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Photo #41 - Oktoberfest - 1988

For comparison, here's that area in 1992:

Just once, I would have liked to talk about what the OP posted about, TOPGUN1993 in this case. I finally saw an opportunity to discuss this topic, but as soon as I opened it up, I already realized that the topic had been hijacked by "diversion" talk and facepalm pictures. That force the OP to just edit their original entry because they realize it's pointless to even continue. It is something like this that make me not want to be a part of this site anymore. I come here to discuss the topics in the title, not the "diversion." If all the topics start turning to "diversions" then what's the point of even posting? I'm sorry Interpreter, but I don't know what definition you are using for diversion, because when I looked it up on Merriam-Webster it said something that it would be the act of providing entertainment. In reality it ticks me off that it's done one all kinds of topics throwing people off. I'm not entertained. I would rather be entertained by the original topic than a "diversion."

Yes, it is for FUN, but those of us who have been here for a very long time can say it has at least SIX other purposes, from education to fellowship to collaboration to commiseration and on and on. At times, we have dealt with the joys of new life, with the sadness of deaths of family members, friends and even members. Like much of life, to a very large extent, this place is what we make it. Civility is important, yes. That being said, each of us brings a different tone, level of interest, level of information, willingness and/or ability to share information, etc. to this here place. Some who have the most information or insight to share may APPEAR to be the least gracious when in fact that is very seldom the case. Also, many here have known each other for a good many years. Others have not even met. What may appear to be rude may be gentle ribbing. It's paramount we be amused, entertained and informed. It's more important that we not be misinformed on matters of great importance. Stick around a while and the carousel of life will take many turns, some grand and good, others more difficult to accept. If we can help with that, this place has served its porpoise.

I do not represent the park nor do I ever claim to. Im glad you have humor! We all know you know your stuff,but let people have ideas! I come here to escape my reality and I love ideas! I live in a world that is life and death,Just let us have fun with ideas for the park,we all know it doesnt matter much,but this forum is for fun! I love it and I love being able to bring my kids to such a wonderful place! Every year is a blessing for men like me.

Photo #40 - Amazon Falls - 1988

Good thing. Newsweek is out of print.

Then why does it begin: "As a result of our negotiations with the state..."? Why is the sentence structure flowing as it does, as if the second sentence is meant to lessen any anticappointmemt?* Does it not seem the entire statement is full of howevers, tentativity, provideds and mild reassurances? And isn't this the week we were to hear the results of the intense look at the park and its condition? Terp, who likes to ask questions. *A term from RRC aka rec.roller-coaster.

Ooo, eee, ooo, ahh, ahh, ching, CHANG, walla, walla, bing, bang! ---- so was the sound of the chain breaking! (I know it's really ting, tang)

I miss the old Amazon Falls sign with the little waterfall in it.

I couldn't find a topic just about Action Zone so this is what we have now.

There literally were a ton of footers. They might have taken them out for various reasons. Look at the area where these footers are, not much grass. They might have been taken out to allow for the land to heal and grow grass again. They could have been in the way of an expansion of a a walk way, a new maintenance building coming in, etc. As of now, everything is speculation.

If that's the case, it could mean that a coaster might not be going into the space after all? Like how The Bat's footers didn't get in the way of Vortex?

Future park expansion...I think it really came down to while the construction crews were there, it just made sense to take them out now, rather than later.

There is always the possibility that the bigger thrills will stay a few hours north. KI is really more of a family park as it is currently constituted anyway. With an award winning kids area and a number of family friendly rides and coasters. There are seven roller coasters that one could argue are family friendly along with pretty much every flat minus Drop Tower, Delirium, and WindSeeker. Is it crazy to think that they may continue to embrace this aspect of the park and add something that isn't a shiny new B&M/Intamin monster? Isn't something more along the lines of Shoot the Rapids or a family friendly dark ride just as likely? I think Ouimet is very aware that in park spending is where parks are going to have to look to increase revenues, as attendance across the board has been relatively flat the last few years. Who spends the most in the park during their visits? Families.

But if the original topic is about a diversion then what? Inception?

Yeah but I Don'tWantToWaitToFindOut.... Also, one of my favorite things on this site so far has been reading the thead that predicted X-Base a few years before the arrival of Firehawk and creation of X-Base. So why not try to play psychic and have our prediction saved in type?

Won't be me.

I think things are really looking up for KI, or down depending on how you look at it.

lol guys cryptic posts EDIT: someone will make a crypt pun omg lol

This post? Ah. Annoying as hell

I have a feeling Action Zone is no longer going to be know as Action Zone. Also include the close by Oktoberfest into that consideration. Posted by me an hour ago in the Italian Job news thread: Perhaps Cedar Fair is of the opinion, that with coasters, guests are always left wondering what's next, and simply wanting more. If that is the case, perhaps they go with the old mantra and "Go big or go home" with coaster expansion, and look to add giga coasters at their major parks that do not have one already. (KI & KBF specifcally) While a 300' roller coaster is rather costly to make (especially compared to family attractions that have a faster r.o.i.), Leviathan ($28,000,000) and Intimidator 305 ($25,000,000) will look like wise investments as long as they enjoy long lifespans, something SoB and TR:TR never experienced although being costly attractions. I believe constructing a coaster that isn't meet with great pubic approval or is considered mediocre would be a bad move for KI. That being said, a giga seems to me to be the most "cant-miss" option for KI. Now down to specifics. Cedar Fair seems to be about large, but not overly aggressive thrills. Right away the name Bolliger & Mabillard comes to mind here. It's also no secret that Cedair Fair has been working almost exclusively as of late with B&M for major coaster installations. Besides a smooth ride experience, B&M is also known for realiability, lack of downtime, and good rider capacity/load times. Having a B&M giga in the location once occupied by SoB could make a nice compliment to Diamondback which is located on the other end of the park. B&M giga in old SoB location 2014?

Nope, I would do the same thing all over again. I got to work my Eli Bridge Ferris Wheel that day, with a person that I am still great friends with to this day, even though he last worked at Coney back in 2009. I`m getting ready to start my 12th season at Coney. Going to start the hiring process here in about a month. (Anyone that would be interested in working at Coney, fill out an application on Coney`s website at www.coneyislandpark.com). Its hard to believe how quickly time flies. It seems like just yesterday I was starting work at Coney.

In addition, there is an event cost. Unlike many DC museums, not all the best things in life are free (and we pay for those, too, in various ways).

Yes.

Ride Warriors Coaster Weekend was incredible and one of my all time favorite events!

Note, I said "I think" instead of saying for a fact. As I look at the page source, it was updated yesterday, so forgive me for thinking I've seen something before. I think it is full of reassurances but wouldn't you have a statement with reassurances if you were hoping to receive money from investors? No one wants to say, this project may or may not happen so don't get your hopes up (even though some may have their hopes a little too high, or not).

You rang? Watch this knowing what we know now (timeframe, just less than a year ago): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmi4o27tGf0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

When the lease was agreed on, The Company announced plans to add TWO NEW MAJOR THRILL RIDES. I guess that's one of the changes. I wouldn't be surpirsd if Ed adds in a multiple tower S&S. We will find out the conditions of the park on Tuesday according to the LeoWeekly on twitter.

The flaw with that theory is as follows. Business people are business people to do one thing... and one thing only.... make money. IF said sales tax is lowered on said park merchandise and food, dont think for a Brooklyn second that CF, the Cincinnati Reds, Joe's Bowling Alley, etc etc WON'T add that lower price right back onto the unit price on the back end to put that extra few cents in their pockets. In doing this, they can say "Look at how GREAT we are!! We didnt pass the higher taxes onto you, the consumer, because our prices didnt go up". Well, yes they did, you as a business owner simply added a bit more to your personal pocketbook.

Im just saying were going to get hit soon with a bunch of right to work commercials,dont buy what you hear,do your homework.

I hate ride ops. Especially those of the Zephyr variety.

Sorry for getting off topic, but CedarPointer, nothing you say I can take seriously. Your profile picture really distracts me.

Oh my gosh, Gator, Vortex is sinking?!?!?!?!?!

In line for The Beast a guest asks "wait...its a wooden coaster?!?" and he was all wide eyed, surprised. Same day some random guy proposed marriage to me while in line for AE.

Such a tease...

I didnt read anybody complain about the walk,Im pretty sure many of us believe something could be added on or off the path to bring more people that direction.I for one,only walk back to ride FD when the park is busy because I know many dont know it even exists or they dont want to walk any further around the big ass amusement park than they already have! I understood exactly what jcgoble is talking about,and if you work for the park then maybe you should listen to us 'fanboys' instead of being a know it all,im pretty sure you wouldnt act like that out from behind your computer at the park,but I wish you would,Jr for Birdy will be there all summer! I agree w/ the first part of this completely. The biggest problems Flight Deck faces are that its generally hidden within the park so you have few opportunities for a visual "hey lets go ride that thing" experience, and there is little to attract to you into the area of the que. You've got (had) the shutdown SOB, the upcharge skyflyer, the unpopular and now removed go-karts, plus the regularly down for maintenance Invertigo & Delirium (which really are not all that close but we'll throw them in there) There is drop zone and Amazon falls, but neither of those ques takes you directly in the path for Flight Deck. If SOB was operational (and popular) I suspect that ridership on flightdeck would be very high. Its a fun coaster, family friendly and a unique experience in the park. Unfortunatly, its not a coaster that draws you in. As I said you can't see it, and most people in the park have ridden it in the past, so it no longer holds "must ride" status for the casual KI visitor. The Action Zone revamp, could eventually lead to a surge in flight deck popularity. My 4 year old will be 48" tall this summer, so personally I hope the que remains short so we can get on/off quickly many times this summer.

Physical exertion has nothing to do with it. It's the lack of anything to keep us occupied on the way back that is the problem.

So is Cincinnati! Is there a point to the crime and Heroin statements? First off, Cincinnati probably has a higher crime rate just based on population alone - especially taking into account the metro area. At the same time, Cincinnati doesn't seem to be having the same heroin issue that Louisville's media outlets continually report on in that fine city. And before you took a slight at the Queen City, there was a point to DieselTech's "crime and heroin" statements. Whether or not Cincinnati has a crime issue is irrelevant. Kings Island isn't in Cincinnati, it's about 20 miles north of the downtown core in an affluent suburb where the lawns are manicured, the sprawl and neighboring attractions are plentiful. Kentucky Kingdom is in downtown Louisville and perception is key. Personally, I love visiting Louisville just as much as I do visiting downtown Cincinnati. However, the area surrounding Kentucky Kingdom isn't known for the friendly neighbors. I remember picking my friend up who's repair business was within view of the Twisted Twins: "Hey Greg, ready for lunch?" - "Yeah, but first get your car off the street and park in our garage." Not to mention, Kentucky Kingdom wasn't really well known for its classy guests throughout the day and at the wrestling shows. Which begs another question as to why other parks would want midget wrestling? Cincinnati has the same if not worse heroin problems that Louisville is having. You don't know about it, because the local news doesn't care to report about it. It is a regional problem, not a local one. It used to be that heroin was the expensive drug. Now it is cheap. Whatever it is being laced with is killing people -- quickly. 3 years ago, we were lucky to see a drug overdose once every 3-6 months. Now we see at least 1 a week. Sometimes we see 2 or 3 a week, in a small suburb of Cincinnati. Multiply that across the area, and you will find out just how big the true problem is. It knocks people out then stops their ability to breathe. I have seen it enough in the past couple of years to know. That is an extremely short sighted view. OTR isn't nearly as bad as it used to be. The other neighborhoods are still having issues dealing with crime, and heroin use is everywhere. Not every bad thing that goes on is restricted to OTR anymore. Recent news indicates bigger issues in Westwood and Avondale related to crime and other issues as compared to OTR. YOu don't find it around Fountain Square, due to "Downtown Services" which is CPD police unit that patrols the city's center hub, helps people out with directions, and places to go, and makes sure the riff raff doesn't get to stay downtown. Hyde Park isn't going to have issues either, being one of the most desirable places in the nation to live. There are tons of other Cincinnati neighborhoods and suburbs that do have those problems. 10-15 years ago, OTR was a ghetto. Most of that is gone now, and those groups have been forced into Avondale, Westwood, and Fairmount, and other neighborhoods, still within the city limits.

I would rather what we have now versus nothing at all, because it shows they do care and are trying. Sometimes, something is better than nothing.

The great vive and atmosphere which always started in International Street throughout the entire park. Paramount Kings Island was never cookie cutter at all, now I feel as if it is. Cedar Fair adding random rides here and there ( WindSeeker REALLY!, worst spot ever!) Diamondback, taking out the historic and beautiful swan lake. The true theming all throughout each ride and the park in general. The name changes to the rides never bothered me but the de-theming of the rides when Cedar Fair stepped in and plus the removal of The Crypt and of course Son of Beast. BUT I have faith in Cedar Fair with Ouimet to bring the park back to life. Very excited to see what goes in the now vacant Action Zone!

I miss greatly the themes of the park Cedar Fair downgraded like Rivertown (removing Swan Lake and the fitting music), Hannah Barbara, international street and the gardens having an actual majestic feel, and also i hate when the fireworks go off they now play Katy Perrys worst song (in my opinion) Firework. Oh and i deeply miss the original Tomb Raider: The Ride.

Abusing woman heroes should not be tolerated. They should be celebrated.

The one thing I really miss is Paramount's attention to detail, at least in the early days: Ride effects and theming were well-maintained, even if the ride wasn't the park's signature attraction Strictly-enforced dress codes (bikinis, bathing suits, etc. were absolutely not acceptable attire outside the water park) Area-specific music (kiddy music in HB/Nick, country/bluegrass music in Rivertown) Fourth of July festivities - patriotic decorations throughout the park, special entertainment, etc.

I'll tell you what I don't miss. Top Gun: Sponsored by Gillette Mach 3 The Paramount name plastered everywhere, especially in front of the Kings Island name. Unfriendly employees Dirty parks Their interpretation of ride rotation, which was essentially removing a historic ride and replacing it with an obnoxious basketball court or concrete. I still have a boo boo from those actions. Son of Beast Boomerang Bay The slow degradation of theming throughout attractions' lives. edit: that made me seem like I hated Paramount with a burning passion. I do like some of their decisions. After all, without them, our park we have today wouldn't be the same, for better or for worse. We might not have gotten rides such as Drop Tower, Delirium, Flight of Fear, and Tomb Raider: The Ride. So I guess they weren't the worst owners and operators, but they could have been far, far better.

Scooby-doo! *sniff*

The theming of the early years.

The entrance "Paramount Gate Music." The many excellent people who Kinzel & Co. let go, either affirmatively or through lack of empowerment (a mistake Mr. Ouimet is not making, by all accounts). The carousel organ. The magic of the movies meeting the thrills of a lifetime. The standard gold pass being honored at all Paramount Parks, with warmth, courtesy and professionalism (as opposed to being accused of what would amount to theft and lying, and after 20 minutes still not being allowed in a park that had JUST opened for the day. The competition with Cedar Fair, which benefitted both companies. I do NOT miss CBS. Cedar Fair has greatly improved Kings Island, taking it away from the path to ruin CBS had miserly began trodding.