bsktgrvy

So you are saying that when boards crack, break, split, etc. on a roller coaster and someone gets hurt, it's nobody's fault but the wood itself? KI, the designers of SOB, and the construction firm will probably be found negligent to some degree - I suspect they will settle out of court if they can.

All I can say is reading that report makes me hungry.

This may not be totally related but on our annual park visit this year we had dinner at Bubba Gump's. The fish I received was the most gross fish I have ever had in a restaurant. It was so greasy it was like rubber, and the fish inside was yellow due to the grease. I took it back and showed it the girl that gave it to me, and she gave me another couple of pieces - exactly the same - gross. I asked for a manager. She came out and I showed her the fish. She asked "What's wrong with it?". I took it apart and showed her the greasy yellow fish inside and asked her if she would eat it. She said "I don't eat fish". I then asked to just have some chicken strips - which they gave me and were fine. I just was not happy with the response the manager gave.

Good report and there is no harm in him being a little apprehensive about some rides and it's real nice how patient and understanding you seem to be.

OK - Thanks! I was not aware of getting something new for next season. That's great! Personally I'm reverting back to my childhood where I no longer have the desire to be thrilled to death, but I have 2 teenagers that love KI and definitely want new rides.

With the SOB problems and the fact that KI has been taken over by a new company, I wonder if it's reasonable to expect any new rides for next season? I am only posting the following info in this forum since I think it pertains to KI now. I was looking at some coaster sites today and noticed that Cedar Point is building another coaster. http://www.thepointol.com/2007lookout.html It just makes me wonder if there will be any budget money for KI next year and wondering what the future holds. If this is already being discussed in another thread please point me to it. (OK - I found some posts about the CP coaster in other forums here, but my concern still remains).

There are a lot of good ideas in this thread! The general consensus seems to be to get back to themed areas and have all the rides in that area match the theme. Adding more green space and landscaping in certain areas and remove green space in others and replace them with rides also seems to be a thought. KI does not have to be made to look exacty like it did when it opened, but it would be nice if they would consider adding some elements of the early days and getting them to mesh with the new elemenets of the park - I think the re-theming of rides to make sure they match the area they are in would be a big plus.

IJST is a little short but I think it's a fun little coaster. The dark part of it after the 'show' is especially good. It just needed to be made a little longer.

Great report!

Of course the question and the answers are all hypothetical.

All great ideas!

Look - The Racer has always been a big favorite of mine - but coasters don't last forever. If the ride can be made smoother again so that there is not a bone-jarring jolt at the bottom of the first hill - then by all means it should be kept.

Great job on the front page interview regarding SOB!

If someone is suggesting to make improvements to the park, why is that considered being negative? Should the park stay the same as it is forever? It was great 20, and even over 30 years ago. It's great now. PKI had some great rides and themed areas long ago just like it has now. Is it a crime to ask them to fix up the train ride?

I'm sure there have been several threads started like this over the years, but I'm curious as to what people think about this. If you were CEO of KI, and had a big budget to use, what would you add, subtract, or change at KI? Would you change anything? 1. To satisfy the big coaster fans, tear down SOB and put in one of the floorless hyper-coasters (my terminology may not be perfect) - I think like Apollo's Chariot I have seen on tv. Or whatever giant coaster you like. Make sure The Beast always stays operable and safe - it's the best wooden coaster ever built. 2. As much as I love The Racer - I think it's just getting too old. Tear it down, but build an homage to it and add a new racing wooden coaster in it's place - similar to Lightning Racer at Hershey Park but with some new unique features. 3. Spruce up the train ride - add animated figures, more buildings, etc. 4. It's like this already to some extent, but configure the Coney Mall area to be a historical area of the early days of PKI - bring back some of the original rides (they would have to be built again, I'm sure). Select a ride or 2 from each section of the original park layout. Maybe the tumble bug, or Bayern Curve, or the wooden shoes, the rotor, I wish I could think of more... 5. Expand Winterfest - more shows, an indoor ride perhaps, etc. 6. I'd like to see a real haunted house like Lesourdsville Lake (Americana) had when I was a kid, only with today's technology. What are your ideas?

Never did and never will. Out of my league now - The Beast is about as big as I care to go.

I have never been to Cedar Point. We have a great park right here in our own backyard. The point of my initial post was to see how many others think the train ride needs improving, not comparing it to other parks. Just because you love King's Island does not mean it has no flaws or cannot be improved. And they are always working to improve it, i.e. Nickelodeon Central this season. Perhaps next season, in addition to hopefully adding a new ride or 2, they could also consider sprucing up some of the older rides, like the train ride. It's just sad to see how much they have let go one of the most beloved, popular rides in the park, just because they know people will ride it anyway.

I was thinking the same thing. If it had been you or me or one of our family members (or one of the posters that said it's not a big deal) that had been hurt on the ride, I can assure you it would be a big deal, as it is anyway.

5 all time favorites 1. The Racer 2. The Beast 3. The Vortex 4. The Bayern Curve (I really loved this as a kid) 5. The Beastie (also - brings back memories and still enjoy today) Honorable Mention The log flumes - big and little Whitewater Canyon The Antique Cars The Tumble Bug The original wild mouse type coaster that I can't seem to remember the name of

I'm feeling nostalgic today. My family really enjoyed the train ride during Winterfest. It was great to see an attempt at adding some theming to the ride with the singing and acting. King's Island needs to bring back some theming to the train ride during the summer. It does not have to be cowboys and indians like the early days - just add some animated animal figures or other western characters along the ride. And fix up the old buildings in the town and add some animation in that area.

A Festhaus show would not necessarily need to include live actors. It could be puppets, or animatronics, or a combination. I too remember the good old days when the park first opened and there were shows, I believe for a year or 2 there was an ice skating show in there. King's Island is a great place, but it could be so much better with some improvements on the FestHaus.

If you have ever been to Hershey Park you may have ridden what I consider to be a wonderful wooden coaster - Lightning Racer. This is what a wood coaster should be. They don't all have to be over 200 feet high and go 80 mph to be fun. Lightning Racer has great first hills and lots of twists and turns. Another example is Raven at Holiday World. I have always thought if PKI wanted a hyper or giga coaster they should have built a steel one instead of SOB. I also last rode The Racer 2 years ago. I experienced a very bad bump at the bottom of the first hill that really hurt my back and I'll never ride it again. I love The Racer - it has always been one of my favorites so I hate that I can't ride it anymore. I know it would be sad to see it go but if it ever does, PKI should consider a coaster like Lightning Racer to replace it.

This does not completely explain where the bad wood is but there is definitely bad wood on the ride - not a brake issue, not normal rough riding. State inspectors shut down the Son of Beast roller coaster indefinately after finding “structural problems†with the ride this morning. A timber – one of the ride's wooden support beam– is “cracked and had actually splintered in places,†said Fred Dailey, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture this afternoon. Dailey and his team walked the tracks today to figure out what went wrong on the ride Sunday that sent 27 people to local hospitals. The ride has been shut down since 4:45 p.m. Sunday. Only two people remain hospitalized this afternoon, park officials said. “It was obvious there was a failure of the timber and maybe more than one,†said Dailey. While the problem would not have caused the train to leave the track, it could have caused a depression that would have created a bump in the ride, he said. That would explain riders’ complaints that they felt a sharp jolt while on the ride. The problem timbers are on a short section of track on one of the coaster’s hills. Dailey says it likely broke at the time of the accident or one or two rides prior. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...EWS01/307100020