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What do you miss most about Paramount


MrTools
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The two things I miss the most at KI are:

David Mandt and Jeffrey Siebert

With all due respect to Don.

Shaggy

I remember when I would walk past their offices and when they would see me I'd wave, and they'd be happy to wave back. Then when Cedar Fair took over, employees were no longer allowed to walk by the offices, because heaven forbid the new GM Greg Scheid didn't like looking at the lowly associates walking by...What a pompous ass. <_<

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The two things I miss the most at KI are:

David Mandt and Jeffrey Siebert

With all due respect to Don.

Shaggy

I remember when I would walk past their offices and when they would see me I'd wave, and they'd be happy to wave back. Then when Cedar Fair took over, employees were no longer allowed to walk by the offices, because heaven forbid the new GM Greg Scheid didn't like looking at the lowly associates walking by...What a pompous ass. <_<

I can only speak for myself but I have always found Greg Scheid to be very nice and professional.

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The two things I miss the most at KI are:

David Mandt and Jeffrey Siebert

With all due respect to Don.

Shaggy

I remember when I would walk past their offices and when they would see me I'd wave, and they'd be happy to wave back. Then when Cedar Fair took over, employees were no longer allowed to walk by the offices, because heaven forbid the new GM Greg Scheid didn't like looking at the lowly associates walking by...What a pompous ass. <_<

I can only speak for myself but I have always found Greg Scheid to be very nice and professional.

+10. He has always impressed me, and has always seemed very down to earth.

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- International Street music, but it eventually wore out on me

- Jeffrey Siebert - just so much fun to be around

- Tram Service, though it was reduced some in the mid-late 90s, and reduced even further in Paramount years. Then eliminated under CBS, never brought back with Cedar Fair.

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I'm not an employee so I can't say I miss it as much as some, but ... returner bonus pay. I heard this was phased out in the last years of Paramount, but I'm not sure when it officially ended. I know when I did my second season in 2003, I got a returner bonus of 50 cents an hour over a first year associate.

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I was one of the ones that resented the park being sold to Paramount since I had been going to the park since 78 and was a season pass holder from the 80s until the 91. I will say the music under CF control is terrible. I hate that there is no music in many of the lines anymore (The Beast for one) and that none of the areas are really themed anymore music wise.

Last year was one of my first back after probably a 10 year hiatus and now I am back to being a season pass holder this year.

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How managers treat employees as opposed to how they treat guests can vary wildly. It is in the former that you will find elements that will eventually be translated down into how those employees treat the guests.

That all being said, I miss Craig Ross and Tim Fisher, too. Barbara? Yeah, I miss her, too, but not in quite the same way! :)

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I just miss the theming in general. Cedar Fair's take on Kings Island seems a bit Generic. I mean it doesn't get much more generic than "Drop Tower" and a gigantic Muzak blasting around the park. I miss the music alot. I remember hearing Star Trek music and the Forrest Gump Theme. IT made the park feel somewhat epic. The music they play now is definitely a downgrade.

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As a matter of fact, it was even louder during the Tim Fisher era...he actually wanted to be able to hear the gate music from his office, and you could! :)

Where was his office located?

In the administrative offices...same place that the current general manager's office is...

Okay, let me rephrase. Where is the general manager's office? How close proximity is the general manager's office to the front gate?

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Let's just say it is a relatively far distance from the front gate and leave it at that. In days of old, this information wasn't all that close hold, but under Cedar Fair, far be it from me to reveal his undisclosed location. Besides, many of the GM's were most frequently found in the park, not their office. Craig Ross comes immediately to mind.

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Okay, let me rephrase. Where is the general manager's office? How close proximity is the general manager's office to the front gate?

distance.jpg

^This is the distance between the front gate and the General Manager's office at the park. If you ask me, it's not far at all as you can hear the front gate music well past that point...

I need to give credit for using Ronny Salerno's photo. B)

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Let's just say it is a relatively far distance from the front gate and leave it at that. In days of old, this information wasn't all that close hold, but under Cedar Fair, far be it from me to reveal his undisclosed location. Besides, many of the GM's were most frequently found in the park, not their office. Craig Ross comes immediately to mind.

You've gotta give a hat tilt to Greg Scheid in that area as well. I haven't once visited the park this year without seeing him out and about.

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I also miss the music because it gave each area its own atmosphere. You got elegant movie music on I-Street, classic country in Rivertown, kiddie music in HB/Nick... Now you've got a completely random variety of music playing in the main park, and classic rock in Boomerang Bay (though I never paid much attention to the music in BB prior to this year). I realize that CF doesn't like themes in their amusement parks (except for kiddie areas apparently), but they should at least do their best to go along with pre-existing themeing in each section of the park.

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I have to agree with people about missing the music, there was something so magical after having a great day in the park about sitting in the front waiting on the fireworks and the movie theme music that went along with it. That part of the park is International Street and movies are an international product, which fit into the theme of the area great for me. I absolutely miss Tomb Raider also, the first time I got to ride it, I got as excited as a kid on Christmas Day, the ride was so integrated with the movie and at the time the program on the ride was great, I still have many photos from the ride of my family and I the first year it opened and to see our faces in the pics it is hilarious, but we had so much fun. I wont ride The Crypt because it is more of a disappointment for me to ride it than it would be if they just took it out. I know I will get beat down for this one, because I know the attendance wasn't there, but I think if everyone could have seen how beautiful the park was at Winterfest, I think alot would have changed their minds about it, for my family, that is what they miss most about the park was seeing it at Christmas time.

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OK, this has been said before, but what do I miss about Paramount? Nothing!

Plenty of things I DO miss about KI from the past, but when Paramount bought the park was when it dropped off of the leading edge of amusement parks.

Other than SoB, what records or firsts did KI have during the Paramount years?

Things I miss from the Pre- Paramount years:

records and firsts: First Standup coaster in the US, first 6 inversion coaster, first suspended coaster (and the best ever- what made it the best is also what made it so short-lived) All of the records that Beast had when it opened.

I miss The Beast being a great coaster. Heck, I miss The Beast even being a good coaster. It's so neutrered with the trim brakes, it is pitiful. They ought to change the name. I did take an after dark ride on Saturday, and there were a few places where you could get a taste of the "old Beast." I waited 4 hours in line for The Beast the first time I rode it, and didn't regret it(1979)

I miss when the park had good maintenance! I went just after Cedar Fair took over in 2007. It had been 8 years since I'd been, and I was appalled at how run down the place had become. And, on that day, most coasters were down for some or all of the day. I can't remember a ride ever being down for a whole day during the Taft years, except for the years that The Bat was SNBO.

I miss plenty of good flat rides. I remember when Oktoberfest had 5-6 decent flat rides AND a coaster. Is there anything left besides Viking Fury?

I'm glad to see Paramount gone, but with Cedar Fair in charge, it's never going to get the attention it deserves because it's too close to Cedar Point, which will always get the best of everything. Heck, Cedar Fair shut down Geauga Lake instead of revitalizing it- hopefully KI is far enough away to avoid that fate.

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I'm glad to see Paramount gone, but with Cedar Fair in charge, it's never going to get the attention it deserves because it's too close to Cedar Point, which will always get the best of everything. Heck, Cedar Fair shut down Geauga Lake instead of revitalizing it- hopefully KI is far enough away to avoid that fate.

Yes, Cedarfair is neglecting KI so much they gave it a horrible ride called Diamondback.

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I always felt like the movie themes were really pushed upon me at PKI in terms of the music. I prefer the current tunes. The exception would have to be The Godfather theme at closing time...it just seemed so fitting. I also loved MTV's The Grind back in the day. There was nothing better than riding the rails all afternoon and then flirting and dancing with cuties till 1am.

In all though, I'm glad CF has it now. To me, it is just as magical because it's all about the rides and the present moment...not having media and movies shoved down your throat. I'd rather chat with my friends in line as Elton John plays in the background as opposed to us all being mesmerized by obnoxious TVs in the queue line.

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