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Cory Butcher

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Everything posted by Cory Butcher

  1. Why? Its so frustrating when people are afraid of passionate discourse. . . There's some very good stuff in this post re: safety issues. There's also good stuff here where people are discussing what is acceptable forms of debate and behavior and what isn't. It'd be great if a moderator or Terpy or someone with tons of respect would weigh in, but the thread shouldn't be closed. Ok, since you asked, I'm weighing in... This website is not a babysitting service. Members who have dealt with situations on here using light-hearted sarcastic humor, I feel, are in no way potentially inflicting emotional harm on other users. They are simply injecting humor into the equation without throwing out hurtful words or other actions. These boards are self-policing for the most part. When members aggressively attack others who have thoughtfully presented arguments they are dealt with. And when members are aggressively posting sub-standard posts filled with mis-information, or alleging neglect on behalf of others here or other company's with no discourse for said others to defend themselves, they are dealt with. No one signs into this forum and is forced to post their thoughts. From the moment we all post our thoughts we must accept the possible rebuttals, whether they are in the form of humor, polite discourse, rational discussion/argument, or even simple ignorance. There is good material here in regards to safety concerns. It should be noted however that the safety concerns are all priority number one for the parks, the manufacturers, inspectors and insurance companies who combine to provide that all rides operate safely and are maintained according to established procedures. Most members here are conceding that while this is an important topic to discuss there is a broadly excepted way of voicing opinions without fact less accusations, broadly accusatory statements, and simple ignorance of the audience's preferences. When you sign in and put finger to keyboard, your words shall describe you to all who view them. If a person wishes to be anonymous, free of conflict, or removed from potential discourse then he/she should not voice opinions likely to draw such attention within established parameters of this site or others. Back to Selective's original post. The safety procedures at Kings Island and other parks are constantly being re-evaluated. Literally on an hourly basis. As for being aware of the park closing time; while there can always be greater strides made in customer service, in any and all possible industries, there is a certain level of awareness and self-reliance that all people should maintain in all things that they do, whether they attend an amusement park or walk across the street.
  2. Should that dividend ever be re-instated to an amount easily coverable by FUN's cash flow, then the downside is ever more limited. And the growth should be more in line with the decade before the stock drop, all else equal. The stock certainly looks more attractive than it did just 8 months ago, of course, recessions tend to do that to stocks
  3. I'm glad members like you are still around here! I completely agree.
  4. [...] Granted we haven't heard anything about anymore CF addtions at this point but at the same time $39 million seems like a lot to spend on general park improvements. Trash cans my friend, trash cans. Haha. In all seriousness what parks have yet to report?
  5. Isn't that true, to the highest degree. I like the addition. I like riding Zephyr, and I am sure this new ride will be much more intense, more thrilling, and have much more substance. I think people will discover a ride they can go to and ride over and over again when they visit the park. The capacity looks generous, and one more ride will reduce lines at other rides while maybe giving Vortex ridership a kick in the pants. Not to mention, the back end of Coney Mall has been needing something exciting for a few years now, and I think this could do a good job of that. Call me excited, to see an addition that at 48" most of the family can ride!
  6. Interesting article. Given past performance which is never a great indicator of future performance, the stocks price could at least double in our lifetime to the level it was at just a couple of years ago with a similar debt/assets ratio. Of course all it takes is one covenant or bankruptcy and that return is nada.
  7. I've been gone for 5 months from this site, so first things first, hi to all of you I remember (and even to those of you I don't)! Two things: 1) I think its pretty cool that the park allowed very little information to leak out about this announcement, gives it a very real, raw feel. I think the park may have learned from over-hyping things in the past. 2) I'm impressed that fewer people than normal on here have said negative things about the parks rumored plans. It seems like every other announcement a large group of people drastically opposes a rumor or addition. Seems like most people here like the rumor. That should bode well for the park if at least something like the rumor is announced.
  8. I do not know, however, I will find out for you! I was quite active over there until recently when the website was taken down and moved and had other maintenance done. Let me get in touch with Scott, and I will post that information here!
  9. Let me direct you all to the Southwest Ohio Amusement Park Historical Society (SOAPHS) co-founded by Scott Fowler and Kevin Miller. The website is easy to remember, it is www.soaphs.com. There are forums much like this one, as well as a large photo gallery for Americana/LeSourdsville Lake as well as other amusement parks that used to reside in the Southwestern Ohio area. The website is currently under renovation in places, so be sure to check back often for the forums to come back on line! Some of the links are also broken, but there is some more information on the society on their Facebook page as well, so check it out!
  10. I once heard that a big tire came off of Top Thrill Dragster and rolled down the midway at Cedar Point!!! Oh wait, NO, that was not a rumor? haha I dislike having nothing of real value to add to a thread with a ridiculously low amusement value that I still feel the need to look at after every new post
  11. Simpy closing parks will do nothing but hurt CF's bottom line. I have on good authority that those parks are still profitable. Look at what happened with Geauga Lake. The park was closed and razed, rides ripped out, and the land put up for sale. Still today it sits, costing CF money in (minimal) upkeep and tax obligations. Exactly. GL could have been "right sized" back down to what it was before Six Flags ill-fated flagging effort. Had CF not purchased the former Paramount Parks, I believe we'd have a Geauga Lake today that looked more like Michigan's Adventure, and a complimentary park to CP. I hope and pray that the unitholders demand new leadership at the top. The industry has changed quite a bit and Kinzel&Co are still stuck in a very old and very dated business model. When former Boeing CEO Alan Mulally took over as CEO of Ford a few years ago, he walked into a very similar situation. He looked at the product line and noticed that Ford actually lost several hundred dollars on every Focus they sold. They had to pad up margins on trucks and SUVs to offset the net loss they got on small cars. He inquired as to why they continued a product line that didn't make any money, and nobody was able to offer a decen answer. By operating that way, they were 1. Limiting the appeal of the Focus, keeping production constrained to relatively low levels as to keep the losses down, and 2. Limiting the appeal of the trucks and SUVs due to an inflated price point that had to be done to cover the losses on the car side. Sound familiar? CF keeps gate prices low (and almost certainly low to a point of not covering the park's operation. They then inflate prices for in park purchases (food, drink, souvienrs) to cover losses at the gate. Now, one would argue that a few extra bucks per ticket wouldn't have a dramatic effect on attendance, and "discount" admission could then be lowered to the normal gate price now. Doing this would allow food and drink prices to be lowered to more reasonable levels and therefore encourage customers to eat another meal in the park, or buy more at each sitting. Higher gate prices would also encourage more "season's pass" sales, and lower in-park prices would encourage these passholders to spend more in the park. Right now, passholders know better than to spend money in the park, since it's much easier to hop down Kings Island Dr and eat off property. If you give passholders incentive to spend their money in the park, they will. This was an excellent insightful post. I am glad you posted all this, so that I could take a break! haha Are you sure you chose the right career by the way? That analysis and comparison is golden! I did a presentation and research piece on Alan Mulally last year and have to say that I noticed some of the same parallels but didn't really apply them in the way that you did!
  12. Comment 1: Selective, those photos are fantastic, thanks so much for sharing! If you have anymore please feel free to share them! Comment 2: Selective, the rest of your posts in this thread have been garbage. Even your "facts" need some serious cleaning up. (Paging The Interpreter, CoastersRZ, Boddah, anyone else who updates the historical content here and knows the facts). Comment 3: Selective, Thanks again for contributing those photos. Comment 4: The flying eagles which were at Kings Island are some of the most controllable to be found anywhere. And they are now at Carowinds, where they are still the most controllable. And as for your assessment of the tubs and the rides engineering, unless I am mistaken, those same tubs present on The Flying Eagles are still on the rides reincarnate at Carowinds.
  13. I am insulted by this statement...you should know me better than that. I actually have to agree with Reclaimer on this one... We were discussing the differences in cohesiveness. This has now turned into some ideological debate like the rest of the thread, and picking apart language and word usage as opposed to the actual content of the logic. And as for the ride is a ride and a name is a name comment which I posted, I was simply referring to the impact of the rides at Kings Island in the kids area and how they will attract kids either way, because they are fun. Certainly, to achieve a greater emotion from the rides and the area as Disney would want is the ultimate achievement.
  14. The names are proportionate to the star power of the character it seems. 6 of 18 is 33% Snoopy involvement in the theme. Even then, only 3 of those specifically include Snoopy in the name. I fail to see this as a bad thing. Snoopy is definitely the bread winner of the gang with Charlie Brown and Woodstock being almost tied for second. I think it fits. Either way, Carowinds' Planet Snoopy looked great, a ride is a ride, a name is a name, and Kings Island's Planet Snoopy will be a guest hit for kids and adults alike. The new area will, and already does look fantastic.
  15. I had some Panda Express down at Carowinds. And I paid about what I would for a chinese buffet here at home, and had as much food as I could eat. Having a strong stomach, I felt that was a good deal. Much better than $4.50 per slice for pizza. I do not mind paying $13 for something of what I felt was quality, and that I was really craving.
  16. How hard is that when the rides are named repeatedly after the same characters! (Maybe WDW can take a page from CF...Dumbo's Tea Party, Dumbo Pan, Dumbo The Pooh...) As always, you have a good point there. But, there is some variety. Woodstock, Linus, Flying Ace, Joe Cool, Peanuts, Sally, Snoopy, Great Pumpkin. So, I would not say that is the same characters/ideas used all over. I think that some other characters should have made an appearance, but overall the names have more variety than you give them credit for, This is also why WDW would not theme an area to just Dumbo. Speaking to that, an area themed to the "Hundred Acre Woods" in Fantasyland could be really well done.
  17. I should have been more specific...actually I did mean Magic Kingdom/Fantasyland basically. I don't know why...but whenever I think of Walt Disney World I think Magic Kingdom...the other parks are seperate entities in my opinion. When anyone says that they went to WDW I never think of Epcot, The Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios. So with that said, I still beg to differ that there is anything different about Fantasyland or Nick Universe...they both are held together by the same theme...fantasy. I do not see anything other than that holding Fantasyland together, that is the only common thread. You have talking animals...just like in NU, you have magical characters...just like in NU, you have (talking) undersea creatures...just like in NU. I don't see the difference. How can you tie Snow White, Winnie The Pooh & Alice In Wonderland together except for being children's books...and if that's the case doesn't the fact that Nick is all on the same channel count? Don't get me wrong...I love them both...I just don't see how Fantasyland's concept can be considered anymore cohesive than NU. All that you have just mentioned is why Fantasyland is getting a very serious reworking in the near future. You are right about Fantasyland, that is my least favorite area of the park. But keep in mind, when you said that I loved the Fantasy world of WDW, that meant to me the whole park, or at least Magic Kingdom. But Magic Kingdom is not just Fantasyland, that is a very small part, and the most concrete-heavy portion of the park. So you are right, Fantasyland's concept is not more cohesive, but the characters are at least much more believable than the NU characters, which almost allows the area to be decent in its current incarnation. Peter Pan, It's a Small World, Winnie The Pooh, are much bigger entities than any Nick cartoon ever was. So once again, what I like about Peanuts in the area now, is the continuity between rides, and the general theme which allows for I feel, greater emotion to be transferred to the guests in the area. This emotion is currently lacking from Fantasyland at WDW, which is why you are seeing a great new rework for the Littler Mermaid and Ariel's Grotto, as well as some other additions and renovations.
  18. Yeah, BUT, once you cut the head off the snake, it continues to writhe around the ground. You can replace management but you cannot replace the damage done to the financial environment that the companies operate in. Be it their fault or that of the general US economy.
  19. From one merger, to a poison pill, to talk of another merger. Must be the off-season. I hope Six Flags does not merge with Cedar Fair. That competition, or what little there is, is needed to drive quality in the chains higher. Secondly, the cultures of the two companies would be drastically different, and neither company can get their own finances right. I couldn't imagine what would happen if two companies facing serious headwinds as these two companies are merged. Sounds disastrous.
  20. Cory...you KNOW I respect your opinion...but how can someone who loves the fantasy world of WDW make such a statement?! Easy, first off Walt Disney World (I assume you are meaning the parks in their entirety?) celebrates all of life really. The things celebrated in their park have a strong emotional presence. Aside from "Fantasy Land" Magic Kingdom is not a fantasy world, it is a combination of certain peoples fantasies I am sure, but it is not a fantasy world. Tomorrow Land is all very believable as is Adventureland, Frontierland etc. There are few relevant cartoon character tie-ins in these areas. Fantasyland in particular brings you some more characters, but even then, they all call this universe home for the most part. They are believable. EPCOT celebrates a world of intrigue, mystery, innovation, and science. Hollywood Studios celebrates the grandeur of Hollywood and its creations, which once again for the Disney Company are very believable. Finally, Animal Kingdom celebrates the biology of life, and once again aside from maybe Bugs Life, everything is believable. See, I also like The Whimsical World Of Dr. Seuss at Universal. Though the area is as far fetched as can be, there is one big common theme, and it is so well themed and well done. You are truly immersed in the experience. The area becomes believable. This is different than the previous "Nickelodeon Universe" area. The area was a mix and match of cartoon characters with no common theme. The only thing common with the Nickelodeon endeavor was the orange blob logo. Rugrats were talking babies, Dora The Explorer was an educational cartoon, Spongebob (One of the best cartoons) involved another universe, and some significant personification, Then you have Fairly Odd Parents, and Jimmy Neutron, and then Backyardigans. Nothing matched. There was no common theme whatsoever. Peanuts brings the characters and their relationships and their identities to every ride in the area now. A complete hole-free theme. The fantasy world of WDW that you speak of is much more Planet Snoopy than Nickelodeon Universe if you are forcing this analogy. That is how I can enjoy both. You see, at WDW every area flows from one attraction to the next. Planet Snoopy will have a common bond, one that Nick Universe did not have. Now had we said Nickelodeon Universe would become "Spongebob's Under The Sea" and the whole area would be themed to all things spongebob, then that area would be one large congruent area. As it was prior to Planet Snoopy, Nickelodeon seamed a disjointed mess with no clear theme. Before someone notes some information I missed about the lands at WDW, I was trying to condense this to the present size, so I left out so much more content in explaining the areas.
  21. I personally think that these characters, lend themselves to conveying more emotion to the guests. It seems to me that people can relate more to these characters who live in a world such as us, than to say, Sponge Bob who usually tackled some of our same problems, but lived essentially in an alternative universe. I am not sure of the impact this has on children who the area is ultimately for, but as an adult I feel I can relate to many of the stories told by The Peanuts gang. I like the changeover so far.
  22. I would go see Third Day. Haven't really heard of the others. But I actually really enjoy listening to Third Day's lead singer, and their songs of course.
  23. ^I believe he is referring to the area formerly occupied by Flight Commander....
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