CoastersRZ

Footers have to be poured at least a week in advance to allow the concrete to cure enough to be able to accept the loads that the steel will place on it. Just look at Delirium. They poured the footers for it in September and didn`t put anything else on those footers until January. I would imagine that they have started pouring footers by now, besides, wasn`t support and/or track supposed to start showing up this month?

Yep I got it too. A nice little holiday animation!

They probably wanted to keep the Antique Cars open as long as possible before they closed them to start construction. Also, the first couple of weekends the park is open is usually season pass holders any way. Granted, there are some GP with general admission tickets then, but most of the GP doesn`t buy general admission tickets until May when the weather is a little nicer. I`m sure the park wanted to have it open by opening day, but there was probably some underlying reason why they couldn`t. As far as I know, the park hasn`t officially commented on when IJST will open, so who knows.

Well that is a terrible opinion to have of a ride before you even experiene it. At least it is a roller coaster, with IMO, a theme that can make a very thrilling and fun ride. It will not be just about the speed of the ride, but the story that surrounds the ride. I for one am looking forward to my first spin on IJST!

Wait, didn`t PKI suspend the rule about making guests walk all the way around if there was no line. I know it used to be a rule, but I thought they dismissed the rule a couple of years ago. At Coney, we didn`t have a specific rule saying you had to walk around on the coaster. But often we did, because with only six people per train, there was often a line or people on the way to the line. Although I remember letting people stay on about four times one night before we closed.

Pirate of PKI, this thread, as I just found out is your favorite memory from the 2004 season. UncleHenry, the reason I had posted what I did and not my memory from `04 was because I glanced at the title and missed the part about `04 and since you didn`t mention that part in your post, I posted my favorite memory of PKI all time. No biggie, sorry for being off topic.

Opps, I missed the `04 part. My favorite memory of `04 was my final ride on the Eagles. It was a night ride on the second weekend in October. I snapped the thing like I never have snapped before. I remember the two kids behind me saying "Holy Crap. Did you see that guy he was all over the place and shaking the entire ride. How did he do that?" That is a memory that will stay with me forever.

Why would you want to have a Zamperla flying coaster like the one at Wonderland? From all the reports I`ve heard, it is a rough, boring ride. I would rather have a B&M flying, even a Vekoma flying coaster than a Zamperla model. Not to mention that capacity on the Zamperla model is really low.

Son of Beast is still the world`s tallest wooden coaster at 218' and it also has the tallest drop on a wooden coaster at 214'. Additionally, it is the fastest wooden coaster in the world at 78.383 miles per hour. And finally, Son of Beast is the world`s only looping wooden roller coaster. I also remember hearing a while back that SoB was the tallest timber frame structure in the world, or something similar to that but can`t quite remember what that was about.

Yeah, I admit, that there are some other good wooden coasters out there that can compete with The Beast. Personally, I liked the Tornado at Stricker`s Grove. That thing has some serious ejector air in a couple of the seats like I`ve never felt on a wooden coaster before. I still have yet to make it out to Holiday World to ride their rides. After all the different coasters I`ve riden, (I`ve been on 67) I still rank The Beast as one of my favorite wooden coasters. Although after riding 67, the best one is hard to exactly pin down. As far as SoB goes, I used to like it, but last season every time I rode it I walked off with a headache or not wanting to ride any more rides in the park and just go home. That really isn`t a feeling I want to feel after I ride a ride. Even when I was in seat 1-2 it wasn`t much better.

Personally, if and when PKI gets a B&M coaster, I sincerly hope that it is not a floorless. I rode Batman Knight Flight up at SFWoA (now Dominator and Guaga Lake) in 2002. I was not that impressed with the ride. Yeah, it was a fun ride, and I would be happy if PKI did get one, but I would rather PKI get an inverted coaster from B&M.

Uncle Henry, you can have your opinion. But I personally think that The Beast is a wonderful wooden coaster. It is my number one coaster, in part because it is so unique from other wooden coasters. The other thing I like about The Beast is that the ride speeds through the 35 acres of woods that it sits on, away from the park. I also like that there are underground tunnels. To each their own though.

Flight of Fear has been reliable. After the kinks were worked out the first season (it and its twin at PKD were the first coasters to use LIMS) it has been reliable ever since, minus small technical difficulties that occur on any ride. I belive IJST will be a reliable ride. Since it is a new ride, and will be synchronized to the special effects, there will inevitably be times this season when the ride is closed, but overall I think IJST will be a very reliable ride. I do not think a B&M coaster would have worked with the Italian Job theme that Paramount wanted. I believe the design by Premier works, although i do wish the trains held more than just 12 people each.

Why is everyone saying IJST will be small? It is supposed to be arounf 3,000 feet long. While it may not have any big hills or have a very high top speed just look at the estimated length of track. 3,000 feet is longer than Top Gun. While it may not be high on the intensity meter, it will certainly make up for in excitement, and I`m sure it will be a fun ride to ride again and again, as long as the theming is maintained. I honestly hope the `Tiques make a return in 2006, in Nick or not. A new mega flat ride would be nice as well! Only time will tell what the park has in store for the future. In the meantime, I look forward to experienced IJST in the spring.

I think it is safe to say that the Carousel will not be going anywhere anytime soon. Why? Because all the other Paramount Parks already have a Carousel. While the removal of the Flying Eagles did shock me (I didn`t think they would remove them but relocate them), I believe Paramount is smart enough to keep the classic carousel. The day PKI removes their carousel is the day the true heart of PKI also dies!

I wouldn`t necesswarily hope that the history thing would be a show. More like the Paramount Story, a walk through in which you can leisurely stroll throught the area and see pictures, facts and artifacts from the past. In fact, the Paramount Story would be a wondeful place for something like that.

From what I have been hearing, FearFest next year might be scaled back a little bit, or shortened in length when compared to this year. The word on the street is that next winter could be the year Winterfest finally returns. The reason for the shortened FearFest would be to allow for preparations for Winterfest to occur. I just hope that if it does occur, that season pass holders get free admission or a good disount to it. Regardless of there being any coaster open, it would be nice to be able to stroll along the paths at PKI and at least ride a ride or two like the Carousel or Scooby.

Yeah, I think an area with a lilttle history of PKI and images of the past coould be popular with guests. I don`t forsee it happening anytime soon though.

I do know that PKI added seatbelts to their Scrambler a couple of years ago after someone was killed on a Scrambler because they stood up and were thrown from their car, and then killed when other cars hit them. However, having worked at Coney island on their Scrambler numerous times this past season, Coney`s does not have seatbelts, and has not had any modifications the entire time I worked at Coney (2002-2004). I`m assuming the seatbelt issue was a PKI decision, probably based on part on insurance, and not a madate by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Rides Safety Division.

So is School of Rock going to be a singing and dancing show similar to what Graveyard Shift was?

No, I don`t think Vortex needs any theming. I wouldn`t mind seeing The Racer return to its original color scheme with red track and blue handrails.

From what I have heard, IJST will not be ready for opening day on April 8th, 2005. I have heard that it will be ready by spring, right around or slightly before the time that daily operation begins. I`m not sure how accurate this information is though.

I did not mean for Coney to loose its classic feel. I just meant some more general fresh coats of paint on stuff. Adding landscaping by IJST to make it fit in. I too wonder how they will fit IJST in with Coney mall, especially down by the Eagles and Tuckers. The noise factor could be an issue to since Coney Mall is usually not that loud of an area.

I find it somewhat interesting to see some of that ground work. I wonder if that concrete wall will be for the tunnel or for the water splash down. I wonder if PKI is that far. I wish PKI would post some pictures like that to their website, but I`m sure they have a good reason why they haven`t yet like the fact that they are busy with other things. Didn`t I remember bhearing a while back that track and supports should start arriving at the park in Decemeber?

Yeah I can see a new Nick attraction (possibly a renovated an rethemed antique car ride?). Also, I could see another large flat going in somewhare, maybe in COney Mall as part of the continued renovation of that area. But 2006 is a long way off. I`m sure the park has a pretty good idea on what they are doing then, but are currently focusing their efforts on IJST.