Oldiesmann

Got my reservation for 11:30 on the 4th. Will be meeting my sister, brother-in-law and nieces there. Will be interesting to see how well it works and also how long the lines for Orion get.

I worked at the main Dippin' Dots stand at The Beach in the summer of 2006 and at the Donut Shop (in the Blue Ash Chili stand) during Holidayfest that winter. It was definitely a unique place, though I only went that one summer (went with my family using free tickets I got for working there). The people who ran things were nice and it definitely had quite a fan base (helped by a big season pass sale late in the season I'm sure - season passes purchased then were good for the rest of the current season, Holidayfest and the entire next season also including Holidayfest). I'm not sure what their financial situation was like back then, but I enjoyed my time working there. The only thing that kept me from returning was the cost of gas - commuting 20-something miles each way in a minivan wasn't cheap.

All we know is what the park has said. It sounds more like a decision made by someone out of touch with reality, or a weird money-saving attempt. It'll be interesting to see how they do once this pandemic stuff is over - especially the big events like Balloon Glow and Fire Up The Night (both of which were canceled this year in the wake of the pandemic)

Another retro KI video from Coasterbob...

Die-hard KI Entertainment fans should be pretty familiar with that song. It was used in a Peanuts-themed ice skating show in the KI theater years ago.

Much more info here... https://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/article242744196.html

PKI in October of its final year as a Paramount park, also from CoasterBob62

Nice throwback video from @CoasterBob62

There used to be one of those hanging on the wall at a place called Red Balloon Play+Cafe (combination coffee shop and children's play area that my sister and I took my nieces to several times). They're moving to a new location at some point but I don't know if they'll take that sign with them.

On top of that we're in the midst of a global pandemic that will have a huge impact on the theme park industry as a whole (we just don't know exactly how big at the moment given that we don't know when this will end). Who would want to take over as CEO just to have to deal with that mess?

This could be interesting for the park. On one hand, a lot of people won't have as much discretionary spending money available once all is said and done, but on the other hand, a lot of people will also be looking for things to do once everything goes back to normal (as much as possible), so we could see an increase in amusement park attendance in the long run.

I believe the train station was near where Frisch's is now. Having lived in Northside all my life I remember the cool old streetcar maintenance facilities. They were later converted into warehouses before being demolished in the 90s. They were partly located where Advance Auto Parts is now.

Indiana Beach is the only park within 3½ hours of Cincinnati that I hadn't made it to yet. I planned to finally remedy that this year when GOCC announced that they were going to hold their Mid Summer Scream event there recently, but I guess I won't make it there now. It's a shame as I'd heard good things about that park.

The interesting thing with Fire Up the Nite being held in early June this year is that they've used the pool area for special activities during that event in prior years. It will be interesting to see how they handle that this year.

The Ferris Wheel went to someone in the DC suburbs. Check out the "Historical Amusement Park Flat Rides" group on FB for more info

I'm still wondering what Coney will be like for big events like Balloon Glow and especially Fire Up the Nite. The rides have always been a big draw at both events (and a reason to get there early to beat the crowds). With the pool being closed by the time Fire Up the Nite occurs, there's not going to be much for anyone to do before the fireworks start.

I've been twice, most recently on the way home from Virginia back in July (the trip from Richmond to Cincinnati takes you right through Huntington and they'd added a new coaster since I had last visited, so of course I had to stop). Fun little park.

I almost always stay at the Knights Inn in Sandusky for CP. It's close, affordable, etc. When I went to Waldameer I stayed in Erie though.

Can we turn off the countdown thingy at the top now that Winterfest is over?

Here's the tweet for those who don't want to go looking for it

Fox8 out of Cleveland says 10 animals lost their lives in the fire - 3 bongos, 3 giraffes, 3 red river hogs and 1 springbok, with a zebra escaping the blaze. https://fox8.com/2019/11/28/crews-battling-blaze-at-african-wildlife-safari-park/

Sad news from northern Ohio tonight. For those unfamiliar, this is about 5 miles northwest of downtown Sandusky (across the bay) and about 10-15 minutes east of Port Clinton. https://www.13abc.com/content/news/Ottawa-Co-Sheriff-Fire-at-African-Wildlife-Safari-animals-trapped-565588662.html I visited in 2017 and it was definitely a cool experience.

They already have at least one of those installed - Clockworkz at Luna Park in Coney Island, NY. Looks like a lot of fun.

They already had a bargain on passes under original ownership (prior to their initial closure) - towards the end of the season they had a BOGO sale on season passes which also included unlimited access for the remainder of the current season, plus Holiday Fest. This includes the year that Paramount brought Winterfest back but still required passholders to pay. I think with some updates and better marketing they could have succeeded longer.

Keep in mind that the closure of the rides was announced suddenly. It may be more that KI/CF didn't have time to plan the acquisition of any former Coney rides. They'd have to account for it budget-wise and also figure out where they were going to put the rides, and that assumes they don't need major maintenance. I believe the Flying Bobs was a portable model anyway, which wouldn't fit well at KI. Not sure about Tilt-a-Whirl.