The Interpreter

...for now.

I think that both Cedar Fair and Six Flags have learned lessons about the highly unreliable Intamin rocket coasters...at least in the giant size...

Perhaps because King Cobra had issues.... Steel coasters do not last forever... Nondestructive testing is done each off season. Some things are easily fixed...others are not so easy.

I believe that was a sarcastic reference to Italian Job Stunt Track. . .

Based on the food prices I have seen so far this year at Paramount's Carowinds and Paramount's Kings Dominion, I wouldn't bet the farm that such a deal will be available this year at Kings Island. If it is, I bet it will cost far more than $9.99.

Not to be confused with the BusCh administration, of course....

Really? And on what do you base this theory? If, as many expect, a private investment group buys PP, then there WILL be major investments, calculated to get the group their money back and then some, when the parks are again sold.

Excuse me, but criticism of Kings Island is accepted here, as long as it is constructive. And some of the best things I have ever read about PKI have been on Six Flags fan sites. Paramount and Taft did much that Six Flags would have done well to emulate. But, your bashing of Six Flags sites is uncalled for, to say the least. As for "our" servers bandwidth, when did you last send a donation to Ryan and/or Dane? Well? Get real.

I assume that doesn't mean Grad Nights are returning... More cost cuts in the face of a sale... I never understood why the park did grad nights, any way. I had the distinct displeasure of being in the park during one of them (and I was already long past the grad stage before the park started having them, I believe). It wasn't anywhere I'd want MY teenage son or daughter...to say there was little supervision and much activity that is, er, undesirable, would be to be very kind.

You do know the calendar shows them as open the 19th of May til 9 and the 26th til 10, right?

Do let us know! And thanks!

Given the cost cutting at every opportunity while the park is being sold, it would surprise me greatly if they have them. Especially since, as you noted, it wasn't very busy last year. Heck, they aren't even opening the GATES til 10 am most days this summer, they have dramatically cut back hours. Again, I hope I am wrong. After all, they were at first going to be closed Easter, and now are going to be open! Why not call the park and let them know how much you enjoyed those May Fridays last year and see what they have to say? If enough people ask.... It worked for WinterFest!

http://tinyurl.com/r68gj This article was originally published last Wednesday, but none of the 'insiders' here who supposedly know what is going to happen to the parks ( ) have posted it, so...

Criminal prosecutors are state or county employees, not park employees or privately hired attorneys. Willingness to prosecute is a local thing. Obviously, Disney has that down pat. So do the Cedar Fair parks....you will note there is very little of the vandalism you see at PKI found at Cedar Point, for instance. And vandalism at what was once Six Flags Worlds of Adventure has declined greatly under Cedar Fair.

Security at Kings Island does a fantastic job. They aren't the reason that damaged theming doesn't get replaced, that miscreants aren't prosecuted, or that stuff that is easily damaged gets put in in the first place...

Ejected without refund. Big deal. Do what Disney does. PROSECUTE. Only then will it become less of a problem.

I just read this post and replied, and I didn't get the log-in issue!

Don't you mean the RED fades really badly? (Nearly all red does...)

TRTR guy answered that. It's PKIVortex's signature, which is linking to the PKI website, which requires the password... Are you still having this issue?

Incredible theming requires three things: a. Forethought in putting in surfaces and controlling access such that vandalism is difficult if not impossible. b. High levels of security such that people think there is a high probability of being caught and PROSECUTION, without fail, of every person caught, regardless of who it is . . . c. High levels of maintenance such that as soon as any defect/damage is found, it is fixed. That's why Disney, Busch and Universal are at one level...and Paramount Parks is somewhere below that. All three of those things cost money and require dedication. Paramount seems to put in things without a great deal of thought about what will happen to them (Scooby's Haunted Castle queue line, anyone? TRTR bamboo?) And then they don't dedicate the money or personnel to keep it up. And it is NOT just vandalism. Look at Adventure Express or Tomb Raider or Flight of Fear. Much of the degradation in theming has NOTHING to do with vandalism. No, vandalism doesn't help. But it is not a problem just at Paramount. Others have effectively fought it. If the new owner wants to go down the samed themed route Paramount has lately been treading, they had best make a commitment to maintaining what they have and get.

Insiders call them Racer North and Racer South... Or at least they do if they are ride ops!

I got a front seat ride on Kingda Ka! The park was incredibly clean, there were tons of characters everywhere, most of the rides were running, the pizza was quite tasty and half the price of the stuff at PKD (don't get used to it, Papa John's is coming, Mama Flora's is going), and Nitro was wonderful. And what a fireworks display the park put on! It must have lasted at least 20 minutes! People tell me I should have ridden Goliath at SFOG instead! I hope to be there the 22nd of this month for just such an occasion!

To heck with the abbreviation police! We few members of the Six Flags Great Adventure Appreciation Society [sFGAAS] have got to stick together! In a little more than two hours, the place opens. I will be at the gate! Nitro awaits (and perhaps even Ka!)

My guess is two things, not unrelated: a. Costs. b. The original concepts were cost-cutted such that the art is not something they'd want to show now. NU will be fine, but it is not what was once planned, if my hunches, sources and instincts are right.

It's Fried!