bkroz

And please, God, let that be the case... This is their chance! This might be the "medium sized attraction" that finally proves to Cedar Fair that medium sized attractions can be big draws! If this is marketed correctly, not overhyped, presents an enjoyable, family ride experience, and boosts attendance, we may see more Skyhawks, more Intamin Twisted Impulse coasters, more flying carpets, more family flats... But if the new WindSeekers aren't marketed correctly, they won't create a draw, and I fear we may be limited to exclusively huge roller coasters & kiddie rides for quite a while...

It's included just like any other show, but if you want "ringside" seats they'll set you back $10.00.

But, if our catch car were to ascend the tower as fast as Kings Dominion's, there wouldn't be enough time for a full rotation if the rotation went at the speed it does today. In other words, while the gondola spinning doesn't slow the rate of ascension, it's possible that rate of ascension was slowed in order to accommodate the spinning, right?

Thanks for filling us in on that. I hope there was at least some form of "training" or rules about the action. My point was that it's just as shocking that it can be done from a maintenance standpoint. As Terpy has said, when Phantom Theater became a haunt, there were live actors scattered throughout who liked to use just their bare hands to bang on the omnimover vehicles. That stopped pretty quickly, even though guest safety was never in question. The problem, I should hope, was that you can't go around hitting things that you expect to continue to work. So to me, it's good to know that there is a "procedure" if you will for scare-actors using these instruments (though even that can fail, you must admit, with masks obscuring view, "tough guys" who move towards the scare and not away, etc). But just as important to the park, I would think, is that there are branding irons and whatever else being smacked onto handrails... That will show up given time - dents, chipped paint, scratches... And I suppose my point is, if *I* were caught hitting a branding iron against a handrail and denting it, I would (in a world of ideal security) be escorted from the park without refund. It just surprises me that that sort of behavior is tolerable and even encouraged from employees because of the season. I understand it's done with the utmost care for the guest. But it's still damaging park property that will continue to be in the public eye long after Haunt is over, and gnarled, dented, broken things are the "norm."

Just like that second launch on Maverick that blasts you to 77 miles per hour, and right into the grasp of a trim brake? Hahha. ^ See around :50

Perhaps you could explain what you mean by this comment by giving specific examples. Just to preface, there's a difference between role strain, and role conflict. For example, a woman can be a good mother and a full-time employee. She may find role strain, and it may be hard to meet the requirements of both at all times, but it's entirely possible. Role conflict is when two roles and the standards attached to each are in direct opposition, and society typically finds that one cannot be the case while the other is the case, such as a woman being a good mother and a drug-dealer. For example, (and I don't want to beat a dead horse, and I don't have the problems with it that some people here have), Midget Wrestling. For Universal's Halloween entertainment, they have the wildly popular Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure. It has a bit more language and innuendos than shows during the regular season, but it's really not all that different from Beetlejuice's Graveyard Review, and it's entirely "in character" for Universal. It's expected, and it conforms nicely with what they do the rest of the year. Sure it causes a bit of "strain" with the family-market that they sometimes seek, but it's simply strain. Kings Island, meanwhile, absolutely thrives on promising "family entertainment, family entertainment, family entertainment." Shows like "Hot Blooded" and "Dead Awakening" are entirely appropriate for the event, because they play on Kings Island's commitment to singing, dancing, and pure talent, and pair them with the slightly more risque language and costumes. That's fine! But midget wrestling is almost contradictory to the norms and values they commit to during the rest of the year. I'm not saying there's anything inherently wrong with midget wrestling, just that it conflicts with what Kings Island tries to display itself as most of the time. To market yourself as a family park that values entertainment, and then to create an almost exclusively gory Halloween event featuring "midget wrestling?" Those are two conflicting roles. I feel as though there must be at least some folks out there who think, "Gee, midget wrestling? What happened to the fun & only, and being so proud of Planet Snoopy?" Not that those folks will absolutely cut all ties with Kings Island or talk down about it to their friends the way some here seem to think they might, but it's probably going through someone's mind, right? See also, the gore & violence in most houses, and the sex in others. It's out of character for a park like Kings Island. Universal doesn't do extreme, gross-out gore. Busch parks don't do intense, overbearing violence. Merlin Parks, and most other Cedar Fair parks don't either. Most of those parks (and others that come immediately to mind) use their boo event to focus on history and primal fears like spiders, snakes, "real" ghosts (not monsters), darkness, confusion, and immersion. The "blunt instruments" in this thread are yet another example. I'm not trying to enflame this or start an emotional riot, but that admittedly is a small risk to the patrons. What happens when a finger gets whacked? Is risking damage to park & customer worth it? Apparently, someone thinks so. But if I can't enter the park with a baseball bat and take a few good swings at the handrails, why can an employee do it just because it's Halloween time? If I can't do it during the normal year, why not? For patron safety, and so that I don't damage the handrails, right? Are neither of those quite as important during autumn as they are during the spring or summer? I'm not saying any of the things I've mentioned are right or wrong, marketable or unmarketable, good or bad, profitable or unprofitable... Just that it's a stark and drastic change from what's accepted the rest of the year, and most parks I can think of aren't willing to re-evaluate their standards for most every single aspect of park operations just because of a holiday...

Phantom Theater, anyone? I haven't been in Urgent Scare, but if what you say is true, that's something I'd reevaluate if I were in charge. Probably, the assumption is that guests will be scared of the actor approaching and back off, and that the actor will clearly and rationally decide what to do in any given situation. But it's not always easy to see with a mask, or when you're hyped up on adrenaline. So I can see how it's questionable. I don't know what they might be hitting the hand rails with, but regardless I say, "Should it matter?" No matter what the "blunt instrument" is, can a normal, everyday patron visiting the park in June bang it against the handrails? If not, then there's a reason: safety is only one. Maintaining the park is another. Pretty much the rule I think many parks employ for Halloween is, don't do anything that would seem out of character for any other time of year. Universal's Halloween sticks to the standards they hold all year - an adult, thrill-themed, Hollywood-style, low-gore, high-special-effects, story-driven extravaganza. Disney's Halloween sticks to their standard - family-style, a few "boo's", lots of treats. At Knott's, the park celebrates Halloween by maintaining, to a high degree, ties to its history by providing haunted houses that are "classic" and largely gore-free. At Kings Island, it appears that they engage in events, activities, and situations that would absolutely not be tolerated any other time of the year. For whatever reason, they've come to the conclusion that, at Halloween time, the reputation, repeat visitors, and atmosphere they've worked to create can be radically, drastically changed (I'm not saying for the better or worse, but you must admit that they change) to accommodate a whole new set of values when it comes to gore, entertainment, and care for the park. Not trying to start a bandwagon of hatred whatsoever. I just wanted to point out that there is a double standard for Halloween behavior in both visitors and employees at Kings Island, and that it's one of the few parks I can think of that changes those standards so drastically when autumn arrives.

Wow. So in that clip alone, we have a sweeping banked turn, a close encounter with a waterfall (a la Manta), a heartline roll ( ), "canyon slaloming" (obviously a re-imagining of Maverick's opening moves), and a [second?] launch through a jungly canopy. Now add what was shown in that clip to the other three... This ride's gonna dominate! Also, it looks to me as if we've seen almost a complete circuit by watching them in this order: 3, 1, 4, 2. All that appears to be missing is the beginning & ending (which may be what video 5 will contain, if not a full POV).

There's the big pink one in line for our top spin... Does it move anymore? Sometimes I wish it didn't...

I have to agree with the majority about Disney's Hollywood Studios. It's such an incredible park. Of all the U.S. Disney parks, it, to me, has the most "class" and character. It tells the most immersive story, and it has the most originality in its conception and execution. As many know, I prefer Universal Orlando over Walt Disney World. Even so, I prefer Disney's Hollywood Studios to Universal Studios Florida (perhaps with the exception of The Mummy, which I think is one of USF's only really excellent rides). Disney's California Adventure is also a very nice park. The problems that have been perceived about it do have merit, though - it has far, far less to offer on most every level than the neighboring Disneyland Park, and yet has the same entry fee. Also, its conception is highly lacking. Jim Hill Media reports that the idea behind it really was as simple as "Let's simulate the rest of California so guests don't have to leave Disneyland to get the whole experience." Budget cuts really when wild, too. Animal Kingdom is a very nice park for what it is, but it's not my cup of tea. The "castle" parks are both very special and memorable, and I know many who actually find Epcot to be the best park of the four. To each his or her own.

Imagine Festhaus if it was even comparable to Busch Garden's Festhaus, which features live German-themed dancing shows on the inside, a giant Cuckoo Clock on the outside that comes to life with live actors every hour, authentic German food within (as was mentioned, more than just sauerkraut), and German decorations throughout. It is possible in a theme park environment.

If I had to guess, the brakes slow the car down on the fall and then as the gondola gets to a certain the point, the brakes either weaken enough to slowly lower it or there is a computer of sort that releases the brakes just enough to lower it down to the stopped position. My understanding has always been that magnets, by their very nature, cannot actually bring the vehicle to a full stop. If that's the case, there's certainly a mechanical break somewhere in there that grabs ahold and finishes the homing process...

It does somewhat resemble a heartline roll. It also seems as though there may be another possible inversion within the Rhino Rally canyons. Of course, that isn't confirmed yet. The figure 8 is definitely different, but Iooks like it could turn out to be quite fun! Looking like there could be some nice airtime in the front seat as the train crests that hill after the launch and also some potential on that sudden drop off down into trench 2. Sheikra_rocks is correct though, play clip 3 followed by clip 1.....you begin with the turn over the former Clydesdale area and end up all the way out to the portion that jumps over to the Rhino Rally canyon. A few things that are confirmed from the plans that were leaked: * Trains will be 4-cars each, holding 16 passengers total....number of trains is still unknown * Dual loading stations like Maverick * 3 launches.....one immediately out of station, second one is in Clip 3, the third one is just prior to where Clip 2 starts out of the Rhino Rally area I'm predicting that this will be one of, if not the best, roller coaster out there today... It has all the incredible elements of Maverick, and (from the videos) the elements of themeing and interaction that Maverick promised, but ultimately opened without. "Grace" really is the perfect way to describe that element in clip 3... Wow. Imagine the smoothness, the speed, the force... Yes, I will be making the trip to Florida for this one... No question about it.

Do you own a jump to conclusions mat? Or do you just like pretending you know everything? What evidence is there to support that decreased capacity is the reason KD's Drop Tower doesn't spin? None, you're just generalizing or "jumping to conclusions" (see video reference linked above). I highly doubt the reason KI's stopped spinning is because of a concern over capacity. Ever since the ride opened, it goes through spells where the gondola doesn't spin. As SOB_TOM pointed out earlier, it occasionally has problems with the motor that causes the action. I said, "for some reason." I went on to say that the spinning may be that reason. I have read the same discussion that you have, and know what others have said. I absolutely 100% do not believe, nor did I ever hypothesize that Kings Island's has stopped its revolution because of capacity whatsoever. I only made direct references to the revolving and cycle time at Kings Dominion. Someone mentioned that Kings Dominion's cycle is faster; I proved it through videos. Yes, I did "assume" by bridging the gap between Kings Dominion's ride cycle being 200% faster than ours by noticing that the only difference between the two is the revolution. I know, I know, cause & effect, just because B happened after A doesn't mean A caused B, etc. But literally the only difference between them (aside from a few extra feet) are these two facts: Kings Dominion's doesn't revolve on the way up. Kings Dominion's is nearly a minute shorter. Kings Island's revolves on the way up. Kings Island's takes nearly twice as long to complete one cycle as Kings Dominion's. Yep, it's an assumption. And we all know what those can do. But is it really that unbelievable?

In of Kings Dominion's Drop Zone, there's approximately 58 seconds between the lift mechanism engaging the gondola and the ride hitting the "brake run."In of Kings Island's Drop Zone, there's approximately 1 minute, 46 seconds between the lift mechanism engaging the gondola, and the ride hitting the break run.In other words, Kings Dominion's theoretically completes two ride cycles (not taking into consideration loading / unloading, safety checks, etc) in 1:56 seconds. Basically, Kings Dominion's can go through the cycle twice for each time Kings Island's can. Add that to the already stated larger capacity of Kings Dominion's, and voila - a near walk-on. Again, some prefer the rotation on the way up, and the built-up anticipation of inching your way to the top. Also, Kings Dominion's was made four years later, and for some reason, it was decided that the revolution on the way wasn't worth the severely decreased throughput. Kings Dominion's is like a one-two punch, and you're done. Kings Island's is more psychological. Again, everyone has their opinion. I like the revolving, but I can't always stand the 40 minute line just to experience it. I'd go without the revolution if it meant having to wait 5 minutes.

Except for Kings Dominion's Drop Tower, which is also (and really, more properly) the World's Tallest Gyro Drop, and never rotated on the way up...

For the record, I chose to go to KI, and it was a great time. Because of the nice weather, crowds were medium overall. The Haunts were all packed with 1 hour average waits, but the rides were walk-ons, excluding Flight of Fear. As always, nearly everyone left with 1 hour to go. I'll never understand this, as it was the best hour of the night...we got about as much stuff in as the first 5 hours combined. Huh? 1 hour waits? I never waited over 35 minutes. That's the longest I had to wait and that was for Urgent Scare and Wolf Pack. Everything else was 15 min or less for me. Some even being walk-ons. I think it's that the haunts give the illusion of being a long wait because of the way the lines stretch down midways and such. It's just like Vortex... You see that line coming out of the station, up the stairs, over the bridge, down the stairs, and out along the brick retaining wall and you just think it must be super long. The truth is, the absence of switchbacks makes the line appear long, when it really isn't.

Perhaps we should count ourselves lucky... Kings Dominion's doesn't spin, and as a result, probably takes literally half the time to complete a cycle. It goes up quickly, comes down quickly (that's all that ours have in common), and then the catch-car or whatever it'd be called on a Drop Tower comes down quickly. Their Drop Tower has been a near-walk-on every time I've visited, but a gondola never goes up empty. The same amount of people are there, the ride just consumes them much more quickly. Of course, seeing as how ours is meant to spin, I imagine it would still travel up the tower at the same speed it always did, even if the spinning stops. Six of one, half a dozen of another if you ask me... Though I do love the aspect of revolving on the way up, I rarely get to experience it since the 40 minute lines turn me away.

You don't know the half of it! The ride had so many effects, only a portion of which were still active when I started riding it in like, 1998. Apparently, he lift hill had a robot at the top who announced that something had gone wrong just as you plummeted down the hill, a star-field was projected at the top of the lift, there were strobes and disco balls (producing star fields) in many of the tunnels, effect lighting, animatronics, etc. Half of the queue isn't even open anymore and has been permanently taken over by a creepy abandoned toy factory, but when the entire queue was open, I can almost understand selling 3D glasses... The handprint tunnel, the groovy travel posters to Atlantis, the robot in the first room of the queue setting up the pre-show, the room full of boxes, the dripping-paint tunnel... You are right that they finally have turned on some of the effects in the main showroom, including the gigantic, wrecked space station (the one that, according to the ride's story, you're going out to rescue some astronauts from), which is lit in pink and yellow and actually does look like it's eerily suspended in space. Of course, years ago, there were stars all around it (you can still see the little LED lights hanging down, not turned on), space noises & music inside the ride, glowing planets (one of which I think they turned on) and illuminated pieces of the scattered spaceship floating all around you. It's a shame, really... People always ask, "What's the point of even having it indoors? It would actually be more fun if you could see [the unique bobsled configuration]." And yep, I agree. But when it first opened as Disaster Transport, it really was an experience on-par with Space Mountain... or so I'm told.

You're right. Someone at Kings Island decided to references two wooden roller coasters from outside the chain that have undergone extensive alterations in the same style as they referenced (after years of silence and pretending it doesn't exist) Son of Beast. They just randomly chose three random roller coasters from around the globe with absolutely nothing in common (oh, except that all three are / were considered among the roughest around, and that all three were "fixed" in way way or another) and stylistically represented them in the same way that they represented Son of Beast at the same event. As I said, it might be a wild goose chase and it may mean nothing. Even if it does mean something, there's quite a range of things it could mean (from being replaced by a steel coaster whose backstory involves being stronger than the Son of Beast, to Iron Horse track, to extensive modification of the track and ride statistics). But don't you ever just look at your posts and go, "I really act like I know everything, don't I? Why am I such a wet blanket?" If you don't think that it means anything, say that and then leave. Your opinion, however "informed" you may think it is, is not fact. If we didn't get excited about little teasers, and hints, and props (even if they are meaningless) this would be a pretty boring place. You immediately come in pretty much laughing and ridiculing us for even considering that there's a chance that this could maybe mean something. It gets us no where, except to make people frustrated and tired of dealing with you. Would you like us to not speculate or have fun with it until the day of an official announcement comes? Right, okay. We'll all just pretend Son of Beast doesn't exist. And we'll all just adapt your opinion that it's awful. And when new members join and stupidly say something about Son of Beast without conforming it to your opinion first, we'll berate them and laugh at how silly they are to think that the park might actually acknowledge that this ride exists and put in a few brainteasers for enthusiasts. And before anyone posts any rumors or thoughts or ideas, they'll private message you to ask if you think it's silly. And if you do, then they'll forget it and leave it behind because if you don't agree or you don't feel like having fun with it and playing around and speculating, then it's not worth any of our time either.

At the very least, the situation isn't being ignored. Whether these signs really are pointing to the demise of Son of Beast, who knows. But they are a clever puzzle references all sorts of different wooden coasters that have met with different fates: Be it Hercules (demolished for a steel B&M coaster that thematically "follows" Hercules), Texas Giant (receiving the Iron Horse re-do), or Rattler (according to RCDB: "Over the four years following the Rattler's opening it was reprofiled in some way each year. The end result was a 42 foot shorter drop"), they're definitely playing around with the minds of enthusiasts. After all, the general public would not understand the importance of those initials. In a way, they're displaying three wooden roller coasters and laying out burial plots for all three. However, two of the three still exist, just in an altered form (and the third, Hercules, still lives on in a way - memorialized by the coaster that took it place). It's interesting, then, then that they specifically chose those three, calling the rides "dead", even though new & improved versions of two of them still exist. Of course it probably means nothing and is just another roundabout way of keeping people like us pecking around like hens in a wild goose chase (two avian references in one sentence? Geez). But hey, it's worth thinking about: Maybe Son of Beast as we know it is dead. That doesn't mean that the ride is. Or, maybe it does... In my mind, this is a good thing. Son of Beast is no longer "that ride that doesn't exist and we can't see it and lalalalala we can't hear you." For better or worse, they've acknowledged that it exists, and have done so in a way that many of here can pick up on and speculate on. That was certainly on purpose. It's very interesting either way!

More than likely, those who know what was wrong cannot say. Delirium is manufactured by a German company called HUSS Rides (also the makers of The Crypt). One of the things they're infamous for is that one of their rides will suddenly require a part, and it will take months to get it. Delirium was closed for almost an entire season a few years ago, with a sign outside reading "Please pardon our dust as we await a part from Germany." Tomb Raider: The Ride was also closed most of 2006 (or was it 2005?), after having broken down in the middle of the summer and simply staying closed through the fall. They certainly make unique rides, but operations aren't exactly known as their "thing." Especially not their collection of so-called "Giant" rides (of which we have two - a Giant Frisbee and a Giant Top Spin). I may be slaughtered for saying this, but in many ways I think of them as the Intamin of the flat ride world (though Intamin actually has created their own version of many HUSS rides) - they're unique, innovative, and smart ideas that don't always open or operate the way they're supposed to.

I'm dying to know about Legendary Truth, since I think it really will represent an incredible step for haunted mazes. For those who don't know, it's not a "monsters" type house, but a "ghost" type house. As he said, it supposedly relies heavily on special effects to actually make you feel as if you're experiences paranormal events rather than "jump" scares by people in masks. And just knowing that feeling you inevitably get after hearing a good ghost story, I imagine that the nervousness within that house alone would be outstanding. I can't wait to about it.

Too my understanding Wold Pack is new this Halloween Haunt? So how did you go through it last year ??? I think he's saying that if all of the returning houses are the same as they were last year, Wolf Pack will be at the bottom of the list.

Those lights have been the bane of my existance for far too long. I know this sounds outrageous, but you all know me, so hopefully it makes sense - with the lights on, I consider Maverick one of my top five favorite roller coasters. Without them, it truly does drop several spots. The lights truly are an incredibly cool touch... The way they simmer red, turn blue, and then "stretch back" and turn white as you launch, giving the impression that you're going even faster than you really are... Even the simple "railroad" lights as you enter the tunnel. But just like when the house lights are left on inside Backlot Stunt Coaster's tunnel, it just makes me ask "Why?" What reason is there to leave them off? Does it save on an operations budget? Does it take too much work? Is it not as simple as touching a button on the control panel, or going down a set of stairs and pressing something or flipping a switch? Why wouldn't you turn them on? In fact, most times that I enter the station with someone who's never ridden before, I ask the seating attendant if they're on. Usually, they hop across the train, ask the ride operator, and then return to tell me "They weren't, but they are now." It's highly appreciated. I just don't understand why they need someone to ask... It should just be part of the ride's operation. The flames & water on Backlot? I understand that they go out from time to time and may not be priority number one for maintenance, but something so simple as an automatic light show? Come on... But again, it's not even really worth it to talk to guest relations about it. I just sent a message to Busch Gardens the other day asking about an effect on Curse of DarKastle. I've already recieved the response that it's being looked into, and fixed. But the first sentence of my email was "Please understand that if this were something at Cedar Point or Kings Dominion, I wouldn't even bother bringing it up, because this message would be skimmed over and erased." The same can be said of this issue, I think.