Shaggy

I doubt you see the Nick Theming extend past where Nick/HB currently ends. I do expect to see the Rivertown Bathrooms being converted to Nick Theming. Actually, I would suspect that one of the Nick rides is going in right beside it... right about where the Nick Central Sign is now. Heck they've already removed signage from the blue fence in that area... which is pretty telling. On the opposite side of the area, I expect that you will not see theming for Nick begin until you pass Scooby's Haunted Castle. I also expect that in the Midway area in between it, Pixie and Dixie's Swingset, Astro Orbitors, and the Scooby Photo area will have a large sign or such and the are will extend on back past that. That way they have keep SDATHC in tact without upsetting the Nick people who are likely involved in the project. A birdie told me that the Astro Orbitors, Boo Boo's Baggage and the Hand Carts (All original rides from old Coney Island park) will bite the dust. So in the course of 2 years PKI will have lost 5 original attractions. Also expected to meet it's maker is the afore-mentioned Scooby's Ghoster Coaster. I would suspect that all removed rides (with the exception of the Orbitors) be stored for possible future use. Construction will likely begin soon, during Winterfest, with the attractions in the wooded area behind Ghoster Coaster sealed off. Look for trees around Beastie to be thinned and a ride inserted in-between Boulder Bumpers and The Beastie exit. Also look for the "rock" facade of Boulder Bumpers to dissapear and Beasite to not only lose it's name... but it's color scheme as well. Can you say fuscia? I am expecting that the area will receive a drastic overhaul with most, if not all smaller theming elements to be changed... down to the benches and lamp-posts. It will be a large area with wider midways and better flow. (No dead ends) It will likely be broken into segmented areas... Dora rides over there, Jimmy Nuetron rides over here etc. etc. etc. Mostly I think they will work hard to clear the area of that "Hodge Podge" feel it's had for sometime. Shaggy

Trust me on this... it's not a Mack. Shaggy

Because it's a prototype product of another ride manufacturer. Shaggy

FYI... for Winterfest, the entire Festhaus is being overhauled. The screens are gone, and the old "Bavarian" theming hidden for years by facades is being revealed/refreshed/repainted. Included in this is a restoration of the magnificent stained glass window that has been hidden from view for years. It's an antique window that was once part of an extremely old Cincinnati Mansion and installed in the Festhause when it was built. In addition, all banners and additional lighting "sconces" are being added. Shaggy

Skating will be an additional charge... probably in the neighborhood of $7. Skate rental will likely be an additional $3. The skating on the fountain is being produced by an outside vendor... so they are upcharging to cover their costs. Shaggy

Avatar will not be a Mack powered coaster.. or any Mack-produced ride for that matter. Shaggy

In addition to those already mentioned... Kings Island also had costumed characters of: Wilma Flintstone Betty Rubble Banana Splits Shaggy

They do not actually fill the fountains and freeze them. The ice rink is created by inserting platforms on scaffolding within the fountain base. From there, the ice rink is created on those platforms with the ice only being a few inches thick. In short, the ice rink is literally raised above the base of the fountain pool. Shaggy

Funny, I do not recall any religious symbols. Honestly, why some cannot just enjoy the festivities of an event without criticizing is beyond me. This attitude of "let's suck the fun out of every aspect of life" is ridiculous. Don't like it? Don't go. But then I expect 99% of the critics will attend. I for one applaud the park for bringing back a time-honored tradition. They proove once again that they listen to their guests and embrace our desires as patrons. I'll be one of the first to buy my tickets. This event is geared to families and friends, not to any certain religious group. The idea here is to celebrate good times during the holiday season with those you care about in a wonderful environment. Those of us that have been fortunate to attend a Winterfest in the past will be quick to point out how fun it is. It always brought a smile to peoples faces. Shaggy

"Son of Beast only had the two tallest hills for one year. Colossos was built in 2001. It has a 196' first hill. " Nope, SOB still holds the record. Colossos does not top it. SOB = 218' tall, 214' drop Colossos = 196' 10" tall "Holiday World is EXPANDING into a new area. PKI seems to have forgotten that concept. Sigh." Lest we forget that SOB, Taz Typhoon, Face/Off, Runaway Reptar all were built on unused portions of land at PKI. Shaggy

The Kings Island and Miami Valley Railroad used a combination of live actors and animatronic props for years. The train would stop and be "held up" by two men dressed as train robbers. There was a shoot out, and a train conductor usually ended up scaring off the robbers by shooting his own gun at them. Throughout the course, there were animatronic animals (such as the growling bear... which is still there if you look hard enough... horses etc) animatronic Indians and Soldiers. The small western village that still exists had many effects, such as a lady's legs dangling out of the top of the saloon.... an old man rocking in a rocking chair etc et etc. Heck the Jail was even on fire if I recall. There were lots of loud bangs and pops. Specifically in the fort area that still exists where Indians were fighting with soldiers guarding the fort. As you ride today, notice all of the fake "tree stumps" scattered around the course. These actually were later added to cover up the electrical outlets in which the characters were attached. When the animatronics were removed, the power sources were simply covered up with these facades. The live actors left the ride long before the animatronics did. Over time, the animatronics became worse for the wear, and many stopped working. They were not replaced when they went kaput and eventually the ride was a shell of it's former self. KI scrapped the animatronics when the train became a transit to and from the waterpark. Shaggy

"Yeah, i still can't figure out what Foundation1.jpg is." It's the station. The splashdown pool will be located just in front of it. If you look closely, you will see concrete pilings located infront of it. The ground is dug out deeply in front of it, and although you cannot tell from that perspective, the pilings will support the walkway overneath that takes guests to the loading station. Shaggy

PKI is hosting this tour to coincide with the ACE No-Coaster Con which happens that weekend in Chicago. PKI presents at the Con each year, and is offering a walk through tour such as this on the Friday prior. It's for those passing through Cincy on their way to No-Coaster and for those locals that will not be able to attend the event to hear updates firt-hand. Shaggy

PKI is graciously inviting enthusiasts to tour construction of "The Italian Job: Stunt Track." Yes, that's right. On Friday January 14th, at 9am, PKI will host a walk-through on the site of the park's forthcoming 13th coaster. The wonderful marketing staff will be on hand to guide the tour, and answer general questions. There's no need to pre-register or such, just show up at Security Post 3 (the employee entrance to the extreme right of the main gates) by 9am. The main parking lot will be open for parking, but should some snow fall it will not be cleared. ;-) Dress very warmly, and please wear shoes and clothing that will not mind some mud or dirt. The construction site is just that, a construction site... so wearing footwear you are not concerned about is important.. and being on good, safe behavior is key. Thsi should be a fun chance to get a first hand look at next seasons sure-fire hit. It's also a chance to see what other unexpected, and unannounced changes the park is making for 2005.... ;-) Thanks to PKI for consistantly opening up such fun opportunities for us fans! See you there! Shaggy

"IJST will have a 1000 person per hour moving capacity (in theory), so it will be able to move about 200 more people per hour than FoF. That's not too bad of a sign right there. " Dream on.... Beast has 3 trains that hold 3 times as many people and it rarely clocks 1,000 riders per hour. Trust me, waits will be terribly long on busy days... if the coaster is a success. The capacity of the ride appears to be ridiculously low IMO. I am anxiously looking forward to the coaster, but let's be realistic. Shaggy

"Do I think they should remove the oldest ride in the park no. " The Eagles were not the (current) oldest ride in the park. They were the second oldest. The Carousel was built in 1927, several years prior to the flyers being manufactured. The carousel celebrated it's 77th anniversary this season. By the way, the oldest ride to ever exist at KI..... was the Tumble Bug. It was built for Coney in 1925, two years prior to the carousel. The Scrambler, believe it or not, falls in the age category of the Flyers as well. Shaggy

I just heard from the park. The Flying Eagles will cease operation at PKI on Sunday October 17th. Enthusiasts are invited for a final ride. Simply meet up at 9pm at the ride entrance. Marketing guru Maureen Boothe will be on hand to supervise the final ride and bestow a final tribute. **Please note... this is not an ERT session... rather a final chance to say good bye to the 70 year old ride. The ride will be dismantled, but will operate again at another park very soon. Shaggy

Mostly from IAAPA through the years. Shaggy

Not sure if this is the appropriate place to post this... but here goes... I am downsizing a ton of junk in my life. Because of that I decided to part ways with several park-related items. I posted the items on Ebay. So what? You may ask. Well, several auctions include PKI and KI maps and brochures. So if you are looking to round out your collection... look here: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQgotopageZ1QQsa...osortpropertyZ1 Good luck. Shaggy

Not sure if this is the appropriate place to post this... but here goes... I am downsizing a ton of junk in my life. Because of that I decided to part ways with several park-related items. I posted the items on Ebay. So what? You may ask. Well, several auctions include PKI and KI maps and brochures. So if you are looking to round out your collection... look here: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQgotopageZ1QQsa...osortpropertyZ1 Good luck. Shaggy

Am I missing something? Were you kidding with your last response, or are you simply that rude? I hope it's the former. Shaggy

Skylab was a Huss Giant Enterprise. Only 2 other parks besides KI ever installed them. One of those being at Paramount's Canadas Wonderland. That version still remains today, however it will be removed at the end of this season for the addition of their "Italian job" coaster. PKI removed their's because of astronomical operating/maintenance cost. It's hydraulic arm would often fail, and require replacement. The cost of maintaining it far outweighed it's appeal. So viola... it was ripped out and scrapped. It sat idle for 1 1/2 seasons before it was removed. Shaggy

As others said... The year it opened, a wheel bearing came loose and it lost a wheel. It stopped suddenly, injuring a few people. No one was killed or substantially injured. Shaggy

Park opened in 1972. Partidges filmed in 1972. Brady's filmed in 1973. Other than the show date in the credits... the way to confirm this is that fact that the Flying Dutchman and Bayern Curve are shown. Both were added (along with Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal which is not shown) in 1973. Shaggy

It's definitely a basketball. At the basketball toss in Rivertown, balls are notorious for falling into the waterfall stream directly adjacent to it. They then roll downstream and get dumped into the pond. Very common. Shaggy