Erosarrow05

They might physically be able to do it, but "can" they afford it? Will they want to? Is the value there? I guess Im just having a hard time wrapping my head around this attraction having an additional cost. btw... I was just stating I happened to know one six year old boy who could care less about the giant foam dinosaurs... not the "lots" of excited kids you've witnessed. I guess one could argue there have been lots of kids walk right by the foam dinos and not blink twice... It'll be interesting to see how long the dinosaurs stay at Kings Island... When you pay to ride slingshot, gokarts, ripcord, skyscraper, DA - youre paying for that experience, the question becomes - "is DA such a thrilling experience it will warrant repeat buys from park guests like the other upcharge attractions do?" To me, the answer is no... but then again, I wouldn't pay to walk through it once, then again - thats my opinion and there are plenty of others who probably feel DA is the most exciting attraction the park has to offer and will buy tickets to it every visit this year. ... Time will tell :-)

Dear RingMaster, My six year old godson, Jacob, is that child who does not get "absolutely giddy with ADHD-and-caffeine-fueled excitement"... In fact, when presented with the question "do you want to go see the dinosaurs? His response was (after going up to it and placing his hand on it)... "You can tell the big sponge robot isn't real! Its just like a giant stuffed animal that jerks"... To say he could have cared less was an understatement... Later... when informed that Spongebob was gone and replaced with more dinosaurs... He said... "that is so dumb... I don't care about dinosaurs, I like Spongebob" Coming from the child who "needs" everything - I couldn't help but laugh with his mother as we walked on by the dinosaurs... I'll be more than happy to save my money, as will his mother, and save it on buying a 14 dollar cheese coney... And truthfully... if we wanted to see animatronic dinosaurs, we'd go hop in a yellow raft and float around a ride over at IoA... Sincerely, Me

I can tell you first hand... Skyjump at the Stratosphere is worth every cent... its just as thrilling as skydiving! And to whoever said they were tight with their money, just a reminder - you only live once, and you never know when life might throw you a curve ball that would prohibit you from ever doing certain experiences ever again. Besides that, you can't take your money with you when your time here expires... (and that is really some first hand advice)

As someone who has a summer home at Lake Cumberland and has been going there since he was born... I can tell you gas on the water is one of those things you just assume is going to be inflated a bit. In truth, the percentage of increase used to be significantly higher than it is now on most marinas at Lake Cumberland. We have a 2005 26 foot bowrider that gets much better mileage than the old boat did, but still, a sixty gallon tank at 4.75 - 5.00 a gallon really does start to add up. (Keep in mind too, most boats dont just take 'regular unleaded') I think it goes without saying though, that those with boats are more than likely able to afford the gas that it takes to fuel them. Go ahead and boo me all you want, but I'd much rather spend the money filling up my tank on the boat and spend the weekend at Lake Cumberland than going to Kings Island and get nickel and dimed every five seconds. It is no secret that marinas, unlike you typical roadside gas station, are facilities that are difficult to get the product to. The infrastructure to hold the gasoline and deliver it to the pumps from the holding tanks is also costly to maintain - as such, the cost is passed off to the boaters. The Lake Cumberland marinas value each customer and try their absolute hardest to keep the prices as low as they can, its not a secret - most of the marinas are family run and you can find a dock owner strolling his or her marina any given day. The mentality that is taken at the dock closest to our place (where we happen to moor our boat) is "how can we help the boaters"... In fairness, as I said before - the percentage of increase from purchasing your gas on land vs. a marina has narrowed dramatically in the past 3 - 4 years... Slip fees, dining prices and other chargable items may have seen a slight increase in price to offset the cost of fuel. ... I love summer boating season... you never seem to find anyone bickering when it comes time to relax at the lake... Funnily enough, the lakecumberland.com website has forums which i participate in as well and I must tell you that you'd be hard pressed to find a thread let alone a single post with a negative or snarky tone - let alone the "i know more than you do" attitude... I have hopes that one day the same thing can be said here! :-) Anyway - I really think that if gas gets up around 5.50 a gallon, which at this point, who knows if it will - I think the people at Cedar Fair are going to have to take a hard look at their profit margins per burger... I mean, if the Reds can offer up a $1.00 hot dog / popcorn stand... you'd think Kings Island could do... but there in lies the problem... they choose not to... and as such - i'll continue being a penny pinching, money grubber - who will happily burn the 100 calories it takes me to walk to my car located promptly in handicap row 1, and go grab something out of the park for probably 15% of what it would cost to eat in the park... and then drive back... Loading up the car to go grab a bite to eat really isnt as difficult as some make it sound... Happy Boating Season!

The Interpreter is stunned yet, at the mothership park up north I can't tell you how many times I have seen television specials that incorporate what Cedar Point 'lovingly' refers to as the 'running of the bulls'... Isolated occurance? Absolutely not... Condoned event? I'd go so far as to say ... perhaps...

Once again, my point was completely overlooked and yet another judgment was made about me and others. I am sick and tired of explaining that not all thrillseekers refuse to spend money in the park. This generalization, whether directed at me or not, is unnecessary and irrelevant, and it's really starting to tick me off. Comments like that are hurtful. I did not ask to be judged, but I guess that comes along with being a member of KICentral. I'm going back under again for a while. I'm sorry I started posting here again. I forgot that respect for others is not part of the agreement in the TOS. No one is asking you to explain or defend anyone. Part of going through life, is being judged by other people, it happens. Part of being an adult however, is knowing how to respond to, what you deem, "judgemental comments". I can't even count how many times I've seen you get upset by another users post because you assume they were judging you and being disrespectful. You are obviously extremely passionate about amusement parks, which is your choice and wonderful for you. However, in that same breath you often become very defensive when someone is critical of you or one of your friends. If you feel so abused by the users, why is it you continually come back. Your post almost reminds me of the threads that would be titled "goodbye", where a person would be announcing their departure from a website because they were picked on, judged, disrespected - when the truth is, they were just unable to discuss their side of an argument. Then to add insult to injury, the users see the 'goodbye' thread from this person. To me, those posts announcing your departure, were nothing more than a pity seeking venture - maybe hoping a few users would beg that person to stay. You might think I'm picking on you, but its actually quite the opposite. While I don't really know you, I like you because I think some of the arguments you make here are worth discussion, and in truth, there are probably quite a few people who agree with what you are saying that choose to remain silent. I just wish, rather than getting upset and acting like you are being picked on, you would discuss your point of view further and argue for your opinion. Every persons opinion is valuable, and you are an asset to the discussions that go on here. Just because everyone doesn't agree with you, doesn't mean your opinion is negated. I, personally, love debates. I have, and will, stand 100% behind anything I've discussed. I don't always subscribe to jumping on the bandwagon style thinking. I can tell you first hand, I know I have said things people don't agree with and maybe even get annoyed with to the point they don't 'like' me. I've been called names, accused of this and that - I even consider disagreeing with the "almighty interpreter" a blessing. Im sure he'd be the first to admit he isn't infallible, as i do as well, and welcomes the discussion. I know I've gone head to head with him several times because I didn't agree with him and we had a healthy discussion and I respect him as I know he respects me. With all the disagreements I've had with people here, I've never accused anyone of judging me or exhibited any pity-seeking behaviors, I do try to encourage discussion though - for those that may have my same opinion but are afraid to be the first one to speak, and to try to set an example for the younger users. Should you choose to not post for a while that is your choice, I think you should reconsider your stance though... Value your opinion. I do. :-)

It never gets old!!! (oh wait, or does it?)

I agree with you regarding the spiel issue. To be honest, amplified voices spieling all day really gets tiresome after the 2nd or 3rd ride. This is definitely for another topic, but at least for the coaster type rides where you are 'committed' to being in the queue for a while, is it really necessary to do the same spiel for every single train? I'd settle for once every three cycles... I may be alone in thinking this, but last summer, I would stand in line at either CP or KI and think to myself... "how many times do they have to say "push down pull up and exit to your ride, enjoy the rest of your day at Kings Island/Cedar Point" - On top of the fact the last part of the statement is said in such a disingenuous tone I sometimes am tempted to reply "do you really mean it?" I thought I had read somewhere that Disney CM's aren't allowed to say "enjoy the rest of your day at xxxxx". I'll have to investigate that... But in any event, it would make sense to me on a ride such as Beast which is pretty straight forward when it comes to restraints... at the absolute minimum... when you see a guest with difficulty that a crew member cannot get to expeditiously, then make the spiel. I think, in fairness, guests are so used to hearing the spiels, they are totally disregarded as background noise. On top of the fact in a way, I see the constant spieling as somewhat rude. You may be trying to have a conversation with the members of your party, but you have to fight to be heard because you are speaking over the spieler, plus the other guests in the queue house who are also fighting to speak over that person with the mic, and you... TRTR - Spiels in the ride chamber really should not even be needed. Everything you need to know should be addressed by an operator on the gondola at latest, but really should be addressed in pre-show. The acoustics of that room don't really make it easy to understand what is being said. Perhaps a sign would be more beneficial ... just my 2 cents

In your most humble of opinions, right? I wonder how many of these meetings Q will demand, and have Cedar Fair pay for before the unit holders decide that Q is just on a witch hunt. Am I wrong in seeing Q for a money hungry organization that cares very little about the longevity of Cedar Fair, and primarily cares about getting as much money as they can as quick as possible with little to no regard to the fiscal stability of the company? I may be alone in my thinking, but I have very little respect for Q. Richard Kinzel, while not a 'finance guy', is by no means stupid. And if there is one thing that can be said about him, is that he genuinely cares about Cedar Fair and where the company is positioned when he retires. I do not know him, never met him, probably never will. I know only what the media shows of him and we all know he has his faults (which some like to point out more often than not) - but I get a feeling from him, after observing him for a while, he loves Cedar Fair and cares more than anything what happens to it. I just wonder if the same thing could be said for Q Funding. I could be totally wrong, maybe Mr Kinzel doesnt care, maybe he just wants a big paycheck - who knows... but to me, thats the vibe I get. Just my opinion... But I truly believe by continually calling these special meetings, Q continues to hurt its reputation among other unit holders and its only a matter of time until the other unit holders say enough if a enough. One question - What would it take to get Q out of the picture? Im sure its listed somewhere, but what is the dollar amount in stock they currently own?

I wasn't really referencing anything to do with Coney Island, just roaming characters at Kings Island (and not just the Cedar Fair Kings Island either). To make the statement "The street performers were largely ignored by most people" is really no more than just an opinion with no tangible data to back it up. Especially with roaming street performers, you'll never really be able to know how many visitors per day have interacted with that performer. If you park these performers in high traffic areas in front of merchandise or food locations, you not only are getting views by all the eyes that walk by, but of those sets of eyes some may stop for a period of time to watch, and as I mentioned, if the performer is parked in front of a merchandise location - it could motivate a sale. So while the exact number of guests they interact with is more or less an intangible figure - they do serve a purpose in not only entertainment but directing a guests attention to *insert specific location here* And to respond to Kirk... You said Hot Blooded performed to sold out crowds a lot during Haunt... My response to that would be, so did the Rivertown restrooms, with probably longer lines. The truth is - Haunt is very busy - to put it lightly. I would almost go so far as to say, Haunt is so busy it borders on no longer being fun. I am not surprised that Hot Blooded had big crowds, everything in the park was stuffed to the brim. I was guilty of even watching it, for no other reason than I didn't want to wait hours upon hours in an endless queue line and to be fair I did enjoy it the one time I viewed it, though I can't say I'd go out of my way for a second viewing. Your comments about Way too much TV being 'very' busy and more people than we think going to the park that exhibit your habits are strictly subjective thoughts. Im sure there are plenty of people who come to the park and watch some of the shows mid-day to escape some of the longer lines, but the comment in my post did not negate that fact, it instead inferred the general public does not come to Kings Island to partake in strictly its live entertainment offerings. To put it in perspective, perhaps the question should be asked... Of all the users on KICentral.com - how many of you would buy a season pass or make multiple trips if Kings Island had no rides, if it were strictly admission to its Live Entertainment offerings? I know that really isn't a completely fair question, but I sometimes get the feeling (and I could be totally wrong), that you, Kirk, feel there is a vast group of people who are primarily visiting Kings Island for the Live E... Maybe there are, I'd love to meet them to hear what they'd like to see improved. Again, Im really not dogging Kings Islands Live E. In its current incarnation, I personally feel its a lot of the "same", and I would love more variety in the types of programs offered. I have faith though, and I do realize things move in baby-steps at times, as such Im committed to seeing where CF takes Live E - I know they have lots of great ideas to bring to their parks, hopefully the funds will one day be allocated... Lastly, just as an afterthought... Kirk, I don't think selective will be responding to your snarky comment at the end of your post (just a hunch), so I hope you are comfortable and ready to hunker down for the long haul, because you might be waiting a while...

Selective, Don't forget the venue... It's a seasonal amusement park and furthermore, it has to cater to a wide audience and I think it does that with moderate success. Is it of professional / broadway quality? Having seen over 15 broadway shows, I can tell you the answer is absolutely not. (how many times did Simon Cowell reference feeling like he was in an amusement park when giving his critique to a less than stellar audition-er?). Selective you do make a point though, its generally not the performers that make the shows somewhat hokey - its the content/arrangements. And too, I think after you see a certain number of 'revue' shows - they all sort of bleed together. When was the last time a revue show got any of us so excited that when it was over we jumped to our feet in standing ovation? Does the General Public really come to Kings Island for the sole purpose of watching the Live E? (with the exception of Kirk Sheppard) No. Its an additional offering to the rides. It rounds out the park experience, but isn't the focus. I hope you don't expect to see anything that exceeds 30 minutes and has a real plot to it, because I doubt it's going to happen anytime soon. The revue type shows are what primarily works apparently, and they arent going anywhere anytime soon and if I had to guess why - I'd say because they are tried and true... in essence - they are safe. Am I a "FanofKIentertainment" ? With my 6 year old god-son when he wants to watch it, or on a rainy day / extremely hot day - sure why not... but again, it isn't like we've got a full queue house to see way too much tv. What would make you a fan of ki entertainment? I can tell you my answer... A variety of live entertainment... For anyone to try and sell me on Kings Island having a variety of live entertainment options would also have to moonlight as a used car salesmen ... because IMO, they don't. It has boggled my mind why Kings Island (or any parks, except disney) have never done a "blast!" type show. What about a bmx / skateboard show here? Live music ensembles. Wandering street performers? Just to name a few ideas off the top of my head at 1:50am... If there was more variety in the types of live e, i might subscribe to being a fan of ki entertainment... but when Kings Island has the same essential offerings that most seasonal parks around the country have - to me, it creates a continuity of sameness across the parks and the park operators even. Kings Island has what, six or seven shows? In my perfect world, one of those would be a musical revue type show. There are plenty of other types of productions that can be put on, especially with the venues Kings Island has (at a park its size with its history in live e no less)... Now selective... Im sure a certain fan of ki-entertainment is going to come to the creators and performers defense - but keep your opinion, its yours and its important. And perhaps if more people at KIC discuss different entertainment options we might see them start to pop up sometime in the future - who knows? I certainly don't mean to 'dog' the entertainment department at Kings Island, like I said - they have provided me with some entertainment over the past few years, especially when I'm with a younger crowd. We could have a conversation about quality vs. quantity too, would you rather have one really great show that packed a big punch... or multiple revue shows and the Ice Show. Its definitely a conversation that perhaps is worth having at some point (not now though, Im sleepy), but it just seems like all to often the phrase "variety is the spice of life" is forgotten. With that said, Im grateful we have Live E at all and I hope it evolves into something greater than its current incarnation soon. Who wants to watch Snoopy's *insert misc. tag line here* ON ICE! in 50 years? ;-) Anyway - just my 2 cents as always...

I do believe the King Cobra sign is the original... see: http://www.kiextreme.com/history_kingcobra.php

Leland, The question begs to be asked... Who are you to decide what the "right thing" is? It seems to me that someone who wanted to argue Q's position would choose their words a little more carefully and not try to sound so, for the lack of a better word, snarky. I may be alone here, but reading your comments and thinking how I couldn't take you seriously as you write as though you are in a country club setting or something. You know... The difference between 2.5 unitholder meetings and on new high school athletic field ... is that the high schoolers will actually benefit from every dollar spent. I have to assume it went to Sandusky HS, which if so, couldn't be more a deserving locale. It seems like when Q doesn't get what they want, they arrogantly ****** and moan* and threaten yet another special meeting. Im sorry, Im not a unit holder and its outrageously tiresome trying to listen to someone tell me they deserved to be payed a dividend while corporate debt is as fragile as a faberge egg. It makes no sense to me, and I doubt anyone will be able to sway my opinion otherwise and I guess thats just because common sense leads me to that decision. Lastly, Leland... if you don't like the way Cedar Fair is run you should have thought about that before dumping your money into a company you yourself should have done research on to understand their corporate structure and how members are elected to the board. From everything I see, while it may not be the popular trend in corporate america today, they are well within their rights to tell you to "kiss off" as Q would most likey do in a less-than-tastefully worded full page add - But I give Cedar Fair a little more credit than I give Q - and of course by a little I mean about an "Oasis of the Seas" more credit. My opinion may not be shared by all, or any, thats fine as it is my opinion. To be perfectly honest I usually find myself staying somewhat neutral on most topics I choose to reply to, but I would be remiss to not say there is something about Q and all its minions that doesn't sit well with me, and makes me feel like they are trying to rape Cedar Fair of the money they can, while they can and then get out of town. I feel, in essence, like Im watching a modern day witch hunt and its appalling. Just my thoughts - in written form ... So ... how bout them Bengals...??? Anyone? ... Anyone? .... ;-)

lance99, Could you provide me with a list of the "registered through KI (official) site"s ? I wasn't aware there was a submission process to be 'certified' by Kings Island. Thanks for the clarification in advance.

"This was a half-hearted effort from the beginning, and has ended like most suspected." While I personally felt as though she didn't have her ducks in a row and bit off way more than she could chew, your statement couldn't be farther from the truth. In truth, her whole heart was in saving this object, and her deep passion for roller coasters drove her, what I would consider naively so, forward with plans that were at best "private". More than likely though the plans she had were contained in her head. Perhaps she could provide details one day, even provide a master plan at best, but again - I think if you boil this whole story down it comes down to two enthusiasts who tried to come in and save the day at the last minute without concrete plans, funds, or know how. It probably came as quite a shock to her all those hours she spent sitting in front of a computer reading about other fanboys talk about roller coaster, thinking she was "informed" - proved to be nothing more than fluff and showed her she had little idea what to do. I can't help but cite her youtube account where she used to make videos of her opinions on parks she visited, rides she rode and her overall travels. Her commentary, to me at least, gave the impression she considered her opinion to be highly regarded and she had quite a bit of "knowledge" behind her opinion. But alas, thats just my opinion. But to sit and say she was half-hearted in her attempts to salvage this object is an insult. This may come out wrong, but I know I wasn't rallying any support for the Big Dipper at Geauga Lake and the at last check, I didn't see you starting any petition or fundraiser, let alone a plan to rescue it from the wrecking ball. Not only was her whole heart in this project, every fiber of her being thought she could save this ride, and she was doing a great thing for fans, and history buffs alike. Passing judgement without all the facts, to me, is one of the most deplorable actions one can take and Im not narrowing that statement to this specific case. Look in media outlets all over the world today, god forbid a major news outlet got wind of her efforts who knows how it would have been spun. I guess it is always safe to wait until the facts are known before placing judgement on one party or the other. Does she get any award from me for excellence in master planning, relocation and procurement of historical items? Absolutely not, in fact I was rather critical of her. However - never... ever... in my wildest dreams would I undertake, or even think I had the ability to undertake, a project of that magnitude. My hat is clearly off to her in that respect, and that respect alone. (I really hope this makes sense, its amazing what comes out of ones hands at 715 in the morning on a potty run - lol)

Oh good... I should be out of my meeting with a cheeseburger at McDonalds in Dayton by then ... I eagerly anticipate the next post ;-)

shhh... don't you tell that to all those people in Vegas how have sat at the roulette wheel for 4 hours betting on black 35 because its "due its turn" to hit... ;-)

Is it Gold Star Chili, or Skyline Chili... or perhaps a white bean and chicken chili??? Just wondering

So if they mention Kroger as many times as they mention Kings Island (which, I think has only been 2 or 3 if that)... Does that mean they'll be shoot an episode at Kroger as well?

perhaps you could point out these posts that are making false statements damaging a persons reputation... Most of the comments have been regurgitation of what she herself said... Although, I guess since you said "bordering on" that doesn't mean they are defamatory. So in that case, the conversation should continue on its said path? In all fairness, this is a conversation that needs to happen... There are quite a few people in the coaster community who will donate money at the drop of a hat to help a project like this. A lot of those people take the information provided on the news, and her website as fact and donate accordingly. I'm not sure when it's been okay to take money from someone under false pretense... So again, to ere on the side of caution, perhaps its a good thing the word is out and potential contributors are now informed of the risk in donating to this said cause.

No, they don't need to lay off her, she needs to be accountable. Remember business is business, it's not personal. This might not be a popular statement, but I totally disagree. People, especially those who donated to this project, need to stay on her until she becomes more transparent with what the plans are. For months she has been collecting donations, albeit only 384 dollars, under the false pretense that she is the owner of the object. The last I checked, the Save the Dipper project was quite literally, a one woman show. There is no timeline, there is no master plan... the only we have is this website where we can donate money. To be honest, it makes sense why there isn't a timeline or overall plan, she can't plan to disassemble and store a rollercoaster she doesn't own. I hope she makes it very clear on that website that she is not the owner of that coaster, and any donations made are made under that understanding... (btw - did anyone ever find out if shes filed a 501c3, and Im curious who is funding this 'legal advise') Maybe if she, and by she I mean the man from New Zealand who is funding this project, can come up with enough money to satisfy the sellers pocketbook, then publish a master plan and of course then provide to the public some proof they now are the owners of said object - maybe then people will start donating and the project will move forward. Sadly though, the lack of organization from the start, then the lack of Mr. Overseas, now this bit of news - isn't helping the credibility of her cause. Just to put it in perspective - without any large donations... at the current rate they are raising money - she should have enough to complete the project by roughly the year 2510. In closing - it takes a big pair of cajones to step up to the plate and try to tackle this feat and thats admirable and my best wishes are with her, but I can't say I expect the project to ever come to fruition. (but by god, should she get a master plan up and provide me with some details - ill be happy to donate something)

As someone who holds a job in Marketing Communications, I can tell you those PR positions require a certain level of grammatical acumen. I am confused as to what you consider Basic PR? Basic PR in essence, is about managing reputation and perception and establishing good relationships with key stakeholders. Perhaps you could shed some light on the issue for me... Thanks

But... whats cheaper? To pay him a year of salary, or to pay him with a parachute made of golden threads that Sotheby's would no doubt sell for many millions of dollars... The reality of the situation is - the man has worked very hard to create what Cedar Fair is today, regardless if you agree with it or not. I do not, and will not, believe he would maliciously attack and try to sabotage something he's spent so much time on...I do wish he'd 'poo poo' the distribution as a final "F-U-Q" on the way out the office door to his house... which he reaches by Jazzy Scooter or seasonal employee powered rickshaw... take your pick. :-)

"Because of the business he's in, moving it isn't a big deal. "It won't cost me nothing," he said." ... well clearly, nothing is free!

I have thought about this for a long time and after reading a few posts tonight finally decided to throw this out for consumption... A great number of people like to jump on the Wiki-bandwagon, in that, wikipedia should not be trusted for information. I find wikipedia exceptionally useful, exceptionally reliable, and most importantly, exceptionally well organized and offers a simple to UI. In my personal opinion it has garnered an unfair reputation in providing false information as it can, and is edited by anyone. So here is my challenge... Go through the Kings Island Wikipedia Page and see how many errors you can find, or at least things you think are errors. This challenge is twofold, 1. to get misinformation corrected, and 2. to see if there really is validity in stating information posted on Kings Island's Wikipedia page is laced with inaccuracies. I took the liberty of saving a copy of the webpage before I posted this, just incase anyone decided to get cute and make some 'creative modifications'.... So there you have it... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_Island