Features

Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Revisited December 2015

I last visited Dollywood for the park’s Smoky Mountain Christmas celebration during its opening weekend in early November. The weather was a mess: muggy and rainy with temperatures plunging. Fortunately, the crowds were manageable. I returned to the park this...

Mystery Coaster Monday #217

We are up to round seventeen of our Mystery Coaster Monday series! Every Monday, we post a distorted photo of a roller coaster, and it’s up to you to correctly guess its identity! How to Play To enter the Mystery Coaster Monday...

Dec 21, 2015 by Kyle Features 1

Lightning Rod December 2015 Construction Update

Roller coasters that disappear into the woods, shrouded by hills and towering trees are some of my favorites — to ride. When it comes to watching their construction, not so much. I visited Dollywood last month and saw Lightning Rod’s 20-story lift...

Dec 20, 2015 by John Stevenson Construction Features 3

Hard Hat Tour of Carowinds’ Carolina Harbor

Yesterday, Coaster101, along with several members of Charlotte-area media, had the opportunity to take a Hard Hat Tour of all of the construction that is going with Carowinds‘ new water park, Carolina Harbor. Carolina Harbor Fun Facts : To date:...

Dec 17, 2015 by Andrew Stilwell Construction Features Photos Trip Reports 0

Knott’s Merry Farm – Great Holiday Decor, Long Lines

This past weekend I made it down to Southern California to take in the holiday events (and roller coasters) at two of the regions parks. The first stop on the trip was Knott’s Berry farm, to take in Knott’s Merry...

Dec 16, 2015 by Eric Wooley Features Holidays Trip Reports 0

An Inside Look at Off Season Maintenance at Carowinds

Many theme parks around the country are closed for the season, but just because they are closed on the outside, doesn’t mean that anything isn’t going on inside. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The off season is the one...

Dec 15, 2015 by Andrew Stilwell Behind the Scenes Interviews Photos 2

Seven Day Holiday Giveaway 2015

The holiday season is underway, and we’re ready to celebrate by giving away SEVEN prizes over the next SEVEN days during our “Seven Day Holiday Giveaway.” Here are some of the prizes we’ll be giving away over the next week: Coaster101 Prize...

Dec 15, 2015 by John Stevenson Holidays 0

Mystery Coaster Monday #216

It’s time again for Mystery Coaster Monday! Welcome to the 16th edition of our Mystery Coaster Monday series, our weekly guess-that-coaster game. How to Play To enter, simply post your guess below in the comment section. You can also tweet...

Dec 14, 2015 by Nick Weisenberger Features 2

Looking Back at Pleasureland – Part I

As the close season is upon us, I thought it would be good to take a look back at a park I always seemed to always take a little for granted over the years, given that it has existed for...

Dec 9, 2015 by Neil Features 0

Carowinds Off-Season Construction Photo Update

After a successful 2015 season, Carowinds made two huge announcements this fall for the 2016 Season; a rebranding and expansion of their current “Boomerang Bay” Water Park into Carolina Harbor, as well as the transformation of the park’s former Action Theater into...

Dec 8, 2015 by Andrew Stilwell Construction Features Photos 1

Mystery Coaster Monday #215

It’s time again for Mystery Coaster Monday! Welcome to the 15th edition of our Mystery Coaster Monday series, our weekly guess-that-coaster game. How to Play To enter, simply post your guess below in the comment section. You can also tweet...

Dec 7, 2015 by Andrew Stilwell Features 2

Last Chance for Coaster101 2016 Calendar

If you’ve seen our Coaster Enthusiast Gift Guide, you know we are selling our first-ever roller coaster calendar for 2016. The Coaster101 2016 Calendar features 12 roller coasters from across the United States. The calendars are available for $15 and...

Dec 5, 2015 by John Stevenson Features 0