By Steffen Klenk
Imagine riding some of the most impressive roller coasters in the world, such as El Toro at New Jersey’s own Six Flags Great Adventure, or Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa. Any attraction at Cedar Point in Ohio could easily make the list. For many coaster enthusiasts and thrill seekers alike, every milestone is expected to be one of the best. But imagine yourself walking into Storybook Land on a rainy day in the middle of April riding your 800th roller coaster. That is exactly what Taylor Bybee did.
Bybee is the founder of Coaster Studios, a YouTube channel dedicated to the ultimate roller coaster enthusiast and amateur alike. The channel hosts a variety of content, from reviews of different theme parks to vlogs, on-ride videos, drone footage, plus news and information on upcoming attractions. As of May 2022, the channel has 197,000 loyal subscribers.
Bybee, along with local native Sarah Anderson, have been traveling to some of the world’s biggest and best theme parks. Often, their travels can end up in some of the most interesting, at times intriguing, attractions. Their most recent excursion to Storybook Land proved to be entertaining. Bybee says he was not just impressed by how big the park is, but also the many references to classic storytales and nursery rhymes. “These are all two dimensional characters that we’ve seen in either movies or books, and so now they’re turning it into a physical, three dimensional sense.”
Storybook Land has been making memories for over 67 years. The 20-acre theme park was opened by John and Esther Fricano and is themed from nursery rhymes. Some of its most popular attractions include a J&J railroad train looping around the entire park, carousel, swings, teacups, and Bubbles the Coaster. During the holiday season, the park is flourished in hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights.
During their visit, Bybee rode on his 800th coaster, Bubbles the Coaster, built by E&F Miller Industries. The experience came as a complete surprise during their most recent visit to the area, according to Anderson. “We had talked about going to Storybook Land; Taylor was at 799 coasters and was going to ride Bubbles; so I straight up tricked him onto the ride.”
Their YouTube page also includes content from past visits to Playland’s Castaway Cove in Ocean City and Morey’s Piers in Wildwood. If you have ever ridden on a roller coaster, you know how thrill-seeking the experience can be. Rides such as the Gale Force at Playland’s Castaway Cove or Great Nor’Easter at Morey’s Piers can give anyone the thrill of a lifetime.
Back in October, I had the chance to see a one-of-a-kind coaster film produced by Coaster Studios who released their first full-length feature film, This is How We Roll. The documentary shines a spotlight on Fred Grubb and his company, Rocky Mountain Construction, or RMC, a small but mighty group that manufactures and constructs some of the world’s most impressive roller coasters. Their list of completed projects is extensive, and includes the Jersey Devil Coaster, open of Great Adventure’s newest attractions. This is How We Roll is available for purchase or rent on Vimeo.
As for the future, the Coaster Studios team is hard at work traveling and visiting theme parks all throughout the country and will soon be making ventures outside of the United States. You can watch their content online at youtube.com/CoasterStudios and by following them on Instagram @coaster_studios.
Photos submitted
by Taylor Bybee.
Steffen Klenk is a multimedia journalist. He resides in Ocean City and enjoys capturing the eclectic moments of shore life.
