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I felt the need to chime in here. First, I don't think it's warranted for any of us to debate ANY employees value or merit, question their intentions, or take "brave" keyboard jabs at how well they *might* have handled a terrible situation. We are not their supervisors, or their judges. I feel it is warranted for me to speak of the type of man Jeff is. Jeff Siebert is, without a doubt, one of the most generous, friendly and enthusiastic persons I've ever known. His positivity is so incredibly contagious, that you cannot help but be friends with him. His "celebrity" within the enthusiast community comes not from a desire to be in the limelight, rather it comes as a side-effect. He warmly embraces those that share his love of coasters, parks and fun. In addition, he is an incredible father and husband to a terrific wife and kids. David Mandt has a heart bigger than you can imagine. David has been in the business since he was a teen working at Carowinds. So he has a deep rooted passion for parks and the guest experience. David helped spearhead the initiative to embrace the enthusiast community at a time when many park officials were annoyed or embarrassed by them. Perhaps that is why this year he was awarded a lifetime honorary membership by ACE? He's a dear man to which many thanks are owed by coaster/park lovers. I owe him a great deal, because he was a deep friend to me at a time of transition in my life. He, as a friend, lifted me up through some common challenges we shared in our lives. For that, I'm deeply indebt. Maureen definitely went to battle late in her tenure at KI. But let's not forget she was right there along side Jeff and David for a good portion of their ride. She is a wonderful friend with a great sense of humor and intellect! But more importantly, she's a very kind hearted, and wise lady, mother and wife. She has beautiful children of whom she loves dearly, and that love her. That speaks volumes. Don Helbig is a great guy. I've actually known him for many years from times as an enthusiast at KI. Actually for many years, I knew *of* him but didn't approach him at KI events because I was intimidated by his incredibly impressive "track" record. As time goes on, you get to know folks, and my intimidation changed to respect and admiration. I was so excited for him when I learned he was taking the reigns of PR/Marketing for KI. I cannot think of anyone else with such a deep-rooted love for, and history with, the park. Don has what I consider a quiet, but strong presence. He has also continued the outreach to the enthusiast community and embraced us at all times, not just when needed for a shoot. Why? Because he remains an impressive enthusiast. I could go on and on about others I know in the industry But I wanted to chime in just to say how high my opinion is of each of these specific folks. Some of my life's most cherished moments include them, and that has nothing to do with KI. Each of them, however, is to be commended on their tenure as "caretakers" of KI. Each of them did (or is doing) a commendable job in ensuring the fun and enjoyment is shared by as many fellow KI attendees as possible. Their stellar reputations with many fellow KI fans comes from a subtext that cannot be falsified... they each love and cherish KI as we do. I'm a better person for knowing all of them. John

The swarm has completed its first flight...... @mikefehnel on Twitter : "This piece makes #Fury325 the longest steel coaster on this side of the planet!" Photos : Mike Fehnel (Carowinds GM) via Twitter @CarowindsPark on Twitter : "Special day for Carowinds and the Carolinas! Track for the world's tallest/fastest giga coaster is complete #Fury325" Photo : Carowinds via Twitter Carowinds Amusement Park on Facebook : "Special day for Carowinds and the Carolinas! We've completed the track for the world's tallest and fastest giga coaster! Fury 325's track stretches over 6,600 feet and will take riders nearly 3 minutes and 25 seconds to complete." Photo : Carowinds Amusement Park on Facebook The Charlotte Observer was also at the park today to interview Mike Fehnel and watch as the last piece of track was installed. The article : Buzz builds as Carowinds adds final piece of track to Fury 325 The interview and final piece of track erection video : .....And now we wait.....for the REAL first flight of the swarm.....

Have to give Holiday World a hand on that one. Although, to be fair it is more of a hand chopper than a head chopper.

Michael Fehnel on Twitter: "Slingshot, the ride that will send you nearly 300 ft in the air @CarowindsPark is starting to take shape!"

Track work on Fury 325 is now completed.

When you've already decided that the tax refund you haven't received yet will partially go towards covering the cost of an enthusiast event...

Yes. Truly. Have you been to Sandusky, Ohio in dead winter? Only a Kinzel could find it the best place ever to transact business. But then, he leaves every winter and comes back to the Cedar Point parking lot for the nice season.

I mean, we can make some logical assumptions. Clearly it wasn't doing enough business to justify the cost. Mainly I think that it was a shift in American traveling habits. Fewer hotels are pet friendly now. Great Wolf is not.By the way, I saw this first on Facebook. Peoples' comments are priceless. Someone was saying that this was another example of Kings Island becoming too corporate. Really? I guess we will all have to miss the days when Kings Island was run by an Ohio-based theme park operator like Viacom rather than a world-wide media conglomerate like Cedar Fair. Oh, wait...

I have very poor self-control, and it is quite dangerous to me that these were posted on my payday...

In my line of work that seems like a HUGE gap but that's about what I figured. Even at that, it's a wonder the cumulative error wouldn't bite them in the end......truly a fascinating feat.

Wow! That looks like a hell of a head-chopper!

A rule of thumb from someone who has worked in Marketing and Event Planning for a few years. A person who does their job well is unknown by those attending the event, because it is about the event and not the person.

B&M: millimeters. Arrows were in feet. It was a different era.

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari on Facebook : "#JazzHands" Photo : Holiday World via Facebook

Incredible! Can't wait to see it in action...

Holiday World created a seemingly unrelated shell company to file for their Thunderbird trademark, because they knew enthusiasts would search for it. Only one person found the trademark, and he kept quiet. So there's one way to hide a trademark application. I'm not sure about construction permits, but I'm guessing they can probably be filed under a code name.

It may be cold right now but here's a warm thought... we are 77 days away from Opening Day!! 77 days until we see this again!

The person selling those has had them listed at least since before Christmas (periodically relisting). There also was a large metal and wood flat sign-like representation of Son of Beast which either sold, or they gave up relisting. The only problems with the models for me are they're quite large (Delirium is three feet tall!) and I found out about them at a bad time financially to be buying something frivolous. Otherwise, I'd probably already own them! I'm a little amazed they haven't been purchased yet, the pricing is very reasonable for what they are.

Shark, your first sentence: All? Really? Terp, opponent of over-generalizing.

^It is amazing how much of a difference little things like that make on a ride. Good job HW!

My family were given a Gold Passes as a Christmas gift from my parents. I was hoping folks here could clarify some things. I know I could call the park and ask some of these questions, but I'm looking for actual customer experience type of feedback rather than someone on a phone reading a script. Do I have to wait until opening day to pick up my pass or can I drive down (from Columbus) earlier and pick up our passes? I really would like to avoid a mass of people (not to mention actually get ERT on my first visit to the park) and my better half really likes Ikea and it's not far from the park (two birds, one stone). Are the Bring-a-Friend discounts restricted to certain days/dates, or is it a straight up perk of the Gold Pass? If we upgraded from Gold to Platinum between this season and next, would it be considered a 'new' pass, or would we qualify for the renewal price? Thanks in advance!

Marketing Communications Area Manager at PKI to Director of Communications for Schlitterbahn to Marketing Director at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. I've heard he's being groomed for a GM or corporate spot at Six Flags.You're right - it's hard to quantify how a person's creative heights equate to a financial return, but clearly many in the industry are seeing his value.

Rougarou Files Vol. 3: Innovation Featuring Rob Decker from the Cedar Fair Planning & Design team.

I just came across a few reasonably priced mock-up display models that were used for introducing The Delirium and Face-Off attractions. These appear to be the hand assembled models used for publicity once the new ride addition was revealed and placed in the the front gate IR display area. I've collected items of a similar nature for years and I've never seen any of the mock-up ride models for sale. Check them out! http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/atq/4841058303.html http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/atq/4841065494.html ~Josh

Some other things to consider is not only the operating cost of running the kennel, but some of the more hidden costs. Insurance being a large expense, that most large insurance companies don't want to underwrite. The chance of dog bite, harm to the animal or employee or worse yet a park guest is a very real concern. Also the park opens themselves to the possibility of an animal dying while under their care. Todays world of insurance is all about limiting your exposure to risk and liability. Running a kennel on premise is a large risk for the park. From a business stand point I don't blame them one bit for closing the doors.

New marketing heights? Measured by what metrics? Mr. Seibert may well be a creative genius, but marketers in this business are measured by the quantifiable results they achieve. Of course, massive new capex drives attendance. Of course, coaster enthusiasts adore Mr. Seibert. But what quantifiable results does he produce? Are Kings Island's reputation, business results, and guest perceptions poorer due to Mr. Seibert's absence? I suggest the answer is no. It's certainly true a lot more people could name the marketing/PR guy back then. Jeff was very good at promoting THAT awareness. But the park itself to the target markets? I suggest Maureen and now Don have achieved far superior results. Mr. Jeff Seibert handling the aftermath of the July 2006 Son of Beast incident? I can only imagine. I'm sure Maureen did that far, far better than he would have. Did Six Flags Over Texas call in Mr. Seibert after the New Texas Giant death?

No, but was Viacom? How long was it based in Cincinnati after the acquisition? Not long. Stay tuned. Charlotte's a nice place. Even in winter. Tomb Raideric Terpy

Love it!

I guess the Dog Days in October event over in the Soak City portion didn't equate to increased use of the Pet Day Care when patrons were finished on that side of the park. I suspect most did the Dog Days thing and went home (or left the dog in the car while they went in to ride). Given this is still a predominantly season pass park, probably not a big shock it is gone. It is unfortunate, especially for those that travel with their pets, and let's hope this doesn't lead to increased dogs left in vehicles. Unless this resort offers pick-up and delivery, I don't see many visitors to Kings Island using it. In fact, I see the opposite - a family that makes a yearly trip to Kings Island with their pet shows up under Invertigo this year to find that the Pet Care is gone. Frustrated and finding out from Guest Services that they would have to leave Kings Island parking lot and drive to a kennel, but KI checked and it is already booked, would be so frustrated that they say forget it and leave the park never to return again. Plus just the inconvenience of not being on-site. Given people should always check before leaving to see if things have changed, how many actually do that (not many). But that is life in the corporate world, where quarterly reports drive decisions. Bean counters forget that not every service offered has to be a money maker if it enhances the overall guest experience and is ultimately offset by the revenue generated in other parts of the organization. Let's face it, I doubt that many people will say "Let's visit Kings Island now that the Pet Care Center is gone". However, more will say "Let's not go to Kings Island because we can't take our pet there while on vacation." Even though I do not have a pet, I would rather the park kept the Pet Care Center and not do the Petting Zoo. I guess ole Ed Alonzo will not be visiting anytime soon (rumor was the animals used in his show were kept at the Pet Care?)

When your height adjustable high rise chairs in English remind you of Drop Towers, so you entertain yourself during class by pulling the lever to fall, and repeating this over and over again until the people sitting next to you look at you with strange looks (although they probably knew what I was doing).

Kings Island on Facebook : "The construction of Woodstock Gliders, a classic flying scooters ride from Larson International, is underway in Planet Snoopy. The ride features eight two-person planes that glide 28 feet above the ground. Each plane has a stationary rear wing and a movable front wing which allows the rider to control the flight and alter their ride experience from mild to wild. Be among the first to experience Woodstock Gliders when the park opens for the 2015 season April 18." Photo : Don Helbig / Kings Island via Facebook (Sorry for the double post)

@CarowindsPark on Twitter : "One piece away from history! Fury 325’s track will be completed tomorrow morning #Fury325" Photo : Carowinds via Twitter

More vertical construction work has been done on Woodstock Gliders, with the attachment of the arms. (Live Still-Image captured from the Kings Island Planet Snoopy Construction Cam)

I'm sure that Terp greatly appreciates the absence of one prominent name on that piece of track.

Uh huh

And my post was directed to Ryan's comment about new marketing heights. I was asking by what metrics. Every person brings their own unique strengths (and weaknesses) to any particular position. The primary thrust of my post is that corporate owners judge marketers by the quantifiable results they produce. That's a fact of life. No one is questioning anyone's innate goodness, sincerity, efforts or intentions. "Creative marketing heights" are not necessarily a plus in the business, nor are advertising or film awards. Turnstile clicks, media mentions, target market perceptions ARE.

How are you able to see a user's past sales? I'm not very familiar with Craigslist and how it all works. Edit - No idea on the source, but here's a shot of the Face/Off model when it was at the park.

Ryan and I have played with that Delirium model before... Edit: I remember now, It was at a Winter Soar Off season event. It was on display before the event started.

Don't know if this has been posted yet, but Kings Island's Executive Chef is now on Twitter: @KICHEFNATE Should be interesting to follow!

And good for the occasional laugh; needed that.

It's FUN reading here. Terp, being good.

Historically they have pass processing days in the weeks leading up to opening when the processing center will be open. As for the bring-a-friend discounts, it's usually limited to certain days. If I were you, I'd contact the park. I'm not sure why you think they'd read a script instead of just answering these questions with verifiable answers! They'll know the dates, hours, details, etc.

I've been checking them regularly. They seem to be working this morning.

Yes, it does. After it closed Paramount Park's Charlotte office, it opened another.

Without knowing the facts and looking at the ideas of the situation, I am in the middle. I could see both sides of the spectrum, why it's needed and why it may not be needed. I do know a few families that have used the Pet Day Care Center in the past few years and it had been a great asset to them. A couple of those families used the Season Pass for the care center. It allowed for them to make more visits instead of once or twice during the year because they didn't have to worry about their dogs running away or tearing up their house while they were gone all day. The partnership with the Red Dog Pet Resort & Spa seems to be in very early planning stages. We don't know the full details....could Red Dog staff the care center on property in the future? My personal opinion is we haven't heard the whole story yet...so who knows.

Something like this would be awesome,its one of the best slides at Holiday World

Not sure if anybody noticed but the final piece was set in place yesterday just to be removed a short time later. I assume it was a test fitment prior to Friday and the official completion with media present.

Well u should be able to.

Both my friend and my Mother bought passes before the deadline, and got their picture taken this week. They rightfully recieved their gold passes, no problems.