Shaggy

Ick.... the video is a true reminder of the days of short shorts and tube socks. My, how unfortunately well I recall them... LOL. BTW, worth noting is that "The Bat" only went about 35 MPH. By comparison, Top Gun goes over 50, Italian Job goes over 40. It surprises many to find out that it only rivaled Beastie in terms of speed. (Beastie clocks in at 35 m.p.h.) Actually a better comparison is Adventure Express... it runs around 35 m.p.h. too. Just as with AE, "The Bat" was big on lateral thrills and sharp turns. However a unique feature (that was great for coaster fans but ultimately led to the ride's demise) was the fact that the ride's could not be trimmed. (Meaning with brakes.) Pretty much everyone knows that the brake fins were located on the bottom of the train, which not only caused issues with stopping the train, but eliminated he ability of the park/Arrow to take some of the "Ooooooph" out of the voilent directional changes. (Violent to the train and track, not riders.) With the track overhead, and brake fins underneath, nothing could be done to control the speed oustide of stopping the lifts. The legend of "The Bat" actually far exceeds it's actual operation. Not only in the time it spent at the park, but in thrill as well. In the few years it was an actual operating attraction, it had a downtime of something horrible like 75%. It was indeed a fascinating coaster at the time, but if it existed today, it probably would be considered by most park goers as boring. Side note... "The Bat" is what sparked my personal fascination with Coasters and KI... I was fortunate enough to attend the park the year "The Bat" opened at age 9.... and yes, if you do the math... that makes me 33. Now, do the math again... ironically enough I am indeed the same age as KI. ;-) Shaggy

I think there is a bit of confusion between the two flumes that existed at KI... King's Mill Log Flume (Which opened at KI in 1972) still exists. It was re-furbished and transformed into "The Wild Thornberries River Adventure." It was originally designed by Arrow Development for Cincinnati's Coney Island, and I believe was installed there in 1968. It was then meticulously relocated to KI when CCI closed and KI opened. Later, it was SBNO for 2 seasons at the turn of the millenium while the park pondered what to do with it. With 30 years of operation under it's belt, the ride was wearing out. The park decided to keep it for not only nostalgia's sake, but also so that they could keep a flume operating in the park. (By then, the park was already in initial design/development/preperation for the install of Tomb Raider.) It was refurbished by O.D. Hopkins, re-themed and reopened as part of a Nick Expansion. Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal is gone. It opened in 1973, and was one of 3 (I believe) Arrow Hydroflumes installed in the U.S. The others are located at Hersheypark and Cedar Point. Hershey's Coal Cracker was opened in 1973, the same year as KI's and still operates. Cedar Point's White Water Landing was opened in 1982. However, it was closed following this recent season to be removed for a future attraction.) Here's a link to it's demolition photos: http://www.pointbuzz.com/wwlremove.htm Hydroflumes are different from other typical Arrow Flumes in that they have a dueling drop that has 2 chutes to allow for a greater capacity. They also were designed to allow for larger final drops. KI's had a Drop of 45 feet, I believe, while Hershey's was 49' and CP's was 45'. These hydroflumes are also unique in that you first climb a lift, and most of the course of the ride is raised in the air. Most early flumes reside close to, in, or on the ground. These models also culminated a large drop with a camelback hump at the bottom to cause a weightlessness sensation. These Hydro Flumes also featured (I believe) the first turntable loading stations on a flume ride. Time was not kind to the rides and PKI's was the first to bite the dust. The rides simply have worn out and have seen their day. PKI's in particular became a low interest attraction with a very low ridership. It also was deemed necessary to either refurbish it or remove it for maintenance reasons. Tomb Raider took the place of the Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal. The ride was scrapped.. with only the boats being salvaged. Thus it cannot be re-installed. Shaggy

And it's a slap to all the hard working folks at PKI, let alone other corporate parks, to insinuate that they do not take pride like the folks at Holiday World. I think you'll find that there are just as many, if not more, hard working dedicated people in the corporate world as there are in the Mom and Pop shops. My concern is not whether HW will do their best to take care of any issues they may have with a mega woodie. Of course they will. Rather my concern is that they will discover many more issues exist after it's running. Such was the case will all the other mega woodies. Shaggy

I am personally concerned for HW over Voyage. They will no doubt do the best possible job with the coaster. However, the past has proved that huge wooden coasters just do not wear well and often are uncomfortable with riders. This coaster is on par with SOB, Mean Streak, The Boss, Villain and Shivering Timbers. All of those coasters get labelled as "rough" and have not worn well over time. (Shivering Timbers seemed to start off well, but reviews within the past few seasons have not favored the ride.) Seems that the only mega-structure wooden coaster that has never felt the heat of the "It's too rough" bug is Colossus at Heide Park in Germany. It features the rarely used Intamin steel plug-n-play track that is covered with wood. I believe that the mega woodie currently being built for 2006 at SFGADV is using this technology as well. Shaggy

No, all food at Winterfest will be horrible. Kidding. I guess it depends on whether your taste buds like it or not. Go and give it a try. FOF will not be open. Winterfest does not encompass that area of the park, and all coasters will be winterized prior. Although enclosed, steel coasters do not operate properly in cooler weather/winter months. Shaggy

I've not heard that one before. Are you positive that it was KI? I ask because CP had EXACTLY the same situation with Mantis in 1990's. It was supposed to be called Banshee... with the name, logo and even merchandise all copyrighted and produced. The park actually used it to promote the ride, but then received complaints. Upon researching, the name and logo was changed to Mantis. Rare CP Banshee logos, press material and merchandise items are extremely hard to come by and are very sought after collector's items. Here's the actual timeline of the CP/Banshee change: • On September 8, Cedar Point announced plans for Banshee • On September 13, Due to bad public reaction to the connotation of the name, Cedar Point announced that their new stand-up roller coaster would not be called Banshee. • On November 17, Cedar Point announced their new stand-up roller coaster would be called Mantis. Incedentally, Holiday World had a ride called Banshee for years. It was located in the Halloween section of the park where the Halloswings currently reside. It was a chance Falling Star and HW often teased about it's name in flyers and ads for their former Stark Raven Mad events. Shaggy

It's definitely not cheap. But then, what is cheap these days? I will love Winterfest this year no doubt, however I am very much looking forward to 2006 when not only can you enjoy the event, but have the option of staying at the Great Wolf Lodge. Yet talk about expensive! GWL is by no means a cheap stay. BTW, has enyone seen all the clearing/construction of the lodge area? It's HUGE. Shaggy

Intamin huh? Screamscape is wrong. Shaggy

"and besides I thought the Chinese food was great. " Voban doesn't work well on semi-digested rice, however. ;-) Shaggy

Bingo... and Top Gun construction was already underway, thus Paramount countinued with it. Trivia.... I believe the original name of Top Gun was to be "Raven" ironically enough. Although rumor has it that they were considering using Thunder Road as well. Shaggy

I have to tell you that I am more excited about Winterfest returning than I have been about any other change at PKI in recent years. It's not a good time for coaster-buffs, but the older I get, the more I crave unusual and different experiences. I expect I'll enjoy Winterfest much more as a 33 year old man than I did as a teen or young adult. I'll savor the more memorable experiences such as the decorations and feel...things I paid little attention to long ago. BTW, it was my understanding that Winterfest was intentionally considered to be a 10-year event. Seems like someone in Park Management told me that back when I worked there years ago and questioned it. Non-the-less Winterfest petered out in it's final years. The last year they had it I attended and was greatly underwhelmed. I also remember the great discounted gate price they offered trying to drum up business. Seems like it was only like $5-$7... and even so the park was nearly empty. Holiday events such as this tend to suffer ebss and flows so it's no wonder it bit the dust. I guess we could now question FearFest. I did not attend this year, but I recall in it's first year the place was a mobbed with people. Last year I was amazed at how interest had wained. How well attended was it this season? Shaggy

LOL, I'd like to forget it. Wings is bad. It's surprising to me that Montgomery Inn allows the food to be served using their name. It is not nearly on par with the real Montgomery Inn. Plus, eating it cafeteria style just doesn't mesh. I stopped eating at Wings long ago due to dissatisfaction with the quality of the meal vs the ridiculous price you paid. The theming has little to do with the product. I couldn't care less what the inside of the Diner looked like, it's the food that makes it or breaks it. I have very high hopes for Winterfest. I have a feeling that the event will institute a new regard for the park's food offerings (not counting those by outside contractors such as Skyline/Chick-Fil-A etc.) Did you know that not only are the decor changes in the Festhaus the only significant change, but the kitchens have to be overhauled with new equipment necessary to cook the meals they have planned? Shaggy

Another error in history. Entertainment had always been a priority until Paramount took over. The funny thing was that everyone thought Entertainment was the safe area as "Entertainment" was Paramount's area. Please Point Out What rides disappeared? I politely disagree. Live shows had already cut live band/orchestras and most roving entertainers (clown band) were already gone. Hadn't the Puppet Tree even bitten the dust by then? Rides that disappeared in years prior to Paramount: Bayern Curve, Winnie's Cauldrons, Enchanted Voyage (although replaced) Wheel of Fortune, Tumble Bug, Cuddle Up, Sky Ride, Flying Carpet, Bavarian Beetle, Halley's Comet, Rotor, Zodiac, Flying Dutchman, Gulliver's Rub a Dub Tubs and more... Also not accurate. WAH had always been operated in close realtions with UC and the Cincinnati Zoo. Never an issue with animal populations there. Again I'll disagree since I base my facts on a 1992 article that ran in the Cincinnati Enquirer regarding the Habitat. I'll have to dig it up again... In it's final years I managed to ride and easily recall the lacking amount of animals as the park had already begun to distribute them elswhere away from the park. In and around 1998, I really thought that they were going to run the parks into the ground. It was a very bad, dark time for PKI. Such a shame to, coming off of banner years prior. I'm really not sure where the current operations team came from but it seems like they have some fresh ideas and are making the changes that are necessary. Let's just say that a lot of "old school" folks are no longer. I applaud the current management for recognizing what will make the parks a success and making sure the overall guest experience is given it's proper attention. BTW.... you mentioned the lack of themed costumes. I think we'll see them re-appear in time. Winterfest is a HUGE step back to that type of themeing. Just wait until you see the costumes for those working the event. Shaggy

I stand corrected, I had thought that in latter years it was operated by an outside vendor with a desire to operate during the off-season. Bottom line - the restaurant closed do to the inability to properly operate as a profitable restaurant. They simply could not turn over tables quickly enough due to guests just wanting to sit and sip on drinks for hours rather than actually eat a meal. It had nothing to do with "Paramount" management wanting to close it as some sort of new regime or directive. Shaggy

While my intent is not to get involved in a battle of opinions (everybody's differs... of course...) I do think it's necessary to point out one particular thing. When Paramount assumed the lion's share of stock in the King's parks, the same staff that had been running KI the years prior remained. In other words, all the folks that oversaw landscaping, rides, maintenance, management, HR etc etc etc... were the same as before the buyout. There seems to be this idea that Paramount came in, took over and all new people that didn't know what they were doing took the positions of those that had been operating the park. That's untrue. Basically, the parks were beginning to carry a debt load, and budget cuts were leading to the sacrifice of quality throughout the park in virtually all areas. The latter Carl Linder years (just prior to the Paramount Purchase) were bad ones for all Kings parks. Paramount stepped up and purchased the parks which Linder was quick to unload. Without which, who knows what might have happened. Heck, if Paramount hadn't, then the parks may have become Six Flags parks eventually... need I say more? Paramount Corporate instituted new corporate policies and procedures as well as initiatives among their regional park offices that first year. As with any business when ownership changes, so do the general terms by which it is overseen. However local management was left to operate as they had. IMO Paramount had an uphill battle since so much concern and ability to properly manage the parks had gone by the wayside in preceeding years under Linder ownership. Look at the signs.... it was in the Linder years that rides began to dissapear in the park. It was also duing those years that cutbacks were made to entertainment. It was during those years that the attention to detail/quality began to decline among new attractions. Someone mentioned the Wild Animal Safari/Habitat... well to cite it as an example... it had only a handful animals remaining in it's last year under Linder Management. It had become so inaffective as an attraction that they stopped requiring guests to pay extra, and even so they still couldn't get people to ride. It took a year or two for Paramount to get their footing, but I think that the Paramount buyout brought about a breath of fresh air to the parks. They must have done something right, 1996 was their top attendance year to date. As the 1990's rounded out, I feel that the Corporate Direction of the parks again lost steam. I think that overall the parks were then poorly led by Jane Cooper who was later terminated. IMO, the worst shape that KI has ever been in was during the 1999-2000 season. Poor corporate directive, coupled with poor local management of the park, led to a lagging year with poor decisions, a poor addition, and poor guest experience. Ironically, in that time period, Paramount recognized the issues, and cleaned house of those that lacked the directive the parks needed. Today's PKI is quickly becoming a well oiled machine with overall concern being given to the park and guest experience. The current park management team recognizes what makes the park succeed and they are running with it. Shaggy

It was operated by an outside vendor. When they went belly up, the restaurant closed. Wings, when it used to be a Chicken Diner years ago, used to be operated by an outside vendor as well. The reason that no other outside vendor, nor PKI themselves, has re-opened a sit-down eatery in the International Restaurant space is because the kitchen is extremely outdated. It would require a significant capitol expenditure to bring it to code and/or make it a modern, functional restaurant facility. Shaggy

I'll help clear up some confusion and hopefully answer some questions about the Brady episode. The Episode was shot in the summer of 1973. It is episode #106 of the Brady Bunch entitled “The Cincinnati Kids.†It originally aired during the 5th season (1973-74) on Friday November 23, 1973. Now pay close attention to those dates and you’ll realize something extremely ironic… which I’ll notate below with an *. It was filmed during the second year of operation for King's Island. The Partridge Family had filmed there the year prior, with KI using the Partridge Family theme song to help promote its 1972 grand opening (C’mon Get Happy!) Other than knowing filming/airing dates, visual confirmations of it being KI’s 2nd season during the Brady filming can be seen by viewers. "The Flying Dutchman" ride was in operation, as well as the “Bayern Curve.†Those attractions were added in 1973 along with Kenton's Keelboat Canal (Not shown) and the International Restaurant. (Not shown.) It's widely known among Brady fans that the cast was actually very excited to travel and film at the park. Barry Williams even devoted a chapter in his book "Growing up Brady" to the experience. However, once they arrived, the cast was soured by an onslaught of disgruntled/pushy fans, bad accommodations and eventual banning of ride access. The filming took a week, and towards the end of the shoot, the park had nearly decided to close for the day because of the overwhelming amount of disruption the filming was causing. In addition, cast members were spooked by bad experiences at their Hotel with leering fans, peeping toms and bad rooms. (The Kings Island Inn was the only hotel nearby at the time of filming, so it was easy for fans to know where the cast was staying.) Now, the Partridge Episode was filmed primarily at the Kings Island Inn, so that required only about a 2 half days of filming in the park. However, the Brady Episode prominently featured the park and rides. Because of this, 95% of filming occurred inside King’s Island during actual operating hours. Well, Kings Island marketers got the wise idea to promote it via local media prior to the shoot. This publicity caused an overwhelming amount of guests to show up just to "See the Bradys" and created record attendance days. Unfortunately, the marketing backfired when many guests left angry and complained of interruptions to normal operation at the park. (Remember, The Racer was the only "big" coaster there, and filming on it closed the ride for well over a day!) Imagine going to KI, and not being able to ride ANY big rollercoaster! (The Bavarian Beetle and Scooby Doo coasters were also at the park at this time... but were hardly satisfying to guests.) The episode was developed because Paramount Studios was a shareholder in Taft Properties. And of course most know that Taft owned and operated KI at that time. The shows (Brady and Partridge) were produced by Paramount Studios. Both the park and the studios saw it as a way of promoting the park as a sideline investment. (*As eluded to above, the episode did not air until November, thus promoting the park was really in vain… the park had already closed for the season by the time of the airing.) Ironically, the Hannah Barbera characters were featured in both shows (Mostly the Banana Splits) although HB was its own entity that fell under Taft Broadcasting, yet had no real tie-in to Paramount Pictures. The show's Producers also decided it was a good idea to film there, since sitcoms were finding that "outside/real world" episodes increased ratings and viewership. Fans of the shows loved seeing the Bradys in real places and lived vicariously through them. As a result, the Grand Canyon and Hawaii episodes (which preceded the KI episode in prior seasons) were among favorites of fans of the show. Now, it's true that Robert Reed never rode The Racer. He did not like coasters (or much of anything in general... he was a sour and difficult man...) and claimed amusement attractions made him sick. Thus he is not seen in the coaster footage. Ironically, he was given a line at the end of the episode stating that he thought they should all “ride the rollercoaster again.†Of course he says this nearly being drowned out by the Scooby Doo coaster roaring in the background. LOL Speaking of The Racer… the rumor states that the “falling camera incident†occurred when the camera mount hit an overhead beam. Well, it’s true that the camera did fall off, and it's lucky that the cast was not riding at the time. (Well, depending upon whether you like the Bradys or not… LOL) However, the problem with this theory is The Racer has never had any low lying overhead beams on it! The only time the coaster traverses under any beams is at the finale when it passes by the lift/first drop structure and enters the final brake run (In those days, The Racer had one more bunny hop before the brake run.) The fact is, the camera mount was not secured firmly and the camera dislodged from the mount and fell off the train and to the side due to vibrations. Robert Reed claimed that before they sent it around the first time he took it upon himself to "walk the tracks." He claimed that is was during his own exploration that he noticed there was an obvious overhead obstruction that the camera would hit. This, IMO, is a load of exaggerated crap. Even in those early days, no non-maintenance person would have been allowed to "walk the tracks," let alone a beloved television actor. It's also a slap to those that oversaw the park hinting that they obviously were not aware of the possible obstructions of their own coaster. Finally, for someone that didn't ride coasters, why did Mr. Reed feel the need to be present for filming on the rides? Obviously, it was for his own attention getting/trouble causing purposes. None the less, the scene was shot, no one was hurt, and the final result can be seen on film... backwards. Yes, that's right... what footage of The Racer that you see on the show (from the rider’s perspective) is a reversed image (mirror) of the actual ride. This is a flaw that the show's editors didn't catch. Actually, show editors were not present at the park for filming, so when they edited the footage into the scene, they didn't realize they were inserting the footage upside down. Thus they created the mirror image. The "running the plans to the office" scenes obviously do not make sense to those familiar with the layout of the park. However, the pattern the Brady’s make running the “plans†had little to do with continuity, but a lot to do with the filming schedule. For instance, on certain days, the schedule called for certain actors to be called to certain spots at certain times of the day. I.E. Maureen McCormick and Eve Plumb would be called to be filmed at the Antique Cars, say at 3pm on Wednesday. When that time arrived, not only were the actors filmed riding, but also filmed searching the cars for the “plans,†and also filmed running by the attraction with the “plans†in hand. Etc. etc. etc. The crew would then move to another area or attraction and film all subsequent scenes with subsequent actors in that designated area. The result was the show’s Director collected a random, hodge-podge, mis-match of footage that featured the various characters running past the various rides in the park. Again, the show’s editors aren’t involved with actual shooting and thus didn't go to the park. So when editing, little concern was given to accurately reflecting the park's flow. The untrained eye doesn't even catch it. The trained eye realizes that each grouping of actors run by the various attractions several times and in a random pattern. Another thing that becomes obvious when viewing the episode closely are the variations in the time of day that the scenes were shot. The entire episode is supposed to occur over the course of a day at the park. Well, there’s no consistency with the change in light as the show’s factual time passes. So there are significant changes to the daylight as the show goes on. Pay attention next time and you'll realize that the scenes in Coney Mall were mostly shot late in the day and early in the morning. This was most likely due to the section being the most popular part of the park with the best and biggest rides. So they needed to film without obstructing operation too severely. Example?... The scene with Jan and Marsha exiting the Tumble Bug (When they realize they lost the Yogi Poster) was obviously filmed late in the day. The sun is setting to the West and shining right at them. Heck, the kid exiting behind them even squints because the sun is directly in his eyes. The scene with Bobby and Cindy eating popcorn at a bench on Coney Mall was also filmed late in the day as there is very little sunlight at all. By contrast, the scenes with Greg and Peter on Coney Mall were obviously filmed in the morning as the sun is bright, and overhead. From what I understand, the final days of shooting concentrated on the front of the park. Weather became bad as the week progressed, and in the scene where Carol arrives at the office in with the “plans,†it is actually raining. Although raining, next time notice how neither of the cast members gets wet…. Hmmmmm….?) Similarly, it was overcast when they "viewer's perspective" footage was filmed on Racer. The name of the park was never mentioned verbally on Air. At the episode's start, Mike mentions that he is taking the family to Cincinnati because his firm has plans for a new area for a big amusement park there. (“Cincinnati?†Well, that’s the Brady’s response… and rightfully so, because the park is actually 20 miles outside Cincinnati… so Dad lied. LOL) However, the name of the park was shown, briefly, when footage shows the park for the first time. Outside the main entrance, you see a King's Island Inn bus pull up with signage on its side, as well as topiary shrubbery trimmed to say "Kings Island." The name is briefly visible on the front of a flume boat, but very briefly. The only other time the park name is featured is at the end, during the show’s credits. Part of this obvious desire to not prominently advertise the park came from the shows producers and network censors. In that day, they frowned upon blatant product endorsement during shows. (My how the times have changed!) But the Producers likely frowned as well, because they didn't get compensated by Taft/KI and felt no need to give more credit to the park than necessary. Current airings of the episode are always missing scenes/footage. When "The Brady Bunch" first aired, episodes featured nearly 27 minutes of show time and around 3 minutes of commercial time. On today's TV, half hour shows consist of 22-23 minutes of show and 7-8 minutes of commercial time. Thus many older shows are trimmed of excess footage when they go to syndication. Heck, even the Pop-Up Video version of the show is missing footage. Among the scenes that often get cut from this episode is: - Alice speaking French and then pointing out the Eiffel Tower. - Carol and Alice riding the Flying Carpet Slides in Coney Mall - Carol and Alice riding the Wheel of Fortune - The verbal exchange that Carol and Mike have with the Lost and Found attendee - Marsha and Jan paddling the canoes - Bobby and Cindy eating various sweets. However, scenes/footage deleted depends on what network is airing it. For instance, if you see the episode on Nick at Nite, it may show some scenes/footage that an airing on TV Land or VH1 does not. The good news is the DVD collection will likely feature the episode in its entirety. Speaking of the Pop-Up version.... did you know that Jeffrey Siebert was the one who sent factoids to the VH1 folks compiling the show? VH1 is of course, owned by Viacom, that owns Paramount Studios (Brady Bunch Producers) and Viacom also owns Paramount Parks (King's Island owners.) So you could say that a bit of nepotism was involved. ;-) Here's an interesting tid-bit that someone alluded to in an earlier post... Why was Marcia Always sitting in front of Jan or closer to the camera while on the rides? Well, simply because she was the most popular girl cast member. Who was the most popular boy? No, not Greg! It was Peter. Thus in final seasons, Peter and Marcia got good airtime, and scenes were written to feature them. During this season, Maureen McCormick and Chris Knight (Marcia and Peter) even released a record album much to their teen fan's delight. I mentioned Greg... well; I had the pleasure of meeting Barry Williams (Greg) some time back and had an exchange with him about the park. He thrived at talking about his memories of Kings Island and really lit up about it (obviously because he gets tired of the same old Brady questions.) Sadly, neither he nor any of the other Brady cast members have been back to the park since the filming. It’s not out of anger or protest, rather they just have not had the opportunity. Barry recalls the park fondly, and does hope to revisit it sometime. He is a coaster lover and actually still rides them and visits parks as he travels. Finally, here's some fun and interesting things to pay attention to when watching the episode: -In those days, Coney Mall ended where the High Striker game is currently located. Halley's Comet was positioned there and can be seen in the episode. The park expanded Coney Mall just a few seasons following this episode. -The board room featured in the episode is an actual boardroom at the park. However contrary to popular belief, it is not the one in the International Restaurant facility. It is in the administrative building and its decor remains in tact today just as shown in the Brady Episode. - The Enchanted Voyage can be seen although HB Land was not used in any of the filming. If you look closely as Marcia and Jan are running with the plans, you can see the giant TV Set Facade in the background. - Of course the Football Toss game is still present at the park, but notice the difference in the size of the hole. The hole you must toss through today is only about 2/3 the size of the one in the episode. In other words, they made it harder for guests to win. - As Greg and Peter run down International Street, pay attention to the front of the shops. The midway was much more narrow then with "yards" and street-scaping in front of the shops. The park later removed the landscaped areas to help de-congest the walking path and eliminate the amount of "accident" guests were having. (Guests would often not pay attention and trip or fall over protruding curbs this resulted in twisted ankles and broken legs… and lawsuits.) - The Gingko Trees that lined Coney Mall (that were uprooted and moved from Cincinnati's Coney Island) were still being meticulously trimmed in their cylindrical shape then. The park has since lost many of the trees and the landscapers ultimately stopped shaping the trees in order to save the few remaining. - The music in the episode included Carousel Band organ music. And yes, it was recorded from the KI Carousel. Depending on the day, and what reel they have in, you can still occasionally hear the song used in the Brady episode playing on the PKI Carousel. Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did typing it. I could go on and one pin-pointing other fun facts, but frankly my fingers are tired of typing. LOL Shaggy

There's more than even many PKI afficianados realize. I contantly find out new info about artifacts etc at PKI that I simply overlook. A good example... many of the chandeliers came from Coney Island... namely the one in an International Street Shop. From what I recall, it is an antique worth tens of thousands of dollars. It's been a while since I have seen it since I rarely go in the shops... but I assume it's still there. I even forget which shop it's in.. maybe the Nick shop? Of late, I have been intrigued by the Don Quixote (sp?) statue on International Street. It was a sculpture commissoned by the park for the opening. I'd love to know who made it.. how it came to be etc. But give me time and I will learn more. ;-) Shaggy

My guess....? From the current SDGC area, extending towards the (current) Adam Ant's Airway ride. Shaggy

Upcharging for such things is a common occurance at most places that offer Winter events. Every Zoo I can think of (that holds winter events and feature ice skating) charge extra for it. Winterfest always featured skating on the fountains... and always charged extra for it. Shaggy

I doubt you see the Nick Theming extend past where Nick/HB currently ends. I do expect to see the Rivertown Bathrooms being converted to Nick Theming. Actually, I would suspect that one of the Nick rides is going in right beside it... right about where the Nick Central Sign is now. Heck they've already removed signage from the blue fence in that area... which is pretty telling. On the opposite side of the area, I expect that you will not see theming for Nick begin until you pass Scooby's Haunted Castle. I also expect that in the Midway area in between it, Pixie and Dixie's Swingset, Astro Orbitors, and the Scooby Photo area will have a large sign or such and the are will extend on back past that. That way they have keep SDATHC in tact without upsetting the Nick people who are likely involved in the project. A birdie told me that the Astro Orbitors, Boo Boo's Baggage and the Hand Carts (All original rides from old Coney Island park) will bite the dust. So in the course of 2 years PKI will have lost 5 original attractions. Also expected to meet it's maker is the afore-mentioned Scooby's Ghoster Coaster. I would suspect that all removed rides (with the exception of the Orbitors) be stored for possible future use. Construction will likely begin soon, during Winterfest, with the attractions in the wooded area behind Ghoster Coaster sealed off. Look for trees around Beastie to be thinned and a ride inserted in-between Boulder Bumpers and The Beastie exit. Also look for the "rock" facade of Boulder Bumpers to dissapear and Beasite to not only lose it's name... but it's color scheme as well. Can you say fuscia? I am expecting that the area will receive a drastic overhaul with most, if not all smaller theming elements to be changed... down to the benches and lamp-posts. It will be a large area with wider midways and better flow. (No dead ends) It will likely be broken into segmented areas... Dora rides over there, Jimmy Nuetron rides over here etc. etc. etc. Mostly I think they will work hard to clear the area of that "Hodge Podge" feel it's had for sometime. Shaggy

Trust me on this... it's not a Mack. Shaggy

Because it's a prototype product of another ride manufacturer. Shaggy

FYI... for Winterfest, the entire Festhaus is being overhauled. The screens are gone, and the old "Bavarian" theming hidden for years by facades is being revealed/refreshed/repainted. Included in this is a restoration of the magnificent stained glass window that has been hidden from view for years. It's an antique window that was once part of an extremely old Cincinnati Mansion and installed in the Festhause when it was built. In addition, all banners and additional lighting "sconces" are being added. Shaggy

Skating will be an additional charge... probably in the neighborhood of $7. Skate rental will likely be an additional $3. The skating on the fountain is being produced by an outside vendor... so they are upcharging to cover their costs. Shaggy