CoasterRadio.com - Theme Park Blog and Podcast

Weird Al's "Skipper Dan"

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:41:00 +0000

Skipper Dan

This made me laugh and feel sad at the same time.

Talk about it in the CoasterRadio.com Forums.

Live Park Updates On The Way!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:15:00 +0000

There haven't been any updates here in awhile, and for that I apologize.

Like we used to say on the CR podcast... real life always has to come first. Lately, there has been one deadline after another at my job and in life.

I couldn't imagine what things would be like if we still had the pressure of doing a weekly show. WOW!

Anyway, I'm headed to Southern California this week and am going to be updating the Twitter Feed with all sorts of tweets and twitpics from the various SoCal parks.

If there's anything particular you want to see, let me know via Twitter or through the New Forum Fourms.

If you haven't caught Twitter fever yet, this might be a good opportunity to check it out!

I'm also experimenting with recording some "on-the-fly" audio with my iPhone. So I might have some files to upload when I get back.

See you on the west coast!

Memorial Day Weekend in Orlando

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:16:00 +0000

I'm on my way to sunny Florida for a little work and a little fun.

I have my trusty iPhone with me, so I'll be sure to send along picture updates from all around the Walt Disney World Resort.

Be sure to watch the blog and especially our Twitter feed for a lot of updates. I'll be sending tons of TwitPics throughout the trip!

Am I Reading This Correctly?

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:07:00 +0000

I'm a news junkie and I spend a few minutes every night surfing the web for good stories.

So you can imagine my surprise when I came across this article on MSNBC.com:

"Disney parks stop scans for topless riders"

Wait, what?

Back on the podcast, we once had a discussion about the phenomenon of women (and men too) flashing their boobs for the on-ride camera on Splash Mountain. The pictures have made their way to a pretty famous site that probably isn't appropriate for this blog.

But now, Disney says that they have "reassigned employees at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure who watched for breast-baring riders because 'actual inappropriate behaviors by guests are rare.'"

I agree that most sane people don't unleash their breasts on a family flume ride. But did Disney really have a paid staff person monitoring photos of every single log looking for evidence of boobs?

How do you put that on a resume?

Talk about this in the CoasterRadio.com forums.

My New Reality Series

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:47:00 +0000

As a television producer, I'm always thinking about new ideas for TV shows.

Most times, I try to keep the idea of theme parks away from the brain-storming, because I realize that not everyone likes them as much as I do.

But I was watching the A&E show "Airline" the other day and it got me thinking.

For those of you who don't know, "Airline" is about the day-to-day operations of Southwest Airlines. It shows the ups and downs of the airline at airports across the country. Most times, they aren't afraid to show when things go wrong with scheduling, lost luggage and the dozens of other horrors related to airline travel.

I realized that if producers could make something as boring as Southwest Airlines into an entertaining reality show, it would be really easy create a great show about a theme park.

Actually, a great show would be one about a specific chain.

For instance, imagine a weekly show that was all about the Six Flags chain. During each episode, the story could bounce around the country to the different Six Flags parks.

We could see drama unfold as an attraction's opening date draws near, but isn't quite ready yet. We could see how park security deals with an unruly guest. We could see the competition for a starring role in one of the park's shows.

It doesn't stop there....

We could see what a costumed character really goes through on 100 degree days. We could possibly watch as a romantic relationship blossoms between two ride operators. We could see how a brand new PR manager deals with her demanding job.

Of course, you could probably spend a whole episode showing the craziness that is the roller coaster enthusiast community.

I'm surprised this hasn't been done yet. Sure, I know that it could possibly show the park in a bad light every now and then, but it could also show what a dynamic, exciting and caring place it is. With the right production, it could be the ultimate PR tool.

If we can have reality shows about housewives, cake makers, dress designers and washed up rock stars... couldn't this idea work too?

I'm ready to produce it. So give me a call Mark Shapiro.

Talk about it in the CoasterRadio.com forums.

Give it up for Clint Novak

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:49:00 +0000

Here's a tip of the hat to Mr. Clint Novak of the Coaster Crew.

He agreed to ride Shockwave at Kings Dominion in a red dress if listeners of In the Loop met their financial goal for the Single Riders Marathon.

The listeners came through and Clint paid off the bet like a man. And he wore the propeller beanie for good measure!

Congratulations to Clint and everyone over at the Coaster Crew!

Ride Review - Diamondback at Kings Island

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:40:00 +0000

Longtime Coaster Radio listener CPCoasterKing had a chance to ride Kings Island's new Hyper-Coaster Diamondback.

Here's his review!

I was so excited to be able to get up to KI on opening day. Last fall my friends and I took a construction tour of Diamondback at an ACE event called Fall Freak out. I have been dying to get on its since!

The queue area was really nice. They had some cowboy jugglers entertaining people in line, with several flat screen tv's in line as well.

We got in line expecting a very long wait but as soon as an employee walked by, he said it would be an hour and a half. I was then all pumped up again.

The line moved really quickly and they had someone assigning seats which is good and bad in my opinion. The trains were beautiful and had good theming on them. The restraints are wonderful as well.

The only complaint I have is that you don't have to be very heavy at all and you could be too big to ride. Cedar Fair has made all the rides have 2 clicks on the restraints on every ride. It all depended on where your weight was distributed on your body if you could ride or not.

This poor woman in front of us was so excited to ride and when we came up to the test seat, she couldn't fit. It was heart breaking. And she wasn't even that big. I know its hard to design seats to fit the large array of body types, but it seamed a bit extreme.

I joked with my friends that they should sell a diet book called, "The Cedar Fair 2 Click Weight Loss Plan," because apparently Cedar Fair doesn't realize they are operating in America.

So we get on the train and I rode in the 2nd half of the car the first time, and it was really odd to have your riding partner that far away from you. I will say that it was a BEAUTIFUL view from my seat and the freedom of that view and of your restraint was amazing. I felt like I was the only one riding the ride.

The lift is very quite and fast. I almost though it was an elevator lift, but it isn't. I didn't hear a chain dog at all. The lift is also very steep! It didn't look bad at all from the ground, but as soon as you start up, it wakes you up!

The first drop was fantastic. You can see so much of the midway. The air time on all the hills is amazing. I was constantly smiling ear to ear every time we hit one.

The first large banked turn was a lot of fun as well. The camera is after that first banked turn, then you bank up and left to the block breaks. After that, the first hill I think is a bit slow, but the second makes up for it with plenty of air time.

Then you turn into the helix which again, I thought was just a bit slow, but then you even get some air time on the next drop into the water splash. The water splash looks beautiful while watching the ride, but I only felt a slight drag on the train. If you weren't looking for it, you could miss it.

Wonderful ride! Great drops and plenty of Airtime! It may be my new favorite ride at KI.

Talk more about this ride in the CoasterRadio.com forums.

An idea for Las Vegas

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:25:00 +0000

You might have noticed that there haven't been many updates to the CR Blog lately.

It's because I've spent the last few weeks walking through airports and living out of a suitcase for my "real-life" job.

I did get to spend a week in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada and had a blast. It might surprise you to learn that I didn't ride one roller coaster or thrill ride while I was out there.

I've ridden them all before and frankly, none of the rides out there (with the exception of X-Scream at the Stratosphere) are really that memorable.

I had better roller coaster rides hitting the blackjack tables at the Mirage and Treasure Island. (I left Vegas up $275 by the way.)

But while I was out there, I had a chance to really observe the city and the people who visit it. I came to one very distinct conclusion....

There are a lot of CRAZY people out there.

Everywhere I looked, I saw people ready to take a chance on something. People were dropping their inhibitions left and right. It seemed like you could convince anybody to do anything, only because they were in Vegas.

This makes me think that the city of Las Vegas is ready for the next totally insane thrill ride.

I'm talking about a ride that blows away all concepts of reality and traditional safety devices. I'm talking about the type of ride that would truly challenge a person. I'm talking about a ride that would be a worldwide spectacle.

Now I don't know exactly what this ride would look like. In the past, we've heard about crazy ideas coming out of the Stratosphere such as a fish-hook coaster or a ride which would let you literally freefall from the top of the tower.

But I wonder if there are plans sitting in some Las Vegas boardroom for an absolutely insane thrill ride that will give the craps and roulette tables a run for their money.

I bet you guys have some ideas of what might work.

Let's talk about it in the CoasterRadio.com Forums.

I'm going to FREESTYLE MUSIC PARK!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:10:00 +0000

This morning, FPI MB Entertainment anounced the new name for the former Hard Rock Park. The name they settled on....

"Freestyle Music Park."

My first reaction.... what?

It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue when you first say it. Actually, I've been saying it a few dozen times as I've been writing this and it hasn't gotten any better.

It's not that I don't think it works. I bet when a new park called "Six Flags Over Texas" opened in the 70's, people thought that was a weird name too. Now, it's one of the most famous brands in the amusement industry. (Even if the stock was de-listed last week.)

But these days, people have short attention spans and even shorter memories. The name of an amusement complex needs to be catchy, memorable and easy to say. It needs to be something that can easily become park of the pop culture lexicon.

When you hear the words "Freestyle Music Park," what does it mean? What images does it invoke?

The new owners say "Freestyle Music Park" represents a renewed vision and direction for the Park in 2009 and beyond. They plan for the park to celebrate the excitement of rock n' roll but also include other genres of music including country, reggae, beach music, pop, R&B, alternative, Christian, and disco.

The plan is to make "Freestyle Music Park" the prototype and launching point for a "Freestyle Park" brand with parks throughout the world.

During the next few weeks, most of the rides, restaurants and areas throughout the park are being re-themed to better fit into the vision of the new owners. It should be interesting to see the differences between Freestyle and the old Hard Rock Park.

I'm excited about new direction of the park and happy that the owners were able to save what looks like a pretty great place to visit. And who knows, maybe the name will grow on us and won't seem so strange a year from now.

Maybe that's what the new owners are hoping.

I bet the readers of this blog could come up with some good names for the park. Let's see what you can do in the CoasterRadio.com Forums.

Trip Report - Kings Dominion

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:59:00 +0000

Now that the cold, dark winter is thankfully behind us, it's time to head out to our local parks.

I love this time of year because you can hit the parks before the summer time crowds and the summertime temperatures arrive.

Yesterday, I went to Kings Dominion on their second day of operation. The park was clean, the employees were friendly and the rides were running smoothly.

There were a few opening weekend hiccups. I had to wait through breakdowns of Hurler, Backlot Stunt Coaster and the new (to me) El Dorado. They were also only running one side and one train of Rebel Yell, so the line backed up more then necessary. But overall, I had a great day.

I won't go into more details because I blogged and Twittered live from the park. So you can read my "live trip report" there.

Even though there are other parks that I enjoy more, I will always love Kings Dominion. It's the park that I have been visiting since I was five years old, so I have basically grown up there.

I went there in grade school with my family and on field trips in middle school. I took my future wife on a date there when we were in high school! Now that I'm an adult, I see it differently. But I can always look at it like I'm still a kid.

Hopefully you have a similar relationship with your home park.

Talk about this in the CoasterRadio.com Forums.

From the Midway - Live from Kings Dominion

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 23:03:00 +0000

From the Midway - Live from Kings Dominion
Originally uploaded by mike_collins

Volcano - Live from Kings Dominion

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:45:00 +0000

Volcano - Live from Kings Dominion
Originally uploaded by mike_collins

Hurler - Live from Kings Dominion

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:15:00 +0000

Hurler - Live from Kings Dominion
Originally uploaded by mike_collins

The New Midway Look - Live from Kings Dominion

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:46:00 +0000

The new Midway look - Live from Kings Dominion
Originally uploaded by mike_collins

Backlot Stunt Coaster - Live from Kings Dominion

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:22:00 +0000

Backlot Stunt Coaster - Live from Kings Dominion
Originally uploaded by mike_collins

Dominator - Live from Kings Dominion

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:02:00 +0000

Dominator - Live from Kings Dominion
Originally uploaded by mike_collins

Back on The Season Pass Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:31:00 +0000

This week, I'm a guest on episode 74 of The Season Pass.

If you miss the old Coaster Radio.com podcast, I think this is the closest thing out there these days. Every week, there's quality and fun discussion about the amusement industry.

In this week's show, Arthur Levine joins Doug Barnes and me in an extensive conversation about working as the Theme Park Guide for about.com.

We also dish on water parks (especially the indoor resort boom), park trends (including “Interactivity”), Arthur’s E-Ticket and Z-Ticket selections and we take a look into the 2009 season (analyzing both economy and new attractions).

Check out the podcast HERE!

....And talk about the episode in the CoasterRadio.com forums.

Save the Environment... Ride in the Dark!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:43:00 +0000

Tonight at 8:30 pm local time, World Wildlife Fund is asking individuals, businesses, governments and organizations around the world to turn off their lights for one hour.

They're calling it Earth Hour, and the goal is to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions.

Here's a great article on it.

I'm going to be shutting my lights off for an hour here in Washington, DC. I might even take my wife out for a dinner by candlelight at one of the Earth Hour participating restaurants in the area.

But if I were in Las Vegas, I would take advantage of New York-New York Hotel & Casino’s offer to ride "The Roller Coaster" (the former Manhattan Express).

I'll never understand why they changed the name... it's not like morons on the Strip wouldn't know Manhattan Express was a roller coaster.

Anyway, the hotel will be running “Dark Coaster” rides with all riders receiving a neon necklace between 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. It's a great way to show your support for the environment and get in a few bumpy coaster rides at the same time.

But if you can't make it to Las Vegas, I hope you'll join your buddy Mike Collins by sitting in the dark.

Talk about this in the CoasterRadio.com Forums

Pre-Season Top 5 for 2009 - #1 Manta

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Manta is the 2nd B&M coaster in my pre-season Top Five and the ride I think will be #1 overall in 2009.

B&M Flyers tend to be successful and popular rides. They tend to be as much fun to watch as they are to ride.

From the looks of the artwork and the construction so far, it looks like there are going to be some very picturesque moments. To see the Manta-themed trains kiss the lagoon waters as it twists and turns along the track will be a site to see.

Plus, can you imagine the views from the trains as we fly so close to the water?

Also, I think that this is the best theming of a B&M Flying Coaster that we have seen so far.

So there they are... my pre-season Top Five.

Agree? Disagree?

Talk about it in the CoasterRadio.com forums.

Pre-Season Top 5 for 2009 - #2 Diamondback

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:00:00 +0000

My favorite roller coaster is Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg.

I love that it's tall, fast, smooth and has a ton of great drops. Plus, the minimal restraints make it feel all the more like you're flying. The fact that Apollo's Chariot is always in the top 10 makes it seem like I'm not alone in ranking it high.

Diamondback, the 2009 roller coaster from Kings Island, seems to come from a similar mold.

The ride starts with a first drop of 215 feet and then continues with drops of 193, 131, 129, 110, and 106 feet. It's going to be fast too, with a top speed of 80 MPH.

I also like the unique seating configuration that seems to give everyone a good view of the show.

I've never been to Kings Island, but this ride makes me want to make the long road trip from Washington, DC.

Talk about it in the CoasterRadio.com forums.

Pre-Season Top 5 for 2009 - #3 Pilgrims Plunge

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Anytime a park unveils an attraction that is the tallest in the world, it merits a close look (and a ride too!)

Holiday World's new attraction looks like it's going to be one of those rides that is all about the anxious moments before the drop.

The Pilgrims Plunge elevator system is what moves this ride into the top five for me.

I think it's going to be quite a thrill to be in an open air boat, slowly heading 135 feet in the air (vertically) before reaching the precipice of of the 131 foot, 45-degree drop.

I also like how Holiday World is building entrances to the ride from both the theme park and the water park. To me, this attraction is the best of both worlds.

I've never been a huge fan of shoot-the chutes rides, but this looks like one that can't be missed.

Talk about it in the CoasterRadio.com forums.

Greetings from the West Coast!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:00:00 +0000

This has nothing to do with the parks, but I thought you guys would enjoy a virtual postcard from California.

Pre-Season Top 5 for 2009 - #4 Terminator Salvation

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:00:00 +0000

While I'm not 100% on-board with the fact that Six Flags Magic Mountain has named a wooden roller coaster after a science fiction character made of metal.... I still like this ride.

When you watch the ride animation, it seems to go on forever and never lets up. It reminds me of the relentless power of The Voyage at Holiday World.

I also really like the station fly-through gimmick. However, I have to wonder if this would get old after awhile if the wait was really long.

There is also talk of on-board audio and special effects in the rides queue. This is also the 2nd GCI coaster in our Top Five.

I think this is one of those rides that could be really great or tremendously over-hyped. I'm curious to see whether it will remain the the Top Five after the 2009 season is over.

Talk about it in the CoasterRadio.com forums.

Pre-Season Top 5 for 2009 - #5 Prowler

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 10:00:00 +0000

I love a good out and back coaster... especially one that hugs the ground more than it climbs though the air.

Prowler, at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, MO looks like it's going to be a winner.

The GCI designed coaster will have a length of 3,074 feet, a ride time of two-and-a-half minutes.

The only time it goes above the treeline is during the first 85 foot drop into a ravine. After that, the train rolls through high speed hills and sharply banked turns with a top speed of 51 MPH.

The fact that this ride looks to be built close to the trees will only increase the illusion of speed (and fun!)

Come back tomorrow to see what my #4 ranked ride for the pre-season!

Talk about it in the CoasterRadio.com forums.

Weekend Theater - A Nice Setup!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Collins) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 00:27:00 +0000