Explore every episode of the podcast Parkcast - The UK’s Original Theme Park Podcast

Poor ride availability, a disappointing Scarefest lineup, food complaints and will Hex ever reopen?! 2024 has been a tricky season for the UK’s biggest theme park - but is there light at the end of the tunnel? We chat about all this and more in this episode. 

We're joined by the OG UK enthusiast Andy Hine! We find out how the Rollercoaster Club of Great Britain has literally changed lives, get his thoughts on the enthusiast community in 2024, and ask what he really thinks about RMC-ing the Nash.....

In this episode Alex Crump was busy doing milk research (probably) so instead Andy from The Most Magical Podcast on Earth stopped by for some National Rollercoaster Day chat. We talk about Epic Universe, what makes us keep coming back for more,  a new coaster at Flamingo Land, Disney gate prices and more!

We chat to the insanely talented Xaver Willebrand - Managing Director and Founder of IMAscore, celebrating 10 years of iconic theme park music. 

It's Eurovision time and so in Episode 2 we put some of the best parks in Europe head to head. We discuss what you'll find there, and how to get there. Plus the latest news from around the world, and should we #rmcthenash ??!!

We chat about the UK theme park scene for 2019, celebrate 25 years of some of the UK's most iconic coasters and review the Alton Towers Dungeon. Globally we talk about Star Wars at Disney and rebuilding at Europa Park. Alex tells us which coaster he thinks you've "Just Gotta Ride" - and it's not his favourite.......

We’re back for 2024! Join Bex and new host Kev as we chat to theme park legend John Wardley. From his early days with Chessington, to the Haunted House, Nemesis, Air and beyond! We get his honest thoughts of Nemesis:Reborn and find out what his biggest regret was. 

We chat to American enthusiast, ride guru and industry insider Mark Rosenzweig about life as a roller coaster fan across the pond. Mark is an experienced industry professional with bucketloads of passion and expertise. We get his thoughts on theme park life after lockdown, and he tells us which roller coaster he thinks is the greatest in the world. 

Whilst we are still unable to enjoy theme parks (in the UK at least) - Alex "The Milkman" Crump continues his Top 25 rollercoaster countdown with his Top 10. We also have general coaster chat with Danny from Theme Park Family and find out why Phantom's Revenge didn't quite make the Top 10. 

This is Parkcast: Lockdown Edition! As we can't get to the studio we recorded this special episode over remotely - technology hey?! The parks may all be closed, but we've still got Theme Parks to discuss. We are joined by Danny from Theme Park Family as we muse over what we're missing and Alex starts to countdown his Top 25 coasters. 

Alex is joined by Shawn from Theme Park Worldwide for this special episode recorded just before the UK's lockdown. 

Q jump/fast lane.......everyone has a view on fastrack tickets at theme parks - but should we be using them or do they just create problems that wouldn't exist without them? 

This podcast was recorded just before the UK's coronavirus lockdown whilst the parks were still open and all information was correct at the time of recording. 

We take a trip to Europe for some out of season rollercoaster action. With Phantasialand and Efteling on our list, do they live up to expectations? And is it worth taking a trip abroad for a Winter Theme Park fix? Plus the latest news from around the parks. 

Theme Park Halloween Season is upon us! One of our favourite times of year to visit parks. And when Blackpool Pleasure Beach said they were planning a new experience for 2019, it would have been rude not to check it out for you. In this Episode you can find out exactly what they've got in store, and find out what we make of it. Plus Shawn from Theme Park Worldwide pops up from the back seat (which is not as weird as it sounds......)

We talk USA theme parks after Alex's Strata trip riding rollercoasters over the other side of the Atlantic. With 19 parks to tick off, what was worth the trip, and where would he not head back? Shawn from Theme Park Worldwide tells us which rollercoaster you've "just gotta ride" and we talk Polish efficiency and German park nightmares in the latest news from around the world. 

We know, we’ve been here before! But this time it looks like we really might be getting a brand new UK theme park - and Universal at that!

Were joined by Lawrence from Universally Bedford who takes us through absolutely EVERYTHING we already know, predictions for the park and the impact it might have on the UK theme park industry.

With declining revenues and visitor numbers it it time BPB brought back the “good old days” of free entry? We chat about this and what the future might look like for the park. 

In this episode, we take an in-depth look at a park that, just a few years ago, faced an uncertain future. Join us as we explore the attractions that have shaped its history, discuss the positive transformations made since Looping Group took over, and share our predictions for what lies ahead. 

Spoiler Alert: We don't think it's a Drunken Barrels themed area.....

We're back with our favourite enthusiast from across the pond Mark Rosenzweig. As well as being a top level coaster fan, Mark has also worked in the theme park industry for years and is a passionate ambassador for all things ride related. In this episode he talks us through what's new in the US, his current work with scenic installation company 3dx Scenic and how to get into the industry. 

As we enter the final week of Spooky Season 2024 we take a look at what theme parks in the UK have had to offer.  Apart from offering an amazing opportunity to ride our best rollercoasters in the dark, what worked and what didn’t? And now that Hex has finally reopened, what has dark ride guru Kev got to say about the new experience? 

Our favourite theme park creation game is back and better than ever! Planet Coaster 2 was released last week and we're chatting to game director Rich Newbold. He's taking us through all the awesome new features and additions to help you build the theme  park of your dreams. We're also asking if those manufacturer names are just coincidental.....

With the closed season underway in the UK we’re setting our sights abroad for our Winter rollercoaster fix. But when it comes to the ultimate family theme park trip, where should you go - Disneyland Paris or Efteling? Can the fairytale charm of Efteling hold its own against the magic of Disney? We dive into the details and help you decide in this episode!

We all love a good theme park rumour, especially when they turn out to be true. Sadly the rumours in this week’s episode never came to be. 

Whether through change in direction, or simply by the fiction of the fan forums, we discuss the rumours around UK parks & potential ideas for new attractions that never came to pass.

Theme Park Content Creator legend Digital Dan joins us for this week’s episode and we’re putting him on the spot! With news of The Blade’s removal, we’re looking further ahead to the future of some of Alton Towers’ most iconic rollercoasters. But if one had to go - which would he happily lose?!

Plus we find out which coaster Dan would say you’ve “just gotta ride”.

It’s been a turbulent year for Merlin Entertainments with their CEO stepping down just a few weeks ago, a challenging theme park season for ride reliability and signs of financial struggles. But with a new Minecraft IP on the horizon and the success of Nemesis Reborn and Hyperia, is it enough to turn things around? In this episode we’re joined by renowned blogger and vlogger Kip Hakes to work out if the magic can be saved or if it’s been lost for good.

And with that the Parkcast 2024 season comes to a close; and we're wrapping up the year with a festive treat! In this special episode, enjoy a bite-sized Christmas buffet-esque selection of highlights from the podcast. Relive some of the best moments with our incredible guests, including John Wardley and Digital Dan. We'll revisit topics like Universal UK, Merlin’s chaotic year and even those crazy enthusiast rumours.

If you’ve joined us in 2024 - thank you! We’ll be back in January 2025 park fans

Parkcast is back for 2025! And if you’re anything like us you’re dreaming of sunnier days and possibly an epic theme park adventure. But with the closure of some classic attractions, should 2025 be the year you book your Walt Disney World holiday?!

Radio legend and self-confessed Disnerd Andy Goulding from The Most Magical Podcast on Earth joins us with all his suggestions, hints and tips to help you decide!

This week Kip Hakes is co-hosting and we’re joined by Glenn Robertson aka The Notable Stranger. If you’re a theme park fan you’ll have heard his work at Blackpool Pleasure Beach as the mastermind behind the Icon, Big One and Valhalla themes. In this episode Glenn talks us through his unlikely route into music composition, how he caught the ear of Amanda Thompson, and some of the incredible detail that goes into each of his soundtracks. We promise - you’ll never listen to them in the same way again!

This week Bex and Kip are joined by Sam aka Coastertog! With only a few weeks left of the UK closed season we’re looking ahead to 2025 and looking forward to getting back into our favourite parks. Whilst 2025 may not share the same hyped ride openings of 2024 - is there still plenty to look forward to as a rollercoaster enthusiast?

Love them or hate them - IP’s are a familiar sight at Theme Parks. But are they stifling creativity and as park guests, do we crave more? Or do we love being able to immerse ourselves in the worlds of characters we know and love? With Universal UK looking more likely by the day one thing is for sure - we are only going to see more in our parks! Were joined by Lawrence from Universally Bedford to look at this and the very latest on the Universal UK project. 

At this point in the closed season we’re all really feeling the coaster blues. But with just a week to go until many UK parks start to open at least some of their attractions for Feb half term - where should we be looking to get a theme park visit under our belts?

Bex and Kev are joined by Kip Hakes to look at what the UK has to offer theme park fans and families this Feb half term. 

There have been shockwaves through the UK theme park industry this week with news emerging that Merlin are making sweeping cuts in their entertainments teams. Bex and Kev are joined by Kip Hakes who has quit the content creator programme in protest over it. But what do these changes mean for us as theme park fans and guests? And do entertainments matter anyway?

When plans for Saudi Arabia’s first theme park emerged many enthusiasts assumed it would never get off the ground. Now nearing completion, the park will open in 2025 and the plans have become reality. In this episode Bex chats to Neil Dwyer - VP Operations about his humble beginnings at Camelot Theme Park in the UK through to heading up this incredible project. And of course we discuss the most anticipated rollercoaster in years - Falcon’s Flight.

Dark rides provide us with incredible thematic experiences in theme parks, but do we value them enough in the UK?

This week we’re joined by two experts in creating world leading immersive attractions - Andy Sinclair-Harris and Alex Tyrell from Katapult a themed attraction design company based in Derby. 

With projects at Disney and Universal under their belts, they talk us through the theatre of creating dark rides, where technology is going and why we maybe don’t see as many as we’d like.

Ride closures, park closures and even resorting to justgiving pages to raise money - it’s been a tough week in the UK theme park industry. This week we dissect the news from Chessington, Oakwood and look at Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s opening weekend. Are there any positives, and are things going to get worse before they get better?!

The UK theme park enthusiast community has been left reeling from the shock announcement of the closure of Oakwood Theme Park in Wales. This week we’re joined by RCCGB Chairman Andy Hine to look back at the park over the years and try and work out what went wrong? Is there any chance Megafobia can be saved and what does the future hold for the park once held in such high regard by enthusiasts and the public?

Despite our climate we’ve always had a strong line up of water rides in the UK, but are we starting to fall out of love with them? Especially the classic log flume?! In this episode we look at some of our favourite water attractions - past and present - and discuss what we think the future of water-based rides could look like. 

As theme parks have started to reopen for the 2025 season, things haven’t all been plain sailing. As theme park enthusiasts we often get called overly critical, so do we care too much? Do we notice things and get worked up over things your average park guest wouldn’t? Or are we right to push for higher standards for everyone? 

In this episode we talk about the Alton Towers 2025 opening day which didn’t go as well as hoped and try and work out if we were right to be upset by it. 

We’ve all got one…..

This week it’s been over to you as we ask - what are your unpopular theme park opinions?

From SLC’s to POV’s - we’re covering off the unpopular opinions you sent in; and whether we agree or not….

We’ll be revisiting this topic so if you have your own please send it over!

35 years ago on the 11th April 1990 Vampire opened at Chessington World of Adventures. Along with the much acclaimed Bubbleworks, the rides were the focus of Transylvania, the first truly themed area at a theme park in the UK. In this episode we celebrate both rides by chatting to the creative genius who brought them to life and made them the special attractions we have known and loved - John Wardley. 

John takes us through the history of the rides, the problems he faced along the way and shares some details you may not have heard before!

We’re delighted to bring a theme park legend back to the UK for this episode! Francis Jackson was both Operations Director and General Manager at Alton Towers from 2016 - 2023 and his personable style and viral social media videos gave him renowned status amongst enthusiasts and the general public. 

Now living back in his native Australia and working globally as an attractions industry consultant, we’re delighted to have him on Parkcast to explain the realities behind some of our theme park frustrations!

This is Part 1 with Part 2 to follow next week….

In this episode we continue our chat with former Alton Towers Resort Operations Director and General Manager Francis Jackson. 

Francis talks to us about how building cohesive teams hugely impacts ride operations, why we see staggered openings and we find out what his “Just Gotta Ride it” rollercoaster is.

A few weeks ago UK theme park fans got the news we had all been waiting for - Universal are going to be building a park here! Set to open in 2031 it could be a game changer for the UK industry and will undoubtedly bring a world class park experience to our shores.

There was only one person we could get back on to dissect what we know so far - our friend Lawrence from Universally Bedford.  In this episode we look at absolutely everything we know so far, the strong predictions and what will happen next. 

Hold onto your lap bars park fans - Universal is coming! 

It’s about time for another trip across the pond! We’re joined by our favourite US-based enthusiast and industry insider Mark Rosenzweig, and there’s a lot to talk about! From Epic Universe previews, to Top Thrill 2 finally reopening, a Canadian coaster to get really excited about and just a general look at how parks in the US are holding up - we’re doing it all in this episode!

Strap in park fans because this is a long one!

This week I’m dissecting my trip to Universal’s newest theme park Epic Universe! Having booked an impulsive 5 day trip to go and check it out, was it worth it?

We’ll go through the portals discussing the highlights of each area of the park, and anything to note along the way.

And how does visiting make me feel about Universal coming to the UK?!

This week we’re joined by industry veteran turned consultant Mark Shaw. Having cut his teeth at Thorpe and Chessington alongside legends like John Wardley and Glenn Earlam, Mark headed down under to turn around Adventure World in Perth. He took a park that was consistently scoring low on guest satisfaction to  become the highest rated in Australia.

In this episode he tells us how he did it, and why creating fantastic customer experiences is vital to running a successful theme park.

It’s official - everyone is talking about Paultons Park. This family theme park has grown from strength to strength over the last decade and just a couple of weeks ago they announced they had no plans to stop.

This week I’m joined by Kip Hakes who went to the Super Fans event and got all the details about their new Ghostly Manor attraction and their future investments. We discuss why enthusiasts are getting so excited about this park, and exactly why it is becoming so highly regarded.

Blackgang Chine is the UK's oldest theme park - but how does a park on an island just off the south coast of England stay relevant and still delight guests over 180 years after opening? Laura Baxter - Head of Marketing and Dan White - General Manager join us on Parkcast this week to share some of their secrets!

Last week I got sent an anonymous message containing details of plans for a new rollercoaster at Alton Towers. Project Horizon has been on the minds of enthusiasts for years, with rumours constantly swirling about what it was going to involve and if it would even happen at all. One thing I've been told is that the planned attraction I was sent the info on is definitely on the cutting room floor. In this episode I talk through what I was sent and ask you, are you sad it's not happening in this form? 

This week we're joined by Robbie Jones, Insight Director at Katapult who are themed attraction designers based in Derby. We all know theme park fans are full of opinions and ideas, and sometimes it feels like nobody is listening! Last year Katapult commissioned a survey of Theme Park super fans, to find out what we really think, and what theme parks and attractions might be able to take away from our experiences. We discuss the results of that survey in this episode, including some of our surprising priorities! 

We also talk about Katapult's newest research project - where alongside Drayton Manor and the University of Birmingham, they'll be looking at how attractions can improve experiences for Neurodivergent guests.

You can find out more about Katapult on their website - www.katapult.co.uk
And if you're a neurodivergent theme park fan who'd be interested in taking part in their paid research - here's the link: https://www.katapult.co.uk/paid-opportunity-to-join-a-neurodivergent-consultation-group-for-the-phd-project-neuroinclusion-in

We've just come back from another family trip to Efteling and honestly I feel like it deserved its own epiosde. Efteling is a beautifully themed park in the Netherlands and it really has something for everyone. In this episode we cover how we got there, our thoughts on our stay in the NEW Efteling Grand Hotel and how it compares to our other experiences, food, attractions and just the overall vibes. 

If you haven't been yet, you really need to put it on your list. And if you have, what are your favourite things about Efteling?!