The Lowdown on the Plus-up - A Theme Park Podcast

Kelly and Pete
  • 4.9 (7)
  • PLACES & TRAVEL
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Kelly McCubbin and Peter Overstreet take on all aspects of theme parks - Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Six Flags - discussing them in historical context and then finding ways, to quote Walt Disney, to "plus them up!"    No considerations of safety, practicality or economic viability even remotely entertained!https://www.lowdown-plus-up.com/A Boardwalk Times Podcast     https://boardwalktimes.net/

  1. MAR 21

    Big Thunder Mountain - The Mine Train that Ran Away from History

    Big Thunder Mountain Railroad feels like pure fun: a runaway mine train, a mountain of red rock, and a few perfect sight gags that hit at 35 miles an hour. But the ride’s real story starts way earlier, in the myths America told itself about the frontier and the Western movies that turned those myths into pop culture. We follow that thread from Frederick Jackson Turner’s famous frontier thesis to how Walt Disney shaped his original Frontierland into something that resembles actual history. Then things get messy. Mark Davis’ fingerprints are all over Disney's greatest achievements and in the late-'60s he began designing his theme park masterpiece: Thunder Mesa and the Western River Expedition. And that's when things start to go wrong. But from the wreckage of the project emerged one of Disney's greatest attractions: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - the only ride that can actually be prescribed by a Doctor as a cure for kidney stones. If you love Disney history, theme park design, Imagineering legends, or just want to ride Big Thunder with smarter eyes, hit play. Subscribe, share the episode with a fellow parks nerd, and leave a review with your best Big Thunder plus-up idea. Thanks for listening! We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful. And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about!  We'd love to tell them on the air. Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us.  Or drop us a note to comments@lowdown-plus-up.com and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!   We are a Boardwalk Times production. Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/ Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

    1h 39m

  2. FEB 27

    Roger Tofte and The Handmade Magic Of Oregon’s Enchanted Forest

    Start with a finish-line smile and a hand-built castle. We open by honoring Jeff Galloway—the Olympian and Run-Walk-Run mentor whose you can do it turned marathons into memories for everyday runners—then spend most of this short episode saluting another architect of joy: Roger Tofte, the craftsman behind Oregon’s Enchanted Forest. Roger was a draftsman, sign maker, and watch repairer who saw a quiet forest near Salem and imagined a fairy tale carved into concrete and trees. He bought twenty acres on a shoestring, spent seven years shaping Storybook Lane by hand, and opened with a butcher-paper sign. We celebrate Roger’s life at ninety-six and the ongoing stewardship of his family, who still run the park with the same hands-on care. If you’re mapping an Oregon road trip, looking for family-friendly attractions near Salem, or chasing the charm of indie amusement parks, this story is your guide to what handmade wonder looks like—and why it endures. Press play, then share this with someone who loves small, magical places. Two great men have passed. We were so lucky to share the planet with them. Thanks for listening! We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful. And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about!  We'd love to tell them on the air. Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us.  Or drop us a note to comments@lowdown-plus-up.com and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!   We are a Boardwalk Times production. Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/ Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

    19 min

  3. FEB 3

    Ghosts Of Playland At The Beach - The Amusement Park at the End of the West

    The fog rolls in, the surf pounds the seawall, and a laugh echoes across the Sunset—Playland at the Beach is gone, but its spirit refuses to fade. We head back to San Francisco’s Ocean Beach to unpack a park that was equal parts wonder and chaos: the glassy grandeur of Sutro Baths, the Cliff House’s many lives, and a bohemian streetcar village that set the stage for a century of seaside amusements. From Charles I. D. Looff’s menagerie carousel to the towering Big Dipper and the splash-happy Chutes at the Beach, this was the wild west of parks as far west as you could go. Our old friend Laurie Hollings (Frontier Village) makes a return appearance to the show. Laughing Sal cackles relentlessly, Orson Welles' shatters mirrors, and one of the first Disney Imagineers invents Woody the cowboy... in San Francisco... a half century early. Join us as we stroll along one of the most beautiful and daunting places in America, San Francisco's Ocean Beach, and we try to find traces of the park that lived there for most of the 20th Century: Playland-at-the-Beach. ------------------------------------------------------- If this history hit you in the nostalgia, subscribe, share with a friend who loves old-school amusement parks, and leave a review. What artifact or ride would you bring back to a hands-on Playland museum? We’d love to hear your ideas. Thanks for listening! We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful. And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about!  We'd love to tell them on the air. Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us.  Or drop us a note to comments@lowdown-plus-up.com and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!   We are a Boardwalk Times production. Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/ Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

    1h 48m

  4. 12/24/2025

    This Hidden River Is Disneyland’s Quiet Magic | Lowdown on the Plus-Up

    EPISODE SUMMARY The most powerful special effect at Disneyland isn’t a projection or a firework. It’s water—dyed, pumped, and choreographed to keep illusions seamless, landscapes lush, and guests grounded.  In this episode, Kelly and Pete unravel the surprising, ingenious, and deeply odd engineering behind one of Disneyland’s most overlooked systems: the park-wide dark water network that connects Storybook Land, the Motorboat Cruise, the Snow White Grotto, the Adventureland Treehouse, the Jungle Cruise, and the entire Rivers of America. Along the way, we pay tribute to Rob Reiner, Gil Gerard, Bob Burns, and Imagineer Eddie Sotto. We also explore the enduring importance of Peter Renaday, original voice of Mark Twain and the first Ghost Host. This episode weaves history, engineering, Imagineering lore, and personal stories into one of the richest deep dives we’ve done yet. --- ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro   02:00 Remembering Rob Reiner, Gil Gerard & Bob Burns   09:45 Tribute to Imagineer Eddie Sotto   12:30 What Is Disneyland’s “Dark Water System”?   14:50 How the Water Flows (Storybook Land → Motorboat Cruise → Matterhorn → Snow White Grotto → Carnation Creek → Adventureland → Jungle Cruise → Rivers of America)   32:10 Jungle Cruise Waterfalls & Mosquito Abatement   38:30 Swiss Family Treehouse / Adventureland Treehouse Water Loop   45:20 The Truth About “Well #1” (137 feet, not 1300 feet)   56:00 Riding the Mark Twain & the peaceful design of the river   01:06:00 Peter Renaday – Mark Twain, Ghost Host & Disney legend   --- 🔍 KEYWORDS Disneyland dark water, Rivers of America engineering, Storybook Land water system, Motorboat Cruise, Snow White Grotto waterfall, Carnation Creek, Plaza Gardens, Adventureland water channel, Jungle Cruise ecosystem, Mark Twain riverboat, Peter Renaday ghost host, Eddie Sotto, Bob Burns, Rob Reiner, Gil Gerard, Disneyland engineering, Imagineering history, Disneyland plumbing system --- 📎 REFERENCES E-Ticket Magazine #18 – Jansen Brothers (Dark Water System)   Kelly's Article About Frontierland and the False History of the American West - https://boardwalktimes.net/we-need-to-talk-about-frontierland-ad54b31a1fe1 --- 🎧 FOLLOW US Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lowdown-on-the-plus-up-a-theme-park-podcast/id1737456626   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3PEPHJQk2t8TQON1mzJHWR YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsUeUre1Atv5XRqr4CX1R2s1TVCAz7jvL  Boardwalk Times: https://boardwalktimes.net #ThemeParkPodcast #DisneylandHistory #Imagineering Thanks for listening! We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful. And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about!  We'd love to tell them on the air. Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us.  Or drop us a note to comments@lowdown-plus-up.com and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!   We are a Boardwalk Times production. Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/ Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

    1h 36m

  5. 11/22/2025

    Not With a Whimper, but With a Bang! - Jay Stein: Father of the Modern Theme Park

    Universal Studios' evolution from modest Tram Tour to the top challenger for the theme park throne was due to the fierce drive of one man: Jay Stein. Intense, ambitious and sometimes frightening, Stein let his competitiveness and, later, his seething rage against the Walt Disney Company forge an entirely new path for theme parks. By the time he left the company in 1993, it was no longer the underdog, but an innovator that the rest of the industry - Disney included - had to keep up with. Stein passed away on November 5th.  Join us in remembering the legend and celebrating his life. Obituary: https://boardwalktimes.net/universal-studios-theme-park-visionary-jay-stein-dead-at-87-32b3158eaa0a Thanks for listening! We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful. And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about!  We'd love to tell them on the air. Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us.  Or drop us a note to comments@lowdown-plus-up.com and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!   We are a Boardwalk Times production. Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/ Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

    1h 42m

  6. 10/31/2025 ·  BONUS

    Pete's Corner: Haunted Houses - History, Therapy and Why the Gorilla Must Escape

    Midnight seances, glow-in-the-dark ghosts, and a gorilla that always breaks loose—our journey into haunted-house history starts where theater met sideshow and never looked back. We trace the first British walkthroughs of the 1930s, the packed spook shows that turned movie palaces into after-hours carnivals, and the scrappy showmen who transformed empty storefronts into seasonal scream factories.  From the U.K. to postwar Japan, if you love theme parks, horror design, or the mechanics of a perfect fright, you’re in the right place. Enjoyed the ride? Follow the show, leave a rating on your podcast app, and share this episode with a friend who loves a good scare. Your reviews help others find us. Thanks for listening! We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful. And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about!  We'd love to tell them on the air. Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us.  Or drop us a note to comments@lowdown-plus-up.com and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!   We are a Boardwalk Times production. Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/ Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

    18 min

  7. 10/28/2025

    Knott's Scary Farm - Before Halloween Horror Nights, Before Oogie-Boogie Bash, Knott's Got Boysenscary!

    Halloween didn’t just arrive at theme parks; it was engineered, rehearsed, and unleashed from a fog-soaked street in Buena Park. We dive into the wild origin story of Knott’s Scary Farm, tracing the DNA from mid-century horror hosts to the first freestanding mazes, the invention of roaming monsters, and the culture of sliders sparking their way through Calico. It’s a saga packed with scrappy ingenuity, late-night TV legend, and a berry (boysen) farm that accidentally became the Godfather of haunt season. We unpack the rise of Sinister Seymour’s razor-edged hosting, the disco-chaos of Wolfman Jack (including a gloriously unlicensed “Star Wars” detour), and the polished power of Elvira, whose partnership with John Paragon made legendary Vegas-style Camp. From the early witch’s gallows that genuinely chilled to The Hanging’s later pop-culture satire, we examine where tone elevates fear and where it dilutes it. Then we step inside the design shop: Dominion of the Dead’s monochrome beauty, classic illusions like Spidora, and a philosophy that favors original concepts over IP—teaching generations of builders to craft story with light, sound, and movement. We also wrestle with the boundaries. Trapped’s extreme interactivity brought waivers, safe words, and ethical questions that tested the Knott’s ethos. By the end, you’ll see how Knott’s Scary Farm didn’t just influence Universal and Six Flags—it gave seasonal events a blueprint for scale, artistry, and atmosphere. If this journey made you feel the fog rolling in, subscribe, share with a fellow haunt fan, and leave a review with your favorite Scary Farm memory or maze. What should come back: a serious, cinematic set piece or a new master of ceremonies to lead the night? Thanks for listening! We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful. And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about!  We'd love to tell them on the air. Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us.  Or drop us a note to comments@lowdown-plus-up.com and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!   We are a Boardwalk Times production. Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/ Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

    1h 46m

  8. 10/20/2025

    The True Story of Ray Bradbury and Theme Parks with Dr. Phil Nichols, or Pete and Kelly Become Desperate for Validation and Call an Expert!

    Ray Bradbury had a fascination with themed entertainment since he first attended the 1939 New York World's Fair, but was it merely as a casual observer or did he actually get his hands dirty? We invited noted Ray Bradbury scholar, Dr. Phil Nichols, to talk about it all: Ray's relationship with Walt Disney, his fascination with urban design, his work on EPCOT Center, and even how Ray might very well be responsible for the concept of a food court. We even got to hear about some attraction concepts that Bradbury worked on but were never built. Join us for the straight dope on the brilliant Ray Bradbury! =============================================================== If you'd like to listen to any of Phil's terrific podcasts - Bradbury 100 or Science Fiction 101 - you can find information on them here: bradburymedia.co.uk  He also has his YouTube channel, Bradbury 101, right here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKLDIIgbxgIsUjaY_4IG90yvfaO9wWIRf Thanks for listening! Thanks for listening! We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful. And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about!  We'd love to tell them on the air. Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us.  Or drop us a note to comments@lowdown-plus-up.com and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!   We are a Boardwalk Times production. Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/ Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

    1h 36m
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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Kelly McCubbin and Peter Overstreet take on all aspects of theme parks - Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Six Flags - discussing them in historical context and then finding ways, to quote Walt Disney, to "plus them up!"    No considerations of safety, practicality or economic viability even remotely entertained!https://www.lowdown-plus-up.com/A Boardwalk Times Podcast     https://boardwalktimes.net/

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