bkroz

Right. I hardly meant to offend anyone, much less scare someone off the site... My goodness. I know that I'm one of those "leave for lunch" passholders, so the last thing I was trying to do was to offend you.

But in that regard, is there a right answer? If the building had been covered by a giant Indian temple facade, wouldnt it anger the Rivertown fans even more? Trees would do the trick, but if they didn't add any to repopulate Swan Lake, why would they waste money on disguising The Crypt? Maybe that's reality. Of course, there's that go-away green Disney is so fond of... Add some trees to that and the building may look better.

I certainly understand that. But from a guest's point of view: It's frustrating to go to a park after dropping $165 on a platinum pass, and being allowed in early only to see that nearly everything I want to ride is closed. I don't live as close as many of you do.. I live 63 miles from KI. The first thing I want to do when I get to KI is hop on Diamondback, because that hour+ drive is all anticipation for me. So when I saw that ERT on my favorite coaster at KI was taken away this year, it really took the wind out of my sails. I get a kick out of going to Cedar Point and seeing that rides like Millennium Force, Maverick, and Raptor are open and ready to go. The full hour of morning ERT every day of the season makes the 170 mile drive worth it, and it makes the amount I paid for my pass worth every penny. I understand that. I live four hours away (and comparatively, only 2 hours from Cedar Point and Kennywood - I still choose Kings Island). But to me, Diamondback's regular 5 - 15 minute line on any given weekday is just as conquerable as a 5 - 10 minute ERT wait. This season, for better or worse, you'll have the opportunity to experience two great attractions at Kings Island before anyone else. Maybe you'll find that the daily ritual of riding those two is just as fun and worthwhile as you found Diamondback and The Beast to be last year. If not, then you can be the first in line for Diamondback when it does open and wait in the practically non-existent lines come early afternoon. Maybe next season the park will open Diamondback early. Maybe not. Maybe next year they'll choose to not open anything early... After all, we are essentially non-paying customers. By the second or third week of operation, most of us here will have had our passes pay for themselves. We're the ones who don't buy food (and even further, convince our friends to leave the park for lunch with us). We're the ones who complain and gripe and potentially harm the park with negative word of mouth (how much do I talk about The Crypt with friends before I go? A lot). They don't have to give us ANY ERT. Just please don't let this get you down... Not just you, but anyone here. It's okay to feel an initial sense of disappointment. But ERT is not the primary purpose of a Gold or Platinum Pass. It's a perk. And if you want to enjoy the perks given to you, then you will. Simple as that.

Of course, Cedar Point also has an attendance that would seem to support having that many rides open early... Does Kings Island? On a Wednesday at 9 AM, would it be prudent for Kings Island to have three roller coasters and WindSeeker operating? Imagine the extra payroll needed to open Rivertown and Coney Mall early every single day, and the how the hours of ride inspectors would change... I don't know, but I would imagine that if Kings Island did have four rides open early, they would all be walk-ons... WindSeeker is an obvious choice, so why not chose a coaster near it so that you can open only one area of the park instead of requiring twice as much manpower and twice as much early prep? Am I happy about it? Eh, not really. Do I understand why they might be doing it? Yep.

And in fact, they made the same mistake twice, in two separate posts.

I have hoped for Kings Dominion's Crypt music from the beginning. I can't speak to the legal obligations therein, though. I mean, that music track is in use at Kings Dominion's Crypt (even since its switch from Tomb Raider: Firefall) and the same soundtrack was actually exported over to California's Great America's Firefall top spin (even though that particular ride never had any connection to the Tomb Raider franchise at all). My layman's guess at it would be that it still violates that whole "nothing-related-to-Tomb-Raider-or-adventure" clause that we hear about. Tomb Raider: The Ride at Kings Island seems to have been highly protected; moreso than Tomb Raider: Firefall. After all, their ride still has movie props, the Triangle of Light, the same effects, and the same music. If it were an option for Kings Island to keep their props and music as well, I imagine they would have... And if Kings Island could have Kings Dominion's music, I think they already would've done that, too... But maybe not. As long as the rumored new music is energetic and fits the ride's theme (which I imagine as pounding drums, maybe strings, etc) I'll be pleased. I've always sort of thought that the Lord of the Rings cut of Requiem for a Dream (see below) would be really fantastic, if the light chanting / strings and drums loop repeated during loading, and then the orchestra picked up as the ride lifted... It would be a very dramatic ride, for sure... But I imagine the rights to that song would be quite hard to secure, as it is from a movie soundtrack... Maybe not? The Interpreter knows the ins and outs of that sort of thing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEOolYYe60k

First off, I'm not your friend. Secondly, because you are a Tomb Raider fanboy and nothing good as ever came from Tomb Raider. Thank you for putting me in my place! Or... something... I can't quite make it out. Moving on...

Just to insert an opinion piece here, I absolutely love Kings Dominion's Crypt. The long and short of top spins (even the best ones), is that they often spend a lot of time just straightening themselves out after flips. Even after a great, energetic set of maneuvers, the ride has to balance out and lock and the arms have to lift back up... And then there's a 30+ seconds it takes for the ride to make it back to the unloading position even after the fun has stopped (at Kings Dominion, that void is filled by water fountains. On our Tomb Raider: The Ride, it was filled by the goddess' last shriek, and her final cloud of fog blasting towards you just as she dies. On our Crypt, that time is spent with green, leaf-shaped lights illuminating the walls as the ride rights itself). But that aside, the nine-flip cycle is great at Kings Dominion's Crypt. The water and fire and synchronized music do a really great job of filling the awkward voids, and the flips are fun and the ride feels light and aerodynamic. Speaking personally, that same exact nine-flip cycle on Kings Island's Crypt was far too much. As I mentioned earlier, our ride felt so heavy and so cumbersome trying to perform the same flips that it was almost scary. As TRFTW mentioned, you quite literally felt plastered the seat during the flips, and uncomfortably so in my opinion. The deafening roar of the downward swing was a little scary - you could hear that the ride had a LOT of power, and I swear I could feel the brakes struggling to keep hold without wearing away. From my point of view, our ride was too large for that cycle not only from a mechanical view, but from a rider comfort point of view. Nothing makes me nauseous. The Crypt '08 did. I usually rode it twice per day, just because I relished so in seeing the goddess, the volcano, the stalagmites, the queue, etc. On the second time, most of my friends decided to sit out because the darn thing was just so forceful. After riding it, I would need to sit down and drink water. So to me, it works on smaller top spins. But for the Giant Top Spin, I actually prefer the two-flip cycle. Of course, that isn't saying a whole lot. But now, the ride is a bit disorienting, a bit thrilling, and (whether they like you to or not), you can see the neat Tomb Raider themeing. Even though it may not be vomit-inducing, it's fun to feel the brakes turn on as it kicks you head over heels into the backward flip, going face-first towards the pointy protrusions of the former-lava-pits as the ride lights flash. Is it too short? Yes. I think adding one more flip (or even just making it two forward in a row, two backward in a row) would extend the ride time enough to make it feel "worth it," which it certainly doesn't right now...

Son of Beast214, I'm with you that I enjoyed the ride. I thought it was fun, and extreme in a way that I didn't mind. Honestly, be happy about its status right now. Love it or hate it, the fact is it could have been better. Now we have some idea that it will either get better and re-open, or it will not. And if it doesn't, it will eventually leave and be replaced by something grand. Kings Island has two of the most famous wooden roller coasters on Earth (three if you count infamy). It's heritage is the wooden roller coaster. I for one rest assured that Son of Beast will either re-open some day better than ever, or another, better wooden roller coaster will eventually grace the park in its place. Either way, you won't be riding it this year. GYK, hopefully conveying that you can be a fan of the ride and still be logical...

I didn't call him anything. In fact I asked if he was an engineer... And how do you know that I'm not, my friend? Top spins and the later suspended top spins hold 40 and 38 passengers respectively (with the suspended variety having a floor that lowers away, giving a sensation not unlike an inverted roller coaster, with riders sitting back to back to achieve the sensation for both rows. Both can lift their gondolas to a height of 59 feet. Our Giant Top Spin (the only one in the world) began its life holding 77 riders (double that of the other two) in three rows that were staggered in height (to achieve a "theater-style" seating arrangement where everyone had a good view). Observationally, one could assume that the Giant Top Spin was made for more of a theater-experience. In fact, Tomb Raider: The Ride originally featured only one flip. More than a thrill ride, it seems to have been designed for a unique and somewhat-thrilling show style ride (and again, it's possible that it could've had more thrilling purposes, too, but the only installation of it in the world is at our park, so I'm just going by what we've seen). While ours is only what, 10 or 20 feet taller, it's really almost impossible to describe the real difference in size until you ride one of the smaller varieties and then return to ours. The sheer length and size of the gondola, even missing a row, is staggering, and looking above you and seeing how far the center shaft is... It's really remarkable. As Terpy had put it in another thread, the reason it wasn't "weather-proofed" is simple: it wasn't going to be exposed to weather. Why pay to have it defended against the elements when it was designed to be an indoor ride? Apparently it backfired since it interacted with mist, fog, and water day-in and day-out (which apparently didn't strike anyone as exposure to the elements...). A suspended top spin (The Crypt at Kings Dominion) Our Giant Top Spin

Added another motor? Are you an engineer? The fact is, it was determined by someone of power that the two-flip program we saw for much of 2009 and all of 2010 was the best way to balance the ride's operation and uptime with guest satisfaction. If more could have been done at the time to improve either of those without the expense of the other, it would've been. Perhaps this off-season has seen some additional testing to determine the optimum cycle possible for the ride. After all, the switch from 9 to 2 flips in 2009 was done mid-season, and seemed last-minute; perhaps even desperate. Or perhaps that really is the best that that ride is capable of at this time. I personally doubt that the ride is capable of doing what it did in 2003, and even less able to perform anything resembling its 2008 season. That, it seems, is where we are. Perhaps things will change this year. Basically, they did not turn a once-highly-regarded ride into what we knew in 2010 just to tick off the general public or enthusiasts... If it could've done more given the time, money, knowledge, and equipment available, it would've.

Of course, that's never been made official. Neither Cedar Fair nor Kings Island released an official press release explaining why our Giant Top Spin was changed. Making assumptions (which can be hazardous) based on the timeline, one might notice that as soon as the front row was removed (lowering the capacity to be comparable to those traditional top spins and suspended top spins), the ride began performing its more acrobatic, intense cycle. If one were seeking to interpret causation (which one who interprets would not), he or she may recognize that the ride began performing a more acrobatic cycle after it's front row was removed. A: The ride's front row was removed, lowering it's capacity by one-third. B: The ride began performing the intense, nine-flip program traditionally performed only by the smaller, lighter top spins. Of course, just because B happened after A doesn't mean B happened because of A. A very wise member here taught me that. As I mentioned, based on the HUSS website, it appears that the removal of this row was considered integral to the ride's operation, as HUSS Giant Top Spins are now offered with only two rows by default. So I assume (again, dangerous) that it was partly to install a new program, and partly to relieve stress and strain on the ride. Or perhaps one is a cover for the other...

Our Top Spin wasn't built for that. It was built to do only slightly more than it does now. The only difference is that now there are no effects to "distract" you from the tame cycle. I'd sooner expect Son of Beast to reopen April 30th, 2011 than to see our Top Spin do more than four flips in a cycle.

Why even go to the park anymore? And why hit enter completely randomly, not even at the end of sentences? Just type a paragraph... Sorry, that's bothered me. A roller coaster isn't always the answer. Some on here may think you're Mr. Kinzel in disguise, as just about the only thing that makes you happy is taller, faster, bigger roller coasters. Love it or hate it, we have a one-of-a-kind flat ride. May not be the best in terms of thrill, but it's the only indoor one in the world, it's the only Giant one in the world, and even with its current cycle it has potential given the ride atmosphere, lighting, disorientation, etc. It's clear that you're unhappy with... Well... Pretty much everything except Diamondback and Raptor. So be it. Maybe you have a valid point about The Crypt. But recognize that when you complain about everything, no one takes it seriously. "Choose your battles," they say. If you yell at your kids every day for dropping Cheerios on the floor, they won't take you seriously when you yell at them for walking out into the street alone. When you complain about every aspect of Kings Island, no one will listen when you have a valid point... Also, you say that the ride ran like a charm in 2008, and that Kings Dominion's is "pretty decent, too." 2008 Kings Island Crypt = 2005 - present Kings Dominion Crypt. It's the same cycle with precisely the same flips. Just an odd comment I thought I'd make...

I have to say, I can't speak for anyone else but this, so far, is shifting my allegiances. I had always been upset with Cedar Fair for taking away what I perceived to be more than they needed to. The effects on Backlot, the Tower Gardens, all of Tomb Raider, Swan Lake... It seemed that they would spare no expense to make a ride thrilling, and that they had decided to assimilate the Paramount Parks into legacy parks instead of using a more pluralistic, we're-all-different-and-that's-okay approach. Even come last year, many of us here said, "Okay. No more excuses. We've let them get away with terrible music, no water features, broken effects, and terrible food under the notion that they were still getting used to the differences between the Paramount theme parks, and the Cedar Fair amusement parks. But it's been five years, and if they don't get ahold of it soon, we'll be past the point of no return." Well, it looks like they got ahold of themselves. Exactly. This season they've paired infrastructure improvements with new capital additions and attention to what they already have. This is just a really great off-season, and hopefully this is the new rule and not the exception. I recognize that a ride like Diamondback was needed, and that it's great to get something like that every 5 years or so... But the real push at Kings Island needs to be in maintaining what's there because it was neglected for years under Paramount and to a degree, Cedar Fair. The world's largest dinosaur park. The world's largest top spin. The world's tallest swing ride. The world's best pavers in Coney Mall... Work on The Beast and Flight Deck. There's nothing there to complain about, even if we're not getting an 80 mph + attraction! As I said, I can feel the real attention to detail returning. Now if only next off-season they can plant some trees in Rivertown so that we can get it back to a forested village come 10 - 15 years, help out Backlot Stunt Coaster, and reinvigorate the Tower Gardens. I honestly think we may have the first year that enthusiasts have little to complain about... The again, we always find ways (and there's that large wooden one in the corner of the park that just won't seem to die)... Touche, Cedar Fair!

Yes, it is the door from the preshow room to the ride chamber. Where the original door was removed and you could see the ride operating . There is also hope for the circular door from the antechamber to the preshow room, as another twitter picture showed the circular door partially closed. Maybe we will have both doors back. Of course I'm extraordinarily more excited now, just knowing that the ride is being separated from the queue line. How fantastic it is to think that, once again, there will be a sense of mystery surrounding the ride, even for those who have ridden it. Perhaps by now most visitors have caught on to what the ride is, but it may still be thrilling to not be 100% sure what it does. That being said, hopefully this means that it will do a little more, even if that only means some new lighting, and some pounding tribal music to really set the tone. Either way, I couldn't be happier already! EDIT: And another new photo: Accompanied by the message: Of course I'm not thrilled about the very obvious fake snakes remaining, but this continues to bode well for the queue being spruced up a bit at the very least. The fact that this ride is being giving any attention at all is enough to float my boat!

And since that alone is against the terms of service: really?

Besides, a nine year contract would've been unprecedented, given other films in the theater lasting from one month to two or three seasons tops... They couldn't have (and shouldn't have) anticipated the popularity of Spongebob Squarepants lasting this long. It would've been contrary to much that happened at the park prior.

Talk about late... Great America's 2011 map is still Citigraph. Carowinds' has yet to be released.

From what I recall, the options were a friction-based braking system, or a pneumatic, air-powered breaking system. Again, that's worth looking up because I don't precisely recall. And I'm not sure which of those the ride actually has (and thus I don't know which HUSS recommended instead). But I think those were the two. However, part of me thinks that if it were really that simple, wouldn't they have had new brakes installed before the 2008 season? I don't doubt that the brakes were part of the issue with Tomb Raider - it had a hard time grabbing the gondola as it entered the hang-time, and thus the computer would e-stop the ride when it sensed that the gondola was off from its intended position. But I think the problems have evolved far past that, and that the entirety of the ride mechanism is just very stressed and over-sensitive based partly on the brakes, partly on the environment, partly on its wear-and-tear from 2008, partly from its exposure to the elements during Tomb Raider, etc. It's just been beaten around, and all while being the first of its kind in the world, so no one's quite sure how to fix the problems. They're writing the book as they go. In many ways, the Giant Top Spin we have was a prototype (that, oddly, was never duplicated). It opened with 77 seats. When it was converted, to The Crypt, it was reduced to 56 seats by the removal of the front row. And now, if you look at HUSS' official site, Giant Top Spins are advertised as having 56 seats. In a very big way, that can read as HUSS "admitting defeat," and saying that 77 seats were just too much. Now, any Giant Top Spins sold from here on out (HA!) will start with two-thirds the capacity that ours started with. Notable indeed! I wonder if the outcome would be different now that Ohio requires amusement park rides (or is it just roller coasters?) to obey all manufacturer recommendations? Did HUSS formally recommend one brake over another, enough so that any ride in Ohio would be required to use their decision given todays laws? Might the ride still be operating at full strength? Interesting thought...

You're right. I had already gone back and edited, but was too late. If memory serves, it operated as Tomb Raider in 2007, and was changed to The Crypt (and thus, gained the 9 flip cycle) in 2008, spilling over a bit into 2009. Does that sound right?

I'm no expert. Cedar Fair was obviously required to remove the themeing, and music, and stuff like that. What was left, then, is a ride taking place mostly in darkness with no special effects. At that point, there was no need for the ride cycle that featured "hangtime" over lava, or lifted you to the goddess or rocketed you towards the stalactites... Because those features were not there any longer. So the four-flip, "tame" cycle used for Tomb Raider was essentially useless. To compensate for the loss of themeing, it would appear that Cedar Fair had a new program implemented - one that was far, far more thrilling, flipping the gondola nine times (most of which were those free-flipping, fast-paced, blender-style flips, and not the lock and hold flips that the ride features now). The nine-flip cycle was equivalent to the one that has been used at Kings Dominion's since it opened in 2005 as Tomb Raider: FireFall. There was even a sign outside the ride that boasted "This ride now has MORE THRILL!" Our Crypt operated with that 9-flip program for the entirety of the 2008 season, and until May (as I recall) in 2009. Then, it was closed, the rising wall in the preshow room that had separated the ride from the queue was removed, and the ride began flipping twice. Obviously, it's never been expressly said why our ride went from nine to two flips. However, people often say of our "World's Only" Giant Top Spin, "There's a reason they only built one." It has been plagued with downtime since opening in 2002, sometimes for months at a time. And as you can imagine, it feels hopeless to replace light-bulbs and fans and misters and fog machines when the ride itself is barely operable. How HUSS recommended the nine-flip cycle, I'm not sure. But popular opinion is that it was simply too much for the ride to handle, and that it's on its "last leg" as far as functionality. Tomb Raider's four-flip cycle (combined with the exposure to mist and water jets, which the ride was not made for unlike it's Virginian cousin) appeared to have put a lot of stress on the machine, and running the highly intense (as anyone here who rode it can attest to) nine-flip cycle would seem to have put it over the edge. And again, anyone who rode it will agree - our ride is very, very powerful. The downward swoops had so much force behind them, and the weight of the gondola was so great. It didn't feel acrobatic or aerodynamic like it's siblings. It felt heavy and almost frighteningly forceful. I used to say that if I an elephant were standing at the bottom of the chamber when the ride began it's downward swing (with the motors audible growing in pitch and volume), the elephant would be absolutely obliterated without a dent to the ride. My interpretation is that they found that this two-flip cycle is about as intense as they can make it while still having some guarantee that the ride can operate normally instead of always being broken. So in a somewhat ironic twist, a new (9) program was installed to replace the "un-thrilling" cycle (4) of Tomb Raider. The end result was that the ride needed to operate an even tamer cycle (2); the attempt to make the ride more thrilling resulted it having half as many flips as it did before.

Everyone here knows I love The Crypt / Tomb Raider: The Ride. You've also probably heard my ideas for it. If you're uninterested or know that I'm generally unrealistic, feel free to skip this post. If you're vaguely interested, read the bolded portions. So, here's what my realistic, plausible-as-far-as-I-know dreams for The Crypt would be: Queue Choose different lighting for the interior of the queue. I get that the red floodlights are dramatic. But was there actually a problem with the lanterns? It's creepy, it's atmospheric, and it's dramatic. As we all know, having the path lit from underneath does very little to help guide your direction - it's almost dangerously dark. I've heard stories of Hollister clothing stores having to raise the lights a bit for safety reasons... But the Crypt is fine? That has to be a fire hazard... Play different music. I appreciate the fact that Cedar Fair put in music to begin with. But it's literally a Halloween CD from Party City or something. One song has a creepy, vampire-esque, Victorian theme, and the next would be at home in a scarecrows-come-alive-in-the-cornfield horror movie. Neither fits the ride chamber's atmosphere, so you leave this pounding-drums, jungle-animals-hooting ride and think back to the Victorian vampire music in the queue and think "Huh...?" Tomb Raider's queue music was simple, eerie, unsettling gongs reverberating against a deep bass tone. Barely noticeable, but great at setting the atmosphere... Sort of like a film score. Antechambers Re-activate the two doors that are meant to separate the pre-show and ride chamber. Granted, I get that it requires a ride operator to control each door. So maybe just work one of them. Whatever the case, it's a shame that the building is set up to allow for much faster, more functional loading by having groups separated into rows long before they reach the ride itself, and that isn't used... Using that system would also allow for a pre-show to be used. Not only from a operations point of view, but from an experience point of view, there's nothing quite like not knowing what the ride is or what it does. That was unequivocally one of my favorite parts of Tomb Raider. Heck, even when taking your seat you can't really make out what it is. Even those who have seen Top Spins certainly wouldn't equate that to the enormous, tiered-seating gondola they're sitting on. Have a pre-show. As I suggested during the "Kings Club" era, it really is as simple as having a demonic, raspy voice-over that plays loudly while The Bat comes to life. A simple story about how The Bat is a fallen angel cursed to guard an ancient crypt full of possessed spirits. Then, have the rolling door (the old Triangle of Light door) seal shut and you've got a story - you're trapped, and the only way out is to venture deeper into the Crypt, so The Bat demon opens the vault for you (queue rising wall effect). It's simple. It's effective. It requires one additional audio track (which can be easily, easily created by manipulating a voice in a program as simple as Garage Band) and some theatrical lighting (which, by the way, the room is already rigged with... So why is this even a debate?) I'm not asking for a film or projection or anything... Just a simple voice-over that plays while people are waiting there. You have to wait in that room before you ride. Why not take one group at a time and just play an audio track that might also give them a little story while they wait? Ride As we know, the ride is what it is. I don't know that anything can be done from a mechanical point of view to change that. If it were possible to add one or even two more flips, I'd obviously vote for that. If it's do-able based on the licensing, have the eyes of the goddess light up during the ride. She needn't be illuminated. Just put red lights in the eyes. Maybe return the "laser" eyes if possible. Consider something like Tomb Raider's loading drums. I'm not saying it needs to be the same track. Maybe the drums / animals track that's currently used during the cycle can be used for the loading instead. Howling wind is... Well... Boring. But when there are pounding drums, your heart is already racing and the bass is shaking the room and it's just a good build-up. Play Kings Dominion's Crypt music - something dramatic and epic. Even if it doesn't synch up to the ride, at least it's better than howling wind or animal noises. Add a few "effects" that aren't even effects. Obviously the ride and the chamber are sensitive. I'm not asking for mist or open flames or fountains. How about the old lava pits (already rigged for water, lights, and water circulation) be filled with water and illuminated like a pool of blood? The ride doesn't even have to interact with it - just to flip backwards and drop towards it would be visually interesting. Simple things like that that would require very little work. No fountains. No mist. Just cycle the water through the filtering system to keep it from going stagnant. The lightning doesn't even have to be theatrical and stuff - just have it remain on through the whole cycle, and it would give you something to look at. And honestly, one of the best things I think the park can do for The Crypt is to ask the employees there to be a little more serious. Particularly, I've had ride operators over the PA sing "If you wanna ride The Crypt, clap your hands" while the restraints are checked. Others do the nearly-unintelligible safety spiel in a baby voice. I'm totally for having fun on the job, and it doesn't have to be monotonous. But there's a time and a place, and it only makes the ride more of a laughing stock. Perhaps a great solution to that is to have The Bat demon from the pre-show have a pre-recorded spiel while loading. That keeps the story consistency, and eliminates employees from killing the mood... No offense to anyone here.

... No. No it's not. This is the 2011 park map that will be used in the Park Guide given to guests when they enter the park. Go ahead and tweet them about what you don't like, and what they can improve in this "prototype." As if they care. You'll get the response similar to that shown here earlier: "It's a map of the attractions, not each tree.." Fine, fine public relations indeed. Nothing like someone with an apparent 'tude and snarky, sarcastic response to head up your communication with fans, right? Sigh. Not in a million years at Holiday World, Dollywood, Darien Lake, nor any large corporate park helmed by Disney, Universal, or Seaworld... But what else would one expect from the company who would accuse those here of thievery and deceit in order to enter Carowinds? And I say again: The job of public relations is to smile at the stupidity, and to courteously redirect patrons to the positive (or, to not say anything at all). What passes for acceptable communication between a park representative and a guest? It certainly wouldn't fly if a ride operator had such an attitude... But something tells me that this salaried worker in charge of the park's Twitter needn't fear much backlash. A shame.

Agreed. The current cycle is incredibly tame, but the massive size of our ride and the unique setting still make it a thrill. No matter how "boring" the cycle may be, it's always fun to ride a ride without tracks. My stomach still drops in anticipation of the second, backwards flip. What the ride doubtlessly suffers from from a public relations point of view is lacking the thrill of its predecessor and the theme of that ride's predecessor. In it's 2010 form, it was basically a worst-of-both-worlds scenario. Understanding that the thrill probably cannot be altered much, I think having a drum-beat loading score like Tomb Raider, installing a reinvigorated lighting package, and using Kings Dominion's adventurous music, would completely revitalize the ride experience. Adding even one more flip and a pre-show would make for a really top-notch experience - especially by A) Cedar Fair standards, and B ) the limitations imposed by the ride system. Of course, I'd also be thrilled if they took some ideas from last summer's discussions we held on the Kings Island Facebook, hoping for the return of the icicles in the form of "stalactites" and the lava pit being a cycled, mist-free pool of "blood" with the skeletons floating in it. As long as there's some good music, I'm all for it.