Confirmed Snoopy Coming to Kings Island...

[Guest KINGSISLANDMASTER]

[Dalefan]

I guess you can say that whoever wanted the Fairly Odd Coaster to be renamed will get our wish. Lol. Some of us coaster club people was asking the CF suits to rename the Fairly Odd Coaster. Kinda odd having a ride named that. But it went with the Nick theming.

[CrashOverRided]

I hope the difference in licensing rights from Nick-U to Peanuts is big enough to retheme that area of the park nicely!

prolly going to use those savings to pay bad debt so they dont have to close down parks

[The Interpreter]

Spending less for licensing in the future than you otherwise would have had to do does not necessarily make more money available. If every year in the past I bought a Cadillac, but the price of Cadillacs had gone up 400 percent so I didn't buy one this year, but bought a Chevrolet, that doesn't mean I can spend the difference between the 400 percent higher Cadillac and the Chevrolet. For all we know, the Snoopy licensing may be costing MORE than the Nick licensing did, while still being less than a Nick renewal would have been.

And, so far, Cedar Fair doesn't have bad debt. Six Flags did, and filed bankruptcy.

[CrashOverRided]

^What kind of camera would you use?

I can imagine the old dark ride being bulldozed to the ground and hauled off in heaps of dusty, twisted, multi-colored scrap, razed like a condemned warehouse and replaced with some lush green space, or perhaps a wee flat or two.

That Building is used for other things as well, its a huge building and the ride does not take up the entire area. they use it for storage. On my last KI trip i was walking by the rear of the building and seen a large garage door open, so i nearly broke my neck trying to see what was in there lol.looked like shelving, trash cans and such. anyone else se the same thing?

[CrashOverRided]

Spending less for licensing in the future than you otherwise would have had to do does not necessarily make more money available. If every year in the past I bought a Cadillac, but the price of Cadillacs had gone up 400 percent so I didn't buy one this year, but bought a Chevrolet, that doesn't mean I can spend the difference between the 400 percent higher Cadillac and the Chevrolet. For all we know, the Snoopy licensing may be costing MORE than the Nick licensing did, while still being less than a Nick renewal would have been.

And, so far, Cedar Fair doesn't have bad debt. Six Flags did, and filed bankruptcy.

bad debt no, debt yes

http://www.cedarfair.com/ir/financial/annu...Letter_2008.pdf

[faeriewench]

^What kind of camera would you use?

I can imagine the old dark ride being bulldozed to the ground and hauled off in heaps of dusty, twisted, multi-colored scrap, razed like a condemned warehouse and replaced with some lush green space, or perhaps a wee flat or two.

That Building is used for other things as well, its a huge building and the ride does not take up the entire area. they use it for storage. On my last KI trip i was walking by the rear of the building and seen a large garage door open, so i nearly broke my neck trying to see what was in there lol.looked like shelving, trash cans and such. anyone else se the same thing?

Park Services Warehouse/Office area. So yes, that building is fairly important. Not too mention a Haunt maze is in the building as well.

[raptor]

I'll second that, I loved the Enchanted Voyage!!!

[kittenpooh]

I think taking Nick away is a bad idea because just about every kiddo out there knows one or two of their characters. My kids dont know who snoopy is. Awful I know. But I do hope this is for the best and Helps Cedar Fair in every way possible.

[CrashOverRided]

I think taking Nick away is a bad idea because just about every kiddo out there knows one or two of their characters. My kids dont know who snoopy is. Awful I know. But I do hope this is for the best and Helps Cedar Fair in every way possible.

more more i got to think about this thread.........will diffrent characters actual impact how much fun they will have on a ride? what a better place to be introduced to the peanuts gang then Kings Island "where Else"

[PREMiERdrum]

One year from now we'll have the conversation about what damage was / wasn't done by the changeover.

I am certain we won't see attendance fall, and at worst the might see merchandise sales decline (although these losses could be offset by the ability to streamline merchandise production over 5 additional properties, and also could be affected by the merchandise deal with UFS vs. Nick. I believe a decent percentage of Nick merchandise sales went back to Viacom). Kids will still run and hug the characters at the front gate, and they'll enjoy the rides just as much.

A handful will stop going, because their kids "want to see Spongebob," and that will be their child's loss. If we only introduce our children to what they ask to be shown, we are failing to expand their experiences as they grow into well rounded adults.

Also, with CF as a publicly traded company, I feel safe in assuming they made the best decision they could to protect their business. As it has been argued here - how many of the Anti-Snoops would pay an extra $xx per ticket to keep Dora and company around? I'm sure they thought this through, and went with the best choice they had. We'll see... about a year from now.

[XGatorHead 8904]

I put off reading the Nick U Becomes Planet Snoopy? topic until yesterday, because I knew it was going to be a very divisive topic. And then the same day I finally read it, the official announcement is made...

I'm happy about the change. I like Nick and I like Peanuts (and of course I like HB). I know in the other topic there were a lot of naysayers who said that absolutely no kids know who Snoopy is. I'm here to say that kids do know. My wife and I grew up watching the Peanuts holiday specials, and we made darn sure that GatorGirl watched them too. The first toy I ever bought for her was a Snoopy doll wearing bunny slippers that said "My First Snoopy". I bought this for her at CP while Mrs. Gator was still pregnant with GatorGirl. I just remembered this yesterday while reading the other topic (I could never remember what exact year my last visit to CP was, but now that I remembered buying that toy I know now!).

GatorGirl loves Snoopy and the rest of the gang. One of her favorite restaurants is Pizza Tower (one exit south of KI). While having dinner in their kids room last month, there was another family having dinner at the table next to us. They were looking at the Peanuts gang painted on the wall, naming all the characters. They could name all but one, and GatorGirl said to them "That's Marcy."

We've been to a couple of parks that don't have TV characters in their kids areas. At Holiday World, GatorGirl didn't care about that. The rides kept her occupied. We didn't get to meet HoliDog that visit, but she was thrilled to get a card with his picture on it on our way out of the park. During our visit to Coney Island, she didn't ask about the lack of characters.

HersheyPark is another place we visited that doesn't have TV characters. Again, it didn't matter to GatorGirl. She liked the unique characters they have there: the giant Hershey bar, Reese Cup, Twizzlers, Kit Kat, York Peppermint Patty, Milk Duds, etc. Even though she had never seen those characters before, she still ran up and hugged them.

Which brings me to Nick U. Sure, she's seen Dora, Diego, Backyardigans, Spongebob, Rugrats, and Wild Thornberries on TV. But her first exposure to Little Bill and Hey Arnold was at KI as characters. And like at HersheyPark, she ran right up to them the first time she saw them. My point in all this is that kids are attracted to characters at parks, no matter if they've seen them before on TV or not.

It will be interesting when I tell GatorGirl the news that the Nick characters won't be there next year, and I can't wait to see her reaction when I tell her that Snoopy and the gang will be there instead. I think she'll be excited. I wish I had a way to record her reaction and post it on here for you all to see when I tell her the news (my video camera's out of commission now). Anyone want to volunteer to document this event for me? She was fine at the beginning of this season when I told her that there wouldn't be a Dora show this year. And now Marty's Party is her favorite show there.

Sure, the Peanuts gang might not have the everyday exposure that the Nick characters have, but they have stood the test of time. And it's nice to have characters at our home park that are known (not that I would mind giant Hershey bars, or a HoliDog!).

The only thing I'm upset about is losing Scooby, if that does in fact come to fruition (yes, I did see it on the announcement... I'm just in denial!). Having grown up in the 70's and 80's, I grew up on HB, and grew up seeing them at KI every year. To see the last vestiges of HB removed from the park deeply saddens me. As those very few of you who saw my office at KI when I worked there know, I love Scooby! I was even upset when the park changed from Scooby Bucks to Dora Dollars.

I'm sure there will be kids upset at losing Nick. But they'll get over it. They're more resilient than some people give them credit for.

So to you parents that have kids that don't know Snoopy and the gang, here's your chance! We're coming up on prime Peanuts viewing... next month ABC will show "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", then the following month will be their Thanksgiving special (Snoopy fighting with the chair and fixing popcorn, toast, jelly beans and pretzels...it's classic!), a month after that will the Christmas special (they usually show this one twice during the month), two months after that will be the Valentine's Day special, then a month after that will be "It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown". That's five Peanuts specials all before the start of KI's next season! So you'll have no excuse in April if you say "My kids don't know them!" (This isn't directed to you kittenpooh... just everyone who has said it already or may say it in the future, and I say it lightheartedly, of course).

[LongLiveTheSmurfRide]

There's a Valentine special?

[Diamondback FOF]

^What kind of camera would you use?

I can imagine the old dark ride being bulldozed to the ground and hauled off in heaps of dusty, twisted, multi-colored scrap, razed like a condemned warehouse and replaced with some lush green space, or perhaps a wee flat or two.

That Building is used for other things as well, its a huge building and the ride does not take up the entire area. they use it for storage. On my last KI trip i was walking by the rear of the building and seen a large garage door open, so i nearly broke my neck trying to see what was in there lol.looked like shelving, trash cans and such. anyone else se the same thing?

Park Services Warehouse/Office area. So yes, that building is fairly important. Not too mention a Haunt maze is in the building as well.

Really? Which one?

[XGatorHead 8904]

There's a Valentine special?

There sure is: http://www.amazon.com/Peanuts-Valentine-Ch...p/dp/6303152821, and it's shown on TV every year. Poor Charlie Brown doesn't get any Valentine's Day cards, while everyone else gets tons of them.

[KIBOB]

^What kind of camera would you use?

I can imagine the old dark ride being bulldozed to the ground and hauled off in heaps of dusty, twisted, multi-colored scrap, razed like a condemned warehouse and replaced with some lush green space, or perhaps a wee flat or two.

That Building is used for other things as well, its a huge building and the ride does not take up the entire area. they use it for storage. On my last KI trip i was walking by the rear of the building and seen a large garage door open, so i nearly broke my neck trying to see what was in there lol.looked like shelving, trash cans and such. anyone else se the same thing?

Park Services Warehouse/Office area. So yes, that building is fairly important. Not too mention a Haunt maze is in the building as well.

Really? Which one?

I am pretty sure that would be CarnEvil.

[IndyGuy4KI]

So to you parents that have kids that don't know Snoopy and the gang, here's your chance! We're coming up on prime Peanuts viewing... next month ABC will show "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", then the following month will be their Thanksgiving special (Snoopy fighting with the chair and fixing popcorn, toast, jelly beans and pretzels...it's classic!), a month after that will the Christmas special (they usually show this one twice during the month.)

My 4 year old has these shows on DVD and loves them, so he knows these characters very well.

[CrashOverRided]

^What kind of camera would you use?

I can imagine the old dark ride being bulldozed to the ground and hauled off in heaps of dusty, twisted, multi-colored scrap, razed like a condemned warehouse and replaced with some lush green space, or perhaps a wee flat or two.

That Building is used for other things as well, its a huge building and the ride does not take up the entire area. they use it for storage. On my last KI trip i was walking by the rear of the building and seen a large garage door open, so i nearly broke my neck trying to see what was in there lol.looked like shelving, trash cans and such. anyone else se the same thing?

Park Services Warehouse/Office area. So yes, that building is fairly important. Not too mention a Haunt maze is in the building as well.

Really? Which one?

I am pretty sure that would be CarnEvil.

yes, maze style, black lights

[Diamondback FOF]

Really? I thought that one was in a different building. I guess I didn't realize how extensive the Scooby building is, nor did I realize the two buildings were connected.

[jandyb79]

I worked for KI the first year that Nick was introduced to the kids area and had always thought that it was a little over the top and tacky. When they transformed the entire area to Nick I was really bummed out! I know that it was designed to suit the newer generation (no offense), but I was sorry to see the old Hanna Barbara Land turn from an enchanted area to the orange and green flashy area that it is today. In my opinion, the Peanuts theme will offer the park an opportunity to return to its former appearance.

~Josh

[CedarPointer]

I really liked the Spongebob statue that appeared to be praising the Eiffel Tower, I hope they replace it with an equally posed Snoopy statue. (I can see SB BBB being a casulty of the switchover, though...)

[rotag]

spongebob will be back...

...as a mop head to clean-up the haunt mess, @ the end of the season.

[TTD-120-420]

I really wish they would bring the Flinstones and, my favorite, Scooby Doo back. Good times.

[faeriewench]

Yes CarnEvil shares the same building as Haunted Castle among other stuff. If Haunted Castle shuts down, don't expect th.e building coming down. I saw a post on here somewhere were someone mentioned that but I don't feel like going a bazillion pages back.

[WooferBearATL]

I'm wondering where the folk are that had said that the park would never discard Nick?

I'm certain that the new Peanuts area will be as popular as HB was and as popular as Nick was.

.... just sayin.

[standbyme]

I'm wondering where the folk are that had said that the park would never discard Nick?

Maybe they all had a suicide pact if they were wrong...which WOULD explain their silence.

I'm certain that the new Peanuts area will be as popular as HB was and as popular as Nick was.

Hmmmm...I wonder if we will be hearing from YOU in the future when this (in my opinion) turns out to not be quite accurate?!

[Beast1979]

Now quite honestly, do you SERIOUSLY think that kids and families will say to themselves over the summer,

"Well, I'd LIKE to go to Kings Island, but they don't have Spongebob anymore, instead they have Snoopy....forget all of the great rides and shows and things to do there, the lack of Nick doesn't make it worth it."

Seriously, kids don't care!!! I've seen tons of happy children and families at Cedar Point enjoying Snoopy. The fact that the rides aren't themed to an annoying yellow Sponge really doesn't make to much of a difference at all to them.

[CrashOverRided]

Now quite honestly, do you SERIOUSLY think that kids and families will say to themselves over the summer,

"Well, I'd LIKE to go to Kings Island, but they don't have Spongebob anymore, instead they have Snoopy....forget all of the great rides and shows and things to do there, the lack of Nick doesn't make it worth it."

Seriously, kids don't care!!! I've seen tons of happy children and families at Cedar Point enjoying Snoopy. The fact that the rides aren't themed to an annoying yellow Sponge really doesn't make to much of a difference at all to them.

Thank You!!!!!

[Scooby_Doo]

Have any of you been to Planet Snoopy at Cedar Point? It's pretty cool! I'm hoping it's done better than Cedar Points because Kings Island's kid area is bigger yeah they had statues of snoopy and they even had one of him sitting on a bench. I'm looking forward to Cedar Fair filling us in on what's to come to Kings Island's Planet Snoopy.And I *hope* Scooby-Doo and The Haunted Castle is rethemed right ... I'm hoping it's rethemed to Snoopy like maybe have him looking for woodstock and you have to help snoopy find him..or a Great Pumpking theme...Call it Snoopy's Halloween Adventure....corny... I know.. .That or something cool.original.anything but the ghostblasters theme again...

[Scooter4Ever]

Isn't SDatHC on a separate license from Sally Corp? That's why there are Scooby rides at Six Flags St. Louis and Fiesta Texas. I don't think it will be affected by the changing to Peanuts.

Also, kids love anyone dressed in big, furry animal costume. Really doesn't matter if it's a character they recognize or not. While Snoopy may not have the same recognition as Spongebob with the little kids, they will more than happy to see a big dog coming their way.