The Interpreter

So close that the closing was announced. So close that many of us tearfully got in what we knew were our last rides. So close that it didn't operate for a season. Then somebody, somewhere got the decision reversed. Thankfully.

If BMW didn't care, they would not have entered into the agreement to start with. The condition of those cars, positive or negative, affects at least some potential buyers' impressions of BMW, not just of Kings Island....

Hmmm. Seems on a par with most Cedar Fair shows. Lumberjack Show at Geauga Lake, any one?

I wonder if BMW, who no doubt was involved in a licensing deal for this ride, has observed the meticulous care taken of the cars on the ride... or not.

The Bavarian Beetle. And Phantom Theater. And The Eagles. And of course, The Rotor. I can't believe how close we came to having to list the original flume from Coney Island on this list...

There's no reason The Beast can't still be around 50 years from now..given proper care and maintenance. . .

Then there are entire parks that are "prime real estate." Six Flags hopes that is the case with Magic Mountain. They could use the money...to put it mildly....

They got the ten year Paramount licensing rights with the deal, subject to "certain early termination rights." My guess is that means a refund if they don't use them. Season passes will PROBABLY have the park name on them. So, my guess is they will conserve cash, not advertise for another while having to pay for it too, and change the name on passes only when they sell them (but what if they go to the voucher system that Cedar Fair uses?). So, when? I'm not sure. Either a soft change starting whenever they process season passes or next year when the parks open...

Well, at least we know where you stand. I, for one, think Paramount Communications and even Viacom was good for the park. CBS? That's a whole nother story. Don't even get me started. In any event, it's Cedar Fair's turn. I am hoping and praying they do so well it astonishes the investors, guests and creditors! Heck, even US!

The entire matter is a moot point. Cedar Fair is perhaps the last company on earth to even THINK of letting guests on that level. Control of guest behavior so that other guests may have a good day is a matter of major priority for them. And I, for one, am glad it is. If you don't do that these days, down that road Six Flags Magic Mountain and its wonderful guest experience lies...

I'll ask you again in a few years. I hope I am wrong, but I have some concerns that we may well look back upon this era just ending as the good old days, not just for Kings Island, but for the entire industry. The times, they are a changin.

Neither is grandfathered in, as it is no longer in use. Reopening it would require compliance. If it had never closed, it CURRENTLY would be grandfathered. But, the day is coming, and relatively soon, that corporate owners of facilities are required to modify existing facilities. Personally, I bet this ends up being changed, but current law has this day coming soon indeed. I know this is a major issue of industry concern. Also, the elevators were just rehabbed. Paramount put major money into doing them. I think they still cannot stop at that first level, though.

Really? Does the elevator stop there? Can it? If not, the Americans with Disabilities Act alone would require it major modifications before it could be reopened. And we haven't even talked about today's guests dropping stuff on the heads of their fellow guests (one of the major reasons why skyrides have disappeared left and right...)

Suicidal? I'm not so sure about that. Drunk out of his mind? Doubtless.

Now you have gone way too far. . . You do realize that Six Flags, then run by Time Warner, was sold to Tierco, a real estate investment company. "An organization that had absolutely, and I do mean absolutely, no experience running parks." Yep, that's Tierco. Called themselves Premier Parks at first, then changed their name to Six Flags. And now it is run by an NFL team owner and an ESPN exec from a company that owns theme parks. Does Mr. Shapiro have theme park experience? The short answer is . . . no.

Nope. The Internet has fundamentally changed things. I didn't even know there WAS a Buckeye Lake until after it was gone. Same for Euclid Beach. I didn't get to Kennywood, or even know anything about it, until the early 1980's. I knew of Cedar Point only because they advertised in the back of comic books: The World Famous Blue Streak, largest wooden coaster in the world!!! And back in the late eighties, it took two years for me to find ACE's address! The Internet has, indeed, changed things forever!

There are those who will tell you that Six Flags STILL came very close to buying Kings Island in the late 1990's... Meanwhile, Lindner's company still owns the golf course across from Kings Island and undeveloped land surrounding it (I guess that wasn't included in the sale to Paramount Communications). http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../505200350/1001 While researching how the sale to Paramount Communications was structured, I found this: http://www.ketupa.net/taft.htm A quick reading will show you why many of us were thrilled when Lindner sold and was gone. The Lindner days were not, in my opinion, Kings Island's grandest.

It all depends. Weekends there can be crazy busy. Especially in the fall around leaf-peeping time when you would think it would not be. Do you like shows? If not, you'd be surprised that usually on even the busiest of days, the ride lines do not get all that long. Dollywood attracts a rather unusual audience for a theme park. Much older, with lots of grandparents with their grandkids. The thrill rides often don't have as much a line as you'd expect. With the recent additions to Dollywood, though, this is slowly starting to change.

It's not just the pictures. The tower was almost an olive green. I, for one, think it looked MUCH better that way. And yes, there really wasn't much park. But we didn't have anything to compare it to and thought it quite huge and grand. I'd love to have the ability to go back to the original Kings Island again, or, for that matter, to visit Riverview and ride the Bobs, to go to Crystal Beach and ride the Cyclone...sigh. It's enough, I suppose, that I got to go to Coney Island in the pre-Kings Island days and to ride the Shooting Star and visit the grandeur that was Coney Island. I only wish there had been consumer video cameras back then. Heck, I might have used one!

Do they have any mention of Cedar Fair LP?

Well, by cracky it does. Pardon me while I go back to watching Gunsmoke (sigh!)

Actually, legally required financial disclosures have been made to the SEC. See FAQ #8 here: http://www.cedarfair.com/_upload/8-k%20paramount%20faq.pdf Note that, contrary to what even I thought, Cedar Fair DID get the rights to the Paramount licensing for ten years, "subject to early termination rights." My GUESS is that means that Cedar Fair would get a refund for the unused portion of time if it did not use the rights. But I am not sure. And the way that disclosure is written, it can be read in numerous ways. Note also it says that the decision whether or not to use the Paramount theming is still being evaluated. What was said at Q and A at Coastermania is NOT a public disclosure strictly regulated by the SEC. But....if new information not previously public was released there and it could in any way substantially affect the value of the stock, Cedar Fair's corporate officials could be in some serious hot water with the SEC. Which is to say, nothing of any substance is ever revealed in a Q's and A's outside of conference calls and stockholders meetings. Companies are well aware of the penalties for doing so.

The seat belt change(s) on Millennium Force were ordered by the ride manufacturer, INTAMIN. In Ohio, an amusement attraction operator MUST follow the manufacturer's recommendations in order to be licensed. It is not optional, and involved no choice on Cedar Fair's part.

And as wonderful as Dollywood is (and it is), it's sister parks in Branson are also to be appreciated. Especially the marvelous Silver Dollar City.

Too funny! That page references this panoramic view, which it says doesn't show much of Kings Island other than the Eiffel Tower and parking lot. So, what's in it? Drop Zone! Not even a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower!!!! http://cincinnativiews.net/images-2/Kings%...%20Panorama.jpg