Leaderboard

I would have been concerned too if I was in that position. I never would have thought that something that goes over my shoulders wasn't part of the restraint. Either way, I can't wait to go there next week! It'll be my first time, and I'll be getting coaster credit #150 while there. Now just to figure out which ride will get that honor... probably Griffon since I've never ridden a dive coaster. I'm just as excited about the shows as I am the rides too.

Full article here: http://wavy.com/2015/07/07/busch-gardens-collar-that-came-loose-during-tempesto-isnt-a-safety-issue/ For those who aren't aware, Tempesto at Busch Gardens Williamsburg features "comfort collars": over-the-shoulder restraint-like devices made of a soft, flexible material, similar to the material on Intimidator 305's restraints. However, unlike over-the-shoulder-restraints, the "comfort collars" are meant to provide nothing more than a feeling of added security. The lap bar restraints to which the "comfort collars" attach do 100% of the work to restrain riders. Truthfully, the "comfort collars" serve no real purpose and have already proven themselves to be a bit of a nuisance. They slow down loading times and limit the freedom of the ride vehicle. It should be noted that Tempesto is the only Sky Rocket II clone to feature such a device; the others utilize only lap bars. The "comfort collars" were requested by the park. Here's a picture of the comfort collars: Also keep in mind that, although the "comfort collars" do not actually restrain riders and the coaster's safe operation is not reliant on them, the person who called the news cannot be faulted for her reaction. The general public does not know, and cannot be expected to know, the difference between a legitimate restraint device and a "comfort collar." All they know is that the device they thought was securing them has released, which would quickly raise red flags for most people. Just thought you all would be interested in this.

To me it makes sense why they would have them. I'm a bit scared of riding anything that goes upside down without an over the shoulder restraint. Knowing the facts doesn't make much of a difference to me, for some reason. I still would rather have something over my shoulders. That being said, I wish they'd have given a thorough explanation of how the restraints work to the woman and her granddaughter, as well as the media. Their PR didn't handle this well. If they'd actually explained these comfort collars the way JoeKD did, instead of the defensive, cookie-cutter statement it would have come off better. My local park had an incident where a plastic wheel broke from a Drop Zone ride during operation and came to an abrupt stop. Nobody was injured, but the park's owner went on TV and said the ride did what it was supposed to do to keep riders safe. The wheels weren't due for replacing yet, they'd kept up their maintenance, but he said they were shutting down the ride temporarily and replacing all of these wheels just to be safe and give riders peace of mind. I thought that was handled remarkably well. He explained what had happened and how they were going to fix it. Explaining something rather than being defensive and issuing cookie-cutter statements just seems so much more reassuring.

Tonight after work I went to KI and met up with my friends that I met several years ago at KI on A Kid Again day. I was able to see the park from a completely different perspective. What I have to say is wow. Great job to every person we encountered. I am impressed with the kind and gentle ways they handled those with special needs and their families. I saw (multiple) crews working hard to accommodate my friends with smiles on their faces. One of the park ambassadors even found a place to charge KK's equipment so we could watch the fireworks at the same time. They gave my friends a best day type experience. It was a very rainy day, but another awesome A Kid Again day. My Kaitlyn (Princess Sparkles) and my friend Katelynn. Sent from my SM-G860P using Tapatalk

Others have made many of the valid points I was going to reply with, but let me just add this and you tell me which one is better. When visiting the Magic Kingdom this past December there were 2 things my daughter wanted to do above and beyond anything else. Meet Anna and Elsa and ride the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Prior to FP+ I would have had 2 options at Disney, Legacy FastPass or Stand By. Legacy FastPass would have required me to be in the park at rope drop, make a mad dash to the sisters and grab a ticket, then over to enter the line for 7 Dwarfs to wait a few hours or once we used our FP for the sisters there may still be availability for paper tickets for the Dwarfs that would have been much later in the day. Either way these 2 attractions would have consumed half of the day at the Magic Kingdom. With FP+ I was able to book both of these attractions well before our arrival and for the times I basically wanted. That morning we were able to sleep in, have breakfast with Mickey at Chef Mickey's, casually walk over to Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary in the afternoon, walk in ride 7 Dwarfs with no wait, ride Pirates of the Caribbean and play the Adventure of the Seven Seas game in Adventureland while we waited for our Sisters window to open, meet the sisters and leave the park for dinner at the Wilderness lodge. All in all it allowed us as a family to relax inside the park because we had guaranteed reservations for the rides we wanted, weren't required to spend hours in line, and were able to experience neat attractions like Adventure of the Seven Seas that we never had time for in the past. Oh and after dinner we took a boat back to the Kingdom and enjoyed the Christmas Party with no pressure of needing to ride anything. Here is a link to my trip report with our first use of Magic Bands http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/30705-the-magic-of-disney-world-at-christmas/?hl=%2Bdisney+%2Bworld The system and experience it helps create are highly recommended and this coming from someone who was an expert at using the Legacy FP system

Article with quotes from Ouimet:http://finance.yahoo.com/news/cedar-fair-reports-5-increase-121900636.html?.tsrc=applewf Important to note this is THROUGH July 4th weekend, not just July 4th weekend. Attendance up 2% Per guest spending up 2% Out of park spending up 10%

Despite what some imagine, none of us is rooting for the park to close. Why would anyone who adores this industry wish ill on a park that means something to even a single person? We all want Kentucky Kingdom to succeed. Even if we laugh and joke, I certainly don't wish to take any pleasure from watching the park's stumbles. But you're right - it's so easy to see the issues, and such a brilliant case study in this industry. We'll watch and listen carefully, and yes, we'll talk about it.

Point of clarification. These are not OTSRs because they do zero restraining. They are nothing more than something that Busch asked be added to the trains to provide a sense of comfort and safety to their riders, hence the name "Comfort Collars". Also the general public has zero knowledge that these are merely for aesthetic purposes because they look and attach like OTSRs. I highly doubt the general public can differentiate between Comfort Collars and OTSRs, plus I would argue that very few enthusiasts knew these were not OTSRs. Anyone? I think the parks nonchalant response with little explanation are what is alarming to the rider. After all aesthetic or decorative items on coaster trains that can detach or fall off can be extremely dangerous to the safe operations of a ride and/or park guests. See the drag wheels that used to exist on Top Thrill Dragster.

The new coaster will replace the parks log ride. A full announcement from the park is coming later today. http://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwhotv.com%2F2015%2F07%2F08%2Fadventureland-to-build-new-roller-coaster-in-2016%2F&h=wAQG02jaI&enc=AZMIgkGJQEjq3zYjn09otdIGYzDOzlqHWranXEBSis4PEB2SWqnj1W2MyfmgHkngc_9By-vvI1qkVd6StjADJuvp9S3s49s7P0tr12wJKIOW_OMxc34LFz_3UuFqA4cD4ZNghimS5VHkzsCKmnf6juP3z1F5ivxILR77-JMaMsWbctm0WpC8Ey6AV9_pV2kNGkwgBXjO-iNsdMNUHg8F3Pfm&s=1

The kitty petting thing at AE could apparently go pretty sinister, come Haunt time.

Wanna go skydiving? https://youtu.be/rayVPJ3maO4

Maybe Hart will buy an entire season's worth of ads in the IndyStar again to announce how much money the park made and how most of it will go back into his pockets, err, enhancing the park

Hey I will at least give it to Mr. Hart and KK for at least putting billboard and newspaper ads up in Indianapolis. At least now the general public here has an idea that KK is even open. Haha I honestly do want KK to succeed, I just wish they wouldn't make it so easy to rag on their park.

Different management. Different times. See also seat belts, Diamondback.

Just saying a first hand experience: Those mothers and fathers of those children are true heroes. Helping their children, who have been struck with illness and keeping a smile on their faces is something that I could never even begin to imagine. The same goes for the children who deserve every bit of the "Time Out For Illness". Getting to connect with the kids a part of A Kid Again is something that I could only imagine as a blessing for myself and for my fellows at the park. Kids are kids no matter what condition or illness, and deserve to be happy, just as all kids do. I HIGHLY suggest to everyone to consider going to the Coasting For Kids, even though I have never been able to due to my schedule and monetary constraints, I have seen the difference that it creates in these kids and it is something that everyone should either contribute to and or participate in. Just always remember though: Behind every ride on The Racer, or dollar, or penny you donate, a kid could be a kid again and give illness the best "time out" there is.

I bought the 3D glasses for Boo Blasters once. All they did was screw with my vision enough that I couldn't point the gun accurately. Halfway through the ride, I took them off, and my accuracy immediately improved drastically. I never bought or wore them again. Oh, and yes, I do enjoy the shoot-em-up style of dark rides, and would love to see a much better shoot-em-up. Sue me.

^Oh my goodness...Magenta...you just made my entire day...maybe my summer...this is absolutely hilarious. Yes, Adventure Express, the only ride at Kings Island that has cats! Come on by and see us sometime!

Just like with my Intamin Launch Coaster "Horizon" There is plenty of places you can place a roller coaster, or ride at the park. Especially around the Eiffel Tower! (Exclude an area around the Carousel. Obviously Kings Island wouldn't get rid of that. Not for a very long time. With just that area alone, I can come up with many concepts for rides right there! Maybe add the Gerstauler Sky thingy. Or What ever you guys are suggesting! Maybe try to have an old ride make a return like Woodstock Gliders.

Very impressive looking ride

I do believe there is a set judgement call as far is lightning is concerned. If lightning is detected within a certain distance of the park, things shut down. Rides don't reopen until a set time has passed since the last lightning strike. I remember being told to start packing up with 30 minutes left in our day because of what was showing on the radar. It didn't look bad at the park but as we started to pack up, it started to look worse. We were able to get everything in our truck and just as we climbed into the cab, the skies opened and the downpour began. Speaking of downpour...I might need to pick up a poncho tonight to use tomorrow.

Mild weather, lower gas prices, more disposable income = more revenue. Any word on such figures from the Bluegrass State?

If events in Ohio & surrounding states interest you, Great Ohio Coaster Club might be another consideration. I suggest checking out the scheduled events of each club that you are considering. Going to an event as a guest of an existing member is one way to "test out" a club. With any of them, you'll have the chance to meet people of all sorts of backgrounds & experiences who share a passion for amusement parks. Do be aware that Coaster Crew was not part of 2015's CoasterMania, though they are hosting an event at Cedar Point next month.

"Comfort Collars" not very comforting when they fall off. This ride and how it has been handled from construction, to theme and introduction make me seriously question the future of Busch as so many love them.

This looks like a solid addition to the park, and it has a rather unique layout for a Eurofighter.

I am going to the park today and I got to witness the Diamondback crew taking some trains out of storage. Idk why I found this so exciting lol, I've just never seen it before.

And Disney knows how you spent each 1/10 second. 1984 is well and truly here.

Scheduling meals well in advance has been needed at Disney long before Magic Bands and My Magic +. But as others said the bands are much more than just your Fast Pass on your wrist. With them you basically don't have to carry anything with you on the resort property. They have your room information so yuo can make purchases adn pay for them by swiping your band, and most stores will have the stuff delivered to your room too. They function as your room key as well. This is in addition to holding your park tickets, fast passes, reservationsm, and photo tickets. So yes they greatly simplify a trip and can make it more enjoyable since you don't have to worry about carrying things with you adn loading down your pockets or worrying about losig your credit card or room key or having to hold on to a bunch of ticket slips. All you have is a little bracelet on your wrist for everything.

When I went to ride Viking Fury, a lady working there said, "Have fun on Viking Fury, the ride that goes upside down not once, not twice, but NEVER." I found it strangely hilarious.

I went to KI a few weeks ago with my friend Rachel (who had never rode a roller coaster before) and her sister Haley. We went to Planet Snoopy first so Rachel could get a taste of the roller coasters. I suggested that we should ride Flying ACE Aerial Chase, but Rachel wouldn't for some reason. She pointed to Diamondback and said, "Look how big Flying Whatever is! You expect me to ride THAT?!?!?" Yes, she thought Diamondback was connected to FAAC. Also, while in line for DB (Haley and my mom wanted to ride), I was telling my mom that Diamondback had TONS of loops so Rachel couldn't ride it (she had motion sickness). The plan was that if somebody wanted to sit out, they would have to go in pairs, so that meant I couldn't ride either. In all honesty, I just said that so I didn't have to ride. By the way, this was my first post on KIC! Wish me luck!

Unless you go when the park is deader than KI on a summer weekday, such as the Friday before Labor Day 2012. I walked into Mythos at 10:45 AM that day and made a reservation on the spot for 1:00 PM the same day*. And when I showed up for the reservation, they were taking walk-in customers with a 20-minute wait*. Try that with Disney's California Grill on an equally dead day. Hint: it ain't happenin'. I booked a California Grill reservation for the following Thursday evening, which turned out to be similarly dead, two months in advance, and only got it because somebody canceled; two days before I booked it, there were no slots available for my whole week at Disney. *Experience described is not typical. Your experience may vary.

That being said, if your employer drug tests, attending such an event could be hazardous to your wealth.

While I wouldn't choose the system myself, I would argue that it DOES make your vacation simpler. You pre-book your flight, right? You pre-book your transportation. You pre-book your hotel. You pre-purchase your park tickets. [if you want into a good, sit-down restaurant,] you pre-book your dinner reservations. Now, you pre-reserve a select number of attractions you'd like to be on. You probably wouldn't arrive and say "Oh, we'll figure out the hotel when we get there." Now, planning your DAYS is built right into that. Once you arrive, it's ALL taken care of. Smooth sailing. Many analysts argue that Walt Disney World is NOT primarily a theme park business, but a real estate business. What really matters to Walt Disney World is hotel occupancy; DVC membership; keeping people on-property to eat, shop, be entertained, etc. It's a physical walled garden where Disney earns your dollar coming and going. Think of MyMagic+ as the cornerstone of that. Arrive at MCO unsure of what to do or where to go. But look, Disney's Magical Express shuttle is waiting for you! With a wave of that gee-whiz MagicBand, you're on board. You won't see your luggage again until it "magically" appears in your Disney Resort hotel room. You don't even need a rental car thanks to Disney's foresight and generosity! Wow! Then that crazy gadget on your wrist lets you into your room, provides easy wallet-free payment, park access, dining reservations... And don't forget, you even got to reserve FRONT OF THE LINE PASSES for each day of your vacation FOR FREE! Just like you already knew exactly where you'd eat (dining reservations are made months out at Disney) and where you'd stay (same) and how you'd get there (same), you now know exactly which park to go to each day and what will be waiting for you at each! By the way, if you want to spend even a day at that resort down the road with that wizard, you'll forfeit all of this for 24 hours. No more easy access. No MagicBands. No convenient hotel. And if you INSIST on stepping out of Disney's garden, good luck finding a route. Your only option to get to Universal is probably going to be a cab. Have fun! MagicBand and MyMagic+ are part of the business plan. They tie you even further to Disney's geographical resort and the program's forced pre-planning is – like it or not – a way to simplify and solidify vacation plans well ahead of your visit. I don't doubt that many or most families like that.

Disneyland tickets have never been taxed by the city of Anaheim. This year, that deal expired. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts held the discussion hostage, promising that they intended to invest $1 billion in a Disneyland Resort expansion BUT would have to re-evaluate their plans if Anaheim's City Council decided to begin taxing admission tickets. (Disney is not being noble here. Any dollar NOT charged by the city can instead be charged by Disney itself.) After rigorous and tumultuous discussions at the City Council meeting (including, among other things, city councilors being told by locals that they were "going to hell" for re-approving year-round fireworks permits for the resort), a 3-2 vote extended the tax-free status of ticket purchases IF AND ONLY IF Disney indeed promised to invest $1 billion in resort expansion to begin before the end of 2017 and to conclude before 2024. Should Disney not complete the expansion by then, the ticket tax ban will be forfeited. Alternatively, should Disney wish to extend the ban by 15 years, it will take an additional $500 million in expansion and improvements. The expansion would likely be largely infrastructural (including a new parking garage and at least one new hotel) plus large in-park expansion projects based on Star Wars and Marvel. Altogether, all of it makes you understand why Walt set out to create Disney World under the Reedy Creek Improvement District. And yes, it is widely believed that Disney was bluffing and would've done most of this anyway. Indeed, much of it is expected to be announced at this year's D23, which will take place next month in Anaheim. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/disney-670657-anaheim-city.html For our legally minded friends, here's the Agreement: http://www.anaheim.net/docs_agend/questys_pub/MG50462/AS50501/AS50506/AS50507/AI51120/DO51129/DO_51129.pdf

"Brilliant businessman Ed Hard revives crown jewel of Kentucky tourism; brings jobs, prosperity, peace to city." – Ed Hart If it's in the paper, it must be true!

There's a Chance, Morgan.

^Which is odd coming from a park home to a B&M hyper with lap bars and seats that allow for a bit of freedom of movement, not to mention a B&M floorless dive machine with similar aspects and then wants these 'comfort collars'. It's like Busch Gardens went out of their way for them. I understand guest comfort is important, but its a bit hypocritical with some of the other rides in the park.

No, you don't get it. MyMagic+ is not ungood. Rather, it is really doubleplusgood.

Phantom's Revenge is hardly an Arrow anymore.

I never did the legacy passes so my last trip to Disney was filled with long waits.... This most recent trip was the FP trip. It was nice to say the least. As for Disney tracking, I'm sure it will lead to improved guest experiences and more opportunities to shop. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I know a certain butcher in Slaughter House that works with pigs, and this drives him nuts. Why must Mama torture Sam so? I always thought Sam was her favorite, at least that's what she's told him, but now I think she says that to all the boys.

^Thanks! That was at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. It wasn't until later that I realized I was sitting on the wrong end of the couch. I wanted to sit in Homer's spot, but must have gotten it unconsciously mixed up with Sheldon's couch.

As for the dinner reservations, everyone makes reservations at good restaurants. Heck if you go to Universal, better make sure you get your Mythos reservation in early enough or you won't get in. As for booking rides, no one is forcing you to. In the middle of the week in June the wait for any popular ride was just a hair inside 90 minutes. You can wait for that ride at any time you want. No one was cutting off ride times. Real world example: we would check our app to see what a ride time was. If it was long we would have booked a FP+ for it, at one point a night ride on Hollywood Tower was 90 mins so my mom and I scheduled our fast pass roughly two hours from the current time. This allowed us to have a set time to come back and we went and explored a few shops, ate, and got photos. Or we could have gotten in line and waited 90 mins... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm sure you did misssssssssssssssss that.

A little cat action doesn't hurt anyone.

When painted and designed right, those flat-painted sets can achieve an incredible amount of depth even with disposable glasses. https://youtu.be/1u-6qBgH6LE Here is basically Haunt's Carnevil maze in a 21st century design. It's a bunch of snippets rather than a full walkthrough, but it gives a glimpse of things like forced perspective and physical sets/props. Speaking of Carnevil, one of the stupidest things they did in recent years was start charging for 3D glasses (because, once again, if it works for Knott's, then it'll clearly work for everyone else). Another way to make a quick buck, yet I still don't see any of that 3D glasses money being invested into making the woefully-outdated Carnevil a better-designed attraction.

I don't see your name on them

Sadly, that would probably encourage the little monsters, and their so-called parents would delight in taking pictures of same.

Indeed, I would enjoy watching Vortex get torn down. jcgoble3, pushing buttons What's the point in tearing it down? It's sinking, you know. :-[

The Adventure Express crew have come up with an interesting way of entertaining themselves: miming holding and petting a cat. I first noticed one young man doing it last week, and he was telling someone he did it for an hour the day before without anyone mentioning it. Then when I rode again yesterday, that ride op was working too, but it was one of his coworkers "petting the kitty." There is a strangeness among the AE crew, but I enjoy them

They were getting rid of the old Boo Blasters glasses as prizes in the Coney Arcade at the end of last season. I got several pairs to save, but have never remembered to take any to use on the actual ride.