Backlot Stunt Coaster Trains Being Stripped of Their Theming

[DBru]

Apparently, the BMW Mini-cooper license has expired, so instead of renewing it (surprise!), Cedar Fair has decided to strip the coaster's trains of their theming/character.

The trains have been reassembled so that all three cars on each train is the same color (blue, blue blue--red, red, red--white, white, white), the BMW logos have been removed from the front of each car, and the fun little doors on the cars have been removed.

Here is a photo of Kings Dominion's BLSC on its opening day (from pkdcoaster @ TPR):

In my opinion, this is a VERY unwelcome change...

[Beast1979]

Oh Snap!

That's a 5@5 question now!

[CincyMan98]

I actually kind of like it - very sleek and shiny. But it does take away the whole theming of it.....why can't they just keep things the same?

[TH13TEEN]

Good God...

[bkroz]

You've got to be FREAKIN' kidding me.

Honestly, I somehow feel like this is the straw that's going to break the camels back. Like, I honestly feel... angry. Like the name changes suck, The Crypt sucks, but this is honestly pushing me over the edge... Wow.

[Diamondback FOF]

What licensing would affect the use of the doors? I don't see a need to remove them...Also remember, this is at KD, which may or may not mean the same will happen at KI.

[bkroz]

Has there ever been a reason for 50% of the things that have been changed? Icicles are copyrighted by Paramount? Water effects are licensed from Viacom? Fog is owned by CBS? This is honestly too much. Wow. I'm seriously in shock.

People will say this doesn't affect the park at all, but add together all the "little things" that have been changed and you just totally get the picture that Cedar Fair will sacrifice just about anything to save money. Like "oh it's just some Mini Cooper decals." Well okay, it's that, plus no splashdown, no music (and no attempt to replace the movie-specific music with anything, even a generic song), no water effects, the helicopter doesn't lift up like it used to, no fog... There comes a point where you have to look at their changes in the "big picture" and realize almost nothing of the original ride remains. Honestly. I can't get over this. I honestly can't. Wow...

Kings Island is no more than an amusement park. It really is. Wow.

[CoastersRZ]

Well, as far as the doors go, that likely is a maintenance issue. I was actually surprised that the doors lasted as long as they did. The only thing that bugs me now, is the trains clearly look like they are cars. But without the headlight decals on them, it looks like the park was cheating on maintenance/upkeep and repainted the trains and didn`t bother to reapply the decals. I understand that if they were to put the decals back on, it would look like the Mini Coopers again, but surely they could have gone for a hot rod type look with more flamboyant headlights, etc. I mean, the ride is themed to a car ride. Obviously, replacing the fiberglass shells to a more generic, non-car themed shape would be expensive. If I had to guess, I`d say if they made this change at Kings Dominion, it would only be logical that this change will also happen at Kings Island and Canada`s Wonderland.

Chalk this one up to another cheap re-theming job, similar to what has become The Crypt.

[bkroz]

It's a joke is what it is. It's a big, remotely-car-themed piece of red plastic. An absolute joke. I can live without the doors, as you said - just having headlight stickers would be okay. But I don't want to encourage them to continue their cheap, awful, hideous "budget cuts." It's not even a matter of "how can we make this better." Pay for the darn liscencing. I highly doubt Mini Cooper roller coaster cars are in high demand. This is just too much.

If you ask me, these hideous trains will make the ride look even worse than it already does with its rusting track, lack of effects, and more. Oh God, just think of the white one - just an all-white, car-shaped train riding around. Wow. Despicable.

If this is all a remnant of Cedar Fair's financial troubles, then it's time to let go of the parks. If this is the best they can do, they don't deserve to have them. Sold off separately, I have no doubt that Kings Island would be one of the first of the parks to be snatched up and just about any company could do better at maintaining the parks atmosphere and theme. I mean, even the license plates?!? Does Viacom own the rights to putting license plates on cars? Does Mini own the rights to having headlights?

Yes, I am very heated about this.

[DBru]

The car doors opened and shut manually...why would they have been a maintenance issue?

[CoastersRZ]

Because they opened and shut, that means there were moving parts. Moving parts means that there was maintenance involved on those moving parts.

[Guest IceCream329]

It's a joke is what it is. It's a big, remotely-car-themed piece of red plastic. An absolute joke. I can live without the doors, as you said - just having headlight stickers would be okay. But I don't want to encourage them to continue their cheap, awful, hideous "budget cuts." It's not even a matter of "how can we make this better." Pay for the darn liscencing. I highly doubt Mini Cooper roller coaster cars are in high demand. This is just too much.

If you ask me, these hideous trains will make the ride look even worse than it already does with its rusting track, lack of effects, and more. Oh God, just think of the white one - just an all-white, car-shaped train riding around. Wow. Despicable.

If this is all a remnant of Cedar Fair's financial troubles, then it's time to let go of the parks. If this is the best they can do, they don't deserve to have them. Sold off separately, I have no doubt that Kings Island would be one of the first of the parks to be snatched up and just about any company could do better at maintaining the parks atmosphere and theme. I mean, even the license plates?!? Does Viacom own the rights to putting license plates on cars? Does Mini own the rights to having headlights?

Yes, I am very heated about this.

Well one thing I want to correct you on, Cedar Fair really only wanted to buy the Paramount Parks for Kings Island, If they could have they would have just bought us!!! So I really don't think we would be the first to go, maybe the last but not the first!!!!

[CoastersRZ]

Well, it all depends on what happens this coming week. Now that is a good Q. 040810.

[bkroz]

I'm saying that, if the parks were all put up for sale individually, we'd be picked up fast. We're easily in the top 3 best themed of the Cedar Fair parks (alongside Kings Dominion and Knott's) and have an amazing (and well-rounded) assortment of rides.

And what you said is something I've been afraid of for a while: That, even should Cedar Fair slowly and painfully "die" in bankruptcy, they'll hold onto Kings Island with a stranglehold for fear that someone can use it against Cedar Point, or even just that they think its one of their few "winning" parks. They could, and it is. The fact that they'd rather strip the park (or, to zoom into a microcosm, this ride) of nearly every single thing it had when it opened than to pay for a few simple licenses here and there... And that they'd rather reduce it to the image posted in the first post above says a lot... It really does.

And if the issue is that they don't have enough money to afford to buy licenses here and there... Then they probably shouldn't own amusement parks.

[Guest IceCream329]

Oh ok I see what you are saying.....Oh I love CF but if they begin to "Die" here in the next few months, years...that they let us go!!! I think Cedar Fair has too much on there plate and just can't handle it anymore!!They should, hate to say this, let all the "Crappy" parks go, the ones who don't bring in alot of guests...Say keep CP, KI, Knotts Berry, Valley Fair, and Canada's Wonderland then CF might be able to stay afloat!!

[CincyMan98]

Kings Island is tearing themselves apart. Well, all Cedar Fair parks are. Slacking with the themes, quitting on rides, and not paying attention to the visitors much. IMO.

[Guest IceCream329]

Wow, for the first time in a long time I actually miss Paramount....We used to get so many guests and it was so great.....but lets not forget all the great CF has done though......Diamondback...Firehawk...Snoopy.....Better landscaping.... Friendlier employees........In the overall guest experience it Paramount-48% Cedar Fair-52%

[bkroz]

Oh ok I see what you are saying.....Oh I love CF but if they begin to "Die" here in the next few months, years...that they let us go!!! I think Cedar Fair has too much on there plate and just can't handle it anymore!!They should, hate to say this, let all the "Crappy" parks go, the ones who don't bring in alot of guests...Say keep CP, KI, Knotts Berry, Valley Fair, and Canada's Wonderland then CF might be able to stay afloat!!

The fact is, Cedar Fair owns a wide, wide variety of parks. Like Six Flags, there are flagships (if you ask me, Cedar Point and Kings Island, predominantly) and there are parks that are purposefully kept much smaller (Worlds of Fun, Dorney Park, etc). By their very nature, the Cedar Fair legacy parks are mostly those smaller parks with a few big investments, but mostly considered "local" activities the way Geauga Lake was. Not many folks take 4 hour roadtrips to Michigan's Adventure... And the Paramount Parks, by their nature, are bigger and "grander," simply because they carried a brand name and were, especially during the last few years, pulling to be regional destination parks. Not to mention that the Paramount Parks were (however loosely) theme parks, whereas parks like Dorney & Michigan's Adventure don't have themed areas, much less themed rides.

What I'm saying is, if it came down to it, I'd want a park with a Backlot Stunt Coaster (including the flames, water, car-trains, and music) over an equally-sized, but unthemed and character-less ride (see, Roundabout at Freestyle Music Park). The fact that the Paramount Parks have "marketable" rides gives them a draw that parks like Dorney don't have (of course, Dorney has a different kind of marketability that Kings Island doesn't). So the Paramount Parks are the ones that would likely be snatched up by larger corporations (Merlin, Universal) while the smaller Legacy parks might go to Parques, PARC Management, etc. The thing with that is, like you said, if Cedar Fair tries to sell off some parks and keep a reduced number, they'd likely try to keep most of the Paramount Parks since they're the most notable.

[BeastinNight]

All I can say is WTF!!

[Guest IceCream329]

Well then lets keep all Paramount parks and CP!!! Cedar Fair would do much better!!! I do kinda miss "Paramounts Kings Island" "

Where the thrills of a lifetime meets the magic of movies"

"The best of Hollywood entertainment now playing, Only at Paramounts Kings Island"

[CoastersRZ]

Except Cedar Fair DID try and sell two parks. Worlds of Fun and Valleyfair. There were no serious offers.

[bkroz]

And what it comes down to, in my situation - I live 2 hours from Cedar Point, 4 from Kings Island, 2 from Kennywood. The "charm" and "immersion" that rides like Tomb Raider and Italian Job had is what kept me coming back to Kings Island. It suddenly occurs to me (and this is all my opinion, so take it for what's its worth) that Backlot Stunt Coaster has lost its charm (no water, no splashdown, no fog, no music, no ties to one of my favorite films), The Crypt is nothing (no fog, no water, no music, no storyline, no pre-show, no Angelina Jolie), Son of Beast is closed, Nickelodeon is replaced with Snoopy...

So at some point I have to say to myself, "Why do I prefer Kings Island? Because I can ride the now crapped-up rides and enjoy myself because I recall what they used to be? Because I ride the God-awful Crypt, but I can still see the goddess on the wall and that thrills me? Because during Backlot I can say, 'This is where the water used to be! I loved that!'" With Backlot running terribly, The Crypt being pretty much unridable, no Son of Beast, no Nickelodeon, no Scooby Doo...

It's like, what's the point? All that's left are unthemed, poorly-named rides with no spirit and no sense of adventure and no sense of immersion... Hell, I'll just save on hotel money and gas money and just go to Cedar Point.

But then again, yay, it's cleaner and we have Diamondback, so woohoo Cedar Fair!

I'm just over it. Honestly, maybe I'm just saying this because I'm angry, but my upcoming birthday trip to Kings Island may be my last for a while. Really, it's been one little tiny change at a time and a few details lost here and there, but in the "big picture," Kings Island now has no theme, awful music, no Tomb Raider, no Son of Beast, Snoopy, overpriced food, trims on everything, no Scooby Doo, and now a broken-down, tired-looking Backlot Stunt Coaster. I'm not driving four hours for that.

[CoastersRZ]

Someone using charm in the same sentence form Backlot? In my opinion, Backlot NEVER had charm. the ride that was there before, the Antique Cars had a lot of charm and that area of the park was so tranquil. With Backlot, a once beautiful area of the park was turned into a big pile of gravel and warehouse esque buildings and theming. I would gladly welcome back both the Tiques and eagles in that spot if only it were possible. Those two rides had a lot more charm in that area of the park than what it has now.

[Guest IceCream329]

This breaks my heart, to see us writing on here, talking bad about KI, this park is my everything, and I still see the joy and wonder that KI offers.........Lets turn this into President and America........We have had some crappy presidents in the past and the country wasn't doin to well but did you say, thats it I am moving, or say that now......you may not like the man in charge but thats not who America is, its the people, the land......You still love America.......Kings Island...don't get mad at her...she is still amazing and great....just maybe the owners...the man in charge isn't!!!!!

[Guest IceCream329]

The main reason why I have had hatred for Paramount was because they took out the cars and Eagles!!!

[CoastersRZ]

You can still ride the Eagles, just down at Carowinds. They still give some pretty intense snapping too! And Carowinds is home to Afterburn, still one of my favorite inverted coasters.

[Guest IceCream329]

But its not the Eagles.....it won't be the same at ALL because its not at KI!!!

[bkroz]

The cars and the Flying Eagles are gone. Love it or hate it, most folks who come to the park don't see Backlot Stunt Coaster and say, "I bet this area used to have antique cars and was a lot nicer." They don't. As someone who was born in '91, visiting the park multiple teams a year since '93, I forgot the cars even existed there to begin with, and I would imagine most normal visitors have, as well.

Should it have been placed elsewhere? Yes. Could it have been placed elsewhere? Yes. Was it placed elsewhere? No. So at this point, the question is, should they just allow BLSC to be even more of an eyesore than many enthusiasts already think it is just because antique cars used to be there?

This is about the terrible decisions Cedar Fair is making with this ride, not what should've been done five years ago and likely will not ever be done. The ride is there, and there to stay.

Even having one red car, one blue car, and one white car would make it more tolerable than it is now. I just keep picturing the white train. It must be so hideous...

[Fear the Four]

You can still ride the Eagles, just down at Carowinds.

Don't they also have a ride just like the Flying Eagles at Strickers grove?

[Guest IceCream329]

Cedar Fair has done some amazing things to KI, so has Paramount......but lets just face it.....we are in a recession...so is CF....so its not like if any other park buys them its all gonna get better with a snap of the finger's.....