Oldiesmann

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.

I worked at The Beach as the main Dippin' Dots guy in 2006 and later at their donut shop during Holiday Fest. It was a fun place and definitely unique compared to KI's water park (real sand, lots more trees, a bit more variety, etc.), though I never did make it back there following the 2006 season except for a visit for Beach Mountain with several other KICers several years ago. I was a bit surprised to hear of their financial troubles but hoped that the new ownership in 2012 would take care of the park. It seems they completely forgot about it as well.

According to RCDB, Python was relocated to Coney Island from Splash Zone Waterpark in Wildwood, New Jersey. It only started there in 1996 though so who knows what history it has beyond that.

In light of Six Flags Great Adventure's "Polar Coaster Challenge" (ride Nitro in shorts and a short-sleeve shirt, optionally with hats and gloves, in December), FYE Coasters is doing a similar event with Mystic Timbers on December 13th... https://www.facebook.com/events/968790716839078/ (Note that, unlike the one at SFGAdv, this is not sanctioned or sponsored by the park in any way). Paging @malem...

Skyline. No contest.

Apparently Dollywood has been using the classic Peanuts song "Christmas Time is Here" in a Christmas show for several years without proper licensing... Lee Mendelson, who co-wrote the song, has had enough. https://www.tmz.com/2019/10/09/dollywood-sued-peanuts-charlie-brown-christmas-time-is-here/

I would imagine Disney is trying to do damage control and downplay the severity of this incident given the buzz that's been surrounding this attraction, but it's definitely far more serious than they're trying to say.

This photo has been floating around various articles/FB as well. I'm not sure where it originated.