Jump to content

CoolCoasterMan

Members
  • Posts

    11
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by CoolCoasterMan

  1. I actually disagree with some of the things Shaggy said. I really believe the overall ride quality will drastically improve with GCII Millenium flyer Trains. The trains would likely be modified due to the wider track gauge, but the Premier Trains now can't really handle the rides turns. They are very vibrational and shuffle through every turn. The restraints and seating position do not help either, in that ergonomically they are poorly designed. I do give Kings Island credit for spending the money and time to try and fix the ride. This is the most major reprofiling and improvements they have made to the ride, so I see this as the last chance it has. If no major comfort and smoothness is acheived from this reprofiling/fixing, I see them taking it down. Unlike Rattler, which had its first drop raised 50 feet or so, the ride should still have its similar layout, of course without its verticle loop. Hopefully the ride will have more speed through the second half of the ride since it won't have some of its energy lost from going through that verticle loop. Also hopefully they don't trim the ride on the block brake, since I here the second helix isn't slow and boring , if the ride actually is not trimmed there. The rose bowl section was actually my favorite part of the ride, and if it is actually smooth in that section, this ride could be good. I don't think its reasonable to expect that they would redesign that portion of the ride into and out and back. It is possible, especially if you look at examples such as Phantoms Revenge and Thunderbolt at Kennywood of rides that had major new elements added and redesigned.
  2. I would definately be for a school calander that didn't start clas till after labor day weekend, and ended memorial day. It would be great for the amusement park industry for a varitey of reasons. For one thing, it would allow them to operate everyday during peak season, instead of the limited operations it is during August. Besides that, it would help with finding labor for the seasonal jobs. Ride operators, food, games, etc. those type of jobs. If the college or high school kids were off than, finding the necessary labor would be much easier. Of course this would require schools to revise their schedule. I am not sure how many days are required, but this would be a shorter year. So that would mean a shorter winter and spring break. Either that, or longer hours. I still would be for it. I think a mandatory school calander would be better. Each school would be on the same schedule, that alone would help alot of businesses.
  3. This is probably the most useless waste of a poll and a thread I have seen in a long time. The Beast since it open has been Kings Islands most famous and the highly regarded ride. It is the one coaster that really put them on the map and made the park a destination. The Racer started the second coaster and amusement park boom, but The Beast is the flaghship ride at Paramount Kings Island, the ride that has brought in the money and guest for the last 26 years. Its still extremely popular in the eyes of the general public. Having worked as a ride operator on The Beast and TS for 2001 to 2003, I can attest to its popularity. The ride has people screaming and cheering all night long for its famous night rides. It also has an hour plus line duriing weekends, and even on none busy days, still sends out full trains. On the rare days when it was down, guest were extremely disappointed, expecially some that came from far out places such as Great Britain or Alaska. Even after 26 years, it is still well liked among coaster enthusiasts also. It was just recently ranked number 8 iin the wooden coaster list, for the Golden Ticket 2005 Amusement Today awards. Not to mention that it was by far the oldest ride in the top 10, which speaks volumes on how highly regarded people consider this ride 26 years since it opened in 1979. Besides the Coney Island Cyclone, I can't think of a more famous wooden roller coaster in operation today. Thunderbolt at Kennywood might be close, but The Beast is legendary in every way. Wooden coasters as long as you maintain them can last forever. The track is constanlty replaced and with good maintenace the ride can theorectical never have to be torn down. There are wooden coasters that have lasted for over 80 years in operation and some are even in peoples top 10 wooden coaster list. The Beast has perserved itself thanks to the great job by the Kings Island wood coaster maintenance staff. The ride is running as good as it ever has, and would be surprised if it is ever torn down during my lifetime. So in response to this thread, The Beast will likely never be torn down in anyones time. The industry experts say that "you never stop buidling a wooden roller coaster", so that is what will happen. The ride will constantly have track work when needed so it runs as good as new. Steel coasters are another story, and are designed to have a certain fatigue life for its steel components. Thus they have an already predetermined maxiumum self life to some extent, and this can be seen by some of the older Arrow steel coasters of 1970's and 1980's. Wooden roller coasters, especially ones with this type of popularity will and never should be torn down. This goes for any classsic wood coaster, Coney Island Cyclone, Thunderbolt, Jack Rabbit, and Racer at Kennywood, Racer at PKI, Blue Sreak at Cedar Point, Giant Dippers in California, among several others to numerous to list.
  4. Now that the Italian Job is offically open, it is time to speculate on what is in store for next year. The direction of the park is to make more of a theme park, with movie based attractions. The most common rumor is to see some type of Nick Central expansion. The park has won the best kids section the last few years in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket awards. The most recent Paramount Park Survey featured a few possible attractions that could fit into a Nick Central expansion. The following were those listed on the survey, and considering how rides such as the Italian Job were on a similar survey the past year, they sometimes can be a good indication for what is in store. Nickelodeon Car Wash: At the Nick Car Wash, all of your favorite characters are on hand to get you, sopping wet-each in their own special way! Riders explore a series of indoor/outdoor scenes, each featuring a different Nick character in a wacky cartoon car wash. And this car wash is interactive, allowing riders to control their own spped through the scenes. Comments: The ride could use the antique cars that were removed this year. Sounds like an interesting addition and could be a likely replacement for the water maze because you get wet. SpongeBob Squarepants: Crash Course Boating School: Climb aboard a boat with Spongebob Squarepants at the wheel, and you're in for a completely wacky ride! The rip-roaring indoor family coaster ride will put guests on a twisting, turning, underwater crash course with all of the creatures of Bikini Bottom! With Spongebob behind the wheel, surpriese are sure to be around every corner, as guest whiz through a cartoon environment full of spectacular sights, silly sounds, and crazy "underwater" special effects! Buckle up and take the wheel with everyone's favorite sponge at Mrs. Puff's Driving School for a wild, wet, and whacked-out underwater adventure with SpongeBob and Friends! Comments: Another family coaster similar to perhaps in thrills of Rugrats Runnaway Reptar Roller Coaster. Water and other effects, and it is themed to a popular kid cartoon. Seems like it is a likely addition. Feel free to respond and predict what ride you think they are getting for next year. It does not have to be either of these two, but just seems like these were the ones on the survey and the more likely choices.
  5. The park has added some really cool non coaster atttractions in recent years such as Tomb Raider, Delerium, and Drop Zone, so even if the park did not get a new coaster next year they could still add something good. If they were to add a non coaster ride, I think another Huss giant ride or a well themed elaborate water ride is what I would like to see them get. Although they have two Huss Giant flat rides (Delerium and Tomb Raider), these rides seem to real popular and I really like Delerium. I am not sure what other type of giant ride that PKI could get (they already have a frisbee and top spin) but these large flat rides do not take up a lot of space and offer a good thrill. Some possible locations they could put one is: near the lake across from the dormit Antique Cars, perhaps in Coney Mall if they moved a few things around or maybe behind The Racer, or by Delerium (Delerium did not take up all of King Cobra's land plot). A themed water attraction is another possibility that I think would be a good move for the park. PKI now has one less water ride when they replaced the other log flume with Tomb Raider. The park is also has a new direction and appears to be trying to become more of a theme park. This can be shown by the parks new website and slogan, their recent additions such as Tomb Raider and Boomerange Bay which are themed attractions. A really elaborate themed attraction similar experience to rides such as Journey to Alantis at Sea World Florida, Splash Mountain at Disney Parks, and Dudley Do-Right Ripsaws Fall at Island of Adventure, would be really cool. They could easily theme a ride like this to some movie. A water ride like this allows the typical slow parts to be interesting by having theming elements tell a story and build suspense for the big drop.
  6. I am not sure if anybody at this time except for Boliger and Mabilard and any park interested in the attraction would know exactly how it works. Right now it is just speculation and just a rumor. However I am sure back a couple years, people were not sure if a wooden coaster could have a vertical loop and be built over 200 feet Perhaps the first generation trains for the B & M dive coaster are not suited for inversions. However the first B & M vertical drop coaster, Oblivion, was built in 1998. At this time there were no flying coasters, a looping wooden coaster would of seem like a unlikely possibliity and the tallest coaster and fastest coaster at that time is probably at least 100 ft shorter and 30 mph slower than todays fastest and tallest coaster, Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. There have been great strides in new technology and new rides in the industry. At least in my opinion this type of ride does sound like a possibility. I also decided to post the link to Busch Gardens Tampa's rumored new attraction for 2005 BGT Guide
  7. After reading a rumor on screamscape, about Busch Gardens Tampa might be adding a next generation B & M vertical drop coaster( on screamscape there is even a link to a website, BGT Guide, that contains an interview with the parks GM, who confirms that they are going get to that ride for 2005) , I started wondering whether Paramount Kings Island would add something like that. Paramount Kings Island getting A B & M vertical drop coaster does not sound that unreasonable if you analyize the situation. Paramount Parks, and in particual Paramount Kings Island, typically builds new innovative rides that no park around the area has anything like it. Looking back at some of their major attractions over the years, this theory that the park typically adds innovative first of kind or largest of its king rides can clearly be shown. The Beast in 1979 was definately an innovative and groundbreaking ride. It broke all the records for height, speed, and length, and to this day is still the longest wooden coaster in the world (also just recently it was voted the best wooden coaster on coasterbuzz's 2004 poll). The Bat built in 1981 (was eventually removed after a couple years and Vortex took its place) was one of the first suspended coasters and although it had its problems, it was still an innovative first of its kind attractions. Son of Beast built in 2000, was an innovative coaster that broke the records for height and speed for a wooden roller coaster, and was the first modern looping wooden roller coaster. So the park definately has a history of adding innovative attractions (some of course more successful than others). There are two vertical drop coasters designed by B & M, but both are not in the United States. Also this version would be more than just a large vertical drop, and quite possibly contain more elements suchs as large drops, tight turns, and possibly inversions. Although Busch Gardens Tampa might be adding the same type of coaster the same year, Paramounts Kings Island version could be very different. Perhaps Busch Gardens Tampa could use a Linear Induction Motor launch (LIM) and have inversion while Paramount Kings Island could be more of a hyper coaster with large drops and a much longer track length. Also this type of ride could easily be themed and this appears to be the parks over the last couple of years. They seem to be in the direction of creatomg themed rides that have a hollywood type feel. Also if you remember back to a survey the Paramount Parks conducted about theming and possible new attractions, there were two possible attractions that they featured. One was the Addams Family attaction, which If I remember correctly, did mention something about a vertical drop. This is not to say that the next big ride is going to be a B & M vertical drop coaster themed to the Addams family but it does show the parks interest in having a coaster with a vertical drop. The next big coaster of course does not have to be this theme. The survey also asked what movies that you have watched and what movie theme would you like to see a ride based on. I just thought this was very interesting, and although I am not sure if a ride like this will be built in 2005, or 2006, or at all, I am definatley excited to see what the park is going to be adding. The parks last additions, In my opinion have been very good. Attactions such as: Delerium, Tomb Raider, The Action Zone with Face Off, Drop Zone, and Son of Beast, have been great addtions. I hope the future additions can live up to the precedent the park has set over the last couple of years.
×
×
  • Create New...