Outdoor Man

there was a French themed (or at least I thought it was) building down just to the right of the Eiffel Tower... the spot now occupied by Starbucks. During the summer they had these large pastry cookies "caked" with icing on them in the form of a smiley face. During FearFest, they were pumpkins, Frankenstein's, ect... Alright, in planning a trip to FearFest for my wife and I.... we want to know where those cookies are located now? Does Starbucks sell them, are they elsewhere, or no where.... ... little help?

sorry... meant pay that much for the BBQ, not wings.

Don't care what happens to the theme or really the wings... If I'm going to pay that much for wings I'm going to the boathouse down on the River anyway- not at PKI. I don't typically think of BBQ when I think of KI anyway... more like the traditional junk food associated with a park. My only request, keep the building and it's AIR CONDITIONING for the rest stop on the hot summer days.... and now apparently the HEAT for the cold Winterfest days.

OK- I've never really started a topic before (at least not that I remember)- so if this is in the wrong area, for the wrong topic, for the wrong whatever, or if it has been discussed already- i'll apologize up front. There is (or I guess was) an Arrow (like our Vortex) roller coaster named Shockwave at 6 Flags Great America in IL. that was dismantled in 2002. rcdb.com of course has tons of pics of this... does anyone know why it was removed? It didn't appear to be in distress, and looked in good condition. They have it listed as "in storage"... why would a park dismantle a large investment roller coaster only to leave it sit... like Drachen Fire at Busch Gardens.... In KI's case with King Cobra I can understand because of a defunct company and high maintenance, but Arrow coasters are pretty common unlike Togo was. Again, just curious.

i'm actually very glad that everyone seemed to ignore the political banter. I'm sorry I commented, I should have just looked the other way as well and stayed on topic.... my apologies.

this should be interesting... a park enthusiast site debating politics. I'm not going to say much on this because it is wayyyyy off topic. But I find it so interesting that 99% of the US on 09/12/2001 said "GO GET 'EM"... we're tired of screwing with Saddam.... "get him." what has changed so much in 4 years? Read the history books, the Revolutionary War (7yrs) was not a popular option, the Civil War (6 yrs) was not a popular option, getting involved in WW 1 (8 yrs)and WW2 (5 yrs) was very unpopular... until WE were attacked. During the Cold War (50 yrs)and the Cuban Missile Crisis, protesters picketed outside the Kennedy White House with "Better 'Red' than dead" signs ("red" being another word for Communist). Any time there's a loss of life it's never popular... unless we are the ones that get broad-sided- then it's time to kick @##... and do it fast because in a "quick-fix" society we need to have our wars over in days or it will lose our unwavering support.

speaking of '06 rumors.. just have a question.... how many of you really knew (solid) about rumors such as WinterFest before it was announced. I mean really, some of you who work at the park- were you really in the dark as to why misc locations had Christmas decor on them in June and why various locations were Christmas-y decorated during fear fest last fall? I'm not trying to be sarcastic as facial and tone expression are difficult to relay in email/computer form- but I'm just curious. I knew of the 99% possibility of Winterfest in April only because I know someone who works in the Park adm offices and they had been working on the advertising for it all spring. I have no affiliation with the park at all (other than being a repeat visitor)- but I was just curious if those rumors are really so tight-lipped that regular employees do not catch wind of them prior to press conference announcements. As I said, I'm not trying to be sarcastic, really- i'm just curious.

so, if that means that HBL is saying bye-bye... what becomes of SDATHC, and other remaining HBL themed rides?

you couldn't pay me enough money to ride those things. To me there are much better ways to die. My wife video taped Scream just to show what it did, then did the service of panning the camera over to me, in which my mouth was dropped to the floor... couldn't realize why anyone would intentionally ride that. I'm pretty adventurous, but ugh... i could never ride that. If I ever wanted a shortcut to a heart attack... there I would be. Now for someone else... you want to ride it.... be my guest. You have my admiration and vomet bag from the plane.

go to this website and surf... they have mpg commercials and webcams. http://www.stratospherehotel.com/las_vegas...here_ride.html# the rides names are Big Shot... the reverse-drop zone. High Roller is the roller coaster (obviously) Scream... is the free fall coaster over the side Insanity is the swinging ride. just view the website and watch how those rides work.... Didn't ride them.... but i could seriously see how riding any of them would put some serious hair on your @##.

yes, went there in February. The Roller Coaster is pretty lame. but then again, there's not much you can do in a restricted space at 1000 feet. It pretty much just goes around the top a few times. Now, there is a ride just scared the #$@W# out of me just watching it. I didn't ride it; didn't feel the need to put myself through that. You sit in a rollercoaster-like car on a 30 foot long track that dangles over the edge, and it appears to free fall over the edge... where it seems there is nothing between you and the open air. It must give the riders a huge rush... i guess. But I had no interest in putting myself through that. They opened another ride up there. It hadn't opened yet when I was there, but i think you sit on "swings" hung by an arm that swings away from the building. Then theres the ride that blasts you into the air (reverse drop zone).... again, no desire to put myself through that.

Oh, come on.. no one voted for Scooby Doo's haunted mansion? My vote would have to go with Delerium. Side note, that's awesome. I remember the Tastes Great / Less Filling shouting matches. Although at one point I remember the ride ops trying to get the riders to not do that. Can anyone shed some light as to why they would have done that. Also, can anyone speculate as to how long the Ship will last? It doesn't really "fit" into any of the park theme molds anymore.

no hard feelings whatsover. am by no means a intellect when it comes to the greater pki terminology... so the occassional term correction is alright. But correct me if I'm wrong about the Cobra trains... are they still there?

the drum is another term for the Spaghetti Bowl... the SB is another term for the building the FOF track is housed in. Are the still in there? I was walking along maintenance row with a Park Adm. employee back in April and saw one train on skids and asked what they were doing with it, and he said that he thought the trains were getting conditioned, parted, and sent to NC to another coaster, presumably Shockwave at PKD. Whatever that's all worth.

i have been in contact with their corp office in minnesota (i think that's where the office is...it's been a few weeks) regarding working at the resort. The person I spoke with which was likely just a secretary stated that they did not have hiring plans until August 2006.

got a question.. in Crispy1979's post that has the 5 pictures... the number 4 picture is of the sky ride from behind the Eiffel Tower. to the right of the tower, of course is the carousel. Behind that is what appears to be a red and purple striped round building.... what on earth is/was that? and when did that leave? It appears be be in the location of the Tower Garden/Paramount Story area.

International Showplace was on the map when KI opened... i think the "Salt Water Circus" was added in the late 70's.... if not mistaken that is mentioned in the PKIC history timeline. It is unfortunate that the area of which it stood has had NOTHING placed there... and it's going on 10 years, maybe more since they removed it. As far as rumors are concerned- approximately when does PKI make it a point to make their new development announcement? Wasn't it about this time last year?

found it... will email if wanted. The pic is an ariel of KI in 1972.

faint.... faint memories of riding it as a child, and I recall the loading platform. There is a picture on a website somewhere of the Wild Animal Habitat loading station.... trying to find it.

actually one of the loading buildings for the sky ride is still there. In NickCentral across from the carousel there is a shop (i can't think of the name). That was once the Hanna Barbera loading station. The other was over pretty close to where the loop was on the King Cobra. But the building in Nick Central has two entrances on the Eiffel Tower facing side that were the openings for the cars to come in/out... and in between the doors is a glass display... Can anyone think of the name of that shop?

I just don't feel that the height, speed, and the rate by which they get there can be safe much past where they are. I don't care if they do sound a horn to scare birds, one still may fly into the path. And at 120mph... the bird (or insect) would have to move pretty fast to get out of the way. plus it just seems to be too nearing the limits of what a human body can take. In my opinion one of the best rides i have ever been on doesn't go faster than probably 5 mph and doesn't even leave the ground- but is stacked full of special effects. Anyone ever ridden "Spider Man" at Universal Florida? That is the kind of indoor themed ride that KI should look into. A big investment ride that is huge on special effects that would never get old. Anyone who has been on it would know what I was talking about. A few years ago when there was a buzz at PKI regarding the "7th Portal" I thought they were doing something like that... only to find out it was another "movie" with bouncing chairs at the "Days of Thunder" theater. So, in short- I would never opt to wait 2 hours in a line for it, but would prefer the direction PKI is heading with theming and special effects over height and speed.

If i'm not mistaken, IJST was advertised as a family class coaster, so the absence of "mega-thrills" was probably intentional. Now, I could be wrong on that one. My only complaint is that it- like TG, FOF, to name a few- is too short. It picks up where Adventure Express left off.... major theming, then you go up that tunnel with all of the characters saying "now you will pay!!!".... only to have the ride last 5 seconds more as you exit to the loading station. but not to knock it... i would still rather have IJST than a hyper or mega-coaster. special effects coasters will be fun to ride long after 500ft tall 150 mph coasters get stale and otherwise unsafe to ride. can't wait until someone pulls a Fabio on Top Thrill Dragster and takes a sparrow to the face... or heck at that speed even a fly would do some damage.

at the risk of being ostricized i offer my opinion, and mine alone. Be it "G&L", Black Family Reunion, Latin Pride, White Pride, etc.... I get irritated when any group tries to set itself off from others to celebrate a pride-thing. People come to the US because I guess at one point we were considered a melting pot, where it doesn't matter your background...... you're an American... honestly I dislike terms like Latin-American, African-American, European-American. You're an American. Period. Minority groups in my opinion get shunned from mainstream society when they try to set themselves apart from everyone else and shine the spotlight on the differences. I like 4th of July celebrations where there may be a person of Japanese decent on your left, a north african national on your right, a person from Europe across the way, a lesbian person to another direction, a muslim and a catholic talking in another, etc... all celebrating the american diversity together.... not polarizing to each their own.

I honestly feel for what some (probably most at one time or another) have to go through. A few weeks ago a few of us thought it would be fun to hit all the water rides as closing time approached (which by the way, has WWC always been open till closing?). We rode WWC 10 X's and Amazon Falls ('scuse me... Congo Falls) about 6 times. We get to the front of CF- there was no one in line (60 degrees, chilly, getting dark- go figure). and a family of 4 were in front of us. the children were small and the employees did their job to measure the kids and said they were too short to ride, apologized and were VERY respectful to the parents.... who just came UNGLUED on the employees. I'm not a small person by any means, but I even come out of my seat occassionally on CF... and I don't know what these parents were thinking in the least. Obviously not safety of their children. So they took the opp to air their grievances over the price increase as well on the ride attendants. These are probably the same folks who would sue the park for their own negligence. I don't know who the employees were at that ride (roughly 8:30, Thursday, June 9)... but you were very respectful and protected yourself and the integrity of the park.

Top Gun is a heck of a fun ride.... especially, I think in the back cars. I too would hate to see it go... but it sure does NOT look too good. The newsletters before the opening of the season said it was to get a "Hollywood Makeover"- and it seems like they started and stopped. That was all in about the time that Great Lakes announced the new resort.... and I wonder if the part of the old camp ground you see from the lift hill is where the entrance is going to be... signifying the end of Top Gun as we know it.... but then again, maybe the Hollywood Makeover is that they intend to move it to another location (possible, but not likely).