Transcript
Speaker: You are listening to the Inverted Creative Podcast. I'm Allison. I'm Jen. I'm Brian. I'm Mikhail. And I'm Nate.
Speaker: Hi, Mike. Hello. Fancy seeing you here. Every time I hear that that introduction, I just love, and I'm Nate. And I'm Nate.
Speaker: yeah well it's been a while since i've had you on i feel it's been probably a month and a half i don't know you're kind of like an unofficial sixth co-host at this point yep that's me yeah well we've been holding on to all the work without the title Yeah, pretty much.
Speaker: um We've been holding on to doing this episode until a, ah in case of emergency where we um don't have an episode lined up for the next day. And don't have an episode lined up for the next day right now. So you get to hear me talk to my husband.
Speaker: Here I am coming to the rescue. ah No, our one are one that's supposed to post tomorrow, we're going to have to postpone it another week just to make sure everything is good to go with it.
Speaker: So Mike is here to help. Yes, I am. um Yeah, because like obviously you and I have talked a lot about trips that we've been on together. we've talked about Poland and Italy and Missouri.
Speaker: Yeah. We haven't really talked about like how you got into everything.
Speaker: So how did you get into this? um So I grew up, i mean, I grew up here in Cincinnati. I've spent my whole life here. Grew up as a kid getting to go to Kings Island.
Speaker: Didn't have passes constantly when I was a kid, but we went probably once a year. Y'all were a Disney family. Yeah. We used to go, my aunt and uncle would always get tickets from, they were big, a they bought Saturns, if that dates this. Yeah. so they used to always get tickets from the Saturn dealer for Saturn Day, where it's kind of like one of the big park buyouts.
Speaker: Yeah. But if that dates how far back. Yeah, that's not a ah an i name I've heard in while. I don't even know how long they've been.
Speaker: gone for now but uh but yeah so i grew up going to king's island grew up the the church that my parents went to always did their parish picnic at stricker's grove so we'd always go there every year so i'd just get the the ride wristband and just spend all night riding tornado so Yeah, I've been into coasters since I was a little.
Speaker: um
Speaker: One of the, I believe, one of my first big coasters was The Beast. Not surprised. um I vividly remember all the way back.
Speaker: About 20 over 25 years ago now. But. Riding son of beast. At their pass holder preview. When I was about. Seven years old.
Speaker: Did you know it had a loop in it. I did. okay Yeah. I grew up always loving coasters. Always riding coasters.
Speaker: um My dad was. He's never as big into the coasters as I am But growing up, going to Disney, we would do... This is another... This will this will be another thing that dates when I was growing up.
Speaker: They used to do these things called e-ride nights. I think you paid about $25.
Speaker: And they kept the Magic Kingdom open until about 3 is So we would go and he'd hang for probably the first couple hours.
Speaker: And then by midnight, we'd just park ourselves at Space Mountain and he would sit on a bench outside and just watch me keep running around and around and around riding Space Mountain over and over and over again.
Speaker: Just like every few minutes, just hi, dad. Bye, dad. Pretty much.
Speaker: So, yeah, I grew up going to Disney and yeah. Didn't we figure out your dad's coaster count before the wedding too? We figured out he's somewhere.
Speaker: i think I estimated it at like 95 because depending on knowing the parks he's been to and not 100% knowing what he's ridden.
Speaker: Yeah. 95 is what we put for them. I think we went 95 because I knew he was somewhere between 90 and 100.
Speaker: so We should take him to a park so he can get a ceremonial 100th coaster. Right. I'm trying to convince him to do Germany next year. yeah Whether that happens or not, we'll see.
Speaker: take them to the Take him to Italy with us. Yeah. For a couple of days.
Speaker: yeah Yeah, we kind of loved Italy so much that we're trying to go back before going to Germany. yeah
Speaker: Got to go get new creds that are opening. Yes. And go back to a park that we really want to go to again.
Speaker: think go to a random park right in the middle of it. Yep.
Speaker: So then how did you get into like the actual enthusiast side? Was it through work?
Speaker: So for that, it just,
Speaker: I had traveled a little bit. Like, I think it was, think Copperhead opened in 2019. That was my first time ever going to Carowinds. I went the year that it opened.
Speaker: um yeah 2019 and that was one of the first like coaster trips i kind of did by myself i'd gone to cedar point a handful of times by myself and but that was one of the more longer distance trips i'd kind of taken other than just going to disney um
Speaker: But then with COVID and not being able to really do anything, once COVID was over, I kind of said, screw it. And just started traveling like crazy.
Speaker: think I hit, that was my first year really traveling and I hit, who was it? I started the year, I think at like 75 or somewhere around there.
Speaker: And on my second park trip of the year, I hit 100. By August, I hit 150.
Speaker: And then the following spring, I hit 200. So I slowly started picking them up very quickly. What what was your 200? 200 was Loch Ness.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: blockness okay uh john and i like when we knew of each other but we hadn't hung out yet because i yeah that was remember that that was the um caro and stumble like pre-stumble right get together at bgw and king's dominion is that the one with the tornado warnings where you all had to take shelter yeah that was the one that that whole day was just a cluster like I left first thing that morning. i left at like five or six that morning planning on hitting King's Dominion to meet up with a few people and then move on to Williamsburg because they were supposed to have pass holder ERT night on Pantheon.
Speaker: So we, I'm driving and I start seeing messages in discord that I guess there were a bunch of storms coming in. So King's Dominion was closing at about 3 30 and i was set to get there at about three all right screw this we're just gonna we're just gonna keep trucking down the road we're gonna go down to williamsburg so i get there i'm hanging out running bump into a bunch of people and the storms start getting there, like it's just absolutely downpouring.
Speaker: So we're just hanging out in the Fest house and they're probably maybe 10, 15 people total sitting in the Fest house. And all of a sudden one of the workers comes out, um everybody, we're going to need you to follow us. There's currently a tornado watch or a tornado warning in the area.
Speaker: We're going to have to take you to our tornado shelter. shelter Which happened to be one of the dressing rooms for the show that they do in the Festhouse. So that was that was a very interesting first experience because that was the first time I'd been been to BGW as well. Yeah,
Speaker: yeah and then the ERT ended up not happening because it was just so windy that ah they just couldn't run it. Yeah. And y'all like tried to wait it out in the station a little bit, didn't you? But didn't get to it or something like that. We ended up, that was the infamous or infamous Larson negotiating with yeah what the ride ops and the managers to get us all ah exit passes.
Speaker: That was also the ver the day I have first met Marty.
Speaker: our friend from New Zealand. ye um We love Marty. Hi, Marty. I know you listen. That was the first time I ever met Wallen Ballen. Everybody and and in the the hobby knows Wallen Ballen.
Speaker: love Love or hate him. um And that was also the first time I met. ah He works up at Cedar Point now. I know a lot of people will remember recognize his name, Byron.
Speaker: Oh, i didn't realize Byron was there. Yeah, he was... Because he was working there, wasn't he? He was working Pantheon. And then, like, a few weeks later, I run into him at a King's Island. I'm like, what are you doing over here? He's like, oh, I'm working at Cedar Point now.
Speaker: Like, wait, what?
Speaker: So... That man has worked at every park and in the chain, I feel like. That's what it feels like. And he's currently... Who knows where? Somewhere over in Asia.
Speaker: So he would be another interesting person, I think, for you to have on here. Yeah, you're you're not wrong about that. But I'm trying to figure out where we're going with that.
Speaker: yeah i don't know. Oh, because we were talking about Lock my 200. Oh, yeah, yeah. But yeah, I just... It was kind of one of those things where we had been cooped up for the most part because of COVID. There wasn't much to do.
Speaker: That's kind of like, screw it. Let's just go out and see what we can get, what kind of trouble I can get into. That's always dangerous.
Speaker: Yeah. So, ah yeah. it's It's made an interesting life of this hobby. Yeah. Yeah, especially with some of those weird people that you met.
Speaker: Yeah. Once you got into Buzz Bars.
Speaker: Yep. um I was going to ask something about like, like, what is it about Buzz Bars? Obviously, we're both very into Buzz Bars.
Speaker: We love the club and everything. It's done for our lives. um What makes Buzz Bars special in your eyes? It feels like a giant family. Everybody knows everybody. And if you don't know somebody, like they're very quickly welcomed in. And it's not like some of the other coaster groups, not like some of the bigger groups, you get a lot more perks. We don't have all the perks, yeah but some of them just feel a little more clicky with how they, how people just kind of hang out and kind of stick their own groups and,
Speaker: Like, you'll be at a Buzzbars event and, like, yeah, we kind of have our own groups of kind of the friend groups that hang out. But we'll be like, we'll walk by and like, oh, yeah, we're heading to, say we're at BG. Oh, yeah, heading to Alpengeist.
Speaker: And somebody from the other, oh I'll come with you guys. I want to go ride that. There's a lot of group hopping. Yeah, the groups will just hop from, people hop from group to group. Just, we like to have a good time.
Speaker: Yeah. Or you'll just like find somebody i remember doing. probably during like Velocistumble before you found the group. But like we were just walking around the park and we randomly like ran into it was either Mark or Meg, I think.
Speaker: And they just joined our group and kept going with us. Yeah. That's pretty typical for the park days with the group. Yeah.
Speaker: I love like those days where we're at parks That we've been to before. We have all the creds. We're no not, you know. Yeah, we're just, and we're just there to hang out and have fun.
Speaker: We're not trying to get on coasters necessarily. And you just like never know who you're going to run into around the park. Where the day is going to take you. i mean, it's like, what was it? Chicago.
Speaker: or he yeah um Dollywood for you this year. Because like I went into the park with Nate and a bunch of people. Oh yeah. I was in right at the the start of the day. She was running. You were out running in the 10 K and you guys went out to lunch and sheltered in the hot tub for a little bit.
Speaker: Yeah. And then came back to the park and you rode one. I rode big bear mountain. Yep. And was handed a plushie and said hi to people and then left. Yep. Pretty much. and then we went to taco ranch.
Speaker: Taco ranch was good. And then the Jurassic boat ride. Yeah. i was When you've been to the parks, it's nice because you don't have such a focus on the park.
Speaker: Yeah. And you can focus a little more on the friends. And that's kind of like why um Top Thrill Stumble, even though, yes, Top Thrill was closed. Nobody really cared because we were just doing so much hanging out with each other.
Speaker: Yeah, because like with that one, we had the booze cruise. We had the cabin crawl. ah it just There's a lot of opportunity to just hang out and chill.
Speaker: Yeah. You and I split up at events a lot, too. Yeah. like Obviously, you know we kind of like each other. We hang out a decent amount, but... We don't always want to do the same thing on park days. Yeah.
Speaker: Unless we're crud running. Then we kind of have similar mindset. Yeah. Number go up. Make number go up. Just like Brambo last week.
Speaker: Must make number go up. Yep. Yeah. I remember you saying something about him saying ah starting to embrace the mentality of make number go up. Yep. I'm so proud of Brambo. He went to Bush Gardens this weekend and actually posted a couple things on his Instagram.
Speaker: Yeah, I saw he was there. Met up with a Coasters and Brews fam. Yeah, good old Brambo's bush pics. Yes.
Speaker: There was a distinct lack of a bush pics. There were bush pics, but not like bush pics.
Speaker: Of the foliage. Yes.
Speaker: So, let's see. You and I have been around the world together. Yes. By around the world, I mean Canada and Europe. Well, we haven't been all the way around the world, but we've been to Europe many times now.
Speaker: um And if I'm sure we've talked on the podcast about our first trip to Europe and how stupid it was.
Speaker: What was that experience like for you? Obviously, going to Europe for the first time for a whole 48 hours. Yeah. It was a, there's a lot less shell shock going.
Speaker: i feel like the shell shock didn't really hit until that last night when we were walking around the city. Yeah. Cause everything, I mean, driving around Europe and just being in Europe in general doesn't feel that much different than the U S when you look a little weirder, yeah the rootside harder to understand some people. Yeah.
Speaker: and Yeah, and some people speak a little bit different languages, but for the most part, like, the general feel is very similar depending on where you're at. yeah But,
Speaker: but yeah, it was as a very cool experience. Didn't get nearly as much time at Fantasialand as I wanted. Well, we'll fix that soon. That will change next year, hopefully.
Speaker: um That's the plan right now.
Speaker: But yeah, that was, was a good little like introduction to Europe. Cause like the first time we went was we were in Europe for two days.
Speaker: Second time we were in Europe for three days. Yeah. And then we went to two weeks or a week and a half. Yeah, because the next one was u k Yeah. 10 parks in 10 days. Yeah.
Speaker: Oh, my God. Exhausting. I guess technically I did 11 parks in 10 days. Yeah, you did the one in London. Because got the f FEC in London. Yeah.
Speaker: ni and in and in in I got a really cool souvenir on that trip at least. Yeah. An engagement ring. Yeah.
Speaker: Oh, I always think about Wiesnberg on that trip. Yeah, and then our next trip was even longer. Yeah.
Speaker: When we went to Italy and Poland. Yes. And Sweden, briefly.
Speaker: Yeah. I don't know when we're going to do that long of a trip again, but it won't be next year. No.
Speaker: I have cut my amount of PTO by a week, so we're a little bit more limited. Yeah, I've gained PTO, but I'm going to use that to probably non-coaster trips without you. I'll be honest.
Speaker: i felt We had talked about that. Yeah, publishing. Well, not necessarily just publishing, but like I want to do like national parks or something. don't know. I talked about going to Virginia to check out the aircraft carrier if I can.
Speaker: I don't know. i want There's a lot of things I want to see that don't necessarily involve coasters. Oh, Nate and I talked about going to like Canadian Rockies or something. That was a very brief conversation. i don't know if that's actually going to happen, but it'll be cool.
Speaker: Actually, on the topic of that, what are some of your like bucket lists, coasters, parks, travel experiences in general? um We've hit a lot of bucket list things.
Speaker: In the past couple years. Yeah. Coaster wise. I mean. Bucket list is definitely going to be. You know. japanfield Steel Dragon 2000. Nika.
Speaker: ah Expedition G-Force is still up there. Just because it's one of like. The OG. Intamin hyper coasters. Yeah. i think that's a hyper coaster.
Speaker: don't know tall that is. But like, it's the, one of the OGs of like that style and that era. Yeah. Um, no, not a hyper 173. Okay. yeah, like that, that park is def those coasters are definitely on the list.
Speaker: I know you, you and I both want to get to Efteling eventually. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Tokyo Disney Sea.
Speaker: That's the one that I hear everybody talk about. Yeah. I know people have their opinions on that one. Marty. Yep. And Emma, for that matter.
Speaker: Yeah. But Marty listens, so we can call out Marty for it. Marty's getting two calls. It's in one episode, right? Find a way to work New Zealand in later.
Speaker: Yeah, um I guess obviously now Falcon's Flight. Yeah. kadea Like that Kadia, like Saudi Arabia, um abu Dhabi area, just like that Middle East area has so many coasters that it would be awesome to ride.
Speaker: And apparently just from talking to people, a lot of them can be done in very quick succession. So, someday. Yeah. Aren't they building a dis't Was it Disney over there or something? There's supposed to be, but I don't know what that looks like right now.
Speaker: don't even remember
Speaker: where in the Middle East it was. Abu Dhabi. Okay. Yas Island.
Speaker: We'll see 2030 and yeah. thirty three Yeah. We'll see how soon that happens. Cause yeah, we saw how granted I'm assuming this is prop. I don't know if this one's going to be actually owned by Disney.
Speaker: I think it's going to be owned by a ah third party. That's licensing everything. kind of like how yeah some of the, the ones overseas and like Japan and China are mural, morale group.
Speaker: Okay. Whatever it's called. Oh, yeah, I'm looking at them now. And Walt Disney Imagineering leads creative design and operational oversight. Oh, so they are the company that owns SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, Warner Brothers Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld.
Speaker: So, okay. Yeah, maybe that maybe that park will get done on time. Yeah. I don't trust any timeline that Disney themselves give anymore. Yeah. Especially after, you know, Tron took as long to build as Epic Universe as a whole.
Speaker: Yeah. So.
Speaker: yes Yeah. Yeah. In terms of Epic Universe, it's very random, but like. It's wild going from like, was it was announced before we met, I'm pretty sure.
Speaker: But like watching the construction of it over time. Yeah. Going down to Orlando and seeing a little of the construction here and there. And then going to the park twice now. Yep. It was announced August 1st, 2019. Jeez. And it opened 22nd, 2025.
Speaker: geez
Speaker: and it opened may twenty second twenty twenty five
Speaker: Six years between announcement and opening. Yeah. For an entire park like that.
Speaker: When was Tron announced and when did that open? um I'm afraid to ask, honestly. Let's see.
Speaker: Tron light cycle run was announced July 2017.
Speaker: And it opened in April of 2023. So about the same time frame. Pretty much.
Speaker: Jeez. Yep.
Speaker: So that's why I'm saying like they're saying it looks like the new Monsters Coaster will open in 28. I'm not counting on that.
Speaker: Yeah. There's just been like all over the industry, just like they're not even announcing opening dates upon announcement anymore. They're just like keeping it very vague and then delaying it. And that's just happening everywhere. think part it has been some of the supply chain stuff that they're still dealing But it's it's become the norm now and it's yeah frustrating.
Speaker: yep Well, jumping back here, did you talk about like bucket list travel places for you? Not necessarily for coasters, but just travel things to see. Just travel in general.
Speaker: Yeah. um Kind of knocked out one of my bucket list ones last year, or this year. Which one was that? Amalfi Coast. Yeah, i'm so I'm a big, obviously you know this, I'm a big F1 fan.
Speaker: Yeah. So... And just auto racing in general. So I want to get eventually to the Nürburgring.
Speaker: Which is surprisingly very close to Fantasialand.
Speaker: um There's no way of making that work next year. There's not a chance. I'd have to give a we give up time at the park. you want that Plus, Nürburgring is kind of a weird track because it's not really a full track.
Speaker: Because parts of it are city streets. Okay. So they have like their... Nürburgring has multiple circuits. They have like their GP Grand Prix circuit, which is like an actual racetrack.
Speaker: And then they have the Nordschleife, which is part racetrack, part local streets in that little town.
Speaker: It's really weird. Yeah,
Speaker: yeah that would be cool to get there, see Ring Racer, even though it it does not operate anymore. um
Speaker: Circuit to Spa, which is up in Belgium, is a really cool track that I love. Where in Belgium is that? I think it's like southern Belgium.
Speaker: What is it? Circuit? Spa Frankenchamps.
Speaker: Where is that? okay. Yeah,
Speaker: think it's like Southwest. It's just more Western Belgium. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, eventually. And eventually just go to a race in general. Yeah. But. Like doing the tour of Monza was cool.
Speaker: Yeah, was very Seeing kind of the behind the scenes. Yep. So I'm excited. Next weekend, F1 races in Monza. Did not know that.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Is that why we're not going anywhere next weekend so you can watch that? No. So with all the countries we've been to, what have been some of your highlights?
Speaker: Coasters, not coasters. um
Speaker: Just... Well, obviously Stonehenge, which was somewhere cool. I'd wanted to see anyway. Yeah. And then, you know, made that even cooler.
Speaker: And extra special. Got to share that moment with all our friends. Yeah.
Speaker: I really like. So on that same trip, the day we did a boat tour.
Speaker: Allison, you split off and you went with a bunch of people to go sites go see the sites. I split off. I kind of, that was kind of the first time i went off on my own overseas.
Speaker: And I just spent the whole evening... Just taking the train around and checking out all the different soccer stadiums in the area. You went to like three different ones, right? Yeah, I went to three different soccer stadiums and just kind of got to see the actual King's Cross Station.
Speaker: Paddington Station, which was really cool to see. Just some of the different places that you've heard of and seen in movies, but ah hadn't actually gotten to see in person.
Speaker: um Yeah. While you were doing that, we went and did like, saw like Big Ben and we went up to a Buckingham Palace. Look, it's Big Ben Parliament.
Speaker: yeah And a couple other things. but And then we had dinner at like Westminster Arms, I think it was called. Yeah. That's where you had it. famous I don't know. It was yummy. I had McDonald's that night. and I'm not shocked. Just because i I had to rush on the last stop that I made.
Speaker: Because I was trying to catch one of the last buses of the night that would take me back to the hotel. Right. So luckily there was a McDonald's right by the hotel. So that was just the easiest option that night.
Speaker: Yeah. you You have a thing with like fast food in foreign countries. Like go through the list of like how many countries you've had McDonald's. know you've had McDonald's in almost all the countries we've been to.
Speaker: It's just neat to see what the differences are because they all seem to have like different things. But I know we've been we've had McDonald's in Germany.
Speaker: Italy. um
Speaker: I think we did Sweden and Finland. Sweden. Yeah, because we did because those were just close and easy to the hotels to get food. Yeah. um France, because Gary chose to go there after Strasbourg.
Speaker: I think that was my favorite one I've been to, honestly. um The UK, obviously. We did Switzerland. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You guys did your fondue. Yeah. We, you know, did the traditional like Swiss fondue. We had like eight of us there and then Mike went to McDonald's.
Speaker: But I also went and did sightseeing while you guys were doing that. Cause I went and I went and checked out, it was over by the train station. So I went and checked out the train station, kind of saw the area over there.
Speaker: Like that was kind of neat. Yeah.
Speaker: We've had Burger King in, Italy and I had it in uh Bell or no Ireland I've had it in Germany no I was I did Ireland too or no did I know Ireland is when you were sitting at the gate still and we went out that was Javi was being Javi and delivering drinks to people that's right I was thinking of Blackpool did Burger King did we I did
Speaker: Oh, at the park. I forgot there's a Burger King at Blackpool. Yeah, it was one of the places our meal voucher was good at Yeah. um and And then we've got the KFC and... KFC in Antwerp.
Speaker: i was going to say KFC in Italy because there was that one night you and I... ah Oh, the... It was a monster. You had it like DoorDash to the Airbnb or something? did like their DoorDash because we got in so late.
Speaker: Yeah, and that was like our weird like gated one that was pain in butt to find the parking for. So you had to go and make sure you met the guy. Yeah. And then, yeah, we had it in Antwerp that night right next to this giant cathedral that we were looking up at.
Speaker: John Mike was very happy about that one. yeah Yeah. He had a little taste of it. I forgot about that one. Yeah, John Mike had a little taste of home in Belgium.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Yeah, that's a lot of fast food that we've had. It's kind of just become tradition at this point to at least work in like one yeah fast food, get something local to that region.
Speaker: forget the one I had in like Sweden. yeah it's just some interest It's interesting seeing like how, even if I were to get the same thing, how some of the ingredients and quality is just so different.
Speaker: yeah like I know the fries, I believe, are copyrighted and like trademarks. so Those are always the same, no matter where you get them for the most part. McDonald's on the honeymoon in Sweden?
Speaker: In the airport? We did. Because that was after Groniland. Yeah. we were trying I think we were trying to make one of the last trains of the night.
Speaker: I feel like we were rushing. Plus, we had an early flight. Yeah. We just went to get back to the airport and get food and get to sleep. yeah Because our hotel in the airport. For this reason. Because that was after our flight, our overnight flight in.
Speaker: Yeah. And we had a 7 a.m. flight to Rome the next morning. Yeah. Yeah. so i was We were very smart and booked hotel in the terminal. Heading in and going out. That was super nice.
Speaker: Yeah. That was me who found that one. so Yeah.
Speaker: We just love eating overseas. Yeah. Especially Italy. That's why we had three meals. We had two dinners our night in Rome. Yeah.
Speaker: And I think you and I are kind of in the same mindset of Germany and and Italy kind of being neck and neck for our favorite countries we've been to. Yeah. Italy is my favorite food. Germany has been like my favorite, like coasters and culture. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. don't know. Italy's got the culture too,
Speaker: but I'm definitely a ah pizza and pasta girly. Sorry. My, my ancestry says I have to choose Germany. Yeah. I mean, same, but. 66% of me wants Germany.
Speaker: and I just, I love them both. And I'm always wanting to go back to Italy and Germany specifically.
Speaker: Let's see.
Speaker: Do you have any creative endeavors? i occasionally a questions I occasionally post on Instagram. Yeah, I think you're kind of like Brambo in that you mostly post like stories and make highlight reels.
Speaker: Yeah, I mainly post on there just when we're traveling.
Speaker: It's not... I'm not super consistent with it. yeah I know i posted a recap of our trip last year. i haven't done that for Italy yet.
Speaker: Maybe I'll do that. The last thing you actually posted on there was like not including stories was a 2025 recap video. That checks out.
Speaker: Yeah. And then the wedding one that I added you as a collaborator. on Yeah, that checks out. Yeah.
Speaker: Do you think you will go back and do a day by day post about Italy? I might.
Speaker: You should. I need to get in the habit of posting on there more often. Yeah. I'm still working on all the videos. so I have one that's ready to post. I just need to make a thumbnail. I'm not consistent in the least with that.
Speaker: But every now and then i can hear you downstairs watching my videos. Yeah. When they come out.
Speaker: You're one of like 20 viewers on them.
Speaker: Yep, yep, yep. Yep, yep, yep.
Speaker: Well, here's... here Well, I won't ask you about Hot Takes yet because that's going to be a wholeer whole other segment. Yes. I want to talk about your collection.
Speaker: i mean, we've talked about it on another episode. We have. It's grown since then. I have a giant collection of nano coasters and coaster cutouts.
Speaker: have I don't even know how many I have.
Speaker: I need to update it with stuff I've gotten more recently.
Speaker: And i still I still need to... Actually, I need to text him about that. Shout out to Branderson. I don't know if he listens or not. But he posted on Facebook... Hey, apparently some ah Some Kumba Nano coasters have resurfaced at...
Speaker: BGT, I'm going down there this week if anybody wants one. So, of course, I had not bought one yet. So, he snagged me one.
Speaker: And, of course, you know, Scott Ross being Scott Ross, I'm guessing because the ride's gone already in their limited quantity, there's no pass holder discount on those. Hmm.
Speaker: and I'm not surprised at that, honestly. No, not at all. Scott Ross is doing Scott Ross things. Yes.
Speaker: How many do you have in your, like, to-be-built pile still? feel like that's just... Let me check over here. feel like that's just always growing.
Speaker: cheese I currently have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.
Speaker: geez Plus the one that he's got me. So 19 plus the Millennium Force lift hill that will eventually get done.
Speaker: got to figure out where that's going first. Yeah. Now that you took the mini fridge to work, I'm probably going to put shelves there. I know. I figured as much. So.
Speaker: Yeah, that's my. That's one of my big collections.
Speaker: Any idea how many you have outside it like already built ones? um Like all the already built ones. Let find that spreadsheet real quick.
Speaker: It's got to be upwards of like 70 or something.
Speaker: The last number I before, like I haven't updated it more recently, I had 66 built, 18 still to build. And you surely have built. Probably about five or six since then. yeah, about 70 then.
Speaker: Yeah. I mean, that's 84, right? that six the It was had been built, still needed built. Yeah. So I probably have around 80 of them total.
Speaker: Jeez. Yeah. Just a couple. I'll have to make a post about all those at some point.
Speaker: I don't even want to think about how much money you've put into that. Because, like, I have... i can see just in here, like, i have the Dueling Dragon a cutouts, too. And they're not on my spreadsheet. I just added them.
Speaker: So... Do they have any in Italy?
Speaker: I don't remember seeing any.
Speaker: And the one thing that's kind of annoying is there's a... There's a company over in Germany that sells some of the Nano coasters.
Speaker: And... Some of them are coasters that you can only get through that company. and
Speaker: like They don't sell them all at the park. Zadra was one of them.
Speaker: I could not find the Zadra one in any of the in any of the stores. Yeah, they had that big... Like like the puzzle. fo Yeah, like a phone one or something.
Speaker: But I'm hoping that when we're over...
Speaker: over in Europe this year or next year as I can see on their website like they sell the next but Expedition G-Force one I would definitely buy that yeah you could also probably talk to like Nate and Jack if they were selling those in the store that's true that's all they also have a Haltz Uberkopf one oh interesting yeah so we'll see would not hate getting a few more Nanos from overseas Yeah. The biggest issue with doing that is we always pack just carry-ons and any merch we fit any merch we get has to fit into our carry-on with all of our crap.
Speaker: That or, you know, there is this little service that we could use called DHL. Yeah.
Speaker: But that's more expensive. Yeah. At least the Nano Coasters pack flat. Like, you can just kind of shove them in wherever they fit and they don't take up a lot of room. Yeah.
Speaker: And then there's me when we went to Europa buying three mugs on accident and trying to figure out how to fit them all in a bag.
Speaker: So... I did not realize this until now. The headquarters of DHL is not far from Fantasialand. oops It is located in Bonn, Germany. Okay.
Speaker: I know you have some hot takes.
Speaker: You give some of those we have hot takes? Never. You be a troll? Never. Um... Let's see. Where can I start? Where can I start? Where can I start?
Speaker: Well, first we'll start with... I know a lot of people will disagree with this. um Phoenix is the worst wooden roller coaster in the state of Pennsylvania.
Speaker: i think just neither of us are big fans chemicals in general. I would choose Kingdom Coaster at Dutch Wonderland. over Phoenix
Speaker: I've only gotten like two rides on Phoenix so i'm don't remember it super well I tried everybody told me all you've got to ride it in this seat all you've got to ride it in that seat I tried all the seats I was told I needed to try it in and it was underwhelming I do need to go back there at some point unfortunately Because I don't have flying turns or Black Diamond.
Speaker: I just don't have flying turns.
Speaker: And, you know, I could live without that if it means I don't have to go back to that park.
Speaker: I'm like, I already know another one of your hot takes. Oh, yeah? Mm-hmm. Is it about a certain roller coaster in Florida?
Speaker: yeah And I have not even in my top 10? Yep. Oh, you must be talking about VelociCoaster. He's a Velocihater.
Speaker: It's a good ride. It's just not like the best ride I've ever been on.
Speaker: I'm a big fan of intensity and pacing and it just like the first half of Velocicoaster is cool. I like it. It just doesn't have like the pacing that I want out of a coaster. Yeah.
Speaker: So it's currently sitting at number 15 for me. Where do you have Taron ranked? um Above it.
Speaker: what ah What is it about Taryn that puts it above Velocicoaster for you? just maintains its pacing a lot better, I feel like.
Speaker: And the entire ride is kind of is a lot better themed. Yeah. like there just not You don't have as much theming when you go into that second half of Velocicoaster.
Speaker: Yeah. like i'll I'll agree. Mosasaurus roll is probably one of the best inversions on a coaster. But...
Speaker: just doesn't do That ride doesn't do it for me. yeah I have many, many other rides that are above it because of the pacing. Yeah.
Speaker: I love it, so I don't care what you think about that one. It's okay to be wrong.
Speaker: and Even just looking at Intamin launch coasters, I have Taiga above it. And I have Terran above it.
Speaker: What is your top 10 right now? Out curiosity. Voyage, Voltron, Zadra, Stardust, Taiga, Hyperia, Konda, which that that might be a hot take right there. Hyperia over Konda.
Speaker: Yeah, probably. um Ride to Happiness, Hyperion, and Steel Vengeance. You have so many Europe creds in your top 10. Steel Vengeance is just barely barely holding on to to that top 10 spot.
Speaker: Disagree.
Speaker: that That is one thing where we differ in our coaster takes a lot. you're You're a much bigger RMC fan than I am. Yeah. I'm definitely a Mach fan.
Speaker: Yeah. I've got one, two...
Speaker: three, four mocks in my top 10.
Speaker: Yeah. Mock and Intamin for me.
Speaker: I'm just forever an Intamin fangirl.
Speaker: Yeah. Four mock, three Intamin,
Speaker: to so two RMCs, and a Gravity. Yeah, I have i have no RMCs in my top 10.
Speaker: That's disappointing. Zodra's at 11. And if I shuffle things around, it'll probably end up in 10.
Speaker: Yeah, like right after my top 10 is very Intamin heavy. Because I have Skyrush, Terran, and Velocicoaster taking up three of the next five spots.
Speaker: And shockingly, there's a premier in my top 15. Alpenfury? Yes. Yeah, i have it at 18 right now. Yeah.
Speaker: That's a good ride.
Speaker: Any other hot takes?
Speaker: I'm sure. I feel like you have more.
Speaker: Or maybe you just do more rage baiting than anything. don't know. I can't think of any more off like right off the top of my head. Yeah. Are you a Magnum lover or a Magnum hater?
Speaker: I mildly enjoy Magnum. Mildly enjoy. Middle of the road. Yeah. I enjoy Magnum, but I don't necessarily like I'm not going to go out of my way to ride it 75 times a day like I know some people will.
Speaker: Yeah. So. I don't hope if there's any coaster. Okay, I can't fully say that because I have ridden one coaster over 75 times in a day. But that was for a contest. um Aside from that, I don't know if there's anything I would try to ride that much.
Speaker: Excluding like ERT. I know I did like 16 on Hyperia. Yeah. I did 26 on Hyperia.
Speaker: I think we had 54 trains. Yeah. i don't remember my final count. I was one i was once short a half. I only got off the platform one time.
Speaker: I got off the first my first ride, walked around, and then found out, oh, they're just letting people seat seat swap. I'm like, oh, okay, say less.
Speaker: And I made you take some pictures with me at one point. Yeah. Because that was the day after we got engaged. So I made you take some ring pictures in the station. Yeah, I think you just pulled me through the gate and we did that and then got right back on.
Speaker: Yeah. So i think I don't think I technically missed any rides, really. I just swapped from train A to train B. Just got one extra cycle in there. Yeah.
Speaker: I think that whole time I was making you take pictures, you're just like, i want to get back on. You're killing my ERT. That's what you get for getting and engaged to me.
Speaker: They were cute pictures, though. A mistake that'll haunt me for life. It's legally binding now. ah Any other fun coaster-related stories you'd want to share?
Speaker: Anything off the wall? Weird? It's you, so there's weird.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: uh,
Speaker: I do remember when I was a kid. This was back when I was still in grade school, I think.
Speaker: Yeah. What year did Everest open?
Speaker: and so i don't even remember when. and Wasn't it like 2000-ish? It opened Yeah, 06. Yeah. and open in yeah oh six So we used to do, like we would go down to Disney for President's Day weekend.
Speaker: So we went down one year and it was 06.
Speaker: So we happened to be there. I spent my entire trip pretty much at Animal Kingdom because we happened to be there during the soft opening of Expedition Everest.
Speaker: So I just stayed there and wrote it and wrote it and wrote it way too many times that was back when the eddie was working i assume was it i would assume it was before the ride had officially opened so i'd assume it at least opened it worked for that long um
Speaker: i think it lasted like the first few months of the ride opening and then it broke
Speaker: Yeah. It says that it lasted a few months after the ride opened in 06. The yeti figure Yeti figures framing split.
Speaker: So like the frame that it's actually mounted to got destroyed. Yeah. So. And supposedly they're bringing it back soon. Supposedly. I will believe it when I see it. Yeah. Because they've always said that like it was so big that they were.
Speaker: Not able to really work on it because of like the mountain having been built around it. Like the the yeah main parts of the Yeti.
Speaker: But I don't know.
Speaker: Yeah, I saw that announced at D23 and I'm like, eh, doubt. Yeah.
Speaker: I mean, looking at like the stats of that thing, it's impressive. It's probably on the almost on the level like the ones that they have for Monsters Unchained. Yeah. Like this thing, it says it was able to move five foot horizontally. Okay. And a foot and a half vertically. 25 foot tall.
Speaker: i didn't realize it was that big. Hmm.
Speaker: he's It's weird seeing pictures on RCDB of it. Under construction. Yeah.
Speaker: Before they built the mountain around it. Yeah.
Speaker: Cool.
Speaker: Yeah, that's weird. like Scrolling through the RCDB pictures and watching the mountain get built around it.
Speaker: Yeah, that's how... It's wild seeing all that happen, yeah. Yeah. It looks so good, though. like They did a good job with that.
Speaker: Oh, yeah. and i saw I saw yesterday, maybe? One of the other days. I saw D23 is sponsoring an event.
Speaker: It's like $250. But it's
Speaker: but it's a
Speaker: It's like an event with Joe Rohde. Who, if you don't know, is a. The the legendary Imagineer for Disney that basically.
Speaker: Did all the primary work like theming and everything for Expedition Everest. Yeah. um
Speaker: It's a dinner with him. And I guess part of it, you get signed copy of his book, which I guess based on the book title, I did not realize he helped with Pandora as well.
Speaker: didn't know he had book. Yeah. It's called, it's a book called floating mountains. Okay. Yeah. That tracks. Yeah. When I saw that, I'm like, i'm like oh.
Speaker: Okay, so maybe he was part of part of that. Yeah, it's Floating Mountains, The Art of Imagining the Impossible.
Speaker: I might have to get that. Yeah. yeah like this You get a half-hour conversation with him and a dinner.
Speaker: Yeah, it comes out this year. it comes out in like a week. Yeah, and a signed copy of his book for like $250. I'm like, okay that actually that actually might be worth it.
Speaker: hey Hey, can we go?
Speaker: don't think so. Dang it.
Speaker: But that'd be very fitting for the podcast.
Speaker: I might have to get this. It looks like it'd be an interesting book to read. Yeah. How many pages is it Especially coming from somebody that does not read books.
Speaker: Yeah, I know. You got to read another book first. 352 pages. Decently long. Okay. Huh.
Speaker: okay
Speaker: Well, I need to add this to my eye wish list. Yeah, my Christmas list or something.
Speaker: I mean, your family was asking for my ah wish list. Yep.
Speaker: Add to wish list. Not that I have a lot on there right now.
Speaker: Well, we're at an hour now and feel like we've covered a lot considering, you know, you've been on the podcast like five or six times before already.
Speaker: Yep. Any other ah closing things you want to talk about?
Speaker: I don't think so. Not that I can think of. I'm sure something will come up in another episode that we have you on. I'm sure.
Speaker: What's been your favorite episode of the Inverted Creative Podcast so far? ah From what you've listened to. I know you don't listen to all Probably the April Fool's one about bathrooms.
Speaker: Okay. You were part of that. I'm ah um um i'm a big bathroom fan. We know. That's why I was part of that. I didn't know that.
Speaker: Because that was the one that we had Mikhail on before he was a A co-host. But we didn't tell him what it was. Yeah. We're just like, do you want to join us for a fun episode?
Speaker: And he laughed very hard when we told him the topic.
Speaker: And then I pulled a whoopsie and exported it wrong. And people thought that that was the ah April Fool's joke was that your audio track wasn't there. I forgot about that. So I had to pull the episode and then repost it later.
Speaker: I think my favorite episode might be the Fantasial and deep dive. Yeah, that was a fun one. Because I love that park. Yeah. It'd be interesting to reit revisit that after going there again for more than six hours for you. Yeah, definitely.
Speaker: Also, I never asked, what's your coaster count right now? I believe it is 763. Okay.
Speaker: okay or no I'm incorrect. 769. Nice. thanks
Speaker: Forever trying to stay ahead of you.
Speaker: Which I don't have. I have one missing from my spreadsheet, so I've got to figure out which one that is now. think it's Corksville.
Speaker: Yeah, I don't remember, like, what were the last things that we added? i don't even know if mine's, like, fully up to date. There's City Forum.
Speaker: Yeah, I haven't put that on there yet. Yeah. Yeah, my spreadsheet has me at 816 right now, and I'm not at 816. I'm at 822. What else was there?
Speaker: ye what else was there I have it on my notes. Oh, that eventually. Yeah. But does look like it could be...
Speaker: Depending on what else we have this year, could be very close on potentially hitting 800 this year. Yeah. Not likely, but... It's kind of like I would love to hit 850 this year. i might get close.
Speaker: but i don't know if I'll quite hit it. Yeah.
Speaker: Well, you want to drop any of your ah social medias or I guess you only just have. Yeah, really. i only use for, yeah, for coaster stuff. I really just use Instagram and that would be coaster underscore mullet.
Speaker: Why do you have a mullet or something? Maybe.
Speaker: Depends asking.
Speaker: Will you ever get rid of the mullet? Probably not.
Speaker: Not even if I ask you to? Probably not. Yeah, i didn't think so. I almost could have seen you doing it like the morning of the wedding, just like chopping your hair off and surprising you with it. That would have been kind of comical.
Speaker: That would have just like shook a lot of people. Yeah. You're like, who the heck is that? That's not Mike.
Speaker: Yep. But no, that's not going to happen. Yeah. I know. Well, well to quote the the parking attendant in Poland.
Speaker: Okay. Bye-bye. I thought you were going to say, I think this brings us to the end of our episode. No. yeah
Speaker: That's reserved for Jen and Nate and Mikhail. Nope. Jen only. Well, Nate says it anytime Jen's not on the podcast. I do not recognize this Jen imposter.
Speaker: Well, thank you everybody for listening.
Speaker: Hopefully you enjoyed having my husband on for an episode. Thank you for allowing my stupidity. Thank you for supporting my stupidity. It's what I do.
Speaker: i support you in all that you do. Something, something. That's what I'm supposed to do. It's funny. I can see I'm looking in my ah Discord messages from you.
Speaker: i can see exactly what episodes I was on because I can see all the Zencaster links. 63. did lot recently. Yeah. episode thirty five forty one fifty fifty one sixty and now see a lot recently yeah
Speaker: um oh coster Was Coaster Menace the first one that you were on? The first more recent one.
Speaker: That was all just the ones I've been on this year. Yeah. And there's a lot of Airbnb links in there. for also planning yeah Merchandise episode
Speaker: and episode nine
Speaker: was nine The roast of the top 25. Oh yeah. No, we brought you on as a moderator. Yeah. Just cause we didn't want it to be just me and Bryant. Yep.
Speaker: Well, anyway, this brings us to the end of our episode. And as always want to give a big shout out to our Patreon members. Fun fact, Mike's a Patreon member, but he's just in the free tier. So I don't even know if he sees anything.
Speaker: but But got to give a thank you to Chris, Jeff, Alexander, and Barbara for all of your support of us. Yay. Hopefully this is the kind of content you want because it's the content you're getting right now. yeah we have We have some exciting stuff coming up. We just got to get this one for next week approved now.
Speaker: That was supposed to come out tomorrow.
Speaker: All right. Good luck next time. Yeah. Well, now I'm not going to have you in my back pocket anymore for in case of emergency episodes. We can do conversation to electric boogaloo.
Speaker: I mean, you can play the RCDB game or something. Yeah, we'll figure something out. Yeah, we'll have you on again soon for something. I'm sure.
Speaker: I'll always be back. It's inevitable. Yeah. I'm like, I'm like Thanos. I'm inevitable. Are you going to snap me away?
Speaker: Mr. Stark, I don't feel so good.
Speaker: Anyway. Hashtag keep thinking inverted. Hashtag keep buying nano coasters and coaster cutouts so Mike can keep adding those collection.
Speaker: Yeah. And we'll see y'all next time. Bye bye now. Okay. Bye bye.
