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EVERY job has negatives and pluses. If you wait for the perfect opportunity, life may pass you by. And most jobs vary greatly depending on who is doing them. Bright, eager, enthusiastic people get treated differently than dry, monotonous, work to the book types.

Actually I'd like to think Leviathan started the massive sign trend. Also, a bit ahead of their time, both Intimidator projects incorporated rather large entrance plazas. Photo courtesy rollin_n_coastin on Theme Park Review.

I know others have shared pictures of the dis-repair of Tower Gardens...but I've been away for a few days....back in 2012, I took this picture in Tower Gardens. I'm glad it won't be as we knew it anymore.

Oh it will be part of something. You will find out on Sneakpeek/ opening day.

I have worked at an amusement park now for fourteen season (we just started hiring at Coney for the 2015 season), and I have loved every season. Granted, I started off as a ride operator, and have since transitioned into a rides manager position at Coney. It is a fun job. Yes, the hours can be long, the weather unbearable at times, and the pay not the greatest. But like others have said you get to say you work at an amusement park. How cool is that? To this day I still find that awesome. Even as a manager at Coney, I like to get out and run the rides. Seeing kids having fun and their smiling faces on the rides as they make memories is priceless. I still remember a day I was working my second season at Coney. It had stormed around 4pm, and we reopened after the storm, even though there was no one left in the park. We stayed open because their was a group from the Boys and Girls Club that was expected to arrive around 6. They did finally show up. I was working the now defunct Spin-A-Ree ride at Coney. One of the kids that got on my ride that evening made my day in so many ways. As I let him in the ride area, he said "I remember you from last year! You are the guy that let us ride helicopters over and over without getting off and you were giving us high fives when we did finally get off." Things like that make working at an amusement park so much fun. The other perks like occasionally getting to test ride are also fun too.

I worked at Kings Island in 04. I loved it. I worked Coney 1 for games most of the time. I didn't want games but i had applied in spring when all the rides positions had been filled. The interview was kind of a joke. I was really shy and the girl asked me to sell the games to draw people in. it kind of went "uhhh welll uhh you should play this game because uhh you can win stuff" then she said i was hired. It still makes no sense to me. She should have just hired me before that because obviously I didn't pass that test. I ended up doing well on the mike after a while. I worked with some awesome people too.

A certain grocer in Fairfield comes to mind who loves such baubles to display out front and who probably has the means to buy it.

I'm not sure what you mean. I'd still be upset if KI closed then. Geauga Lake was one of the oldest, most storied parks in the country.

I think It's important to acknowledge both the bad AND good stories about jobs at KI. If it's something you're willing to try, I'd say go for it. If you don't like it, don't come back.

Really? KD and Carowinds just got major upgrade on their waterparks.

You can't always go off of what your friends say. As much as you trust them, they may not have ended up liking it, because they may have gotten written up for something that they actually did (they may have said they didn't do that), they may not have got the location they wanted, they may have been working with a group that was all drama, etc. As Terpy said, you can't wait for the perfect job to come by...you may wait forever. Jobs are trial and error. Heck, I've worked in food and retail for 10 years, yet, an opportunity came up for a better job, I don't dare say perfect, but I'm enjoying every minute of it. It works for me. Each and every job you come across has pluses and negatives. You have to strive to make the pluses worth more than the negatives. As far as taking fun away from a place you enjoy so much...uh, you would be working at Kings Island! Depending on what department you are in, there are some great things that can happen. If you are in rides...you may get to take test rides before opening, mid-day and at closing. The park also hosts ride nights for the associates (how cool is that?). Your associate ID is a platinum pass.....you can go visit other Cedar Fair parks without paying to get in or for parking! Do yourself a favor, learn how working at KI can be good for you instead of listening to the "horror" stories of friends.

Hey I did that once....Gatekeeper media day...they opened Millennium Force for us midway through the day. We ended up getting stopped on the lift hill for about 20 minutes. I laid my head back and out I went. Illegally my picture was taken on the lift, (found it on someone I don't even know's Facebook profile), saved it and then asked the person to take it down. Woke up about 2 minutes before the ride started back up. Lol.

...or not.

I ordered it. The chicken was just good, IMO, but the bread was AMAZING. I always got the sandwich, basically as a way to swap a piece of chicken for an extra piece of bread. I can't imagine why they would eliminate that option considering that a piece of bread is almost certainly cheaper than a piece of chicken, and it didn't require them to keep any extra ingredients around.

Sorry I've missed the countdown to Opening Day the past couple days. I've been very busy and also caught the flu bug yesterday. [emoji107] But I'll try my best to keep up for the next 25 days. And yes, the same 25 days until Kings Island opens to the public for the first time in 2015!! No photo today. Sorry. [emoji17]

What's funny about that? And Cedar Fair not making major improvements to waterparks? I learn the darnest things here. Terp, not "getting" it.

I think that's kinda the idea. Corporate identity, same designers, and all. Yep, there are definitely a lot of similarities between the improvements throughout the chain. Leviathan (or one of its predecessors?) started the massive entrance signage trend, Banshee improved it by adding fog and lights, and Fury 325 is repeating that. Just one example of the evolution of things. And of course both Carowinds' and Cedar Point's new entrances are crop circles. Aliens!

@CarowindsPark on Twitter : "Our new main entrance sign has arrived!" Photo : Carowinds via Twitter Actually, as this post is being typed, the sign pictured above is being installed! Check it out : ( Live Still-Image captured from the Carowinds New Gate Construction Cam )

@Don Helbig Wow! In the argument for best ride experience ever. #FuryFever @Tony Clark Just experienced #Fury325 with GM @mikefehnel and Marketing Director John Taylor. Oh. My. God!!!!

And then what would have been the incentive to renew early? You snooze, you lose. The earlybird gets the preview night. The snoozer gets to pay more.

Only because that's what they did last year.

Ah! It's about time someone found Curly's gold.

I'm not sure what you mean. I'd still be upset if KI closed then. Geauga Lake was one of the oldest, most storied parks in the country. Kings Island is pretty safe; not closing ANY time soon. GL, on the other hand: no interstate access, no tourist infrastructure, terrible location, not near population center of area. Beautiful park and setting but, but in my humble opinion, it worked so long as SeaWorld, or the Wild Life side was operating. Remove those and then there's only Kings Island and Cedar Point to compete. - The Beast or the Villain? - Vortex or Double Loop? - Millenium Force or _______? - Raptor or Thunderhawk?

I listen to all sorts of podcast (there are currently 16 different podcasts on my playlist). As far as coaster/park podcasts I've only found two out there. I'd love to check out more if there are any. I've found The Season Pass (http://www.seasonpasspodcast.com) and CoasterRadio.com, but I've only had a chance (aka time) to listen to CoasterRadio (They're doing a meetup at Cedar Point in May, btw). I have a few hours ahead of me in the car this evening, so I may check out Season Pass and update here. CoasterRadio is a well produced show, and the hosts have good rapport. It's not made it to my "can't miss" list, though, and I will sometimes not finish an episode if for some reason they're not holding my attention (which may not always be their fault). As an aside (and maybe somewhat off topic), I am a podcaster. I consider it a fun hobby where I chat with two of my friends about gaming (mainly WoW). I'd love to expand my hobby a bit and with my passion for roller coasters alive and well (and supported by my better half), I've considered the idea of starting a new podcast covering parks and rides. The passion and technical knowledge only go so far, though. I don't feel 'connected' enough with the industry and those in it to know where to start. That hasn't stopped me, though, it's only slowed me down. If anybody is interested in contributing, co-hosting, whatever, hit me up. I'd love to explore the idea with others. edit: As promised (if not a couple days later than planned), I did check out an episode of Season Pass. Good production quality and the hosts seem to have a good rapport. The episode I listened to was an 'interview' of a guest who was in the film business (he worked with Kubrik) and ended up making interactive rides like Back to the Future etc. Interesting episode, very interesting (sometimes technical) insight into how some attractions get made. While it wasn't enough to make it to my 'cannot miss' list, it did give me more interest in the show and will leave it in my listening rotation and it may end up there soon.

Carowinds' new entrance reminds me a bit of Cedar Point's entrance; I think everything's gonna look really cool when it's done!

It looks like they are adding the graphics onto the Woodstock Gliders ride today. Its looking nice!

Just really depends on where you work. I loved my job, but to be fair I was inside and away from the weather/craziness lol. But it really depends on what department you work in. Some are stressful, and some are really nice

Hope you feel better!!

The eBay listing has been removed. No indication on whether the seller took it down voluntarily, or if eBay took it down over concerns about whether it was legitimate. eBay has been known to take down questionable auctions and then allow them to be relisted after verifying that the seller actually possesses the item and has the right to sell it.

Next year, I'm applying at Kings Island, I'm definitly looking forward to that!

And lest we forget, Kings Island's waterpark just received a major update in 2012... It may have disappointed some (including me) that no new slides were added, but the change from Boomerang Bay to Soak City was certainly not minor.

I never thought of it before, but Tower Gardens is pretty close to the carousel isn't it?

Okay, okay, I wasn't thinking back far enough. It was definitely Leviathan, unless something else came before it. That's beside the point, but thanks for the reminder.

Nothing new for 2015. Of course, same was true of 2007. 2008. 2009. 2010. 2011. 2012. 2013. And 2014. The last of Cedar Fair's stand-alone water parks. Remember that when the thrill park closed in 2007, its fate was announced five days after it closed for the season. No goodbyes. No last tours. No last rides. No last photos. Nothing. I'm not sure that the current water park is worth an extensive drive to see, but if you want to get a last look at Wildwater Kingdom in Aurora, ain't no time like the present. http://www.themeparktourist.com/features/20140824/28153/lost-geauga-lake-how-worlds-largest-six-flags-disappeared

According to the current info on the website, they seem to have streamlined their offerings (less options at some places, but more places than last year). Still doesn't perfectly match what CP Food Blog was apparently told, but it's getting closer, I guess. Copied and pasted from https://www.visitkingsisland.com/things-to-do/dining-plans DINING PLAN MEAL OPTIONS Chicken Shack Located in Action Zone Dining Plan Meal Options: Hand Breaded Chicken Tenders Basket with Fries or Apple Slices Chicken Wrap Basket with Fries or Apple Slices Coconut Cove Cafe Located in Soak City Dining Plan Meal Options: Chicken Tenders with Fries or Apple Slices Chicken Wrap with Fries or Apple Slices Pizza & Two Breadsticks Coney Potato Works Located in Coney Mall Dining Plan Options: Gluten-Free Chicken Tenders with Fresh Cut Fries Gluten-Free Corndog with Fresh Cut Fries Festhaus Located in Oktoberfest Dining Plan Options: Chicken Tenders with Fries or Apple Slices Burger with Fries or Apple Slices Pizza with Two Breadsticks Gluten-Free Pizza Hank's Burrito Shack Located in Oktoberfest Dining Plan Options: Burrito Basket Burrito Bowl Basket Juke Box Diner Located in Coney Mall Dining Plan Options: Fresh Grilled Bruger with Fries Chicken Sandwich with Fries Hot Dog with Fries LaRosa's Pizza Located in Rivertown Dining Plan Options: Pizza Combo Planet Snoopy Grill Located in Oktoberfest Dining Plan Options: Grilled Chicken with Fries or Apple Slices Cheeseburger with Fries or Apple Slices Chicken Tender Basket with Fries or Apple Slices Rivertown Pizza Located in Rivertown Dining Plan Meal Options: Regular 3-Way & Cheese Coney Two Cheese Coneys & Fries Rivertown Potato Works Located in Rivertown Dining Plan Meal Options: Chicken Chunk Combo with Fries or Apple Slices Skyline Chili Located in Coney Mall & International Street Dining Plan Options: Two Cheese Coney Basket with Fries Snake Pit Located in Rivertown Dining Plan Options: Philly Cheese Steak Basket with Fries Street Pizza Located in International Street Dining Plan Options: Pizza Combo with Breadsticks Soak City Hot Dog Grill Located in Soak City Dining Plan Options: Grilled Jumbo All-Beef Hotdog Basket with Your Choice of Chips, Pasta or Potato Salad Grilled Bratwurst Basket with Your Choice of Chips, Pasta or Potato Salad Soak City Wave Pool Grill Located in Soak City Dining Plan Options: Grilled Beef Hamburger with Your Choice of Chips, Pasta or Potato Salad Grilled Chicken Breast Basket with Your Choice of Chips, Pasta or Potato Salad Subway Located in Coney Mall or Soak City Dining Plan Meal Options: 6" Sub Combo with Chips Dining Plan participating locations & menus subject to change without notice. Operating hours vary by location.

I can't stop thinking about what could be going on at the Tower Gardens spot. I think this is one of the most interesting developments ever at Kings Island.

And if they do expand Soak City, there's always the parking lot to expand into. They've already taken that option once in 2012.

Perhaps the structure is to remain and the petting zoo to be inside it?

^ Yes, the park does have that information. If you ordered online and want to reprint your receipt, you can do this at https://cf-ki.secure.accesso.com/orderLookup

Just checked out the Fury 325 webcam facing the underground dive and all I can say is Wow!..... You HAVE to check out the "lightning bolt" lights striking back and forth under the tunnel! Amazing! ....On a somewhat related note....Lights have also been placed and aimed upwards at the support beams making them glow into the night. Carowinds Webcams Page

I received an email from the park recently specifically saying I am invited to the event, because I renewed in the fall. I plan to have a copy of that along with a print of my renewal confirmation when I go, just in case. Still curious whether season-long meal plans will work that evening.

Cincinnati is neither Richmond nor Charlotte.

When you drive though standing water on the road and it reminds you of Diamondback's splashdown

Do you or a loved one think they may have #FuryFever? Talk to your doctor and find out if FURY 325 is right for you!

I hope to see some teasers around the park this year regarding our recently ripped up Tower Gardens similar to what was happening around Banshee at the start of the 2013 season.

Three maintenance guys are driving in a truck through Soak City. Guy A: You know there are people who stare at the webcams all day that will freak out if they think something is going on. Guy B: Really, why would they do that? It's just annual maintenance. Guy C: Yeah, but we could really get them talking if we just stop in front of the webcam, get out, and talk for a minute.

Check towards the top left of the picture.

I'm not too worried with how they do things I'm just going to go with the flow and hope I can get all their rides in on one day.

They could call it Snack Lane.

I forgot about them. Comparing Five Guys to them...... the fry amount isn't that bad