Whatcha Gonna Do When Coastermania Runs Wild On You

Every coaster enthusiast has one. A specific ride. A specific day. The moment that turned a casual park visitor into someone who plans vacations around roller coasters, studies manufacturer lineups, and listens to theme park podcasts at 11pm on a Tuesday. This week Mike and EB asked the Coaster Radio community to share theirs — and the response was overwhelming. From Steel Phantom at Kennywood to Dueling Dragons at Islands of Adventure. From Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland at age six to Viper at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 1991. From watching Top Thrill Dragster launch for hours as a child to being forced onto a coaster by an older sibling and never looking back. From Dick Knoebel of Knoebels personally replying to a young fan's handwritten letters to a nine-year-old standing under a flickering chandelier at the Haunted Mansion and thinking "this is what I want to do with my life." Dozens of stories. Dozens of different rides. One common thread — the moment everything changed. But first — Cedar Point tried to cancel Coastermania and replace it with Morning Rush. The Coaster Maniacs responded. Tony Clark listened. And the Hulkster had some thoughts. Brothers, Coastermania is incoming. Also this week — Epic Universe opens Celestial Park to convention goers for the first time ever, giving the world its first look at how the portal system actually works. A bomb threat at Six Flags Magic Mountain delays opening until 12:30pm and nobody can explain why it was called in at 7:45 in the morning. The Family Kingdom Raptor coaster gets pushed to 2027 due to permitting issues. Busch Gardens Tampa files permits for a possible $16.5 million water ride to replace Stanley Falls. And Holiday World launches the most elaborate teaser campaign in park history for the mysterious Town of Boulder Canyon. Plus — a live trip report from Six Flags Great America on opening day, and the show teases something new coming to Coaster Radio very soon. Go read the full listener responses on the Coaster Radio Facebook page. Bring tissues.

You can listen to Whatcha Gonna Do When Coastermania Runs Wild On You online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Whatcha Gonna Do When Coastermania Runs Wild On You is an episode from CoasterRadio.com: The Original Theme Park Podcast by Mike Collins.

This episode is 59:15 long.

This episode was published on May 15, 2026.

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