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How odd. I've told many friends I see the value of A Cirque Imagine showing as being more than a full price single day admission to the park. In fact, on a recent business trip, I drove thousands of miles instead of flying and detoured hundreds of miles out of the way (on my own time and at my own expense) to go to Kings Island for one reason, without which I would not have...to see the show. Which I did. Twice. And rode Beast at closing. Worth every minute and cent.

Yes but The Beast is an iconic coaster that anyone going to the park will know about and will hunt for or ask where it is if needed. Flight Deck was not the same way. There were people that didn't know anything about it and it wasn't some major must ride coaster to a vast majority and so might not take the extra effort to find it if they didn't know where it was.

From about a year ago; I doubt it looks different now... The legend lives on, from the Chippewa on down, of the big lake.................

Speaking of Geauga Lake, I did pick up some Geauga Lake Souvenirs at Conneaut, which was weird to me. I also picked up a PKI postcard! Blue Streak honestly is amazing! I was surprised after all the stories I had heard about it. I even left a chunk of my skin on the restraints when my knee bumped into it on a hill while I was in a wheel seat. Lol.

The Onion would not equal Screamscape. The difference is that, The Onion is joking, while Screamscape, is, well, not.

Somehow I got four like notifications for the same post, all from Terpy. While that could be explained by a stuttering connection or repeatedly hitting like then unlike, that can't explain this: The post in question is here: http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/29434-canadas-wonderland/page-2#entry640776 Clicking "1 other" brings up a popup that only lists one user: Terpy. Sounds like a bug to me.

I was in line for Diamondback yesterday, and the wait was less than 1/2 hour. The couple behind me had met on an online dating service. They appeared to be in their mid-40s. In that half-hour, I heard the entire story of their previous love lives.

I was wondering if that was new or something they did every time! I assumed he was part of the production or a friend. This was the first time I saw the show. Yes, shame on me I now realize for not seeing it earlier. My previous visits didn't allow for me to see the show - and my Sunday visit may not either considering the group I'll be with. I left work a bit early and managed to make it into the park at 5 - enough time for some rides and the show. It was totally worth the drive. The thing that I enjoyed the most was how much everyone on stage seemed to enjoy what they were doing. I can imagine that doing 3-4 shows 6 days a week can be challenging for them in keeping it fresh. But from what I saw it looked as though they were having fun and enjoying themselves. It was a fun show!

Everything I've seen about it looks incredibly boss. I think any notoriety of Blackfish will thin out, it hit the market, ran through the media course, and now.... is just another film. Anyone who wants to research captive orcas more eventually ends up reading both sides, if they are truly interested. Yes, anyone interested in orca captivity will read up on both sides. Problem is, not everyone who considers (or would have considered) a trip to SeaWorld is genuinely interested in orca captivity. In other words, you now have a very large group of half-educated people who don't think about orcas daily, monthly, or even yearly and don't really care to learn about the subject. But when someone suggests a trip to SeaWorld, they'll suddenly be very vocal. It doesn't take an informed person to make a decision. And yes, Discovery Cove is a must every time I go to Orlando. I did the dolphin experience the first time, and it was wonderful for what it is. Every time since, I've left it out. Without it, I think the all-inclusive day is in the mid-$100s? Which is very reasonable for what you get. The dolphins add $100 per person, and it's a really nice experience once or twice but not a must-do. The park is still magnificent without it. EH HEM. All your questions shall be revealed below. (No spoilers. Just trying to not clutter the topic on SEAS stock performance.) From the article The Interpreter linked to earlier: Doesn't this just seem obvious? I guess not if the owners are frantically looking for a way out, which may be the case... If we're being honest, their biggest and most succinct attempt at something was Empire of the Penguins, which seems to have been running on fumes from the get-go. It seems investment just isn't in their cards. Not the kind these parks need and deserve, anyway. Shameful. Disney Parks once had a chairman named Paul Pressler with a similar strategy. Cut investment and reduce expenses. Install nothing new. Remove excess. Cut budgets. Revamp merchandise and operations to favor inexpensive knick knacks and quantity-over-quality. "Cheap and cheerful," you might say. Lightbulbs burnt out and were left dark. Gardens were untended. Pressler's own direction filled Disney's California Adventure with more shops and restaurants than rides - quick money! Big returns! Mr. Pressler was also the brains behind New Tomorrowland 1998. Lots of flash for little cash. The numbers look good for a few quarters... Record profit! Then it nose-dived. He fled in 2002, moving in as CEO of Gap, Inc. where he did... almost exactly the same thing, to almost exactly the same results. If you're interested in Disney, Mr. Pressler's time in the industry, or his particular style of strategy, I HIGHLY encourage you to read this article. What've Gap and Disney got to do with SeaWorld Parks? Different stories, different problems, same basic issue embedded in there...

I was there for a few hours today, too. We super slammed the rides to the point we got dizzy. Was it "National Pleasant Persons Day" today? The entire park could have been a Disney movie, everyone was so nice. Today was perfect.

America's finest news source reporting new super long coaster: http://www.theonion.com/articles/busch-gardens-unveils-new-9600milelong-endurance-c,36691/

Great timing, with their peak season ending and all...

Please Don't use One word posts........ don't and one are not registered trademarks. As such, they aren't capitalized here. Terp, who............wait a minute.

I was going up the lift hill on Vortex and behind me a father tells his son "It used to be called The Corkscrew". It took every thing I had to not turn around and yell "That is wrong and ridiculous!"

The second paragraph of this post contains the complete story of my entire love life. Do not believe any story to the contrary. Here goes:

It seems as if the lines are longer for The Bat. I, too, have wondered if it was because of the Banshee or because of the new look. Either way, I think it's great.

I'll be there today for the 7pm show. Pretty excited as it'll be last one of the year to see for us. Just hope this time I don't have the "Cirque Expert" sitting behind me with her friend the "I'm Not Impressed Lady".

I was kinda hoping for a reclaimed timber look, to match the mill. Now it kind of looks like that ports-office on a construction site. If this permanently houses Slaughterhouse, will they be able to put in more elaborate effects?

Visited today. A whole table of "Geauga Lake Consignment Sale." Lots of shot glasses and key chains. Seeing them again made me remember how Cedar Fair inexplicably created merchandise with absolutely no consistency in park logos. A shot glass with "Geauga Lake" written in underlined Times New Roman. Another in some script. Another in blue Comic Sans. I so distinctly remember all their merchandise being mix-and-match logos now. Lost memories. As for the park, it's sad to see any in the state it's in. There were many more people than I expected - probably 50 or 60 - and a surprising number had all-you-can-ride wristbands, which were $25.00. Including kiddie land, there were maybe 12 operating attractions. I don't know stuff about taxes and arbitration and the park's current standing. Is the park worth saving? Obviously I'd rather it didn't close. It needs more than just to break even though. It needs serious TLC. Repaving, re-building, re-painting, re-growing, re-staffing... It might be hopeless. Not half of Kiddie Land's rides were open today. And why should they be? No one comes, so the rides aren't staffed. Rides aren't staffed because no one comes. Really a vicious cycle. It may be too late. I just got that impression. Could be a cute park, and if someone with a few million to spare could come in and basically re-build it from scratch, I think it would be a nice family park for the local community. As it is, it does feel like a dead end. Under nearly a million dollars in debt? The place isn't worth that to begin with. How do you break even there while also financing the countless improvements that MUST be made just to meet the status quo? If it were well-located along an interstate, I'd say a small time operator could work wonders with the park. For less than the price of a shiny new B&M, I think Parques could snatch the place, pay the debt, close it for a year, re-build, expand, build a ballroom, charge $17 for entry ($20 on concert nights) and it would be a nice little forested midway family park. So yeah, I do think that a reputable and financially stable owner could easily stabilize the park, grow it a teeny bit, and then coast with it. But... who would want to? :\ Yikes. I mean, maybe Parques would! They have Dutch Wonderland and Idlewild and Lake Compounce. Conneaut could easily be a small Idlewild with a year off to renovate.

It wasn't even open, I just shot the picture thru the glass of the door on the side. Sent from my Nexus 5 using tapatalk.

I was riding with a buddy who had not ridden The Bat ever. He said he loved Iron Dragon because it was a calmer ride and wasnt nearly intense so it was a nice break. He suggested after a Banshee/Invertigo back to back affair we take a spin on Bat in the front row. He was expecting calm and then the first drop happened with the big curve following. He had more fun on that ride than any other we rode that day.

The Bat gave almost 800,000 rides in 2013.

Giving "Flight Deck" a new name and theme was something I had wanted and suggested directly to the park. I was delighted to see them do exactly that this year, and I thought "The Bat" theme was perfect, along with new bright colors and signage to attract guests after a spin on Banshee. It's a great coaster, and its clone is still popular at Canada's Wonderland. In the last couple seasons as Flight Deck, it was sad to see hardly anyone riding it. I typically visit the park during less busy times of the year, but as Flight Deck, the station was usually completely empty. Having a whole train to yourself had its perks, but I worried for the future of the ride. Since "The Bat" re-theme, I've noticed a steady stream of people walking into the queue, which has been exciting. I've heard reports that the ride had a long line on opening day and has had some decent lines during the busier days this season. On the less busy days I've visited this year, there were actually people filling the trains, and re-rides weren't quite as easy to get. I'd love to hear from the park if "The Bat" experiment was a success. Was it worth the investment? Has its ridership increased? If it was a success, I could definitely see the park (and other Cedar Fair parks) trying to reinvent older rides. Could Backlot Stunt Coaster be next with a new name and theme?

Yes why else would it be called bring a friend day? It's not Buy a friend a ticket day.

It's posts like these that make me want a dislike button.

If the expansion/addition of the Orca habitat looks anywhere near the concept art I think it will be a huge success for Sea World.

You rang?

Would Holiday World be getting a steel coaster next year if Bluegrass Boardwalk happened?

Correct. The Lazer Maze is completely separate from the Halloween Haunt Maze set up no matter the theme of the haunt. There are games in the front of the game building, the maze happens behind those games and exits to the side of those games and the lazer maze.

Wow. That's... wow. Fast Lane Plus for the whole day? Oh man.

More like FrUstrationN.

I understand that. Add all those Fast Lane users to the Fast Lane line. Are we having FUN yet?

I suspect Bluegrass Boardwalk would be operated better than The New Kentucky Kingdom is now. For one, there would be fewer PR screw-ups. That said, the Kochs likely made the right decision to pull out.

I'm hoping it will be better if it is a permanent housing for it. It seems as if teh ones that are in permanent locations are the nicer ones for the most part. Madame Fatale's is defintiely are nicest maze right now, and Urgent Scare is one the better looking ones too and they stay there full time. Whereas others like Holiday Horror and Cornstalkers can be fun but just feel a lot cheaper.

Fixed, I think.

I often wonder if the Kochs gratefully thank God they avoided this investment at the near last minute.

But it IS in the system from the first time. Don't think that not "storing" an email or credit card number means it isn't. It is...and can still be, ahem, targeted, which can leave affected users raising Cain.

If ONLY the debt was just under a million. It's not. That's the property tax debt. JUST the property tax debt. The other creditors, which include the power company, water company, vendors of every kind, etc., are owed several million more. This is why the idea that the park could reorganize in bankruptcy with the debtor in possession is sheer fantasy. The creditors would force a liquidation. Unless someone comes in and pays off virtually all the debt. The park has been fundraising for years. For more than a decade, there's been contributed labor (including by ACErs and members of Western New York Coaster Club), funds appeals, pleas for debt forgiveness, grants from Pepsi, etc. Then there's the fact, which Hydra was led to believe is a plus (in this circumstance, it isn't), that much of what you see is leased and can and will leave in a flash. Conversely, what little remains that is historical is both a blessing and a curse. Many locals would raise up with pitchforks and fury should any proposal to modernize or gut any part of the park be made. (See the Hotel Conneaut). Then you have the inset properties...homes, right in the park, some rented, most outright owned by others. It was said a major operator might...the park has been quietly on the market off and on for years. There have been NO credible offers. Gee, I wonder why. And, I love Conneaut Lake Park, its history, its geography, the lake, the people. It now comes down, coldly, to the real estate concept of highest and best use of the land. Is an amusement park the highest and best use of the land? If not, will a magnanimous owner forego that use for reasons of her own? It appears the answer to Q1 is clearly no. Q2 has been answered, again and again, so far, with, "for now." Now the question begs an owner who will answer Q2 with yes. That's going to be exceptionally difficult--finding an owner who will get to, and stay with, yes on Q2. Bankruptcy is seldom concerned with that, but rather with maximizing asset value for creditors...

Just wait for next week...!

There's no doubt that Banshee helped get some riders to The Bat, but I'm not sure on what level. Gatekeeper didn't seem to bring an influx of riders to Wicked Twister nor did Maverick bring them to Mean Streak. I think people are drawn to something new, which is why Cedar Point might be experimenting with giving one of their coasters a King James makeover. I don't think it takes an all-new attraction to get people excited. I'm sure these forums would be ablaze with excitement if Backlot Stunt Coaster got a new name and an extensive re-theme. I can envision them building on what's there now with Backlot and giving it an earthquake-style makeover with minimal investment. Or they could invest more and focus on beautifying that area, giving it a Maverick-esque canyon-carving theme with willow trees and such. Mind reader. I was just noting today how out of places the storage boxes are. I do wish they'd re-theme it something closer to the midwest. Midwest isn't bad- midwest IS theme park. I think Kings Island is a beautiful park that represents what our state is; I love that we have so much greenery. I think the Los Angeles theme in the middle of our park is bizarre looking. There's actually people in the AZ this year, the remodel did wonders to that flat expanse of cement. That could account for higher rider numbers. The battleship grey hid the a bit anyway. My mother loved her aircraft carrier, though. I'm afraid to tell her they repainted it.

I bought this the other day when my extended family made a trip to the park (we had 15 people, but we split into groups) I ended up getting 26 ride photos emailed to me and felt like it was definitely worth the $29.99. Although the technology behind it didn't seem too good. Every time I went to get a photo emailed, they scanned the pass, and then had to retype the email every time and asked me to verify it EVERY TIME I wanted to email a photo. I feel like they should just ask me once for my email, have me verify it once, and then when they scan the pass the email should pop up right away, and no photo booth employee should be typing in the email every time I want a photo. Also, if you ask for a receipt, they will give you a receipt that shows you that you bought a $10.00 ride photo to be emailed, and they will then credit you with $10.00 every time, bringing the balance to $0.00. It made me feel good knowing I paid $29.99 for a $260.00 value ($10 per photo). This is a good deal for a large group of people.

The clowns came up with something new for their audience participation bit of tonight's 7:00 show. There was a man wearing sandals in the front row, who I dearly hope is either friends with the performers or involved in the production. First, Josh took one of the shoes off the man's foot, and winged it at Philip as he dangled from his rope over the stage. The sandal landed on the stage near the side (later in the show one of the clowns shoved it farther offstage out of the way). Then Carl (Nico) grabbed the man's other sandal off his foot, and absconded with it through the door next to the stage. The guy went through the show barefoot, then during the final bows, when everyone rushes back through the center hole, several rushed off the front of the stage, picked the man up, and transported him onstage. They then proceeded to hand him the flowers, and all ran back offstage because the music was over. The guy sat down with the flowers a bit, still barefoot, looking a little mystified. He climbed up onstage to look for the one shoe that had been shoved backstage, but didn't find it. Last I saw, he went through the "authorized personnel only" door next to the stage. I waited around a bit to see if he ever got his shoes but the theater was pretty much cleared out so I left. If he was a regular audience member, he's a darned good sport.

Yep. Would you have been willing to give up ALL new rides for a decade or more?

And it is no longer hiding behind a SBNO wall of wood. I would imagine that decreased ridership numbers significantly. Visibility is key.

Just wanted to comment on this. The crew working on Tuesday was the same crew that I commented on a few weeks ago about how quickly they move people through the line. It's the only Diamondback crew I've seen this year that's run the ride that well. It's the only ride crew that's made me want to go to Guest Relations and fill out a positive comment card for. They are magnificent.

Sigh... Once again, please cite the source for any photos you post which are not yours.

I think I've ridden The Bat more times this year than I rode Flight Deck/Top Gun in the last 15 years. I wanted to check out the new color scheme so I rode it for the first time in several years. I forgot how intense and fun it was.

I hope it does increase in ridership. I like The Bat even though the industry has really taken off in terms of what can be done. I love the new paint job and name. Brings back some great memories of the original coaster which I was fortunate enough to ride. It was definitely a wild ride as I remember it. I would venture to say it had the coolest cars ever.

My head hurts following this mess.

I would be one of those someones. Mrs. Gator was a bridesmaid in a wedding just down the street from GL years ago, so we passed the park numerous times that weekend. GatorGirl at the time was too little to enjoy the park, so we didn't take the time to go. The following year was to be its last and I'm still kicking myself for not going. The Gator family and Hydra went to Conneaut Monday of last week, and we were met there by Tom76257 and his friend. It hasn't changed much since we were there last year, except there were fewer bumper cars running, the haunted house (Hostile Hostel) was not open and appeared to have not opened at all this year, and the carousel organ was much more out of tune than before. The airtime in the back seat of Blue Streak was something else, I rode there numerous times in a row without getting out of the seat. I'm glad Hydra and Tom76257 finally got a chance to experience the park, which Mrs. Gator's cousin described as "a shell of its former self." Luckily this time I was able to get a CLP shirt in my size ("I Got My Ride On at Conneaut Lake Park"), a shot glass, some other various knick-knacks for GatorGirl and a CD of the CLP carousel organ. I haven't listened to it yet, but presumably its from when it was in tune. I figured I should get it because who knows where that piece of history will end up. The next day all six of us went to Waldameer, what a great little park (with the exception of the waterpark... I flipped out of my tube on Wild River and cracked my head hard on the slide, went down the rest of the way on my belly)! We loved Wacky Shack (rode 4 times), Pirate's Cove (5 times), Ravine Flyer II (4 times) and Steel Dragon (5 times).