Outdoor Man

I know it doesn't fit the "International" Street theme.... BUT Panda Express doesn't exactly fit in a German "haus" theme either. Grain & Grill Intl. Kitchen at least fits it in name... and some of the offerings therein- except there's not much "grain" and -maybe- one thing is grilled. But, on the BK thing.... no.

How long did you have to go fishing to find that one?

It's a difficult conversation to have and one that will be tricky at best to play through (not just for SF) for companies. When the pandemic hit, people were content to sit at home and collect $$ from the government - some continued after the COVID threat had subsided. This forced companies like SF, CF, Disney, Universal, etc... to bait potential employees with higher pay- almost a bidding war with the government- to entice people to come back to work. ie- scarcity drives up the price. This also caused that nasty term, "inflation." I was in a conversation with someone back in 2021 when our family bill at Chipotle was $28.56 - and told them that you can't just increase the rate of pay from $9/hr to $15+/hr and it not affect prices. They were CERTAIN it would not. That same order at Chipotle today is $44.74. Bringing this back to the Kings Island's of the world, and their peers- this brings the rate of pay back down to where the market will bear it. Tracked out over a 50 week year, if it were full time, most of the jobs at the seasonal level are not $40,000/year jobs. If they were to keep pay at those rates... be prepared for higher prices of everything at the parks, moreso. If other companies do this, a new term is entered: "Deflation." Which could also bring along it's cousin "Stagflation." THEN: welcome to the post-Carter 1980s.

I would hold off on $$$ for large-scale retheming for a bit. The merger created a massive company that may not be sustainable in it's current form and properties may be shed in the inevitable reorganization. Anyone recognize AOL, Time-Warner, Turner Broadcasting- I may have placed an age on myself? The late 1990s merger created the largest media giant in history only to unravel by 2002. Widely regarded as one of the worst mergers in corporate history. Book "Fools Rush In" details it pretty well.

YYYYYYEP! I agree with paragraph #2.

I agree with you on other areas needing attention. That said, AZ has a collection of aging attractions with low ridership clustered together. It, unfortunately, makes sense.

I said this in the last thread. It may be rumor, may not- but it's not out of the realm of possibility. It will be 32 years old at the end of the 2025 season- the exact same age as Vortex was when it was deemed past it's service life. I don't think it's a stretch to say that even before the announcement was made, Vortex had a higher ridership count. Top Gun/Flight Deck/The Bat (or whatever its being called this decade) is a dinosaur coaster concept and probably not in the top 10 in ridership numbers at the park. I feel that if the rumors about Invertigo, Congo, Timberwolf, and now The Bat are accurate.... then 2026 or 2027 could bring a new experience. Would like to see the scar at the back of the park addressed though.... but those attractions occupy prime "front of park" real estate and are aging/low ridership. My hope is that they chase after a unique "experience driven" attraction/coaster... multi-launch and under 100ft tall and theme the h*!! out of it. Create and write the story you want then design the attraction to tell it. I love the theme and layout of Taron (Phantasialand)- which if not mistaken cost less than Orion. BUT, history tells me it will be another "TALLER, FASTER", etc...

Good visit. The Coney stroll to the SE of the tower was a nice touch. I wonder if more Coney likeness and artifacts will begin showing up. I think it would be a great nod to the past. Really my only complaint is that everyone enjoys a good picture in front of I-Street with all the lights and the giant Christmas tree. It's really hard to get a good picture with the "tree" when then lights are in constant motion, and sometimes only sparsely lit- trying to create a "cool" visual. REALLY wish that they would modify the lighting program to include some periods of just static light like they did years ago- all white, no motion or the vintage "yellow" lights like the first Winterfest go round. Oh, and 7 seasons running, the tree "star" lights continues to be underwhelming- but I guess you can see them outside the parking lot. Give me the 1980s/90s version that you could see from i75. Not so much on the ride on 741 when the park comes into view- the Tower Tree looks like a giant megaphone.

In the spirit of the Election Season: THIS for The Vortex plot:

by that logic, Arrow got the original Bat trains right in 1980 too, as much of the train design for subsequent suspended coasters was similar. However, add in the track and the actual operation of the attraction = fail. I'm guessing in the design phase they had IBM punch cards and a modified Pong game for the motion simulation

Park and manufacturer take on some inherent risk when trying to develop "firsts" as well as "taller/faster." For "firsts": the actual unit never operates like it does in a simulation and reality can be counted on for an infinity of unforeseen challenges- some that result in only partial operation before demolition/removal: see the original Bat. Taller/faster... the stress of navigating a 450' tall coaster with a triple launch system on a train may be one that will cause ongoing problems for the life-cycle of the ride. Technology is better, but failure is also an unfortunate reality; and the taller and faster the coaster is- the greater that risk that it never operates as intended.

I never said "I was just kidding". I was immature in my youth; I admit it. I can't compete with you. Never lose track of where that pedestal you stand on is.

I'm sort of surprised to see the 2021 attendance numbers similar to the 2009-2016 numbers. We attended a fair amount in 2021- but until the State of Ohio dropped masking requirements in mid-June of that year the crowds seemed rather light to me.

OK- since we are apparently unfamiliar with the concept of sarcasm or light humor I'll just leave you back to your self-righteous stance. BTW- try to not take yourself so seriously. Carry on 'Dispatch.

It's complicated... That said, let's not equate M&Ms on an "already" filthy theater floor with leftover food, associated condiments, and the occasional shoe print left on a table top surface where people eat. Yes, I was an immature teenager and the thought of such shenanigans occurring does make make me laugh- but the two are not equal instances.