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Hypothetical PKI presence all year around


italianchef
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I have heard that Kings Island used to have an INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANT that was separate from the park. In other words, dining at the restaurant didn't admit one to the park and vice-versa.

What if PKI re-opened the International Restaurant and kept it open all year? Additionally, what if PKI kept a skelaton crew all year around and charged a minimal fee (say $10) to people to enter the park during the off-season. However, the only rides available would be The Eiffel Tower and Grand Carousel. Or better yet....add FoF and the Paramount FX Theater.

What would y'all think of that? PKI all year around. Even if only 2-4 rides and a fancy restaurant. Riding FoF during the winter would cure me of my annual roller coaster withdrawal syndrome and I LOVE PKI!

May I read your comments?

Sincerely,

Italian Chef

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It would be cool, yes, but it's not feasable. There's insurance liability if someone happens to step on ice. IR would have to undergo renevations to comply with ADA. The park needs the off season to do work, for example renovate the fountain. I could see maybe opening it for a couple days around thanksgiving and a couple around christmas, but not for the whole winter, not even weekends. Don't get me wrong, I'd love it, but I just don't see it happening, as not too many people would be interested.

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Maybe for a weekend in January or so... of course they'd have to bring in the ride inspectors for any ride they're going to operate. I'm sure that's expensive.

They could operate any indoor ride. I'm sure they're not heated, but being indoors makes a big difference.

As far as rollercoasters and flats go though, it's unlikely. Keep in mind that they have lubricants and stuff within the mechanisms which would have a different texture below zero. According to Arrow's web page, the main reasons why rollercoasters valley is because the park changes the compound that makes up their polyurithane (sp?) wheels, and incorrect lubrication of the wheels. I'm sure running a train with the wheels frozen and the oil thicker than usual isn't the smartest thing to do.

So in conclusion. If they opened the park for a weekend in the winter, would I go? Heck yeah, I'd go. I'm sure most of you would be there with me too. Could they do it? Yeah, they've done it before (Winterfest). Would the park operate like it does in the summer? Probably not.

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It sounds like CityWalk to me. let me guess instead of Emeril’s we would have the award winning Italian Chef restaurant. As for the cold coasters if you was there on opening day 2002 you know they will run in the cold. I have heard people talk about riding The Beast with snow on the ground.

Edited by captain picard
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Sorry to shoot down your dreams Italianchef, but I don't ever see it happening. It would cost too much to keep the employees on with benefits and insurance and such and not to mention the cost to keep the park operating, even if it is only a few rides. They would have to have maintenance on the rides and not to mention the upkeep on the walkways to keep them clear from snow and ice. Just wouldn't seem like there would be any profits made. Even if they were to open up International Restaurant in the off season-I don't see it happening. Just my opinion. But we are all allowed to dream!

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I can see it happening. Though I don't think the park would be open any farther than International Street and the Carosel. Possibly Festhaus with some sort of show inside. Maybe some sort of dinner and a show. While there also could be dinner in the International Restruant.

Its really not all the much up keep to keep the Paths ice-free if it isn't snowing, heck if it were popular enough and the park really wanted to do it they could re-do all of international street paths and lay a grid of small electric wires under them. Turning these on would heat up the path enough to not allow freezing. Its been done in Philadelphia somewhere.

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I think it would be cool if they had Fearfest for Halloween through early November, then closed til Thanksgiving and opened that T-Giving weekend for Winterfest (including having some rides open and ice skating), stay open until New Year's, close til Valentine's Day, and have some kind of Love Theme going and open back up for a weekend (this is a joke), and then open up for a couple of weeks at Easter to give a sneak peak, maybe tours of the new rides to build excitement for the new season and have a few rides open. This is all based on snow/ice etc.

Honestly, it really isn't feasible.....but it sounds good. Maybe they could just build a glass roof over the whole thing like that movie the Truman Show and we could enjoy it year round!!! Use a plastic bubble that could be patched when it's punctured (not real glass in case of accidents) and cover the whole darn park up and contain the warmth of the Sun to keep the climate reasonable and we could all enjoy it year round!!! Can you imagine what a season pass would cost then???? LOL.

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The park does open IR and in some cases Festhaus to certain groups during the off season, but mostly in January and Feburary for meetings and stuff. Sometimes Paramount Theater is used for round table discussions or other such things.

These ocassions are far and few between, however, and the park really doesn't make much money off of it and they don't have to provide a full staff. In most cases, security (which is always in the park) and a member of marketing is with the group at all times.

IR would be great if it could be used again. However, like it was mentioned before, there would have to be a lot of renovating to use it. It's very rarely used during the season, but it would be great if they could revamp it and make it a really nice place to just sit and dine. The few is great of course, right down IS to the Tower. It's probably the best seat in the house for the 4th and 5th's fireworks show!

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The origonal problem with IR was that you had to go and get dressed up to eat up there. It was too fancy, and people wouldnt go for that reason. I dont see it happening.

If I remember correctly, ride certification is good for a full year, as long as during the mid-season mechanical audit, the park does well. At any time, the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture has every right to take the certification away. So having the rides run in December is possible. The problem is that once you get into maintenance cost to run the ride, it wouldnt work out. The park goer would have to pay more and more per ride opened, and eventually you would pay too much.

There are ways to "force" a coaster to run, but it takes pretty much all night to get the bearings warm. I remember seeing heaters under the SOB trains the last day of the season to keep them warm.

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I don't see why the International Restaurant can't simply be re-opened all year around - and drop the proper attire required rule. And if PKI begged me to switch careers and be the executive chef the International Restaurant....I would give it serious consideration. Though the menu would be largely Italian.....I'd have some French, American, Japanese, Chinese and Thai dishes to keep the menu "international".

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The dress code was not that strict. Shirt and shoes, no tank tops,no bikini tops, no cut-offs. Basically attire that is in good taste. When I would go in the mid 80's, my family would have to make a reservation when we got to the park at 9am, or it would be filled up for the day.

A sit down option would be very nice at PKI. I'm not sure if it could draw people year- round, but there is no reason for it not to be opened during the year. CP has 2 sit-down restaraunts, TGI Fridays and the Bay Harbour Inn, and both do very well during the year. Fridays is only open when the park is open and Bay Harbour, I believe, is open for most of the off-season.

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I think they should bring back International Restaurant also, but I think it should be renamed, no dress code, and be made into a buffet-style restaurant. They could even allow some franchise to come in run it. They replaced the Ponderosa at Fields-Ertel with a new buffet style restaurant (who's name escapes me right now) and it is always booming and the food is great with alot of variety. They could mix in alot of differetn cultures and it would fit the theme. It is a waste to see it not used.

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I would think that putting a buffet in IR would be bad, it would make the resturant lose some of it's charm. The sit down type of dinner during the season would be great.

You also have to understand that there really is no easy way into IR when the gates are down at the front gate. We would have to build something to keep the turnstile area complete closed off yet still have our doors to provide the security needed.

It has the main dinning room which when full would be uncomfortably close to the other tables. The Carousel Room, the Caprice Room (which is actually a living room with a bar), the conference room that is off of the Carousel room (which by the way hasn't had a decor change since the Brady Bunch was there), and the two smaller rooms directly off of the main stair case that would be better for smaller parties and dinner meetings. All of the rooms combined could hold a lot of people, but would be very short of "extra" space needed to get up all the time and walk around to a buffet or just to get in and out of the chairs. If they seperate the chairs out like they should, it would still hold a lot of people but they better be filling it up all the time to meet the operating costs.

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