Gordon Bombay

Folks, if you haven’t already, you really should read @KIghostguy’s fantastic book: https://rivershorepress.com/kings-island-a-ride-through-time

That beautiful film, however, is not a Paramount one. "Volcano the Blast Coaster" at Kings Dominion was just themed to a... volcano, apparently? This always threw me off until I watched Volcano one time and saw the 20th Century Fox logo. @TOPGUN1993 - As for your question, this is just hearsay I've been told over time, but my understanding was that as Paramount and Viacom kept getting shaken up over the years (even before the CBS dealings), the focus and strategy of the parks kept shifting. I.E. Someone new would come in on high and say: "we gotta make it a movie theme park" and then that person would get shuffled out just for someone else would come along and say "nah, let's just focus on making an amusement park" (still an incredibly profitable venture at the time, even without movie promotion). I don't think "Paramount Parks" was ever really strategically linked with the Paramount movie studio to any kind of large degree. I.E. when the studio side was cooking up films and marketing plans, most of them probably weren't aware that Paramount even had "theme parks" and those that ran the parks were focused on (and only paid to) run a seasonal/regional park, not necessarily elevate the overall "brand" if that makes sense? That's why you'd see "Tomb Raider: The Ride" cobbled together one minute and then just "Delirium" the next. @silver2005 - agree with you about Star Trek. Those characters/that brand were all over the park when Paramount first took over, but that focus fell away rather quickly. Flight of Fear would've been better as a "Borg" ride to promote Star Trek: First Contact (came out the same year), but something had to be done to promote the Outer Limits reboot on the United Paramount Network (UPN) I guess?

Big seasonal events enthusiast over here as well and I gotta say: if this event is half as good as it looks, it’ll really give their competition something to WINE about!

lol ok, Don.

@BEASTIEGAL1993

I could be incorrect here, but my understanding has always been that, that was the original plan. However, there ended up being a complication with using that building.

Sure, Jan.

Let's be real, Don—if you were still at the park and forced to cut lanyards from the budget, you'd be telling us all how it's the greatest move ever seen in the history of enthusiast events.

Number one band at KiNgZiEs IsLaNd! Cheers, Nemo! (beer emoji)

Completely disagree: the best show in the park's history was Rock Band Live. Just an absolute banger of a show playing to sold out crowds every day. So much so they had to extend it multiple days, then weeks, then months.

Shout out to M&M’s and Sharefax Credit Union for their support.

So does the “Queen City Stunt Coaster” still have a helicopter shooting guns or did they re-theme that scene?

Very random, but from this angle you can really tell how good of a job they did with that Coney BBQ building and how it fits with the area.

Source

@Shaggy, perhaps you (or someone else here too) would know if there was any truth to the rumor that both Flight of Fears were slated for a Paramount Parks (CBS) ride rotation program before the Cedar Fair purchase?

Sure, but there's a difference between actually "getting into the trenches" and the occasional performative gesture. Sincerity speaks volumes and a lack of it can leave a lasting impression.

What a hero he was to walk away from the air conditioned admin office, right past his SUV taking up two spaces, to toil among the lowly minimum wage workers. I bet the associates were in awe and truly inspired. Gives me chills just thinking about it.

Just for clarification is this topic only for civilian smoking areas or also the ones used by the folks serving?

Tower Gardens. ”Come crush a few menthol-laced heaters near a framed, yet faded, poster for ‘Mission: Impossible II.’ Don’t go down by the stagnant pond, though. Yeah, the one that’s gated off and where the car from Wayne’s World was once parked?” Topic of the year award already claimed early into 2025, by the way.

EDIT: Ignore me, @Outdoor Man, I totally misread what you were saying in the morning fog of no coffee. <3

Now’s their chance to get back into the Garfield game.

Respectfully, you're talking about a clickbait list published by USA Today. They're not diving into any scientific analysis or rubric for judging/comparing these things. A few more local "stories" on the evening television news broadcast or a handful of retweets form enthusiasts probably wasn't going to move the needle in this "ranking."

I’ve always found it a bit humorous that folks here often speak of a “Vortex replacement” as if it’s a sure thing like SF/CF were playing Roller coaster Tycoon and just itching to fill that plot of land with something. I’m sure there are ideas for it, but there’s nothing (both then and now) compelling them to use that spot. Especially with a park that could certainly use its budget on renovating other areas/isn’t hurting for space—and one who’s now under a much larger, budget conscious corporate structure.

Pretty misleading. Tomb Raider looked like that, but “The Crypt” was never even close.

Beat me to it.