Theme Park Insanity Interviews Andy Rumney from Coaster Crazy!

We sit down for an exclusive interview with the one and only Andy Rumney of the incredible theme park YouTube Channel Coaster Crazy!

When first establishing Theme Park Insanity back in 2019 there were two creators in particular who inspired us to take the leap and start TPI.

Chris Davenport from ScrewyLoops and of course the one and only Andy Rumney from the sensational YouTube Channel Coaster Crazy!

With a subscriber count currently exceeding 25,000 subs to date, Andy has brought us a wide selection of unique theme park inspired content including but not limited to ride povs, vlogs, reviews and even the odd Q&A.

It’s also fair to say that when it comes to leading creatives within the enthusiast community Coaster Crazy is by far one of the GO TO channels for that perfect theme park fix.

We therefore felt truly honoured when recently we received an exclusive opportunity to sit down with Andy and get know more about the legend behind the channel!

Who is Coaster Crazy?

I’m Andy Rumney, a 41year old coaster and theme park enthusiast from Morecambe in Lancashire, but now live in the south of England due to work reasons

I have had my YouTube channel for almost 5 years and it has been a long and expensive journey to get where I am today.

It hasn’t been easy getting the 25,000 subscribers but having a fun and enthusiastic personality has definitely helped

Andy Rumney from Coaster Crazy
Where did you first find your passion for the theme park industry?

Well from the age of three I grew up in the small Lancashire seaside town of Morecambe and just down the road from where I lived was a famous amusement park which later became known as Frontierland – a Wild West themed theme park.

I used to visit almost every weekend but sadly the park was closed down just over 20 years ago back in 1999.

Also with living pretty close to Blackpool me and my family used to visit Blackpool Pleasure Beach often and back then it used to be free entry and very busy.

By the age of 15 I had my first family holiday to Orlando Florida and we visited all of the theme parks out there and believe it or not I had visited Busch Gardens, Tampa before ever going to Alton Towers lol.

Which theme park would you say has had the biggest impact on you to date and why?

There are a few, however the main ones that stick in my mind are Frontierland in Morecambe because I lived very closed and visited all the time and Blackpool Pleasure Beach because it was the park I visited most with my family.

Over the years I have enjoyed visiting Blackpool Pleasure Beach even more so, especially with the edition of the incredible Icon roller coaster.

I also still have dreams that Frontierland is still open but it’s sad to think it’s been closed now for around 21 years.

What first inspired you to become the incredibly successful content creator you are today?

This one is probably going to be the same answer that every other theme park related YouTube creator is going to say!

My inspiration is definitely from watching Theme Park Worldwide and thinking “I can do that” and so I did, taking pictures and talking a lot is something that I am good at doing lol.

Coaster Crazy out and about vlogging his passion!
Are there any moments over your time as an enthusiast which stand out for you the most and why?

Yes I think the best moments while having my channel and being an enthusiast are definitely the amazing memories created by the hospitality from a lot of the parks and fairs that I have visited over the years.

It’s been amazing getting to know people in the industry and being given the chance to attend VIP events.

With just over 25,000 followers on YouTube alone, how have you found the community have responded to your content over the years as a whole?

I think people have really enjoyed me being myself over the years and to be honest as it’s the best way to be.

Nobody likes someone who is fake.

A great personality also helps you to stand out from the crowd! There are after all 100’s of other theme park YouTube channels all currently trying to compete with each other.

If you were to ask anyone who coined the phrase “You’re on the telly now” they would immediately say Coaster Crazy, however when was this famous catchphrase first used?

Haha, “You’re on the telly” is just something I have always wanted to say and having a YouTube channel where you can literally be “on the telly” has made that dream come true not just for me but the many fans that follow me and spot me in and around the parks and fairs that I cover.

“You’re on the telly” is just something I have always wanted to say
Other than visiting the parks and attractions what else does Coaster Crazy love to do for fun? Is there anything else you feel just as passionate about?

Star Wars…..I love anything to do with Star Wars and I love movies!

To be honest there are lots of things I have a passion for and the list is ever growing.

My newest interest is flying my new DJI Mini 2 drone which will hopefully bring some new dimensions to future vlogs.

Considering the obvious challenges 2020 has thrown at us, how have you found your life as a content creator altered by everything that has happened?

Having so many trips and events cancelled is the biggest thing that has spoiled my year.

With my full time job being in construction the virus hasn’t affected me there but I had to cancel a trip to Wiener Prater in Vienna, Austria and a trip back to Phantasialand in Germany to check out Rookburgh and the new coaster F.L.Y.

Do you have any major visits planned for 2021, and if so could you share a little about them with us?

Unfortunately none of us can be sure what 2021 will bring due to the ever changing Covid pandemic, but I can say that as of now I have not booked or planned anything due to the uncertainty of the future.

I will however be visiting plenty of parks when we can, hopefully back to Phantasialand and Energylandia.

Out of all the different types of content you create, is there one type you enjoy creating more than other and If so why?

You can’t beat being able to film on rides!

Unfortunately due to how strict things are nowadays regarding health and safety most parks have either banned any kind of on ride filming or they require you to ask permission in advance which can be a pain but better to be safe than being denied.

"You can't beat being able to film on rides!"
Other than theme parks, which other type of attraction would you say you enjoy visiting the most and why?

Definitely fun fairs! they always have a great atmosphere and being a fan of classic amusement parks there are always rides such as Sizzlers, Ghost Trains and traveling coasters, oh and the odd classic spin and spew lol.

Over the past couple of years I have been a big follower of the world famous Caters Steam Fairs!

Some of them have being the most stunning little fairs I’ve ever visited and not to be found anywhere else in the world.

As much as I  do love huge fairgrounds such as Goose in Nottingham or Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London, you can’t beat a small traditional English fair on a village field.

Visiting Carters Steam Fair!
Finally, with your following growing ever more steadily by the day, what can we expect from Coaster Crazy in the years to come?

As I mentioned previously one of me newest interests is of course my DJI Mini 2 drone which I aim to use to bring new aerial footage of fairs and theme parks to my content when I can (with permission of course).

I will also try and do some more on location LIVE videos, however it’s something I always forget to do.

I hope you have enjoyed this interview from me and that you all have a good new year in 2021.

We sure have Andy!

Thank you so much for taking the time to give us a little ‘behind the scenes’ look into the world of Coaster Crazy.

We really appreciate all the time and effort you put into creating the fantastic content you do and we can’t wait to see what 2021 will bring in the months ahead.

If you haven’t already then don’t forget to also check Coaster Crazy out on all of their socials too (links below);

Once again we would like to take this opportunity to thank Andy for his time and if you haven’t already been and checked out Coaster Crazy for yourself, then we only have one question – What are you waiting for?!