Sometimes the roller coaster world hands you a story so absurd you don't even need a punchline — you just need to read the facts out loud. This week on Coaster Radio, the original theme park podcast, Mike and EB dig into the sudden, bulldozer-bound death of one of the best roller coasters in America: Fun Spot Atlanta is closing on August 2nd, taking Arie Force One — an RMC hybrid barely four years old that regularly cracks top-five lists nationwide — down with it. No, it's not relocating. No, someone can't just "cut out the footprint" and paste it into their backyard. This thing is probably headed straight for the scrapyard, and the guys break down what made this coaster great and if there's any hope at all of it being saved.

From there, it's a genuinely stacked news week (there were two episodes' worth of stories backed up, and it shows): a viral video of a kid tumbling out of Disneyland's Tiana's Bayou Adventure that had half the internet convinced it was AI-generated, Pirates of the Caribbean's brand-new projection-mapped skeleton animatronic (and a pretty compelling argument for where Imagineering should have actually put it), Holiday World's all-American 2027 addition Cannonball — a family water coaster that splashes straight into a themed community pool — and a deep dive into the very mixed reviews rolling in from Universal's newly opened Kids Resort in Texas.

After the break: Six Flags Over Texas delays Tormenta, Cedar Point is selling literal chunks of Magnum XL-200 track for $300 a slice (and they're already sold out), Halloween Horror Nights brings Hellraiser to Hollywood and Orlando, Six Flags Great Adventure unveils its boardwalk-themed Shoreline Pier, and Knott's Berry Farm's long-dead Montezuma the Forbidden Fortress is back and testing with a powerful launch. And because it's the Fourth of July, the show closes out with the 20th-ish annual Coaster Radio tradition: the Sparktacular Explosaloosa, live from EB's back deck — now with video.

The guys are on vacation, but the show must go on! We recorded this listener question episode just before heading out, covering everything from the best back-to-back coaster combinations to which IP should come to the parks next, whether Disney would ever tear down the Matterhorn, and which rides sound way better than they actually are. Plus, EB shares two fun stories from a recent Kentucky Kingdom visit — including a station crew member who had absolutely had enough, and a Flying Fox scavenger hunt with a surprisingly solid prize.

🎢 IN THIS EPISODE:

• Kentucky Kingdom update: Lightning Run's no-nonsense station crew & the Flying Fox scavenger hunt (secret word: PILOT 🤫)
• Gamifying your park day — leaderboards, ride-counting points & the death of the Q-bot
• Your favorite roller coaster one-two punch (Storm Runner's launch-to-top-hat, Holiday World's Thunderbird + Voyage, Cedar Point's murderers' row)
• The next big IP coming to theme parks — Pokémon, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Ghostbusters, Squid Game, Godzilla, Barbie, and a case for Namco Land
• Could Apple, Netflix, or Amazon ever acquire regional parks like Paramount did?
• The Matterhorn Bobsleds: Ship of Theseus debate — can they replace the track without tearing apart the mountain, or would Disney just tear it down?
• Rides you hate but somehow keep forgetting you hate (Tempesto / Premier Skyrocket II, giant swing rides)
• What ride would you NOT want your home park to get?
• Favorite kiddie ride (the Whip, Knoebels carousel, Holiday World canoes)
• Which meetup would you do all over again? (Knoebels camping, Dollywood)
• Listener question on video podcasting: how do two TV producers feel about the transition from audio-only?

📬 Submit your questions: feedback@coasterradio.com | PO Box 3399, Bloomington IN 47402
Or write it on a $20 bill and mail it — that's the preferred method.

🎧 Support the show: patreon.com/coasterradio
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What's better than a theme park podcast? A theme park podcast recorded while a tornado is actively threatening to rearrange EB's house.

Welcome to another completely unhinged episode of Coaster Radio, where we somehow manage to discuss the future of Disney Imagineering, a legendary wooden coaster's potential comeback, and the glorious grit of America's boardwalk parks while EB monitors live storm tracking from his studio.

We kick things off with some big news: Adobe has announced a collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development to bring AI-powered pre-visualization tools to the theme park design pipeline. The idea is to take Imagineering's massive archive of concept art and accelerate the development process — from blue sky sketch to 3D model, faster than ever before. Sounds exciting, right? Well, EB has thoughts. A lot of them.

Speaking of attractions, Hershey Park's legendary Tidal Force — one of the most spectacular splash zones in the history of boat rides — is closing after 32 years this September. Alabama Adventure is teasing a big announcement that fans hope means the long-dormant Rampage wooden coaster is finally coming back, possibly with RMC treatment. Universal Epic Universe is debuting a brand new nighttime spectacular called Celestial Goodnight featuring seven million LED lights and 350 fountains. And Dollywood's Night Flight Expedition has been pushed back to August — which opens the door for Holiday World, who appears to be announcing their single biggest investment ever on July 1st at 8:45 AM, and all signs point to a Mack rocking boat ride coming to Boulder Canyon in 2027.

Then we pivot to the second half of the show — a full celebration of boardwalk parks and the beautiful, gritty, chaotic joy of beach amusement. Mike's heading to Ocean City, Maryland for vacation, and we take a loving tour of some of America's great seaside spots: the Santa Monica Pier, Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco (including a very generous offer of free tokens to Treasure Hunt), the New Jersey piers, Coney Island (which Mike has still never visited and yes, we're calling him out), and the terminally underrated Indiana Beach. We also go deep on mini golf — specifically, how much a well-themed mini golf course with animatronics slaps, and why the card-swipe ticket system is a crime against childhood nostalgia. And yes, there's a million-dollar mini golf course for sale in EB's town if anyone's interested.

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