The Interpreter

Perhaps. You might be surprised at what they cost. And I doubt free parking for passholders survives. Then again, Dorney offers it...

PCWi sent the same email. Probably a common issue to all Paramount Parks. And a way to sell a few more passes!

I think it WAS kind of rushed. A deal was only struck last night, though a handshake agreement had been reached about a week earlier. Then there was the little matter of Kinzel telling the Toledo Blade that Cedar Fair was interested in acquiring Kings Island, before any public announcement. I bet the lawyers were squirming over that one, and that it accelerated an announcement.

Nothing silly about that! Scarowinds at Carowinds is a great experience, but an upcharge. The CF people on the call were very proud of Halloweekends, and seemed to think Paramount Parks could benefit from something similar. They didn't seem to know about Fearfest or Scarowinds!

The deal is expected to close in the third quarter: July-September....

It was several times noted that Cedar Point is the engine of Cedar Fair. I don't see anything that will change that. Yes, it was noted several times that PKI and PCWo both have over 3 million patrons a year. Still, it was also noted that individual markets dictate what goes in the parks, and that the family direction at PKI is successful. Also, that no major investments are on the books for 2007 at the PP for whichCF would be on the hook.

You say that as if that were an easy thing. If it were so easy, would it not have been already done?

Not yet. It could still fall through, but that is unlikely.

Shaggy, you are being far too logical to post here!! Mr. Kinzel himself called them "five great parks."

Of course PKI is in a decent state. What's wrong with Ohio? That's where CP is, too.

...and everyone knows how accurate park maps are and how they are a harbinger of things to come.....not.

Ha! Reminds me of when Paramount Parks claimed that Grizzly at PGA is a "bumpy" thrill ride. Hey, they had to come up with some adjective. The Interpreter, who did not find Grizzly to be bumpy, or much of anything else. Certainly not thrilling!

Cedar Fair has LOWERED admission prices at most of its parks, and lowered food prices this year, too. Including quarter cotton candy. On the other hand, they usually have a separate charge for their waterparks. Wonder if the CBS interest in the Mason Great Wolf Lodge is included?

Well, given their phenomenal record with Mean Streak, we will now see what Cedar Fair LP can do to the world's largest, tallest, fastest and only looping wooden coaster...

The head person in Charlotte is a former general manager of Paramount's Kings Island, and worked there long before Paramount was ever thought of, theme park wise. Al's the name...

You can't have it both ways. Are you saying removal of the Flying Eagles was a LOCAL decision? Are all the budget cuts this year LOCAL decisions? This is one time I am with WooferBear...there are great people at Kings Island, but many of the decisions ARE made by corporate, which is in Charlotte, NOT Cinci OR California. If Paramount Pictures had had more interest in and control of the parks, they'd be radically different places. Better or worse, I am not smart enough to know, but radically different.

...and if you don't live within 300 miles of the park, you CANNOT buy your Six Flags pass on line. Still, no one outdoes Cedar Fair in making pass purchasing inconvenient...though Disney is by far the most expensive. Let me say this. Pass sales and processing is one thing Paramount did better than anyone else in the industry, in my opinion.

It varies from park to park. At Great Adventure, it's up to 99.95, not including parking, already. And season pass parking is now $40 there, last I checked. When you go to another Six Flags park, you pay for parking, which is 15 dollars at most of the Flags parks now.

Have you noted what has happened to the price of Six Flags Season Passes since you bought yours? They have gone up, and are going to go up a few more times, or so I have been led to believe. Mr. Snyder thinks the current price of passes is waaay too low.

I beg to differ. I think the days of cheap season passes are over at Paramount Parks and the other chains, regardless of what happens at KI. If Six Flags is able to sustain higher season pass prices, you will see the other chains follow. They are not about to leave money on the table....

Most every park does have good rides and bad rides. At SFOG, for example, the flat collection is very poor. But, I MUST ask, when were you at Cedar Point last? Although there are many, many things I don't like about Cedar Point, there is no way I (or about anyone else I know who has been to both parks) would say that today's Kings Island has superior, or even equal, rides to those at Cedar Point. Cedar Point has made clear what it is, a thrill park, aimed at ride enthusiasts. It is only natural that it would thus have what was, when built, the largest, tallest fastest coaster in the world. Several different times, in fact. SFOG also had the tallest woodie in the world once. And PKI still does. Rides aren't everything, but they DO matter (more than some of the folks currently running Six Flags seem to understand). For those who are so excited about the possibility of Cedar Fair buying Paramount's Kings Island, I have a few questions: Ever been to Valleyfair? What'd you think of it? Ever been to Michigan's Adventure? Shivering Timbers was put in by the prior owner. What major improvements and/or rides have been put in under Cedar Fair? Ever ridden Thunderhawk at Dorney Park? What'd you think of the braking on that ride? How many major rides has Cedar Fair taken out while it has owned Dorney? What happened to Hercules? Ever ridden the Superman impulse coaster at Six Flags Worlds of Adventure? Did you like that spike at the top and how the brake held you up there for a second? What has happened to that under Cedar Fair? Why did Cedar Fair put Wicked Twister at Cedar Point? Do you think they still would have done so if they also owned the competition down the road at the time? Why did Cedar Point put in MaXair? Do you think they still would have done so if the also owned the competition a bit further down the road? What has happened to the atmosphere at Knott's Berry Farm since Cedar Fair acquired it? Who bought Ghost Rider (Hint: It was NOT Cedar Fair, unless you mean they bought it with the park, which they did). Also, do you like paying separately to go to a waterpark? How much is Soak City? How does Cedar Fair do parking? How much does a Cedar Point season pass cost? Does it include, without additional charge, visits to Geauga Lake? Do you REALLY think you will be able to get in Cedar Point with a KI pass or vice versa? How long did that Cedar Point pass take to process? Could you process it before the park opened for the season, or did you have to wait until the year the pass was good for? (The Cedar Point pass processing line is quite often more than two hours...but then, the one at Paramount's Kings Island hasn't been short this year, either...but then KI hasn't had any off season processing this time either...) Don't get me wrong, many things WOULD most likely improve under Cedar Fair, but others would no longer be as good as they were at KI under either KECO or Paramount... Every potential new owner comes with pluses and minuses...but to think that glory days have arrived at Kings Island if Cedar Fair buys it is not necessarily the case. Especially since the acquisition may cause Cedar Fair difficulties in raising capital...difficulties like those seen at Six Flags. Money for rides? Sure. Money for general park improvements and maintenance was much more difficult to come by before Mr. Snyder stepped up to that plate. Note, too, that Cedar Fair seems to realize this. This is probably why Mr. Kinzel noted an interest in ONE Paramount Park, not the chain. I wonder if acquisition of even the one isn't a bit more than CF can realistically chew.

Bodda, the Eagle that he was talking about that would take thousands to get running again was the Screechin' Eagle...the wood coaster...not the flying scooters....

Indeed. Note, too, that nearly everyone in management at The Beach started at Kings Island. Kings Island and Coney Island before it have been key factors in the amusement park business for many, many years. All because of the great people that both have employed. From coaster construction to park design to marketing, the very best have worked for those two parks (and some of the worst, but that is the way life is!)

The helicopter was a concession. Either it didn't make as much money as the owner wanted it to, or PKI wanted more to renew than the owner wanted to pay. Either way, it's gone. That was a neat attraction. I enjoyed it immensely (and got chided strongly for hanging out the side once!) As for FOF, it is one of the major reasons I go to Paramount's Kings Island. It is a great attraction, great fun, and I do hope it stays. That all being said, riding Jokers Jinx at Six Flags America a few weekends back reminded me of just how incredible PKI's FOF was (compared to PKD's) back when PKI didn't use the midcourse brake. The SFA version doesn't even HAVE a midcourse brake! It is also a very odd experience, being outside! (As is the one at Six Flags Fiesta Texas (there called Poltergeist)

And yet another wonderful, quirky, family park is gone. Sigh. I will miss the Eagle, the wonderful flume, the Coffelt's fudge, the Rock-O, the big mouthed fish, the Serpent, the wonderful ride ops, the neat Fascination parlor, the Wallendas (yes, THE Wallendas), the train at the entrance (with REAL coal cars and a crossing guard!). I loved Americana. It is the place I first met Jeff, who would later do marketing at a certain larger park in the area...