Armchair Anonymous: Cedar Point

Summary

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard: Armchair Anonymous – Cedar Point Episodic Summary

Release Date: April 18, 2025

In the "Armchair Anonymous: Cedar Point" episode of Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, host Dax Shepard, alongside co-hosts Lily Padman and Aaron Michael Weekley, delves into a series of vivid and personal stories centered around Cedar Point, the renowned amusement park in Ohio. This episode features firsthand accounts of thrilling adventures, unexpected disasters, and the enduring impact these experiences have had on the guests. Through a mix of nostalgia, humor, and heartfelt reflections, the hosts and their guests explore the complexities of human experiences at one of America's most famous amusement parks.

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1. Introduction to Cedar Point Stories

The episode kicks off with Dax Shepard welcoming listeners to "Armchair Anonymous," setting the stage for a deep dive into memorable Cedar Point experiences. The hosts express excitement about sharing and celebrating the diverse narratives associated with the park.

Notable Quote:

• [01:08] Dax Shepard: "Well, we don't have any wet butt cut stories, but we do have four crazy Cedar Point stories. Please enjoy."

---

2. Aaron Michael Weekley’s Tornado Survival at Cedar Point

Aaron Michael Weekley recounts a harrowing experience from the summer of 1998 when a family trip to Cedar Point turned chaotic due to the sudden appearance of three tornadoes, known as water spouts, over Lake Erie. Strapped into the intense Ripcord ride, Aaron and his cousins find themselves at the highest point in the park just as the tornadoes approach. Despite the thrill of the rides, the impending natural disaster brings fear and urgency.

Key Highlights:

• Tornado Encounter: At the pinnacle of the Ripcord ride, Aaron and his cousins spot three tornadoes forming over Lake Erie, triggering panic amidst the exhilarated screams of other park-goers.

  Notable Quote:

  • [06:18] Dax Shepard: "Oh, wow. Wow."

• Seeking Shelter: Realizing the severity of the situation, Aaron and his cousins swiftly disembark and scramble to find shelter, ultimately taking refuge in the nearest bathroom. The park soon shuts down as heavy rain and high winds cause widespread flooding and chaos.

  Notable Quote:

  • [07:08] Aaron Michael Weekley: "It was really intense, really fast. We end up in the bathroom. Everybody's kind of, like, panicking, and we're a bunch of boys. This is awesome. We're safe."

• Aftermath: The family spends the rest of the day navigating through ankle-deep water, dealing with flooded areas, and enduring the aftermath of the severe weather. Aaron humorously notes how his green-dyed feet from excessive rain became a lasting memento.

  Notable Quote:

  • [08:56] Aaron Michael Weekley: "I had like incredible Hulk feet. I didn't wear sandals for the rest of that summer because my feet were just bright green."

• Emotional Impact: Aaron pays homage to his late cousin Joe, emphasizing the importance of family and shared memories, even amidst traumatic experiences.

  Notable Quote:

  • [11:19] Aaron Michael Weekley: "So we know what's coming. So we just take off running... He was a storyteller and a jokester. He would love to know that people are hearing this story."

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3. Catherine’s Daughter’s Roller Coaster Trauma

Catherine shares a more recent and personal story from the summer of 2023, where her 5-year-old daughter experienced severe distress during her first roller coaster ride at Cedar Point. Despite meeting the height requirements to ride, her daughter encountered intense G-forces that led to multiple episodes of passing out, leaving both the child and Catherine shaken.

Key Highlights:

• First Roller Coaster Experience: Encouraged by her daughter's enthusiasm, Catherine decides to let her ride the Millennium Force, one of Cedar Point's flagship roller coasters renowned for its height and speed.

  Notable Quote:

  • [17:58] Dax Shepard: "I would have started on the Blue Streak or Gemini, but I don't know. Millennial."

• Health Scare: During the ride, Catherine’s daughter becomes pale and unresponsive, prompting immediate concern for her well-being. Attempts to alert park operators are initially dismissed, leading to a frantic search for safety amidst escalating storm warnings.

  Notable Quote:

  • [19:09] Dax Shepard: "Oh, my God."

• Community Response: The group finally takes shelter in a bathroom as severe weather intensifies, leading to a day of uncertainty and limited access within the park. Catherine reflects on the lack of immediate assistance and the prolonged exposure to adverse conditions.

  Notable Quote:

  • [20:18] Dax Shepard: "Yeah, this is what happens when you're in the back seat of an F16."

• Resilience and Recovery: Despite the traumatic experience, Catherine’s daughter expresses a desire to try the ride again in the future, showcasing remarkable resilience.

  Notable Quote:

  • [20:53] Lily Padman: "Oh wow, she's a trooper."

---

4. Josh’s Roller Coaster Fiasco During a Mission Trip

Josh recounts his tumultuous experience during a youth group mission trip to Cedar Point, where peer pressure and a fear of roller coasters culminate in a series of embarrassing and physically challenging incidents. As someone who despises heights and roller coasters, Josh finds himself coerced into riding some of Cedar Point's most intense attractions, leading to multiple instances of nausea, vomiting, and passing out.

Key Highlights:

• Initial Peer Pressure: Despite his fear of roller coasters, Josh is pushed by his peers to participate in various rides, starting with the intense Raptor and escalating to the stand-up roller coaster, Mantis.

  Notable Quote:

  • [25:27] Josh: "I was just so embarrassed."

• Physical Reactions: The combination of extreme heat, intense rides, and forced participation results in Josh experiencing severe motion sickness, culminating in public vomiting and blacks-outs.

  Notable Quote:

  • [29:01] Josh: "So a puke, a bawling, and then a lot of accusations. This guy must have wanted your number so bad."

• Emotional Toll: The experience leaves Josh feeling humiliated and distressed, though it also serves as a catalyst for personal growth. He reflects on the importance of setting boundaries and the lessons learned from enduring such peer pressure.

  Notable Quote:

  • [34:04] Josh: "I did. That's why I was so frustrated, because my friends just thought I was scared, when in reality, it's like, no, I..."

• Conclusion and Personal Growth: Despite the ordeal, Josh acknowledges his growth over the years, emphasizing the value of respecting personal limits and advocating for oneself.

  Notable Quote:

  • [34:29] Dax Shepard: "Full circle."

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5. Kelly’s Car Accident En Route to Cedar Point

Kelly narrates an adventurous yet perilous trip with friends to witness the grand opening of Millennium Forest at Cedar Point. What begins as a fun camping and roller coaster experience quickly descends into chaos due to a car accident caused by unsecured sliding doors on their borrowed minivan.

Key Highlights:

• Road Trip Hijinks: Kelly and her group embark on a multi-hour journey to Cedar Point, encountering fellow travelers and setting up camp near Lake Erie. The camaraderie is evident as they bond with other campers, sharing stories and planning to explore the park together.

  Notable Quote:

  • [35:25] Lily Padman: "Yeah, it seems like you would have remembered this."

• Accident Occurrence: While driving back from the park, unsecured sliding doors lead to a collision with another vehicle, resulting in significant damage to the minivan and a flying door. The incident causes immediate tension with law enforcement and logistical challenges for the group.

  Notable Quote:

  • [38:11] Lily Padman: "With the doors open, the passenger door."

• Aftermath and Compromise: The group creatively replaces the flying door with one from another vehicle and secures it with duct tape. Despite the compromised vehicle, they proceed with their trip, facing additional challenges such as severe rain and campsite flooding.

  Notable Quote:

  • [39:03] Lily Padman: "Oh, my God."

• Final Reflections: Kelly reflects on the bond formed through the accident and the shared memories that persist even decades later. The experience underscores themes of resilience, friendship, and the unpredictability of travel adventures.

  Notable Quote:

  • [40:15] Dax Shepard: "Okay, well, that answers my question."

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6. Conclusion and Final Reflections

As the episode wraps up, the hosts engage in light-hearted banter about their own experiences and the stories shared throughout the episode. Discussions touch upon the enduring legacy of Cedar Point and the personal growth derived from overcoming challenging situations.

Notable Quote:

• [41:13] Lily Padman: "Exactly. Add something to my list that I don't want to do."
• [41:24] Dax Shepard: "Do you think that's a good rule?"

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Final Thoughts:

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard masterfully weaves together tales of adventure, fear, resilience, and camaraderie, all set against the backdrop of Cedar Point. The episode serves as a testament to the unpredictable nature of amusement park experiences and the profound personal stories that unfold within these environments. Through humor and honesty, Dax and his guests invite listeners to reflect on their own adventurous moments, encouraging a celebration of both the highs and the lows that contribute to personal growth.

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Follow "Armchair Expert" on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Listen early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ via the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Transcript

[Dax Shepard]

Wondry plus subscribers can listen to Armchair Expert early and ad free right now. Join Wondri in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts. Or you can listen for free wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome, welcome, welcome to Armchair Anonymous. I'm Dan Shepard, joined by Lily Padman and Aaron Michael Weekley. Hello, baby. Hello, baby. This is a long time coming. Crazy Cedar Point stories. Aaron, do you have a crazy one?

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

A crazy one?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, I don't have a crazy one. I just have my. The wet butt cut.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

I mean, that story lives on forever.

[Dax Shepard]

I've. And we would.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

I will never not remember wiping my butt with that brown paper towel.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. That you take out of the big machine.

[Lily Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

I would make us a piece of it and put it between my butt cheeks.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

You have to. I never had that any other place in my life. I've been to Disneyland a bunch of times that have never gotten a wet butt cut. Humidity.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

It's not a good fix either.

[Dax Shepard]

No, that rough recycled paper just tears up.

[Lily Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Well, we don't have any wet butt cut stories, but we do have four crazy Cedar Point stories. Please enjoy. Hard times come and go Good times, take them slow. My life, I had them both. One thing you gotta know, Imma keep on shining. Hello.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

How's it going?

[Dax Shepard]

Good. Now you have the Mandalorian and Stranger Things posters behind you, but they don't look issued by the studio.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

It's an artist I found on Etsy. And so I have a collection of Stranger Things Mandalorian and I have a Ted Lasso one. My whole office is filled with all kinds of nerdy stuff. I love comic books and superheroes. You can kind of see over here. There's a whole bunch of Marvel and DC stuff.

[Dax Shepard]

The hall of justice kind of photo there. It seems we got Superman in the mix.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Yeah, you know, like the famous picture of the construction workers on the beam.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

So if you look over, it's Marvel and DC guys and then you can see I got Ninja Turtles and everything over here.

[Dax Shepard]

I like this. Where are you at?

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

I feel like I need to ask you to guess.

[Dax Shepard]

I weirdly saw some graphic when you signed on. It would be a cheat. Does it say Wyoming?

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

It did say Wyoming, but my shirt, my health.

[Dax Shepard]

We got a Michigan shirt on.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

That's a great start.

[Lily Padman]

I didn't even know that you didn't.

[Dax Shepard]

Know that was Michigan. Monica, I'm sorry.

[Lily Padman]

Actually, we should have been able to guess based on the prompt.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, but that's a three state area. Minimally and folks from Ontario, probably even Canada. All right, where are you at in Michigan?

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

I work for the city of Wyoming. Wyoming's just outside of Grand Rapids. I run the Wyoming Senior Center.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my gosh. For the ones that didn't make it down to Florida, we actually have all.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Of our snowbirds coming back right now. Everybody's showing up and telling me all their stories about warm weather and no snow, and it makes me envious.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, so you've got a Cedar Point story?

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

I do have a Cedar Point story. So being from Michigan, growing up here, Cedar Point was a regular vacation spot for us. I have a couple stories. So I could have told you how I got engaged at Cedar Point.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, wow, wow, wow.

[Lily Padman]

I would have liked that.

[Dax Shepard]

Romantic.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

I can tell you a time when we went in high school. And, Dax, are you familiar with the ripcord ride there?

[Dax Shepard]

No, what's the Ripcord?

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

It's kind of like a bungee jumping thing.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, we have that at Six Flags.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

I have a story about how you have to be 18 and older to do that. And so we were on this family vacation, and my mom and aunt and uncles forbid all of us from going on it. And my dad, who can be a bit of a rascal, signed off on the waiver for all of us to write it.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, my God.

[Dax Shepard]

At what age?

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

We were probably 16. And he got caught and he got the silent treatment the rest of the trip from the family.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, okay. But nothing from the brass at Cedar Point?

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

No, no, nothing from that. But this story actually is about when I survived three tornadoes that hit Cedar Point.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, okay. Set the scene. What year? What?

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

The year is 1998 and it's summer. This particular trip was with my aunt and uncle, my sister, and four cousins. At the time, my sister was 11. Two of my cousins were 13. Me and another cousin were 14, and my oldest cousin was 17. So the plan for this trip is my and uncle are taking all six kids to Cedar Point. The first day they take us to the park, they are not ride people. So they're like, hey, you guys go off. We're going to do the shows. We're going to eat some food, meet up with us at these times, and don't get into too much trouble. So the second day it comes around, May and uncle have decided they don't really want to do Cedar Point for a second day. So they say, hey, we're just going to drop you guys off at the park for the day.

[Dax Shepard]

Are you guys staying at Breakers? Where are you staying?

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

We're staying at a campground outside of Cedar Point. We're not even on property.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, okay. Okay, okay.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Yeah. So their plan is we're going to drop you off in the morning, we'll pick you up at night. I mean, it's the 1990s. Parenting was just a little different. However, I have a 10 year old son now and I'm like, there's no scenario where I would just send him to Cedar Point with people a few years older than him with no parental supervision. And cell phones weren't a thing. In 1998.

[Lily Padman]

We did get just dropped off.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Lily Padman]

And it worked out Six Flags. Much safer.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

We do what boys and girls do at that age. We split off, we're like, hey, the boys we're gonna go get into trouble and the girls are gonna go do their thing. So it's about lunchtime and we decide we're going to ride the power tower.

[Dax Shepard]

Is that the old demon drop?

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

It's kind of like the demon drop on steroids. One side of it will shoot you up really fast and then drop you down and keep shooting you up and dropping you down. The other side takes you up slowly, then drops you really fast like the demon drop.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, wonderful.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

So we're getting ready to get on that ride we had rode the side that shoots you up really fast the day before. But today we're like, we need to get on the other side. The line's always longer. That's got to be the better ride. I do remember it kind of being overcast. We're getting strapped into the ride the whole time. When you're in line, you're trying to figure out when they drop. So you're counting. You're like 1001, 1002. Do they drop on four? Do they drop on five?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

We're talking about this the whole time. So we get launched up on the ride, we're starting to counting, we're looking at each other, and all of a sudden we all look over at Lake Erie and we just see three tornadoes coming off the water.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, wow. Wow.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

And we're like at the highest spot in the park at this point. So we're like, this is probably the worst place to be for this. They're technically called water spouts because they're tornadoes that form over water. They're not far off. So we're at the top, we see these. We' like, oh, this is bad. And then it drops us.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

So we can't see him anymore. And then it shoots us back up and we see him again. And they keep getting closer. And this goes on, like, three or four times. So everyone else is cheering because of the ride, and my cousins and I, we're freaking out. We're going to get hit by tornadoes. We've seen Twister. We know how this goes.

[Lily Padman]

And then what do you do? Because everyone's screaming. This is like a comedy sketch.

[Dax Shepard]

Everyone's crying wolf.

[Lily Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

I imagine those rides could take a pretty good tornado. It might be interesting to be up at the top, strapped in, because you can't get sucked into it. You're strapped in, and if the ride's not coming loose, this could be the one way to experience the eye of a tornado safely.

[Lily Padman]

The wind would kill you.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

It was cool to see. I mean, I'm not going to lie. But also terrifying.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, sure, sure.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

We get to the bottom and we're just like, we need to get out of these harnesses. The guy unhooks us, and we run over to the right operator, and we're like, hey, there's tornadoes coming off the water. You need to alert people now. And the guy's like, keep the line moving.

[Dax Shepard]

Sure. Good. There's the commitment you get at Cedar Point. You got to keep those lines moving.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

We know what's coming. So we just take off running, and by the time we get just outside the ride, all of a sudden all the sirens go off. They come over the intercom and they're like, seek immediate shelter. Inclement weather. Take cover.

[Dax Shepard]

Where at Cedar Point are you going to take cover?

[Lily Padman]

Bathrooms, bathrooms.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

That's all you have. So we knew the one bathroom wasn't far away. So we just take off on, like, a dead sprint. And, I mean, winds are picking up. It starts raining crazy hard. You immediately are seeing garbage cans. I mean, they're getting tipped over. Umbrellas from picnic tables are flying around. Picnic tables are, like, getting lifted up.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow. Wow.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Really intense, really fast. We end up in the bathroom. Everybody's kind of, like, panicking, and we're a bunch of boys. This is awesome. We're safe.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, I already forgot you were separated from the girls.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah. Who knows? They're being blown all about the air.

[Lily Padman]

And no cell phones, so we're, like.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Hoping they're okay so things calm down. We come out of the bathroom, we come out of the men's side, and then just about the same time, my sister and cousin come out of the girl side.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my God. Because, Monica, Cedar Point is huge. I cannot put too fine a point on how big it is.

[Lily Padman]

Okay. Wow. That worked out so My younger sister.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

She was very upset, obviously, so I was working to cal her down through this whole scenario. The whole park is now shut down. It's flooded like crazy. The drainage system can't keep up with how much rain hit, and it just didn't stop raining. We're walking around in like ankle deep water all day. And I had these green Nike skateboard shoes on and they dyed my feet green.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, sure, sure, sure.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

I had like incredible Hulk feet. I didn't wear sandals for the rest of that summer because my feet were just bright green. But yeah, so we spent the rest of the day walking around and we couldn't call anybody. We couldn't leave the park.

[Dax Shepard]

You just had to go to the assigned pickup time that evening.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Right. So we had some money in our pocket and we saw the one thing that was open and there was a guy drawing caricatures. My cousins and I all got caricatures drawn with tornadoes in the background. So I actually sent that picture to Emma.

[Dax Shepard]

So I think you guys take a look.

[Lily Padman]

Oh.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, yes. You were such a sweet young man. It seems from this character.

[Lily Padman]

Braces.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

I have braces. And a pretty epic bull cut.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And they went profile.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

My parents love that. So that they actually framed it and hung it in my childhood bedroom. So it's still there.

[Lily Padman]

That's nice.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, there's some debris flying through the air. They really took their time on this.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

We were the only people at the park at that point. So he had all the time.

[Dax Shepard]

Was the food still open?

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Very select food still open. So we were kind of scrounging for the rest of the day just to get by. And then the day went on and night hit and all of a sudden things dried up. So all the rides opened back up.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, what a blessing.

[Lily Padman]

You just have to wait it out.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Probably 90% of the people had left the park at that point. So we just ran ride to ride and got on every single ride that evening. And finally at the end of the night, my aunt and uncle come to pick us up and they're like, why is the parking lot so empty?

[Dax Shepard]

Where the. Were they when the tornado. Yeah, how could they have not been aware that a tornado had hit?

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

The campground was probably like 20, 30 minutes away. Not really by the lake. At that point they said, yeah, we noticed some rain.

[Lily Padman]

I mean, they weren't watching the news at the campground.

[Dax Shepard]

No, definitely not. I think they were rolling around in that tent a little bit. Yeah. What else are you gonna do all day long in a tent? Right? Wow, Chad. Well, I'm pretty jealous of that. I certainly feel like I wish I would have seen a tornado at Cedar Point. You're combining two of the most exciting things in a young child's life all at once.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Natural disasters and roller coasters.

[Dax Shepard]

If someone's top had been ripped off in the middle, I'm sure that would have been like triple whammy. Unexpected nudity and a tornado.

[Lily Padman]

And poop pants.

[Dax Shepard]

You think people poop their pants?

[Lily Padman]

Yeah. You love that.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, I would love that. Yes, yes, yes. Not me pooping my pants, though. Well, Chad, thank you for that. Makes me want to really watch the Doppler radar and plan a trip when I think there's a high probability of a tornado.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

That's probably a good strategy, but can I give a couple shout outs?

[Dax Shepard]

Yes, please.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Shout out to all my family that were involved. So my sister Sierra, my cousin Todd, Brian and Katie, and then also my cousin Joe. So unfortunately, he just recently passed away from cancer.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, yikes. That's too young.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Young age. He had colon cancer. He was a storyteller and a jokester. He would love to know that people are hearing this story because whenever we got together, we always talked about our Cedar Point stories.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, of course.

[Lily Padman]

That's sweet.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

And then also, like I told you, I run the senior center here in Wyoming. So my coworker and my wife are guarding the door and they wanted to pop in to say hi real quick.

[Dax Shepard]

Of course. I like that the door needed to be guarded. Hi.

[Josh]

So nice to meet you guys. I'm Kelly and this is Josh.

[Dax Shepard]

Hi, Kelly. Hi, Josh.

[Josh]

I'm a therapist and I just love what you have done for so many of my clients. You guys being so open, transparent, and creating just an awesome avenue for people to just be more open and share their story and struggle. So I love that.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, well, thank you.

[Lily Padman]

Thanks for listening.

[Dax Shepard]

Big fan.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

My wife is actually a bigger fan, so she's going to be super jealous today.

[Dax Shepard]

Good. That's always the goal.

[Lily Padman]

Lord it over.

[Dax Shepard]

Nice meeting you guys. Have a great rest of your day.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Thanks, guys. Appreciate it.

[Lily Padman]

That guy looked like Will Hunting a little bit.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, sure.

[Lily Padman]

The other guy, the friend you thought.

[Dax Shepard]

He looked like Matt Damon.

[Lily Padman]

No, Will Hunting specifically. Yeah, the vibe was kind of Will Hunting.

[Dax Shepard]

Sure. You got a genius vibe.

[Lily Padman]

Secret genius. Okay, listen, I had a thought during that. Yeah, obviously I checked out because this was a Cedar Point.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, sure. You're not going to be with us for most of this.

[Lily Padman]

Do you think that people were more religious pre cell phone because you had to just pray instead of checking in on your sister calling for help or calling for help. You're like, jes the wheel.

[Dax Shepard]

You know, it's a great theory, but I will say I've just read there's a bunch of articles came out in the last few weeks about belief in Christianity having plateaued off and increased even a little bit. We had been in this really steady decline for a long time and weirdly, now it's kind of back.

[Lily Padman]

They're saying okay, but for a while it had decreased.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Lily Padman]

Since phones.

[Dax Shepard]

So probably right. Yeah. But I mean, it had been decreasing long before phones, of course, but also yes, because of phones.

[Lily Padman]

And then a steep decrease.

[Josh]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Fell off a cliff. Hockey stick curve.

[Lily Padman]

I'm a secret genius.

[Dax Shepard]

You are.

[Lily Padman]

I'm a Willy.

[Dax Shepard]

You're Jill hunting.

[Lily Padman]

Wilhelmina hunting.

[Monica Lewinsky]

At 24, I lost my narrative. Or rather, it was stolen from me. And the Monica Lewinsky that my friends and family knew was usurped by false narratives, callous jokes, and politics. I would define reclaiming as to take back what was yours. Something you possess is lost or stolen, and ultimately you triumph in finding it again. So I think listeners can expect me to be chatting with folks both recognizable and unrecognizable names about the way that people have navigated roads to triumph. My hope is that people will finish an episode of Revolution Reclaiming and feel like they filled their tank up, they connected with the people that I'm talking to, and leave with maybe some nuggets that help them feel a little more hopeful. Follow Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Reclaiming early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.

[Julie Rob]

What if your mind could trick your body into feeling sick or even worse? In Hysterical, I investigate the bizarre medical mystery that unfolds in a high school in upstate New York. It starts with one girl developing strange, violent symptoms. And then another. And then another. Rumors begin to swirl. Is it something in the water inside the school or is it all in their heads? Hysterical is my search for answers. And along the way I uncover surprising connections to unexplained incidents around the world, events that challenge everything we think we know about our bodies and our minds. Named Podcast of the Year at the Gambies, Hysterical is a mind bending, unforgettable ride. Binge all episodes right now exclusively and ad free on Wondery. Start your free trial of Wondery in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.

[Lily Padman]

Here's Julie Rob that's you. Do you think in the future our faces will look like that?

[Dax Shepard]

A purple square?

[Lily Padman]

Yeah. With the letter in it?

[Dax Shepard]

I sure hope not.

[Lily Padman]

I think in a hundred years, that's what faces will look like when the robots and the humans start having sex.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, okay. Like tower bauble. I don't see semi sex with angels.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, wow.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Hello. Can you hear us?

[Catherine]

Julie, I can hear you. Can you hear me?

[Dax Shepard]

Yes, wonderfully.

[Lily Padman]

Look at your shirt.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, cute.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, it looks so cute.

[Dax Shepard]

It really does.

[Catherine]

I just got it yesterday. It was very sim. I came back from an international trip and it was waiting for me at my door.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, a welcome home present. Are you in Michigan?

[Catherine]

I am in Ohio.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, just as good. We're in Ohio.

[Catherine]

Northeast Ohio. I'm gonna be a little bit vague.

[Dax Shepard]

Sure, sure.

[Lily Padman]

O. I like that.

[Dax Shepard]

And did you grow up in that area that you're currently in?

[Catherine]

I did not. I grew up in the Baltimore area, so I'm a transplant, but I've been here the last three years.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, so this Cedar Point story took place in the last three years?

[Catherine]

It did.

[Lily Padman]

Ooh, exciting.

[Dax Shepard]

Hot off the presses. Please tell us.

[Lily Padman]

Let's hear it.

[Catherine]

It took place almost two years ago in the summer of 2023. My husband and I have two little girls. They are now 6 and 7. So they were 4 and 5 then we decided to take them to Cedar Point for the first time. He had never been to Cedar Point. I had been once. I remember going on lots of fun roller coasters. And we got there, did the check in. My 5 year old is very tall for her age, so she met the height criteria for some of the bigger roller coasters.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, wow, that's lucky.

[Catherine]

At 5, it's about 4ft. So she just met the height requirement. So we were like, okay, yes, let's go on a roller coaster. She'd never been on one before. She said, yeah, I'll go. And I said, well, why don't you go on Millennium 4? I remember going on that one. I think I was there in 2011. It's really fun. You're gonna love it. So she's like, okay.

[Dax Shepard]

I would have started on the Blue Streak or Gemini, but I don't know. Millennial.

[Lily Padman]

That must have been after his time.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, might be past my time.

[Lily Padman]

He thinks he knows everything about Cedar Point.

[Dax Shepard]

It ends in 99, probably.

[Catherine]

So Millennium Forest is the 10th tallest roller coaster in the world.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, okay. Now we're talking. Yeah.

[Catherine]

Looks like you're basically in the clouds when you're up there.

[Dax Shepard]

They didn't rename the Magnum to that.

[Catherine]

I have no idea.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, I won' get bogged down on that.

[Catherine]

I do know that I rode it when I was there in 2011. I don't think it has any upside downs, but it has the big drop. It goes straight up and then drops.

[Dax Shepard]

That's what I like. I don't need loop de loops, but I like a nice tall drop in Six Flags.

[Lily Padman]

They have both in one ride. They have both. Anyway, go on.

[Catherine]

So she was waiting in line. I think she got out of line once or twice. She kind of got freaked out, got scared and we convinced her. I was like, no, no, you'll be fine. Just go on, it'll be great. So she went on with her dad. I stayed behind with my four year old. Cause obviously the four year old wasn't gonna go on. So we just kept watching for them. I kept looking at all the rides, seeing if I could spot what she was wearing. Never saw her. It's kind of taken a long time. What's going on? Finally we see them coming around the bend and she just looks ghastly white.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, no.

[Catherine]

And I asked her, did you like it? Was it fun? And she was like, it was scary. That's kind of all she said. I just looked kind of dazed. And her dad just said she passed out like four or five times on the ride.

[Dax Shepard]

No, four or five.

[Lily Padman]

Oh my God. In this like minute ride?

[Catherine]

Yeah, so he said. I kept looking over and she was just slumped over, like, eyes closed.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, this is scary.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow. Wow.

[Catherine]

I was kind of freaked out. Cause I was like, does she need medical attention? But she was fine. She perked up, gave her some juice, cheese on a stick, went to look at the photos. You know they take the photos that you get to look at after you could see him. He's there and then there's nothing next to.

[Lily Padman]

To him. Oh my God.

[Catherine]

I can't see her little body at all. She's just kind of slumped.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, no. This is horrifying.

[Catherine]

Maybe they need not only a height limit, but maybe a weight minimum. So I think what happened was the G forces just kind of overtook her body.

[Lily Padman]

Oh my God.

[Catherine]

So I think it was every time she went on the up, her blood pressure probably dropped and all the blood drained from her head.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, this is what happens when you're in the back seat of an F16. You get a ride with like the Blue Angels. Everyone in back passes out because the pilot have developed their leg muscles so good. They forced the blood up into the Upper body. She needed a G suit is what she needed. We gotta get her back.

[Lily Padman]

She doesn't need to go back.

[Dax Shepard]

Does she get lightheaded when she stands up?

[Catherine]

Doesn't seem to. I asked her yesterday in preparation, I said, what do you remember about it? She said, I just remember that I passed out a couple times. But I remember being scared. So I think it's a combination of the adrenaline, the G forces. And I said, would you go on it again? She said, yeah, I want to go. Let's go.

[Lily Padman]

Oh wow, she's a trooper.

[Catherine]

It might be a few years before we go back back on that one.

[Dax Shepard]

No, I think it's time this summer.

[Lily Padman]

No, it needs to be bulked up a little bit. I also love that your husband is looking happy in the pictures knowing that the daughter is like passed out.

[Dax Shepard]

He was not scared.

[Lily Padman]

No, he wasn't.

[Catherine]

Kudos to him for maintaining his cool and remaining calm throughout the ride. Cuz I would have been freaked out. So that trip was our last to Cedar Point so far. But we will go back.

[Dax Shepard]

The younger one needs now to get on that.

[Catherine]

Yeah, we need to get her passing that on some ride.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah.

[Catherine]

Rite of passage later that day we kept going through the park and then at some point it's just started pouring down rain. And then the power went out. We went into the store. We had promised the girls we would buy them stuffies on the way out. And so none of the cash registers were working. We didn't have any cash, so they might have walked away with a stuffy.

[Lily Padman]

As for our shoplifting prompt, if they.

[Catherine]

Did, we didn't know about it.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow, the power went out.

[Catherine]

Yeah, power was out. Out the whole park.

[Dax Shepard]

Did she hit any other coasters or. That was it.

[Catherine]

That was it for the day.

[Lily Padman]

Yeah, that's smart.

[Dax Shepard]

I would hit the Gemini if you go back. That's a great ride. The big wooden roller coaster. The G's are very manageable.

[Catherine]

I think we're going to try that. So we have not gone back to Cedar Point, but we did go to Disney World. She did. I think it's like the Barnstormer or something. One of those smaller roller coasters. And that was fine.

[Dax Shepard]

She stayed conscious throughout that.

[Catherine]

It's the same conscience.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, congratulations. She's ready. Well, Julie. Yeah.

[Lily Padman]

Thanks for telling us this story.

[Catherine]

You've got to go back decks and try the Millennium Force. It is really fun.

[Dax Shepard]

I was just at Disneyland with my recently turned 12 year old. There's a Guardians of the Galaxy ride and it's like the Demon drop. But it bounces up and down. It goes up you step for a second, and then it drops. That I did one time. She talked to me into a second time. I said, I don't think it's a good idea. I win a second time. And midway through, I was like, no, this was a big, big tactical blunder. Yeah. And then about 40 minutes to shake that off. Where I just didn't feel right, you know? I can't do it anymore.

[Catherine]

I have trouble. I did a scopolamine patch. Have you ever used those?

[Dax Shepard]

No. Is that like Dramamine?

[Catherine]

Kind of. It's just a patch that you put behind your ear. But it's anti nausea, anti motion sickness effect.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, I will do that.

[Catherine]

Before my trip, I did it before Disney, and I was able to go on the Avatar ride without a problem. Without it, I know I wouldn't have made it.

[Lily Padman]

Okay. Wow.

[Dax Shepard]

That's a great ide idea. I even talked about taking drama mean, but I didn't. All right. Well, Julian, it was lovely meeting you.

[Catherine]

You, too. Thank you so much.

[Dax Shepard]

I hope you have a wonderful summer with your chilies.

[Catherine]

You, too. Hopefully, no more passing out on rs.

[Dax Shepard]

All righty.

[Josh]

Bye.

[Catherine]

Bye.

[Lily Padman]

Dax.

[Dax Shepard]

What is that?

[Lily Padman]

I don't know how to tell you this.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, go ahead.

[Lily Padman]

Wooden roller coasters are out.

[Dax Shepard]

No, Monica, you're out of your depth.

[Lily Padman]

No, I'm not.

[Dax Shepard]

I. You're not an aficionado.

[Lily Padman]

Let me call. Right.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Lily Padman]

We have wooden roller coasters at Six Flags. It's part of it. You got to ride them. It's nostalgic, but it's not the one you tell people to go ride.

[Dax Shepard]

It is in the same way. Monica. I'm going to compare it to, like, a 60s Mercedes. Yeah. It doesn't perform like the new one, but there's a nostalgia.

[Lily Padman]

I said nostalgia.

[Dax Shepard]

There's a feel to those wooden roller coasters that is very specific.

[Lily Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

I maintain it's probably the best wooden roller coaster ever made. Made.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, my God.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. It's not painted like the Six Flags ones. It's a nice natural wood. You'd like it. Here is Catherine. Could be Catherine Hahn, Ohio native.

[Lily Padman]

Hello.

[Josh]

Can you guys hear me beautifully?

[Dax Shepard]

Is this Catherine?

[Josh]

Yes.

[Dax Shepard]

What state are you in?

[Josh]

I'm actually in Santa Monica in California.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my goodness. My old stomping grounds.

[Josh]

You guys always make jokes about the west side. I don't agree.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, tell us.

[Lily Padman]

I'm happy to have pushback make your case.

[Josh]

Well, I'm just more of an outdoorsy person, and so I like the Closeness to the beach and the bike path is nice. Obviously, it's not a great time to go to Malibu right now, but I like the closeness to that area. The congestion of the east side really stresses me out. Yeah, it's just more for me, that's all.

[Dax Shepard]

I got it. I got. Do you ever eat at Frito Misto? It's Italian. That's the only place I crave when I go back to Santa Monica.

[Josh]

Yeah, I've been like, one time. It was good.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, get the pink pasta. Add some goat cheese and pine nuts.

[Josh]

I love goat cheese and pine nuts.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, it's incredible. And the garganzola salad, don't miss that. So how did you end up at Cedar Point? You must not be from Santa Monica.

[Josh]

No, I'm not from Santa Monica. I actually ended up at Cedar Point. I was on a mission trip with my youth group, which is not what you guys were expecting, I'm sure.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, I do see a ton of church groups there when we go.

[Josh]

So we basically were going to Cleveland and we were helping a church plant and we were doing city beautification, like picking up trash, planting trees. And I was in high school that. And so our reward day, our off day, was we're going to take all these high school kids to Cedar Point.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Josh]

And I was not looking forward to it because I am terrified of roller coasters.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, okay.

[Josh]

I hate heights, so it wasn't for me. And I just remember my friends were like, oh, come on, Katherine, don't be scared. You got to face your fears. Like, just go on some rides. And I really, really didn't want to, but I'm also a teenager and was easily peer pressured into everything. We get there and I go on my first ride. I remember it. It was. It was called the Raptor.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, okay.

[Lily Padman]

Do you know it?

[Dax Shepard]

No. I think most of these that we're going to hear about were built after my 10 year.

[Lily Padman]

Do you know about the Gemini?

[Josh]

I don't know about that one.

[Lily Padman]

It's wooden. That's probably why.

[Josh]

Okay. But I go on this ride called the Raptor. And it's intense. It goes upside down. And I'm not feeling so hot after the first ride.

[Dax Shepard]

No, of course not.

[Josh]

And I'm like, okay, this is not great. I just gotta get through the day. Well, then I got peer pressured again to get on a standup roller coaster.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, I love those.

[Josh]

It's called the Mantis. And I don't even know if they still have it. I don't know if it's Safe. So I go on that ride. And after that ride, I am feeling very, very, very bad. I was like, this is not good. You need to, like, stand up for yourself and say, no. Yes, we take a break. We're hungry. Because I'm an idiot. And 17. I order a burger, fries, and a milkshake.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, yeah, fill that tank up.

[Josh]

I was like, oh, I'm starving. Like, I'll eat. It'll be great. When we are at Cedar Point, it is the dead of summer. It is 93 degrees. Not a cloud in the sky. Sweaty. Gross. Not a fun time. So after lunch, I'm like, okay, mentally, I'm done. I'm not doing this well.

[Dax Shepard]

Can I ask a quick question? Did any of the boys on the trip complain of a wet butt cut? Did you hear any murmurings of that?

[Josh]

A lot of people were complaining about their thighs rubbing together and just general back sweatiness.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, the wet butt and the preceding wet butt cut is pretty common for the young.

[Lily Padman]

I know about the church group talking about wet butt.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, you never know.

[Lily Padman]

You never know. But I guess it's good you asked.

[Dax Shepard]

I just knew that was in the stew here, Monica. It's trying to paint a full picture of what they're dealing with. With the heat, the nausea.

[Josh]

Very, very hot. Not feeling great. So after lunch, we're walking around and I get in a group of people and my crush, and he's like, let's all go ride Millennium Force.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, oh, we just heard about Millennium Force.

[Josh]

I'm like, okay, I have to do this because I can't embarrass myself in front of my crush. I have to go ride Millennium Force.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, the pressure on young people.

[Lily Padman]

This is really upsetting.

[Josh]

I get on the ride, I'm sitting there. My entire youth group is in the line behind me. I'm one of the first groups to go. My friend Reagan is sitting to my right. My friend Emily is sitting in front of me. My friend Natalie is in line. As soon as the ride takes off, I'm like, oh, no, this is bad.

[Lily Padman]

Where's the crush?

[Dax Shepard]

He's in line, not behind you?

[Josh]

Luckily, no, he's not on the ride with me.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, goodness.

[Josh]

So I don't even scream during the ride cuz I'm just so terrified. And usually I'm like a big screamer on roller coasters because I'm scared of them and don't like them. I'm afraid to open my mouth. Oh, I make it through the ride and I pull into where they load the people on and off. And as soon as we click into place, I lean over and just puke everywhere. All over the platform, on the ride itself. Like, I lean over my legs and puke everywhere.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, you filled the floor of the Millennial.

[Josh]

Okay, Yes, I did.

[Kelly]

Oh.

[Josh]

The whole youth group is in the line and sees this happen. My friend Reagan is trying to comfort me. My friend Emily is like, what's going on? Cause she heard it, but didn't see me. Cause she's in front of me.

[Dax Shepard]

She can hear the retching.

[Josh]

Yeah. So then I asked Natalie. I was like, well, what happened? What did you see? She was like, well, I just remember you being scared and being really proud of you. Like, oh, she made it. Like, she did a good job. And then she sees me throw up, and she's like, oh, no. I start, like, hysterically crying because I'm just so embarrassed. I'm like, you guys made me do this. I didn't want to get on these rides. Like, I hate you guys. I was guilting them.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay?

[Lily Padman]

You did not want to take a kill.

[Dax Shepard]

So a puke, a bawling, and then a lot of accusations. This guy must have wanted your number so bad.

[Josh]

Irresistible. You think the story ends there. It doesn't.

[Lily Padman]

Oh.

[Josh]

I get off the ride, and I'm, like, having to be comforted. And meanwhile, in the corner of my eye, I see the summer high school worker coming with, like, the broom and the sweet pan.

[Lily Padman]

So that's not gonna do it.

[Dax Shepard]

Not gonna cut it. He needs a mop.

[Josh]

He doesn't get paid enough to do that. I'm getting off the ride. I'm so embarrassed. I'm still crying. And our adult leader, her name's Ms. Kelly, she came over to comfort me. I'm just trying to get out of there. I make it to the front of the ride, and reminding you guys, it's a 93 degree day, and I had just thrown up all of my fluids, all of my food I ingested that day. I collapsed right outside the front of the ride.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, this is a really bad day.

[Dax Shepard]

Bad showing.

[Josh]

It's probably the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to me. I pass out.

[Lily Padman]

Okay. Millennial force.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, you gotta be a bad motherfucker to ride in Millennial Forest.

[Lily Padman]

There was another passing out situation.

[Josh]

Yeah, it's common because it's a crazy ride. So I pass out in front of the ride. I don't remember a lot of this part. I had to, like, ask my friends, like, can you fill in the gaps? They call, like, an emergency cart And I was out for most of this, but I just remember waking up and I'm on this cart and I'm very confused. And I look out the back and I just see my friend Emily running behind the cart to keep up with me. And I'm just like, that's a friend. She's not letting me go through this alone. And Ms. Kelly is in the front of the cart being like, I'm here for you.

[Catherine]

We've got you.

[Dax Shepard]

Like, you're gonna be ok. You thought maybe you were gonna pass? Yeah, to be honest.

[Josh]

Well, it was bad.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Josh]

I get taken to the roller coaster hospital at Cedar Point. And I'm in this hospital makeshift bed. They're feeding me Gatorade and saltine crackers and water. And they let me call my mom. And my mom's like, catherine, what is it? Why are you calling me? And I'm like, mom, I passed out and I threw up on a roller coaster. And I'm so embarrassed. I had to take an hour to recover. Cause I was super dehydrated, so they had to like, give me flu. Any person in my situation at that point would have been like, I wanna go. It's been a bad day. But again, because I'm with a youth group and there's a hundred of us, I have to wait for the bus to take us all home.

[Dax Shepard]

Sure, sure.

[Josh]

So I'm just stuck there. My friends had to take shifts to be with me, so they had to like miss time at the park to just babysit me and make sure that I wasn't passing out again, which is so humiliating. And long story short, I made it through the day. I got put back on the bus. They put me in the back row, had me lay down, fed me some Dramamine, and put a trash can right by my seat, just in case.

[Dax Shepard]

Very thoughtful, actually.

[Catherine]

Yeah.

[Lily Padman]

But the crush is there.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Well, that's over.

[Lily Padman]

That ship has sailed.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Yeah.

[Josh]

And it was like an hour drive back to our hotel.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, did you marry your crush? Could this have been a meet cute?

[Josh]

No, he's a great guy. He married some other girl and they're very happy.

[Lily Padman]

Someone could keep her food, could handle.

[Josh]

Her roller coasters, throw up at Cedar Point and pass out in front of Millennium Force.

[Dax Shepard]

Now am I wr. I feel like you can get out to the beach at Cedar Point. You wouldn't know. I would have gone and tried to hang out at the beach, but I'm not sure if you can exit or not.

[Lily Padman]

They also never were gonna let her go off to the beach on her own. She's part of a youth group.

[Dax Shepard]

Rob, will you Google if you can access the beach from Cedar Point? This would be a tbd. Don't worry, I'm not gonna make Catherine hang around to find out. But that would have been a great place to recoup on the hot day.

[Josh]

Get some fresh air.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. Fresh sea air. I'm so sorry that happened. Terrible trip. So you don't love Cedar Point? I can't imagine I don't.

[Josh]

I been back and honestly, after that, I've never been on a roller coaster since.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, they're not for you. That's okay.

[Lily Padman]

You knew it.

[Josh]

I did. That's why I was so frustrated, because my friends just thought I was scared, when in reality, it's like, no, I.

[Dax Shepard]

Feel physically ill. And, you know, you're really susceptible to peer pressure, so you really can't put yourself in the situation again. We learned a lot of things on this day.

[Josh]

Yeah. But I will say, I was 17 at the time. I've grown a lot since then. I am a big fan of boundaries now. If it's a no, it's a no.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lily Padman]

These are hard lessons to learn.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, well, sharing that. Yeah. But it all worked out for you.

[Lily Padman]

Yeah.

[Josh]

Thank you guys so much. I was so excited. You guys were the first podcast I ever listened to back in, like, 2019. And I loved the honesty and the vulnerability that you guys have. And now I work on a podcast.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, incredible.

[Josh]

What a story.

[Dax Shepard]

Full circle.

[Josh]

Thank you, guys. Have a good one.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, bye. Bye.

[Kelly]

There is beach access a mile long.

[Dax Shepard]

Beach is a perk for all park visitors. I was right. She could have gone out to the beach. She could have put her toes in the water, cooled herself down.

[Catherine]

Okay.

[Lily Padman]

That would have been great.

[Dax Shepard]

She has a time machine. She goes back. No, I'm not going on the Millennium. Whatever it was.

[Lily Padman]

Falcon Force.

[Dax Shepard]

Hello. Hi. Where are you at, Bill?

[Kelly]

I am on Long island in New York.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, nice.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, there's a popular Netflix murder doc about girls that were abducted in Long Island.

[Lily Padman]

Oh.

[Kelly]

Oh, yeah, the serial killer.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, my God. What if it was you?

[Dax Shepard]

No, Bill's a good man.

[Lily Padman]

What if it was right in? If you're a serial killer.

[Dax Shepard]

Right in. And are you from Long Island?

[Kelly]

I am.

[Dax Shepard]

And how'd you end up at Cedar Point? That's quite a hike.

[Kelly]

My cousin and close buddy of ours heard about Millennium Forest opening. Everybody's going to talk about Millennium floors.

[Dax Shepard]

Three out of four.

[Lily Padman]

Yeah, it's been great because Dax doesn't know that One.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't think that was around in my era.

[Kelly]

Yeah, it opened in 2000.

[Dax Shepard]

My last trip there was around probably 2001.

[Lily Padman]

It seems like you would have remembered this.

[Dax Shepard]

I guess so. I'm gonna have to look at some photos at any rate, you heard of the grand opening and at that time, was it the tallest or something in the world?

[Kelly]

Yeah, that's what they were talking about. So we were like, all right. We got there and we were planning the trip. It opened in spring. We're like, all right, we'll go in the summer. It's a 10 hour drive. None of us had a car big enough that could fit the three of us. Our camping gear, everything we needed. So we borrowed my aunt's minivan.

[Dax Shepard]

That was nice of her.

[Kelly]

It was a Dodge Caravan, had the sliding doors on both sides. I do all the driving. We find our campsite, we get there, we set up. A couple pulled up and they started setting up. They had Canadian license plates. We're like, oh, these guys seem cool. So we started talking to them. Them, they're there for the same reason as us. So we decide, all right, why don't we just all go together, hang out, drinking, having a good time. The night before, my buddy Kenny, who was with us, he's an electrician, and there was a light right above our campsite, and he's like, oh, let me just go in there and I'll disconnect it so it's not too bright here.

[Dax Shepard]

Sure, normal.

[Kelly]

We make it through the night. Next day, we all decide, all right, we're gonna drive together. It was a little overwhelming. We get there, there's a lot of people. We walk in. You know how they have those photographers that snap everybody's pictures, try to sell you little souvenirs? The five of us, we get a group picture, we go around the park, ride a bunch of different roller coasters, and then we're like, all right, we're going to end the day on Millennium Force. We're waiting about a half hour or so. As we're boarding it, they have somebody on like a bullhorn, like, all right, everybody ready to ride to the biggest roller coaster in the world? World. Everybody's like, yeah, the fastest roller coaster in the world. Yeah, the tallest roller coaster. And then they're like, well, then you have to go to Japan, because one just opened yesterday that's two feet bigger.

[Catherine]

Three miles an hour faster.

[Dax Shepard]

Why? Why would they tell you that?

[Lily Padman]

Oh, my God.

[Kelly]

So everybody, like, lets out this sigh, and then they send us right off.

[Dax Shepard]

That Is so you want to ride the cedar highest. You want to ride the second fastest, basically.

[Kelly]

So it was fun. It was a great time. We le leave and we're driving back to the campsite.

[Dax Shepard]

How far away is the campsite from cedar point?

[Kelly]

Ten minutes. Okay, if that. The caravan we were driving with the doors on both sides, they lock open and it's hot. So we're like, oh, jeeps drive around with doors off all the time. Let's just lock these doors open and we'll drive. We hit a bunch of traffic, and then I see a car wash. And I'm like, oh, it's my aunt's car. Let's go get it washed before we hit the road tomorrow. And I pulled down the center turning lane of the road road, and a little Chevy beretta turns right into us.

[Lily Padman]

With the doors open, the passenger door.

[Kelly]

Open, my cousin sitting right next to that door. We ripped, like, the whole front end off this car, and the door goes flying off my aunt's van.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh. Oh, boy.

[Kelly]

We come to a stop, the door sliding on the road behind us.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, boy.

[Kelly]

Cops show up. They know the other car's at fault because they turned into the turning lane without anything thing. But they're like, we have a bunch of witnesses saying you were driving with your doors open. They write me a ticket. And I asked them, I'm like, can I at least get the car back to the campsite and try to get the door back on on our own? So they're like, yeah. So we throw the door in our new friend's Ford Explorer, go back to the campsite. After an hour or two of wrestling, we get the door back on the van. It's all bent. The gaps in the door are huge. We duct taped the gaps on the door door. We're like, all right, well, tomorrow we got to drive 10 hours with it like this.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, my God.

[Kelly]

And that night, it rained really hard. The campsite was right on lake Erie. All the sites but ours flooded out. So our new friends who are right on the lake, they had an air mattress, was literally floating.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my goodness.

[Kelly]

The next day, you know, we all help each other pack up, dry out, and we head home.

[Dax Shepard]

And the duct tape held up at all those highway speeds.

[Kelly]

It held the whole ride home. Fortunately, it didn't rain.

[Dax Shepard]

What'd your aunt have to say when she saw. Saw the vehicle?

[Kelly]

We called her from the site. Well, my cousin did, since it was his mom. She took it really well. And then when she saw the van, it was a little harder. But in the long run, she was just happy. We were all okay.

[Dax Shepard]

That's what she's got to do.

[Lily Padman]

I know.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, wait, I think we have a photograph. Oh, this is the gang. The Canadians.

[Kelly]

The Canadians. Their names are Curtis and Kelly. We never heard from again after that. 25 years later, we still talk about him. The little guy in the front is my cousin. Cousin. And the guy on the right is basically my Iron Weekly.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, lovely.

[Lily Padman]

I'm sorry you didn't get to go to the tallest, fastest.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, you have to go to Japan for that.

[Kelly]

I guess this year they're opening up another one that's supposed to be the.

[Lily Padman]

Biggest in the world at Cedar Point.

[Kelly]

So we're trying to plan a new trip.

[Julie Rob]

Oh, great.

[Lily Padman]

Reunion.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, well, that answers my question. You're definitely up to go back?

[Kelly]

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Takes me back. Borrowing an aunt's van and the whole nine shenanigans. Yeah.

[Kelly]

My poor aunt.

[Dax Shepard]

All right, brother. Well, nice meeting you. Take care.

[Lily Padman]

Have a rest of your day.

[Kelly]

All right, you too. Thanks so much.

[Dax Shepard]

Bye.

[Lily Padman]

All right, well, so I'm just gonna say that after this, I stand firm my position on Cedar Point.

[Dax Shepard]

Do you remember how offensive it was when David Ferrier did a whole episode on Disneyland with all of his judgments and he had never been. And I said, how could you do this piece and not go, go? And we went. And what happened?

[Lily Padman]

He loved it.

[Dax Shepard]

He loved it. One of the favorite places he's ever been in his life.

[Lily Padman]

Well, he didn't say that.

[Dax Shepard]

All I got to say is before you levy your verdict, you need to go to Cedar Point.

[Lily Padman]

I can't promise you that because I like to stick to my promises.

[Dax Shepard]

We just talked about bucket lists. Maybe you should add it to your bucket list.

[Lily Padman]

Oh, my God, is that what I want?

[Dax Shepard]

A place you don't even want to go.

[Lily Padman]

Exactly. Add something to my list that I don't want to do.

[Dax Shepard]

That should be the requirement of any well rounded bucket list. Is there something on there you don't want to do, but you know you should?

[Lily Padman]

Okay.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Right.

[Dax Shepard]

Do you think that's a good rule?

[Lily Padman]

That's more like volunteering at a hospital.

[Dax Shepard]

Or going to Cedar Point in this case.

[Lily Padman]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

All right. All right. Love you.

[Kelly]

Love you. Do you want to sing a tune or something?

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

We know a theme song.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, okay, great. We don't have a them song for this new show, so here I go. Go, go. We're going to add some random, random questions and with the help of arm cherries, we'll get some suggestions on the fly Rhyme Dish on the fire Rhyme dish.

[Aaron Michael Weekley]

Enjoy.

[Dax Shepard]

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