CoastersRZ

The site is back up. Not really much more to see since the batch of updates last week. At least they are finally keeping us all up to date on the progress! Thanks PKI! On a side note, I find it strange that they have not unvieled their 2005 Gold pass hodler perks yet. Any one else notice this too? It is hard to believe that in a little more than a month the park will be almost ready for another season already!

What is supposed to be built on the PKI Campground is a Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park resort/hotel. There is currently an operating Great Wolfs up in Sandusky, right by the Steak `N` Shake and Meijer. Great Wolf recently went public and made quite a lot of money for new resorts with its IPO.

I don`t know if Great Wolf Lodges has set a date to begin construction. Last I heard is that PKI and Great Wolf were finalizing details. (IE working out if Great Wolfs would own or lease the land and other things along those lines.)

Wow, they are really updating there website frequently now. It is looking good.

But given a larger budget, I`m sure that Paramount Parks Design and Entertainment could come up with rides on the same caliber as Disney. But, because PKI and Cincinnati are not destination locations, they are not going to sink the same type of capital into new themed attractions, simply because they won`t receive a return on their investment.

Except the light rail is not going to be a subway system. Instead, it is going to be an above ground train, that for the most part runs on existing lines with some modifications.

Yes, Paramount does seem to hype rides into being more intensively themed than what they really are. But the bottom line is it brings in guests to the park, with a majority of them probably not having been to Disney or Universal for comparison. Compared to Six Flags or Cedar Fair, TR:TR and the soon to be Italian Job are more heavily themed than anything found in those chains. But if you have been to a Disney or Universal park, PKI and other Paramount Parks pale in comparison to the level of detail in the theming for the reasons described above. Owe it to the great marketing team for pulling in people to the park with these rides, which are unique to the region, but no where near the level of detail as what they claim it to be.

Not to mention that since the hotel is literaly right next door to the park. It is not like Disney World where there is a big lake around the Magic Kingdom and the parking complex is a couple miles from the entrance to the Kingdom. And their resorts are fairly spread out. Not to mention the cost of a monorail. Now if the light transit line is ever built as has been tossed around, there could end up being a light rail transit line from the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky International Airport following I-71 all the way up to Paramount`s Kings Island. But because of funding issues the light rail line, it it ever comes to fruition, is still ten years out at the earliest.

Top Gun was painted for the Action Zone make over in 1999. Personally, I liked it better when the track was red as opposed to the silver color it is now.

First of all, it is not a tunnel, it is a tarp. Second of all, it is on the bottom of the first drop, not the approach to the loop. Third, what does adding a tunnel have to do with people dying because of the g-forces? Nice pictures Gabriel. It doesn`t look like the Eiffel Tower has been painted much, other than on its four supports on the bottom.

I don`t know how much lift systems cost or how much maintenance is required, but I would imagine their would be more maintenance witht the lifting mechanism and holding mechanism than with chain lifts. Not to mention that I would assume it costs more than traditional lifts.

Scooby Doo takes up pretty much the entire space that is used by that building. However, there is the old enchanted theater, which is now used for storage. I do not think that PKI will remove Taxi Jam anytime in the near future. That is one ride that I can see staying at PKI for years to come, because it is the first coaster most kids can ride, and the fact that the drop is only 8 feet doesn`t scare them too much.

Yes, it does not have a Rivertown feel. But the ride is not located in the heart of Rivertown, (The Beast, Tomb Raider, The Train and White Water Canyon). Yes, it is sad to see the classics leave the park. I think a classic flats package could do quite well, install one next to Island Treats, one on the previous Flight Commander site and one between Flight of Fear, Racer and Adventure Express. I don`t see the park adding classic flat rides in the near future though. Their recent flat additions have been major, multimillion installations.

Well from what I hear, the height requirement for IJST may be the same as Runaway Reptar, The Racer and Adventure Express, at 44". While not the same family friendly ride that Tiques or Eagles were, it is still more family friendly and more geared to non-thrill seekers than most of the Action Zone thrillers.

I realize that the Picnic Groves make a lot of money for the park. (Group Sales and Picnics are huge at Coney. On weekends, picnics far outwiegh the pop wristbands and member wristbands.) But there is not really that much room to expand, unless they remove the water maze and the Nick Theater. I agree that it would be pointless to have two Top Gun themed rides at the park. That being said, they could theme the ride to a different theme instead of removing Top Gun. i agree that the length of Top Gun`s queue, a top notch ride from B&M or Intamin that would attract lines worthy of the long queue would be good. I just don`t see it going anywhere in the next ten years.

Yeah, from the pictures, it looks like the station is more towards where the old Antique Car station was. It would definantly help liven up that path if they make the entrance to the ride there. That path has been dead for a long time since they closed that side of the `Tiques down and removed Salt Water Circus and the bridge across Swan Lake that connected between Wings and Oscars (where the tiny stage is at at). I definantly think IJST will be one fun ride.

I believe that the Addams Family attractions never materialized because of some sort of issue about the license. Not sure exactly what. As far as Soundwave goes, they probably did not include MTV in the survey because they were testing the ideas and not possible tie ins. (Although most of the other rides had Paramount Movie tie ins.) MTV is still owned by Viacom, which for now, still owns Paramount Parks. Soundwave could just be a retheme of Flight of Fear, although why mess with something that already has a pretty decent theme? I could definantly see Spongebob Boating School and a Nicktoons Carwash coming to Nick Central at PKI in 2006. The question would be what is removed for these new attractions? Something has to be removed, whether it be the Nickelodeon Theater/meet and greet and/or part of the picnic groves. I think that PKI ould recieve one of those coasters in 2007, but that is two years out, and a lot can happen in two years, although I`m sure they are beginning to plan for 2007 attractions now. Why does everyone want Top Gun to be removed? The park has plenty of land to add another new coaster on. Why would people want the park to remove another ride, adding to the list of recently removed rides?

Yeah, I took the survey last night. There were several things on it that are already at PKI, and at the other Paramount Parks, or that will be debuting at Paramount Parks this season. I for one would like to see a Top Gun inverted coaster, but I doubt that PKI will get another inverted or suspended coaster. I think the Spongebob Boating School could be a very real possibility in the next couple of seasons. While the tilt Coaster looked cool, I don`t know how exciting of a layout it would have beyond the initial drop. It would almost be like a one trick pony. Definantly a very interesting survey, to say the least.

I wouldn`t mind smokers in the park. But what I do mind is when they are smoking in lines, or in some of the outdoor eating places and I have to smell and breathe it in. I too believe, that banning smoking in the park, except for a few select spots (like in Boomerang Bay or Holiday World) will happen eventually, it is just a matter of time.

I personally like Delirium`s colors better. In part because they seem to be brighter. As far as the actual ride experience, it will be the same, and I`m sure the GP up at Cedar Point will like it as much as the GP at Kings Island. That there is one reason CP is installing it, because of all the positive feedback Kings Island received after installing Delirium.

No, to my knowledge XLR8R is still open. It would be cool to ride Top Gun backwards. I do not think PKI will ever do this though.

I think the Happy Days Diner theme would fit well with Coney Mall and the new Italian Job Stunt Track. The only question is, is how much work are they actually going to do to Preston T. Tucker`s since it is already themed to a car service station?

Well, I do know that this ride will have seperate load and unload stations, so presumably, like on Flight of Fear, you will exit from the same side of the train from which you board, unlike the other major coasters at PKI. Also, I would imagine that one side of the bridge would be for the exit and one side for the queue line, although the majority of the queue line with all switchbacks will have to be before the bridge. Hopefully, the track coming through the sign will be visible from the midway as that would be a great photo op for people!

Well, it is nice to see the ride at Carowinds. At least a whole new set of people can enjoy them at their new home! Unlike the Antique Cars, RIP. Italian Job will create new memories for Kings Island visitors now! And from the pictures I`ve seen, IJST looks like it will be one fun ride!

I wonder if PKI and the other Paramount Parks will introduce the same general no smoking in the park rule that PKD is implementing this year.