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They've already put in literally the WORST possible type of ride they could build... I guess Hart figures he might as well go all-out with questionable decisions. I'd put an incredibly relevant clip from Tropic Thunder in here, but its choice of words can be quite offensive to some people so I won't. Most who have seen the movie probably know the scene to which I'm referring.

There are certain parks with certain histories and/or certain clienteles where installing certain types of rides may not be wise. It takes only one more very unfortunate incident. Terp, hopefully very, very, very off-topic.

Are those lawn chairs?

The article seems to be more of a "10 parks to visit because they're opening big new attractions this year" guide. With Holiday World also being on that list (and being mentioned in the intro to the article - alongside a picture of Kentucky Kingdom for some reason), it's not really "good company"... http://www.fodors.com/news/photos/10-best-amusement-parks-for-2015 The presentation was terrible as well - the screenshot of a website, "Thunder Run", the "I think we're coming up to the part here where we show you the new rides...". To be honest it's hard not to criticize the way things are being done. Ed Hart has done this before, yet watching things you'd think the people running the park had no clue what they were doing (Ed included).

I can't get over the fact that they had a screen capture of a webpage printed on laminate rather than simply displaying the web page on screen. The camera then zooms in on the printed page to reveal how pixelated it is while the gentleman holding it moves it. 10 parks to visit in 2015... "We're in some great company..." the company of "Magic Mountains out in California, and so forth."

They might see the park in its current condition?

Can you feel it yet? It's ALMOST HERE!! 8 more days until Opening Day at Kings Island! Not much longer until we are being twisted and flipped around on a blueish/purpleish roller coaster!

Well that looks... Umm.... Terrifying. Yup the word I'm thinking of is terrifying.

I literally felt uncomfortable watching that.

I'm not going to be making any cracks here. Wouldn't be proper.

I loved the "Magic Mountains" part as well as the male anchor coughing up a lung like he just doesn't care. "Hey this segment is already crap, let me clear my throat." Just an awesome overall news segment.

I'd have no issue if this were a privately funded venture and Ed Hart was truly putting his money where his mouth and ego are, but the fact that its being funded by taxpayer dollars is a huge turn off for me. I won't support Kentucky Kingdom in its current set up.

^ Agreed. But it seems to me like people here want to see them stop doing the dumb things they're doing so that the park can succeed. There are certainly better ways to handle PR. There are smarter decisions that could be made regarding policies, new rides, etc. I doubt many people here WANT to see the park fail. But the way things are going, it may be likely.

I don't know if I would be talking about how lucky they was about being able to open the park last year, and then have the same feelings again this year about opening day. Its like they just barely made it, and are just barely making it this year... I think he could have said it different, not like this, giving the impression like 'well we did the best we could, here you go'....

Lightning Run is an 'iron' coaster? I sure hope not... Also, why do the promo in the news studio? Why not do it at the park? Most of the things Kings Island did with news stations when Banshee was stirring things were done at the park. This one came off as tacky, at least to me. Using a cardboard poster to display an internet screen cap? Really?

...notice there are no updates on T3 and Cyclos? Gee... I wonder why? ;-)

The Beast in total darkness is the best coaster ride in the park. I once saw a deer standing right next to the track about midway through the ride.

Just another tower ride at a park that has a horrible history with tower rides and zero concern for acting in bad taste.

Wow, I was way off on that one. Not only is KK's an ARM Vertigo, but Holiday World's is from Zamperla. This is what I get for making assumptions that early in the morning. If you would, educate me while I'm down: is there a particular reason the ARM variation isn't a wise choice for Kentucky Kingdom?

I agree. The music, in my opinion, seriously detracts from the ride. It wasn't there in 1979. Nostalgia.

I got a chance to come in from Cincinnati to ride this over the last two days. When I initially saw the animation I posted here that I thought that this coaster announcement was the biggest since Millennium Force. As it turns out it's actually much better than that! I got six rides over the visit, two rides in each of rows 1, 3, and 8. I actually prefer the front on this coaster but I don't really believe that there's a lot of difference between any of the rows. It's a great ride in all seats. Everything that other reviewers have mentioned is spot on; there are unexpected pops of air all over the place, it keeps its speed all the way through and is very smooth. It literally has anything you want in a coaster of this size. I went in thinking it would contend for my #1 coaster spot, and I still underestimated how good this ride is! This coaster is absolutely sensational and took my #1 spot with ease. By way of comparison - of the steel coasters located in Canada or the US ranked in the Golden Tickets last year (40 total) I've ridden all but 5 and every one in the ranked in the top 25. This is a destination coaster by any measure. Kudos to B&M and Carowinds for creating a masterpiece!

Oddly, Kentucky Kingdom WAS in the company of Magic Mountain. Literally. Mr. Hart speaks of this era as if it were a long nightmare. And now, his minion/lackey/contractor boasts about being in that company. My head hurts.

I certainly hope it's FIXED. Try selling Cedar Fair one. Good luck with that. Some will get the point.

You're not the only one, MaestroJr, who's got his nostalgia goggles on. Just yesterday I was sitting at work and decided to look up some articles about the Phantom Theater. Sometimes I just get the urge to look at pictures and read some info about the ride. Sometimes I'll even go to YouTube and watch the ride through videos. It's nice to keep the memories alive!

I like the music on the first lift, but I also like the "music" that The Beast itself makes! 8 more days...

I honestly prefer it with no music.

In fairness to KK and the posted interview that is by far the worst station in the Louisville market. Only time I watch it.......when I need a good laugh.

Sorry, but I can't resist posting this. EDIT: I guess they realized that mistake by the fact he didn't mention the words 'Six Flags' since a bit of that list is composed of SIX parks.

Carowinds has made great strides over recent years. I originally considered it a backwater park that I may have visited if I were ever close enough. Now I'm debating with my wife why we should take a day long adventure during our vacation in Myrtle Beach this year. And I'll admit that i debated for that destination (Myrtle Beach) so that I could debate for this park as a sub trip. Shh. That's a secret.

You guys should probably wait until the Wednesday before opening day to start guessing the weather.

Have y'all read the article on them removing Phantom. Its quite interesting. Heres a link if your interested, it may have been posted on here before but it has some real neat pictures. http://www.dafe.org/articles/darkrides/phantomPharewell.html Thanks!

Cash flow....

Cliff's is a FUN park in a gorgeous state. I recommend it highly.

And I still can't get over the location... Will it even be accessible when the water park is closed?

Its especially true for the helix now that I think about it. Since its such a gradual descent compared to most coaster drops (only an 18 degree drop if my memory serves me right), there's this steady build up of sound as you get closer to the tunnel after what is, to me, a rather quiet moment as it just disengages the lift.

I grew up on it without the music first of all. Secondly, its the kind of ride that doesn't really need music IMO. One thing that cemented that is when I did a Beast tour back a few years ago when they allowed them in conjunction with the Susan G Komen Breast Foundation for breast cancer. It makes its own unique music. There are many sounds unique to it, especially as it rounds through the final helix; it sounds like a distant caged animal. Its surreal. The sounds it makes on its own are good enough for me. I know the speakers are on the two lifts, but wooden coaster chain lifts are among my favorite amusement park noises. The music feels like a gimmick. This is coming from the mind of musician by the way.

Doesn't look like my cup of tea. I'll just enjoy the Runs. Now THAT'S terror to the third power!

If the success of Haunt teaches anything, it is that there is a market for (non-thrill-ride/adrenaline-fueled) fright among non-child audiences. I think Rivertown is the perfect location for a haunted dark ride that is geared more towards older audiences than Phantom Theater and its successors ever were. At the same time, it might not be a bad idea to theme the dark ride in the children's area back to something that will really appeal to current children. I watched a documentary about KI recently that talked about how there was an outcry (among older patrons) when Enchanted Voyage was changed over to Smurfs. Having been a child of the target age right when that change was made, I have to say it was the absolute correct decision. Many of the characters in EV were already foreign and outdated to me, I only knew them through the ride. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, and of course there is a place for history and nostalgia. But, each new crop of kids need to really connect with something before it will ever become nostalgia for them. Kids live in the now because that is all they've really experienced yet.

Ive always hoped Ki gets two dark rides one to replace boo blasters and one in rivertown.

.......And there she goes.... (Live Still-Image captured from Kings Island's Banshee Cam)

All very nice, but the park yet again forfeited an opportunity to put out a skillfully crafted message.

Correction per Kentucky Kingdom sources the correction pronunciation is Magic Mountains

Weather forecasts are only 90% or better accurate for about 48 hours. After that they fall very quickly to less than 30% when you are looking more than 4-5 days out....

Totally different futures. Compare Kentucky Kingdom to Holiday World, then.

I like the sound of going through the first tunnel. Even after riding this coaster since 1983, the feeling surprises and the noise rattles me. Then the coming out of the second tunnel, there is a distinct echo and what I call a "groan" of the train against the track. I'm really on the fence about the music. I sometimes like it, and sometime don't like it. But currently, a portion of it is set as my ringtone. One more week! I guess what I really appreciate about this coaster is that it truly engages all my senses...I love the smell of chain lube, the sound of the chain and other sounds, the "feel", the visuals--did anybody see the bucket of rusty bolts just after the second lift hill crest last year? I don't know if it was put there on purpose, or just a maintenance miss, but it added to my ride experience! (edited for the third paragraph)

Probably a lot busier than the second Ride Warriors Weekend was....

Kentucky Kingdom on Facebook : "Skycatcher getting ready for flight!" Photo : Kentucky Kingdom via Facebook

In my opinion, it wouldn't take too much thought to come up with a variety of ideas that would greatly improve Boo Blasters and enhance the guest experience. There have been many, many times, as we're waiting in line, my wife and I have discussed changes that we'd make if we were in charge of such things. During the 15 minute or so queue, we've come up with a variety of ways we'd improve the ride. This being said, I don't think it's a matter of "can the ride be improved" it's "do they want to improve the ride?" My guess would be no. It was a lazy install from the get-go. The ride is basically Scooby Doo and the Haunted Mansion without Scooby Doo and the gang. It was the cheapest, lamest, most generic modification that anyone could ever give a ride. Although it appears that no thought was put into the ride, I think that's misleading. I think great thought was put into the ride, but the thought was "how can we do this the cheapest way possible" and not "how can we make this ride the greatest possible?" And that right there is the problem. Would I like to see Boo Blasters improved upon? Well, if this was the year 2010 or 2011 that answer would be yes. However, it's nearing the 2015 season and we've dealt with this ride in it's condition for this long, I'd say let's just ride it out and pray for a complete overhaul within the next couple of years or so. That would be the best thing that could ever happen to that ride in my opinion. Just get rid of it completely and overhaul that space. Next time I hope they give us something worth while in the building, something to be proud of. There were so many great rides in that space and Boo Blasters is really a disgrace to the history of that building. Let's hope that it doesn't have too many seasons left!

If the life hill music is not playing on The Beast, would it be considered rude to ask a Ride Op to check on it? Which music do you like more: The previous music that had The Beast growling, or the current music which is loud, but stops when you are about 60% up the lift hill?

I figured out a way to hear organ music and Maestro while waiting in line for Boo Blasters. I downloaded the classic Tocata and Fugue in d minor to my Ipod and also Maestro talking and lauging. If you go to KiExtreme you can find some Phantom Theater sound samples. Ill listen to that while waiting in line for a kick of nostalgia. Also I think I might download the entire ride through just to compare it with todays scenes. Although I know the actuation of the cars switched though. Also Ill take two final pictures of the spooky Phantom faces in which I have not taken pictures of before. Its the ones on the left side of the hallway and the one that isnt lit up is a funny face in which I cant find a picture of it but some of you might remember it. Its the first one on the left. I know my nostalgia goggles are on too tight but I still have fun though finding these things. Thanks!