Shaggy

Did you ride it at Wonderland, Carowinds or Kings Dominion? Wonderlands was the first and has a capacity of about 23 people per hour. Carowinds was built in an old park theatre in the "Western" area of the park??? It's got a capacity of about 50 per hour. Kings Dominions was the last of the bunch to be built, and from what I understand get's a great capacity. KI's used the existing People Mover from Phantom Theater because of it's large capacity. However every other car was removed. Ditto. Enchanted Voyage was about as perfect as a ride could be for the entire family with a wonderful, snappy song. To this day, I still don't understand why KI ever removed it. They removed it because it was falling apart. The animatronics were virtually worn out, half the figures had stopped working and overall the scenes were filthy. It was called Scooby Zoom I believe. There have been over 6 KI attractions themed with Scooby and the gang through the years. Can you name them all?

Why are there so many people speculating the removal of Flight Deck? There are threads suggesting this everywhere. Why? Because it needs a paint job? Because Big Bad Wolf is being removed? I will fall off my chair shocked if Flight Deck goes anywhere in the next 10 years. SOB is a different story... it's the new Hercules. What would I do with the area? Kill SOB, remove the Go-Carts and cut a path to The Racer/FOF area. I'd remove Congo Falls and Invertigo and place a true Invert in their spot. Shaggy

Maybe I'm off the mark here, but are this coaster's markings crossing the state line? Could the monies be distributed between the two counties/states? Shaggy

That they do. Pirate, anyone? What about Dorney? Just to begin. . . Kingdom of the Dinosaurs Knott's Berry Tales Journey to the Center of the Earth Earthquake...

I think everyone should pray hard that CF doesn't decide to remove "Scooby"... if they do, say goodbye to any dark ride at KI. CF has a long, bad, and notorious history of removing dark rides left and right from the parks they own/aquire only to replace them with.... nothing. For those still lamenting the loss of Phantom Theater... while I agree it was a terrific dark ride which I very much enjoyed... the thing was falling apart and needed to be yanked. Dissapointed as I was with the 2-dimensional Scooby, in the final years only about 1/3 of Phantom Theatre's effects still worked. What you saw just before it closed didn't compare to how it looked it's opening year. Shaggy

They don't care since the three parks do not compete for attendance within the same regional areas. Shaggy

I have a great Camden Hawnted House story... On one of my trips to Camden, I was by myself. Well, I got on the Hawnted House, and the entire side of my car fell off! The ride op came running up, and instead of stopping the ride, he told me to stay seated and then just "popped" the side back on. He then gave me a shove and off I went! That attraction is normally tame, to say the least, but that ride sure scared me to death! I spent the rest of my trip through the building scared for my safety! Shaggy

I'm a wooden/rough coaster fan (SOB!), Busch garden rides are so smooth i barely got a thrill. Maybe i am just spoiled by my coaster capitol homeland Oh, if you like 'em rough then KD has plenty for you.... Hurler, Grizzly should suit your taste ;-) I've always heard KD referred to as "ghetto Kings Island," but I'm glad to see that CF has put an initiative to try and improve it. Well, again, I hold a soft spot of KD because of so many childhood memories. When I visit now, I desperately miss Lost World/Fantasy Mountain.

Hi! I grew up in Eastern Virginia, and was lucky enough to visit KD many, many times. I was also fortunate that I had a sister that lived in Ohio and that allowed me to travel to KI many times in my youth/teen years. Later, after I graduated and moved out on my own, I ended up living in Cincinnati for a number of years where I was a KI regular (and still am to an extent.) I manage to get to KD every few years, although the last time I was there was 2003. I hold a soft spot for KD, as it was the place that I first rode a coaster... the Scooby Doo... in 1978. I was 7. How vividly I remember it... mostly because Lost World/Fantasy Mountain had just opened! The parks are remarkably similar, but remarkably different. Of course they both have many of the same attractions, but they also have unique ones. I personally give the edge to KI, mostly because of how it was the "original." KI seems larger to me, and I much prefer the layout of KI. KD has a "lop-sided" feel and has some areas that I find hard to manuever with much narrower paths etc. The whole kids area/congo access at KD is utterly confusing to me. KD's International Street was built much narrower than KI's. I think KI's is about 10 feet wider on each side. KD's trees have matured and parts of the park have a density to it. Heck, the trees on International Street almost obscure the view of the Tower base and International Street shops. KD is now looked upon as being "rough." It attracts a large amount of people from high-crime metro areas such as Richmond and DC. There's been a bit of publicity related to gang incidents and altercations at the park. KD was the first "KECO" park to have metal detectors, which were installed years before KI had them. From what I understand, CF has an initiative to overhaul KD. KD saw a dramatic decrease in family attendance over the years while the over-the-top amazing Busch Gardens down the highway soared in popularity and reputation. That's been the reason for the new coasters. They specifically want to revitalize the "feel" that's been tarnished by the crime and neglect the park saw in the 1990's and early 2000's. So I hope that KD is on the upswing. Speaking specifically about coasters/rides, KD seems to have the better collection of flats. -They have a superior, albeit ridiculously short, invert. -Their Fairly Odd Coaster (or whatever it's called there) is run better than KI's and retains it's final bunny hop. -Hurler is junk... -Grizzly is fun, but a shell of its former self. -KD's FOF has always braked trains mid-course. -Shockwave remains a fun standup, but KI's King Cobra was superior. -Anaconda has one of the worst jaw-breaking head jerks on any Arrow Dynamic looper. -KD has the legendary Rebel Yell featured in "Roller Coaster" the movie. - KD has the WONDERFUL Avalanche Bobsleds (best ride in the park! The Only Mack Bobsled ride located in North America!) However KD committed a horrific sin in the early 1990's. They drained "Lake Charles" and eliminated the ski show in leiu of.... a waterpark. ICK As if that weren't bad enough, they removed the "Old Dominion Line" train in leiu of "Waynes World." OY But I guess it's apples vs oranges since KI removed the Flying Eagles and the picturesque Antique cars in leiu of the piece of %$ junkyard Backlot Stunt Coaster. Something I've never forgiven them for, and doubt I ever will. Overall, you may be surprised at how much KD has to offer. But enter it without comparison... judge it on it's own merit. Honestly... I am more jealous of your being close to Busch Gardens. It is stunning, absolutely stunning and far superior an experience than any Cedar Fair Park. Shaggy

Don't you mean the HaWnted House? ;-)

I wouldn't buy that thing. There's obviously an issue with it since Kennywood just installed it in recent years and is already removing it. Prior, it was at Lake Compounce. I rode it there back in 2000 or so. Quite frankly, if KI were to do anything with the Crypt, I'd suggest re-installing it outdoors and using the show building for something else. However there are so many complicated computer parts involved in Crypt, that when the park does decide to do something with it, it will likely involve the junk pile. I'd be willing to bet that we will see the show building outlast the Huss unit inside of it. Shaggy

That's the model located at Six Flags America. http://rcdb.com/545.htm Two Face has been plagued with downtime since it opened. It also got stuck on the lift 2 years ago and stranded riders for hours. It never re-opened after that and AFAIK has been SBNO for the past 2 seasons. Shaggy

I think it's a fantastic choice for HW. That area of the park is their bread and butter... so good for them! Shaggy

***SPOILER*** DO NOT click this link if you want to be suprised. I hesitated posting it, however the info is already live on some news sites: Shaggy **Update** Times up. I removed the news link after 3 minutes, mostly because ruining surprises is no fun. You'll have to wait for HW to announce...

11 Central = 12 noon Eastern. If you are that sleepy, just do some exploring online. The info was briefly posted on HW's website earlier and so it "slipped" out already in cyberspace. Shaggy

Holiday World is on Central time. The announcement is at 12 ET.

Not to jinx it, and people's MMV, but KI's Invertigo has been fantastic overall in terms of reliability! I was personally stuck on KI's version (then Face/Off) for an hour. Train station brakes failed to work quick enough, and we stalled at the base of the cobra roll. Shaggy

#195 Mighty Canadian Minebuster - I understand that this is a replica of "Shooting Star" which was located at Coney Island but destroyed in 1971. I can see The Racer in this ride was well as The Beast. This wooden coaster was an out and back design with a helix ending. The enclosed helix at the end of this ride was undoubtedly the inspiration for The Beast. I rode this 3 times. (8/10) It's a mirror image of the Shooting Star. However over the years, it's been chopped and hacked for the sake of waterslides. It's not the ride it was originally built to be. Oh, and the Minebuster helix was not the inspiration for The Beast... Beast was built prior. Unless you meant the Shooting Star... #203 Wild Beast - This was another replica, I believe, from old Coney Island: The Wildcat. This wooden coaster had a figure 8 design in the middle. The coaster needs some re-tracking! Otherwise, this was a quite an enjoyable coaster. (7/10) Similar, with some variations. It's actually the exact same coaster as Grizzly at KD and the former Bush Beast at Australias Wonderland. Shaggy

Ugh, makes me feel old! 25 years ago I rode it... and I was 12! When it opened, it was really something. Of course compared to today's coasters... it's a bit antiquated. Shaggy

The world’s first suspended roller coaster took coaster design to a new level when it opened in 1984. Incorrect. Obviously a maintenance issue... however BGW is losing one of only two "junior" coasters in the park. They need to replace it with something younger, and older, riders will look at and not think "no way." Shaggy

I would suspect because it's localle most of you have not travelled to New England. That having been said, the best coaster in the US... by far... is Superman Ride Of Steel at Six Flags New England. It was a total surprise to me the first time I rode it, and has yet to be matched. It has every single element enthusiasts look for. It all just came together in this ride. This year it was re-painted and heavily re-themed to Bizarro, which works quite well IMO. But no matter, the coaster is an absolute dream. It has been my #1 for nearly a decade now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYOoxyYgha0 A funny, and true, story. The first time I rode it, we plunged down the first drop. I was in the very back seat. Well, the guy in the very front seat had a baseball cap that flew off although it was turned backwards on his head. The cap flew backwards and my reflexes were quick enough that I reached up with my left hand, caught it, and I held onto it the whole ride. When we got back to the station, the gentleman was shocked to see I had his hat, The entire station erupted into applause! That, my friends, is a talent learned only by a seasoned coaster rider ;-) If you ever consider travelling to the Northeast, plan a stop there, you won't regret it. Shaggy

Paula is an expert at munipulating us enthusiests. Not all... only those that buy into it. ;-) Shaggy

At least KI has a decent photo spot, unlike Worlds of Fun. Well, they do, but its under used. The argument I have is the Keyhole gate photogs scramble to take your picture as soon as you come through the gate. There's usually a flurry of them competing for photo ops, so they stop folks as soon as they can. No prob. However, who wants a picture with the ugly, dark entrance building behind them? The Fountains are the most picturesque area in the park, but the photogs take your pic opposing them. I'd suggest the smarter photog would offer to take the pictures in front of the fountain. Seems to me better taken photos would outsell volumous invasive ones. Shaggy

I rode it in May. It was as bad as I remembered, but not nearly as awful as SOB. Shaggy

From what I recall, Neverland is about 1 hour north of LA in the Santa Barbara area. It was fairly remote, and a bit hard to get to. Santa Barbara is one of the most beautiful areas I've ever seen, and quite honestly I would not want to see it turned into what Anaheim has become (not that it would.) However it does seem appropriate that Neverland would be reclaimed by the Jackson family as a final resting place. Graceland of the west, I suppose. Shaggy (The rides were sold auction, weren't they?)