CoastersRZ

It will be interesting to see how things go at KK this year. Also, for those that don`t know, Craig Ross is a former KI GM as well.

It looks like there will be an official announcement tomorrow morning.

So did Herschend back out at the last moment? Or the half right portion is that there is a deal in place and nobody backed out, they just haven`t announced it yet?

It is probably meant more as a way to put pressure on the state to let them reopen in some form.

I was one of the lucky ones that was able to secure a ride on Son of Beast that Friday night during the pass holder preview day. The passholder preview day was held on April 28th, I believe. The media event was in the morning. The ride didn`t open to pass holders until around 7 or 7:30 if I recall correctly (the park opened to pass holders at 5), due to what we later learned was a rough spot. After that night, it was closed several more weeks before reopening. When it did reopen, it was down to one train operation until end of June/early July. I was also in line for it in early June when a train was stuck on the lift and they had to evacuate the riders. The first drop on Son of Beast was an amazing experience. That combined with the loop made the ride. Once the loop was removed, I didn`t have much of a desire to ride the ride anymore. It was certainly a bold choice. One wonders what the ride would have been like had RMC been around back then and if we would have seen a RMC version of the ride instead of the one created by Werner Stengel and RCCA. Is Stengel still actively involved in the amusement industry? I know his firm is often a consulting firm used by other manufacturers, such as Intamin. Not unlike how Skyline Attractions works with Great Coasters for the layout/design on some of their rides.

So do you think something changed? Deal fell through? Or is it all postulating to draw up discussion?

Just curious, has anyone visited Wild Adventures in Georgia? Curious as to what the experience is at that park compared to Silver Dollar City and Dollywood.

Interesting that they are choosing to open at 11am. Hopefully this is just a temporary thing for this season. I am sure it is to cut down on labor costs.

Didn`t Craig Ross recently leave his roll as president of the Dollywood company to take on a new roll at Herschend Family Entertainment? I often have wondered why Herschend has not really expanded much... So I wonder when something official will be released.

That would be an interesting play for Herschend, if it turns out to be true.

What is wrong with Gemini? I find it to be a very fun and enjoyable ride. Personally, I would rather they remove Rougaru before Gemini. Even with the new floorless trains, that is a ride that I can skip on any visit to Cedar Point.

I will offer some clarity on this issue. Zoning departments are only responsible for reviewing items that maybe on the drawings as they pertain to enforcing the zoning codes of the specific municipality. The building department would review the drawings to ensure that they meet the building code that is applicable in the jurisdiction. Kings Island is in the city of Mason. It used to be in Deerfield years and years ago, but Mason annexed the park from Deerfield. Other than the foundations for rides, I believe that the actual drawings of the coaster fall outside of the review of the local building department. So you unfortunately will not likely find any entire blueprints of rides in the local building department for Kings Island or any other park. Most ride manufacturers, and parks, are highly protective of their designs (for copyright and proprietary reasons) for trade secrets. It is not uncommon for people directly involved on these projects to have to sign NDA. NDA`s are non disclosure agreements. Essentially meaning you agree not to disclose or talk about projects. So in short, you likely will not find any coaster blue prints at a local building department.

While I would tend to agree, there have been bigger surprises. Who say Cedar Fair purchasing the two Schlitterbahn properties? I think some of the Sea World parks could fit rather nicely into the CF portfolio. Especially since it would give them a few more year round operations to keep cash flowing in during the winter months. Given how the pandemic has hit the hospitality industry rather hard, I don`t see CF purchasing any of the Seas parks anytime soon.

Yes, the first drop was amazing. The rest of the ride was just meh. I actually rode Hurricane at Myrtle Beach Pavilion, before it closed, and the trains made their way to Son of Beast. I am glad we got Banshee on the site of Son of Beast. I can`t say that I miss Son of Beast, even with the first drop.

Son of Beast was extremely rough. One of the few coasters that gave me bruises on my thighs from the vibration and shaking that the ride did.

I am eager to be vaccinated. Just have to wait until I am able to get one. I am a 36 year old and do not work in the healthcare field. I might be waiting a while. My sister in law already was vaccinated, my sister who is a RN is going to be vaccinated this week. Hopefully supply increases, and people trust the vaccine. I know of several people that will not get the vaccine because they do not trust it.

Be sure to check out the latest KIC Podcast: Episode 12- KIMVRR: The Early years, with special guest, Denis Larrick (kimv1972) here.

Sad to hear of his passing. Sending condolences to his family. I never made it out to Surf Cincinnati.

https://kicentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Episode-12-KIMV-RR.mp3 Robbie (CoastersRZ) and Brad (IndyGuy4KI) are joined by Denis Larrick (KIMV1972), who worked on the Kings Island and Miami Valley Railroad in 1972 and 1973 at Kings Island. -Highlights include some stories from Dennis`s time running the trains those first two seasons. Please share with us your thoughts on this podcast. Or if you have any additional questions for Dennis. Dennis has contributed several posts in the Amusement Park Railroad thread. If you have not had a chance to read that thread, I strongly encourage you to do so. Especially if you are a rail fan. Thanks again to Denis for being our guest on this podcast. Let us know if you have any thoughts for subjects for future KIC Podcast episodes. Robbie CoastersRZ

I didn`t think the ride was that bad. I have certainly been on coasters that were far less enjoyable. The wild mouse at Lake Winnie comes to mind. My wife and I were wanting off of the ride before it was even over because of the way it was beating us up.

Last I heard, it was sent to South America.

I agree with Indyguy4KI. Update the roof, and maybe get rid of the banners to some digital displays. Also, as others have said, it would be nice if the incorporated the facade structure that they typically build for Haunt and Winterfest into part of the permanant facade of the building.

I still think that a Peanuts themed dark ride would be wonderful. And the area does need an update. Dollywood`s Wildwood Grove is simply amazing.

And from what I understand, Michigan`s Adventure attendance has remained relatively consistent without significant (and costly) capital investment. Why spend money to put in a big new ride, when the park is already making money. Doing so would produce lower profit margins. Also, Michigan`s Adventure is not in a major metro area like Kings Island, Carowinds, or Canada`s Wonderland. The closest large city is Grand Rapids, and the park is about an hour drive away from the city, depending on where in the city you are coming from. The Grand Rapids MSA (metropolitan statistical area) had a population of 1,059,000 as of 2017. The Cincinnati MSA by comparison had 2,114,000 as of the 2010 census. Cedar Fair has been investing some in MiA, just not large scale capital projects. And on the most recent conference calls, Cedar Fair has stated they are going to try and spread out the cadence of large capital projects at their parks for new rides, and try and fill in with more special events, like Grand Carnivale, to drive urgency and visits. Remember, the point is for every dollar invested to make the most money with that dollar. If Cedar Fair only needs to invest $0.10 into Michigan`s Adventure for Camp Snoopy to make $1, why spend $1 if it is still only going to make them $1? That would not be a good return on investment in that case. Yes, I know I oversimplified the situation. I don`t think Cedar Fair is looking to sell off any parks anytime soon.

Thanks for the kind words about the podcast. Wait until you hear the next episode! It will be a real treat!