added the new Intamin multi-launch Pantheon roller coaster, and the new-for-2023 DarKoaster, an enclosed Intamin family attraction.  Of course I was excited to ride old favorites like Griffon, Apollo's Chariot, Alpengeist, etc.  Join me for an in-depth look at this beautiful theme park and its outstanding roller ...