CoastersRZ

Winterfest compared to the event that The Beach had (HolidayFest) was like night and day. I found the Beach`s event to be lacking in entertainment value and just not a lot to do. I attended WinterFest in 2005, and would have recommended it to anyone. Yes, I think the pricing back in 2005 was a little high. But look at Dollywood. They pull off a wonderful winter event. Yes, Cincinnati is more subject to bad winter weather in December, and the unpredictibility that comes with that. But I think if the price point is right, a re-incarnated Winterfest can lengthen the season at Kings Island and several of the other CF parks. From everything I heard, the original WinterFest was a financial success. And I think if they priced it right, a new Winterfest could be too. They would have to be careful not to price themselves out of the market, which is what I think happened in 2005.

Speaking of the original subject of this thread, demolition began on RiverDowns today, as they started to tear down the first building. And the building that is actually situated closest to Coney (the white Club house building), will not be torn down.

Fair enough. Whenever one is on sound footing, I have no objections.

There is nothing wrong with a good hobby! Especially one that can be as rewarding as that. I actually have a Coca-Cola train that circles my room!

Well, it would more accurately be called a retention basin. Retention basins hold and retain water (and are usually filled with water), while detention basin`s simply detain water until the ground can adequately absorb it.

I have never heard of it referred to as that before.

I still have never made it out to Entertainment Junction. I have said that I`m going to go there the last year and a half and I just haven`t made it out there yet. This addition will definitely make me get out there once it opens!

I would think there would be some sort of fence, unless they plant some temporary grass. But that all depends on what they are going to do for future park expansion. And what exactly is a blitz coaster?

The main haunt was housed on what was the ride room of the building. The actual Haunt I think only took up about 1/3 of the ride room. They used the antechamber for the feast and part of the queue line. The queue leading up to the antechamber was used as just that, the queue line.

Thanks, Paul! You truly have some gems in your collection!

Odds are you would find me at Coneys Island, and not at Kings Island. But when I am at Kings Island, I spend most of my time at The Beast and Diamondback.

I agree. They would be a great fit at Coney too!

Not going to happen. Riverbend sits on land that used to belong to Coney. That being said, Coney may still have a few tricks up its sleeve for 2013...

This gives me another reason to visit EnterTRAINment Junction in the spring. And as I have said, Coney Island isn't going anywhere any time soon.

Indeed. I never road it, but if it was anything like the ride experience offered by Super Saturator at Carowinds, it was a rather boring ride experience. The only thing that really made it a fun attraction was the interactivity of it all and the fact that you had levers that could dump water on unsuspecting people on the ground.

That article provides a lot of insights and definitely makes one wonder about things. I think part of the big hiccup in all of this is that the State Fair Board will continue to own the land the park sits on. When Bluegrass Boardwalk was announced, the Fair Board places some pretty high stipulations in terms of attendance and profit sharing numbers in the agreement. I think that is part of the reason why the Koch`s and crew rightfully decided to pull the plug on the operation. Not to mention the re-opened park might have cannibalized some of their attendance from the Louisville market. At the very least it would have distracted them from their park in Santa Claus, IN. It will be interesting to see if and when an agreement is reached, and what exactly Hart plans to do with the park.

And why would Coney need a ride that already has a horrid capacity? Have you visited Coney when it is busy and seen the line for the Python? It is a SLOW moving line.

And King Cobra wasn`t entirely removed when the park opened in the spring of 2002. They were still wrapping up the demolition of the station and lift hill.

And they are expanding Chocolate World, mostly with about 10,000 square feet of retail space. The Setpoint rides like this, never really caught on. As was mentioned, they were horrible with capacity. I only rode the one that was at Carowinds. And while it was a fun ride, I think its lack of throughput is really what hurt these attractions. Setpoint really hasn`t done much other than these types of rides. It will be interesting to see what is added in its spot. For those of you who have not been to Hershey, it is a fun park, and definitely worth a visit. I was able to visit in 2011, and had a fun time there.

I can confirm that O`Rourke wrecking crews are on site in River Downs` parking lot. They have not started any demolition yet, however.

Thank you Gordon! I was not trying to put words in your mouth. I was simply stating that you seem to think that construction and the new racing mean the end of coney. It does not. And yes members are free to post their opinions on these forums. But when you start sounding like you have sources and know people and stating things as fact which are not fact, is where I have an issue. Yes, you do support Coney and it is people like you that help keep Coney as a going concern. Most swim lessons are held in the mornings before any concert traffic becomes an issue. Not to say there aren't some swim lessons held in the evenings or there aren't some concerts that start earlier in the day. But keep in min that Coney benefits from these concerts. Yes, Sunlite pool is one of the main draws to Coney. Especially since they haven't really added any signature or big ride in recent years to the dry side. We got Swing A Round last year and River Runner, the last major ride, came in 2008. If they were willing to put a big ride in, I think it could certainly help draw people to the rides side. Coney did very well this year, especially with events like the fireworks competition. Coney will be around for generations more to enjoy. Just like Kings Island, Coney will be a different place ten years from now than it is today, but it will still be an amusement park creating memories for scores of families of Cincinnati residents.

Brenda Walker and her family still own the park. She has a very hands off method of ownership and lets Coneys full time staff run and manage the park. As other posters have said, she occasionally makes visits to the park. I personally have not met or seen her at the park. As of Friday morning, I haven`t seen any wrecking crews not to say they weren`t there as it had been foggy the last couple of mornings. I drive by Coney every morning on my way into work downtown. And I still do not get why you are calling this carnage. Yes, they will be building a new racino, but they are not building a full fledged casino, and they are not taking over Coney. I don`t think the Racino will have a negative impact on Coney`s perception at all. I mean, people have been allowed to bet on horse racing at River Downs. Its not like it is introducing gambling for the first time. Additionally, there are several concerts every year that can bring a rough crowd out to Riverbend, and when they park they have to walk through Coney`s grounds. I think that you are blowing this way out of proportion. Not to mention you come off sounding like you actually work for the park and know the fate of its demise and the ins and outs of its business. You do not work for Coney. Coney isn`t going anywhere any time soon. It has survived floods, recessions, segregation, and many more things. Its safe to say that a change in venue and new building on some neighboring property will not cause Coney to close. It is clear that you have already passed judgement on these new plans for Riverdowns as being detrimental to not only Coney Island, but Anderson Township. I suggest you take a wait and see attitude towards this, and quit voicing your incorrect suggestions that this is going to be the end of Coney. Those are your opinions and not the opinions of Coney ownership or staff members. Sometimes it is wise to just sit back and watch how things unfold and not be vocal with your opinions.

Right. But what I was referring to was bringing in fill to raise the finish grade, like Coneyking mentioned. Removing dirt is a lot different than bringing in fill.

That can be very expensive. Not to mention it requires special fill if you wish to then build on the fill you hauled in.

I think the new operators still have a lot of work to do. There is still a lot of bad publicity associated with the way that the Beach closed and did not open this season. And they are in a tough market to compete considering Kings Island is right across the street. I wish them the best and hope they are successful. I have only been to The Beach once, and that one visit was on a comp ticket that my relatives had given me.