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The Future of Oktoberfest


fanofFirehawk
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I think both Oktoberfest and Coney Mall should get a Gemini midway style revamp at the same time. Both areas are in need of more family rides. Coney did get new pavers and a new flat in 2011, but it barely represents the old 1960's Coney, and I feel it probably should. They could add Antique cars, Flying Eagles and a Cuddle Up to Coney, an Eli Bridge ferris wheel to Oktoberfest, and lights can be strung above the midway of Coney.

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  • 1 month later...

I would like to see a German pastry shop pop up over in that area if there were ever to be a revival. Here in Indy on the east side we have this amazing little eatery called the Heidelburg Cafe which serves authentic German food, but is well known for selling German pastries and other various authentic German take out for the home. Granted its a bit pricey, that wouldn't be too much of a shock if a similar type place were put into KI seeing as that's to be expected in an amusement park. I just think a German pastry shop would be a nice fit if reviving the area were ever in the works.

Ich liebe Deutscheland!

I love the Heidelburg Cafe. When I was a child, they had little chocolate sandwich cookies that were in the shape of gingerbread men. Their pastries and cakes are delicious. If they could put the equivalent of that cafe in at KI it would be a great addition.

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  • 2 years later...

I thought this was as good a place as any to bring up something I overheard in a queue awhile ago. Some people older than me were discussing what sounded like they were saying they used to have free beer in Oktoberfest, I'm assuming sometime in the 80s. One of the women was saying that if you hit them up just before and after shift change, you could get more than one.

This was the first I've ever heard of it. Could anyone who remembers this tell me more?

I have to assume that if it happened, it stopped after the Flight Commander incident. I do remember alcohol seeming much more available around the park before that.

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I blame Paramount for ruining themed areas. I don't think CF would do anything to change it back. But I would like to see some things fixed up. I know bigger and badder coasters are what drives attendance. But how much would it cost the repaint The Racer back to its red white and blue. or add more LED lighting to the signage in Coney Mall or fix the effects on Adventure Express. Or remove or at least reuse some of the buildings no longer used like the Crypt. And one more thing I think WindSeeker would of fit nicely in the old Flight Commander spot instead of creating a dead end to the Coney Mall area were it is at now.

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Rides like WindSeeker require a solid foundation. A Drop Tower was first planned for the Flight Commander spot. After geophysical investigation, it was quietly dropped.

Past practices lead to a very high cost to repaint Racer. Rolling Thunder was never properly repainted (it did get a wee bit of spray paint once), Thunder Run was not repainted....

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CF seems to keep Blue Streak freshly painted then again it's been awhile since I been up there so I couldn't tell ya for sure. My point is I think they should plan better when adding new rides by trying to reuse places where old rides once sat. I'm sure there is a flat ride out there somewhere they could put in Flight Commander's location.

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Since this thread is talking about Oktoberfest, this seems like a good place to put this.  I noticed this while walking through Tower Gardens two days ago.  I apologize in advance if this is already well-known.  I just don't remember ever seeing this before.  It's on a power unit located in TG.

 

IMG_3323.jpg

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What was Fascination?  It was really cool to come across that.  I may have been the only person in the park that day that would get excited about something like that, but I love finding stuff like that.  I would think that box would be almost as old as Kings Island.

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I blame Paramount for ruining themed areas. I don't think CF would do anything to change it back. But I would like to see some things fixed up. I know bigger and badder coasters are what drives attendance. But how much would it cost the repaint The Racer back to its red white and blue. or add more LED lighting to the signage in Coney Mall or fix the effects on Adventure Express. Or remove or at least reuse some of the buildings no longer used like the Crypt. And one more thing I think WindSeeker would of fit nicely in the old Flight Commander spot instead of creating a dead end to the Coney Mall area were it is at now.

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Ehhhh Paramount did a lot for theming or at least in my minds eye.

Was it CF or PP that changed the I street music, removed the Coney Mall sign, added a large coaster ripping through Ricertown.

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Let's see Paramount killed the Adventure village area. I know they had to close the monarail. I get that. But they could of kept the theme. Plus added a underated coaster way off the beaten path.

Then decided to rip out the old

time cars to put in the Italian job. A good coaster that could have been place else where.Then there was the October fest area. yeah nothing say Germany like Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. I'm not say everything they did was bad. But their main goal was to promote their movies and TV shows. Not to keep or add to our little version of Disneyland. As a matter of fact they could have learned a few things from Disney cause they know how to sell their product and keep the charm of their parks.

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This is something that Mr. Ouimet has let me down on. The additions at the Cedar Fair parks themselves have been pretty good, if not all that themed, which is fine with me. The areas still should be themed pretty heavily in my opinion. It doesn't take a great deal of effort or money to have German food and music in the FESTHAUS or have some more international feel to International Street.

Secondarily, while I'm offering constructive criticism, what has happened to special events at the park? Remember the early Cedar Fair days, the Skyline Eating Contest, Pete Rose, Robbie Knievel, Nik Wallenda, the Reds? They seem to have been cut off the last 5 years or so.That is part of the "best day of the summer" formula.

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Paramount removed La Patisserie Français from the French chateau building and put in Starbucks, which is now Yogurt Plus. Paramount and CBS had their share in removing the theming, Cedar Fair, under Dick Kinzel, finished the job.

One thing I noticed on one visit was that in the Festhaus, on the flat screen menu boards at LaRosa's, they have a German flag background. Not something that's incredibly noticeable, but a small acknowledgement to the German theming that once was.

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Secondarily, while I'm offering constructive criticism, what has happened to special events at the park.What has happened to special events? Remember the early Cedar Fair days, the Skyline Eating Contest, Pete Rose, Robbie Knievel, Nik Wallenda, the Reds? They seem to have been cut off the last 5 years or so.That is part of the "best day of the summer" formula.

I still see your point, but the Reds still come. In fact Reds day 2016 is a week from now on the 21.

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Would love to see Oktoberfest expanded some and enhanced. I think it has some great potential. Definitely some space at least for a couple new flats. Don't see it happening too much but outside Rivertown I think it's the best spot in the park currently with the pond and patio. a little work around it could really fix it up nice.

 

As for Paramount's changing/removing of theming. I was always kind of surprised by the location they chose for IJST. It's a coaster themed to a studio backot and movie filming, which they had an entire area themed around with AZ but decided to place it on the otherside of the park instead of finding an area over there.

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Paramount did do some things right Days of Thunder, Flight of Fear, even SOB was good on paper. Just saying they could have done somethings differently. And with a little more thought. I don't know if it's even worth redoing October fest. But it would be nice to bring back a little history to the park. Like they did with KD. Who knows maybe they will for KI 50th.

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Son of Beast was good on paper?

Had it not been for Paramount's insistence for height and speed records then taking over construction and cheaping out, it would still be with us today. It isn't.

And it had an intensely boring layout, next to no airtime, terrible pacing, no laterals to speak of, poor reliability, poor re-rideability, poor capacity... Other than that, it was at least a mediocre ride.

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