Shaggy

The former KMLF was an Arrow flume built in 1968 for Cincinnati Coney Island. It was re-furbished by O.D. Hopkins. Oh and Racer, Beast and Beastie are not PTC coasters. The trains are PTC trains, however Racer and Beastie are John Allen designs built by King's Island. Beast was designed by Al Collins and was also built in-house by the King's Island construction team led by Charlie Dinn. Shaggy

There are actually 4 Vortex coasters in the Paramount Parks chain. -Vortex at PKI.... the original, an Arrow Dynamics Multi-Looper opened in 1987 and designed by Ron Toomer. -Vortex at Paramounts Canada's Wonderland.... an Arrow Dynamics Suspended coaster opened in 1991 and also designed by Ron Toomer. This coaster layout was duplicated (although tightened) at PKI in 1993 as Top Gun. -Vortex at Paramount's Great America.... a B&M stand-up coaster also opened in 1991 and designed by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard and Werner Stengel. -Vortex at Paramount's Carowinds... a B&M stand-up coaster built in 1992 and designed by Walter Bolliger, Claude Mabillard and Werner Stengel. This is a duplicate of the version opened the year prior at PGA. The original logo of Vortex was the one designed for PKI... then just KI. It's logog was that of a steel giant who's hand was seen twisting the coaster's track. The original logo indeed showed the sit-down coaster cars. However, as the other coasters were built at the other parks, the logo was tweaked to be reminiscent of their version.... PGA and PCow showed a stand up coaster train, while PCW showed a suspended train. Over the years, the parks have shared the logo for press, promotional and merchandise purposes. Unfortunately this has led to some inaccuracies. The varying logo has showed up on t-shirts or advertisements at a park with a differing train type. It is simply an oversight, a detail not noticed by the untrained eye. FYI.... did you know that during it's first several years of operation Vortex at PKI had it's logo painted on the ground every few feet on Coney Mall ala The Beast footprints? It is one of a number of rides at KI that has had it's logo painted on the asphalt in order to lead guests to the attraction's line. Other rides at KI that have done this over the years.... Beast, Beastie, Outer Limits, Top Gun, Adventure Express, and Flight Commander. Shaggy

If I could do anything? With money no object? Well, PKI is a fantastic park, and I think they are doing great things. But if it were a perfect world and I had my say... then here's what I would do: - Gut the main entrance and rebuild it to make it more reminiscent of Paramount Studios. PKI has one of the most hideous main entrances in the industry. You have to go through that afwul building to see that gorgeous International Street. - Paramount Theatre would get a REAL show. None of this 2-member cast, pre-recorded junk. - Action Zone rides would recieve a repaint every two years. - Face Off would be re-located behind Delirium. - Congo Falls would be re-located to the pond in Rivertown. - A B&M hyper/speedcoaster would be installed to run the front of the park... from Face/Off's current location on down through the wooded area that lies between the parking lot and Timberwolf. - Timberwolf Ampitheatre would be gutted and rebuilt as a mega stunt show amphitheatre that could also double as a concert venue. - Son of Beast would have it's rose bowl yanked out and replaced with an out-and-back section of air hills. 2nd helix would remain, but would receive a tunnel. - Adventure Express would be re-located to Rivertown. - Octoberfest would receive a substantial overhaul... losing the Bavarian themeing and expanding Action Zone into it. - Coney Mall would be completely overhauled and given a more carnival or festive theme. Significant smaller/flat rides would be added, such as a large spinning teacups ride, a chaos, a whip, a circle swing, a spinning wild mouse, a ferris wheel etc etc etc. - Action FX Theatre would be scrapped... or relocated to Action Zone. - Antique cars would be relocated to the Paramount Story garden area. - Eiffel Tower would be painted bronze. - Tomb Raider's building would be disguised better. - A B&M invert would be added to the wooded area around White Water Canyon. It would perform a cobra roll around the railroad trestle bridge. - WWC would be overhauled and re-themed to something really fun... like the Beverly Hillbillies or such where you are being shot at, etc etc etc. - The older rides and attractions in HB would be removed or updated, and (with the exception of Scooby) all HB themeing would be changed to Nick. Sorry folks, HB cartoons are no in the minds of today's kid. My neices and nephews have no idea who Hukleberry Hound or Quick Draw McGraw are. - There would be a daily parade. - Scooby's Ghoster Coaster would get thrown in the scrap heap. - A formal sit-down restaraunt would be added to the park. - Smoking would be limited to few designated areas only. - The park would install a lo-que system. - The fountains on International Street would "dance" with the fireworks display. The show would culminate each time with the Eiffel Tower shooting off a small round of fireworks each night. - Winterfest would return. - One of the shops on International Street would be re-built as a museum of sorts as a tribute to the park's past. Featuring old park memorabilia and showing footage of the park and rides from years past. That's all I can think of for now.... Shaggy

A typical ferris wheel did reside at Kings Island until the early 1990's. It was a standard model that was situated on a plot of land in between the Festhaus and the path to the former Wild Animal Habitat area of the park. If you are only familiar with the modern day PKI.... an Age and Weight game now sits in that area. It is the tree-lined bit of land between the Festhaus and the path to Action Zone in front of Delirium. An Intamin double wheel, as others mentioned, was located at the rear of the park. It was removed for the addition of Flight Commander and shipped off to Australia's Wonderland Sydney. To my knowledge, Wonderland Sydney was never operated under Paramount ownership. It was built by KECO in the 1980's who formerly ran the King's parks. Because Paramount is not affiliated, I doubt we'll see any rides relocated from Wonderland back to the states. Also, Intamin Giant Wheels are so outdated that the manufacturer no longer supplies parts for it.... that is why so many are dissapearing from parks across the world and going to the scrap heap. The only Intamin Giant Wheel still operating (that I know of) is the one located at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania... and from all indications, is being removed after this season. Shaggy

Post season? PKI's season doesn't follow a calendar's summer months. The PKI 2004 operating season runs until early Nov. Mid season lies mid to late July. Shaggy

"You also said the same exact thing about the Anitque Cars removal too." What I said about the Antiques was simply that people needed to ride them prior to mid season. It was good advice, no? Also what I said about Antiques, as well as any rumor, is that they are simply rumor until the park announces something officially. "Besides, rumors are supposed to be fun speculation and you're trying to take all the fun out of it." No, I am trying to prevent assumptions that consistantly get made about PKI. Too many times I have seen rumors about the park taken as gospel, then those persons that believe them later complain on boards about the park not installing what they "promised." Sure speculating is fun, but it has to be presented as such. Statements such as your post "From what I have heard, Antique Cars will become Nickelodeon Toonpike" lead folks to believe that it is set in stone. You also make the assumption that this all started because of what you said. It did. I guess you think you were the only one that thought that they might be relocated somewhere else. No, of course not. But it's funny how posts appeared on this and other PKI boards only minutes after I made my post about possibilities. Get over yourself. Tough talk, but can you back up your insults? I can, but then I don't insult people. Ok, so now I guess it is time to get rid of the rumors section since this is obviously frowned upon. But this rumor is not being regulated to the rumors section. You have already been posting this as semi-fact in other forums... You seem awfully sensitive about all of this. Could you possibly be the one that submitted the rumor to Screamscape? Maybe, maybe not.... Eh, it's moot anyway. Shaggy... conversation.... done....

Good grief! All this got started when I said on another board that I could forsee PKI possibly re-installing the 'tiques in a future season, possibly with a Nick theme. The rumor mongers took it from there. It is all moot at this point. Don't count on it. Shaggy

Smurfs Enchanted Voyage said: "Sings to self{''Their Crazy & their kooky"}." Tsk tsk tsk... it's creepy not crazy... LOL I was always a fan, and once that song gets in your head... there's no getting it out. Here are the lyrics. They're creepy and they're kookey. Mysterious and spookey. They're altogether together ookey. The Addams Family. The house is a museum. When people come to see'em. They really are a scre-am. The Addams Family. Neat Sweet Petite So get a witch's shawl on. A broomstick you can crawl on. We're going to pay a call on. The Addams Family

Dude... $6.00 for chips... think about it. You do realize that a full sampler platter at Bubba Gumps is around the same price, right? Shaggy

I wish them the best of luck, and hope that the business takes off for them. However, when I was at the park this week I stopped by to give the place a try. I was flabbergasted that a very small package of chips cost near $3.00 and the larger size $6.00!!! I chose to get fries instead, for less. I am all for new experiences, and success for the small independant business man. But don't those prices seem a little ridiculous? Shaggy

Bavarian Beetle was scrapped. Shaggy

Hello all! PKI has “made us an offer we cannot refuse.†Fellow Paramount Kings Island fans are cordially invited for a special press announcement on Thursday August 12th. PKI is graciously inviting enthusiasts to share in this exciting event. This is a biggie folks. The park will be announcing their new product (new attraction) for the 2005 season! Trust me when I say you will not be disappointed with the news….. whatever it may be…. LOL! The announcement will take place promptly at 10:30am in the Paramount Theatre. It will be handled on a first-come-first-serve seating basis. If the theatre fills, then you will not be allowed in. Doors shut promptly at 10:30am so make sure you are there prior. FYI, this invite DOES NOT include free admission to the park. The press event is simply open to those who are able to attend the park on their own merit that day. The announcement, I am promised, will be a stellar presentation with lots of fun stuff to see and hear…. and plenty of details! The theatre presentation portion should last about 20 minutes, then there will be a short 10-15 minute follow-up outside the theatre elsewhere in the park. Hmmmmmm…… Hope to see you there….! Shaggy

Magic of the movies is, without a doubt, the low point of Paramount Park Entertainment. It is unmistakably awful. Now that is quite a statement considering I have seen previous bombs such as "Cheers: The Musical" and "ET Live." I have seen the show twice, on opening weekend, and then again last week. So I saw the original incarnation, and now the re-tooled one. I had heard that the show had been "improved" and decided to give it another try. Well, it was no better the second time around. I will not see the show again. I have NEVER filed a complaint at PKI, but this mess really deserves one. My problems with the show are: There is absolutely no content. There is absolutely no cast. It is just a bunch of bad, inappropriate jokes. It is poorly scripted. It is boring. It does not treat the ears and eyes. It serves as almost nothing more than a commercial for "Spongebob" the movie. Worst of all, and the reasoning for my complaint is... I find it lewd and inappropriate for families and children. There are jokes about passing gas, there is a clip of Kate Winslet undressing, there is a joke about the gal character in Titanic "getting a really big...... diamond." In addition to that, they feature two of the more questionable clips from movies that were originally rated for ages over 13 in the theatres. As a matter of fact, wasn't Sleepy Hollow "R" rated? I noticed at my second viewing that the park had to cut one scene in which the "comedic" emcee character got beheaded. Obviously this was done out of respect for the recent beheading in Iraq. In my opinion it should have not been there to begin with. I equate "Magic of the Movies" at the Paramount Theatre to a rotten easter egg.... It is all very nicely decorated on the outside and very esthetically pleasing. However once you get inside, the content stinks. I mean, one has to ask.... did the Spongbob commercial get inserted just so they could blow bubbles at the audience, or did they blow bubbles at the audience just to show a Spongebob commercial? Either way, it is pitiful. Also, what is up with the attempt at a rip on "Who Wants to be a Millionare?" Ok, delivered once the joke is just mediocre.... twice is a snooz... three times makes me want to get up and walk out. Millionare is an ABC property and the actual game is performed at Disney parks. Of course there is no comparison, but the show at PKI is just using the sucess of a competitor's property to lay a bad joke egg. Paramount Pictures is one of, if not the, most popular names in entertainment. They are leaders in their field. They should be mortified by the poor show and yank it immediately. It is an embarassment to a company that brought us classics like "Sunset Boulevard","Raiders of the Lost Ark","The Ten Commandments" etc etc etc. They would be much better suited to take the "effects" and place them in a demonstration hall... perhaps one of the empty shops on International Street.... and open it up for all general public to try. They should then create a musical revue to fit the Paramount Theatre that covers some of the better movies in Paramount's History.... hire a singing and dancing cast.... a large one... that does take offs of "Grease" and "Footloose" or "Flashdance" etc. These are proven time-honored classics that audiences always enjoy. It should be noted that Paramount Parks outsourced this show's production. It was not produced in-house. Frankly, the management of Paramount Parks should sue the production company for delivering them a load of crap. And hopefully they'll wise up and realize that today's audiences will not tolerate having their time wasted. The show also prooves that you should never rely on audience members to help "deliver" on stage. At both performances, the staff chose to involve teenagers in the on-stage demonstrations that really had no business being up there. They bottled up and froze on stage, not even being able to mutter their own names when asked. On top of that, they were so concerned with how they were being percieved by their friends in the audience that they wouldn't ham it up... which the show is desperately crying out for. One of the girls I saw got mad and threw the wig and glasses off during the Titanic demonstration at which the already dead show got it's final nail hammered into the coffin. If you are gonna involve the audience, choose little kids.... or adults that aren't shy. Offer them an incentive to go up there... like a prize or such so that the embarassment doesn't seem so great. I am amazed at how dumb the particpants are as well.... I wouldn't think that clip clopping coconuts together to make a horse sound would be such a difficult task... but apparently it is. Neither of the folks in the show I saw could understand that you needed to clap them on the countertop at different intervals. Rather they both clapped the halves together like clapping hands. Oy! As a side note, the Paramount Theatre is beautiful and I think that it's refurbishment was extremely well done. Kudos to the park for sinking much needed $ into the theatre. If it were me, I'd close the show and use the new high tech sound and projection system to show The Beast 25th Anniversary video a varying times during the day. It's is much more interesting and entertaining. Plus it enables those that do not have a wait at The Beast a chance to see it in it's entirety. Unless The Beast line is excruciatingly long..... like an hour... no one will ever see the whole Beast 25th movie. Shaggy

I am glad to hear someone else mention those pesky rocks left from the landscaping. I stepped on one at the Taz Typhoon on media day and boy did it smart! The theming of the area is fun and good, and they did a great job of improving the "look" of things. However if given the choice, I think I would: Add many more large trees to the area. Make a cut-through path from the Typhoon area back to the backside of the older area. Re-furb the old slides with new fiberglass. Add one more large raft/slide complex much like Zoombabwe at Holiday World. Add things to make the area seem more intimate. It still feels like a large, flat concrete area. I'd break up the concrete and add path that have bridges that cross small streams or ponds. Add large trees or a tall facade to the fencing around the borders of the waterpark to help disguise the fact that the parking lot is right there. Find a sponsor and give away free sunscreen at sunscreen stations. Finally, I would create an indoor seated resteraunt... and build it to look like the Sydney Opera House.

Psyclone at Wonderland was made by Mondial, not Intamin. It premiered 1 year prior to PKI's Delirium. It holds about 10 fewer people, I believe. It also has its seats arranged in more of an octagonal shape rather than a completely round ring like Delirium. Psyclone stands a few feet shorter, and takes longer to reach the ride's apex. From what I hear, the restraints are a bit more comfortable on Psyclone. Psyclone also has a far superior lighting package. Finally, Psyclone does not feature a "pie cut" flooring grid underneath it as does Delirium. Although they are essentially the same thing... I have always preferred PKI's "look" better. I always felt that Psyclone's carriage arm looks like a very large pencil. I also like Delirium's bold color scheme as opposed to the very muted grey color of Wonderland's. Shaggy

"Just because someone is differenet doesn't mean you should make fun of them. Yes I know its off topic but I find that post really disturbing." Get your heart off of your sleeve. I wasn't making fun of anyone. I was merely pointing out that obesity is the possibly the fastest growing disease right now. Those pictures simply prove how much of an epidemic it is. If I were making fun of people I would have called them names, which I do not do. Shaggy

Did you know that a national survey found that Ohio has a higher rate of obsesity than any other area in North America? It's true. For proof, simply look at the people in that waterpark. It's really a shame. Shaggy

I am sure that the fountain's water comes from the park's main water source just like Congo and the waterpark. They are simply tapped into Mason's water main. The fountains have a recirculating/filtering pump located in the room under the International Street Bandstand. The fountains are simply treated like a large swimming pool. How do I know all of this? Just little things I observe and have picked up over the years. None of it is really "insider" info, and all is pretty much observable when you spend a lot of time at the park. Shaggy

The "pond" that Congo Falls and Wild Thornberries are situated in are simply man-made concrete pools. The water that flows through the rides is pumped into the pools from a main water source just the same as the waterslides in the waterpark. There are no fish or living things in these pools simply because the water is chemically treated. WWC is supplied by a man-made pond next to it's pumphouse. This pond water is also treated. It would be unsanitary to operate the ride with regurgitated and un-treated water. However the overflow pond that WWC uses is not a concrete pool. It is literally a pond dug into the ground. That causes the water to be more stream-like and less pure as that in the other water attractions. The reason WWC has it's own resevior pond, is because it is not situated "over" a pool like the other rides. Instead it is a long downhill trough that ends much lower in the ground than the starting origin point. Because of this, a seperate water supply source was dug nearby to supply the water pumps with enough water to cycle through the ride. Did you know that WWC can drain within a minute or two should someone hit the E-stop button on the ride? It only takes whatever time for the water to completely run downhill in the trough. When the pumps shut off, all water in the trough flows to it's lowest point.... and back into the nearby pond. Shaggy

"They operated off and on for the 1999 season, but have been closed since then. " Are you positive about that Maestro? I was on Beast's crew in 1999, and distinctly recall on Dry Run day there was a lot of buzz about the Rivertown Side of 'Tiques being closed for good. The Rivertown side never opened on any of the days I worked that season, and the former crews were shuffled off to the other side or transferred to other attractions. I think it's final day of operation may have been the final day of park operation in 1998. Shaggy

Wow.... I really love caustic comments. It is on topic you know.... Shaggy

The voices come from various persons that have worked at/for KI through the years. The female "Ladies and Gentlemen, in just 15 minutes Paramount's Kings Island is proud to present..." voice is that of a professional voice-over artist contracted by Paramount Park's corporate office. She does many of entertainment's various show announcements for most Paramount Parks. As rides have been added through the years, various rides managers have been utilized to record automated speels. Such as Nate, who did record the "Welcome back Son of Beast Riders" speel. Prior to their dismantling, both Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal and King Cobra utilized the same voice of a former Rides Manager for their lift speel... Beast still uses that same voice on lift #2. "Caution... " Jeff Siebert has been doing more and more recordings for the park over the years. His voice can be heard delivering the the no-smoking blurb on newer rides such as Delirium and Son of Beast, and other various rides in Action Zone like Top Gun. His voice also is heard delivering the warning speel on SOB "Son of Beast is a high speed, turbulent roller coaster....." Again, some rides and attractions in the park use professional voice overs for theming purposes. Tomb Raider is a great example. There are several pre-recorded messages used for the que or in case of a shut down. Those feature a female, Laura-Croft esqe voice. Other good examples are: Adventure Express which utilized a voice-over artist to record the themed speels such as "The Transcontinental Express...." Flight of Fear which utilized voice over artists to record the exterior hanger announcements. And who could forget Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle as well as Scooby Doo's Ghoster Coaster which utilize the voice talents of Scott Innes, who is one of the two current official voices of the Scooby Doo characters. As a matter of fact, many of the Nick and HB rides all use speels recorded by the varoius voice-over artists that supply the character's voices for the cartoons themselves. Shaggy

"Well Winterfest was bacically a winter celebration started in '73 (a year after italianchef was born). PKI stated it to be a winter wonerland for years to come, but sadly Winterfest ended in '93 or '94. " Bzzzzzzzzzzt... wrong answer. Kings Island started Winterfest in 1982 and it ran for exactly 10 years until 1992. Winterfest premiered as part of the park's 10th anniversary. The year that the event began was also the same year that the Festhaus opened (as well as Timberwolf Amphitheater which premiered much earlier in the season.) The Festhaus construction was finished just in time for the first Winterfest. Festhaus took the place of the Bavarian Beetle (Schwarzkopf Galaxy coaster) and Rotor (spinning floor-drop ride) which were both former Cincinnati Coney Island rides. These opened with KI but were dismantled and scrapped early in the 1981 season for construction. 1992, the last year that the park operated without the Paramount name, was the final year of the event. When Paramount took over, the concept was deemed as unnecessary and the park felt it's novelty had worn off. Also, the event was not the draw it had once been, and was not a money maker by any means. Admission, if I am not mistaken, was only in the $5-7 range. I distinctly recall attending the last Winterfest simply because at the time Top Gun was under construction. (Well that and the fact that I have never been so cold in all of my life.) Of course you couldn't get anywhere near the coaster construction, however there were coaster parts in the parking lot and the intrigue about the new ride and the new "Paramount" name was quite great. Once Winterfest was discontinued, all props, decorations and even the ice rink refrigeration units were sold or donated to outside sources. Very few rides operated during Winterfest. The event was not about rides, rather it was a themed holiday festival heavy on shows, decorations and crafts. Some indoor rides, and tame rides near International Street did operate through the years. Those included: The Enchanted Voyage, Smurf's Enchanted Voyage, Phantom Theatre (final Winterfest only) Carousel, Kings Island and Miami Valley Railroad, antique cars, and a few HB rides. The Eiffel Tower did not operate. The event did feature horse-drawn carriage and buggy rides though the park. One of the biggest highlights was the infamous "Scrooge's House" where unsuspecting guests were barraged with insults by a mean spirited scrooge puppet. Guests loved it, and it was one of the big draws of the event every year. Scrooge's house was situated just in front of the International Showplace. For Winterfest, KI only utilized International Street HB and a very small portion of Rivertown (train area only) and Octoberfest (Festhaus area only.) All other areas were blocked off from the public. The paths were simply cut off by rows of decorated trees and tall wooden fencing. A bit of trivia about Winterfest: A common misconception is that Kings Island "froze" the International Street Fountains and allowed ice skating on them. This is completely untrue. In all actuality, the fountains had steel scaffolding placed in them and the entire fountain area was covered with sturdy platforms. The ice rink was then constructed on top of the platforms. The platforms had cut out areas where each pedistal resides so skaters "skated around" them. Since the pedistals remained in place, many thought that the park had simply "fozen" the fountains. When in all actuality, the drained fountains lied a few feet below the rink. Also, the skating rink did not stretch the entire length of the fountain area, rather it only took up about 1/2 of the space. You entered the skate rental area at the front of International Street, and because the rink sat on platforms above the fountains, it was parallel with the midway, not sunken down. Another fun bit of trivia about the event... in preperation for Winterfest, PKI had their grounds crew spend day after day hand picking off each and every leaf from all the trees on International Street prior to stringing lights. Shaggy

It's all subjective. Personally, I count it as one... as does PKI. I decided to only count it as one based on the fact that it shares the same overall structure, follows essentially the same path on both sides, and most importantly the name of the ride is singular... not plural. Shaggy

But here's the real question.... is the retraction mechanism on the outside of the train? Beastie's has it's belts adhered to the side of the train and the belt goes through a slot in the side of the car over the passenger. This means that guests have a hard time reaching them, and if the belt retracts too much, it has to be re-threaded back through the slot. Tick tock... tick tock... tick tock.... Shaggy