violakat03

From my mom's old slide collection. Year unknown, late 70s or early 80s, KI&MVRR

You would never believe how happy I am to work in a park that doesn't have basketballs. I don't know if they just don't offer them, or if people just don't win them, but I've seen a whopping 2 basketballs on the midways so far working at Universal.

From personal experience as a Universal employee, I will just say this: Even "free" lockers will not solve the problem. People sneak bags past the greeter constantly, pitch fits about having to leave their items in a locker (yes, even when they're free!) and carry items that are way too big to ever fit in a locker. Just like at any other park without loose article bins (Cedar Point, Six Flags, etc), the guests either find a way to deal with it or don't ride. Their choice. If you choose to carry loose items in the park, you are choosing to have to find a solution for storing it.

I can't see Avatar being nearly the smashing success that Potter is. I work in the Potter area (which is why I will not be adding my thoughts or speculations on anything ride-related to this thread) and it is definitely still a huge draw. We just had a sponsored fan event last weekend and it was kind of insane. Potterheads everywhere. I'm suspecting they'll come out of the woodwork for Diagon Alley as well - I'm personally expecting another June 18, 2010. Forbidden Journey (my home ride until this past week) still generates the longest lines of any attraction in either park, and if they can produce to that level again, WWoHP is going to be an unstoppable force for a very long time. I also can't see Spiderman going anywhere. It's the second most popular ride in IOA after Forbidden Journey, consistently running hour wait times when Hulk and Dragons are 10 minutes. It's a big draw for the families, because kids love Spiderman and it has a fairly low height requirement (40" as compared to Journey's 48"). I do hope to see that side of the park get some love though. Marvel Superhero Island and Toon Lagoon have remained largely unchanged since they opened. Dr. Doom's Fearfall is frequently forgotten, hidden back behind the main buildings in MSI. I only rode it for the first time two months ago, because I never remember that it's there until I see it from outside the park.

It's kind of an odd coaster, but it is pretty fun. The soundtrack, IMO, makes the ride much better than it would be otherwise.

I've been wanting to go to EnterTRAINment Junction for years but this has made it a "must" for me. I'm not really that into model train displays in that I don't normally go out of my way to see them, but I do love looking at them, especially well-designed detailed ones. I have a feeling I will be able to spend all day in there without feeling I've gotten to see and appreciate it fully. Dollywood had one set up this past Christmas but all of the detailed portions were far away from the viewing areas which made it difficult to see and appreciate them. Apparently there was supposed to be an additional viewing platform but they couldn't figure out how to make it work the way they'd planned.

My mom remembers going shopping as a little girl dressed her "Sunday best," especially if they were going into downtown Dayton to the big department stores. She remembers riding the escalator at Rike's (the department store that once stood where the Schuster Center is now) wearing a dress and white gloves. This would have been in the mid 50's.

The number of times I've giving a crossing signal (though at Dollywood it's a two-finger wave/point in the direction you are going) when crossing a street or parking lot is actually a bit embarrassing. My husband (a former Beast op) has a pretty funny one too. After his 3rd or so day of work in 2009 (when you still had to say "check" each time you checked a restraint) he locked his car, tugged on the door handle and said "check.... oh dear lord." I've also found myself using KI radio codes on accident. I had an entire radio transmission/conversation with my supervisor at the Columbus Zoo in KI radio codes (he was a former KI rides sup) without even realizing it until later that day when someone asked what the heck we'd been saying.

My mom has memories of it being there but never actually went to it. The prototype for the Flying Turns style was originally erected at Lakeside. It's often not mentioned, as usually the Euclid Beach Flying Turns is listed as the first, but the prototype was indeed in Dayton. It was designed by pilot Norman Bartlett and famed coaster designer John Miller. It also had a Miller derby racer, Schmeck-designed Wildcat and PTC carousel #31. An accident on Wildcat led to a death in the 60's (my mom remembers it being in the news). On top of multiple tax liens and other incidents at the park, it went into bankruptcy in the late 60s and was auctioned off. The carousel was sold in pieces, but the mechanisms and central part of the carousel are in operation at SeaBreeze with new horses.

I'm a supervisor at the wheel in Pigeon Forge. Having ridden it (it isn't open to the public) I'd say the view is pretty nice, but not as amazing as I'd have hoped. It's certainly a better view than anywhere in downtown Pigeon Forge (the Cal Ripken Experience won't even be as high as the halfway point of the wheel) but I think the Gatlinburg Space Needle has the superior view because it's closer to the mountains. The wheel isn't really down in a hole ... it's just not on a mountain. The Parkway sits completely in a valley, but the wheel isn't really that much lower than any of the surrounding area. That being said, just being able to see the Parkway from that high up is pretty darn cool. I'd say people will ride it because of the view of the Parkway and Pigeon Forge rather than the mountains, as some of the best views of the mountains can be had for free (and without hiking) at such places as Newfound Gap and Clingman's Dome.

Dollywood's dress code is pretty conservative, especially compared to KI's, and specifically covers that situation. It's fine as long as it is joined both top and bottom and does not pull in enough to show nipples - button-up shirts must also be buttoned high enough to keep them covered. Cut-off and midriff shirts are allowed but all shirts must cover at least 3/4ths of the torso. Swimsuit tops of any variety, even a tankini or the upper half of a one-piece must be covered with an opaque shirt. I have to admit, it was nice to not have to deal with mostly uncovered individuals all summer last year.

Holy old topic Batman. Anyway, I actually was really surprised to see the Boat Tag attraction in this thread. I'd completely forgotten about it, but I remember it very clearly now from when I was younger.

Surprisingly, Six Flags admissions, which is usually a giant GR nightmare, is rarely an issue. The only time I remember it being a problem was at SFKK when I asked her to stamp the back of my hand because I'm allergic to the ink, and she said "sure, no problem" and then aimed too high and got my wrist. I was not happy as I had to use sunscreen (one of few ways to effectively remove the blacklight ink) to get it off and have her restamp. She actually felt really bad when she saw how badly it rashed that fast because it was bright red where she'd stamped the first time. Holiday World they usually just tell me to come back to that particular person and they'll remember me. Never once been an issue.

I have had my hand stamped hundreds of times. Not once has it hurt. I just feel I need to add my two cents into this - because it has for me. I'm highly allergic to the blacklight ink. I'm ok with it on the back of my hand, but anywhere else, especially the inside of my wrist, is a huge no-no as it will rash immediately. It's a fight every time I go out the gate at most parks, especially Cedar Point, which insists on stamping the inside of your wrist. I used to have to re-enter through the gate in GR. Last season they started implementing a wristband policy, which wasn't difficult to get from GR, but none of the admissions people knew what it meant coming back in. KI was never a problem with the non-blacklight ink because they stamp on the back of your hand and I'm not as allergic to normal ink, but I'd still rather not get a handstamp and just re-scan my pass. I spend time in GR every visit anyway because either mine or dare-to-fly's pass won't end up working, so if it doesn't scan it's nothing new. So, I for one, am very glad to not have to fight over a handstamp anymore. I'm hoping this is true at other Cedar Fair parks as well because I really get sick of the fight at Cedar Point.

Season passes are sold a Meijer and Kroger. IIRC, they look kind of like gift cards, and are purchased in the same way as a ticket would be at the register. When I bought my one and only gold pass in 2001 (I either had no pass, or a platinum, since then) at Meijer, they gave me a form that was completely blank and just needed to be filled out before I could process it at the gate. No clue if that's how they still handle it, but it sounds like that's similar to selective's situation.

You pointed out exactly what I've been thinking. These incidents occur at every park. I've been in the park when a huge fight broke out at KI. Molestation, stalking, rape, kidnapping, drug use ... it happens at every park. Some makes it to court, some doesn't. Some makes the papers, some doesn't. Unaccompanied minors are at EVERY park. When I was in security at KI, I handled a call involving two unaccompanied kids ages 7 and 9 who were spitting on people. Their mom thought it was totally ok to just leave them at the park all day while she went to work. I think Six Flags didn't keep a handle on things as far as one, publicity, and two, keeping a security presence to get rid of the people causing problems throughout the day. I'm not saying that there's any way to keep them out completely, but simply removing troublemakers from the property for the day keeps the general public from realizing how many troublemakers there are around them. As an addition to that, Six Flags America outside of DC has a similar reputation to the one SFKK had. If you read Trip Advisor and similar travel sites, the comments are very negative, talking about the gang activity and other such trouble in the park. However, these comments are usually from people who by their own admission have not been in the park for over five years - and Six Flags has been cleaning up that park. I visited it numerous times in 2009 and 2010 and never saw any of the things that it's reputed to harbor. The reputation is still suffering because it got so bad in the first place that people aren't going back to see what has changed. It will take time to recover from that, but I think it can and will. And I feel the same about Kentucky Kingdom - it will take time to shake off the reputation it developed in the early and mid 2000's, but with enough time and effort it can rebound.

I don't let it deter me because you're FAR more likely to die in a car accident on the way to any public area than from a terrorist attack. I don't see most amusement parks as a target, honestly. A lot of times, these attacks are more of a statement than actually having the purpose of killing a lot of people. Look at the marathon bombing... yes, it was a huge gathering of people but they were spread out over 26 miles.The area in which the bombs were detonated was one of the higher concentrations of people because it was the finish line, but it still wasn't thousands of people in the direct vicinity. I think it was more of a statement. Terrorists attack things that are symbolic of our way of life, and the Boston Marathon is just that. I think *if* they were to attack a park (I honestly don't find it likely), they would go for one that is symbolic of our way of life - such as Disney. Disney does not have strong security measures (just a bag check at the gate), but I don't think metal detectors are ever the answer for this type of situation. All they do is catch people carrying pocket knives and screwdrivers. Someone who is coming in with the intent to do harm is NOT going to be stopped by a metal detector. They'll either find a way around it or just start shooting there - and the security personnel that ran them at KI were not armed. There was no armed security officer anywhere near the front gate most of the time. The only armed officers on park are the park police, and there are usually 5 or so of them on the entire property. A person in a uniform without any kind of weapon would not be a deterrent to someone with the intent to cause harm. Metal detectors were not there to stop "active shooters" (the current Homeland Security lingo) - they were designed to stop people from bringing in things like pocket knives which can dramatically escalate a small altercation. Yes, fights happens at parks (frequently over line jumping, which is why I don't encourage "self policing" in line), and if some hothead pulls out a knife, it's going to go the wrong way very quickly. But, like I said, metal detectors would not stop, or even slow down, an active shooter or a terrorist attack.

Yes, there will be a long line for tickets. I believe it is cheaper to get them online, but I don't know if you'll have to pick them up once you get to the park. We waited about 20 minutes to buy season passes on a fairly dead day in January. For food, I'd say try Three Broomsticks.

My husband and I went to Universal/IoA twice over the winter. Here are my recommendations as far as what you were asking about. We did the meal plan on our first trip. I don't think we'll do it again unless we get to the park really early and eat 3 meals there. It was a struggle to make it "worth it" because the meals were very filling. We got the wristbands just for Universal (not the 2-park meals) and ate at the italian place and also at the Classic Monsters Cafe. The second was my favorite! We ate there again on our second trip. We're both big into Halloween and classic horror movies, so that was a special treat for us because we both really enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant and they also had really good food. As far as other food items, get a butterbeer in WWoHP! It's like a butterscotch root beer and is delicious, though a little overwhelmingly sweet. My husband had a pumpkin juice and it was good too, but the butterbeer is a unique treat. For your parents I would say it depends on what they're interested in. I think there's more to do at Universal, but more to see at IoA. Universal has some cool dark/indoor rides, such as Minion Mayhem and MIB Alien Attack that should be parent-friendly. MIB Alien Attack is like Boo Blasters but with Universal-level theming, Minion Mayhem and the Simpsons ride are more like Action Theater and Twister is like an immersive movie experience rather than a ride. In IoA, you can just walk around in the themed areas for hours because there's so much to look at, and there are lots of themed restaurants and shops. If your mom gets motion sick, I do NOT recommend the Forbidden Journey. It's a very disorienting dark ride, and my friend Curtis, who usually doesn't get motion sick, had to go hang out in the bathroom for awhile after it (the funniest part is that he ended up in the one with Moaning Myrtle, so as he put it "I'm in here trying not to lose my lunch and here's Moaning Myrtle just chatting away!"). It's much more intense than any other dark ride I've ever ridden!! As for the fast passes, I would go to the park and actually check the lines before you decide to get it. When we were there in February, IoA was VERY crowded. Lines at the turnstiles to get in, wall-to-wall people in WWoHP ... and yet, half the rides were a walk-on. We waited 10 minutes for Dragon Challenge the first time, and walked on it every time after that. Forbidden Journey was posted at 25 minutes, we went through the single rider line and essentially walked on. I think we waited 3 or 4 groups before we got on simultaneous vehicles. Later in the day we walked on it through the regular queue. If you're a 'credit whore' and want Flight of the Hippogriff, it will probably have a bit of a line as it's a small kiddie coaster. However, they run two trains on busy days which cuts the wait down. It was 15 minutes or so. Incredible Hulk is a typical B&M people eater. I've never waited more than 10 minutes for it and we rode it a ton of times on both trips. At night it was a walk-on. So, what I'm trying to say is don't assume that just because there are a lot of people there that the lines will be long. Check it out first before you end up wasting your money. As for what order, I don't know that I can really give you any information on that. We just did them as we came to them, though I'd say try and get a night ride on Hulk because it's pretty wicked at night. Rip Ride Rockit WILL have a long line, lol. They have a single rider line, but unlike Forbidden Journey it tends to get pretty long also. We managed to catch the regular line posted at 20 minutes (actually took about 15). They cannot do front seat requests (assigned seating) because so many people ask for it, but were happy to give us the back seat when we asked. I rode with Evanescence "Bring Me to Life" on the first ride, and used one of the hidden songs, "Night on Bald Mountain" which is a classical piece, on my second. Both were a lot of fun, but I think the second one was the better of the two to ride with! Hungarian Horntail is the more intense of the dragons, by the way, so I would start on Chinese Fireball. Also, you didn't ask this but I thought I'd put it in there. If you are parking on-site, I recommend paying the $5 extra for preferred parking (unless someone in your party has a handicap placard). Not only do you end up a LOT closer to the entrance, you end up leaving through a different exit than the rest of the traffic, avoiding the big nighttime exit traffic jam. If you want to read my trip report and see all my photos, I posted them here: http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/27085-an-orlando-adventure-22113-22413/

I haven't picked up a map in years, so I didn't notice that last season. That's pretty hilarious. Suddenly, Flight Deck scooted over and turned sideways.

Ok, that calls it for me. I MUST get to Entertrainment Junction!! I've been kind of wanting to go, because I've always loved model train displays, but this is just so incredible!! I can't wait to see it all in action.

I've only been to IB twice - once in 2009 and once in 2010. The waterfall was not working on either trip.

I always love seeing all the work that goes into keeping a park running - it's just very interesting. One of my favorite things in the mornings at Dollywood was walking past Thunderhead while they were doing the morning trackwalk, or even better, minor retracking. It was just very cool to watch. Probably my favorite part of working on a coaster was getting to see all of the mechanics that go into it, learning how the controls systems work, and everything that was done as far as maintenance.

In response to whether you can do IB and HW in two days - yes. It's not ideal, but I've done IB, SFGAm and HW over a span of 3 days. We stayed at a campground near IB, so we did IB on day one, Great America on day 2, and then left early in the AM from the campground to go to HW for day 3.

Hurray!! Look forward to seeing you in the park this season!