paramountfan

Before Paramount, the park shared the local 398 prefix. 754 came along a few years after Paramount bought the park. So before the 754 prefix, it was the other Mason prefix 573. However, I do believe when I first started at the park in 1989 the phone number started with 398 so I'm going to say I'm still right and that you just expanded on what I said before! I am inclined to agree with you. CBS did make a mess of things for sure. I will always be partial to Paramount Communications/Viacom's ownership of the parks. I am a little bias, I suppose. LOL However, I will say that they could have done so much more with them. Just my opinion.

Your welcome everyone. My personal favorite was Karen and Al on the Skycoaster. LOL That was great. I rememeber that day fondly. I was down there close to Carolyn and I did not get the "life should always be this good" joke until afterwards. Ha ha!

Hello everyone: I wanted to post these videos from my personal collection for the KI Central community. I am in the process of uploading the rest, so be patient and I will post them as quickly as youtube will upload them. Enjoy! Rod

Thanks for your response, Indyguy4KI. Yeah, I saw that in the news release. I was just curious because most of the exhibits are traveling ones I do believe. Aren't these guys the same ones that did the dino thing at the Musuem Center in Cincy? The press release states the following:

I just saw the announcement today and I had to drop in on KICentral to get the opinion of my favorite online community. He he. It seems kind of like a mixed bag. Personally, I can understand the economics of having an attraction like this. Not everyone likes thrill rides and this attraction provides another outlet for family entertainment. HOWEVER, I think that is a bad move for Kings Island. Other dino-themed attractions like Universal's "Jurassic Park" raft ride have set the bar pretty high in the terms of special effects and theming. I know that this attraction is a walk-through and it may not be "fair" to compare the two. However, let's be honest. Cedar Fair does not have a great reputation when it comes to theming rides and attractions, as they are not a theme park. I just hope that they step up to the plate. This new attraction can go one of two ways - it could be fun or it could be really cheesy. Let's just hope it’s not the latter. Oh one more thing, is this attraction going to be permanent or is it just a traveling exhibit type thing? BTW, the 5.00 up charge doesn't bother me. I personally think that it is a "fair" price.

Agreed. I used to work for their office in Charlotte, so I guess I have to be bias! We had brainwashing meetings. Ha ha!

Paramount, definately. However, Paramount in the early years. From the purchase of the parks in August 1992 til Viacom split.

Thanks for posting this. I am usually one of the outside performers from WV with Quasi and the other queens. Hope to see all of you there this year! www.myspace.com/tammyfaysinclair

I am so sick of looking at these things. LOL In West Virginia and elsewhere in the region, they are EVERYWHERE! Interesting science lesson for you.. that particular cicada is a female. They have a lil thing on their tails to deposit eggs into trees. The males have white on the thorax, which is what amplies the sound you hear. The sound is caused by the legs tho. And, yes it is their mating. Give or take, another 2 to 3 weeks and they will be gone for most of the region. Gotta love biology class! And btw, its safe for your pets to eat them. In fact, many people in other countries eat them and they for some reason think it is quite tasty. When I was in the Middle East, they would roast them and dip them in a honey sauce. I will stick with Kentucky Fried Chicken. LOL

Ya know, this story cracks me up. That poor old train at Camden Park is so slow that a senior citizen riding a turtle could pass it. I would love to know how he could not get out of the way in time. I know that sounds so mean, but seriously. I would think that it would have to be gross neglegence on his behalf.

Thank you! Hauntguy, I dont know you personally, but I do know you seem to know your stuff. Hardly original, indeed.

Shows are a nice addition (cough, cough)... but I, for one, would not base my decision to visit from far away just because Kings Island has new shows. If I wanted shows, I would travel elsewhere. Granted the shows are good for the non thrill seekers, but *most* people visit theme/amusement parks for more than shows. (cough) It's called a balance. (cough, cough) Please show your statistics that "most" people visit theme/amusement parks for thrill rides, alone. (cough) I will gladly you show some statistics. According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, the number one reason people visit and revisit amusement and theme parks is the rides. 49% of adult visitors come to the parks for the rides (granted not as high as I thought it would be), 15% come for the shows, 12% prefer the special events and festivals, 6% seek the characters, and 6% come for the midway games, (IAAPA, 2004). (Cough, cough, and yes I know these stats are from 2004) 2008 is the year to appease those 15%. With that said, I do think that the entertainment had suffered during the CBS years, and the live shows are a great place to relax. All I am saying, this is the first year in a long time that Kings Island has not had a new product. For those people that live far away, I am afraid that many will skip their visit this year and hold off until next season. Time will certainly tell.

Shows are a nice addition (cough, cough)... but I, for one, would not base my decision to visit from far away just because Kings Island has new shows. If I wanted shows, I would travel elsewhere. Granted the shows are good for the non thrill seekers, but *most* people visit theme/amusement parks for more than shows. (cough)