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Here is Six Flags' take on a 4-D dark ride using the Justice League brand as the theme: And a video going a bit more into detail with different views of the vehicle and some ride scenery: So to be clear, this is using ride vehicle technology seen in Universal's Spider-Man and Transformers rides. And it has interactivity with laser guns like Boo Boo's Blasters and the two Triotech attractions at Canada's Wonderland and Knott's Berry Farm. AND it is quite expertly themed. AND...it is at a Six Flags park. TWO of them, to be precise (St. Louis and Over Texas).

Took some pictures of what little there is to see of the construction without going in the air or riding Kraken. They have this very nice rendering of what the area will look like when completed stuck on the walls. Then there is this construction going on beside the Kids Area.

I love being outdoors at a amusement park, even if its hot, that's just more fun for me, I'll just throw on my sunglasses and I'm good. Also you cant experience water-related rides the same way either.

One problem I have with the article is that it makes it sound like it's so miserable to visit a theme park and no one really wants to do it. They mention the sun and waiting in line and things like that. I don't see where those things are keeping people away. I've been to Disney World during one of the hottest months of the summer and it was so crowded you could hardly move. It seems to me like people are still willing to shell out large amounts of money to sweat and wait in lines. Until attendance makes a rapid drop off at parks around the U.S., then I don't see much demand for a virtual theme park. I just don't see how it could truly live up to the actual physical experience of visiting a park like Disney or Universal. Maybe I'm wrong, but I just don't see how it could.

Everyone who complains about Boo Blasters needs to keep ONE thing in mind. Just one thing. At least we don't have Garfield's Nightmare. I weep for the people of West Mifflin and the tragic loss that they suffered in 2004. EDIT: I did not see TombRaiderFTW's footnote prior to posting this, but wow, great minds DO think alike!

Kings Island 2016 breaking announcement.....The Year of the Paint: Sponsored by Sherwin Williams!

7 oz. cups...(...aka Kinzel cups...)

It's opening Saturday Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would like to see the midways get new lights and such. Something like CP did.

Vortex got a new coat a couple of seasons ago. The brake shed was also whitewashed at Racer a couple of seasons ago, but was soon back to its current, grimy self, thanks to those who don't respect other's property.

If you love food trucks, get ready for the festival rolling into Kings Island this summer. At Kings Island's Food Truck Festival July 18-19, try everything from award-winning waffles, to gourmet grilled cheese and mouthwatering ribs. With over 25 food trucks and all the thrills of the park, you get the kind of fun that's only found at Kings Island! And the price of admission gives you access to it all. Start making plans now, because you won't want to miss out. Park hours are 10:00 a.m. to midnight Saturday, July 18, and 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday, July 19. Participants include: C'est Cheese Cuban Pete Blue Ash Chili Bones Burgers Cold Stone Pizza Tower Maui Wowi ...and many more! Click here for more information on Kings Island Food Truck Festival! [source: visitkingsisland.com]

And we have a POV: Looks like a great ride.

At the risk of further derailing this thread, I just took a measurement of a Kinzel cup from my recent trip to Kings Island. I tared the scale, filled the cup with water almost to the brim, and weighed the contents at 7.2 ounces. The temperature of the water was 24°C (76°F), and the atmospheric pressure was 1.0atm. So, 6.9 fluid ounces. It presumably would have been 7 had I filled the cup more carefully.

And also for those who are...

Years in the media have taught me good vs bad info. Just thought it was humorous to pass on. My bad Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That technology has been in place for quite some time. The esteemed Mansions at Disney do a very good job of achieving that desired effect. Pay attention to the busts in the library as the ride commences.

Given the history, complicated lease agreement, tax incentives and all the known factors. Without having seen the area around the park ever in person, I believe it could go two ways. Closure due to loss of State Support or Mismanagement by Underinvestment, as evidence of this: T3, Rides leased for 1 year(this to me was done to minimize loss if the park has last year(I may be confused on this)), Bad PR, Strange advertising practices. Or Sell by Hart & Co in a similar fashion to mide to late 90s. In my opinion, he is in the business for one reason. Buy low & Flip for profit! Either way I feel that History will repeat itself. As an Amusement Park Enthusiast, I find it fun to anazyle park's futures.

I agree GYK, Disney World is working on a much bigger scope than any of those other properties. And Shark the Magic Band system infrastructure is quite amazing when we consider all that it can do. That system was installed without interruption to daily park activities. That too me is very impressive.

After some AMAZING dark rides in Orlando last year, it really made me think how bad of a state Boo Blasters is in. Yes it's a seasonal park, but if Disney has proven anything, it's that dark rides are just as important as thrills.

Which is why we must enjoy it as much as possible now in case that does happen.

After seeing Toy Story Mania (which is nothing but 3d Screens) and the Buzz Lightyear ride (more "traditional) shooting rides, it makes me really not excited to step foot inside Boo Blasters ever again... For the longest time, I never even realized that Boo Blasters had a story, and if you compare our ride vehicles to those of the Haunted Mansion, they look and feel very similar... Up until a few weeks ago, I wanted Boo Blasters to be refitted to be more than it could be. Now I want it built from scratch. A ride like Boo Blasters should allow for many re-rides, it could be a competition in families, not just something to ride when it gets hot... Imagine a Charlie Brown ride that goes through the seasons using 3d Screens (like Toy Story)... Maybe a scene around baseball and football, maybe one around the pumpkin and one around Christmas tree shopping? Not sure what else, but man just a ride that is fun and can be ridden once or 20 times and is enjoyable...

Pftt, that was nothing. They had Diamondback rated at 3045 minutes today! Oh, the wonders of the ride wait apps screwing up. Someone was trying to type in 30-45 minutes....

So, HRP had multiple Investors and a 385 million dollar loan. The park only cost 225 million dollars to build. That leaves 165 million dollars left plus investors. Yet...... They couldn't afford to advertise?

Eh, I don't think any type of VR will be able to replicate the real thing. I would much rather go to a physical theme/amusement park than put on a pair of goggles and pretend I'm walking around one. I think technology will have to improve way beyond where we are now in order to make this idea a reality. I do, however, think that including VR on some rides could be pretty cool. Imagine riding a ride like Flight of Fear wearing VR goggles and everywhere you look you see new surroundings. It would actually heighten the ride experience and add an additional element of thrill. Or what about a dark ride that included something like Microsoft's Hololens? Each ride car would have a few pairs connected and riders could put them on and see a type of VR overlay on top of the physical sets/props. Now that is something I could see in the near future.

Kings Island is not Whole Foods, and they don't even charge for water. Why on earth would they lie about cup capacity?

From my perspective as a potential guest Magic Bands dont drive me to go to the park. Where as at Disneyland the refurbishment of California Adventure (which was done for a Similar cost as to the creation of Magic Bands) has made me strongly consider a making a trip to California

They ARE 7 oz. cups. 7 oz. is not a lot. It's less than an 8 oz. cup!

The AAA Hoosier club offers tickets for $34. Not helpful if you live in Ohio but if you have AAA in Ohio it might be worth checking out.

Obligatory reminder that (7oz) cups of water are always available free at food locations that sell drinks in cups. (Remember to drink enough fluids whether you have a drink wristband or not.) Coca-Cola Freestyle machines dispense Powerade and "flavored water" products, which could be handy if you want a break from carbonated beverages but prefer something other than water.

I love the Coney Mall flats. Back when I was younger and would only ride Adventure Express, and the formerly Nick themed coasters, I would spend so much time just riding Scrambler and Zephyr. So yes I would love to have some new flats, because I know they are great for kids and adults alike who are not ready to challenge Diamondback or Beast

That did not take long.

They have lifted the gates. CANNIBAL IS OPEN!

Somehow I get the impression Terpy isn't the biggest fan of SLCs.

It "looks" smooth I will reserve judgement until I ride it. Maybe I can make it back over there in a couple weeks.

T3 POV with riders. http://www.wlky.com/entertainment/gopro-video-ride-kentucky-kingdoms-t3/33967336

^ Didn't know that--thanks! The last time I was at a Disney park, I was in a stroller, haha. I need to get to one soon!

During my 5-hour visit, I rode The Beast, Vortex, Drop Tower, Adventure Express, Racer and Viking Fury (twice), and watched Cirque Imagine. Most of the waits were 15-20 minutes, so not too bad. But, as I was leaving the park, there were floods of people and the wait times were listed at 30 minutes plus for most rides. Looks like the Fourth of July crowds are already starting.

Not to mention that Disney nor any other major operator shares confidential capital improvement/business plans with ride ops. Really? Terp--whose head hurts.

When Hell freezes over would Disney allow its MB tech to be 'leased' out to any competitor. They've only scratched the surface of what the technology can do. I'd imagine once the DHS conversion is done and Avatar is opened, we'll really see the full capabilities of the system.

Platinum passholders can bring one friend for $39.99, in case your group includes anyone with a platinum pass. This is available online ($5.99 processing fee applies) or at any admissions window (no processing fee). Select Meijer stores sell discount Cedar Point tickets. In Columbus, prices are $50 for general admission or $52 for general admission with unlimited soft drinks. Soft drinks cost $4-5 each, so the latter is a very good value if you already plan to purchase those. If you are an AAA member, prices may be a few dollars less at an AAA store than at Meijer; call your local AAA club for details. You could look for people looking to resell tickets, on Craigslist for example. Be aware that there is a risk that a ticket purchased from an unofficial channel would not work. (eg. if it is counterfeit or if it was "purchased" with stolen credit card information)

Hard Rock Park failed for several reasons including: Location - They were smart for the location off of US501 but it was too far inland. It should have been closer to the beach. Price - For the number of attractions the park had, they were originally charging Carowinds prices or higher. Family Kingdom is Pay per Ride or wristband as was the Myrtle Beach Pavilion(c1948-2006). Freestyle ending up having to charge $17.76 for two people to get visitors to come, the problem with that is they were selling tickets below costs. Theme - The majority of beach going tourists are families, Hard Rock Park was basically an adult theme park with limited options for children. Adult humor was everywhere, all of which was removed when the park became Freestyle. Economy - I dare say this was the second biggest factor. I predicted the failure of Hard Rock Park from nearly the start of it.

You would think the trustees would be all for anything that can bring in some revenue and attention to the park. Not necessarily shelling out $2500, but be open to help out. All they keep saying is: No, No, No.

It sounds to me like a few execs created their own Golden Parachute.

I was a little disappointed in the front rows (in front of Ouimet) for being the only people in the theater to remain seated at the final bow.

I really do hope the best for KK. Not only because I can have a new park to go to but competition breeds successful business strategies. Look at what what happened at E3 with Xbox and Sony in 2013.

^^ I actually have ridden a Triotech dark ride that used the iLLUSIO effects, and, while neat, I feel like it's underutilized in a shooter dark ride. If you're really into shooter dark rides, you'll probably think it's awesome that your target is an actual three-dimensional real-life object instead of a target or digital creature/object on a video screen. I'm not that into that variation of dark ride, so, while I can appreciate the imagination that went into it, it didn't do a whole lot for me. It kinda felt like someone just sat something in the way of the screen. There was a prop in the window by the front gate at Kings Island a few Haunts back that projected a statue face onto a rounded, nondescript bust, and every so many minutes, the face on the bust would suddenly become animated and scream or cackle or something similar. And it actually looked like the bust was moving. That, to me, seems like a more effective use of that sort of idea--you could have an entire room of a dark ride that seems innocuous and quiet, but on a cue, every object in that room can become lively and animated or frightening and make you want to get away. Seriously, imagine a variation of that part of Ghostwood Estates at Kennywood where you run into the "dead end" where everything is quiet, a little confusing... and then imagine the portraits glaring and shrieking, the helmets of the suits of armor opening to reveal yellowed, snarling teeth, and nearby pottery shattering simultaneously. The projection quality is high enough that you wouldn't necessarily see it coming. (Granted, that's not the most family-friendly idea, but you get where I'm going with this.) Personally, I'd rather that sort of projection be used that way. But I'm also not going to complain, period, if KI were to get something in the vein of a dark ride. A new dark ride of any sort* is much better than no dark ride at all. *Garfield's Nightmare excepted.

Still hoping for a or a

Some of us would be thrilled!

I'm really fine next year with getting the park better looking. I want them to do something along the line of what Kings Dominion is doing this year and last year.

That would make X Base a place to go! Terp, running for the door.