
Shaggy
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Everything posted by Shaggy
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I once asked why all the archway signs into the themed areas were removed. HB had one (well, 3, through the years) Octoberfest had one, Wild Animal Habitat had one, and of course Coney (2 through the years, actually). I was told it makes for ease of equipment to move through the park, as well as parade floats. While I understand that reasoning, I also think they added a great touch and could easily be brought back with a "pivot" action to them where they could swing out of the way.
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'The Following Attractions Will Not Operate Today" sign
Shaggy replied to Shaggy's topic in Kings Island
@TOPGUN1993 - exactly the sign I was thinking of. (The non- digital one) Thank you! -
'The Following Attractions Will Not Operate Today" sign
Shaggy replied to Shaggy's topic in Kings Island
One thing I'll also add: Originally, you were given the park guide/map by the cashier when you paid to park. If a major ride was closed, they'd also sometimes include a insert with the park guide saying the attraction was closed. -
Earlier this week, I was discussing the apps that most parks - including Kings Island - are adopting as a hub for guest information. In the conversation, I brought up the fact that prior to web technology, guests never knew if any attractions would be closed for the day, until they arrived at the park. The person to whom I was speaking seemed flabbergasted by that. I explained that KI used a sign outside the main gate to indicate to guests prior to buying tickets (or entering the park) what, if any, rides would be closed that day. The sign was to the right of the main entrance, before you reached the ticket booths (that are no longer there.) The sign had various rules, like guest code of conduct, but at the bottom it had an area known as the "closed rides" sign. It simply said "The Following Attractions Will Not Operate Today" and underneath had slots where plaques with ride names would be slid in or out, if they were closed. The sign was there from the first visit I made back when the (original) Bat was new (in addition, The Bat closures also forced the park to set up sandwich boards in the entry plaza telling of its closure for the day.) But I also remember the ride closure sign being there through the majority of the Paramount years. I was wondering if anyone knew the exact year it was removed? Possibly the same time they removed the ticket booths?
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Ed Dangler -who oversaw Maintenance at Kings Island for many years has passed. https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/27142965/edmond-w-dangler/huron/ohio/groff-funeral-home?fbclid=IwAR3K6FX0coHM4O2C5cM3gsEkIk1f4Asdki1DnRrPVh2lDMLjNPPcBCXwslo&mibextid=Zxz2cZ
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Saw this online: Couldnt believe it, so I went to eBay to check it out... sure enough... BTW - I have some KCKC water if anyone wants to buy it for a mere $200... ;-)
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Cedar Fair to close California’s Great America
Shaggy replied to Imperial79's topic in Other Amusement Parks & Industry News
Its pretty apparent that CF has been exploring all options with the park for years. CGAM is a park they've historically been unsure of what to do with for a multitude of reasons. Heck, even Paramount had the same struggles with the property over 20 years ago. The Storyland Studios info reads to me as though they were simply solicited to submit a proposal to CF to potentially re-invigorate the out-of-sorts park. Chances are, this isn't the only proposal CF received/solicited. Proposals such as this are common among the industry, but they don't necessarily mean they ever make it past the concept stage. Like any business, it all boils down to metrics. Will the cost of investment yield appropriate returns and financial gains? Obviously, not in this case... ultimately, the ground has become far more valuable than the park that sits on top of it. I sort of think about CGAM like that aging house in "Up" that had become surrounded by corporate businesses and modern development. The owner hung on to it for years... but much like in the movie, they ultimately have to let it go. -
For every one image used in the book, there’s probably a dozen that didn’t get used (for a variety of reasons.). Stay tuned, you never know where they may show up someday. Lol! Glad you enjoyed the book, it was a labor of love.
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It seems KI prefers to perform color patch tests on large re-paints. The mustard/orange/gold color that was seen on the backside of the Eiffel Tower last year was a color test. They obviously decided to remain with green, but it was apparent they considered a major color change for the tower.
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The Wachs/Koontz signed copies were a limited run of 50, I believe. As far as the unsigned copies, they will be available for a while (until they sell all the copies.) :-)
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Six flags New coaster
Shaggy replied to westcoaster's topic in Other Amusement Parks & Industry News
SFFT's... But there's another one coming... -
There’s a funny story behind that. It was Mr Wachs that mentioned it in his speech at the 50th and it caught Mr Koontz off guard. He asked Mr Koontz when it would be available- and he answered “two weeks”…. The book was completed by then, of course, but had yet to be ordered/printed.
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Lol - no signature. The main challenge was, of course, squeezing in 50 years of visual history. It barely scratches the surface of all the park’s memories. But I think it captures the past 5 decades well.
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Surprise! I told you they were saving something good. I am so proud to have served as lead contributor. It’s been a long process to get this to reality (5years) but now that it’s out, I couldn’t be more excited. Enjoy folks!
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They aren’t done yet. I think tomorrow is the 12th day of their “12 Days of Christmas” merch promotion. And something tells me they may have saved the best for last.
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Wouldn't that be 5? I think this "sneak peek" it takes us up to 49... wonder what #50 is.
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OMG- Dave_78 just brought back an immense amount of my early childhood memories at KI. For those that didn't get a chance (or are too young) to experience KI in those early years... this is a TERRIFIC example of the "flair of excitement" it had. Thank you so very much for sharing these - terrific!
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I believe, once disassembled, the chassis for coaster trains may be sent off property to be inspected via ultraviolent scanning. At least they used to be back in the Paramount Days. This serves the purpose of finding potential issues such as hairline cracks in the frames, or compromised welds/joints. They may now be able to do so on property, but back 20 years ago - I was told they outsourced it to a company that had the ability to "dip" them.
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Bob Iger Named Disney CEO Effective Immediately
Shaggy replied to beastfan11's topic in Other Amusement Parks & Industry News
While attendance is currently "up" at the Disney parks - I wonder if that is due to some sort of knee-jerk Covid syndrome. No doubt the price hikes appear to have had little effect on attendance, but the real test will be in coming years. Parks are still rebounding from the Covid pandemic - meaning a lot of the high attendance could be attributed to families postponing their trips/visits until now. However, given the lackluster reviews Disney parks are getting from guests these days (too crowded, bad merch, food quality poor, customer service in toilet, lathing of Genie +) that could cost Disney in the long run. Guests flooding the parks now may walk away with a general dissatisfaction and a feeling of no value for their money. In addition, price hikes may limit the frequency of return visits. A family that visited every two years may now only be able to afford a trip every 5 years. Families that visited every 5 years may not return for another 10... etc. I was at WDW this past April. I can attest firsthand that the quality, and overall enjoyment of the parks just wasn't where it needed to be. For the first time in 40+ years of attending Disney Parks, I left with a "meh" feeling. Also, for the first time in 20 years I stayed off-property (because on-property room rates were literally jaw dropping expensive.) I can count on 3 fingers the amount of merch I bought - and those were purchased at Disney Springs (in past trips, I have been forced to have merch items shipped to me because there were so many to choose from.) I encountered not one, not two, but three ummm.... "lackluster" employees. You could tell they were not happy in their jobs and were blatant in their bad attitudes with guests. Frankly, one particular cast member at the Liberty Tree Tavern should have been fired on the spot. And I have to tell you, Genie+ - while good in theory - essentially serves the purpose of ruining your day. At least one (or more) persons in each party spends all day navigating their phone - its confusing, aggravating and frustrating. The sad thing is, they have forced it on guests - so they have no choice other than use it. -
Bob Iger Named Disney CEO Effective Immediately
Shaggy replied to beastfan11's topic in Other Amusement Parks & Industry News
Hallelujah! -
A birdie told me there might be event more fun things on the way. Save your $$$. LOL!
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The latest merch offerings... CoasterDynamix Statix Models of Beast & Racer trains! If you want them, you'd better snap them up - these sold out when they offered The Beast & Diamondback versions several years ago. This version of Beast has the updated (original) color scheme. The earlier release was all red.
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A Chick-Fil-A . LOL ;-)
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I bought both pins, of course - I will complete the entire collection no matter. I figured they'd go the Crypt route rather than TR:TR. I know firsthand the "hoops" they have to jump through with the Paramount licenses (more about that at a later time.) I was actually hoping for more with the Delirium pin. I had expectations akin to the Viking Fury pin with a swinging gondola. A little disappointed that there's no articulation. I've really enjoyed this series - overall very happy with all the pin releases. Its also been fun guessing, then finding out each week what the new releases are. (Although the cost of S&H for each release is ridiculously astronomical.)