Did Millennials Ruin Roller Coasters?

Kyla Scanlon makes her Dynamo hosting debut!

Hey Dynamos!

Writing this as a millennial, I was pretty bummed to hear there was another thing we might have killed (add it to the list behind napkins and voicemail!).

But roller coasters may end up being a better business because of the US’s largest generation.

Economist Kyla Scanlon (who loves coasters) and producer Karin Shedd (who gets nauseous on kiddie rides) teamed up to document the history of roller coasters going all the way back to Russian ice ramps in the Fifteenth Century.

Disney's innovations in steel sparked the coaster wars that raged from the 1960s until the 2000s, when roller coasters raced to be the tallest, fastest, and most intense (catering to teenage millennials). But now, parks are shifting gears, swapping record-breaking thrill rides for immersive, family-friendly attractions (any ideas why??).

Kyla and Karin reveal how changing economics, customer tastes, and technology made companies like Disney and Six Flags shift strategies — and how it changed the shape of roller coasters as we know it.

This month and next, look out for the triumphant return of Prof. Christopher Clarke, and catch Business Explains the World Editor in Chief Nicholas Carlson host his first full episode. Stay tuned!