dr_humor

How long did Drachen Fire just sit before being torn down?

Much like every comment ever made in any SOB thread. Including this one.

That memory came from a very deep place in my brain. Wierd how something can turn on a light somewhere that has not seen the light of day in decades.

I believe that is "Tom" and "Tub"... If memory serves me correctly. From the "Mighty Mitor" cartoon (or something like that). There would be very short "shorts" of a Moby Dick cartoon inserted into epsiodes of Mighty Mitor. Tom and Tub were rescued by Moby Dick; hence, the whale.

Oops. Showing my age there.

After what happened at Six Flags with the tragic death of the veteran, I am in full favor of parks getting a zero-tolerance policy on issues like this. You can't make it an emotional issue when making the call of whether or not she could ride. Do I personally think she could ride safely? Of course, but policies are policies for a reason.

The great thing is that no one has to worry. No matter what CP is doing, they are not "fixing" Mean Streak. It will still be crappy next year.

Why would Cedar Point fix SOB, when it's at Kings Island?

No, sorry, I didn't bother to notice. Any further idea of what it was?

Well whatever it was, it was no big deal, as the ride is running just fine today.

It was a piece of the satellite.

Belated reply in the conversation about Mean Streak: I agree about the layout being uninspired, but only the second half. It started off with a bang and then...bang...you hit the mid-course brake and meander in and out through the layout for over a minute.

Terp, you didn't enjoy Mean Streak when it first opened? Granted, I was only 14, so perhaps my tolerance was different, but I remember loving it. If you are lucky, you can still snag a trimless ride on Mean Streak every now and then. No, the operators can not manually turn the trims on and off, so don't ask them...it has to do with he weight of the trains that are dispatched and how quickly they run the course (I am not going to pretend to understand everything that goes into the equation). But wow...when those trims are off...Mean Streak has enough speed to not jackhammer through the overbanks, and you will actually experience airtime, and a highly comfortable (for a woodie) ride. Totally different ride.

It's an approximate 3-year cycle from the initial proposals, design, manufacturing, and installation for a major steel coaster. I'm not sure what B & M's "return policy" is, but I would bet that after a certain point in the manufacturing of the ride, you just can't decide not to go ahead with the install, although an install can be set back (see Shoot the Rapids). There is absolutely zero doubt that 2013 is already set. Minor details can always be shifted, but anything "major" would already be a done deal. This is why SOB, if a decision really has not been reached, is such a wild card at KI. Hence, aside from managerial, administrative, customer service, and general park improvements, Kinzel's legacy on Cedar Point, for example, will still be felt for a few seasons.

Who doubts that could happen? It's just all about timing...like stars aligning. If it's the right time, it's the right time. I would say with about 99% certainty that next year is a year for CP...I know less about KI's status. I would guess, however, that SOB would be tackled and finalized before another major installation of a coaster. If money is to be spent on a rebirth, there's your 2013 capital. The other option of demo would be much less expensive, so then it becomes a possibility, unless that particular site is used, which could add another year to the equation. SOB is just a big unknown variable right now, and until that becomes clear...always clouded the future is.

Who has the torch now, and what does it symbolize? Dr_Humor, who can think of more than one wooden coaster in Ohio that could make use of a torch.

I'm completely dumbfounded that we have gone through another operating season with no word whatsoever. Oh well.

The word "major" is highly subjective.

Yawn. Already stopped checking. Seriously...toss out a bone. At least a date, or something.

How is it possible that Camp Snoopy is flooded with young children hugging and running and laughing and dancing with the Peanuts' characters every day? The thing is, Snoopy and Charlie Brown are timeless. Spongebob is already old news.

Not sure if I missed it or not, but is there a date for an announcement at all, or is it just vague?

Really? Obviously we are all entitled to our opinion, but I thought Paramount ran Kings Island into the ground. They had some good ideas initially, but clearly a lot was left to be desired. No company is perfect, but Cedar Fair is easily the best "major chain" in my opinion. But I guess it all matters what is important to you. How do your kids not know Snoopy, by the way? Our 4 year old adores Snoopy and all the characters.

^^ And both very successful models.

Wow...not even close. They are decent, but pale in comparison to Beast, Diamonback, MF, TTD, Magnum....the list goes on. I personally think the coaster collection at HW is the most overrated in the industry. A very fun park for what it is, but I would put it on par with Dollywood and other smaller parks. I don't even consider it to be in the same league with the "big boys" of the industry. Now, do I adore those parks? Yes...give me some Dollywood and HW any day, but certainly not for the coasters. All that said, I wish (and hope) that Cedar Fair exercised about 10% of the care and creativity that parks like HW do. A smaller park like that has so much going for it outside a world-class coaster collection.

I meant a coaster, or course. I like how the word addition(s) (plural) was announced. The future looks bright.