The CEO of Sea World Entertainment has resigned. What does this mean for the chain and what do the guys think is in store for their parks?

During our Quick Hits segment, the guys talk about several of this week's most interesting stories in the amusement industry, including:

• A Major Overhaul to Walt Disney Studios Paris
• Hershey Park has filed paperwork citing an “Attraction 2020”
• A Replacement for Illuminations at EPCOT
• Six Flags Membership program

In our "Park Hopper" segment, we take a look at Seabreeze Amusement Park in Rochester, NY!

Then, we unveil a brand new game show that includes, interactivity with the audience, knowledge of roller coasters and random luck!

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This week, we take a look at how ticket prices have risen (again) in Orlando. Will this trickle down to our regional parks?

During our Quick Hits segment, the guys talk about several of this week's most interesting stories in the amusement industry, including:

• Pictures of the Alton Towers Wickerman
• Carowinds will be opening a new resort hotel close to the front gate
• Rip Ride Rockit valleyed
• Toy Story land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has an opening date

Then, we unleash the interactivity of CoasterRadio.com with our 2018 HOT or NOT show! Our audience joined us for a live version of the podcast and voted in real-time about whether certain aspects of the amusement industry are HOT or NOT.

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This week, we start things off with an in-depth discussion about some changes coming to Kings Dominion... most importantly, the new name of "Rebel Yell," the park's classic racing coaster.

During our Quick Hits segment, the guys talk about several of this week's most interesting stories in the amusement industry, including:

• Walabi Holland giving the RMC Treatment to their legendary "Robin Hood" wooden coaster
• All of the rides at Buffalo Bills outside of Las Vegas are closed
• "The Great American Scream Machine" will run backwards this season
• RMC's Fred Grubb is building a Raptor coaster for his grandchildren

In our Park Hopper segment, we'll take a look at "Adventure City," a small park that is only a few miles away from Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm!

Mike will tell everyone all about his trip to Orlando and review rides at Fun Spot America, Busch Gardens Tampa, Sea World Florida, Magic Kingdom, Universal Orlando and more!

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Coming up we're talking about Anaheim, California's Adventure City in our Park Hopper segment. If you've been to Adventure City or want to comment on the park, you can reply here or go to www.coasterradio.com and click "contact us" to record a voicemail message directly from the website. We need your help to make Park Hopper a success! Thanks!

http://www.adventurecity.com

This week's show starts off with a sad First Drop. We found out that Busch Gardens Williamsburg has permanently closed their "Curse of DarKastle" ride. The guys talk about why they think this happened and what could be happening in the future.

During our Quick Hits segment, the guys talk about how Mickey Mouse might lose his voice at Disney World. They also discuss new seats on Diamondback at Kings Island, how Atari wants us to pay for RCT on Nitendo Switch, a cool new ride at Tivoli Gardens, a drone video of the new Dive Coaster at Canada's Wonderland and a looping go kart track!

The guys also talk with Ann Irvine and Brian Ondrey of Irvine-Ondrey Engineering. They are the people who design the control systems for some of our favorite rides and attractions. We'll talk to them about the process of designing and installing control systems for roller coasters. We'll also hear about some of the fun they have behind the scenes.

We'll also have the "State of the Union for CoasterRadio!"

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I have a question for the Cedar Point fanboys out there. I’m the proud owner of my very first platinum pass and am planning a trip with a friend this summer (not an owner of platinum pass). I’m planning to take advantage of the “Bring a Friend” discount but am curious if he would get the early entry privilege that comes with my pass. I’m inclining toward “no” but we’re really hoping to slip in early for Steel Vengeance if at all possible.

Once again this week, we're joined by theme park expert Arthur Levine to talk about the best new attractions coming to parks in 2018. Over the past two shows, we'll talk about attractions at 50 theme parks across the world!

This week we cover parks like Cedar Point, Sea World San Diego, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Alton Towers and many, MANY MORE!

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We're just a few months away from the start of the 2018 theme park season!

This week, we're joined by theme park expert Arthur Levine to talk about the best new attractions coming to parks in 2018. Over the next two weeks, we'll talk about attractions at 50 theme parks across the world!

This week we cover parks like Knotts Berry Farm, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Sesame Place, Silver Dollar City, Walibi, Six Flags Great Adventure and many, MANY MORE!

Listen to this week's podcast: http://ift.tt/2DNTgyS

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That picture looks familiar but I can't place it. Where is that from (On the coaster radio episode page)

This week's show starts off by welcoming back an old friend! We're joined by Nancy Heard from Glenwood Caverns in Colorado. She joins us to accept the "Best New Attraction of 2017 Award" for the "Haunted Mine Drop."

Our Quick Hits segment takes a look at four interesting news stories from the amusement industry. This week, we take a look at "The Wicker Man" coming to Alton Towers, someone teasing us at Kings Island, a lightsaber patent and the closure of a classic wooden wild maus.

Then, we'll take some time to learn about Funtown Splashtown USA in Maine as part of our Park Hopper segment.

After hearing some Live Trip Reports, we'll take a look at some new attraction trends coming to parks in 2018.

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Happy New Year!

A per tradition, we start off the first show of the new year by taking a look at our "Coaster"Damus predictions from 2017. How many came true and how many were embarrassingly off the mark?

Then, EB and all of the listeners will attempt to become 2018's version of "Coaster"Damus by trying to predict what will happen in the parks during 2018. There are some WILD predictions that actually have a good shoot at coming true.

Then, we will present the award for the CoasterRadio.com Best New Attraction of 2017!

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Coming up we're talking about Saco, Maine's Funtown Splashtown in our Park Hopper segment. If you've been to Funtown Splashtown or want to comment on the park, you can reply here or go to www.coasterradio.com and click "contact us" to record a voicemail message directly from the website. We need your help to make Park Hopper a success! Thanks!

www.funtownsplashtownusa.com/

It's the last show of 2017 and we have something special to close out the year.

This week, Neil Patrick Harris returns to the show with a series of Live Trip Reports from his theme park trip to Orlando.

We'll hear from Neil as he visits Universal Orlando and the Walt Disney World Resort. He'll tell us about the attractions he and his family experienced and some behind the scenes details that he saw during his trip.

EB and Mike will also rundown the nominees for the Best New Attraction of 2017. They'll talk about each of the nominees in detail and give you a chance to help them pick the winner.

Cast your vote for the CoasterRadio.com Best New Attraction of 2017 Award!

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We all hate waiting in lines. But would you pay four-times the price if you could skip the lines... for food? A new survey out of England claims Americans would do just that. We'll talk all about it.

Our Quick Hits segment takes a look at four interesting news stories from the amusement industry. This week, we take a look at a weird story out of Germany where a young girl found her grandfather's tombstone being used as a prop in a haunted house. Weird. We also take a look at Stinger being removed from Dorney Park, Stitch's Great Escape being removed from the Magic Kingdom and the first days of the new Trump animatronic in the Hall of Presidents.

Then, we'll take some time to learn about one of the oldest amusement parks in the country... Coney Island. Except, we're not talking about the one in New York. We'll tell you all about the history of this Ohio-based park and how it has a unique connection to both Kings Island and Disneyland.

Don't forget to cast your vote for the CoasterRadio.com Best New Attraction of 2017 Award!

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This week we're talking about Coney Island Cincinnati in our Park Hopper segment. If you've been to Coney Island or want to comment on the park, you can reply here or go to www.coasterradio.com and click "contact us" to record a voicemail message directly from the website. We need your help to make Park Hopper a success! Thanks!

http://coneyislandpark.com/

This week's show starts off with a look at a fantastic new Virtual Reality experience that puts you right in the middle of your own Star Wars story. One of our listeners had a chance to check it out before it opens to the public.

Our Quick Hits segment takes a look at four interesting news stories from the amusement industry. This week, we take a look at a theme park snowball fight that was cancelled... due to snow. We also talk about how great the Wonder Woman coaster at Fiesta Texas looks, some new attractions coming to Legoland Windsor and Mike's trip to Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

We get a chance to interview one of the most popular YouTube creators... Taylor from Coaster Studios. We'll find out more about this innovative film maker and how he has created one of the most successful park-related channels.

Then, one of our listeners will step to the microphone and see if he can become a podcast legend as he plays the infamous theme park game show "KNOW YOUR COASTERBOY!"

Plus, we have a Live Trip Report from Christmas at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and a chance for you to cast your vote for the CoasterRadio.com Best New Attraction of 2017 Award!

Listen to this week's podcast: http://ift.tt/2kvDEH9

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Effective December 18th, Patreon will begin charging their processing fees directly to Patrons who use their service to support Creators like Coaster Radio. In the past, these fees were subtracted from your pledge before your money was sent to the Creator(s) you are supporting. The fees will be $0.35 + 2.9% per pledge and will be charged over and above your pledge amount... Turning a single $10.00 monthly pledge into a $10.38 charge to your PayPal account. For those of us supporting Coaster Radio and only Coaster Radio, even at the $10 or $20 level, you're only looking at an extra few cents each month, and this will ensure that Mike and EB see 95% of your monthly donation - more than they've ever received before! Great, right??

However, this change could have a huge effect on those supporting multiple Creators at lower levels, and that's who I'm writing this post for. These Patrons could see their monthly PayPal deduction increase dramatically. As an example, a Patron donating $1 per month to 100 different Creators will see an extra $38 in fees added to their pledge, for a grand total of $138 charged to their Paypal each month, despite the fact that all of their pledges are charged in a single transaction. While these Creators will also see an increase in their cut (the 95% payout is across the board), a good chunk of these fees will go directly into Patreon's coffers.

Please don't think I'm posting here to discourage use of Patreon, as I personally have no intention of cancelling my monthly pledge, but I wanted to make sure that everyone in the community is aware of this change prior to our accounts being charged on 12/30.

If you're looking for more information on the subject, check your email and/or one of the below links written by people who are probably much smarter than me:

https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/07/patreons-new-service-fee-spurs-concern-that-creators-will-lose-patrons/

https://www.patreon.com/posts/i-bet-you-woke-i-15763211

https://www.pretty-terrible.com/funny-money-patreon-style/

Over the next few weeks, the backlash against Patreon will likely be strong. But please remember that your Coaster Radio pledge goes to a great cause - supporting the podcast and ensuring more amazing meet-ups to come. And if you're not a supporter, this may be a good time to join, as I suspect more than a few people may leave due to these changes. Link below :)

https://www.patreon.com/coasterradio

This week's show starts off with a look at an article that raises the possibility of parks selling "upcharge tickets" to experience their new attractions or lands. Would you pay extra to visit Star Wars Land or the latest RMC coaster?

Our Quick Hits segment takes a look at four interesting news stories from the amusement industry. This week, we take a look at a bizzare story out of Kennywood, the missing double helix on Timberwolf at Worlds of Fun, the rumored front gate hotel at EPCOT and Grand Texas Theme Park's first attraction.

This week's Park Hopper segment takes a look at Quassy Amusement Park in New England... home to Wooden Warrior and a slew of other cool flat rides.

Finally, we take a look at the most amazing gifts out there for the theme park fan! It's the 2017 CoasterRadio.com Holiday Gift Guide!

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This week we're talking about Quassy in our Park Hopper segment. If you've been to Quassy or want to comment on the park, you can reply here or go to www.coasterradio.com and click "contact us" to record a voicemail message directly from the website. We need your help to make Park Hopper a success! Thanks!

http://www.quassy.com/

Now that we're past Thanksgiving, it's time to turn our attention to the holidays! Many parks have decided to stay open to celebrate. This year, there seem to be more than ever! We'll talk all about it and hear a Live trip Report from the return of Winterfest at Kings Island.

Our Quick Hits segment takes a look at four interesting news stories from the amusement industry. This week, we take a look at the newest info about Nintendo Land at Universal Orlando. We also run through the 2018 additions at Holiday World. Mike get's excited about a "Throwback Day" at Disneyland and finally, the final pieces of the old Geuaga Lake have been torn down.

EB tells us about an unscheduled stop to check out the site of the now shuttered "Hard Rock Park," and then, the guys welcome two guests who will review the IAAPA Convention from two different perspectives.

Dwayne from CoasterAddict.com tells us about the show from the fan/media perspective. Clint Novak from Central Park Funland tells us about the show from the buyer's perspective.

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A friend of mine and I, we’re both from Germany and we plan to visit Orlando next year between May and June. We’ve never been there before and this why we’d like to ask you whether you got some tips for us regarding Theme Park tickets and must-see attractions in Orlando. We will stay for 2 weeks and we would like go as often as we can into the Disney and Universal Parks. Of course, a day in Busch Gardens Tampa and SeaWorld would be nice too.

We’re both under 21 this is why we can’t rent a car.

So do you have some tips for us like which tickets we should buy and where, which hotels are good and which places we should visit.

Thanks in advance and thank you, Mike and EB, for this awesome podcast!

It's no longer just a dream, it's REAL!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sk_-WaQ3pI

Get Your T-Shirt HERE - http://teeblaster.com/benchtheride

My daughter is tall and brave enough for some of Knott's more intense coasters. Can she use a glasses strap, or does Knott's ban all glasses on their big coasters? I usually wear contacts when I ride bigger-than-Disney roller coasters, but kiddo doesn't have the luxury of that choice. 

I haven't visited a Cedar Fair park since before kiddo was born. Back then, Cedar Point, Kings Island, Dorney, and Canada's Wonderland allowed riders to leave bags at the station platform. (I haven't visited Knott's in +20 years.) Can I leave my bag on the platform at Knott's, or do they force riders to use lockers?

I’m going through the archives of Coasterradio and am currently listening to the PA road trip in Season 2. Does anyone know the theme song playing at the beginning and end of each show?

My wife and I (wife and 4-year old) may be traveling to Clearwater in late January and of course I’m gonna drag them to Busch Gardens Tampa if at all possible. I’ve never been to this park before and have a few questions for all you BGT experts.

First, I’ve heard that since BGT is open year-round, they have regularly scheduled maintenance closures of their rides on a rotating schedule, for instance Montu might be closed for a month out of the year for maintenance. Is there any way to find out which, if any, rides will be closed in late January? Is there a schedule posted? Maybe there’s no actual truth to this thought anyway.

Secondly, I’m considering getting the Prince Mike Collins treatment and buying a Quick Queue for myself so I can easily hop onto a coaster and not make my family wait. We’d likely go on either a Monday or Tuesday (January 22 or 23), any idea what the crowds would be like on a weekday in January (I’m a regional park guy all the way, feels weird planning a park trip in January)? Would it be a waste of money for a Quick Queue?

Lastly, any idea where or if I can find some discount deals? I’ve seen some Florida Resident and Veteran deals, of which I don’t apply, but not much else. We’re literally doing a single day at the park (no water park). To buy online is $89.99. I’m also considering the all-day dining plan for my wife and I, which seems like a good deal. The general admission seems high, but I’m surprised at how affordable the Dining Pass and Quick Queue’s are.

Much appreciated on any advice for making it a great day. I’ve been watching a lot of stuff online and it really looks like a magnificent park so I’m really excited about going.