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BlondyRidesOn

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BlondyRidesOn last won the day on October 11 2021

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  1. I liked this one because of the Eiffel Tower overlooking the Mercado.
  2. 1. In keeping with the trend of removing corporate chain restaurants for custom food offerings for the park, and to balance out the last bit of German flair in Oktoberfest with the Latin American/ Ancient Mexico theme of Adventure Port, Panda Express will be removed from Festhaus and replaced with a signature food option that combines German flair and healthy options, possibly with goetta (who doesn't love goetta?). 2. When Mystic Timbers needs to be retracked after several years, Kings Island will go with The Gravity Group's engineered precut track like on Racer and The Beast over GCI, despite GCI building the ride. 3. Half of Action Zone will be gone in 10 years.
  3. Ive never been to Kings Dominion, but I have heard good things about Grain & Grill. This is the perfect use for this location. I love how the park is putting emphasis that it will serve Mediterranean and Eastern European foods. This is a sign that the park seems to be dedicated to restoring the worldly feeling of International Street.
  4. Thanks for sharing this image. I probably wasn't old enough to remember the magnetic boards, as I was 7 or 8 years old when Paramount sold to Cedar Fair. I do remember the scrolling LED sign. However, these pictures unlock another memory: I had forgotten that Paramount had display cases with movie posters, not too dissimilar to those in The Paramount Story/ Tower Gardens, showcasing the latest films the studio was producing or distributing that year. In 2006, Paramount was releasing the film "Last Holiday" starring Queen Latifah, so the film's poster was on display to advertise it.
  5. Why not a mine car theme for Rivertown? Keep the fire effects to mimic a mine blast but create a gunite rock structure?
  6. I remember my earliest posts on here back in 2013 (I can't believe it will be 10 years!). Around that time, there were discussions about potential upgrades to the three Royal Fountains in the chain as teased by then CEO Matt Ouimet. I was entirely against the idea of radically changing the layout and wanted a more laid back upgrade and restoration to our fountain instead. Once the 2019 season rolled around, I felt that the park went above and beyond. I think the reason why I was against the idea six years prior was because I viewed the Royal Fountain as a sacred original piece in the park, but I wasn't looking at the full picture; International Street was/is more than just the fountain. The stenciling on the facades, the fresh new paint making the buildings have their own character, and yes even the smaller trees were a major upgrade. In my opinion, the restoration of the European and worldly theme of International Street outweighs the look of the Royal Fountain alone. With the introduction of the French Corner and its Parisian style food offerings in 2020, I hope the park continues on the route of making it "International" Street again. That being said, I do miss the thicker jets and morning glory nozzles on the original Royal Fountain. There was definitely something regal and majestic about the visual of large powerful jets of water. On the topic of rides, I'd have to say the original Antique Cars. I wasn't born yet when Ohio Overland Auto Livery (Rivertown side) was open, but Les Taxis (Coney) was my first experience driving. It was more aesthetically pleasing than Backlot Stunt Coaster/ Italian Job: Stunt Track. I like Kings Mills Antique Autos, but one thing I wish it did was drive under the overpass bridge like the original ride.
  7. Why not a spinning coaster, like a MACK Extreme Spinner themed to a Virginia Reel in Coney Mall. Could even tie it in with the old Coney Island/ old school amusement midway theme.
  8. Kings Dominion has officially announced The Gravity Group is the firm involved in the restoration work, utilizing their engineered precut track! https://www.kingsdominion.com/blog/2022/the-rebirth-of-the-grizzly---part-3?utm_source=park_facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=kd_grizzlyblog_jan9&utm_id=23SAS
  9. While I was reading the blog post, it read to "Follow The Grizzly Gang for more updates." The initials are very similar to The Gravity Group. Also, they mention that they would introduce the engineers behind the project in a future blog post. With GCIs Titan Track installation on Wolverine Wildcat at Michigan's Adventure, I don't remember hearing about the team from GCI explaining the new installation, but we did hear a bit from The Gravity Group about The Racer and The Beast when they added their Engineered Precut Track. Either way, I can't wait for more updates!
  10. Really cool video! This looks like 1981. In The Racer POV, you can see The Bat to the left.
  11. I love the addition last season of the Tomb Raider loading drums in the station. The downside is that it's difficult to hear, with the other outside noise and FunTV. An updated sound system would really help. I would also love some themed music in the queue line itself. I don't know how copyrighted it is, but I wouldn't mind them recycling some of the other TR:TR soundtrack pieces:
  12. It feels very secluded from the rest of Coney Mall. The area is devoid of games besides 3-Point Challenge around the corner and the loss of Vortex. It's probably the Kings Island purist in me talking, but I kinda like how long it is and I'm a bit iffy about cutting it off past Zephyr (This is where Coney stopped from 1972 to 1974). That would only leave Racer, the three original flats plus Zephyr. I like the idea of KMAA being in Coney as a lot of classic parks have some sort of auto ride or a turnpike. Coney Mall needs flat rides, so I'm a little opposed to cutting Shake Rattle & Roll off from the rest of Coney. When The Vortex replacement comes, I would love to see Coney Mall receive the International Street 2019 treatment and be reimagined while retaining the same basic theme and utilize the Coney name in some way. The pathway between Coney and Rivertown by Backlot is another story.
  13. Here are my thoughts on today's announcement: From the renderings, the park is really breathing life into this area if the park. The current state it's in looks very bland and needs an identity. The colorful decorations and paint jobs will really liven up that pathway. Knowing how popular Hank's is, along with it's close proximity to the Aztec themed Adventure Express, it makes sense that they are making a new section themed around both of those. The Mercado and Enrique's both look fantastic, and it's cool to see the old windows from Der Alte Deutsche Bier Garten / Oktoberfest Gardens making a comeback as they were once covered up by the corrugated metal siding when they added Bubba Gump Shrimp Shack in 2003 (Also a product of Jack Rouse Associates). The two new flat rides are going to be great additions to the park's line up. They both look to be throwbacks to old attractions in Skylab and Der Spinnen Keggers. I know how often it had been discussed on here that they should bring back the Keggers in particular, and Cargo Loco seems to be a more modern incarnation of it. I will also agree that it's ironic that Keggers is making a comeback to that area minus the German theming it and that section of the park once had. That being said, I hope what Oldschool75 said about the Festhaus and Viking Fury area is accurate and that Oktoberfest will still be a section of Kings Island. Cincinnati has such deep German roots, so it would be a shame to see it leave entirely. The park sells German style food at several locations, most notably at Meteor Canteen with the bratwurst and Italian sausage sandwiches with sauerkraut and peppers. I had the bratwurst there and loved it (of course I am biased because I love German food). I think the main concern is popularity and what sells. I would really like to see what's left of the German theming in Oktoberfest be expanded a bit, but that might be wishful thinking. Overall, Adventure Port looks amazing. I'm very glad they're doing this because that part of the park needed some life. I have always been an advocate for Kings Island going back down the route of immersive theming in each area and this addition really helps round the park out nicely!
  14. The thing I'd like to see if Action Zone were to be annexed into Oktoberfest would be to removed the large concrete pathways and plant more trees and landscaping. The Festhaus idea, with the "international foods" is an interesting one. However, in my honest opinion, it should remain the Festhaus as that's the more iconic and recognizable name, especially with the glockenspiel being restored on the front recently. I like the idea of the Zamperla Gryphon on the old SlingShot site. It would be cool to see it have a maypole theme, decked out to look like ribbons. As someone who would love to see the arbor tunnel return to the park, it would be cool to see it next to Viking Fury. However, it would require moving both the entrance and exit of the ride to be moved near the International Street Funnel Cakes and Emporium and the removal of some nicely grown in trees. I still think the arbor tunnel should be placed near Rivertown, such as the pathway near the Island Paradise stand near the floral clock, cleaning up the transition into Rivertown. Although, the tunnel would provide the shade lost, but it'll take a while for the vines to grow in. Overall, this is a great concept. Oktoberfest is an area in need of restoration and work. Absolutely love this!
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