DonHelbig

Lakemont Park has made the disheartening decision to forgo operating rides this year. https://themeparksbydon.com/lakemont-park-makes-disheartening-decision-to-forgo-operating-rides-in-2024/

Busch Gardens Tampa’s beloved SkyRide reopens Feb. 2. Please note, there is a $5 fee for guests. Pass Members ride the SkyRide for free.

Back in the 1980's when I was riding The Racer almost daily, a guest on the train I was riding had their glass eye pop out. I also saw a guest on The Racer lose their toupee on the turnaround drop. My daughter caught someone's credit card on the second drop on Diamondback when it opened in 2009.

Thank you! Appreciate everyone that listens to Tower Topics and The Attractions Group Podcast.

I really like the new names; they all seem to fit in well with the new Camp Snoopy area and theme.

Here’s a piece I wrote on Theme Parks By Don. https://themeparksbydon.com/six-flags-and-cedar-fair-merger-faces-doj-hurdle/

Controlling stake doesn’t mean they’re going to be making all the calls on how the parks will run, all of the personnel decisions.

It’s stock, not Stock.

Holiday World has done a terrific job in building awareness and excitement for Good Gravy!

Six Flags has made waves in the theme park industry by launching the largest digital alliance of its kind. https://themeparksbydon.com/six-flags-launches-digital-alliance-with-tech-giants/

Thanks for listening!

I'm looking forward to experiencing the 2024 Kings Island season vicariously through this forum and the fantastic content KIC publishes on X.

The Racer, followed by The Beast,

Listen, the park can try and spin it any way they want as to why Coasterstock didn't return this year, but "timing" isn't why. The event had an acknowledged reputation as one of the finest park-hosted events in the amusement and theme park industry. It sold out in less than 10 minutes. A park doesn't cancel an event that is highly successful and means so much to the attendees because of timing. It took place the same weekend every year since its inception outside of 2021 when it took place later in the summer due to COVID-19 and not knowing what the restrictions might be going into the season. So no, it's not because of timing. What the real reasons were, that will be discussed on an upcoming episode of Tower Topics. Much like what the park put out there, you can choose to buy or sell the reasoning the podcast provides. While Coasterstock isn't returning year, Kings Island has replaced it with the equally exciting American Coaster Enthusiasts 2024 Spring Conference. The 2014 ACE Spring Conference was held at Kings Island, and it was nothing short of amazing! The members of ACE involved in planning the club's events excel far more than I did. All of the ACE events that I've participated in are a testament to their expertise and dedication. If you're not an ACE member, I highly recommend that you join so you can take part in the Spring Conference. It's going to be a terrific event! The park's announcement of Coasterstock returning in 2025 seems ambitious, especially considering the imminent merger between Cedar Fair and Six Flags. Mergers often bring changes, including personnel adjustments, and nobody knows exactly what that might entail.

Again, 100 percent inaccurate what you posted.

100 percent inaccurate!

Camp Snoopy is new for 2024. What efforts has the park made to ignite interest, excitement, and anticipation since the August announcement? There's a lack of news stories, social media buzz, and blog features about the new ride, about Camp Snoopy, and all there will be for families to do. Why didn't the Kings Island communications team capture a momentous occasion -- the groundbreaking for Camp Snoopy -- by photographing General Manager Mike Koontz alongside Snoopy and Charlie Brown, all sporting hard hats and holding shovels, and subsequently share this captivating image with the Associated Press? By capturing that photo, and including a cutline such as, "Snoopy, Kings Island's EVP/GM Mike Koontz, and Charlie Brown make history at the groundbreaking ceremony for Camp Snoopy at Kings Island Amusement Park in Mason, Ohio. The park's award-winning kids' area is set to unveil this exciting addition in spring 2024," they could have secured extensive earned media coverage across news outlets spanning Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and beyond. Nobody at the park or corporate team is going to notice missed opportunities like this because people outside of PR can't really judge how well a PR person is doing because they're so out of the scope. Camp Snoopy is geared for storytelling. Hoping to see some stories soon across all communication channels!

Here’s a piece I wrote about Camp Snoopy. https://themeparksbydon.com/construction-on-kings-islands-camp-snoopy-takes-shape/

To all the fantastic members of KIC, may your Christmas and Holiday Season be filled with rollercoaster-sized joy, laughter, and unforgettable moments!

It would be interesting to see how many of the people expressing negative sentiment about Coney Island's closure on social media visited Coney Island over the past 10 years. Everyone came out of the woodwork when it was announced Cincinnati Gardens had been sold and would be torn down, and it's the same story with Coney Island.

If you did a comparison of say the past six months for 2023 vs. the same period in 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019, well, that’s a picture some wouldn’t want Bob Ross painting.

I can solve your interest and curiosity, but have a call coming in that I have to take.

There are social media tools available that allow you to conduct a competitor analysis and examine your competitors activities and performance going back several years.

The extended hours garnered a lot of news media stories in Pennsylvania. Dutch Winter Wonderland also extended its hours.

Wrote a piece on my new Theme Parks By Don blog (Story #50) about Coney Island closing. It won’t win a Pulitzer, but I think it captures the spirit of the thing. https://themeparksbydon.com/goodbye-coney-island-this-time-for-good/