Transcript
Zach: I'm Zach and I'm getting by.
Ben: I'm Ben and I'm bi? Wait, no I'm not.
Zach: You sure about that?
Ben: said it because it arrives but it's not true.
Zach: Ben's re coming out.
Zach: This is getting off the rails quick. I'm going to just stop.
Ben: You never hear people doing that though.
Zach: What like, uh, Hey, I'm still gay.
Ben: No, like if someone's gay for like 20 years and then they like come out as bi.
Zach: They're like, ah, you know, might as well dip my toe back in.
Ben: Yeah, I saw this photo on the internet of a woman and it was just like, wow, that is, that's great. I don't know.
Zach: Oh, I'm looking forward to your 20th anniversary.
Ben: for Unfortunately, it's actually coming up pretty quick, which is crazy to think about.
Zach: I mean, you're over halfway there, right?
Ben: Yeah, it's true. and I still remember it well.
Zach: Who played in the Super Bowl halftime show that year?
Ben: No idea.
Zach: Who played in the Super Bowl that year?
Ben: No idea. I didn't even watch Super Bowl this year.
Zach: What roller coasters opened that summer?
Ben: Well, it was 2010, so actually there really wasn't that many new rides.
Ben: Yeah, shit, there really wasn't and actually, cause that year our, with our mutual friend, we went to the, east we did this like big East coast trip and there wasn't like a single new big coaster that year.
Zach: Is that when shoot the rapids opened?
Ben: Yeah, it was. So there was that, that was just that, like, those like two, three years post GFC when like, there was just nothing open.
Ben: Cause like, yeah, like nothing, there was like no new good rides on the East coast.
Zach: Yeah.
Ben: I think sky rush was like announced that year, but I don't think it was a 2010 ride. I'm almost certain it wasn't.
Zach: Intimidator Yeah, I 305 intimidated both of them And I come up with something because otherwise our listeners would have Somebody was getting upset for a sec And we're sorry um Not really but
Ben: Oh, Oh yeah. Both Intimidators.
Ben: Yeah, that's right.
Ben: Oh and Skyrush and Skyrush was 2012.
Zach: So Sky Rush Sky Rush was just ah a glimmer.
Zach: In the ball sack of. Mr. Hershey Park.
Ben: Although I oddly remember them announcing this ride in 2010. For some reason. Like I'm almost certain I remember sitting in the dorm room the first summer with like just
Zach: Don't you go fucking gaslighting the Theusies Ben.
Zach: I feel like Hershey Park is not the park that would be announcing an attraction like ahead of time in that way.
Ben: I'm almost certain of it though because I just I just have this like really vivid memory of I don't know I just love like the 2010 dorm room and like having the like I almost remember that the nerdy conversations about that ride people like
Zach: Well, that's the thing is I'm hesitant to call bullshit because you do have an impressive memory for someone that I've smoked pot with several times. um Because you'll be like, yeah, you ate this and you were wearing that shirt. And I'm like, dude, how the fuck do you? ever Did you just drop your mic in the sink?
Ben: No, I hit it hit it with a can. um Yeah.
Zach: Oh, cheers.
Zach: Post. All right. ah Anyway, yeah, you do have an impressive memory at times, but this this is one of those times where I'm like, I don't know, dude. It just seems weird that Hershey would announce something. Like a year ahead of time, you know.
Ben: Or it was, yeah, I don't know, or, I don't fucking know. I i feel like though,
Ben: if I can look up, if there's a way to historically look up on Screamscape, like I'm sure I could, I don't know. Maybe it was like the fall of 2010 or something. I swear it was that year. i only The only thing I remember about that was like it was around the same time that that Darien Lake had that accident.
Zach: I mean, I said it back then and I'll say it again now. If you have two prosthetic legs, how the fuck are you tall enough to ride a roller coaster?
Ben: the first accident i ever covered oh shit ah I don't know.
Zach: Oh boy.
Ben: I could be, I could be wrong. Okay. So the accident was 2011. Which means that maybe my Skyrush memory was also 2011, because I feel like they happen around the same time.
Zach: Okay.
Zach: CONFLATION!
Ben: anyway
Zach: Well, now that we've settled it, I just want to welcome everyone back to your favorite coasters sucks, where we can give you the most breaking roller coaster news from 14 years ago. Would have been 15, but Ben fucked the dates up.
Zach: Anyway, uh, welcome back. It's 2025. Um, we're a little bit into 2025 and, uh, if you're listening to this, you made it. Congratulations.
Ben: Yeah, and I mean, everyone's still alive, which is good. Or as a, you know, as a species still standing.
Zach: For now.
Ben: Yeah.
Ben: until
Zach: I mean we're not gonna we're not gonna bullshit you and tell you things are great but also maybe we just don't need to focus on the shit
Ben: Until... Yeah.
Ben: Yeah, and I mean, locally in our own community, we do kind of have a little bit of a, a doge situation going on with the Six Flags chain and ripping out rides, but ah we'll see what happens.
Ben: ah Fortunately, other than Kingda Ka, there hasn't been anything too dramatic announced. Although there are rumors blown around of saying Of basically, uh, you haven't seen anything yet. So.
Zach: Here's the thing, right? Remember, under Jim Reed Anderson, every Six Flags park got a new ride every year. Well, now under Richard Zimmerman, every park will lose a new ride every year.
Ben: Pretty. Yeah. Kind of reminds me of that Shapiro era. I was like. they were They were removing thrill rides and adding like the Wiggles into all the park.
Zach: which was not Which was not a terrible idea.
Zach: Because it's an idea, right?
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: The Cedar Fair idea is just like, I don't know, that one costs a lot to operate. Tear it down. People will come back.
Ben: The King Nokaw one is a little shocking. It's um
Zach: Yeah, it was surprising because it's like, where are they gonna go? Hershey Park? Oh yeah, shit, they probably will. Fuck.
Ben: Yeah and also it didn't it actually that one didn't hit me until I saw the photos of the deconstruction that updated like a week or two ago. Seeing it being deconstructed is actually kind of wild because I know it's been like 20 years, but it, it still doesn't feel that long.
Ben: Even, um, yeah, it's just weird. Like it's weird seeing that being taken down.
Zach: Yeah, and make no mistake, they give no fucks about this ride.
Ben: and Yeah.
Zach: The roller coaster museums not getting any preserved pieces.
Ben: And we know, I mean,
Zach: Or maybe they are. I don't fucking know and I don't care.
Ben: Yeah, I'm actually curious.
Zach: Talk to me when they're open.
Ben: And, uh, we've entered 2025 and it's now. Well, it's six years since they announced that they're trying to open, which we're going to, we're coming up on a decade.
Ben: It's pretty funny.
Ben: Do you think they have any updates for this year?
Zach: I'm sure they do.
Ben: For merch, new merch.
Ben: national like
Zach: Yeah, I like that they they have put the option on their website, at least for a bit to. Was it roast them or something?
Ben: Okay, so they they got a model of a mine bender, or of the West Edmonton Mall mine bender, which is pretty cool.
Zach: That's cool.
Ben: um It is just a model though. I wonder if if that was, if you could buy that, that would probably buy that that. That looks pretty cool.
Zach: Look, I'm not bullshit and they got a great collection there and I want to see it. So just open the fuck up and I'll buy a ticket.
Ben: yeah they've got Yeah, they've got no updates on their shit.
Zach: A friend of the show, Luna Russ Lance has been tweeting at them day after day, counting the days of asking them to open.
Ben: Nice. People, a lot of people got to start doing that. Put the pressure back on them.
Zach: Yeah. Send an email, ask them when they're going to open.
Ben: Or just be like, or, you know, if you were at the email would be like, Hey, I was really, and or be like, Hey, I'm planning on being in town. Um, where can I buy it? Can I buy a ticket in advance or, you know, make them tell you it's not open.
Zach: Right. Yeah. I'll be in town on March 8th.
Ben: I like, yeah, can I buy a ticket online? Do I just knock on the door?
Zach: Yeah. What's, what's the procedure? Cause I don't see a ticket purchasing link here.
Ben: I first heard of you guys back in 2019. I'm really excited to visit. I'm planning on visiting on this day. I don't see any options online to purchase a ticket.
Zach: Although I do see a donation tab. is it Does it work like I donate to get my admission?
Ben: Yeah, people everyone just start doing that. Bug the shit out of them.
Zach: Yeah. Is it like a block party where it's a suggested donation to get in?
Ben: ah
Ben: You know, there there's there's an aerial photo of the building. And so first, I love it. It's just next to a highway, which is, I mean, expected, but then in the photo of the person on the highway, of of the highway, there's like a truck pulling, I think like pulling like a, like a boat, like a jet ski or like a, you know, like a sports boat, a ski boat.
Ben: I think about the bar, the bar, like,
Zach: speedboat.
Ben: I mean, the bar looks cool. What the fuck?
Ben: Dude, this thing's the dumbest fucking idea. It's like somebody's personal collection.
Zach: I mean, it's kind of cool. I'd go see it.
Ben: Established 2009 They're gonna have come up on 20 years of being established and not open Well
Zach: Sure. We'll go with that.
Zach: I like how they revised their website because of the video, but it's still like, it doesn't make it sound any better. Oh, established 2009. Okay.
Ben: I mean, what have they been, I don't even know, like, is there is there somebody there during the day?
Ben: You know what I mean? Like, are there people, like, do they do they have a full -time staff?
Zach: Uh, I don't think so.
Ben: So that shit's just collecting dust all the time.
Ben: I bet they don't even have like a bathroom in there. That'd be funny if that's why they can't open because they don't have a bathroom.
Zach: Right. They're like, they have the bar and everyone is drinking beers and it's like, where can I take a piss? And they're like, all right, well, you got to walk outside and around back.
Ben: I have a feeling they Got excited about the location. They moved all the shit down there. And there's some like weird permitting thing and like this, like, you know, like they can't open it as a museum because of some weird classification or, you know, something like that. And now they're just like, well, we don't have the money to move it it somewhere else. So we'll just keep this going as long as we can.
Zach: Yeah, or like insurance, they can't open it to the public, which wouldn't surprise me.
Ben: Mm hmm.
Ben: Yeah.
Ben: I don't know.
Ben: Yeah. I don't know. It's, it's frustrating, but
Zach: It is.
Zach: But Hey, we'll mark it, right? It's February, 2025. I'm sure by February, 2026, we won't be having this conversation again.
Ben: It's just, it's so funny at this point, it's been like so many years of a joke and yeah.
Ben: Well,
Zach: yeah Yeah, hey, you know, like I said, your favorite coaster sucks where we hit you at the best of the breaking roller coaster news from 14 years ago. Or in this case. Twenty six.
Ben: Well, speaking of other indoor coasters.
Zach: Oh, I just really unmath that shit.
Zach: We'll try 16 maybe.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: We're okay.
Zach: So what about kitty ghosters, Ben?
Ben: of No, same other ah indoor coasters. um
Ben: Okay. And that is kind of funny. High pro slide hive. Anyway, it looked like it just said HIV and I got, I was just like, what? Um,
Zach: That is the scariest ride.
Ben: um no galaxy land. It says that they're preparing at a new coaster to replace my mender. And as much as I want,
Zach: It's a Vekoma family junior boomerang.
Ben: Well, that's just it. Like, I don't know. Like, honestly, I have no expectations of what to expect. Like, part of me is. Like, as cool as it would be, because isn't um I mean, there's like other Mattel parks opening those new Vekoma loopers, right? So part of me thinks it's possible they're going to get one of those Vekoma looping coasters. um But I could also see them just getting like a spongebob.
Ben: Eurofighter clone, too. So.
Zach: That seems pretty likely.
Ben: Yeah.
Ben: And it'll be one of those things, too, where like obviously like the original mind mender was built um like the design or the building was kind of designed with the ride in mind. And I have a feeling that whatever they put in there is just going to like.
Ben: Not be incorporated into the building, it'll just be a standalone footprint.
Zach: Yeah, I feel like they're going to buy an off the shelf layout.
Ben: Yeah.
Ben: And then it'll just be kind of like so the scaffolding and shit.
Zach: Like, could you could you motherfuckers at least import the layout of the building into no limits and fuck around with it a little bit?
Ben: Yeah, I just don't really see him spending money, although I mean, they did get I mean, they did buy that custom spinning coaster, which I forgot who made that. Was it Gerstlauer?
Ben: That one is pretty cool. So they did do that. I mean, that one goes like in and out of different rooms and stuff.
Zach: Shit, we got a buddy who could make it just as good of a coaster in 12 by eight tiles.
Ben: Yeah.
Ben: Galaxy Orbiter.
Zach: but same With the same goddamn bridge and everything.
Ben: Mm hmm.
Ben: Who the hell built this?
Zach: And actually, you know what? I'm not gonna say that person's name, but I will say, because I think they're a listener, Uh, congratulations to them because they got a promotion.
Ben: Oh, nice.
Zach: Yeah. They're, um, they're like full time shiny name tag and all that.
Ben: Oh, cool.
Ben: Nice.
Zach: Yeah, yeah, I think that's, uh, like when people say live in the dream, I think he, I mean, they, uh, will be, I don't know. I think, I think they'll be honestly, you know, saying that in earnest, but just, uh, just to really, um,
Ben: Yeah, that's cool.
Zach: Yeah, not not put that person's um employment situation in question in any way, shape, or form. We won't even mention their name. But congratulations to them, because I'm sure they know who they are. And if you just got a promotion, congratulations to you, too.
Zach: Congratulations, Arnold. You know what else, Ben?
Ben: What's that?
Zach: Uh, this is coming out Friday. It's Friday. It's Valentine's day.
Ben: And your birthday tomorrow.
Zach: Well, yes, I'm, I'm older now, a year older. And I don't want to say a number cause that's no fun. Just a year older.
Zach: But that's okay. Uh, Ben talked me into.
Zach: psychedelics so into the way that tends to happen when I hang out with you so I think the plan for my birthday may involve that but um Lord yeah Valentine's Day you got any plans
Ben: Talk to you into or out of? Oh.
Ben: Um.
Ben: um We were going to go out to dinner and then I think we just talked to ourselves into just eating at home and not going out because like it's kind of a weird day. There's like a lot of unnecessary pressure to do things just because so.
Zach: Well, the economy kinda depends on it.
Ben: Yeah. Well, that's true.
Zach: Buy it buy a card, buy flowers, buy chocolate, make dinner reservations, buy champagne.
Ben: Yeah, but I always, I
Zach: You're not a good American if you skip on any of that shit.
Ben: always just kind of get the like image of, I don't know, like a miserable straight couple with kids and they, you know, it's like, all right, we gotta do Valentine's day dinner type of type of vibe.
Ben: We gotta go to the Applebee's.
Zach: All you can eat steak.
Ben: Which I can't remember.
Ben: It was either a Chili's or an Applebee's. um But a couple of years ago when I was I guess more than that when I was living in Minneapolis, it was Valentine's Day and I was just hanging out with a friend and we we're driving back um from like the Wisconsin border because you couldn't buy alcohol. In Minnesota on Sundays. Until like a couple of years ago, which I always thought was crazy.
Ben: um But anyway, it was late, and we were like trying to find shit that was open. And then like the only thing was ah that was open was either like a Chili's or like an Applebee's, and it happened to be Valentine's Day. And it was like deep in the suburbs of the Twin Cities. And it was like funny and sad, because it was just like i don't know exactly who you'd expect to be at an Applebee's or Achilles on Valentine's night in the suburbs in the Midwest
Zach: Did you walk in there like go Packers?
Ben: we did walk in like oh fuck Because it was packed it was slammed and they had like, you know like the the special Valentine's Day menu and there was like people who clearly like Do not take each other out for dinner like at all It was cute
Zach: And you're like, we're just trying to get two dozen beers to go.
Ben: a good time now what's that yeah ah no and even I don't know what that is I think
Zach: You know what's weird about um Minnesota to me? Fucking princes, fucking princes from there. You ever go to Paisley Park when you live there?
Zach: It's like Prince's estate.
Ben: Like I kind of think I know what you're talking about, but I don't know if I've ever like seen it or maybe I have, I don't know. I know, like I know, think I like rode my bike near it or something.
Ben: Cause I remember like being on a bike ride with a group of people and someone pointed it out, but I can't tell you like where or what it looks like or anything. I know that he had that nightclub on,
Zach: Yeah, I think yeah, it's like a whole fucking compound, I think.
Ben: on Hennepin. I've never been I don't think I've been inside of it.
Ben: Yeah, yeah, there's a few gay bars over there. And then there's what's funny is there's a place called gay 90s. Which I don't think is a gay bar.
Ben: And then there's like strip clubs. It's a weird. It's a weird. Hennepin is like a weird thing because. Well, like, you know, you can't buy alcohol and the like, there's no liquor sales on Sundays.
Ben: With the exception of restaurants, if like a certain percentage of your sales is food, which is why like. Most bars in Minneapolis are also also have kitchens and like are basically restaurants.
Ben: was the number one thing i It was one thing I always hated living there because there's no just like ah coming from Milwaukee where there's just like bars and taverns and like you know you can
Zach: Interesting.
Ben: There's like bars and people's like house basements in your neighborhood and stuff like that. Like there, everything was a restaurant. So like you'd go with friends and you'd have to like sit at a table and it had a server. It wasn't like a mingling spot. People didn't just like go to the bar and mingle. There was no really like dance floors or anything with the exception of like clubs. I don't know. It is a weird, it's a weird place.
Zach: I mean, to be completely fair, Wisconsin's kind of weird, too.
Ben: yeah
Zach: Because like you're talking about how there's bars everywhere. I remember driving around Kenosha one time.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: And it's like there's a kid with a table and I'm like, oh, there's some lemonade and you drive by and it's like, holy shit, that's a bar.
Ben: I remember that I was, there was always like news stories too of like the kid who had the lemonade stand and he was selling like highlives or something.
Zach: Oh my god, I was joking, but it's not surprising.
Ben: And it's always just like a feel good story too. And then it shows like the cop like drinking the beer with the kid and they're just like laughing. Sorry kid, you can't be selling beer. But let me buy one off you.
Zach: Instead of one dollar, I'll give you two.
Ben: Corey, the neighborhood entrepreneur selling lemonade and also surprisingly something else.
Zach: milk
Ben: Hey kid, do you uh, you have a license for that? Now? It's always like the fluff piece.
Zach: Kids like I can drink them all. That's okay.
Ben: But yeah, like um...
Ben: Yeah, the the neighborhood basement bar. I want to like go back and just stay in Milwaukee for a week and just explore.
Zach: How does your, how does your liver feel about that?
Ben: Uh, it'll probably take some adjusting since I'm still on the dry kick this for 2025.
Zach: That's kind of how I feel. I've been back to Chicago a couple of times. And of course it's been the winter every time. And so I go back and like my family is just like every other Midwestern family. My dad's like, you want a beer?
Ben: Mm hmm. Yeah, now it's like I kind of like feel weird when I have. Like, I don't know. Which is like good, I mean. Like I went to the I was just at the doctor. Last week and I had like the best blood work I've ever had.
Ben: So. Yeah, I don't know, like and it's weird, like how. It's just such a communal thing to are like, like, ah like there's literally like the bars that are in people's, ba like there's certain neighborhoods in Milwaukee where you walk and it's like a house that's like on a block. And it just has like the pap sign on like a window and you're just like walking into somebody's house and there's just like seven people drinking in like a basement.
Zach: That's insane.
Zach: Like in a.
Ben: Chicago's got that stuff too, though. I mean, it's not like.
Zach: It's not. There's the thing is that Chicago is crooked, especially with the alcohol licenses, so they'll shut your shit down if you're like you got a bar sign, you know what I'm saying?
Ben: Well, yeah, but the thing is, in Milwaukee, theyre they have liquor licenses. It's like you just go through the whatever the Tavern League or whatever, like it's easy. It's just easy to get. Or, or people have like grandfathered themselves into their liquor license.
Ben: You know, like it's just, uh, there's just so many.
Zach: Yeah, Chicago is like, yeah, liquor license. That's going to be the personal charge here.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: But you know what Chicago has a ah shitload of is fucking BYOB establishments.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: That's that's the that's the little workaround in Chicago. So like. Every little shoebox theater and like three quarters of the restaurants and shit are all B .Y .O .B.
Ben: That's right. I always forget about that.
Zach: Yeah, you just got to find out which ones because then it's like worst case, they'll charge you like a corking fee or whatever.
Ben: Yeah, right. Yep.
Zach: But I mean, yeah, that's kinda like hookah lounges even are BYOB. I'm like, fuck it, bring in vodka.
Ben: Okay.
Zach: You want orange juice to mix with it? $8, you know?
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: okay But whatever. that's That's the trick in Chicago. That's why um everybody you meet from Chicago knows how to sneak liquor in.
Ben: Yeah. Huh. Yeah. Now that I always forget about that, that shit does not fly. Like there's no, that concept does not exist, um, in Wisconsin. Flip side though is,
Ben: yeah
Ben: yeah now that i always forget about that that that shit does not fly like there's no that concept does not exist in wisconsin flip side though is
Zach: Well, that's that's because, like you were saying, every place is a bar.
Ben: Yeah. And it's generally pretty cheap, like. Even like last time I was there, like, I don't know shit like restaurants here in Denver, like you're used to paying like nine dollars for a beer. You know, like there, the beers are still like two, three dollars apiece.
Zach: god
Ben: I mean, depending on where it is, but, you know, it's not unreasonable.
Zach: Q. John Mulaney saying, I'm pretty sure if we go to nickel shot night, we'll die.
Zach: But yeah, no, I mean.
Zach: I remember getting so fucking drunk at the lakefront brewery.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: Because that tour is cheap as hell and they give you four fucking pores.
Ben: Mm hmm. It used to be like six, I remember, and then um Milwaukee Brewing Company used to be all you can drink for, I think it was like 12 bucks.
Ben: Um, and then literally quote from the owner was basically like, yeah, the Chicago tourists came up and like kind of ruined it for everybody. So we can't do that anymore.
Zach: Yeah, Chicago.
Zach: Well, like, and that's the thing is like I got so goddamn drunk and I'm I drove with a caravan of people, friends that I worked with at Six Flags at the time. And like. I was like, whoa, I should not be driving, but like I am convinced the standard is different in Wisconsin.
Ben: Yeah. Unfortunately, yeah, it's like, that's true. And everyone I knew out of the UI, but like your first one is just like, it's like, um it's like a traffic ticket, basically.
Ben: Where you still have to go to court and it's still on your record as a DUI. But basically they're just like, well, it's your first one. Did we, uh, did we spook you? Are you scared? Okay. Just don't do it again.
Zach: yeah dude like the the fucking like wisconsin's like the epicenter for the alcoholism of the midwest but i i just want to make it clear i i know now especially after moving away that chicago is not too far off
Ben: Yeah, I think that what was different like these are the two like the two vibes that I've experienced between the two cities is like. In Chicago, it's like people drink as almost like people drink as much on a day to day basis, but like. In Chicago, you encounter.
Ben: more like really drunk people like people that are kind of like more like people that are slurring more people that are acting drunk you know and like laughing and like tripping in the streets and stuff and then in Milwaukee everyone is just as drunk but like they're they're so alcoholic that they're not like outwardly drunk like like you'll be like talking to somebody and it'll be like a total It's a totally normal conversation, but like the smell of alcohol in their breath is so strong.
Ben: You're like, you're wasted and like, you're talking more sober than I am.
Zach: feel like, Oh, Jesus Christ.
Ben: And then they'll just like get in their car and like, Oh yeah, I gotta go pick up the kids.
Zach: I feel like there's a lot of like suburban kids in Chicago that come to the city and they're, you know, young, potentially underage with a fake.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: Whereas I don't know. Like you said, I think it's more in Wisconsin. There's less of the suburbs. It becomes rural a lot quicker.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: And so people are, have a ah lot higher tolerance for alcohol by the time they arrive in Milwaukee.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: Perhaps that's an incorrect read, but, uh.
Ben: I mean, yeah, everyone's tolerance, just like thinking about like growing up and like friends and watching parents and like my family and even like the way I used to live, it's just like it's so crazy.
Ben: Like how, yeah, you just, you think it's so normal. Like it's just bizarre.
Zach: Yeah. You remember that New Year's Eve that I came up there with, uh, we hung out at your house, the house you were living in with like, those are like your, your, du your boys from school or whatever.
Ben: Yeah.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: Right.
Ben: yeah And I remember.
Ben: well It was like my neighbors were over there or something. They were supposed to be like, I was supposed to have like people over. And then of course, like people, everybody showed up at like midnight. It was like really late. Cause I remember you guys came up kind of early and we started drinking and then you had the, you guys had to leave kind of early. And then like, yeah, that was a weird night.
Ben: That was a weird house too.
Zach: It was.
Ben: I hated that house.
Zach: I think, didn't I visit you at that same house a different time?
Ben: Uh, I'm not, I think so.
Zach: And like I met one of your neighbors, like I mistook your neighbor for you.
Ben: Maybe.
Zach: Before you came outside and like I ended up offering him a beer and we were just chatting.
Ben: Yeah, I mean, that sounds right.
Zach: Which is one of the only times that's ever actually happened.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: Cause even in Chicago, when I've offered people a beer, like random people I've just met, they'll be like, nah, I'm cool.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: You're like, all right, whatever.
Ben: Yeah, he's a very neighborly place. I do miss that. So she's living like in the actual city of Milwaukee.
Ben: but I romanticize it. And then I think like, Oh, well it's so oriented around alcohol. I don't even know if I could like do that lifestyle sober.
Ben: Like it wouldn't be the same. Like you can't just like not offer beer or like, yeah.
Zach: So I'm saying I go back to Chicago and I'm like, man, I do miss it a little bit, but I'm like, I don't know what you do during the winter.
Ben: Right.
Zach: Because I don't know what I did during the winter every other year.
Ben: Mm -hmm.
Zach: Aside from like drinking and wishing I was elsewhere.
Ben: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Zach: But, you know,
Zach: It's also a grass is greener situation.
Ben: Yeah, yeah.
Zach: Because you get elsewhere and it's like, oh, oh, there's like a lot of problems with wherever you are, too.
Ben: Mm hmm. Yeah, and that's the only difference like now that see like now that I've been home or that I've been away for coming up on 11 years away and now that I'm getting older I'm kind of thinking about that like oh like how fun would it be to just like move home but then like Yeah, you you do that for six months and you're just like, oh, that's right. I mean, this is exactly how it was before when I hated it and I left, you know. So.
Zach: Yeah, and that's the thing. It's like there's a lot of positive, um, you know, about the places you come from. But then it's like, there's also a reason you left, you know,
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: and things don't, things don't change, right?
Ben: Right.
Zach: Not like that.
Ben: I mean, that's kind of what the goal was. Duluth is like a nice hybrid because it's like new, but also it's like a nice it's like there's enough flavor of home to where it feels comfortable, but it's not like actual home.
Ben: It's still new.
Ben: But.
Ben: We'll see how we'll see how things happen politically, and if there's a reason to beyond the largest source of freshwater and two hours from the Canadian border, we'll see.
Zach: I mean, I don't I don't mind. Being in the Bay, but also like. You know. There's a lot of asterisks with that.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: Like that will cost the living thing.
Ben: Yeah, like I forgot who said someone who is telling me this. Someone was basically because like i we were talking about like how I move like how I lived in Seattle and I did like the whole works in Sacramento and like Palo Alto and San Jose and stuff. And like basically they were just saying like, yeah. The best way to move to the West Coast is to move there as if it's not like your forever home. So just like basically, you know, like move there with the, an understanding that you'll, you'll probably move away at some point and just like take advantage of it.
Zach: Yeah, that's. ah
Ben: Cause if you try to like, cause you can spiral about thinking about like, Oh man, like where are my, Are we going to buy a house? Like if we have kids, like where are they going to go to school? Like all this expense, like where the, you know, everything's so expensive and like how I'm going to retire and like, but like, it's like now we're here now. Let's just enjoy it.
Zach: Yeah. I mean.
Zach: It's it's cool to be here.
Ben: Yeah. I mean, California is so cool.
Ben: There's a lot to do out there. A lot to see.
Zach: That's what I'm saying, so I'm I'm all about it for now. Yeah, that's a that's a pretty good way to look at it. Because it's definitely like.
Zach: You know, look, I don't have to tell you all what a high cost of living is like.
Zach: But man, it stacks up when you're in an in an apartment, you can see every wall of
Ben: Even just that whole like like There's times to where like you get that where you get where you got the eat or something and you get the check and you have to like It just doesn't make sense Like oh, yeah, like I remember There's this diner in Seattle. I would go to like sometimes on Sunday morning and And then like you get the check and it's like, how is this $50? Like I got like a plate, there's a couple of eggs, some hash browns, I had like a coffee and like, you know, like two beers. It's like 50 bucks.
Zach: yeah it sounds about right which yeah as you were saying back in Milwaukee things cheaper man going back to Chicago I'm like holy shit I uh I ended up eating Subway for lunch one day when I was there not bragging but uh
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: I got, you know, the combo and I bought some cookies and shit and I was like, they rang up the whole shit. And I'm like, wait, that's it for real.
Ben: Will the subway also lower their prices because of the backlash?
Zach: Maybe, but like.
Ben: Because there is this whole meme about people like on TikTok and stuff, I guess, like going in there and ordering like the $5 foot long. If you're like, wait a minute, it's not $5. They're like, no, that was 10 years ago. It's now $17 .99.
Zach: Yeah. That's what I'm saying, though. But you get the foot long and everything. All the shit came out to under 20 bucks in Chicago. And I'm like. Here in the Bay, I'm like, there's no way I'm getting out with under 25 for all that shit.
Ben: Yeah. Yeah.
Zach: But anyway. I digress. um
Zach: We got a meetup coming up.
Ben: Yeah that's coming fast.
Zach: Sure is. That's what he said. I'm looking forward to it. um We'll be here in Southern California in just a couple weeks if you're listening to this on Valentine's Day. um There is still time to join us if you'd like.
Zach: although we'll have to figure out any arrangements but just in case you're deciding you'd like to come join you're free to meet us at any of the parks um we will be at Magic Mountain on um Thursday the 27th that evening definitely all day on the Friday the 28th and Then we will be at knots on the first or second, both, I think. So come out and hang out with us, ride some coasters.
Ben: It's, er, San Diego Thursday, Magic Mountain Friday, Saturday, not Sunday.
Zach: There you go.
Zach: So if you're in the area want to come ride some rides with us. That's the time to do it.
Zach: I am. Oh, I'm going to give you the TLDR trip report from my trip to NAMM. It's a bunch of fun.
Zach: real quick. Did go to Disneyland, three different days on the trip, didn't really, only rode stuff one of the days, really, only a couple rides.
Zach: still a lot of walking around heads and churros you know the good shit uh... but nam right uh... that's the but correct me if i fuck it up that's the national association of music merchants so all the instruments uh... manufacturers of all sorts uh... dj gear and speakers and It's fucking awesome. It was right at the Anaheim Convention Center. I met Dave Ellifson from Megadeth.
Zach: He was promoting his coffee, as well as Michael Starr from Steel Panther. It's fucking cool. Got pictures with those dudes. um Got to see a bunch of super talented musicians. Tried out some new ah rain and pioneer DJ controllers, as well as ah one of the new NPC models from Akai. Shit was sick.
Zach: um Found some cool portables turntables corgs got a new model out Yeah, oh saw the keyboard player from snarky puppy Yeah, it was cool Yeah, so the Anaheim Convention Center is like two blocks away from Disneyland and
Ben: Was it adjacent to Disney? or
Ben: Okay. Nice.
Zach: Yeah, yeah, it was awesome. Um. John Batiste played one night. We tried to see him, but the main promenade was like full, so we couldn't really get a spot. So we only caught like two songs of the set. It's awesome. Really, really good performers.
Zach: Um.
Zach: Trying to think if there was anything else. I mean, we heard Stevie Wonder was walking around, but didn't see him. And we heard that Verdean from Earth, Wind and Fire was walking around, but we did not see him either.
Zach: But it's a fucking blast. It's a great time.
Ben: So was there like actual, but there were like actual concert or like live music.
Zach: Yeah, there's like um around the whole perimeter of the convention center, there's like stages set up.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: So all day long concerts going on. And then at some of the boots, like, you know, um that's where we saw like the keyboardist from Snarky Puppy.
Zach: He was like rocking out on a keyboard and he had like a DJ with him who was doing beats. But it was just ah like a booth at a convention on the convention floor.
Ben: ah Okay, nice.
Zach: Yeah, yeah, so it's all over the place and it's like. The most talented fucking musicians. Definitely a bit of a. Imposter syndrome going on when I was walking around there. You know.
Zach: But I felt I felt pretty comfortable at the Pioneer DJ booth and checking out the rain gear and the car gear. Shit that I actually know how to fucking use.
Zach: But yeah. um Was there anything super interesting at Disneyland on that trip? It rained. That was weird.
Ben: is ah Is that uncommon, like this time of year?
Zach: Well, you know, this was at the tail end of the fires.
Ben: Oh, right. Yeah.
Zach: Like but the the.
Zach: The one up by magic mountain was, was just contained at this time.
Ben: yeah
Zach: So I think the rain helped a bunch, but yeah, it had been, I don't know, two or three months since it had last rain in like all of Southern California.
Zach: So it was great to have the rain on one hand.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: didn't really help with the, uh, the lines at Disneyland. Oh, Disneyland. Duh. We rode the haunted mansion with the new bride. Kind of burying the lead here, but, um, new brides. Interesting. Kind of just like floats there.
Ben: Wait, so I keep seeing felt like, so it's just like a new animatronic or Okay.
Zach: I don't think it's an animatronic. I think it's a figure with projection mapping, possibly.
Zach: I'm not quite as in the know as some of the Disney crew. So, um, if any of our listeners who are more on the imagineering end of things understand,
Zach: Feel free to reach out. Um, I'm a little curious about the new bride, how it works on the technical aspect. Um, not bad, definitely not bad. Um,
Zach: I dunno, it's a lot brighter. Cause like the whole thing's kind of illuminated. Whereas the old bride. from the videos I saw because it had been since 2009 since I last rode non holiday haunted mansion at Disneyland was a little darker and the the heart was more emphasized the beating heart ah so it's it's like brighter now which makes me think it's projection mapping on a figure
Zach: But it's a little hard to tell because it's so damn dark in that whole ride. Kind of the point. Oh, and we like stopped right before the endless hallway for. Probably seven, eight minutes.
Zach: Was really hoping for an intro exit, but didn't happen.
Ben: Is that where I'd been redone recently?
Zach: Um,
Ben: Or is it just cause like, okay.
Zach: they, they redid the whole queue last year and it was closed the whole year until shit like August when it came back as haunted mansion holiday.
Zach: So it hadn't been open since 2022.
Ben: Oh, okay.
Zach: So yeah as Han and Manchin, they had the overlay open, you know, for the holiday season.
Zach: And they had initially announced that this year, the overlay was going to start in November.
Zach: But then they walked that back right away and moved it back to August like normal, which sucks.
Zach: Cause everyone wanna ride on a mansion on Halloween, right? But not possible.
Zach: And Small World was down. A lot of shit was down, unfortunately. ah Railroad was down. um Mr. Lincoln's still down. I'm kind of hoping that that'll be open um for the meetup with ah Walt Disney, A Wonderful Life, but I don't think so. I don't think it'll be open in early March.
Zach: But I digress. Get your Disneyland fill.
Ben: Yeah, I'll have to. I'd like to do go back, but although now with Hollywood. Or whatever fast and furious. I might have to just do like a Disney Universal a weekend when that shit opens.
Zach: yeah universal I highly highly recommend um the VIP tour yeah you get a you get like normally the studio tour is 45 minutes but you get like an hour and a half one and you actually get to walk around some of the sets
Ben: It's like through the stad like studios and stuff.
Ben: okay
Zach: And then ah your guide walks you up the line on all the most popular attractions. And then you get an express pass for the rest of the day.
Ben: Nice. How much is that?
Zach: When we did it back in twenty twenty two, I think it was like three fifty a person.
Ben: Oh, that's pretty substantial, but.
Zach: Yeah, not the cheapest thing in the world. But again, you get walked right on to all the major attractions.
Ben: Yeah, it's true.
Zach: Like they walked us up to Jurassic World and gave us ponchos. They walked us up to Mummy. They walked us up um to
Zach: Transformers Minions. Harry Potter. ah Oh, and it include breakfast and lunch, too. And parking.
Ben: Nice.
Zach: Yeah, so it's it's the the value proposition is there, at least in my opinion.
Ben: Yeah, I mean, that sounds pretty good compared to like,
Zach: Well, like at Disney, it's like probably. It's like double that per hour with a minimum of seven hours.
Zach: But that's for a group of up to 10.
Ben: Wait, it's... 700 per hour with a minimum of seven hours.
Zach: Yeah, at Disney. I think so.
Ben: So four 90 a person.
Zach: If you get 10 people, yeah.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: Which like.
Zach: I mean, in Florida, I think it's worthwhile if you can find the right group, because if I'm not mistaken, they'll also include transport from park to park.
Ben: Okay. Yeah. Does that include admission?
Zach: No.
Ben: Oh.
Ben: I was going to say, well, that's not too bad. It's like double admission, but that's a little different than, but I mean, I guess it's not bad. I guess it's Disney.
Zach: also doesn't include food.
Ben: So, Oh yeah.
Zach: But you know, different experiences, right?
Ben: yeah
Zach: But yeah, you got to go back to Disneyland. You got to ride Tiana's and rise of the resistance.
Ben: And I think cars.
Zach: Oh, definitely. Yeah. Radiator Springs racers for sure. And you see world of color.
Zach: I don't know. Soren, if you like that ride, I'm not big on it. But I think if you go during food and wine, they have sworn over California.
Ben: What
Zach: So that's when that ride's good.
Ben: is it normally?
Zach: Soren around the world.
Ben: Oh.
Zach: It's just a lot more like CG in there.
Ben: Yeah.
Zach: And it's not
Zach: great. It makes me pretty motion sick. But soaring over California is an actual film print.
Zach: You know, because it's a giant curved screen, like a dome basically.
Ben: yeah
Zach: And so like, on soaring around the world, the A lot of them have a pit, ah a curve, depending on where you're seated. So if you're and on the left side, shit, like, especially the Eiffel tower, it's right in the middle.
Ben: Oh,
Zach: But if you're seated on the left side, it curves to the left. And if you see it on the right, it curves to the right. and know
Ben: of yeah.
Zach: But yeah, because someone over California is an actual film, it doesn't distort in that way.
Zach: I think they fixed it at Epcot because the ending scene had old Epcot in it.
Ben: Yeah, that makes sense.
Zach: But obviously not being at Epcot, it's DCA. They didn't have to change anything. So I don't know if they fixed actual distortion problem at DCA.
Zach: And I don't care to find out.
Ben: Well, yeah, I mean, it's, we'll get through the year, next couple of years and got to keep moving.
Zach: Yeah, um I don't know. I think it's good to be back, huh?
Ben: And I guess there might be one more episode before the trip meetup, but
Zach: Yeah. And we'll we'll record during the meetup.
Zach: So, you know, there's that.
Ben: Nice.
Ben: well No, um I'm all good.
Zach: Yeah. Yeah. You got anything else, Ben?
Ben: and
Zach: All right. Well, uh, thank you all so much for listening. Welcome to 2025. Thanks for sticking with us, uh, for this long. We'll try our best to keep the uploads going.
Zach: So, um, yeah.
Zach: Yeah. Thank y 'all. And until, uh, until next time, your favorite coaster sucks.
Ben: Your... every... coaster sucks.
