Shaggy

Yes, there were two... The current "Race for your life" flume started life at KI as "The Kings Mill Log Flume." It was originally built at Cincinnati's Coney Island in 1968, but was transferred to KI when it opened. The other, was "Kenton's Cove Keeboat Canal" which bit the dust for Tomb Raider (now Crypt.) It was installed for the 1973 season. It was also unique because it utilized a turntable load station. FYI, KCKC was actually a hydroflume, one of only a few in the US. Most are gone now, with Hersheypark still having one and, I believe, Great America in CA. Cedar Point had one for years, but it was removed to make way for Maverick. Shaggy

"It ruins an amazing view" Seriously? Are you kidding me? I don't wear my heart on my sleeve about many things. But quite frankly I am shocked and terribly offended by statements such as that. The entire reason we can enjoy places like KI is because we have the freedom and liberties to do so. That flag represents much much more than an insignificant theme park fountain and observation tower ever could. Many honorable men died defending that flag. And even to this very day many are still defending it on OUR behalf. Not only do I think it's more than appropriate to be the centerpiece of International Street, I feel it is the most noteworthy thing in the park. Someone used the term "grandness." I could not think of a better way to describe it. Shame, shame, shame on all of you that think so little of our American symbol that you'd prefer to not have it obscuring your photos of an amusement attraction. Good Lord I fear for the future of our country!

Your best bet is to take a look at this picture. Look underneath the Eiffel Tower. You'll see The Racer entrance/exit and the basketball toss game. There's a "sealed" curved building in-between the two. That's the old queue for Skylab. When the ride was removed, the queue was boarded up and has since been used for plush storage. I bet many of you have walked by it when exiting The Racer and never knew it's original intent ;-) The operator's booth may have been removed for the ladder climb/virtual attraction, but none-the-less it was in that same area for years and years. Also, take note of the Grand Carousel Building. Just below that you'll see the building that once housed the Cuddle Up and Dodgems. The round building where the Dodgems are currently located is it's second home. That was the original location of the Flying Eagles. When Coney Mall was expanded in the mid-1980s, the Eagles were re-located to their final location.

You've got your timeframe/parks wrong. I was not referring to Intimidator at Carowinds. CW... Canada's Wonderland... got Behemoth... a B&M Hyper... one year earlier than KI got Diamondback. Behemoth opened on 5/4/2008 Diamondback opened on 4/18/2009 Wonderland has survey stakes popping up throughout the park already this season. That tells me a larger project is being planned for next season. Wonderland currently has the highest attendance of any of the former KECO/Paramount parks, so successful additions will likely be rolled out to other parks... specifically KI. http://www.cwmania.c....php?f=3&t=1900 Shaggy

If you want to know what KI will get in 2012, I'd keep a watchful eye on what CW (Wonderland) gets in 2011... that *seems* to be Cedar Fairs process thus far. Shaggy

Coney Mall still has "items" remaining from more that 3 defunct rides, actually. The rides: Tumble Bug/Skylab (Original Operator's booth and queue is still in tact) Bat (Footings, station cut outs) Flight Commander (Queue/loading pad) Cuddle Up/Old Dodgems (Building) and, I believe, the Flying Carpet (Footings behind Zephyr... but may be gone by now...) Obviously, there's obvious land vacancies left from Flying Eagles and Cinema 180. Close by the Coney Mall entrance, the original concrete pad for Flying Dutchman still remains. Shaggy

This is all just save-his-face political posturing. Did Workman honestly think they could find someone in time to operate this season? If he did... he's totally out of touch. If he didn't and just wanted to bide some time... then he's lying and simply stringing people along even more. A few months ago, if I recall, Workman was quoted saying 3 or so park operators had approached him about resuming operations at KK. However this latest round of news quotes has him saying HE'S approached 6 park operators about running the park. Which is it? Are they beating his door down to run it, or is he pounding the pavement to try and find someone? In that manner, who would, in their right mind, pursue any type of operational agreement for a property that's about to be wrapped up in heavy litigation for Lord knows how long? If someone came to me and said "will you run this park? We'll require a 30 year agreement, and oh, we're suing the previous tenant for their property" I'd probably laugh in their face! I personally hope SF is granted full ownership (and why not?) of all rides and attractions at the park and yank every single one of them out of there. All this garbage about how monitarily "good" the park is for Louisville is crap. The money earned from the park residing on Sate Fairgrounds gets sent to Frankfort to be distributed throughout the state. So this baloney about how the park was important to Louisville's is a smokescreen. It was important to Workman's bottom line... the KFEC bottom line... which is about to be completely devistated by the loss of KK and U Of L athletics. Oh sure, hotel rooms got booked because of it. But I'd gather not even close to the $10 mill they claim. KK was never a destination park, it was a day park, so I'd guess the hotel revenue from it to be less than half of what he claims it generated. Anyone that signs a 30 year lease on state-owned grounds should have their head examined. Anyone that, in the future, builds an attraction on state property should have their pocketbooks ready to cut Workman a check. I am willing to bet that in another 3 months, Workman will be making the news rounds again saying the same rubbish. Fact is, the park is gone, and the man is desperate to proove that "they" were the ones that ripped off Louisville. He's even got Ed Hart... who has a shady past... banging his drum for him. I guarantee Ed Hart wants KK back in his grasp but doesn't want to pay for the rides in it. The past prooved that he's that type of guy... wants the goods, but wants someone else to pay the bill... Shaggy

So then I assume the walkback is no more? (Bear with me, totally out of the ACE loop these days...)

I remember riding The Beast during it's first season in the park - 1979. I was 16 that summer. One cool feature was that the pond extended around the mouth of the tunnel at the bottom of the first drop. From a distance, the train appeared to dive into the pond. Seeing the water coming up at you from the front car of the train was quite a rush, too. I think someone said one reason they drained the pond was because it was stagnant and got nasty in hot weather. While that was true, I think it was also because they discovered that wooden structures and standing water don't mix. Not trying to ruffle feathers... however I personally don't recall the water at The Beast extending past the very base on the lift side of the coaster itself. I believe the "water" extended from the queue house, under the fan turn and station, then ended just shy of the gear house. The water also lied under the station and flowed to a larger pond that extended alongside the final brake run. But I don't ever recall the water being near the mouth of the 1st tunnel. Here's a picture, taken by the park, of The Beast in it's first year of operation. As you will see, there's an access road next to the first drop of Beast (just as there is today.) The picture was taken by a photographer standing on top of the tunnel entrance. Also, of note, is that the "stone" facade on the front of the 1st tunnel of Beast was added later. It was not original to the ride. Here's another picture showing the water running alongside the final brake run of Beast. However you will notice the lift of the coaster itself is not above water.

The entrance plaza is also already partially using pavers. They put pavers in years ago when they removed the old ticket booths and installed the metal detectors. Actually, I believe the area you'll see paved is the black asphalt area to the right and left of the entrance INSIDE the park. See the below photo: If you draw back the view of International Street, you'll see that only the patches to the left and right of the entrance area in front of the fountains was black-top. Once you begin down International Street, the pavers re-appear. See below: Question though... I haven't paid attention in the past 2 or 3 years. Is the ACE/Beast walkback stone still in place to the right of the fountains near the old camera/souvenir shop?

Yes, the Smurfs didn't take over the ride until 1984. In late 1983, the park put up a sign advertising the arrival of the Smurfs outside the (then) Enchanted Voyage. Here's a pic (albeit very blurry) of a person standing in front of the sign. Look closely and you'll see it says they will be arriving in '84.

Actually, Canada's Wonderland was ahead of them all... nearly the entire park used pavers when the park opened. Brick pavers are a costly, but very nice esthetic improvement to a park. They are much easier on the feet and they do not heat up the way blacktop does. Here's a pic of Wonderland back in the early 1980s... notice what's on the ground in front of the main entrance...

The structure that currently serves as the Great Pumpkin Coaster's station and ride photo building was the loading area, I believe. The entrance was in Hanna Barberra land and then climbed stairs to cross the ride's flume, then back down more stairs to the loading platform. The boats left the station and followed the flume into the building right about where the BBoBH entrance is now, entering a giant TV painted on the side of the building. Well, yes, and no. The wooden "shelter" that now serves as the loading station for the Great Pumpkin Coaster was added, if memory serves me, when the attraction became "Smurfs Enchanted Voyage." When it was originally Enchanted Voyage" there was a cloth tent on one side of the load platform that covered the queue area only. There was indeed a stairway/walkway that went over the flume trough leading guests from the queue to the turntable. However the stairway and turntable were originally in the blazing sun (as were MANY of the queue lines back in the early days of KI.) When Smurfs came along, the wooden shelter was built around the existing staircase. That's why today, when you look at the loading station for the coaster, in the middle there's a square area. That was once where the staircase used to come down to the load platform. Here's some pics to compare:

I was glad to hear that they still had the sign! I was most upset about 10 years ago when the "Sit on It" signs dissapeared from The Beast and Racer stations. They were removed abruptly for some unspoken reason, I gathered because there was a lawsuit pending based upon someone switching seats on The Racer while in motion. I ADORED those signs, and I offered $1,000 to buy one. However I was told they had been trashed. Given the fact that the original Beast "Public Notice" sign is still at the park, I wonder if the "Sit on It" signs were actually kept after all. Shaggy

Being the oddball that I am, and one of the "seniors" of the bunch here... I have to say I nearly fell off the couch when I saw her say that. First off, I am a huge Olivia fan... always have been since Grease came out (Yes, kiddos, I saw it when it was actually playing in the movie theater!) And, of course I love KI... so tonight two major worlds collided for me! That was terrific! Shaggy

When I was on Beast crew many, many moons ago... there was a button to the right of the drivers panel. As the train was released out of the station, the person driving looked down out of the side window of the booth checking lap bars and pressing the button for every empty seat. The computer monitoring system then deducted the number of times the button was pressed from each hourly capacity. The crew head kept a paper log of the hourly capacity totals which was turned into the Ride Operations Dept that evening. When on the FOF crew, there was a manual hand clicker the driver used to keep counts each hour. Many of the flat ride simply relied on turnstyles. I could go on and on... but basically, at that time, there was a virtually a different procedure for keeping capacities on almost every ride in the park. Shaggy

Muchos gracias... Coastersrz and I posted at the same time, he had the exit info posted before me, and he's exactly right ;-) BTW, here's what the fantastic sign at The Beast's original entrance said: PUBLIC NOTICE: Help is urgently solicited! Due to the increasing occurance of mysterious noises, inexplicable tremors, and vicious acts of vandalism within these premises, it has become necessary to suspend the normal operations of this company. Although the cause of this evil phenomena defies identification, authorities agree it is surely the work of some demonic creature of prodigious size, which for now can only be designated as: The Beast LET THE FOOLHARDY BEWARE! this so-named Beast appears to be very much alive and intent upon conquering all who would oppose him. Nothing of the imaginations would be able to inflict such terror upon the human soul. IT IS WITH UTMOST URGENCY that the Management entreats all civic-spirited persons to assist it's loyal employees in the ongoing effort to subdue this disruptive scourge and restore order to the community. ALL VOLUNTEERS will kindly apply by entering through the employment office. (At times it may be necessary to await recruitment at the observation area to the left of the office building.) Thank you, and may the Lord have mercy! Charles J. Dinn President The Little Miami Amalgamated Mining & Minerals Co.

Currently, when you exit The Beast, you go down the handicapped ramp. You then turn left which takes you under the drivers booth. After that, you turn right and head past the queue house. Originally, when you headed under the drivers booth, you turned left and went through an exit underneath the station and back out to the access road that lies between Beast and Crypt. The exit still exists, but is used as an emergency exit only and has a door. No one thing can be cited as the reason the "lake" (odd to call it that as it was literally only a few inches deep) was removed. There were actually a handful of reasons. Trash issues, circulatory issues, bug issues, smell issues are a few reasons. But more importantly, the park wanted to seal off the midway path between Beast and (then) KCKC to use for behind the scenes purposes. They also wanted to re-direct the exiting guests past the (then) new on-ride photo booth and midway games. In addition, they also wanted to re-direct guests out an entirely different area away from the entrance to deter line jumping. What many folks don't know, or recall, is that The Beast used to have an entirely seperate queue house that no longer exists. The concrete pad it was on was still there the last time I checked, albeit hidden by a fence. Next time you exit The Beast and are nearing the on-ride photo booth, look through the wooden fence to the right. You'll see an overgrown concrete path. That was where it was once located. There was also a seperate "building" at the original exit that was called the "Beast Tamer Photo" It offered guests the chance to have their pictures taken in the middle of The Beast paws. Finally, at the entrance, there was originally a large sign that told the legend of The Beast. I'll dig it up and post it. But basically it was a fable that told the tale of a Beast running wild through the woods. Oh how I wish they'd bring that sign back. Very few people recall it. Shaggy

My bad. You did :-) THESONOFBEAST did post a link to the calendar, and I appreciate both responses to my question. Thanks for the info.

To clarify... I asked if the fireworks would still continue. (I legitimately wanted to know as I have not followed this news.) Someone responded with a statement that didn't answer my question. (Their statement simply implied that KI had always had fireworks in the past. It still didn't answer anything about future plans.) I replied with a response that was meant to redirect back to my question, and clarify that the past has little to do with what they may be planning now. (I was not at all saying anything derrogatory about CF.) Thankfully, the poster THESONOFBEAST stepped in and answered my question accurately even citing the 5&5 info. That's all I was asking for. You read a tone that wasn't there. Quite honestly, I think you've been reading a non-existant negative tone in all of my posts. I'm not here to spread nasty, that's not my m.o. There's never been any sort of nasty underlying tone in any of my posts, so please don't presume one. :-) Back to the subject at hand... I think this is a great idea... specifically the further illumination of the Eiffel Tower. I'll be anxious to see it. It's also very smart as KI has seemingly (personal assumption) struggled in recent years with keeping most guests in the park late in the day. Couple this with the fireworks (now that I know they'll continue) and it should be quite impressive to see.

The Racer has been around since opening, is it gone? the Grand Carousel has been there since opening, is it gone? I am sick of people accusing CF of "destroying Kings Island" from what it was planned to be. Times have change since 1972, if the park hadn't we would not be discussing this. CF has done a great job with the park, while trying to restore some of that "magic" it had back in the days. Anyone remember the Robbie Knievel event? I assume since I was quoted directly that it was directed at me personally. So I have to ask, where did I ever say or post CF was "destroying Kings Island?" I didn't. Ever. As a matter of fact, my personal opinion is the complete opposite.

I hardly think that fact matters...

My question is, will the fireworks still happen?

FF EKU is obviously passionate about SOB, and that is respectable. I'll never knock someone for feeling strongly about a ride at KI. Lord knows I have felt strongly about a few rides at KI, most notably (and ironically) SOB. (But I'll get to that in a minute...) That having been said, I also feel that sometimes fans of KI can't see the forest for the trees. Or in this case, people can't see the coaster for all of the broken wood. If we set comparisons, contradictions and personal feelings aside, it is still my opinion that SOB has likely seen it's last passenger. If I were a part of the decision making SOB would receive a negative vote from me. I base that on two things: 1. It's inability to be further marketed 2. 25 years of professional experience in the business world. Now, if plans were made to essentially rebuild all but the first 1/3 of the layout and rename/retheme it, then it may have a chance at success. But that's a gamble and not a certified payoff. Someone made a comparison to Diamondback and called that a gamble... not so much. B&M has a nearly perfect track record for timely installs, impeccible operating timetables and overall safety. A B&M hyper was not a gamble for KI as far as a mechanical ride unit. Installing the $25M coaster during an economically depressed time was, and is, it's largets risk. So I can't imagine gambling both finacially and operationally on a 10-year old attraction. The amusement industry is a fickle one. People always want something new... hence new attractions, new "experiences" that are routinely installed. Why else are all ads, commericals, literature, websites always touting the new attractions? Because it's a new "experience." A re-build of something that has lost it's mass appeal could be a step in the wrong direction. Some may be quick to disagree or judge me based on what I feel is the best business decision for KI. But I'll let you in on a little something. I was one of the biggest champions of that ride, beginning before the coaster was even built. My history with SOB is long, thorough and memorable. I was made privvy of it when it was simply a 3-d paper rendering. I was at the park when the surveyors began the land measurements. I was at the park the day the 1st footer was poured. I was at the park the day the crate was delivered. I was at the park the day of the announcement. I was at the park the day the trains were first placed on the track. I was there the day the train made it's first cycle and witnessed it firsthand. I attended the media event. I was on the ride at the end of the media event when it was shut down - and it's first re-tracking/rebuild began. I was on SOB for 2 tv show filmings and 1 commerical shoot. I was the on-ride commentator for the Discovery Channel special featuring the ride. I rode it 21 times in a row that day, with a camera sitting right next to me. I passionately supported, championed and defended the coaster for years on websites and in enthusiast circles. I rode it for years and years. I loved that ride, and I am most appreciative of those that allowed me to be a part of the exciting experience of seeing a ride go from an idea to reality. That's not meant to brag, simply to exemplify that it was an important coaster to me. I'll never forget the amazing times surrounding it. I took my last ride on the "looped" SOB just a few weeks before the accident/closure. I exited that ride frustrated by the pitiful and unenjoyable experience the coaster delivered vowing to not ride again. I did not ride again until the G-trains were put on, and that was a simple "I'll give them a try" mindset. I took one ride on it in that state... and never rode it again. It was, as I had suspected, a horrid change to the original ride concept that still delivered a rough ride and eliminated the most redeeming part of the coaster. As silly as it sounds, I walked away, bid farewell to it that night, made my peace, and I closed that chapter in my life. I love KI far more than I ever could SOB. So I can't help but desire much better experiences in it's place in the future. SOB has been a blemish on the park I love most. That, in itself, is enough to deny any sort of revival of the coaster.

Okay then, how about this... I'd say 75% of the general public doesn't care, or even think about SOB. And that's being EXTREMELY conservative. IMO, SOB never endeared itself to the general public. That's been one of it's biggest downfalls. It doesn't have the empassioned following of The Beast. For that reason, KI could remove it, install something more reliable, and the general public would be satisfied. Had it aquired the esteem that The Racer or Beast have, then we'd see a public furor over a pending removal. It doesn't have that type of clout.