CoastersRZ

I was wondering if that was the case. So I`m definitely thinking that they will be introducing some sort of "dancing fountains" concept to the fountains with new nozzles, etc.

It was not disclosed when the upgraded would occur, but that Canada`s Wonderland seemed to be first in line to get the upgrade.

And the best way to find out would be to contact your employer directly. They will be able to tell you when they should mail them out.

Right. But more of what I was thinking is when the big spectacle show is not going on, I hope they keep the traditional fountains running. Ie, have the regular fountains run during daylight and when the nighttime show isn`t running, then turn those off for the night time show when it runs. I think it would be ashame if they didn`t have some form of fountain running during the day, it just wouldn`t seem like Kings Island.

I think a water show like that would be wonderful if they added it to the fountains. I just hope that it wouldn`t be like a show at 9pm and 10pm, but rather a continuous show so that the fountains (in some form) would always be on. Also, I would worry about maintenance and upkeep, because those seem to have a lot of moving parts, and look how well Snoopy`s Starlight Spectacular has weathered the seasons so far. Water shows like that are so mesmerizing. Reminds me of Fantasmic at Disney`s Hollywood Studios, but on a slightly smaller scale.

A very nice video. I wonder what thing they are going to do to the fountains? I`m thinking maybe some sort of new lighting package that is synchronized to music. It was very nice hearing Rob Decker talk. Being in the design profession, it has always been my dream to get the chance to work on amusement park projects. I have had the honor to actually get to work on a coupe amusement parks over the years. It is truly amazing (and no, I can`t reveal what projects I worked on, but it was really rewarding getting to work on them. Someday I wish to eventually work for a park chain. That would be an ultimate dream job! Its interesting they went with every park and reviewed the attraction installs in the last 7 years and determined how they were received and what shortcomings the parks had. I wonder what shortcomings they determined Kings Island had. And they also said that 2014 additions are already set with most of 2015 set as well. I can`t wait to see what we have in store at Kings Island!

On the subject of overnights, I actually recently read an article in IAAPA`s trade publication, FunWorld, that was talking about overnights at Zoos and museums as a way to give them extra revenue. (For those who do not know, IAAPA is the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions). It is an interesting concept. I believe that Kings Island actually had a cub scout camp out/over night a few years back. Might have been in 2009, as I seem to recall they pitched there tents on the patch of grass behind the Eiffel Tower that used to be home to the Salt Water Circus.

I believe that might have been the year that they replaced the Monster with a different Monster. Remember, its not uncommon if something breaks in certain spots for parks to have to disassemble part of a ride to get to the broken part. About five years ago, Coney had to take the Round Up apart for about two weeks in the middle of the season to replace a part that had broken. The only thing that they didn`t remove was the main lift arm!

And that is saying something, considering that Kings Island`s fireworks usually last about five minutes give or take. That is a tradition that was started back at Coney Island when Arthur Rozzi first launched fireworks at Coney in 1931.

Isn`t the entire Charlotte area growing right now? I believe that Chiquita just moved its corporate head quarters there from Cincinnati, in part because they got a better tax package there.

Where did you read this? Cedar Fair has said that Knott`s, Canada`s Wonderland and Cedar Point have been their four top parks. But to say that Knott`s has significant growth potential and Kings Island doesn`t is not a very valid statement. Kings Island has some land to work with, while Knott`s is in a relatively competitive California market. Especially with Disneyland just down the street. Yes, the parks are relatively mature now compared to what they were in the early days and a new coaster install likely won`t see the same spike in attendance now that it did back in the 80`s, but Cedar Fair will continue to invest in all of their parks.

I missed that part in the article. Even if they do sign a lease, they still have a lot of work to do in order to reopen the park.

I took it as they were going to consider approving the lease at the January 24th meeting.

That is encouraging news for the park reopening. They still have a lot of work to do before the park greets any paying customers though.

I agree. I was disheartened when I heard about this. I certainly hope this doesn`t spell bad things for the park moving forward. I wonder if Pat Koch will still be at the park greeting visitors this year. Hopefully things can be amended, but the fact that Dan Koch was fired certainly doesn`t bode well. I sense some rough seas ahead.

I think its safe to say that Bluegrass Boardwalk certainly distracted them from their main property. It is really amazing how Holiday World has blossomed over the years. Hopefully they can pull from a larger demographic area in the coming years. Although, some of their geographic area also is the same geographic area in which Kings Island pulls from.

I`d say this is a great choice too. This guy was picked and came to the park when Will was still alive, so he clearly knows the park and the Koch family values. I was actually surprised that Dan Koch stayed up here as long as he did. Hopefully good things come out of Holiday World in the coming years.

And isn`t the Best Western in Kings Dominion`s parking lot owned by Cedar Fair? I could be wrong, but I seem to recall coming across that information at some point. I may actually be returning to Kings Dominion this spring. I last was there in 2000, so its been a while since my last visit. I also plan to hit up BGW too, and I`ve never been there.

I assume you meant to say the pic of the defunct "TA"? I think it is time for Action Zone to get an update in the coming years. Short of International Street (which has received some new pavers and general sprucing up the last couple of seasons), Action Zone and Oktoberfest are really the two areas of the park that Cedar Fair hasn`t really touched since they took control of the park. And Action Zone is definitely needing something new. The last new attraction to open up there was Delirium, and that is now ten years old! Hard to believe how quickly time flies. I remember looking at construction pictures for that ride online and riding it on opening day!

I wouldn`t say that Boocifer`s castle needs a major update. I still sorely miss Phantom Theater. It was a really unique attraction, and the Sally Dark Rides installation can be found at so many parks now, that it isn`t unique. (And it can be frustrating when those darn guns can`t seem to hit the targets no matter how hard you try). Hopefully this renewed focus carries over to the seasonal parks as others have mentioned. Keep in mind that Knott`s is just down the road from Disneyland, so the typical Knott`s customer is accustomed to seeing Disney caliber theming, while the average Kings Island customer is not. Not to mention that Kings Island is only open seven months out of the year, there is less time to generate revenue when compared to Knott`s.

And I`d have to assume that Disney see the potential to more than earn back the initial upfront cost of the program. In order to facilitate this initiative, Disney has installed free WiFi at the Walt Disney World complex, a 40 square mile area. I have to admit that the idea of having a Disney character say your kids name and wish them Happy Birthday is beyond cool and will certainly sell the magic and create a memory to last a life time. And as the article points out, it will allow Disney to collect information about their guests and their patterns, which will be useful in so many ways. From future park attractions, to amending show times, to park operating hours, staffing, and so much more. It will be cool to see what comes out of this. My one fear is that in the future, when you plan a trip to Walt Disney World, you will schedule your entire park visit, before even stepping foot in the park. That takes some of the spontaneity out of a visit to an amusement park if the entire day is all mapped out before even walking into the place.

Why do you want a new section of the park? X-Base, back by where Flight of Fear is could use some sprucing up and a flat ride or two and a set of restrooms. Have you ever hiked to the nearest restroom to Flight of Fear/Firehawk? Its quite the hike.

Wow! I started doing something similar in 2000, Don. I have been keeping track using an excel file since 2000. I love numbers and statistics and looking at numbers. Sometimes I wonder why I went into architecture instead of going into accounting, since I like numbers so much. But I also enjoy architecture too. I have visited Kings Island 367 times since the start of 2000 and ridden The Beast 749 times, which pales in comparison to your numbers. Here is a question for you. If you could ride one roller coaster that you never got to ride before it was closed/demolished, which one would it be? I would have to go with the Shooting Star at Coney. I`ve always heard wonderful things about that ride.

I have only ever been to one Coastermania, and that was back in 2007. It was a really fun event. I also enjoyed the similar Ride Warriors Weekend at Kings Island back in 2009. I wish Kings Island would do something similar again. It was a great time.

Yes, it didn`t exactly work out. They were even stating that people would have to get "free" tickets to see the Santa`s Toy Factory show. Essentially to reserve a spot in the Kings Island Theater. I think had the park priced Winterfest comparable to Festival of Lights, they would have had a huge hit on their hands, as Winterfest did have good entertainment value. They just over priced it. I wonder if the thought has crossed Ouimet`s mind of re-introducing it at some of the properties.