CoastersRZ

No, I know that. Islandguide was the site that had an odd url, right? Along the lines of islandguide.8m.cc or something? Besides, Guidetotheisland was run by Shawn Werley, an ACER, so why would you be good friends with an ACER, right !

Are you kidding Ryan? That would be AWESOME if that turns out to be true, and if that`s the case, then I can`t wait for the update!

Yeah, I haven`t been able to find some of those pictures since he took his site offline either. He had some really unique and awesome pictures on there! Its a shame they seem to have dissappeared into oblivion. No, he is not the same guy that did guidetothepoint. Although he patterned his website after that one, even taking part of its name. Unfortunatly, he was not very intent on keeping it around, and it never got a large following. I had emailed him several times before he decided to launch it, and he was hesitant to launch it then. I think he launched the site back in 2001, right around the time the log flume was being renovated. Shortly after i encouraged him to launch it and the site debuted, he shut it down.

I remember that website too. Any one else remember guidetotheisland.com? It was a very short lived website by Sean Werley. It had several unique photos of the park in its early years, including some construction pictures of the Eiffel Tower!

Actually, I believe that any injury that occurs as a result of an injury on an amusement park ride in Ohio is subject to a State of Ohio Department of Agriculture- Rides Safety Division investigation. They are the ones that decide whether a ride is safe to operate in Ohio every year after inspecting it. I know for a fact that they not only inspect the rides, but make sure the ride operators are enforcing the height restrictions, and following all rules and procedures properly. They also check up on the rides paperwork. I was working last summer when one of the state inspectors mad a surprise visit to Coney to check up on the rides` paper work and to observe the operations of the rides. A couple days later, I saw the same guy at The Beast exit, observing things at The Beast.

I`ve thought about going up on Friday after work. But I might take Friday night off, since I have to work at my second job Coney Island, for the last weekend they are open and might be the last time that I will ever work at Coney. (But of course I said that last September when I left Coney!)

I started out on PKIU, and posted almost exclusively there. Then after talking with someone, don`t remember who, they urged me to post more on PKIC. I started to post more on PKIC, but still mostly posted on PKIU. Then around the time of the merger, when PKIU was up for sale, I started posting almost exclusively on PKIC becuase I didn`t know the fate of PKIU. And like Klockster said, my accounts were combined so that my posts from over on PKIU were carried over to my PKIC account. In fact, I had 946 posts on my account before it was merged with my new one. How do I know? Because my old account on PKIC was just Coasterrz, without the s in it, and if you check the fourth page of the top posted list, you will see my old PKIC sn.

Viacom is splitting into two companies. Viacom owns Paramount Pictures and Paramount Parks, although after the split, they will be on both sides of the new company. There will likely not be much change in the licensed rights and access to the Viacom library. I would not anticipate to see more CBS theming, but a continuation of the current Viacom properties, which incluse CBS. There probably won`t be much change in park operations, other than the fact that budgets might increase for capital expenditure (hopefully!)

I have seen Jeff Siebert several times stop and tell people to put out their cigarettes, as well as several ride operators. It is just hard to enforce a rule that is not advertised enough in park, IMO.

Really? Very interesting indeed! Yet another star that will be visiting the park. I too was not able to find anything on the Enquirer`s website to confirm this.

StXstephen, Shake, Rattle and Roll is a Huss Troika, with Troika being the model name of the ride. Originally, when the ride opened back in 1975, it was called the Troika. In fact, the Troika at Cedar Point is known by its model name.

Its a joke. He works at the park, just read his signature.

Well, for years they had a wheel assembly/car mount to one of The Bat cars, sitting in plain site from The Vortex station. It was laying unprotected right next to the footings for the turn into the midcourse break run. Then around 1999 or 2000 they removed it from its location. Others may remember seeing it as well. And no, I`m sure there are no significant parts of The Bat`s train left. I`m not sure what the park did with that piece. They might have moved it to one of the various graveyards.

Glad to hear you had a good time at PKI. Yes, the smoking ban is not enforced very effectively. Perhaps the main flaw though, is that other than the anouncements over the pa system, a mention of the ban in the park map, and in the designated smoking areas, there is no mention of the ban. You have to practically look for the ban to know that it exists. At Holiday World, they have banners all around the park touting it to be smoke free, so guests see the banners wherever they turn, and it makes people more aware. The thing that gets me witht he smoking is the people that insist on smoking in the ride lines (which has been banned for years). It is not like you can easily get away from them smoking when you are in a queue line with people behind you and all around you. Some people need to have some more common courtesy when it comes to things like this!

Actually, as far as plans go, they are probably finalized, with regards to the construction of the Great Wolf Lodge. Construction has already begun, which means building permits have been issued, and all the plans have been approved by Warren County and presumably the city of Mason. I`m sure between building this resort, the new Nick area and Winterfest, the park has other things on their minds currently than a new campground. I`m sure they may be planning to install a new campground (that is why they have repeatedly asked about campgrounds on the surveys). It will just be a matter of time. Look how long it has taken them to prepar for Winterfest. They have been making preparations and doing surveys on it for about the past three years!

Well the fountain conversion is already underway. It was already drained of water this past weekend, and Jeff said crews were beginning to transform it into a winter wonderland ice skating rink!

Doesn`t Son of Beast have a larger track guage, than The Beast and The Racer, making standard PTC trains not fit on its track?

Nice trip report Chef! Glad to hear you had another fun visit to the park with your son and wife!

Not that I know of. Yes, in the summer after 4pm admission was $5.95. Which if you get a hold of a Kroger Plus Card and buy the tickets in advance, equates to about the same price ($6).

Admission for adults is $9, children 12 and under are $6. You can save $3 on adult admission when you buy your tickets in advance at Kroger locations with your Kroger plus card. $9 is cheaper than the ride all day bracelet prices they had in the summer (those were priced at $9.95). They are not issuing wrist bands, but it is simply admission to the grounds, which makes the life of us operators there a lot easier! (I still remember the days when Coney had individual ride tickets along with the wristbands.) I`m hoping to work Scream Machine one day, and then the Ferris Wheel the other day. But if I had to choose, I would choose to run the Wheel.

I didn`t think the lines were that bad on Saturday. But then again, I wasn`t riding the entire time, I was taking part in tours, or back at the picnic grove for lunch. The longest line of the day was about thirty minutes for The Beast, which is not that bad. Towards the end of the night, around 11, the lines thined out in a hurry. IJST`s line was close to fifteen minutes!

I just thought I`d let anyone know who might be interested in stopping by Coney Island that this upcoming weekend is the last weekend that Coney`s classic rides will be in operation for the 2005 season. The hours are from 2-8 on both Saturday and Sunday. Coney, in conjunction with the Cincinnati Horticultural Society is hosting the Fall Flower and Farm Fest. There are plenty of activities besides the rides, with booths, dozens of scarecrows, a spooctacular show in the Lakeside Pavilion, and even candy give aways for all the little trick or treaters. (I saw quite a few kids dressed up in costumes yesterday.) If any one goes, be sure to say hi, as I will be working both days from open until close!

No, even before they redid the brakes, the first train would make it about to the first pltaform on the right. Even today after the new brakes, after it gets warmed up, the first car makes it up to and a little bit past that first platform. Morning rides are always a little sluggish on The Beast until it gets warmed up. I believe Jeff when he says it is now running faster than it has ever run!

I would be against such a system at PKI for FearFest namely because it would be unfair. I can live with the reservation tickets when they are free. It keeps people out of lines, so that they can do other stuff. If you have to pay for it, then it seperates those willing to pay with those unwilling to pay. (Not like any of the lines this past Saturday were really bad, IJST had about a fifteen minute wait around 11! and Circus of Horrors was just barely out of the Festhaus!) With the free distribution of the speedlane tickets, anyone can get them as long as they get them before the park distributes them. It saved a bunch of time on FearStreet for us on Saturday, we waited no more than 5 minutes with our passes!

No problem! When we were using our tickets for Fear Street, there were people complaining in the standby line because they were only letting people in from the speed lane and not the regular line. So, if you wish to do Fear Street, it definantly would be wise to get the speedlane ticket!