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is actually the most prominent thing on the park's skyline, even from CityWalk. The castle itself isn't that tall, but the "mountain" that it's sitting on is above the treeline in and of itself. Strangely, the show building is entirely visible from Jurassic Park, a big tan building similar to The Crypts... I hope they at least paint it green and cover it in vines...

Tucked away in a back corner of the park is The Mystic Fountain... And while it doesn't look like much, I'd wager that it was Cody's favorite part of the trip - he kept wanting to go back to it. And really, it's another of those things at Islands that I'm very impressed with primarily because it's not marketed, it creates no revenue, but 10 years after opening, it's still running at tip top shape. Essentially, you approach the fountain, ask it questions, talk to it, etc. Some think it's a computer, some think it's a man in a booth with a camera, others think it's magic. All I know is, it's fun. And when you make it mad... The fountain is rigged with hundreds of nozzles, most hidden, which attack unsuspecting visitors. And with so many fountains pointing every which way, it can fire just one shot and hit anyone, anywhere within a fifteen foot radius. It's a marvel, and a lot of fun to talk to - especially when it mocks Ohio. And across from the fountain, this unassuming little back-alley has a fountain, just for the sake of those who decide to walk down it for no apparent reason. Another detail the likes of which I've only seen at DisneySea. Photo credit. Mythos, located across from Poseidon's Fury, is an impressive structure with an even more impressive record: Nine years as the best theme park restaurant. I'm not sure who awarded it (Golden Tickets?) but from what I've heard, it's a general consensus sort of thing, as well. I've never eaten there, but the entrees were between $9 - $13 on the menu, so it's far from expensive when compared to the park's other food options, and word on the street is, during the summer those prices are worth it for the air-conditioning alone. Walking to the quiet, waterfall-laden cove behind the restaurant, one notices that the building is "held up" by this Atlas figure - again, that's on the back of the restaurant, visible only when looking across the Great Inland Sea from Toon Lagoon. And it's as beautiful inside as it is out. Photo credit. Though it's long gone, torn down to make way for Hogsmeade, I greatly miss (and will thus pay homage to) The Enchanted Oak Tavern, located in the forest of Merlinwood across from Dueling Dragons. The tavern / smokehouse restaurant was, as the name implies, a giant tree that seemed to form the grizzled face of Merlin himself. Photo credit. Silly as it is (I told you how I loved the emotional stuff), this was perhaps my favorite detail of Islands of Adventure - the Oak was literally feeding water out of the Great Inland Sea. I always thought of it as a stab at Animal Kingdom's Tree of Life. I know it wasn't, but a giant tree, and then a dead stump of a giant tree... It's sort of cool. Photo credit. Though it, too, has fallen to the might of the Wizarding World, this original entrance to Dueling Dragons was another incredible thing about the park. Notably, each of the ride's three dueling points could be seen between the two dragons' mouths if viewed from a different angle. Quick aside: For those who don't know, Dueling Dragons had easily one of the longest and most unnecessary queue lines in the world, entering into a castle and passing through the dungeons, towers, stables, caverns, etc. all to get to the station. Luckily, much of it is staying for Potter (or so it would seem, since the castle is closed for renovation with Harry Potter construction signs within the still-visible parts). But the intimidation of passing between the dragons was a superb effect, and only after a good 5 - 10 minute stroll through the gardens (frozen and burnt, of course) of the castle did you finally make it over the drawbridge. All in all, I'd say the walk (full speed, no waiting) took between 8 and 12 minutes - quite a lot of walking when you think about it. The wait is worth it, though. Universal really went out of their way on every bit of this ride. The trains, in particular, are incredible. The shoulder restraints in each front row are pink, as if they're the dragon's tongues, while every row following is blue (or green for the fire dragon). Really looking at the Jurassic Park section of the park gives you a good idea of how lacking of rides the park is. The entire area, the whole, multi-million dollar themed section, contains only the Jurassic Park River Adventure - the same ride that Universal Studios Hollywood has in its regular old Lower Lot. But at Islands of Adventure, it's more than that. Camp Jurassic, the kids play area, has the king of all low capacity rides, Pteradon Flyers, there's the Discovery Center (modeled after the one from the movie - kids and pre-teens could have a lot of fun here), and a few restaurants. It wouldn't hurt if they added the much-rumored Jeep Tours that have been "on the drawing board" from the parks opening. I can see how Islands fans have been pushing for a River Adventure renovation. The ride is cool, yes, but it's hardly as incredible as it was when it opened (you know, back when there was a different "Islands of Adventure - Most Technologically Advanced Park On Earth" show on the Discovery Channel every week). Islands' has always been at a budget-cut sort of disadvantage compared to Hollywood's, featuring something like 5 less dinosaurs, a sort of cheap, lame effect to replace one of better ones at Hollywood, a worse finale, etc. But the ride is truly in dire need of some TLC. The big musical crescendo as the giant doors open is met with a motionless dinosaur who doesn't even begin to move til you've been looking at him frozen for a good ten seconds, the dino skins have very little color left and can be seen blowing in the wind (remember when those same Discovery Channel programs said the skins were changed once a month?). It's still an experience for first-timers, but no where near what it should or could be. The ever-necessary shot of Spider-Man! But I doubt that many also include that "5 Minute Wait" sign. The park was pretty dead, which made me feel bad about complaining about it closing at 6:00... By about 4:00 everything was a walk-on. I had forgotten, after so many rides on DarKastle, how intense this ride really was. I knew DarKastle was toned down for families and such, but man, Spider-Man is violent! About as shaky as I remember, but still, pretty shaky! I mean, it was great though - it was perfect. I like actually believing the motion. They say the film projection vs. physical sets on DarKastle is 90/10 and Spiderman is like, 60/40. It's very true, and it's absolutely incredible. There's Hulk splashing down immediately out of the launch. One thing this picture really makes me think of - Islands of Adventure needs a nighttime show... With a giant Sea in the center of the park, you'd think they'd have at least some fountains and lights installed, and with a soundtrack composed specifically for the park, you might as well synchronize the fountains, shoot off a few fireworks and go counter clockwise around the park musically, highlighting each area... I don't know. It would take a lot fo work at this point (see World of Color at DCA) but it would be pretty cool! Ah, then there's Toon Lagoon! Another strange choice for a park area, in my opinion, but it works! I mean, folks don't usually have a favorite comic strip when offered the ones here (all the comic strips that weren't taken by other parks - no Snoopy, no Garfield, etc.). This area, though, is just really fun! There wasn't much to do since "Popeye & Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges" was down for seasonal maintenance, and so was "Me Ship the Olive". ...And even though it was hovering around 40 that day, we decided to embark on Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls! I'm glad we did - it was a really, really fun flume ride. Probably one of my favorites. It was very well done and had some nice surprises. The beginning is in "black and white" so things are painted with that slightly-sepia gray and things transition to color... It was very cool, and had some surprisingly good (but simple) animatronics, not to mention what was easily one of the steepest slopes I've ever seen on a flume. Really. And that's saying something, since they went back and re-profiled it after the park's first year... Some of its effects weren't working (for example, the yellow "explosives shed" at the bottom of the drop and sent the boardwalk flying everywhere. It's one of those things that they just stopped using, and that will hopefully return in Screamscape's rumored 4 year renovation for Islands from 2011 to 2015. Ah, then there was the Comic Strip Cafe. One of three restaurants in Islands which offers Universal's Meal Deal - please, if you hear anything from the TR, hear this - the Universal Meal Deal is so worth it. Even today, the day after Universal switched to their much-feared U-Select ticket pricing, the Meal Deal is still $19.99 for one park - unlimited meals all day. Granted, it doesn't include drinks. But each time through the line (you can go through twice in 2 minutes if you want) you get an entree and a dessert. And honestly, it pays for itself so quickly. My chicken strip basket retailed for $8.69, plus a $2.99 dessert... That's over half the price of the meal deal in one sitting, and trust me, we ate three or four times that day. You get your choice of any entree on the menu and any desert (after a few days, you'll get sick of Lemon Cake, Chocolate Cake, a cookie, or jello, but regardless...) and it's honestly a fantastic deal. For $4.00 more you can get the 2-park Meal Deal, which opens it up to a total of 6-restaurants. That, too, is a superb deal: the reality is, during the middle of a day at the Studios, you don't want to have to walk all the way back to Seuss Landing to eat, and since Universal's tickets are upgrade to 2-park for $10 flat (not per day, just $10 period), you'll find yourself between the parks a lot. Toon Lagoon also has this sort of thing. We'll leave Islands of Adventure with this beautiful, mysterious, gigantic castle appearing magically up on the hillside. Only at Universal. Universal Studios, Busch Gardens & Disney World coming soon!

As you may know, or could easily guess, Universal's Islands of Adventure is my favorite theme park in terms of overall experience. Like many of the Florida theme parks, when you really break it down there's not much there: Three coasters, a stellar dark ride, a Drop Tower, three water rides, and shows. But of course, there's much more too it than that (as always). There's absolutely no question in my mind that Islands is the most well-themed park I've ever seen, and I'd venture to say it's the best themed in the Americas. Though I've never been, I've heard and seen incredible things of Tokyo DisneySea (and really, many overseas parks), but I truly know it's the most beautiful and detail-oriented park I've been to. Islands' version of Main Street U.S.A. is "Port of Entry", where seemingly all corners of the globe have come together to create a community. The detail is unbelievable: Just in the forefront of the picture, on the fudge sign, three camels rotate around, each striking the pipe beneath and playing different notes. Water runs everywhere, cats can be heard in apartments on the second level, lights flicker... It's too much to take in unless you spend a good half-day there. Really. Small details like the fire-brigade sign make all the difference in the world, and it's so incredibly appreciated by visitors like myself. I believe Interpreter said quite recently that Islands of Adventure was the single largest theme park investment in the United States? It's easy to see why. The thing I love the most about this park, is that many of its hardcore fans talk about how much it's lost luster and how some details are falling apart. But the casual observer (and even myself, a rigorous observer), it's still years ahead of any other park I've been to. It's not Disney... But that doesn't mean it's worse. Or better. It just had a completely different feel. It's not sickeningly clean like Epcot, or jungle-y like Animal Kingdom... It's just perfect for what it is. Even the park's lockers are so well-themed, you don't give them a second look. They feel very natural, very at home, and every detail down to the letting on the signs is thought out. Because I'm one of those sentimental sort of people, I love this aspect of the park. It's entered under a bridge that reads "The Adventure Begins." Then, upon leaving, you pass under the same bridge, engraved such that it reads "The Adventure Lives On." I don't know why, but it's just something about that that I really love, and it's the sort of emotional detail I'd include in my own park if I ever got the chance. Naturally, the Port of Entry Waterworks building is the restrooms. Even the park's emporium-style gift shop doesn't come across as gimmicky. It actually makes me want to buy something because they paid such delicate attention to the building... And trust me, all of these buildings are just as nice inside - these are not facades like the neighboring park. I'm actually a bit surprised no one had ever thought of using Seuss as a kid's area theme before? I imagine the fear was that it would be too young. But Seuss Landing works so incredibly well. From the bent palm trees (brought in from areas damaged by Hurricane Andrew) to the topsy-turvey stylings, the whole area actually does feel light-hearted. Far more fun, in my opinion, than the carnival style Fantasyland at that park down the road. Ah, the most controversial ride ever to exist at Islands of Adventure. Most people know the story, but for those who don't, the park was announced with the attraction "Sylvester McMonkey McBean's Unusual Driving Machines." For reasons I for one don't know, the ride never opened. It just never did. The tracks above Seuss Landing were there, but it never opened. No construction, no nothing. I hear once and a while, a train would go around with Seuss characters on it, waving. But other than that, no activity. Then one day, it just got a new sign (renamed "High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride") and opened. I'm not sure if there were new trains or anything. But it's one of only three rides added to the park since it opened (which is one of the bigger complains about the park - no expansion.) The Circus McGurkis Cafe Stoo-Pendous reminded me a LOT of a mini-Festhaus. But of course, it was way cooler... No offense to the Asian-food, Country-show, German-themed theater-restaurant-bathroom combo of Kings Island, of course... Though it was quite hard to get a good photo, this sort of shows you - a "trapeze artist" swings eternally back-and-forth above you, there's a big organ which plays crazy Seuss music, a seal balancing on balls, planes swirl around above you... And every few minutes, a Trolley comes through - I love when rides interact! And of course, the trolley narrates a line that will be stuck in my head for years - "The Circus McGurkis - the world's greatest show! On the face of the Earth, or wherever you go." Then, of course, there's the park's most well-themed, but slowly shrinking Island, The Lost Continent. It was originally divided into three mini-sections: Atlantis, Sinbad's Bazaar, and Merlinwood. Today, Merlinwood has been absorbed into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (I really wouldn't hate it if they came up with a more succinct name - Hogwarts Isle?) and the middle-eastern Sinbad's Bazaar is a dead end that contains only a stunt show... Not much of a draw. Unfortunately, Atlantis also contains only a show... So I guess this isn't the best Island anymore... Poseidon's Fury is really one great show, but also a tragic decline from its original... The first incarnation ran for only the first year of the park and featured Poseidon (bad guy) against Zeus (good guy). Your tour through the temple (a walkthrough) was narrated by an old man who called himself "The Keeper" who, of course, was revealed to be Zeus just as the right time. The new version features Poseidon (good guy, this time) versus his evil high priest, Lord Darkenon (bad guy, if the name didn't let you know...) and your tour is narrated by a young archaeologist and assistant to a highly regarded (and lost inside the temple) professor named Taylor (a boy or a girl! See how clever that is?!) Both versions feature a big finale showdown between the protagonist and antagonist in a giant chamber in which fire and water blast all over the place. The old version featured somewhat cheesy, but appropriate animated Poseidon & Zeus battling it out. The new version? Two old men in costumes that look a little bit like World of Warcraft champions. It's a bit laughable, the diaglogue is severely lacking (ex. "I will destroy you! I will destroy all! This battle began a thousand years ago - we will end it, here... Now!") and the character of Taylor adds a lot of humor where it doesn't belong. As a dramatic tour led by an old man telling legends, it worked. With a young tour guide making jokes at the attractions expense and generally removing all sense of urgency and realism, it quickly falls apart. Regardless, the building is beautiful. You really can't comprehend the scale until you're in front of it. But those arches are at least fifty feet high. People standing under them would be barely visible in this photo. You'll also notice the two large stone feet on either side... The pathway towards the building is a winding trail around all of the fallen pieces of Poseidon (the original, bad guy, animated Poseidon). Here's his head, laying on its side. Again, the scale is inconceivable from the photo, but its quite large. The giant arm of Poseidon is sort of the calling card of The Lost Continent. As a testament to its size, you can see a man in red and white standing underneath it. Again, they were not fooling around.

Hey everyone! So, I got back on Saturday from a week in Florida, visiting nearly every major park in the Orlando area! And I finally have all my photos organized from the trip (which is a miracle in and of itself) I'll post highlights and stuff, but it's my understanding that you don't have to be my Facebook friend or even have an account in order to view the full album of photos here. Also, please note, I am not a photographer. Not recreationally or professionally. I just took pictures for my own memories, so they're not exactly great. Let's start at the every beginning! As soon as getting off the plane, we made a bee-line for SeaWorld Orlando. This, of course, is because one of the most traumatic and frightening experiences of my life (you'll find that most things terrified me as a child, though) was Journey to Atlantis, the park's apparent answer to Splash Mountain. Our plane arrived on Saturday, the ride's last day of operation before going down for month-long maintenance (which I found, upon returning, is Blackstone's attempt to restore the grandeur of the ride that has since faded...) So anyways, we got to SeaWorld around 4:00PM (as the last day of their Christmas season sort of celebration, it was also the last day it was open 'til 9:00, so things really worked out okay). My first (and only) experience with the Orlando park was probably when I was 8 or 9. It was on that trip that I really started disliking going to amusement parks with my family, who forced me on everything, despite how much I cried or protested. The park is a little nicer in the light of day, and was [expectantly] more awe-inspiring than the former Ohio park. I wasn't entirely sure what to make of Manta. The queue line was incredible, that's for sure. And it was my first B&M flying coaster. I've sort of begun to understand myself as a "B&M fanboy," mostly because I've never had a bad experience on anything they've made (save Mantis) and have had far more exposure to their coasters than any other manufacturers. The pretzel loop was definitely one of the more intense features I've ever experienced on a roller coaster, and the one word that we were able to arrive at after the experience was disorienting. I didn't have the issue with restraints the way some have said, but the layout of the ride was just... A lot to handle. A great, smooth, exhilarating ride, but there's just a lot going on. The second half of the ride was easily my favorite - the two inline twists separated by the lagoon dive. To me, the whole ride gave me the impression that it ought to be set to music. Perhaps its because, through it all, I had sort of music stuck in my head from re-watching that clip so many times. Speaking of which: The ever-necessary signature-shot. I imagine there's plenty of these images circulating the web. I think that water spout truly will always be the ride's claim to fame, and it was a fantastic idea. We can only be thankful that Cedar Fair doesn't own the park, I suppose, or it would've been turned off midway through the first season *cough*Maverick*cough*. KRAKEN. As we went up the lift hill, Cody looked out over the ride's layout and yelled "Oh frick it's B&M's Vortex!" The twisted, confusing layout is strikingly reminiscent of an old Kings Island favorite... I just love Immelmans and diving loops because I feel like they're very rare. I know they aren't, but for quite a few years my only exposure to coasters were the three big Ohio parks, none of which had such an element (Vortex's batwing never struck me as such - maybe I was unaware of it). So I always love them. The first half of Kraken is huge, sweeping movements, a giant loop, etc. while the second half returns to the rocky lagoon that surrounds the station, passing through two or three caverns, waterfalls, etc. while diving in and out of rock work. It's actually really really cool, and despite his initial objections, Cody rated it a 10/10 afterwards. Based on the queue line, it appears that SeaWorld is under the impression that the Loch Ness Monster and the Kraken are one in the same? Something I found funny that only other enthusiasts would actually enjoy: While waiting in line for Kraken, they added another train as the day progressed, and the pre-recorded message projected through the queue asked us to wait as they "added another coaster to the attraction." Just a quick stop at the Sea Lion and Otter Stadium - of all the Clyde & Seamore shows I've seen, "Clyde & Seamore Take Pirate Island" is by far my favorite. Such a fun cast and such stupid jokes... Ahhh. Photo credit. While it's certainly no Disney ride (or even a Universal one), Journey to Atlantis is a lot of fun and has a surprise ending that I think catches most first-timers off-guard. Are the effects great? No. (Though, like I said, apparently it's going to be going under short bursts of re-hab all winter/spring to be back to its opening day glory by summer?) But it's a fun little ride! There are long periods of boring-ness, the storyline is gone (since it was explained through projection and lighting and other effects which are gone) but I'd still take it over the more "bland" Journey to Atlantises built by the other SeaWorlds: Photo credit. I'm sure these rides are fun, but when competing with Disney & Universal, you need a coherent storyline. For those who haven't ridden it, Journey to Atlantis actually has/had a very nice story. In the middle of a Greek fishing village (I don't recall the name, but it was actually named), the city of Atlantis had risen, bursting through the town and diverting all the waterways, effectively sucking in all manner of fishing ship. You get caught in one of the new currents, and as you near the town, a man swings open his door and yells "Wait! Hermes will guide you! Go Hermes, show them the way!" A little golden seahorse pops out of a jar, expodes into sparks, and (via little LED twinking lights) flies into the air, over your head, and into the city. Photo credit. Once inside the city, everything's going well, and Hermes pops up here and there to help. Your tour is somewhat being led by a mermaid named Allura. Of course, things get a bit scary as Allura decides that you're not welcome in her city. Via a special effect projected on a fountain, she turns into a sort of siren / medusa (the audio is no longer even played, though her mouth moves as she curses you). Then, of course, there's the big fall. In true theme park fashion, that's not the end as you'd think it might be, but for the sake of anyone who hasn't ridden it, I won't spoil the ending. So thanks, SeaWorld for a great day!

Also, I don't know if it was you or not, but someone ought to return the "Planet Snoopy" area to it's previous Nickelodeon Universe names. You cannot edit all of the names to things like "Lucy's Kidz Coaster" and "Peanut Swings" and then say in the description "The Planet Snoopy names are not official." If they aren't official, don't put them. Again... Do not trust Wikipedia. Ever.

EDIT: Terpy beat me. A quote from (what I'm assuming is) the edit to the "New Ownership" section of which you were speaking: The sale to Apollo has not been completed. Not until 2/3 of the shareholders vote on it, the results of which will be calculated in February, I believe. Additionally, we have no way of knowing if the name Cedar Fair will remain after the purchase. It might, it might not. When Apollo bought Linens n' Things, it wasn't renamed Apollo Global Management. Neither was Harrah's. It's likely that, if the sale goes through, Cedar Fair will continue to operate internally the same way it always did, it will just be owned by a larger company. We also have no way of knowing if any rides names will be changed. For all we know, the sale could go through in February, and come March, the parks could be sold to Universal, Six Flags, or Parques Reunidos. We have no idea. By the way, folks, never trust Wikipedia.

I'm not expecting much action (neither towards the ride's demise or its preservation) in 2010. The fact is, if my company was being sold to avoid bankruptcy, the last thing on my to-do list would be to seek out plans for one wooden roller coaster at one of my parks. We're not even sure that Cedar Fair will own Kings Island come April, much less that they'd focus any manpower on solving a problem occurring there. Part of me wants to say that the ride will likely open without any fanfare or announcement in April, but another part of me (the dominant part) thinks that they'd be absolutely out of their minds to do that - safe or not, Son of Beast, if left unaltered, is now a giant wooden target for sue-happy Americans (and trust me, there are a lot of them...) Someone mentioned earlier that if GCI were brought in and replaced even five or six bolts, the coaster community, at the very least, would feel some sympathy for the ride. While that was obviously an overexaggeration, I think it makes a good point - but that wouldn't mean much to the public. Of one thing I feel assured, whether anyone else agrees or not - if Son of Beast opens in April, it won't be running empty trains anytime soon. I know of many many folks who want to ride it again, and many who haven't before ridden it and would love the chance. The ride's reputation precedes it, and for many, I think that's one of the main draws. We'll see!

I agree a million percent that Backlot should've gone where the go-karts are, and if I was sure that the area where it currently sits would be returned to a tranquil, park-like area, I'd rally for it - however, one must remember two things: 1) Of all the Backlot Stunt Coasters, we have arguably the best location - Kings Dominion's is in the Congo (theme-wise) and realistically, it's somewhat nestled into the waterpark, so you find yourself launching towards their funnel slide. Canada's Wonderlands was in Action Zone in a nice located, but today it's literally underneath Behemoth, which is what, 150 feet above it? That kinda squelches the ride's impact. 2) Cedar Fair chose not to keep up the already-tranquil, beautiful, easily maintained Tower Gardens, the perfect place for guests to take a break, sit by the waterfall, see the flowers, etc. It's hard to say what they would have done or would do to the land that once held the Antique Cars if the cars had lasted until their reign. Just sayin'

I also do not consider Backlot Stunt Coaster a "fail." I've been on somewhere around 100 coasters, and I truly consider Backlot Stunt Coaster (Kings Island's, particularly, and it's previous incarnation as Italian Job more specifically) as easily one of my top 10 coasters. If the wait's more than 10 minutes, I'm sure it's a letdown. But if it's a walk-on (which I find that it usually is in the mornings), it's a nice surprise! It's got quite a kick, and if it were to be properly advertised as a family coaster, I think the satisfaction with it would skyrocket. Granted, without water and music it's a little less than it used to be... As far as it being an eyesore, I think that's the enthusiast in everyone talking... As someone who visited the park casually and with family throughout the 90's (I was born in 1991), I hardly remember the antique cars. I tend to imagine that a casual parkgoer (as I was) or a family would be unlikely to look up at the coaster and think, "My GOD that's an eyesore... What they need is some antique cars!" I just can't see anyone but a hardcore Kings Island fan thinking that. The ride is really quite picturesque to me, a third-party with no historical interest in the land on which it sits. The billboards, the "city" architecture, the helicopter, etc. all present an interesting view from all angles, and the fact that it sits on gravel instead of grass is just a really nice touch that gives it its own blueprint and adds to the theme. I can't think of many negatives to Backlot as a whole: It's a fun ride, it's a family ride, it's got short waits most days, it remains one of the better themed rides at the park despite the loss of Paramount, it packs an unexpected punch, and its unique to the region - the comment I most commonly year, "You won't find something like that at Cedar Point!" People like that they can get an (admittedly, downgraded) Universal-esque ride at an Ohio park.

I agree 100% with Ty. The show is very pop-culture oriented. I can't recall any references from the last time I'd seen it (quite a few years ago), but there were many hilarious jokes that, of course, children don't understand. But of course, that can be said of most any television show or movie. I grew up watching Roseanne each night with my family before bedtime and laughed along with everyone else. Today, it's one of my favorite shows, and it's incredible the things that I just completely missed. I doubt kids will leave the theater going "Mommy, what did he mean about Tiger Woods and falling in love?" Really... By the way, the show is amazing (fantastic sets, incredible music, some awesome stunts, and the Genie's witty "ad-lib" are essential elements), and I'm sad to see it go.

I've said from the beginning that if the prices were cut in half, three times as many people would eat at the park. I'm not trying to get that statistically proven or dis-proven, but the idea remains... If a burger cost $5.00 instead of $8.00+, at least twice as many people would save time and money by staying in the park to eat. Another thing that we could really use is more eating space. I find that unless you're in the Festhaus, you're forced to resort to the collection of five or six picnic tables next to each service window. Kings Dominion, in comparison, had well-shaded, well-maintained groves to eat in throughout the park. It should be noted, of course, that we have no need for extra eating-areas unless the prices decrease. If there's no one eating, there's no need for shaded picnic areas.

I'd rather have the parks owned by a company that specializes in restructuring and has some experience in the entertainment industry than to continue to be owned by a declining and admittedly financially-failing company.

Yes. Geauga Lake occupied the southern side of the lake since 1888. In the 1970s, SeaWorld moved in on the north side, and they operated completely separately of each other for decades. However, both sides of the lake are in different counties, and it just so happens that SeaWorld's side had zoning height restrictions, which meant that the park couldn't expand to include roller coasters the way that every other SeaWorld was starting to do (Steel Eel, Kraken, Great White, etc). So, Busch Entertainment made an offer to buy Six Flags Ohio (the renamed Geauga Lake) from Six Flags, which would've given SeaWorld control of the southern side of the lake and it's Vekoma Boomerang, an SLC, the Double Loop, Big Dipper, and Raging Wolf Bobs. However, Six Flags refused and counteroffered, purchasing SeaWorld Ohio. They were essentially two completely different parks in architecture, style, landscaping, etc. combined by floating boardwalks. Of course, Cedar Fair bought the entire thing, transferred most of Six Flags Hurricane Harbor to where the Wild Life / SeaWorld side once stood, then closed the Wild Rides / Six Flags side. So what stands today bears very little resemblance to what once was, even just a few years ago. But in short, Wildwater Kingdom is the old SeaWorld property.

There is a small plus sign and minus sign in the bottom right corner of each post on this board that I imagine does about the same thing... They don't seem to be working for me, but I believe that's the general idea behind them. If you agree you hit plus, if you disagree you hit minus, etc. Perhaps they've been disabled by the administrator, as that would require an entirely new set of rules, bring about a lot of hurt feelings, etc.

The same can be said of many of the former Paramount Parks offerings - For example, all have Drop Towers - three are Giant Drops, two are Gyro drops, and many have separate color schemes (I personally think Kings Island's is the best). Four have Top Gun coasters (some B&M Inverts, an Arrow Suspended, etc), two had Tomb Raider rides (one Giant Top Spin, one Suspended Top Spin), Vortex is the name of a ride at four of the parks (one Arrow suspended, two B&M stand-ups, one Arrow megalooper)... Of course, I think the same can be said of many corporate-centered chains. For example, Cedar Fair has four -hawk rides (Firehawk, Thunderhawk, Skyhawk, and Nighthawk), two Dominators (one B&M floorless coaster, one S&S Drop Tower)... It's fun to hear folks argue about how Vortex isn't Arrow, it's B&M because their home park is Carowinds, etc.

One has to wonder if we will see a return to Winterfest, though... Quite a few parks are experimenting with Christmas events that expand the season with minimal operating costs. For example, Hersheypark's Christmas Candylane, Busch Gardens' Christmas Town, Knott's Merry Farm, and quite a few others... One can only assume that, as least the more southern parks, may see a return to the Winterfest idea. The fact of the matter is, when Winterfest was revived at Kings Island and Carowinds, it was a bitterly cold winter with absolutely miserable weather, and it certainly wasn't fair to judge the event based on that year's attendance. Like Winterfest, the newer Christmas events all section off a small area of the park and only run select rides (most family flat rides - Hersheypark is running no coasters, Busch Gardens is running Griffon and the indoor rides) thereby reducing operating costs. I'm sure that, given a mild winter, a Winterfest even in Ohio would be successful. Perhaps open some Coney Mall flats, Planet Snoopy rides, Diamondback, The Crypt, and make a lit trail back to Flight of Fear. That would certainly draw in off-season crowds as well as families. I think Busch Gardens' Christmas Town event is priced just right. it's a hard ticket event, but it's $19.99 for one evening, $29.99 for the entire weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) with the park open from 3pm - 10pm each evening. Even with only a few rides operating, I find that to be very worth the money (especially when those three rides are Griffon, DarKastle, and Corkscrew Hill).

I have yet to express a strong opinion one way or another. And no, I don't have to form a general consensus about the information related to Son of Beast, and neither do you. It is not our job, and it is not something we're qualified (or expected!) to do. We cannot accurately represent the overall opinion on Son of Beast. If each and every person walking off the ride for the entire 2009 season was required to take a short survey, then we could safely say that the results of such a survey would indeed represent the total collective opinion about Son of Beast for the 2009 season. However, we do not have such information. To further narrow your search by accounting only for the opinions of any minority (in this case, those who log onto a site - any site - to rate the ride) would not give a fair representation of the ride's status. Consider, perhaps people only log on and rate the ride if their particular opinion of the ride was so negative that they want to get it out there. Those who had "average" or "good" rides would feel no pressing need to run home, get on the internet and start fuming, right? So right there one could imagine that there will be a significant amount of reviews that are negative for any ride that is known for its roughness. And let us not forget what I like to call "the Twilight voting system." For every movie that's in the public eye and meant to smash world records you get this syndrome where everyone who thinks its "gay" and "stupid" and "awful" gives it a 1/10, some perhaps without even seeing it. Then to counter that, all of the fans (or even those who thought it "pretty good") give it a 10/10, knowing it isn't deserved, but still trying to equate the entire thing. Now, like it or not, Twilight, nor its predecessor, does not deserve a 1/10, nor a 10/10. To say so would be to say that it has no redeeming feature whatsoever (music, visuals, acting, storyline, effects), or to say it had no flaws. Neither is true of most any situation, but that's how the ratings always breakdown. Do you think that 13,821 people actually saw "New Moon," went home to contemplate on it and then scientifically arrived at a rating of 1/10? Or that 7,780 truly thought it was a flawless, perfect film? Doubtlessly, no. But for every person who thinks Son of Beast is hands down the worst ride ever to exist, ever, in the entire world, for all time, never been a worse ride, there's got to be someone who thinks its perfect (and vice versa) if only to counter eachother. Publically displayed, unregulated online polls and ratings will never be a fair way to arrive at a scientific value, because they express only the opinions of a select group, and even then, are absolutely LOADED with bias and counter-voting.

My favorite is the people who "O-M-G HATE IT, worst thing of my life! It seriously was a piece of junk, always was! The sixth time I rode it, I thought I was going to die!" To me, that statement is the best friend of "Oh my gosh, the movie sucked so much, I fell asleep five minutes in and woke up during the credits! What an awful movie!" In other words, both statements have you going "... ... huh?"

There is nothing psychological about people's opinions. The opinions are documented for the public to view. If the ride was well liked, it would receive good reviews, since it is not well liked, the majority of the reviews are negative. We can only go upon the information provided and found, and in that information, it is clear where the majority stands. You seem to misunderstand the point. What I mean is, you cannot look at a collection of reviews on websites and say "See, Son of Beast gets a 3.5 / 10 on average, so ha." That's not how it works. What you COULD say, is that, out of all of those people who rate the ride on roller coaster rating websites, an average of 3.5/10 emerges. It would be ridiculous to say that the community who has enough passion to create an account, log on, and scientifically arrive at a numerical representation of the ride's quality is representative of every single person who has opinions on the ride. That would be insane. (And besides that, I imagine that a number of people on these rating sites assign the ride either a ten or a 1, if only to combat others who they think unfairly assigned the ride either a 1 or a 10). Whatever you draw from amusement park rating sites is precisely that - a number drawn from an amusement park rating site. There are doubtlessly those who consider Son of Beast a 10/10, and those who genuinely consider it a 1/10 (and every decimal place in between), but who never take the time to create an account at these websites you frequent. As such, the only "consensus" you can draw from such a compilation of information is what a very very specific group of folks thinks of the ride. It's neither representative of the general public, nor of a majority of park goers. It doesn't claim to be. Be careful not to confuse that. Some of my friends love the ride, some think it's okay - none went online to express their opinion. The only review you're getting in the long run is the review of those who are enthusiastic enough to get online and rate it - that represents a very minuscule amount of Son of Beast's total ridership, and shouldn't be thought of as being anything other than that. I'm not saying Son of Beast is the best ride, and I would agree with your conclusion that most people probably don't like it as a whole - I'm simply pointing out the flaws in your method of arriving at that conclusion.

I don't have to pick anyone. Choose any coaster, travel, or information site and read the comments on SoB. It's clear where the majority stands. As a psychology major who deals with this sort of thing quite often, I can tell you that that would not be a true representation of the riders of Son of Beast. That would be representative of those who ride Son of Beast, and then are enthusiastic enough to log online, create an account somewhere, and then rate it - a much more selective group that the general public who rides the ride, and far from a majority. And when a minority's opinions are misconstrued as a representation of an overwhelming majority, issues arise...

http://www.kimarketplace.com/Kings-Island-...gurine-P56.aspx :]!!

This is starting to sound slightly like the ole' Aurora Syndrome (named after Geauga Lake's Aurora, Ohio) - residents despise the idea of the increased traffic and noise problems brought on by an amusement park, and want the valuable land to go towards something different. Then, the park leaves, and resident's complain about the reduced business, missing taxes on patrons, and lowered property values. There's no pleasing some people! I must agree with other posters, though. A stadium doesn't bring in the patrons of an amusement park, and certainly wouldn't bring in folks from around the entire region.

It's nothing less than disappointing / expected to see that what I had hoped was going to be the return of Tomb Raider: The Ride appears to be a log flume. I'm confident it will be incredible, and from the concept art it appears your watery dive is narrowly escaping an explosion... But perhaps Tomb Raider will see a return in that other Paramount Park they're scouting for. Still, awesome pictures! Pretty funny to try to guess if Italian Job will be expanded or if the Soundwave coaster will be the same Premier coaster... In a way, the opening of this park will likely make Kings Island appear like a cheap knock-off, since it will have many of the same rides we have, but ours will appear like the generic follow-ups. Hahah. For example, they have a brand new, [likey] extended and highly-special-effects oriented ride with Mini Coopers, we have the same thing, but with broken effects, a shorter ride, no music, etc.

^ Yes, people make mistakes, but I hardly call it a mistake to say "I don't feel like looking even at the last three posts in this topic so someone tell me what's happening to Son of Beast." There's hundreds of people who've posted that same thing about Son of Beast. I'm not even saying to use the "search" feature, but skim the last page of the topic rather than blatantly saying "I don't feel like looking, sooo..." I don't know about you, but that doesn't exactly entice me to answer for you. No hard feelings, of course, but it definitely one of the things I've heard way too often. Not pretending I'm an expert or anything... Just sayin'.

You don't even need to look at "all the pages." How about look at the post above yours... I expected more of someone with 1000+ posts?