CoastersRZ

It was a fun time yesterday. Things got a little busy in the afternoon and evening. I didn't ever figure out exactly what was in the time capsule. The memorabilia display was really cool, although I didn't check it out that much. I will say they had security positioned at it all day. The fireworks were short, buy awesome, as Rozzis always are. I got a nice view of them from the Bumper boat dock (which is still closed btw), just another perk of being a manager. The weather today forces Coney to close at 5 instead of 9!

Excited to see Graveyard shift come back. Although it will be interesting to see how the change of venue from the Kings Island Theater to the Festhaus will affect the show. I`m kind of glad Hot Blooded is back for a third season. I think the show is great, and I still like that water effect!

Well, I have witnessed a long back up at the south gates this year. I went on a Friday evening back in early May. I arrived around 5:15 and proceeded to be greeted by a long back up. The reason? They had only two people stationed out there, and one of them was having computer issues and thus could not scan passes. I understand about having computer issues, but only having two people out there to begin with was a little unreasonable.

News article posted on the 125th celebrations: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110616/NEWS01/106170316/Coney-hosts-125th-birthday-party?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE Additionally, Sunlite Pool will remain open until 9pm this Saturday! Additionally, admission after 4pm is just $5.95 per person for rides or Sunlite Pool. A combo ticket will be $9.95 after 4pm. Not a bad deal, considering the longer hours the park is open, and the festivities. In addition to free birthday cake (while supplies last) there will be free hot dogs from John Morrell from 4-7pm near Lakeside Pavilion, and free chicken sandwichs from Chik Fil A from 4:30 to 6:30 near Lakeside Pavilion. So what better way to spend a Saturday? And in case you were wondering what the oldest amusement parks in the country are, here they are: Lake Compounce, Bristol, Conn., 1846 Dorney Park, Allentown, Pa., 1860 Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, 1870 Idlewild Park, Ligonier, Pa., 1878 Seabreeze Amusement Park, Rochester, N.Y., 1879 Coney Island, Cincinnati, 1886 I`ll be working the middle shift as rides manager on Saturday, but plan to see the memoribilia display and catch the fireworks on Saturday. Hope to see some of you there.

I wouldn`t count on seeing the Eiffel Tower repainted. It was just painted back in 2005. (Although, since I`ve been at Coney, the helicopters have now been painted three times since I`ve been there (three times in ten years), while my favorite ride to run, the Eli Bridge Ferris Wheel has not been painted once...)

I certainly can`t wait to take this ride for a spin at Kings Island! Especially at night! I`m really excited to ride it. Hopefully it opens within the next two days. (My Saturday is busy with working down at Coney and checking out their 125th anniversary festivities in the evening).

Yes. Originally, KECO owned KI, but when Lindner acquired KECO, he kept KECO around to manage KI. The last season, he announced that he would be selling KECO, and not KI, and that KI would no longer be managed by KECO. But then of course Paramount bought the parks including KI. Had CBS lasted longer owning the Paramount Parks, they could have given Lindner`s care of the park (or lack thereof) a run for its money.

Its not just PTC trains that are like that. The trains like Diamondback are called articulated. Essentially, two cars share the same wheel assembly (like in the Diamondback illustration). The wheel assembly acts as the front wheels for one car, while simultaneously serving as the back wheels for another car. This necessitates a lead "zero" car either in front of the train or the back of the train. Flight of Fear and Backlot are not set up like this (neither is Adventure Express). There, each car has a front and back set of wheels. Millenium Flyers, Timberliners most Vekoma, B&M and Intamin creations all have the "zero" cars.

Per request, here is the link: http://www.cedarfair.com/ir/press_releases/index.cfm?current_root=15&mode=story&story_id=308

I`m not sure how I would feel if Coney were to be owned by the owners of RD. Remember, originally, the race track was developed by Coney`s owners. But problems amid gambling issues forced the owners to quietly separate themselves from the track. As it is now, Coney is owned by a single owner, the wife of the late Ronald Walker. The Walker`s have owned Coney since 1991, so for twenty years, which is quite a long time.

I`d say do not expect it to open this weekend. That just seems a little unlikely to me, but stranger things have happened.

A new feature has been added to Coney Island Central, detailing the 125th anniversary of Coney Island. Check it out here: http://www.coneyislandcentral.com/125_anniversary.php Additionally, scores of new historical photos (more than 50!) have been added to the historical galleries on Coney Island Central. Check them out here: http://www.coneyislandcentral.com/photo/index.php?cat=35 And finally, the official 125th anniversary celebration at Coney will occur one week from this Saturday, on June 18th. Some highlights planned for that day include: -After 4pm Super special pricing: Sunlite Pool $5.95 per person, classic rides $5.95 per person, or Pool and Rides Combo ticket of $9.95 per person! -Q102 will be live from 6-9pm, and will be giving away hundreds of birthday prizes. -$1.25 concessions specials all day long -Free Hot Dogs from John Morrell from 4-7pm near Lakeside Pavilion -Complimentary birthday cake, while supplies last. -Historical Memoribilia display inside Lakeside pavilion, including the Centennial Time Capsule items -Coney`s rides will stay open until 10pm, and Sunlite Pool will stay open until 9pm (the pool area will remain open for fireworks viewing). -At 10pm, Rozzi`s Famous Fireworks will celebrate the event with a spectacular fireworks display over the banks of Lake Como. Enjoy the updates, and I might see some of you on the 18th if you can make it out. I don`t know if I will be a manager that evening or not yet. I kind of hope I`m not... I`d like to see the historical stuff in Moonlite Pavilion.

I know that when I came into work on Sunday afternoon, there was quite the crowd in the gate one lot. (I had to park pretty far out). The rides were open until 8pm (the ones that weren`t closed for Summerfair), so I actually didn`t end up leaving until close to 9pm. I will definitely be working late shift on July 3rd. That is one of Coney`s biggest days of the season!

There are reasons behind why it is closed. But you won`t catch me talking about those reasons. So how did you enjoy the park? What was your overall impression?

I`m just kind of surprised that his resignation is effective so soon. Ie, in about two weeks!

And if you noticed the very last part of that article.

If I`m not mistaken, that field in the picture in question is not far from the fireworks launching pad area.

But would such a dive coaster have such awesome fog setting like what we experienced back in December at Busch Gardens? That was still an awesome ride experience. Just you and I on the trains for Sheik`Ra, Myself on one end, you on the other, and the park in a thick fog.

How tall have the GCI coasters that Cedar Fair has recently installed been?

Yep. In fact, when we opened the rides for a few hours on May 21st, there was still no fence around the ride. We had to staff someone at the ride to keep people from climbing on the swings. It now has a fence, I just don`t have a picture of the ride with the fence...

The ride is geared towards kids. The current height requirement on it is 32" tall to ride, and riders MUST be 4 or older to ride. Currently, there is no upper height limit on the ride, but there likely will be one put in place in the coming weeks. We had a lot of issues of people riding who could fit in the swings but there feet were dragging the ground. The ride is manufactured by SBF/ Visa group, the same company that built River Runner at Coney. And when Krazy City was open here in Cincinnati, their swing ride was also made by SBF/Visa.

Summerfair returns to Coney Island for its 44th season this weekend, June 3, 4, and 5th. Please note, however, that due to Summerfair, certain rides at Coney will be CLOSED on Saturday and Sunday. The following attractions will NOT open this coming weekend: Dodgems, Famous Fairways Mini Golf, Giant Slide, Tilt A Whirl, Scream Machine, Carousel, and the new Swing A Round Ride.

Just as a heads up, Coney`s rides WILL be open to 10pm that evening. And there will be complimentary birthday cake (while supplies last). Additionally, historical memorabilia will be on display in Moonlite Pavilion, the Centennial time capsule will be unveiled, and there will be live music. And the big cap off to the evening, is the firework`s display from Rozzi`s Famous Fireworks at 10pm over the shores of Lake Como. All festivities are free to attend. Normal parking, rides and Sunlite Pool rates apply. Also, note that if you enter through gate 1 to park that day (the parking entrance closest to I-275), that it will close to traffic at 9:45 until the conclusion of the fireworks. No vehicles will be able to leave that lot in that time frame.

But, as is always the case, that is subject to change, depending on a whole variety of variables.

That would be a safe guess. I`m not sure though. Since you will be there to ride the rides too. I will end up being at Coney tomorrow for a few hours. Have to finish next weekend`s schedule, since I was unable to finish it today... So many things were going on today that prevented me from doing it. For those who will be swinging by tomorrow, Bumper Boats will NOT be open tomorrow. They are making some modifications to the new dock that they made last year, and they are not yet done with those modifications.