Outdoor Man

i agree with The Beastie post..... even though it's a small roller coaster- any cold temperature in December just screams frost-bite..... law suit...., etc..

I spoke with a person in PKI management earlier this spring who said that Winterfest was the worst kept secret. He didn't even know much about it when a map of the winterfest park printed out on his office computer by mistake. It was also said that last year around June they almost impulsed having it 2004, and that several trees in the HB area were tested with lights to see if the electrical cirucuits would need upgraded. They said it was determined to hold off because too much worked needed done to the infastructure of the electrical system to do it... but that plans were well in motion as well as much of the promotional material has already been created.

PKD4LIFE...... learn to spell or spell-check your "ranting" before you post.

How long does anyone think it will be before we see the end of the Hyper-Coaster era? Maintenance is probably going to cause Hypersonic at PKD to be pulled, I think one of the Superman coasters at Six Flags has already been dismantled, and in it's first year TTD at Cedar Point was real unreliable. Will parks start going with special effects coasters similar to IJST? Special effects take an ordinary ride to a completely other level. Without special effects, the Tomb Raider ride is just another flat. But with the special effects. Heck the line que is almost worth the wait itself. Has anyone ever ridden Spiderman at Universal Orlando???? Could ride that time after time after time. I just think that sooner or later- taller, faster, etc.... will just get redundant and really unsafe..... if not already. you take an ordinary insect and smack it with your face at 80mph.....

not a doomsday post, but Racer and Beast are made of biodegradable / organic material... wood. Someday they will come out. The Racer is afterall 33 years old, though it may outlast The Beast because it is built on level ground.... plus the area around The Beast is covered with trees making it susceptible to moss and other "rotting" activities. Some day the maintenance will become as such that replacement is a necessary option over that of constant repair. In 1984 The Bat was the star attraction but had to be removed because maintenance was eating them alive..... and retention was not financially feasible no matter how many enthusiasts attended or protested..... and somehow the park survived. They did it before, they'll do it again.

actually I believe the Flying Dutchman was right where the Adventure Express entrance is. Dutchman was still flying after King Cobra was installed.

I'll chime in and show my age as well. I only remember short phrases of the song. I believe, though, it contained many lines from the old Hanna Barbera cartoons.... and character "catch phrases"

ok, whatever.... PKI removing The Beast is like predicting Disney World taking out Space Mountain. Take the technology behind FOF and Space Mountain.. and you can't compare it... Space Mountain is obsolete- but it is classic to the park that made it famous and therefore not likely to come out anytime soon. Same goes for The Beast..... so, rest your doomsday predictions for The Racer and Beast.

was looking through pictures and happened to come across the old "Skylab" ride.... just out of curiousity.... why exactly was it removed? I remember it being a pretty decent ride... not to mention entertaining to look at from the Eiffel Tower at night.

first experience riding The Beast... 1998 at night and in the fog.... in October. AWESOME experience. Would have to go down as the best night-time coaster. Since the've done away with the over the shoulder restraints (went 5 years without riding because of intense migraines) and now have lap bars..... FoF ranks in HIGHLY!

Phantom Theater was operating the last year... i remember the toasty feeling of the "furnace room" before freezing again.

oh, and as far as fee? I dount it would be the same this time around.... but in 1992 (the last year of WF) I think parking was free and admission was $5 and just about all of the lower half of the park was open, including all of HB Land and the some of Rivertown.

most on here may be too young to remember the last time PKI (then KI) had Winterfest. It was the perfect date place. heavy on shows (Festhaus, Chevrolet Theater-- anyone remember the "Grumpy Old Man?"- and being in awe of the 275 foot tall Christmas Tree.... does anyone remember, I don't think the Antique Cars were open for WF. Most indoor attractions were (wonder if FOF will be open). They had horse carriage rides through Coney Mall, "Dickens" Carolers on International Street.... ICe Skating on the fountain.... I, for one, cannot wait. I just hope those who belly-ached when it ended come out and support it enough to keep it going. I don't think it was a lack of attendance or interest that caused Paramount to close it down- I think they felt it was a hassle. Someone may correct me on that.

pki Winterfest isn't an "if" question. Paramount Parks have already began ordering Marketing material for it's promotion. Little known is that a impulse corp decision almost made it happen in 2004, but realized that with that little planning, the staffing would not have come together.

just back from Reds game, so sorry for late post. Re: Winterfest..... it IS coming back this year. confirmed by a PKI administrative employee who has been working on the Winterfest maps. Said it is the worst kept secret they've ever had. Also check the back of the new season passes... it even mentions Winterfest.

OK, I know this is a PKI post site, so I apologize for the posting of a non-PKI ride, but if you want to terrify the crap out of yourself, there is a near free-fall ride in Las Vegas at the top of the Stratosphere hotel where you get into a roller coaster type car and and get rolled into suspension some 900 feet above the ground. I didn't ride it but got paniced just watching it. I don't even ride DZ. That would just send me into cardiac arrest anyway, but the posts got me thinking about it. sorry, back to pki.

don't know... looked like it from KI Drive... but not for sure.

and I would see results of this discussion........?

just drove past park today while in Mason/Kings Mills area, and maybe this has been discussed already- but what color scheme are they going with on the Eiffel Tower?.... and was it too far away from the road or did Vortex receive yellow paint on the tracks?

everyone on here is probably too young to remember The Bat.... but one awesome ride, similar to "Wolfe" at Busch Gardens in VA... but much, much better.

sorry to start war.

too familiar with them.... my wife is a MV grad. Aren't they about 0-50 in football with their down the street rival in a burg called Ansonia. Am a Darke County Res. Just messing with you, though.

am going with the Dolphin Show.... the original boat ride in the Enchanted Theater, Animal Safari.... actually too many to mention. Oh, and by the way, the MV Blackhawks are TERRIBLE.