fryler87

Where the hell else could they build? The only practical places not inhabited by trees over 60 feet tall are 1) the Antique cars, 2) between Top Gun and the Campground and 3) that oddly treeless area just east of Flight of Fear.

Amen to the funnel cakes...I got Sweet and Sour Chichen from Mandarin and I have to say, I wasn't terribly impressed. Then again, I live south of Dayton, where us folk are spoiled with possibly the best Chinese food in the state of Ohio.

Those look VERY similiar to Dragster's support beams. Once track arrives, we'll know in a heartbeat who's building it. I'll believe that it is an Intamin Rocket model; my question is this: Why invest in such a coaster when previous installations have been having mechanical problems?

Isn't the resort in Sandusky called Great Bear Lodge? Maybe a name change occured; when our family went to Cedar Point last year, I believe it was Bear rather than Wolf. Maybe this has something to do with the "Big Announcement." I haven't heard anything at all about this new resort for King's Island from anywhere.

I can't agree with you more. I haven't ridden (forwards) Racer since 2000 or 2001. Once you go back, you can never go back (?). To me, recaR seems quite smooth for a woodie (except during the cooler mornings on The Beast).

People were saying the EXACT same thing when Gemini broke the record for the world's tallest coaster back in 1978. Not even a decade later, the Point brought the record back with Magnum - 205 feet in height. Millie came out in 2000 at a height of 310 ft, and Dragster opened in '03 standing 420 ft. tall. With few practical limits (money being the main one), the sky is the limit.

I'll put my money on this here bet: World's Tallest Roller Coaster breaks record for 2007 season. Coaster built by either Intamin themselves, B&M (after they push their envelope) or S&S (the better choice with Intamin). It's 500 feet tall and utilizes a launching mechanism.

I was at the park today, but missed the parade. It got pretty crowded in the early afternoon, but did seem less filled after 5:00. Track Record for 7/28/04: Delirium: 3 Tomb Raider: 1 Flight of Fear: 2 The Beast: 3 Recar: 7 Racer: 0 Top Gun: 1 Vortex: 1 AE: 2 Son of Beast: 0 (Hey, I've got four stitches in my back; I can't do everything.) With the parade and all the "Hollywoodizing" going on in the park, I caught myself thinking, "Wow, this reminds me of Disney." The question: is that a good thing? Yes, yes it is.

I just like the sexy roaring sounds all B&Ms produce. B&M does have the invert advatage over Intamin when it comes to custom designs. However, it seems as if B&M hasn't built an invert in a while...oh wait...there's that dang Silver Bullet they're putting up out west. Intamin has built very full circuit inverts, but their shuttle impulse inverts seem to have popped up everywhere. I can see how one can say that B&M hasn't been doing as well as they were in the mid to late nineties, however their track record (BA HA HA!! TRACK RECORD...) has shown that their products are sure crowd-pleasers. Come on now, when was the last time YOU went on any Bolliger and Mabillard installation and came off dissatisfied or in serious pain? If B&M doesn't open up (like a few of you have been saying) and start to push their own envelope, they probably will have a more difficult time finding business in the future.

I'm proud that King's Island did quite well overall. Scooby Doo racked up a few points if I may say so. It's more than satisfying to see our home park as one of the top ten parks (in the world?) along with Disney parks, Cedar Fair's flagship park and Six Flags' flagship park. Go PKI!!! By the way...I loved how The Bat and King Cobra were on the list for "Rides we wish were brought back"

I would be. Most parks don't have the amount of money that thrill parks like King's Island, Six Flags Magic Mountain (or a few other Six Flags parks) or Cedar Point have to throw around. Many smaller parks cannot afford big, flashy rides that break records. However, just one or two people-eating coasters built by Arrow, Bolliger and Mabillard or Intamin AG will really boost a park's revenue. This may make little sense to someone, but it makes sense to me. Over time, parks will continue to break records (such as height), but there won't be three 400+ ft. tall installations over the next two years. That would be like waaaaay too much rollercoaster inflation (like the economy). You want a little inflation over periods of time, but not too much, or everything will be ruined. I strongly agree with Punk; just give B&M some time. They're still a fairly young company. I see B&M still being a major player in the thrill industry for many years to come. Just some more thoughts.

I'm not totally sure if I agree with this. Bolliger and Mabillard is NOT going to lose a lot of business soon. Yes, B&M is what I call more of a traditional coaster company, in that they (from what I understand and believe) have not installed a coaster with a launch feature (Hulk is the question). They can build big, fast coasters with fantastic airtime and design - not to forget how silky smooth they ride and that orgasmic roaring noise they make. I would be temporarily and mildly surprised if B&M installed a coaster with a launch feature (not one of those someone-else-built-the-launch numbers). I would also be temporarily and mildly surprised if B&M installed a coaster that was well above 300 feet tall. They have designed and installed several coasters nearly 250 feet tall, but none taller. Just a few words from a man who thinks he knows nothing.

They're probably going to screw with our brains and on one of the prospected dates say, "We have a BIG announcement to make about next year!!!" (lots of chatter and murmuring) "The announcement for 2005 will be on August (insert your favorite date here)!!!"

Homey - when I said money talks, I meant that with enough money, someone will do it. Hell, that's even what I said. I didn't say that for enough money, B&M would do it. My apologies if I confused you.

And the foot fungus flavor is all natural!!

In our world today, money talks. Simple as that. If Six Flags Great America has the space and money, then I'm going to bet that one coaster company is going to be there to help push the envelope. I can't wait until a park builds something that beats out Top Thrill Dragster. It's always exciting to see records broken and new technology brought to the public. Does anyone remember when Flight of Fear opened? That generated a LOT of hype with the introduction of Linear Induction Motors. Bigger than Top Thrill Dragster? I doubt next year, but maybe in 2006 or 2007.

According to Cedar Point's web site, Top Thrill Dragster's excavation began very early April and the footers were also being formed in April. In September, the first steel part of the coaster was installed. Therefore, I suppose a steel coaster certainly isn't out of the question, however if that is what the park is installing for 2005, we should see at least some work being done on it come August. I'm still holding my money out for either an International Street revamp (not very likely) or the Huss flat that we're apparently getting. It's just time, now.

This is confusing to me. I can understand that wooden coasters may take more time to construct becuase they use a much more intricate structure. I can also believe that a steel coaster can go up more quickly (under certain conditions - size is the biggest control variable). However, if you say that footers would probably have to be done now, wouldn't land for the coaster have to be at least started to be prepped by now?

I said something along the lines of that a few weeks ago - if the park is going to build a coaster for 2005, they 1) Would have started already or 2) Would have to break ground soon and REALLY push construction through the winter. A flat does seem like the logical route to take. I wouldn't be suprised at all if the park build a Huss Giant ride right where Eurobungee used to be. Traffic doesn't seem to be congested there.

Althought it is a quite interesting twist on the Antique Cars going bye-bye rumor, I wouldn't count on it happening for 2005. I'm sticking to my opinion that there will be no coaster for next year. As for another world-class non-coaster ride, I'll buy this. King's Island already has the two best flats in the WORLD. Why not add another to their dynamite line-up? Another Huss Flat? I'll believe that!

My apologies for making statements about a ride without fact. However, in my eyes, it would just make more sense to me to make the whole ride symmetrical from a cross section down the middle. Yes I have been on Tomb Raider maybe 7 or 8 times before, however I haven't been able to ride it this year due to its downtime. The only thing about the gondola (thanks for the answer, people) and loading it that I've noticed is that some rows are not used while others are. As for parts of rows not being used, I've never seen this before; however like I said, if the park has just started doing this this year, then that would explain why I've never seen it happen before. Next time, I will look and will look hard.

I agree that no coaster should ever be built and not be opened. I'm not sure where they got the speed statistic from. According to RCDB, the park was opened in late 1982 with a few coasters, and the park built a few more in the '83 and '84 season. There was some kind of scandal during the construction of the park, and the park was not properly finished, however RCDB says that the park operated from 9/21/1982 to 11/10/2003. Apparently, the government runs/owns the park and it was supposed to be re-opened just two Saturdays ago (7/10) after being closed for several months for "mainenance reasons." On this particular Intamin installation, there are no inversions.

It may just be the age difference between you and I. I'm "only" 17 and many of the other PKI employees are about my age. If I worked at the park and was 17, I probably wouldn't be asking a 30-something year old how their day at the park was going, simply because of the age difference. There's nothing much more to it. That's my honest opinion.

No coaster; all of the toilets will be replaced throughout the park and every men's restroom will be themed. All of the women's restrooms will be receiving new leather furniture. I thank you.

Not to be offensive, but that has to be one of the dumbest things I've ever heard about and King's Island ride. I'm sure that Huss had ZERO intention of making one arm weighing more than the other. I do respect the comment on the arms having to be perfectly aligned, though. Electric motors rotate the arms from either side and if they get just the slightest bit off, the whole "thing" will be misaligned, resulting in serious mechanical chaos. By the way, what is the correct term for the big thing where all the people sit on Tomb Raider? Is it called a car?