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Ambitious? Expensive? This is from someone who entered the space tourism industry.

Or the original poster seas connections in this world that aren't really there?

Its Google Adsense ads, if you see another one on KIC please take screenshot it and send it to me. I will look for the Hot Europeans and deal with them. /pun

Starting from scratch and entering the cruise industry. That is an ambitious project and a very expensive one. Especially entering a cruise market that has a great diversity of ships and lines to choose from. Disney, Royal Caribbean and Carnival are the big 3 that meets the demands of your average cruiser. Then you have more upscale and specialized like Norwegian, Princess and Celebrity. Then very specialized luxury lines like Regent Seven Seas or Seabourn. Not to mention the plethora of other lines that have an established market share and customer base. Should be interesting, good luck Sir Branson

Well personally......that would be the worst use of that property. I was truly hoping for something similar to the old resort with updated accommodations. But again, this would be my personal preference even though housing may be a better fit for the economy of the area. I'm just being selfish.

Yes. You know, 'cause back when Carnival Cruise Lines started up, carnival operators had already reached a tipping point.

Maybe the world that is the sea has enough cruise ships already?

... I'm failing to see any connection to SeaWorld as well. Am I overlooking something?

If these houses do happen, how long till they complain about the noise and traffic of KI?

Here are some pics of King Cobra from RCDB to help: And then after it was demolished... Based on these, and other images, I am 99% sure what you see in the Google Earth images is in fact the remains of King Cobra.

Over there, you postulated it may be King Cobra track and supports. And it very well may be.

1985, hands down. You have, just off the top of my head: Mask The Breakfast Club Pee Wee's Big Adventure Wierd Science The Goonies Better Off Dead Rocky IV Teen Wolf National Lampoon's European Vacation A View To A Kill Clue Pale Rider And, my personal favorite, Commando. It just don't get no better...

Moments of great speed and periods of sluggishness, to say the least. Anyone else?

The only thing I could think of regarding the connection with SeaWorld is that Bain Capital has worked with Blackstone in the past, and that cruise ships and theme parks are targeting the same market, but even then I don't think that would be extremely related here.

My head hurts. How does this impact SeaWorld? Other than cruises take place on seas?

-- All images in this post is from Google Earth ( https://www.google.com/earth/ ) -- Some of you may have seen this post coming because you were reading the random discussion thread. When I was just recently looking through Google Earth I was looking at Kings Island. I saw something while I saw something in a boneyard right behind The Racer and other warehouses...... I saw what seems to me to be track or support beams. (Image below is from 2004) They kind of have the shape of track or something along that nature. The next two following images are from 2005 (first one) and 2006 (second one). In the second one they seem to look like bushes but that just may be the quality of the image or it actually may be. Below is where is located. -- All images in this post is from Google Earth ( https://www.google.com/earth/ ) -- Those mysterious shapes disappeared somewhere between 2006 and 2009. I'm just curious if you guys could help me figure out what this mysterious object is. I may be totally wrong (probably will be).

I think it is King Cobra now because if you look at the last picture posted by McSalsa it shows the curved track at the end. If you look back you can see where it is on the map. Not 100% but it seems to be a very good possibility.

They are not. The coaster was scrapped.

^ the weight drop was one of the largest reasons it was gotten rid of. As the weight fell, there was supposed to be a pocket of air underneath the weight to help slow it down instead of slamming into the bottom of the support tower. This was not happening and the weight was falling with the full force of gravity, damaging inner components of the launch system.

Not to mention Viking River Cruises, which, up to this point, have focused only on Euro river cruises, has 2 ships in production set to launch next year which will be the line's first seagoing ones. Branson has managed to do quite well with Virgin Airways, so if anyone can succeed in a crowded market, he certainly can.

This is the cutest little shop! I go there all the time for all of my Christmas needs! +I like to see KI again in the winter.

If the property had truly been on the market for the last couple of years (for anything remotely resembling a reasonable price), I cannot imagine that there were no nibbles. That defies common sense. I smell hogwash.

I never said it was the "end" of animation, I just said that right now the whole climate of the industry is different than it was back in the 80s/90s. Is this good or bad? I guess we'll find out. All I know is that studios are laying animators off or hiring them for temp positions (some of them anyway). And they can do this because there are so many animators now that they're happy to have the work. Yea but... (I use that way too much) that is how it is in almost all media fields. Newspapers, TV, News, etc. 20 years ago a news production staff was filled 8-10 or more people. Now you can run a whole production staff with 1 maybe 2 people. Animators are getting laid off, but the biggest difference between Pixar and say Dreamworks (or others) is the quality of the story. I dont think it has anything to do with animation. Ice Age 3 compared to Toy Story 3. The ability of the story to be told has more to do with the inability of a company to make money versus the art being used. You are right. The film business is very much like a factory, but it depends on if you want to make Rolls or a Yugo. What I've seen is that yes, computer animation is the norm now, but with that comes extra jobs to add to the experience of the film. People are now layering over the 3d animation with digital paint to get a more human feel to it. Zemeckis had his own 3d animation system, I forget what it was called, but I submit the name "Dead Eye, LTD." He was the one behind the creepy "Polar Express". That's what happens when you rely on computer animation alone without the added touches.

Cedar Point - Rougarou Fact Video

I thought about that year too. Wasn't Back to the Future also in '85? '82 still has the majority of my favorites of all time though.

The first time I visited that store was the summer of 1990. I remember walking through pretty quickly and then going back to sit in the car with my dad while my mom browsed. Dad and I timed The Vortex cycles and began writing them down on a notepad. It's funny the things you remember from childhood My family hadn't moved to that area just yet, and Kings Island was considered my families vacation spot that summer. We stopped (and attempted stops) by several local attractions including Fantasy Farm and Americana. My parents tried to talk my sister and I into going in to Fantasy Farm, but she and I complained to the point that they aborted the notion. Little did I know that I would acquire such an appreciation for these establishments in my adult life that I regret not participating in my youth. While on the subject of local attractions, does anyone remember the small outlet mall that was once located next to McDonalds (later converted into GE Consumer Credit)? That's another lost local attraction.

I really enjoyed the Bavarian Beetle as a kid myself. I want to say that I think I rode it before The Racer. Something about The Racer terrified me whereas BB did not. It was a fun ride, as much as I can remember, which is very little. For the most part, I liked the downward spiral the best.

I believe DeadEyes, Ltd was part of ImageMovers (or makers). Yeah the problem with digital animation is that it can move into the realm of the Uncanny Valley, very very quickly. Uncanny Valley basically talks about the response the viewer has when something looks "too real." If it looks too real but we know its fake, then we have a negative response to it. Polar Express I think suffered more from this than any other movie. It attempted to portray as close to "real" as possible without actually being real. That is all fine and good when its "things" : animals, objects, vehicles etc. When its a person: Which is why, personally, I think the big block buster movies have characters that have some sort of feature that lets you know "Hey this is an animation" As compared to when using a CGI enhanced monster in a "real movie" **All images used under the copy write for educational purposes**

Hope they find and install a flume ride!

I have lived here all my life and all the times I have been to KI and seen the signs have not visited this shop. Maybe this year I will try and take a look at this shop.

For Thanksgiving break, our family visited Asheville, NC. I was skeptical about the trip. The city is very artsy and hipster-like, something we definitely aren't. Passing by the Dollywood and Gatlinburg billboards definitely didn't help, as I was irking to visit the "fun" part of the mountains. Asheville is very neat though. The largest house in the country, the Biltmore Estate, is amazing. It has 250 rooms and was built by a young man, George Vanderbilt, who inherited his father's railroad tycoon money. We took the tour of the house and it was very intriguing to see how life was like in the 1890s. George and his wife's bedrooms were separated from each other because it was inappropriate back then to be sleeping in the same bed (at least for the wealthy)! Vanderbilt even had an indoor pool (very unusual, because apparently many people in the 19th century didn't know how to swim), a bowling alley, and a bachelor's room that had billiards and hidden doors to his bedroom. It doesn't sound too exciting on here, but I highly recommend checking it out. The area also has a winery, many restaurants, and a shopping center. On Wednesday night, Dollywood commercials were playing over and over again on the TV. I said to my mom, "we should go to Dollywood." I had said this several times already, mainly as a joke, but she took this seriously; we told my dad, and it was set to visit Dollywood on Saturday! Saturday, we went to the Hampton Inn on Teaster Lane (very nice, I recommend). We had decided to buy season passes to the park. Pigeon Forge is only five hours from Cincinnati, the price for a pass is only $30 extra, and my dad (thanks Terpy for informing me of this) bought a Gold pass for himself so we now get free parking and 20% off food and merchandise. Getting past all this boring stuff, now I will talk about Dollywood! Walking into the park, I was immediately reminded of Magic Kingdom. To me, the theming highly resembled it. I was astounded by all the detail. I felt completely immersed in the place. Highlights: My sister, who I thought was 48", apparently isn't. We waited in line for Mystery Mine after measuring her at the thingy (whatever it's called) and it hit her head; but the one at the top, it didn't. So she's still 47"...frown face. Firechaser Express is awesome! Kings Island needs something like this. It was very long, fun, and innovative. The backwards launch freaked me out, to be completely honest. Mystery Mine is one of my favorite rides ever now. I didn't expect it to be that way, but I absolutely loved it. The beginning isn't too exciting, but the second drop is the coolest and best coaster drop I've experienced. The theme was well done too. Thunderhead has taken over as my number one wooden coaster. The Voyage has gotten too rough. Thunderhead was smooth all the way and is one heck of a ride. So much airtime, speed, excitement. I rode front seat both times which made it that much better. Wild Eagle is disappointing. Not very exciting. It is way too short. Meh. Gatekeeper is much better. Tennessee Tornado is another very short ride. Dollywood has short rides for some reason. Every one of 'em with the exception of Thunderhead and Firechaser Express is this way. I guess it's because of the mountains and their restraints for building. Blazing Fury is outdated and it hurt my back. But the theme was good! That is all. Barnstormer sucks. It only goes through one cycle once it hits the highest point. Skyhawk wins. The train is 1,000x better than Kings Island's! It was 20 minutes long and gave amazing views of the park. It starts out at ground level but somehow, you're looking above Dollywood and seeing all the behind the scenes. At Christmastime it's even better, and hearing Hard Candy Christmas and other Christmas music is just great. A Christmas Carol was very well done. I love the use of the holograms for the ghosts. The whole Christmas Carol story is worn out for me so I honestly almost fell asleep, but I can say the show was really good and I must see. It was too bad we didn't see any other shows, though. Craftman's Valley is the best! We spent an hour just walking around and looking in the stores. I probably forgot some stuff but I'll add more. To sum it all up, Dollywood is my new favorite park. Holiday World comes in a close second. The rides are all fun though they need some more family rides (yes, Dollywood needs more family rides), the theme is perfectly executed, the food is delicious, the staff are nice and friendly, and I just felt relaxed walking around. I'm so glad we got season passes because I can't wait to go back!

Looks more like condos or, more likely, apartments. There's some silly stuff in that article...

...Said the Spider to The Fly?

This is nothing but greatness for Kings Island (more visitors, money and publicity ("within walking distance from Kings Island!")), but at the same time, will be a nightmare for getting to and from the park and there will be longer lines (which could mean more sales for Fast Lane, so yeah...). On the flip side, who wouldn't want to live across the street from Kings Island? *raises hand and yells "oooh, pick me!"* I'm thinking these homes (or whatever they turn out to be) will sell like hotcakes!

UPDATE Papers have been filled by to develop the property as housing. http://m.daytondailynews.com/news/news/plans-emerge-to-redevelop-kings-island-resort-with/njLsN/

@CarowindsPark on Twitter: "And it's up! #Fury325 #epic #wow" Photo : Carowinds via Twitter

Image via Carowinds' Webcam at ( https://www.carowinds.com/online-fun/webcams )

But Backlot Stunt Coaster is there already, and it's fantastic.

Well, what do you know!.... Here is one for sale in Florida.... http://usedrides.com/ViewAd.aspx?Ad=23551&view=I and there is still plenty of room in Octoberfest for one...

Cool article. via The State http://www.thestate.com/2014/12/04/3852602/carowinds-tops-off-new-fury-325.html?sp=/99/205/&ihp=1

Great report. Glad to hear you had a great trip. Keep wanting to take a trip back to Gatlinburg and go to Dollywood too. I always thought something like Mystery Mine would be great where Crypt/TR:TR was. Could use the current building and go out of it some like Mystery Mine and the thee would fit great for Rivertown. I love the dark ride/roller coaster combos like that.

I never said it was the "end" of animation, I just said that right now the whole climate of the industry is different than it was back in the 80s/90s. Is this good or bad? I guess we'll find out. All I know is that studios are laying animators off or hiring them for temp positions (some of them anyway). And they can do this because there are so many animators now that they're happy to have the work. Yea but... (I use that way too much) that is how it is in almost all media fields. Newspapers, TV, News, etc. 20 years ago a news production staff was filled 8-10 or more people. Now you can run a whole production staff with 1 maybe 2 people. Animators are getting laid off, but the biggest difference between Pixar and say Dreamworks (or others) is the quality of the story. I dont think it has anything to do with animation. Ice Age 3 compared to Toy Story 3. The ability of the story to be told has more to do with the inability of a company to make money versus the art being used.

His video at the pearly gates of Americana/LeSourdesville Lake bordered an awkward comedy with his run in with, who I assume was, Jerry Couch. I own a vacant commercial building I'll let him explore- then as stipulation for his "trespassing" transfer ownership to him so he can tend to it.

Sounds very much like the job environment in the legal field these days...

I never said it was the "end" of animation, I just said that right now the whole climate of the industry is different than it was back in the 80s/90s. Is this good or bad? I guess we'll find out. All I know is that studios are laying animators off or hiring them for temp positions (some of them anyway). And they can do this because there are so many animators now that they're happy to have the work.

Banshee. Followed by Ed Alonzo/Cirque Imagine level entertainment. If all the shows were as good as the ONE the last several seasons.... Now, if they'd bring back the parking lot trams...it'd be a reasonable accomodation for true multi-generational family fun...and nostalgia.

You could always try to find one of these (old) machines in a shopping mall: I last saw one in Indiana around 2012. I have no idea if any are still operating.

That being said, silence is acceptance. SeaWorld did not respond. At all. For months and months.

A sign that one has listened to the soundtrack and/or watched Frozen too many times: When you see auction items 121-134 and sing "Who knew we owned 8,000 salad plates?" in your head. Yes, I did that. I'm personally a fan of the shelf you can buy that contains "assorted soft drink syrups." Yum.

So here's the lowdown: I talked to a couple of kids who were selling these things. Mainly I wanted to see who was buying these things. Essentially, the consensus I got was that the vast majority of those who purchased the No Boo sticks were people who wanted to enjoy the rides at the park but weren't particularly fond of the roamers. My observation in seeing the No Boo's was that you would either see a group of adults (or at least old enough for HH) all wearing them, or one or two adults in a group of more. I actually did a handful of mazes tonight and didn't see a single one in line. People who buy these things aren't stupid. They don't expect 100% accuracy - especially in the mazes. No one bought them for their 4 year old kid while they were line jumping and smoking outside of the designated smoking area or anything like that. Some idiot on KIC's Facebook was saying that this was another example of how they're doing this to make it too expensive to go to the park. That this was another example of corporate greed. Really? A $5 thing that you AREN'T required to purchase? In fact, it's a better deal than I had thought - they could EASILY have had $5 one time use Glowstick No Boo's that you'd have to purchase every time. This is an LED light thing that can be used over and over if you wish. The truth is, stuff like this is an opportunity for the park to make money. There's no denying that. It's also an opportunity to augment a person's personal experience in a way. Not unlike Skeleton Key. It in no way hinders your experience at the park or at Haunt specifically. Giving the public more of an opportunity to spend money does some wonderful things: first as the park and chain generate more cash so more capital investments are made in the park. Inverted roller coasters don't buy themselves. Secondly, they can do more without being forced to raise the prices of season passes, general admission tickets, parking, etc.