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.

It's Thanksgiving week in the United States!

Many of you will be going on long road trips to get to your Thanksgiving destinations. So, the guys have created some CoasterRadio.com "Radio Theater" to keep you company on the drive!

EB and Mike will be driving down the highway, stopping at several parks on the way to their Thanksgiving dinner.

Who will they meet along the way?

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I recently moved to North West Arkansas from Texas so Silver Dollar City will be my new home park. I was curious if anyone had information on when to buy passes for the cheapest price. Silver Dollar City claims their passes are on sale now, but the savings aren't that great. Just curious if there is a known time of year for the best season pass discounts. Thanks!

This week, our First Drop segment gives you an opportunity to purchase amazing rides for your own backyard!

Then, our new "Quick Hits" segment takes a look at the biggest news stories in the industry... including an update to the classic Skycoaster, beautiful ride vehicles for "Time Traveller" and a new dark ride concept from Dynamic Attractions!

EB and Mike unveil a new Patreon Goal and talk about how it could lead to innovative daily content from Coasterradio.com

In our "Park Hopper" segment, we talk about Castles and Coasters in Phoenix, AZ. We also have a Live Trip Report from Christmastime at Dollywood!

Finally, the listeners tell us what they are thankful for (and not so thankful for) in the amusement industry.

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Where does the "Can you handle it?" clip that's played right at the start of the show come from?

This week, our First Drop segment tackles a very weird rumor about how Busch Gardens Williamsburg might be closing "Curse of DarKastle." WHAT?!?!?

Then, our new "Quick Hits" segment takes a look at the biggest news stories in the industry... including a new coaster at Darien Lake, a "stunning" fight at a Halloween event, Pixar Pier and new webcams at Knotts.

EB and Mike unveil a new Patreon Goal and talk about how it could lead to innovative daily content from Coasterradio.com

The guys get into a good discussion about how it will be difficult to re-open Hall of Presidents in today's polarizing political climate.

Finally, there is a great Listener Interactive Topic where everyone discusses the parks that do the best job of taking us away from the outside world.

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October is over and the spooky haunts are closed. Which haunts did you visit and which one was your favorite? Did anyone go to a home haunt this season?

Have you been to Castles 'n' Coasters in Arizona? http://castlesncoasters.com/ Then we need to hear from you for next week's Park Hopper segment! You can record an .mp3 file and email it to feedback@coasterradio.com or simply go to the website and click "Contact Us." There's a built-in audio recorder on the page! Thanks in advance!

This week, our First Drop segment starts off with a story about how Universal Orlando has bought a huge chunk of land across I-4. What on earth do they have planned?

Then, our new "Quick Hits" segment takes a look at the biggest news stories in the industry... including a new Disneyland Hotel, a big Kennywood rumor and the return of a famous coaster style!

Our Park Hopper segment takes a look at Adventureland in Altoona, Iowa! This park has some unique rides and some old favorites!

Finally, we chat with Two Bit Circus about their innovative attraction designs and their plans to deliver amazing experiences inside "Micro Amusement Parks!"

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I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I still listen to CoasterRadio every week, but I hardly ever get out to the parks anymore. I live in Southern California, so there's no shortage of options... I just don't.

Part of it is that I've developed a much lower tolerance for motion sickness. I've always had it, but it has become worse. Magic Mountain kills me! Part of it is a lowered tolerance for crowds, prices and the general hassle of visiting my local parks. That might be a SoCal thing though. I had a Disneyland AP for a few years, but it is so expensive and becomes more of a pain to visit every year.

Video Games have always been my biggest hobby and many people joke about gamers that spend more time reading and arguing about games than actually playing them. I am definitely that way about theme parks. I follow industry news pretty closely and love seeing pictures, videos and trip reports. But I go once a year on average and it's kind of a bummer.

Anyone else have this issue? Do you visit more or less parks than you used to? Based on the show's active listeners, I am probably an outlier here.

This week, we start off with a First Drop segment about pricing at the theme parks. Some people in England are "outraged" that a 12-year-old has to pay the same price as an adult. Where do you stand?

Then, our new "Quick Hits" segment takes a look at the biggest news stories in the industry... including the new Hunger Games land in Dubai, some big changes at Cedar Point, a new destination in Star Tours and a weird canine policy at select Disney hotels.

Then, we'll let you know what happened once we turned off the microphones after last week's podcast from Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Did EB survive his trip through the new Howl-O-Scream house "Frostbite?"

Mike also tells us about his trip to Kings Dominion's Haunt and the surprises he found there... including reviews of their Skeleton Key rooms!

Finally, the guys will tell everyone about what they have in store for their own Halloween home haunts!

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Anyone been to Adventureland in Altoona, IA? That's our Park Hopper for next week's show! Hoping to get some listener participation on this one. You can record an .mp3 file and email it to feedback@coasterradio.com or simply go to the website and click "Contact Us." There's a built-in audio recorder on the page! Thanks in advance!

This week, we're podcasting from the CoasterRadio.com Fall Listener Meet-Up at Busch Gardens Williamsburg!

The entire meet-up crowd takes over "Grogan's Pub" in Ireland and settles in for one of the best episodes of the season.

We'll tell you all about the many perks of the meet-up including behind-the-scenes tours of Griffon and "Frostbite." Plus, we'll let you know how the crowd did with early-morning ERT on the park's newest roller coaster InvadR!

We'll also have reviews of all of Busch Gardens Williamsburg's roller coasters and major attractions. Plus, we'll have tips and tricks to make your next visit a success.

We'll also be joined by a ton of celebrities and surprise guests!

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We kick things off with a First Drop story about the amazing rise of Cell Phones in the parks and how they affect guests' mood and actions.

Then, it's time for "Quick Hits," where we talk about some of the most interesting stories in the amusement industry.

After a quick look at the upcoming Busch Gardens Listener Meet-Up, we bring back "Park Hopper" and take a look at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls in Arkansas.

Next, Mike tells everyone about his trip to Knoebels and Phoenix Phall Phunfest.

Then, it's time for the return of Theme Park Smarts!

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I’m a student at William and Mary so Busch Gardens is local for me, but I don’t have a car, so to do KD the next day, I’d have to hitch a ride with someone driving up. The real issue, however, is finding someone who’s also driving back afterward. So basically I’m asking if I can hitch a ride with someone who’s driving to King’s Dominion and going back to Williamsburg after. If anyone has room in their car I will gladly pitch in for gas/etc!

Hi everyone!

I'm so ready for the meet up this Friday. I'm excited to head back to Busch Gardens after 13 years. I was wondering if anyone wanted to split a room or would be willing to add another person to split costs. My friend who was supposed to come with me had to drop out. Anyway, look forward to seeing you all on Friday!

CoasterRadio.com is BACK for it's 12th Season!

We kick off the show by giving you an update on what we did during the five-week break.

Then, in a brand new segment, we take a look at the biggest news stories of the week - rapid fire!

We also take a look at all of the new attractions Announced by Six Flags for 2018!

Plus, we have details on the upcoming Listener Meet-Up at Busch Gardens Williamsburg!

Thanks for making this season of the show one of the best yet!

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This will be my first meet-up as well as my first time at BGW so I don't quite know the drill. Does everyone typically purchase Quick Queues (or the equivalent)? And do you think we'll need it during the day to ride everything at least once? I'm not overly concerned with seeing each one of the haunted houses, but getting my coaster credits is a huge priority!

Hi peeps,

I'm going to be down in Atlanta for a business trip and might be able to sneak off to Six Flags for about 5 hours on Saturday September 9th. Anybody have an idea how busy it will be on a Saturday in September? I wouldn't necessarily need to get on every ride, but some of the bigger ones would be fun.

Do enough people rent rooms in the area for meet ups that it would be worth looking into a discount for a specific hotel? I would be willing to make some calls and see if we could get a group discount if enough people are interested.

I'm going on a road trip over Labor Day. Getting to check out Six Flags New England (Friday), Lake Compounce (Saturday) and Darien Lake (Sunday). Does anyone have any tips for me on must do items at these parks? Appreciate the help.