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KIBOB

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Everything posted by KIBOB

  1. I understand and support using technology to enhance the guest experience, but this cacophony of companies implies that visiting a park will be yet another opportunity for these giants to harvest your personal data for their own gain. A park should be a place to escape the BS of everyday life (including being constantly data mined). .....and I'm a software architect!
  2. I'm still in shock over this, but will be cautiously optimistic. I actually moved from the Cincinnati area to Oregon last year, so KI has become a once, maybe twice a year thing when I visit family, so I certainly will be following the forums for any changes. One of the things that I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned yet is that Jeff Siebert (and not entirely sure, but I'm guessing a few other alumni) will now be under the same employment umbrella as those at KI.
  3. They could move Surf Dog and Tiki Twirl next to each other and have racing Disk'Os. Or place a low point of one under the high point of another... Disk'O dueling dragons, better yet, Dueling Disk'Os!
  4. Doesn’t S&S still make Arrow parts? EDIT: https://www.s-s.com/ride-services-and-parts/arrow-rides
  5. When it comes to the Arrow coasters, I don't think you can compare Bat/Iron Dragon with Vortex. I think we need to look at the facts (with physics!) While there are many examples of OLD Arrow coasters still around, some of the rides built within the last 40 years have met the end of their service life. The huge Arrow mega loopers (Vortex, GASM, etc...) were forceful rides that reused Arrow's off the shelf components, originally designed for the smaller coasters. In theory, the increase in forces over the superstructure can logarithmically impact the life of the ride. I'd like to think of it like dogs. The largest breeds tend to not live as long as smaller breeds due to additional wear and tear on the body throughout the duration of the dog's lifetime, especially given all domestic dogs have a common ancestor. If you look at rides like Iron Dragon and The Bat, they utilize a completely different style of track, with better transitions, and cars that swing out further reducing the forces (a lesson learned from the original Bat). Also, look at Tennessee Tornado. I expect that ride will be around for a while as it heavily modified Arrow's original track design.
  6. Other parks may be opening the event earlier in order to generate more revenue to account for longer COVID related closures. Even if the bulk of the traffic won't come in until after Thanksgiving, it is still something. There could be a balancing act between the parks based on various variables in the market. Also, keep in mind, Canada does not have the same Thanksgiving holiday that we do, so the winter season can, in a more culturally acceptable way, begin sooner.
  7. This is one of the things that I did not really like about the Scheid/early CF ownership years. While areas of the park were revamped with new ride additions, often it felt half a**ed. Rivertown getting a refresh but losing its charm, Festhaus getting de-contented, Coney Mall getting pavers but losing signage, and Action Zone becoming an even more confusing amalgamation of themes. I mean, they repainted Delirium to remove the "checkered flag" patterns, but didn't even touch Drop Tower. The last few years have been a huge step forward. Under Mike Koontz, the park has focused heavily on atmosphere. The International Street revamp was complete and well done, Festhaus has been (mostly) restored, and Area 72 is mind blowing in its attention to detail. I hope we see further revamps of areas within the park, and I see Action Zone as an area that really needs work. I really like the idea that has been posted here numerous times of a "Dark Forest" retheme. For a regional park like KI, it would theoretically be a cheap re-skin too. Almost all the current rides would fit right in, with some paint schemes receiving modification (removal of checkered flag accents from Drop Tower). Just plant/relocate a LOT more trees, add some spooky signage, and there you have it.
  8. I am sooo excited to see/experience this! From what I can tell, they hit it out of the park with the themeing. I love that this ride has a preshow, and that it has a nice tie-in to FoF. As much as I love Mystic Timbers, I always felt the ride should have had a preshow. Unless you were at media day, you don't really know the storyline. The camera feeds were a nice touch, but I wished it had more.
  9. Definitely got me there. I should've said "in a way that lines up with current evidence". Certainly not the worst way to handle this situation, but definitely not the best!
  10. The situation is being handled in the best way possible in association with scientific research and analysis being done. There is still a lot we don't know, but I have faith in wold-wide scientific institutions to find the right answers. Not everything that risks a disruption of normal American life is a conspiracy, hoax, or government plot.
  11. Ireland is not exactly tropical, but I like the idea!
  12. I don't really expect many parks to be spun off in the short term. The entire industry is facing this pandemic, and while some companies are doing much better than others, I can see the need for conserving cash far outweighing the prospects of acquisitions, at least for the next year or two. So, it isn't really a question of "if company A sells a park", but rather "can companies B - F afford to buy a park?"
  13. It appears to be indicating that special precautions need to be taken if a evacuation is necessary and the last car stopped forward of that line. I'm guessing that is near the point of no return as the train begins to crest.
  14. I too am very pleased to see foldable maps return. I'm also delighted to see that each area's midways are color coded again. Something that hasn't been implemented in years. It is nice to see a continued acknowledgement of the park's individual areas.
  15. ^ Not to mention, while it is bright, upon zooming in you can see years of dirt, grime, and grease. Since the park is not open, one would assume a freshly painted tower would be nice and clean.
  16. ^ Now that is a good way to kill time while social distancing!
  17. You know, while we've been having great conversations, there are certain past members of these forums that I wish were still around to give their perspective on the situation. Terpy comes to mind.
  18. Maybe that's why KI's is the most reliable. Just too many electrons being used for LED lighting.
  19. In my opinion, I think it would make the most sense for the pass to be extended into the following season for the number of closed days at the park of purchase, which would also work for platinum passholders. My wife and I have platinum passes purchased from KI. Under this model, our passes could be extended into KI's 2021 season as a regular gold pass, but not necessarily at other parks. I'm not sure if the season pass software can do this either, but as a Software Architect by trade, it probably wouldn't be a difficult feature to add to the system. On the other side of the coin, many of us are concerned about how the park closures will affect Cedar Fair financially. I honestly couldn't care less about the stock price, but if the company is running on fumes from lack of patrons, this could certainly impact the level of operations at the parks. As such, I personally would like to see them place a limit on pass extensions. I know we will all have different opinions on this, and that is perfectly ok. In the end, while we all want to be back in the parks we love so much, I'm sure we care just as much if not more so about the fiscal viability of the company that owns and invests in said parks.
  20. For those asking how Cedar Fair may handle season passes, I just copied the following from Knott's site (keep in mind, Knott's is open year-round): *emphasis added* https://www.knotts.com/park-update
  21. I forgot it used to sound like that. I know they filled in part of the hammerhead with sand this past winter, but when was this done on the lift hill? I seem to recall discussions a few years back about a change in wheels, but I don't remember hearing about sand.
  22. There is no way of knowing. The statehouse said they wouldn't be surprised if schools remained closed the rest of the year. All these decisions are the best things that can be done right now at the state level.
  23. Based on the animation and current work being done, I don't think it is going to happen. The park is putting a lot of effort into the theming of Area 72. It looks like the entrance of Orion is supposed to "flow" with the rest of the area. I would guess a giant, vibrant ID sign would throw off the "sense of place". Knowing Cedar Fair, they will probably do something cool and unique to mark the entrance of the ride.
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