Hank

You guys do good work! The Beast pics are a real find. And I forgot how smooth KC was at one time!

They HAVE TO power wash that track - need to get the "Cleveland" off of it! (hey, I was born there so I can comment if I wish!)

Flight Comm. was too slow and it got boring after the 2nd time around.

Last car - middle seat (it's not over the wheels!)

Hey - I started a thread a while back about the Coke/Pepsi thing...look it up! Maybe the machines needed to get their signs replaced, or maybe CF doesn't want machines that don't work (seems like every time I try to get a pop out of the machine, it eats my money). Or, maybe this is a hint from Maureen?

Put tunnels on every coaster!

Thrillnetwork has a posting saying the name for the relocated coaster will be Firehawk. Anyone else hear this?

We'll probably end up with Snoopy and the Haunted Dog House. Good grief!

I think they should do a Brady Bunch/Partridge Family reunion at PKI. They could all stay at Great Wolf Lodge, and Alice could fix them all a good dinner!

Pepsi Cola hits the spot Twelve full ounces that's a lot Twice as much for a nickle Makes my body tinkle (problem is, it ain't a nickle and, with all the ice, you'd be lucky if you got 8 oz.)

I have had over 15 spinal operations and I can't take cold water, as it cramps my back in a really bad way. I have no problems at PKI. This should speak volumes.

I can just see it now... Icee/Frozen Coke...$6.00 (price includes tax)

I know a lot of you are youngsters and money is either easily had or given - in other words, you're wealthy. Those of us with families who are just trying to get by (quite a bit of the country, I'm told) almost have to float a loan for a day at an amusement park. Hell, it's a fortune to take the family to a current movie at a theatre! Any day I'd pay $3 for a bottle of pop - I'll drink water. And the parking prices suck big time, too! One day - and it won't be too far in the future - the parks will price themselves out of business. Mark my words...some parks have already seen a drop in attendance and some have closed. Even the great Universal Studios is doing rather poorly, as mentioned in other topics. I love coasters and such, but believe me; if it's a matter of paying my bills, keeping my house and car, and educating my children, the parks drop to the bottom of my "must do" list, as do buying a new car, going out to eat, getting new clothes, taking vacations, remodeling the kitchen (with the leaking ceiling), even giving to church! So, even though I started this thread, I guess it really doesn't matter what they sell in the way soft drinks. If I do, indeed, go to the park this year, good old H2O will have to quench my thirst for the day. It's all I can really afford.

Sort of off topic, but I think Holiday World used to have Mt. Dew sponsor the park and all Mt. Dew drink was free all day long. I don't know if this is still the case. I realize that HW is small compared to KI or CP, but couldn't they (CP & KI) get a sponsor too? I mean, come on - at least give something like Diet Coke away at no charge. They'd still sell tons of the other varieties.

Has anyone heard if Coca-Cola will be the soft drink at KI this year? I know the other CF parks have Pepsi, and I see that Coke is still advertized on the KI website, but I wonder... I know that it's a personal thing when it comes to pop choice (as it does pizza), but I enjoy having a Coke when my tummy gets upset on the "choke & puke" rides.

RCDB has listed an "unknown" flying coaster at PKI. Check it out (no name yet) www.rcdb.com

^ Very good!

Paint it bright red and call it Transplant!

^ Dearest Santa, Don't you know how to properly spell your name? Or are you the "new" Santa - with all the exceptions?

I wear the most comfortable shoes I own - and they must provide ankle and arch support, as well as protect my toes. I put gel-type inserts in the shoes as it helps prevent fatigue. For the water park, I bring my aqua shoes, although you must remove them for most slides. (I don't want to injure my feet on the concrete, and sometimes that concrete gets REALLY hot, too!) Something I'd like to mention... I took a jogging course at the university several years ago. I would get sores on my feet. The professor told me to wear 2 pair of socks. I know this makes my feet hotter than I care to have them, but for those of you who have these kinds of troubles, try it - it does work.

Maybe they could get the removed loops from Kennywood's Steel Phantom (now Phantom's Revenge) and put them in the enpty space. And, if they could get the same lap bars that Phantom's Revenge has now, as opposed to Steel Phantom's OTSH's, they could kill 2 birds with one stone! (in other words...have Morgan redo SOB)

This is from RCDB... Trains: The Son of Beast originally used trains built by Premier Rides. The trains were made up of 6 cars and sat 6 riders per car. During the 2005/2006 off season one car from each train was removed, thus shortening them from six to five cars per train. During the 2006/2007 off-season, the trains will be changed. The configuration and manufacturer of these trains is not known at this time. Structure: Building Materials: 1.65 million board feet of southern yellow pine. History: The Son of Beast was originally built with a 118 foot tall vertical loop. Problems encountered during the 2006 season closed the ride for the remainder of the 2006 season. During the 2006/2007 off-season many changes are being made to the ride. One of the changes is the removal of the loop. While the loop was not the cause of the problems, removing it would allow the lighter trains to be used. This is expected to improve the ride. Hopefully this will start some new thinking!

I wish I had that kind of attendance at church - where I'm the music director. I guess I'm in the wrong business. I tell my son... You can design a coaster, get paid and be done. You can build a coaster, get paid and be done. What you want is to own the park where the coaster is located to keep collecting revenue from it for years to come. Obviously, Disney is doing something right - and higher prices at the gate don't seem to phase anyone.

I offered to buy it for the coaster I'm building in my backyard - but after considering the amount of space it would take-up, who needs a used loop anyway? (I have other "ways" of getting "looped")

This was in the Toledo Blade today... Article published Tuesday, December 19, 2006 By GARY T. PAKULSKI BLADE BUSINESS WRITER SANDUSKY -The chairman and chief executive officer of Cedar Point's parent company doesn't plan to jump off the merry-go-round any time soon. Richard Kinzel, who just last year indicated he planned to retire as early as January, 2008, has signed a new contract that could keep him at the helm of Cedar Fair LP until 2012. The publicly traded Sandusky partnership revealed the existence of the contract in a regulatory filing Dec. 15. It guarantees Mr. Kinzel, 66, a minimum of $1.2 million annually. "We just went through the Paramount Parks acquisition and since then he has expressed an interest in staying … and seeing that through," spokesman Stacy Frole said. The $1.2 billion cash deal with CBS Corp. included five amusement parks with $420 million in annual revenues and catapulted Cedar Fair from the world's fifth largest amusement park owner to third behind only Disney Co. and Six Flags Inc. Under Mr. Kinzel, Cedar Fair has grown from just two amusement parks with $96 million in revenues two decades ago to a dozen outdoor ride parks, six water parks, an indoor park, and hotels bringing in nearly $1 billion annually. In the three months ended Sept. 30, the company booked a profit of $133 million, or $2.42 per partnership unit. That was down from $171 million or, $3.11 a unit, a year earlier. Investors will welcome Mr. Kinzel's decision to stay, said Robert Routh, an analyst with Jef-feries & Co. Inc. "He has done a phenomenal job and everybody likes him," Mr. Routh said. "With the Paramount acquisition, that has likely reinvigorated him with the prospects for the business and the size of a company that has nearly doubled." Mr. Routh said it is possible that Mr. Kinzel doesn't plan to remain for the contract's duration but wants to signal that he plans to stay for the foreseeable future. Cedar Fair's spokesman said that although the contract gives Mr. Kinzel the option of retiring before the contract expires and becoming non-executive chairman, he intends to stay through 2012. She said he is eager to see through the financial turn-around of the Paramount Parks, some of which have struggled in the past. Ms. Frole said Mr. Kinzel's retirement plans were never firm, although in a 2005 interview with The Blade he discussed plans to spend more time with his children and grandchildren. Under the new deal, he will receive a base salary of at least $1.2 million a year plus compensation geared to performance. The company will also buy a $2 million life insurance policy for him that will run through 2018, whether he is employed by the company or not. The contract was finalized Dec. 12 for a term beginning Dec. 1 and concluding Jan. 2, 2012. The company also negotiated new contracts with two other top executives, regulatory filings show. Jacob Falfas, chief operating officer, got a three-year deal with a guaranteed $600,000 annually. Peter Crage, chief financial officer, got a two-year deal for at least $400,000 a year.