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Showing content with the highest reputation on 07/26/2021 in Posts

  1. Found something cool while packing to move. Flight of Fear's announcement article in the Cincinnati Enquirer, January 13, 1996. I'll post the article in there at some.
    8 points
  2. It was redesigned from scratch. The layout we have is 100% a Kings Island layout.
    5 points
  3. It was a $31 million budget. You should really read Kings Island: A Ride Through Time. I think you would find it enlightening!
    5 points
  4. Here's the whole article. The article (Janurary 13, 1996), writer- Linda Fish-Oda- KINGS MILLS- Visitors to Paramount's Kings Island this year will get to test ride a new technology that someday may become standard on U.S. aircraft carriers. Outer Limits--Flight of Fear, the first hill-less coaster in the world, will be powered by a motor system that is turning heads at the Pentagon. The ride will propel visitors from 0 to 54 miles per hour in less than four seconds, said Jeff Gramke, manager of engineering and construction for Kings Island. Outer Limits is previewed today at the 160th annual Non Coaster-thon Coaster Con Conference in Chicago. The ride will open in late spring in the Warren County amusement park. Navy officials have previewed it and liked what they saw. The Navy wants to replace the steam catapult system used on aircraft carriers to launch planes with linear induction motors, similar to the ones used by the amusement ride. A linear motor system would reduce the weight of a carrier by more than 1,000 tons, said Paul Tolman, marketing manager of Kaman Electromagnetics Crop in Hudson, Mass. Kaman is the company working with the Navy on the new technology. "The Navy does have a need to reduce the weight of the ship" he said. The system would also increase the lifespan of an aircraft. The steam catapult system cannot be adjusted to match factors such as aircraft type, weapons payload, or wind conditions. As a result, all aircraft get the maximum thrust at all times. The linear motor system is controlled by computers and has the ability to adjust the power that launches an aircraft, Mr Tolman said. "That thrust puts stress on the frame of the aircraft. If you can vary the profile, you can extend the life of the aircraft, which would save big money for the Navy." At Kings Island, executives are simply looking for a "screaming meanie that will blast you out," said Ed Dangler, manager of rides, maintenance and technical service for the park. By that measure, Outer Limits has already won tow awards at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions' annual industry trade show in November. Premier Rides, the roller coaster's manufacturer, won in the Major Theme/Amusement Park Ride/Attraction category, as well as the Technology Applied to Amusements award. For park visitors who have experienced their fastest speed in a car, Outer Limits will push their limits. There are only one or two automobiles in the world with acceleration like Outer Limits, said Jim Seay, executive vice-president of Premier Rides in Millersville, Md. "We're talking really exotic cars, like maybe the most expensive Ferrari," he said. Carolyn Boos, marketing director for Kings Island, said Outer Limits will look like a giant ball of yarn after a cat finishes with it. "Or a bowl of spaghetti." Taking up an acre at the amusement park, the ride will propel riders through the linear induction motor system and into a maze of loops and turns-- including 30 vertical curves and more than 25 compound horizontal curves. the ride's special effects are patterned after the 1960s science fiction television series The Outer Limits. The coaster will keep riders in the dark, because Outer Limits will be completely enclosed, similar to the Space Mountain ride at Disney World. But there's one major difference, Mr. Dangler said. "This is a thrill ride, Space Mountain is a ho-hummer." The ride's cost may be its biggest secret. David G Focke, vice-president of park maintenance and construction at Kings Island, is the man with the most say about what rides are bought for Paramount's five parks. He would not release the cost. "Let's just say that it costs more than $10 million," Mr Focke said. "Its twice as expensive as the next most expensive coaster ever built." A spokeswoman for Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, said that park is building its largest coaster this year for $12 million. Outer Limits, she said, is "a really expensive roller coaster." The cost of the ride is the reason admission will increase this year at the park. Ms Boos said. However, the $2-per-ticket price increase, to $28.95, largely is due to paying the park's 5,000 seasonal employees a higher wage, she said. Kings Island attracted nearly 3 million visitors last year. Thanks to the hype the ride will receive today at the Chicago convention, there likely will be a crowd at the park when the ride is unveiled. But coaster fans won't be the only ones there. Premier Rides' Jim Seay says he expects the Navy to be present when Outer Limits takes off. Caption under the photo- This is a model of the world's first hill-less roller coaster, which will debut at Kings Island this year. The ride will be enclosed. Side caption- How It Works- Paramount's Kings Island's Outer Limits--Flight of Fear is the first roller coaster in the world that will not depend on the long climb of a first hill to propel it through loops and turns. Instead, it will gets its power electrically, through magnetic waves, said Jim Seay, executive vice president of Premier Rides in Millersville, Md. "The system essentially creates a travelling magnetic wave and it's the magnetic wave that pushes the vehicles from a stationary standpoint to the high speeds," Mr Seay said. The track leading to the ride is lines with 44 sets of grey boxes, each 3 to 4 feet long. Each box is a linear induction motor. A laser beam behind the coaster shoots down the track and relays to two computers with motors to turn on or off. The entire ride takes less than two minutes, and about 2,000 people can ride Outer Limits in an hour.
    4 points
  5. The announcement event was super cool, too:
    4 points
  6. I'd say so, haven't seen the park that crowded yet this season. I've definitely never seen that many people watching the parade!
    4 points
  7. The pool is wider than it appears from this angle Saturday they gave out Popsicles for the fireworks. Not a bad view if you want to get kids to bed afterwards. Funniest item for sale at the shop, only $119 lol I'll post pics about the sites around us later. Back to work boooo
    4 points
  8. Steel in 2014 (when Fury track would have been made) was around $650 per ton and was going for around $830 per ton when Orion track was being made in 2019...had Fury been announced for 2016 and thus track would have been built in 2015 it would have been $460/ton...just think it may have been Fury386 then! And right now steel is going for about $1,900 per ton. Moral of story - steel prices adjust substantially year to year based on supply/demand...
    2 points
  9. The red rails were just for the model. They were never painted red. I rode the ride in June or July of its first year. The line at opening stretched past the Zephyr, with all queues open. There was a also a lot of down time. My cousin and aunt attempted to ride it a second time before leaving that day. The ride broke down and by the time they got out it was 10:15 (they got in line around 8). We then went to Skyline down the road from the park (Fields Ertel), and they ran out of chili! They only had enough chili to make half of our order.
    2 points
  10. Got the “French Whitecastles” I actually really liked the cheese they used.
    2 points
  11. I thought this deserved it's own thread in the history section.
    2 points
  12. Thanks @PatchesC! This is some of the best insight we’ve had on Camp Cedar yet.
    2 points
  13. Here is the breakfast menu, and more importantly what's on tap
    2 points
  14. Here's a few pictures of Hickory, we rigged some sheets to cover windows. Also folded the sofa bed out to give you a better idea how much room there is. Interior cabin width is 11ft (yes I took a tape measure lol) I like that you can use some of the space under the ladder for storage. There is also a small cubby above the fridge, and under the bathroom sink is open as well. The bathroom cabinet is all the linens, no room for storage there. The bedroom has 2 small closets, there were no hangers in ours though. Used a suitcase as a bedside table. Honestly if I had to put up with 8 people in this cabin for multiple days, I'd probably be spending as little time in it as possible because it does seem to be a bit tight. I plan to book an Aspen for Haunt when they release dates. The kitchen layout may make it feel less cramped.
    2 points
  15. I do have to admit that the lines at the booths have been a deterrent. I’m wondering if it’s partially because of staffing issues. We did 3 or 4 on opening night and waited a long time, especially at the beginning of the event. We came during the week and had no problem doing a tasting. But then on Saturday (which, in their defense, I understand was the business day of the year) we fully intended to use our cards but the lines were at least 30 deep for the majority of the night. It was no big deal for us, but not everyone has that luxury. With that being said, I do enjoy the tasting card concept. I hope they do the event-long ones for Tricks and Treats, because I’d do it again. They did a tasting card for Winterfest Jr at some of the parks last year. Maybe we will see that this year.
    2 points
  16. You should buy @KIghostguy 's book!
    2 points
  17. Finally made it to get the Carnivale experience last night. @electricsun and I purchase a tasting card and it was a fun experience going around and trying the different foods. The stage was hopping the whole time and kids were having such a great time. The parade was awesome and I do like the later start to enjoy the lights on the floats that others have mentioned. We treated the evening like a date night and not a park trip. It was a really fun experience between the food, entertainment, and the atmosphere. We loved the whole Grand Carnivale experience start to finish. We definitely recommend the season pass holder tasting card. Some tents had really long lines and the line spread right across the whole midway blocking it. I was confused as to why someone wasn't directing people to line up away from the midway or setting up switchbacks, especially at the China and Italy tent.
    2 points
  18. So preliminary things to note with a Hickory cabin so people can plan ahead. Shower is 6'6" floor to ceiling, I didn't notice until I realized how easy I can reach the shower head. If you're tall chances are you'll be sitting on the bench to get water on you. 432 does NOT currently have blinds at the bunk beds. Some cabins around us do though. Having only 3 of us, daughter chose the loft. None of the lofts have blinds. We took the fitted sheets from the bunk beds and was able to drape them over the windows for privacy. A fitted crib sheet would cover them well if you have a large group. Bedroom, the side away from the door you've got about 20" between the bed and wall. The upper window above also has no cover, lofts in the cabin next to you can see in. I'll say the privacy thing is a bit annoying personally. If you plan to use the sofa bed there is very little room to walk between it and the kitchen island, maybe a foot. So put whoever is going to wake up first there lol. Kitchen has pots and skillets, but no pans for the oven. Considering they sell biscuits in the shop, a bit surprising. The is is not flat, and depending on your cabin you may have a steep slope vs flat land to play on. The booking page says there is an electric fireplace, there isn't. Maybe they plan to put them in during colder months? Shuttle to the park is decent and A/C who doesn't enjoy that. They run until 10:30pm. The driver said there are two of them running consistently. If one pulls off, the other with be by in less than 10 minutes. Ironwood Grill breakfast this morning started at 8am and ran until 10am. Decent prices and serving sizes. Hashbrown casserole is a favorite, servers are friendly and food maybe took 10 minutes. The pool is deceptively larger than I expected from pictures I'd seen. Decent amount of chairs, pool towels are provided as well. When I get home tomorrow or Monday I'll get pictures uploaded and notes about other sites around us. We are beside the interstate, if you're a light sleeper, you'll want background noise.
    2 points
  19. The booths (overall) seem to be staffed, there’s just so much you can do with some of the more “labor intensive” preps they are doing in “pop up” kitchens. Short of doubling up entire prep areas, I’m not sure what they could do to expedite. I could see maybe in future years splitting the sweet/ beverage and savory into two tents in some of the more popular areas.
    1 point
  20. I mean Orion costs just as much if not more than Fury 325 (which I believe had cost around 30 million dollars). Doesn’t exactly scream hyper coaster budget.
    1 point
  21. We split our visit between Friday night for Carnivale dance party, Parade then Area 72 dance party. 12yo gave away her glow bracelets cause it's more fun when everyone glows lol Then Saturday did the Scavenger Hunt, Opening Ceremony, Carnivale games: won a stuffed box of rice, stuffed crayon, and the loathed basketball. (Only time I'd let her get one since we weren't riding) Got to France about 5:45, took 20 minutes for us to order. Partially held up by a large group still debating what to get. The other part was purchasing drinks while getting our card I pre-purchase and ordering. The register itself seemed to drag a bit, poor guy just standing there waiting for it to calculate like it's on dial up. We had planned on using all 9 between the 3 of us, but husband wasn't feeling well by 8ish so only used 4. Wish we could have done more before leaving.
    1 point
  22. A few notes- - How about the theoretical capacity of 2000/hr? - I wonder why it mentions why its the first to not rely on a lift hill? There were other launch coasters before this, they just didn't use magnets (somebody didn't do their research) - I'm curious on the cost now, especially if CP reps are acknowledging its more expensive than Mantis. - The concept model of the restraints are too accurate - I remember thinking holy **** when I saw the track model Unfortunately, I was too short in 1996, so I didn't get my first ride until 1997.
    1 point
  23. What I can remember about the other sites. This is the further most site still under construction. It's shown as Wood Sorrel Way on the site map. These are the cabins behind next to one lake, 510 is closest to the road. Not much yard space. Cabins 440, 442, & 444 seem to have good size and almost flat yards if you want to have games. Other parts I wasn't able to take pictures of: Cottages 426-428 have shaded firepits, but not a large yard if thay what your looking for. 433 & 434 have a steep slope starting at their patio/picnic table (if you like to get pretty tipsy maybe avoid or you'll have a fun roll down the hill) The RV sites don't seem to have much lawn but of course are flat. Best chances for space would be on the corner lots.
    1 point
  24. Looks like they are removing lanes for the new attraction. Some, not all.
    1 point
  25. Good news… grand carnival is done this weekend. So next Wednesday the chef’s plate should return.. so only 1 more week of discussing the merits of plates vs trays until we can get back to drilling over excellent meal plan options. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    1 point
  26. I think I have them working again. Here are the rankings and the corresponding ride: KIC Tourist - Eiffel Tower - 0 points KIC Local - Surf Dog - 100 points KIC Junky - Woodstock Express - 200 points KIC Enthusiast - Flying Ace Areal Chase - 400 points KIC Expert - Invertigo - 600 points KIC Senior - The Racer - 800 points KIC Star Member - The Bat - 1000 points KIC Platinum Member - Adventure Express - 1500 points KIC Double Platinum Member - Backlot Stunt Coaster - 2000 points KIC Triple Platinum Member - The Beast - 2500 points KIC Superstar - Banshee - 3000 points KIC Legend - Diamondback - 5000 points KIC Immortal - Orion - 10000 points
    1 point
  27. I would love this more then anything! I think it would be a coaster like no other to the park. Something like Pantheon comes to mind! It does seem so far that the newer coasters they are putting out have much better reliability. Just basing this off of Hagrids and Velosicoaster.
    1 point
  28. In addition to the things on tap in the restaurant bar, there's also kona big wave, shock top, and shotgun wedding on tap at beach box
    1 point
  29. I haven't been in a couple of years but last time I was there on a Satruday, even with HoliWood Nights, the waits for Voyage and Thunderbird were 30-45 minutes tops.
    1 point
  30. I would suggest tasting cards at other locations (like the information boot) but I think you need to have them at the tents themselves in order to create the impulse buy. Someone may only have 1 more taste left and see 2 things they want to try and instead of buying one extra taste at 7.99 just get a 6 or 9 pack for the discount. You're always going to have register transactions because of the availability to have one-off buys for drinks and tastes. On marking the cards I think another primary reason for the punches is if the systems go "down". If for some reason the scanner stopped working they could just punch the lanyard. I think they need custom punchers as opposed to the office ones they had (they do sell them for heavier stock paper) or the ink pen would work. Stickers may not be viable since they could be removed. One idea for the pen may be a different color for each country? Might be neat to see how many of each country you ended up with. I agree on the ropes as well. Also signs for "Order" and "Pickup" so everyone knows that the lines are different. I'm sure the amount of response they had this year surprised them again. The culinary crew does a fantastic job and I'm confident changes will be made in years to come as this seems to be an incredibly successful event.
    1 point
  31. Well…I will “prime the well” so to speak…looking forward to seeing some good pictures from Grand Carnivale.
    1 point
  32. Orion made a good first impression on me last year with the 10 rides we were able to get on it, but this year on our trip I enjoyed it even more with the full trains. We were fortunate to get 14 more rides, 8 of them coming in row 8. It's moved past Millennium now into my 2nd spot among the 5 Cedar Fair GIGAs, behind only Fury (in 1st by a wide margin). It was really enjoyable from start to finish, and that first drop is spectacular in rows 7 or 8.
    1 point
  33. Watched (and participated in) the parade tonight and it was awesome. From where I stood (on the corner of Coney Mall in front of those games at the intersection of Coney and Area 72), the audio seemed a little softer, but I had a great time. After it passed by, the guy at the end appreciated my enthusiasm so much, he let me join in and follow them 'till the end. During the parade run, I saw a ton of people I knew and that was so much fun. On an unrelated note, tonight was more of a "party" night than a ride night, so instead of riding rides, I saw Busker Jam before the parade and participated in the Area 72 dance party afterwards. It was a fun night!!!
    1 point
  34. Forgive my intrusion but honestly if a "standout" means a ride in the top 5 or top 10 of all coasters, like your Voyages and SteVes, then not only is that too high of an expectation but it absolutely excludes The Beast. I love The Beast and defend it all the time but both the GP and enthusiasts have moved on. That's not to say it has low ridership, it definitely does not but I've never heard anyone younger than 40 say its their favorite in the park (I'm in my 40s. I'm just acknowledging that younger people have a less biased perspective) As for Orion, it's big and fun and would be a standout almost anywhere. I might like it more than Millie. However its still a lot like Diamondback which I think is a better ride and there are certainly things I would rather they have spent the money on. But I'll gladly ride it when I can and the GP seems to like it.
    1 point
  35. I just think it would give the park some much needed intensity. CP has multiple intense rides. KD has TT and i305. Carowinds doesn't have anything crazy intense but I could see the argument for Fury (even if forces wise it isn't any more intense than Orion). I think our park could really use something intense. That intensity gap is definitely a gap the park still has and I think it would really solidify our lineup.
    1 point
  36. Give KI a signature attraction. Right now it is still Beast.
    1 point
  37. While I think that Intamin would bring a little more intensity to the KI mix, I would also expect Mack or Gerstlauer to be the next provider. Intamin has so many options and I would love to see something like Kondaa in Vortex's spot. A blitz coaster would be fun as well including a multi-launch coaster like Taron. From a park perspective, it would round out some of the offerings that Kings Island has.
    1 point
  38. I was at CP last week. though a vast majority of the general public has no idea who makes what coaster...for those that do would have seen Gate Keeper testing on Tuesday (but no guest ever were on that I saw) and listed as down on Thursday (not sure about Wednesday we were in the water park.) Meanwhile, Dragster was down both tuesday and wednesday (obviously visible from the water park) and testing about noonish on tuesday then giving rides 30 min or so later. At the other end of the park, on both Tuesday and thursday (and from what I observed on Wednesday while walking from our cabin to the waterpark) Steel Vengance was late to open. 3 rides, 3 different manufacturers, none running full steam all day, every day. Maverick was a ton of fun...something like that in Vortex's space would be well received. Not sure about the maintenance on that vs other intamen's but a fun ride none the less. Seemed to be running (sans rain delays) all day both Tuesday and Thursday (and presumably Wednesday). Back to my 1st point however, the general public isn't going to care who makes the ride, so long as its fun and reliable. A mack multi launch would be equally well received, and given CF's history with Intamen, a more likely addition. I'm guessing if one were built at KI, you'd overhear more than once someone in line telling someone else "yeah, this is just like Maverick up at Cedar Point"
    1 point
  39. Went yesterday with a co worker. He has not been to KI in 25 years, so he was like a kid in a candy store. He's also a theatre person and wow, was he impressed with the event! He was explaining to me the technical aspects as well as the time commitment they performers have to put into this event....wow! I loved the Spain float. I loved that during the show and parade, performers make eye contact and smiled. Wonderful showmanship. I loved the ode to Cirque and the drummers were great. King Carl was really into the drum show. The parade seemed shorter this year and I do miss the decentralized country shows. However, the Germans on stilts doing the Chicken Dance at my request was a great touch! Thank you, Kings Island for a wonderful day, event and lifting of spirits. If my gold pass just covered one day of this and one day of winterfest, it would more than have paid for itself with the value I received.
    1 point
  40. A couple photos of the former arcade area courtesy of former employee Nick N. (via Facebook). Pretty sobering to see it like this.
    0 points
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