
Shaggy
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I saw the show yesterday. I really, really enjoyed it! I actually got "misty" mid-way through the show because I realized how virtually every person in the audience was excited and rooting for the show. That's, no doubt, because of the special place that the original ride has in so many people's hearts. Its designed to be campy, corny, silly fun - and I hope everyone unfamiliar with the ride "gets" that. There's a lot of in-jokes and references that may go over the heads of those unfamiliar with the history. For instance, there's a very obscure, tongue in cheek reference to Paramount by the Maestro when he addresses all us people "out there in the dahhhhhhhk." (Sunset Boulevard) The jokes move pretty quick, so it will require re-watching to catch all of them. I don't think its on the level of the Taft/Keco era productions like Celebration, New York New York etc. However, its an immense step up from the lack-luster entertainment that's been housed at the Kings Island Theatre since CF took ownership. There's one particularly delightful number who's inspiration was "lifted" from a classic Jim Henson Kermit/Muppet Show sketch. It was extremely well done/well suited for this production. It is the highlight of the show, but then, I've always been a sucker for a good tap number! Ironically, I found the chorus members/dancers often outshined the namkesake leads at times (not including Maestro, who was spot-on.) Although the actors portraying Houdelini, Hilda and Garbanzo definitely resembled and embodied the characters, I found their vocal talents challenged at times. (Particularly Houdelini seemed to be struggling vocally.... but that may have been because I saw the last show of the day.) Its important to point out that the show's instrumentals are pre-recorded, and many of the chorus vocals seemed canned as well. At times, the 5 leads, who are mic'd, were struggling to sing over the music - which was turned up waaaay too loud at points. I'm sure given time, this will improve. There's an awkward "slap-stick" segment at the top of the show that needs some work. Its obviously done to set-up a really great acrobatic act that comes later in the show, but it has a weird silence to it - so the audience wasn't sure how to respond. When the performance concluded, about 1/4 of the audience responded with a standing ovation. It was great to see that response. But as I said earlier, you could feel the guests "rooting" for the show the entire time. That speaks volumes. Most importantly, the line to get into the theater before the show snaked all the way to International Street. I had deja-vu, because that's EXACTLY what it was like back in the hey-day of KI entertainment. In the day, you had to make sure to show up at the theater early because the crowd to get in would be so big. I hope the crowds continue to show up for this one - allowing the park to increase the quality/budget of it's live entertainment offerings. Finally, I need to mention the lobby full of artifacts and information about the original ride. So smartly done (it sets up the premise of the show for those that, perhaps, are not familiar with the ride.) Those displays stand on their own as one of the most heart-warming throwbacks Kings Island has done for the 50th. Seeing those few original props, signage and renderings was akin to seeing cherished old friends. Kudos to the cast, the Director, crew and more for giving us this gem. Shaggy
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There’s a HUGE flaw with that new poster. The horse is facing the wrong way. Carousels always turn counter-clockwise. Somebody should have caught that. Tsk tsk tsk. Out of all the wonderful posters they’ve produced, this is my least favorite. Such a shame because the KI Grand Carousel is, by far, the most beautiful thing in the park. Here’s how the image should look: ( minus the obvious backwards wording of course)
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My hope is this show is a smash.. and gets held over into next season (as shows used to do waaaaaay back in the day,,, Celebration etc.) But more importantly, I hope its a smash and sends a message about how, to this very day, the attraction remains immensely popular... (I plan on seeing the show tomorrow... VERY excited!)
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There seems to be a TON of nostalgic interest in this ride. I hope there's a chance that a 2.0 version can come back someday. At CS Mike Koontz mentioned an awareness of the need to re-hab Boo Blasters. He specifically cited Toy Story Mania at Disney as something he liked (he asked CS attendees how many had ridden it.) So it seems to me they are likely exploring options.
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Discussing Land and Space in and around Vortex
Shaggy replied to Klabergian Empire's topic in Kings Island
That's what I was referencing. It was... at first... later, after it was neutered, it was only awesome to look at. -
Discussing Land and Space in and around Vortex
Shaggy replied to Klabergian Empire's topic in Kings Island
I don’t troll, let’s make that crystal clear. The picture represents the former location of Vortex.. which when viewed from International Street was to the right of the Tower. Im pretty sure what’s going on at the site is obvious by now. If this thread were a movie, it would win the Golden Rozzi. -
Discussing Land and Space in and around Vortex
Shaggy replied to Klabergian Empire's topic in Kings Island
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Discussing Land and Space in and around Vortex
Shaggy replied to Klabergian Empire's topic in Kings Island
Set your expectations high. I caught wind of something at Coasterstock… Shaggy -
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I had a terrific time at CS - as always. It really is a top-tier event. IMO it far surpasses other events - due to the comradery. It succeeds in prompting bonding among attendees on a more friendly level. As far as no posts on KIC - the fact the event was jam packed probably had something to do with it. I’m exhausted today! (That’s always the sign of a great coaster event.) Also, as a side note, it seems to me that soooooo many enthusiasts have a personal page, or site, or blog, or Instagram, or Twitter etc. Too many garnering for their own likes, clicks etc. So although there’s probably still demand for central hub of info like KIC, people with their own outlets/agendas likely save posts/pics for that. I don’t really “get” the influencer stuff - but there’s that too I suppose. I personally made a concentrated effort to simply enjoy CS this year rather than trying to photo-document every single second for myself. Makes a big difference when you just soak up the experience. It really was a great time. Looking forward to next year! Kudos to Don and the KI team. The hard work shows!
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Doesnt anyone else find it ironic that the "Golden Celebration" sweatshirt has silver lettering? ;-)
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Trough is there, its just in-between the running rails and the spine. I added some arrows to a pic of mine to show how the return trough runs down to the motor. The ascent and descent chain troughs are close to each other once the lift starts its climb. There's a cog at the apex of the lift that lies inside the spine, it flips the chain 180 for its return down to the motor.
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I personally hope that if KI chooses to re-use the vacant land on which most of SOB existed for another attraction, then they completely re-think the entry/access & queue to that ride (no matter if the station is used or not.) One of the worst things about SOB - that most people dont recall - was it's queue and lead-up to the station. It was not well thought out, completely esthetically un-pleasing and poorly conceived. You had to enter the "exit" of a ride, then stand in a que that was squeezed into a former observation area. The wait through those full queues then up the ramps to the station took much longer than what you expected. There was zero shade.... and it was excruciating. Once you entered the station, there was a 2-row set of switchbacks before you entered a free-for-all loading platform - jam packed with people. It's queues created a bottleneck for those exiting Top Gun... and it also afforded those exiting Top Gun the ability to line-jump. Fights were known to break out over this, so it ultimately led to park security having to regularly staff the area to keep an eye on things. With all the time they spent designing and building SOB - it amazed me that they literally threw together a queue at the very last minute. It was an obvious mis-step. Below is a picture taken (by myself) of the queue on Passholder Preview night April 28, 2000. The media preview had been held earlier that day and then SOB opened late that night (with one train - and sporadic - operation) Entry to the line was cut off around an hour or so after it opened. It operated that night, then It closed the next day and did not re-open for another month.
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And if memory serves me, it was an additional cost - not free with Season passes. I only went once to the 2005 version of WF... and that was the media preview. It was well done (specifically the live entertainment) but there wasn't enough to pull me back in for secondary or multiple visits. The "look" of 2005 WF was a bit thin.... there wasn't even 1/3 of the lights, sights and sounds of the current WF (see the pic I took below.) I would suspect that had Paramount continued ownership, the event would have returned in 2006 (and likely "tweaked" and grown.) However, by the end of the Paramount tenure, Viacom was essentially "done" with the park system. They shuffled them off to CBS who wanted nothing to do with them. So the parks weren't getting a lot of corporate support around the time of the re-introduction of WF in 2005. I will say, however, the current CF version of the tree lighting ceremony is entertaining, but doesn't hold a candle to the visual way they did it during the original incarnation in 1982-1992 and then again in 2005. When the switch was thrown - by Santa - a sparkling rocket shot from the end of the fountains all the way to the top of the tower. The star then illuminated, then the entire "tree." It was a major "oooooh ahhhhh" effect.
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HoliWood Nights 2022 will have limited capacity
Shaggy replied to IndyGuy4KI's topic in Other Amusement Parks & Industry News
HW has a long history of trust issues with enthusiasts dating back to the horrible Stark Raven Mad/Tamar Fellner tragedy. I expect that still plays a part in their thought process for these types of events some 20 years later... -
Wow, just WOW. Great idea.
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A couple added notes... The wheel's position was changed when installed at Kings Island. At Cincy's Coney it was perpendicular to the water trough, at KI it was installed parallel. The wheel was "refreshed" when the flume was converted to Wild Thornberry's, it revolved when it reopened in 2001. By 2003 the wheel was stationary and no longer revolved.
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Blueprint under 50th Anniversary Bag hinting at something?
Shaggy replied to KI Fan75's topic in Kings Island
Seems like they've done this before with other merch shots. It actually looks like that bag was photoshopped onto a background. I don't think its meant to be anything other than an artistic decision. I could be wrong, but it would seem strange to me that the merchandise folks would be the first to "tease" anything. More interestingly... if you look closely at the cell phone - you can make out a dimly lit image of the park/ International Fountains. -
Another ride to be fully refreshed for the 2022 season
Shaggy replied to BoddaH1994's topic in Kings Island
...and the little oval mirrors... -
Top Thrill Dragster Incident
Shaggy replied to BoddaH1994's topic in Other Amusement Parks & Industry News
Such a sad incident all the way around. I feel so badly for the victim, but I do take solace that there was no negligence involved. I hope the victim can receive some sort of compensation (both physical and emotional) for this horrible, horrible accident. I suppose the park's attention will now turn to continuation of the ride itself. It is, arguably, Cedar Point's most well known and noteworthy ride. However, even before this incident, it was routinely plagued with extensive downtime. At some point, they have to debate the worthiness of its continued operation. The large plot of land on which it resides is extremely valuable real-estate and could be used for another, new, landmark attraction. I suppose they'll weigh options like putting up safety fencing/netting, or re-routing the queue. However, it wouldn't shock me if they opt to pull the plug altogether. Even with the ODoA findings, it leaves the ride with a huge black cloud looming over it. -
Let's have some fun and share one or two of our memories of our first visit to Kings Island. I was 10... and distinctly recall certain things from my first visit. My parents took me (we lived in Virginia, so I had been to Kings Dominion prior.) Specifically, I remember "The Bat" was new - and at the height of its frustrating issues. (It was like nothing I had seen before - and I was amazed. I am certain I saw it in action, but didn't ride it. ) There was a sandwich board outside the park that said "The Bat will not operate today." However I believe it was actually open part of the day. I remember that because my Dad and I watched it from the midway and then rode the Zodiac to get an over-head look. Later, I saw workers welding track at a joint on one of the supports. So, it may have just been testing - I don't specifically recall seeing people on it - that part is fuzzy. So - now what are yours?
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I believe Scooby's Ghoster Coaster holds the distinction of being #2 on the list of shortest operational lifespan of all the coasters designed for KI. The Bat being #1, of course. (Bavarian Beetle actually operated 1 year less than SGC at KI, however it had a 2-year operational life at Cincinnati's Coney Island prior. Also, like Firehawk, it wasn't uniquely designed for KI.) The irony is, both The Bat and Scooby's Ghoster Coaster featured bat-themed cars - and both fell under the "suspended coaster" design moniker. Caipro had built two outdoor single rail coasters prior for parks in Europe. However SGC was their first foray into the US market - and it was their intention to expand to numerous coasters across America and further develop the single rail technology to larger layouts. That didn't happen. Scooby's Ghoster Coaster was plagued with a huge challenge from the start... it was EXTREMELY low capacity. If memory serves me, it only had 3 cars (each holding a max of 2 riders) Its main capacity issue stemmed from the fact that due to KI's operational requirements, a car could not enter the elevator lift until the preceding car had cleared a sensor located about 3/4 of the way through the course. This meant that waits often surpassed an hour even on slow attendance days. It also required an adult rider for kids that fell under a certain height. I cant recall for sure, but I also think that (at least in the early years) adults could only ride with a child. (I personally did not ride it until I was "sent" to help operate the ride and took a spin after hours.) As others have mentioned, the ride had a very abrupt ending - so much so a trim brake was used near the course's final turn to buffer the speed before the final stop. But in addition to the abrupt ending, the coaster also suffered from a jarring effect as a result of the track style. The track had a "fin rail" welded above and below the tube to help control the swinging of the ride. Much like The Bat, that design caused a left/right jerking sensation when the coaster took an unbanked turn. (There was one 90-degree curve that followed the 270-degree turn off the lift where this was most apparent.) Overall, the ride had a very low rating on a multitude of levels - guest satisfaction, enjoyment, capacity etc. Caipro designed one other "Baflyer" for the US (Spellbreaker at Legoland in CA.) That one lasted only 3 years even though it featured a dual track in order to curb the capacity issues SGC faced. Soon after, Caipro fell bankrupt and was bought out by Vekoma. So replacement parts/repair likely became an issue, and no doubt fed into its demise. In 2001, Kings Island invested in another family suspended... ironically made by Vekoma... so that pretty much made SGC obsolete. I've always heard the rumor that SGC was "stored" for a while at the park, which could be true I suppose, however I never saw it with my own eyes. There are pictures online that claim to be the dis-assembled ride in storage, however none of the ones I saw show the unique tubular track design with the rail fins I described above. I do know, however, that the themed bats from the top of the cars were retained and later sold at an in-house auction. At least two are in the hands of a single collector. Finally, the location of Scooby's Ghoster Coaster is always described as the current location of Snoopy's Surf Dog. This is only partially accurate. The facade/entrance to SGC was where the grassy area in front of Surf Dog now is. There is a round games stand that is still located there - and it sat directly behind and to the side of that. Surf Dogs spike - closest to the main midway - is essentially where the track lived. It's final turn circled what is now the Snoopy's vs Red Baron ride, which at the time was called Dick Dastardly's Bi-Planes. When Nick Universe was added, Boo-Boo's Baggage Claim (kiddie tumble bug) was removed and the Bi-Planes were relocated to that spot and re-themed. Fun fact - Adults constantly hit their heads on the wings of the overhead bats when loading/unloading. So much so, signage was added and ops were required to warn them.
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