CoastersRZ

Some of the young kids around here may not have ever seen one of those devices operating in person before! Back when I was a kid, I would listen to some records on our record player. I even had a "Captain Zoom" record, where he would sing happy birthday to me (and say my name on it, which I thought at the time was totally cool). I also remember a time when walkman`s were all the rage for cassette tapes. With those you had to use the fast forward buttons and hope you held it long enough to get to the next song, otherwise the rewind button would have to be used. My how technology has changed such a simple task like listening to music. Not to mention many other things in our lives.

Amusement parks are a capital intensive venture. In order to secure repeat visitors to keep money coming in, parks have to continue to invest in the parks to give the locals a reason to continue to come back year after year.

Well it will be interesting to see how the 2009 season unfolds, that is for sure. It is also a scary time to be graduating from grad school and looking for an architectural full time job! But that is a whole other story.

And keep in mind that Delta just announced that they are lowering airfares out of the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport.

It couldn`t have been the early 90`s. KI firs launched a website in 1996 I believe. And it was very rudimentary. But right around 2000 and 2001 they did have some ride videos on their website. They also had a webcam back then. I know they had it pointed at Runaway Reptar and the log flume when those were under construction prior to the start of the 2001 season.

Uh, Mr. Chef, we already know that several shows from 2008 are returning in 2009. Endless Summer on Ice, County Line, and Flashback: Totally 80`s are all coming back. In addition, there will be a new show in the Festhaus replacing Girl`s Night Out, a new show on the Bandstand replacing Hot Island Rhythms, and a new show in the Nickelodeon Theater replacing Dora`s Sing Along.

As was stated before, they have used the International Restaurant last year for the morning character breakfasts. I would look for that to continue. I would not look for the IR to become a restaurant like a Fridays or full service table restaurant anytime soon though. The only elevator that services the second floor is located in the kitchen area. But for having small events like the character breakfasts, it is a perfect location with a great view of International Street.

Actually, you haven`t always said that. You probably heard me say something similar. I`ve quoted this person before in the forums, on more than one occasion. To quote legendary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, "There is nothing more uncommon that common sense."

They were painted I believe as recently as 2004 for The Beast`s 25th anniversary, if I recall correctly.

Wow. Not only did I miss the Super Bowl Commercial, but I also missed that thread! Which is a little shocking, considering how much I`m on here!

I didn`t even think of The Beast paw prints. But now that you mention it, that would add a classic element back to the park, and cost a trivial amount of money (albeit more than a few nickels). Not to mention that this is The Beast will be 30 years old this year, and still the longest wooden roller coaster in the world after all these years!

Well, considering that there is a new show in the Festhaus this year (replacing Girls Night Out from last year), I would not look for this to be a new show in the Festhaus. I think it is safe to say that this "new" thing is not a capital expenditure project (ie new rides). My guess would be some sort of live entertainment perhaps? Something other than a live show? Or maybe a parade? Or what about a table service food in Wings instead of all you can eat? Or what about a series of concerts beyond just the Spirit Song lineup at Timberwolf? There are lots of possibilities. And I would not count on Nick going any where in 2009 at Kings Island. Don`t read too much into this. Good grief!

Yep. Most of them were slightly surprised that overall capital expenditures has not increased that much since the Paramount Parks have been integrated into the mix. 2009`s numbers were particularly lower (as has been discussed in other threads), in part because Great America`s coaster that was planned for this year has been postponed due to zoning issues and complaints from neighbors.

Ok. I`m curious. How did you win these free tickets?

Especially considering the fact that by all indications, Cedar Point is not getting any major additions this year. 2010 will mark three years since Cedar Point got its last major capital expansion project. And I`m sure part of the plans for 2010 will depend on how the economy is looking as 2009 marches along.

The ventilation system now turns over all the air in the indoor water park three times every hour, or once every twenty minutes. In addition, there are return air ducts that are located a few feet below the floor level. The return air ducts are used to recover the air with the chloramines and remove it from the indoor atmosphere. It takes six large air handlers (like the size of semis) to clean and turn over the air within the resort three times an hour!

First of all Frank, I was referring to the fact that you were implying that you wanted to discuss future attractions and additions down the road, as GigaCoaster linked to. Secondly, the upper level management probably has already or is discussing what is in store in 2010 and beyond. A lot of work goes into planning these attractions. Just look at the fact that work was evident on Diamondback by opening day 2008, more than a full year before the ride was set to open. And not every year needs to bring in a new attraction to keep the park fresh for repeat visitors. Just look at this past season. The park hosted several special events to attract people to the park.

This is something that a LOT of people have been wanting to see from Delta for a LONG time. Why has Cincinnati had these high fares for so long? Because Delta is the only dominant carrier that flies out of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. In fact, when I was planning my September trip to Florida in August, it was actually CHEAPER for me to drive to Dayton, catch a small flight from Dayton to Cincinnati and then fly down to Orlando than it was just to fly the Cincinnati Orlando flight. Even though the Dayton option utilized the same exact flight down to Orlando, it was cheaper! I ultimately ended up biting the bullet and going with the expensive direct flight out of Cincinnati to save time, and I didn`t want to have to drive up to Dayton and pay to park the car for five days.

Or it could be related to work on landscaping around the splash down area. I would imagine that they will be resurfacing at least part of the midways in Rivertown as well.

And the reason for that is that only park employees should be changing the signs...

How is the line crossing under the lift any different today than it was when King Cobra was installed? Keeping in mind that several portions of Diamondback, including the first drip, cross right over midways, and The Crypt`s queue and exit area.

Well, it should be noted that at the end of last season, Son of Beast actually sported one of these approximate wait time signs... The only issue is that the signs are approximates, and therefore the actual wait time could vary. They are not as accurate as Disney`s wait time signs. For those, they actually give guests cards that are scanned when they enter the line. They are then scanned when they get to the actual ride, updating the ride wait times using real information, not just approximations.

I believe that the S&S prototype was modified and because Hypersonic. And I don`t care what you say, getting launched from a standstill to 120+ miles an hour in a matter of seconds is quite an experience!

Those of you who were able to ride King Cobra would know that the entrance line crossed under the lift hill, immediately adjacent to the lift motor, before reaching the main queue area.

How about lets get Diamondback open and enjoy it before we start talking about investing in the future? Diamondback is one of the largest coaster installations in the park`s history, behind The Beast. It will surely be a sensational hit. No need to wish your life away just yet talking about future investments when Diamondback isn`t even open yet.