Shaggy

"They operated off and on for the 1999 season, but have been closed since then. " Are you positive about that Maestro? I was on Beast's crew in 1999, and distinctly recall on Dry Run day there was a lot of buzz about the Rivertown Side of 'Tiques being closed for good. The Rivertown side never opened on any of the days I worked that season, and the former crews were shuffled off to the other side or transferred to other attractions. I think it's final day of operation may have been the final day of park operation in 1998. Shaggy

Wow.... I really love caustic comments. It is on topic you know.... Shaggy

The voices come from various persons that have worked at/for KI through the years. The female "Ladies and Gentlemen, in just 15 minutes Paramount's Kings Island is proud to present..." voice is that of a professional voice-over artist contracted by Paramount Park's corporate office. She does many of entertainment's various show announcements for most Paramount Parks. As rides have been added through the years, various rides managers have been utilized to record automated speels. Such as Nate, who did record the "Welcome back Son of Beast Riders" speel. Prior to their dismantling, both Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal and King Cobra utilized the same voice of a former Rides Manager for their lift speel... Beast still uses that same voice on lift #2. "Caution... " Jeff Siebert has been doing more and more recordings for the park over the years. His voice can be heard delivering the the no-smoking blurb on newer rides such as Delirium and Son of Beast, and other various rides in Action Zone like Top Gun. His voice also is heard delivering the warning speel on SOB "Son of Beast is a high speed, turbulent roller coaster....." Again, some rides and attractions in the park use professional voice overs for theming purposes. Tomb Raider is a great example. There are several pre-recorded messages used for the que or in case of a shut down. Those feature a female, Laura-Croft esqe voice. Other good examples are: Adventure Express which utilized a voice-over artist to record the themed speels such as "The Transcontinental Express...." Flight of Fear which utilized voice over artists to record the exterior hanger announcements. And who could forget Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle as well as Scooby Doo's Ghoster Coaster which utilize the voice talents of Scott Innes, who is one of the two current official voices of the Scooby Doo characters. As a matter of fact, many of the Nick and HB rides all use speels recorded by the varoius voice-over artists that supply the character's voices for the cartoons themselves. Shaggy

"Well Winterfest was bacically a winter celebration started in '73 (a year after italianchef was born). PKI stated it to be a winter wonerland for years to come, but sadly Winterfest ended in '93 or '94. " Bzzzzzzzzzzt... wrong answer. Kings Island started Winterfest in 1982 and it ran for exactly 10 years until 1992. Winterfest premiered as part of the park's 10th anniversary. The year that the event began was also the same year that the Festhaus opened (as well as Timberwolf Amphitheater which premiered much earlier in the season.) The Festhaus construction was finished just in time for the first Winterfest. Festhaus took the place of the Bavarian Beetle (Schwarzkopf Galaxy coaster) and Rotor (spinning floor-drop ride) which were both former Cincinnati Coney Island rides. These opened with KI but were dismantled and scrapped early in the 1981 season for construction. 1992, the last year that the park operated without the Paramount name, was the final year of the event. When Paramount took over, the concept was deemed as unnecessary and the park felt it's novelty had worn off. Also, the event was not the draw it had once been, and was not a money maker by any means. Admission, if I am not mistaken, was only in the $5-7 range. I distinctly recall attending the last Winterfest simply because at the time Top Gun was under construction. (Well that and the fact that I have never been so cold in all of my life.) Of course you couldn't get anywhere near the coaster construction, however there were coaster parts in the parking lot and the intrigue about the new ride and the new "Paramount" name was quite great. Once Winterfest was discontinued, all props, decorations and even the ice rink refrigeration units were sold or donated to outside sources. Very few rides operated during Winterfest. The event was not about rides, rather it was a themed holiday festival heavy on shows, decorations and crafts. Some indoor rides, and tame rides near International Street did operate through the years. Those included: The Enchanted Voyage, Smurf's Enchanted Voyage, Phantom Theatre (final Winterfest only) Carousel, Kings Island and Miami Valley Railroad, antique cars, and a few HB rides. The Eiffel Tower did not operate. The event did feature horse-drawn carriage and buggy rides though the park. One of the biggest highlights was the infamous "Scrooge's House" where unsuspecting guests were barraged with insults by a mean spirited scrooge puppet. Guests loved it, and it was one of the big draws of the event every year. Scrooge's house was situated just in front of the International Showplace. For Winterfest, KI only utilized International Street HB and a very small portion of Rivertown (train area only) and Octoberfest (Festhaus area only.) All other areas were blocked off from the public. The paths were simply cut off by rows of decorated trees and tall wooden fencing. A bit of trivia about Winterfest: A common misconception is that Kings Island "froze" the International Street Fountains and allowed ice skating on them. This is completely untrue. In all actuality, the fountains had steel scaffolding placed in them and the entire fountain area was covered with sturdy platforms. The ice rink was then constructed on top of the platforms. The platforms had cut out areas where each pedistal resides so skaters "skated around" them. Since the pedistals remained in place, many thought that the park had simply "fozen" the fountains. When in all actuality, the drained fountains lied a few feet below the rink. Also, the skating rink did not stretch the entire length of the fountain area, rather it only took up about 1/2 of the space. You entered the skate rental area at the front of International Street, and because the rink sat on platforms above the fountains, it was parallel with the midway, not sunken down. Another fun bit of trivia about the event... in preperation for Winterfest, PKI had their grounds crew spend day after day hand picking off each and every leaf from all the trees on International Street prior to stringing lights. Shaggy

It's all subjective. Personally, I count it as one... as does PKI. I decided to only count it as one based on the fact that it shares the same overall structure, follows essentially the same path on both sides, and most importantly the name of the ride is singular... not plural. Shaggy

But here's the real question.... is the retraction mechanism on the outside of the train? Beastie's has it's belts adhered to the side of the train and the belt goes through a slot in the side of the car over the passenger. This means that guests have a hard time reaching them, and if the belt retracts too much, it has to be re-threaded back through the slot. Tick tock... tick tock... tick tock.... Shaggy

I'll throw my two cents in.... I also think The Racer has great air! It is my favorite coaster there. as others mentioned... the seatbelts have been added to all Paramount Parks wooden coasters that run PTC trains. This was dictated by PTC and not PKI. Because PTC "strongly recommended" the addition of seatbelts to all parks that run their trains, Paramount was essentially required to do so (insurance.) I expect we will see them on many coasters within other chains as well. This is a direct result of the Holiday World Fatality last year. I personally am not concerned about affected ride, but also am concerned about affected dispatch times. This is another challenge for guests, who seemingly can't think for themselves when they enter a park. I am also hearing that they are retractable belts. Personally I think non-retractable slide belts are a much better option. Beastie's retractables have proven that they tend to jam or get stuck... making it an even bigger challenge to load. Shaggy

The new PKI sign will be unique to PKI. It will not look anything like the PGA, or PCW versions. Much better actually! Shaggy

Jeff worked at Americana then went to work for the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. From there he was hired on at PKI. Shaggy

I would not expect to see the new sign in place until well into the new season. Late June (at the earliest) would be my prediction. Shaggy

Never said that PKI doesn't listen to their guests, I said just the opposite as a matter of fact. But, a survey taken in 2003 does not necessarily mean that the results will be felt in 2004 or 2005 or even 2006 for that matter. It all depends on how it fits into the grander scheme of things, like budget and marketability. I still say that 2005 will be a big year with significant additions, but I am not counting on a large steel coaster that year. It woudl be nice, and a welcome addition, but I am not banking on it at all. The market and industry is dictating otherwise. Shaggy

No, the renderings do not... but the survey never said that the outcome would decide the 2005, 2006 or 2007 ride. PKI, as I understand it, begins preperations and deliberations for new product 3 years in advance. Please note that they surveyed guests in 2002 about a spinning wild-mouse type coaster. That does seem to be an appropriate conveyance device for a ride like the type shown in the renderings. Shaggy

PKI folks did visit Hersheypark this past December. But it wasn't to check out "Stormrunner," the Intamin Rocket coaster..... As far as PKI "wanting to bring the total number of Huss rides to 7", well sorry, but parks... at least not Paramount Parks, do not think that way. They do not look at their rides like a "gotta have this many" collection, rather they add new product based upon guest surveys and interest. They may eventually get another Huss ride, who knows? But it will not be because they want to obtain a certain number of rides from a certain manufacturer. It will be because it fits the direction into which they wish move the park, and fits guest desires. At this point, I firmly believe that 2005 will NOT bring a major coaster addition. Major ride(s), yes, but not major coaster. Now, I am not saying a coaster will not appear. Rather I don't think it will be the big behemouth hyper, giga, rocket ultra coaster enthusiasts have been imagining. I think it will be much more unique than that. If you look at all the pieces of the puzzle, it is not hard to figure out. Let's survey some of the facts.... -PKI has been visiting parks during typical off season months... parks that remain open during the months of November and December. -PKI is entirely re-theming and revamping one of the neediest areas of the park. That comes on the heels of revamping Adventure Village into Action Zone, Nickelodeon Splat City into Nick Central, and a Rivertown facelift. See a trend???? - Including the additions for 2004, PKI has invested tons of capitol $ into HEAVILY THEMED attractions. - PKI is currently surveying passholders/guests about a commercial that is striving to intermingle thoughts of the park with the Paramount Movie Experience. - PKI is branding many of it's attractions with not only movie theming, but theming from other Viacom (parent company) entities as well. Take a look at PKD this year and a major restaraunt change may reveal a bit of the possible future at PKI... PKI is not limited to Paramount Movies alone... CBS shows, TV Land Shows, MTV and VH1 shows are all open game. - PKI surveyed guests/passholder with two renderings of heavily themed attractions recently. Both unique in nature, and idea, but both based on typical rides but immersed in Paramount property theming. Need I say more? Those are just a few of the facts.... now just read between the lines ;-) Shaggy

Well, when I worked at PKI I was trained/worked on... Eiffel Tower King Cobra Adventure Express Viking Fury Racer Vortex Flight of Fear Action Theatre Beast Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal Train King's Mill Log Flume Beastie Scooby's Ghoster Coaster Phantom Theatre White Water Canyon Hand Carts Boo Boo's Baggage Claim etc, etc, etc. I was a permanent crew member of FOF in 98 and Beast in 99. But I was fortunate enough to get transferred around as needed. The best times I had were while working Kings Mill Log Flume and White Water Canyon. IMO the best job at PKI, is tower 3 on WWC. It allows you to vent your frustrations ;-) But the downside to WWC is walking the turntable in the sun. Shaggy

G'day mates! On Friday January 16th, Paramount's Kings Island will host a construction tour for all interested enthusiasts. The tour will take you through what will become the park's Aussie-themed Waterpark, "Boomerang Bay." Many of the slides and buildings are going up at a rapid rate, and this will be a great chance to see the park not only during construction, but during it's winter hibernation as well! Dress warmly, because although it's summer in Australia, it's still winter in Cincy. Interested blokes and sheilas should arrive prior to 10am at Security Post #3. If you are unfamiliar... this is the security booth close to the employee parking lot, next to the Administrative area. Please enter PKI through the employee parking entrance, as the main parking lot entrances will most likely be closed. The tour will begin promptly at 10, so hop to it! John K. Shaggy

For the 25th Anniversary, hopefully PKI will take down those God-forsaken 20th Anniversary banners and sign that have hung in the station since 1999. Sheesh! Shaggy

The commercial includes footage of Carowind's Runaway Reptar which was new this season. Carowind's "Top Gun" inverted coaster is near their Runaway Reptar, so that is what you saw. The parks share "B-roll" footage and call upon each other when they have a need for certain ride footage etc. Obviously what happened was PKI Marketing called up Carowinds and asked if they had good footage of Reptar that they could use in a spot. Carowinds did, and shared it. It keeps PKI from having to unnecessarily pay to film their own. It also works out well because quite a few of the parks have identical rides such as Reptar. Another example? Most Paramount Park commericals that show clips of the kids area feature Taxi Jam... well, the footage they use is of Carowind's version. Bottom line, the Invert you see in the background belongs to another park, and is not a hint of the future at PKI. Shaggy

Had a season pass every year since 1993... when I first moved North from VA. However, I have been attending PKI routinely since 1981. Shaggy

"The things listed above were freak accidents and had nothing to do with the topic of enthusiast groups being known as rule breakers." You totally missed my point. The original poster stated that "Many of the accidents this year have been caused by enthusiasts." My pointing out those few occurances... whether accidents, or freak incidents, or whatever you wish to call them... did not happen at the hands of an enthusiast. Only ONE that I can think of happened because of the poor judgement of a person who was affiliated with an enthusiast group. "The point really is that if someone is going to do something stupid, you can't entrirely be sympathetic towards the individual. " Again, re-read my post. I am not "entirely sympathetic" to the victim. As a matter of fact, I think her actions were idiotic. However, I also am the type of person that does not wish ill on people . Again, I know how harmful this has been to all of those around her and those involved. Do you really feel that if you were given the ability to reverse this tragedy, you would still choose this horrible outcome just because you feel she "deserves it?" I wouldn't. Shaggy

I am only chiming in here, because I feel this thread needs some clarifications. Although I post as Shaggy, my actual name is John Keeter and I am the ACE Regional Rep for Indiana, KY and West Virginia. That covers parks including Holiday World. I was present on the evening of Stark Raven Mad at Holiday World, where Tamar Fellner was killed while riding Raven. I have not (or will not) discuss details the specific incident out of respect for the park and those involved in the horrible tragedy. But I do want to want to clarify a few things.... First... Miss Fellner had only been an ACE member for a very short period of time, and SRM was her first formal coaster riding event. When the tragedy occurred, it was not during the actual ERT, or Stark Raven Mad ride time... it was at the close of the normal operating day, on a train full of regular park guests and occurred before the exclusive enthusiast evening ride sessions began. This is important only because it emphasizes that her actions were not indicative of any actions being taken by enthusiasts around her, or on the ride with her. They were independant actions she undertook herself. Second... The original poster said that "Many of the accidents occuring this year have been from so-called enthusiasts." Completely untrue. I only know of one accident - the Holiday World incident - where an enthusiast was involved. Unfortunately there have been several incidents/accidents at parks this year... but these were not at all enthusiast related. A few examples: A female non-enthuiast died on PKI's Top Gun from a heart attack A female non-enthusiast choked to death on a piece of gum on Raging Bull at SFGAM A female non-enthusiast suffered a heart attack on Hulk at IOA A a male non-enthusiast died when the front car on Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad became seperated and derailed the train... etc. etc. etc. There have also been many instances this season where guests... not just enthusiasts.... have been caught unbuckling seat belts or taking pictures while riding. This is not a new problem. Parks have been dealing with this for many years. But an increase in such actions, as well as the death at HW, has sensitized many parks into watching for any possible troublemakers who may do so. The policing is a good thing and is a much needed precaution. But the point needs to be made that, although a few of those caught breaking rules have been "enthusiasts," many more of them were not. "Enthusiasts" are a target group that parks can threaten or reprimand for the actions of a miniscule amount of their members. By comparison, normal guests who are not familiar with the safety rules and regulations of parks and coasters IMO need to be policed just as much. If not then they need to be policed even more so. Again, it is important to point out that these actions are not indicative of many enthusiasts. Most everyone I have talked to that belongs to ACE is angered and shocked by those that are members and have been caught breaking rules. As a result of the growing concern over enthusiast groups, Holiday World and Cedar Fair have addressed the industry saying that events and ride sessions are in jepordy if attendees do not obey all rules and regulations. IMO that kind of statement goes without saying. However, the parks also need to recognize that this same principle should apply to all groups... not just enthusiasts. If I go to a picnic at HW with a church group or such, my group should be held just as accountable as an enthusiast group... and watched just as closely. Third, I do not agree with the mentality that "If a person is stupid enough to break the rules and get injured and killed, then they deserve it." That kind of a statement not only de-sensitizes the pain that those involved, or in/around the victim feel, but it also thwarts any proactive solution. The fact of the matter is, the poor decision the individual makes hurts others just as much as it does themselves. I don't think Tamar Fellner deserved to die.... but I do feel that she made a very ignorant split second decision that has shocked, harmed, hurt and saddened many. Her friends, her fiance, her family, the Holiday World staff and fellow ACE members/"enthusiasts" have all been negatively impacted by this. She, unfortunately, paid the ultimate price. But I know that if we were all miraculously given the chance to reverse it, then every decent person I know would still want her around to enjoy coasters/parks and more importantly be with her family and friends. Fourth, It is up to clubs and organizations to educate and warn their members about the necessity of obeying rules. But it is also up to parks to educate their guests, but more importantly their staff that ultimately oversees and enforces these policies. I worked at PKI for 2 seasons, and then worked at SFKK for one. The mentality I had to have as a ride op is that I had to "think" for the guests. Guests, not just enthusiasts, try all sorts of things. And to be quite honest, whether or not they had a membership to a coaster club I always had their overall safety in mind and enforced all policies and procedures. A ride is a nothing more than a big piece of machinery... and should be treated just as cautiously and respectfully. Fifth, These stern warnings should not be viewed as warnings exclusive to "enthusiasts" or ACE members only. They hold true for anyone. And anyone caught breaking rules will be dealt with accordingly and on an individual basis. So whether or not you consider/promote yourself as an "enthusiast" or ACE member, you must heed these warnings as a guest. Parks are coming down hard on those that ignore the warnings. Not only are they enforcing park banishments and season pass revokes, but also threatening and pursuing potential jail-time and lawsuits. By addressing enthusiasts and the industry, HW and CF hoped to garner attention to the growing problem. They sure got everyone's attention, that is for sure. But I feel that the bigger picture was missed. The important message to take was that the industry (notably organizations such as ACE) must begin to emphasize the severity of such actions when undertaken by ANY guest, especially those that belong to an enthusiast club that has established codes of conduct. My hope for all of this is that a very important lesson can be learned and that parks and enthusiasts can form a strong bond. A bond that will enable us all to ensure this will not, and cannot happen again. It is not the potential loss of ride sessions, ERT's or special events that I am concerned about... it is the overall misconception that rides are terribly dangerous and that parks have to start screeneing their guests prior to entering the park. Amusement parks are meant to be happy, fun, safe places... so it is up to each of us to help ensure that. Finally, Do not think that these warning only come on the heels of incidents such as loosening of restraints or inappropriate riding actions. Parks, and clubs such as ACE are also fed up with enthusiasts who present themselves or act in dispositional manners that are basically ridiculous and embarassing. There are those who threaten to disrupt events or park operations because of personal conflicts they have with other individuals that have nothing to do with the club or the parks. One such person who often acts in such an absud manner has even responded to this post. Again, these actions are not indicative of the club they may be affiliated with, but ultimately reflect very poorly on the numerous members who refrain from such childish, immature and nutso actions and threats. Remember, that the example each of us (whether a guest or an enthusiast) set while not riding or at a park is just as important as the one we set when riding or at a park. There are lots of eyes on coaster and park message boards, and simple online statements can be seen as threatening and cause reprimands and bannings as well. Bottom line, I challenge each and eveyone... including myself... to put the fun back in going back to any amusement park. The best way to do that is to ensure a positive and safe mentaility when we attend, and present ourselves in a proper manner. As far as Paramount's Kings Island is concerned. PKI has had a rich, and wonderful relationship with enthusiasts over the years. I do not see that diminishing at all. So I think things like the walk-back will definitely continue. However, I do see a continued emphasis on park safety among all of it's guests. Those that act in poor manners will be dealt with appropriately and individually. Shaggy

Actually it wasn't a reference to the Simpsons. I just knew that water drains in the opposite direction below the equator. But none-the-less, it was a joke... and yes, the humor was killed ;-) Shaggy

The wave pool will reamain, just re-themed. The only older attractions leaving the waterpark are the speed slides. There will be new surfaces, but I would not think PKI would use sand. Shaggy

The speed slides will be the only waterlides removed from the former Waterowrks area when it becomes Boomerang Bay. They will be replaced with the new racing slides. Shaggy

First, no one pointed out that the name of the Waterpark was posted improperly in this thread title... it's Boomerang Bay not Beach. ;-) As far as Australian accuracy... it is my understanding that PKI is going to great lengths to make this theming as accurate as possible. For example: -Millions are being spent on a sophisticated water drainage system to make sure that when the water drains it swirls in a counter-clockwise motion. After all, the real Australia is below the equator. - The waterpark will be open during the months of December through February since that is summertime in Australia. It will be closed during the months of June through August since that is winter in Australia. - Olivia Newton John will be on hand to sing "Have you never been mellow" repeatedly all day, everyday. - Authenic Koala poops will be sprinkled along the pavement daily so guest can unexpectedly step on them and experience the earthiness of the continent. - Mel Gibson will re-enact Bravehart on the grassy knoll between the entrance and the wave pool. - All bathing suits must not have snaps, buttons or rivets but they will require a front pouch. - When ordering menu items, guests will be required to order in a true Australian accent. "I'd like some cheese fries please" will not be accepted rather only "CHAYZ FRIZ PLAYS" will be recognized. -The bottom of the wave pool will be filled with razor sharp coral to authenticate the great and deadly coral reefs. - Each lifeguard will be equipped with a didgeridoo instead of a whistle. Extensive music training by aborigines has already begun. Shaggy Who is being completely tougue in cheek here.

"Ecaxtly, The centrifical force of the train coming aorund would make the wood on in thr stucture crack and eventual fall over if the cbles weren't there. It would be even worse if they didn't have them on the helix's!!" No biggie but... That is not centrifical force. That is lateral force. Centrifical force is the movement that counteracts gravity. Shaggy