bkroz

Yes. From what those here have said, the ride is not designed, nor capable, of being exposed to the elements (which explains, in part, its current lack-of-water-features and temperature controlled ride chamber). Even if that weren't the case, there's more of an excuse for Tomb Raider being build after its show-building than Flight of Fear - the "surprise" thing was not only a big part of the marketing, but also the ride was one-of-a-kind. A roller coaster is... well... a roller coaster, and it makes little sense to me to hide its construction. Of course, confusing the entire "Giant Top Spin can't operate outdoors" situation is this photo, undeniably of a Giant Top Spin (or should I say, thee Giant Top Spin) assembled outdoors, likely at the HUSS plant... in what may be snow... Perhaps now we know why we've had issues from day 1? I also find it fishy, because why would a company go out of the way to make something not weatherproof? I mean, certainly they expected Giant Top Spins to fly off the shelf, and expected them to be installed at all manner of park, mostly installed outdoors? So it makes sense that their blueprint include being weatherproof. What makes it not weatherproof? I don't know, but I certainly believe when you all say it isn't... It can barely run indoors. Imagine what a windstorm might do to it.

There is / was a crane in the roof of the building that was used to lower and raise track pieces. I was under the impression that it's still used to check the track when necessary, but I could be wrong. Now, why they built the building first, I haven't the slightest idea... It doesn't make sense to me. Was it all so that riders would be "surprised?" Seems an awful lot of time and money wasted just to surprise people, when the ride isn't visible from outside the park during the off-season anyway... But what do I know? Either way, Flight of Fear, on the right days, is my favorite roller coaster at Kings Island. And on other days? Backlot Stunt Coaster. Would I lie to you?

I don't understand - would Flight of Fear had been re-built outdoors at another Paramount Park? Or were they going to transport the whole thing, re-build the queue, etc? It was enough of a pain to install it in the showbuilding once anyway, I don't see why they'd go through it again (which is what makes me believe they just would've placed it outdoors, especially since they were in their "make the parks appear more purchase-worthy" period at the time and a big, fast, twisted awe-inspiring steel coaster might help do it). And there was, at one time, a rumor that Kings Dominion's Flight of Fear would be the first of the two to receive the "MTV Soundwave" makeover, and that's the reason it had been closed. Can we assume from your post that that was not true?

I sometimes wonder what Kings Island's claim-to-fame would be if there were another Cedar Fair park in the "Midwest." Everything that happens at Kings Island is the biggest, baddest, firstest, coolest, longest, hottest, and most immersive of its kind [in the Midwest]. ... Wait... Isn't Cedar Point in "the Midwest?"

The roller coaster is Crystal Wings (A B&M flying coaster) at Happy Valley Beijing. Source. I'm so surprised at this... If it were an "illusion" thing and he was claiming that it was magic and it was all smoke and mirrors, I can understand actually running the train. But a real, physical escape stunt? What were they thinking? Had he taken one second longer, he would certainly have died. How would that have looked for the park? Or, for B&M? For China's safety regulations (which, as of late, have appeared to be quite lax). Wow...

"WHAT A GREAT DAY TO GO TO Cedar Point." Uh oh, I smell a new TOGO on the way!

And if you think that the park's lack of parking lot trams, sky ride, and in-park transportation are not deal-breakers for many, you are sadly mistaken. There was a time when my family could bring our grandmothers to the park on our big family outings. They were content to have a ride up to International Street and spend the day sitting by the fountains talking, with occasional trips to the International Street stores. That is no longer the case, and whether CFHQ care or not, we no longer take big "immediately family" trips to Kings Island because of it... Think of The Magic Kingdom - grandparents and non-riders can happily ride the train though the day, visit exhibits, stroll through gardens, and ride a half-dozen gentle dark rides. Imagine yourself as a non-rider - what do you do at Kings Island? The train to Boomerang Bay, devoid of scenery? stroll through the Tower "Gardens"? ride Boo Blasters (which is fun, but certainly not grandma-appropriate to a degree)? ride the sky ride (oh, wait)? And again I must stress, the loss of parking lot transportation is far more serious than most of us here care to think about. For many, the first question when planning a family trip is, "Is there a way for grandma or grandpa to get around easily, and plenty to do once they're inside?" In the case of Kings Island, there simply is not.

I think stand-ups are the one example where B&M did their usual business of "plussing" a pre-existing concept by making it taller, faster, more twisted, better capacity, etc. but even though it looks fantastic on paper, it just didn't work out all that well. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't experienced or heard of the (for lack of a better word) uncomfortable sensation that their complex layouts leave in your legs. So yeah, B&M did "improve" on TOGO's simple design in some ways. But looking at the big picture, it just didn't work out well. They got their money back when stand-ups were a hit, but looking at it now, it's a really clear gimmick. So are hypers and inverts, sure, but I don't think that's how the public sees it.. Here's something I wonder: Can standing coasters easily be transitioned into floorless coasters? Is it simply a new train that's required? I'm sure it could be that simple, but something tells me B&M would not approve it - standing coasters are specially designed with a raised heart-line for all the transitions and inversions, right? Still, I can't think of a single stand-up B&M that wouldn't benefit from a transition to a sitting, floorless coaster, even if it does feel a little "off" from a physics point of view.

That surprised me, too, when I rode it with the lights on last season - the track in the tunnel looks almost like an exact replica of the "swerving between police cars" scene - no more twisted than that. It does genuinely feel like you ride up on the walls a bit, and I still know people who swear you go upside down. It's a really well-done moment of the ride, really!

I want to know how you know that. Please tell me. Here's a hint: He doesn't know. There's a fair chance that the ride may not operate in 2011. If that ends up being the case, do not think to yourself, "Wow KI FANATIC 37 really did know something we didn't know..." That is just not the case. I would imagine that the higher-ups at Cedar Fair do not know the fate of Son of Beast, much less the day-to-day employees of Kings Island theme park. Would you really expect someone here to have some inside scoop (Dippin' Dots guy)? As a general rule that I've learned in my time here: Those who know, cannot say. Those who say, do not know (or will be dismissed from their position at Cedar Fair Entertainment Company right quick)!

Not to believe what you see said about Son of Beast on fan sites...

Next we'll hear that The Crypt's fountains, synchronized music and theatrical lighting have been removed! Oh... wait...

Let's say the ride has cost $30 million so far. Let's also say that the Iron Horse re-do might cost $12 million, and demolition could be $8 million. Your options are a $42 million chance at success, or a $38 million dollar empty field. At some point, you have to look at that sort of big picture and say, "It might be worth it to at least try." If it costs $8 million to demolish, that isn't "starting over fresh." It'll cost $8 million just to get back to an empty field... Then another $20 million for another big addition...

Surprised more Paramount coasters didn't make the list... I mean, Lethal Weapon? It's just an SLC. No preshow, no effects, no storyline... Backlot Stunt Coaster may not be the most thrilling thing on Earth, but one would be amiss to leave it out of a movie-themed roller coaster article. Scooby Doo's Spooky Coaster? Even Top Gun in it's opening years was far better themed than some of the rides they included. I mean, a B&M floorless coaster with no theme whatsoever besides the name "Batman"? Perhaps this article should be renamed "Biggest Roller Coasters to be Named After Movies."

Millennium Force in 2000, Top Thrill Dragster in 2003? Just sayin'! The ride is within three yards of two other roller coasters, which would require an extremely controlled demolition. Again, there are parts that would need to be dismantled by hand. And so, pretend that's done - now you've got millions of board feet of wood sitting around. It cannot be burned because of the chemicals with which the wood is treated. There are millions of screws and bolts within the wood. It must be moved. Who will do it? How many vehicles? How many trips? How much gas? How many man hours? You know how in Roller Coaster Tycoon you can build a piece of path for $10, and when you delete a piece, you get $6 back? That's because it cost $4 to remove it. Son of Beast cannot just "disappear." In fact, if there's a roller coaster on Earth that would be the hardest to remove, Son of Beast is certainly pretty near the top of the list. I've said before that we simply cannot even begin to fathom the intricacies of the Son of Beast decision. The money that has been spent on it is gone. It just is. So whether it cost $10 million or $30 million so far is irrelevant, because the figures for demolition and, likely, reconstruction have not changed. The thing I have been saying for a while is that, it's very possible that the "Iron Horse" track configuration may cost $12 million dollars (not a real figure, just a placeholder). Alright. That sounds expensive. But consider - demolition may cost $8 million. You must do one or the other eventually. And if it came down to $8 million for removal, $12 million for Iron Horse, you better believe there would be more than one meeting at CFHQ about that... And that's the reason I (and many others) are so bothered by folks who think it's "funny" to say "BURN IT DOWNNN LOLZ WURLDS BIGGEST BONFIRE." There are those here who do not hide their hatred of Son of Beast; they also do not resort to ignorant, unfunny, tired attempts at being clever.

[Off topic] The Ride Warrior Nation site is still being updated? For who, the five people who look at it? Is The Crypt still an unspecified ride type with a 0 foot height, 0mph speed, 0 inversions, and photos of Kings Dominion's Crypt? GYK, who thinks that the Ride Warrior marketing was one of the smarter chain-wide marketing schemes he's seen, and doesn't know why or how the Ride Warrior Nation website became such a drag and died so young [/Off topic]

I think all of this speculation is useless. For better or worse, the company that owns Son of Beast is not at its financial best right now. It's all they can do to add rides to their parks. The idea that they would do anything with the Son of Beast land before they had to is silly. It would be an awful idea for them to try to re-open Son of Beast for 2011 after any sort of re-construction. They don't have the cash to do so right now, after we just got a new ride in 2009. That being said, it makes even less sense for them to demolish the ride. Demolition will come with a hefty pricetag, and even if it has been officially decided that Son of Beast will never operate again, there's simply no good reason to demolish it at this point in time with finances the way they are. In other words, in my opinion, if they've got a contract ready for someone to help re-configure the ride, it likely won't be a project aimed for a 2011 opening. If they have the ride's demolition down as the solution, there's probably no rush. Either way, I can't see any action near Son of Beast happening at this particular time.

Check out the control panel for the Backlot Stunt Coaster... Also, I received my tickets to a concert that I won during the Rock Band Live! promotion today, complete with an "Italian Job: Stunt Track - Riding into 2005" post-it note attached with my address on it. Paramount's Kings Island logo and all. Looks like they're not sending out many notes nowadays, since they're still using up ones from five years ago... Some of the rafts on White Water Canyon have the old "Kings Island" (flat across the top, arched over the bottom) with the Paramount logo scratched off. And then there are the directional signs in the parking lot, with water-mark stars all across them.

Was Fear Fest produced in-house? Is the new event? I do not know... I feel like Fear Fest most certainly was, based on the houses and themes featured (which heavily used the park's pre-existing props and themes), whereas much of the Haunt seems to be borrowed, switched, rotated, and copied from other Cedar Fair parks. GYK, who adores being so off-topic (even while being on-topic), and is grateful for the things he has learned from such full-circle tangents...

Wasn't there a time when a certain chain tried out a "No re-entry" policy mid-season? Ouch. Even if it was the beginning of the season... Still ouch.

http://www.visitkingsisland.com/public/admission/passes/pass_faq.cfm The next-to-last question. Admission to Haunt being free only for Gold & Platinum passes makes sense... But at the same time, Halloween Haunt is really just an "extended" public operating day. I can see why they attempted to promote that it was only for Gold & above last year, since that's the year that they toyed with the "you must exit the park between 5:00PM and 6:00PM and then re-enter separately for Haunt." That would've made it, in some regards, a separately ticketed event. It did not happen.

I, too, love this place. I don't know that I've ever met any of you (though I have seen many of you, and know exactly who you are... A bit frightening for you, eh?) but there's obviously a connection between us all. Yes, Kings Island... But so much more. Who do I run back to after a trip to an amusement park, ready to share photos, videos, stories, opinions, and debates? You all. Everyone here is great. Some people (myself included) act curmudgeonly at times. Such is life! In the end, we are all friends, united by a common interest, and constantly finding connections we never knew we had, far outside the amusement park industry. Keep it up, and have a mind and heart open to welcoming new thoughts, opinion, and people into our family! So long story short, thanks everyone here, and a happy welcome to Miss Molly! Come and smell the funnel cakes... er... have fun!... and only... where else?

Teachable moment? That makes two of us. Not saying anyone in this thread has done anything wrong (no one has), but one of the reasons I long prefered KIExtreme to KICentral was that, despite being a smaller community (and one that is frequented by small post counts) I never felt "stupid." You'll notice that I "joined" five years ago (just like Miss Molly), though my post count doesn't reflect that. It's because, every time I decided to post here, for the first 100 posts or so, everyone most people some people treated me like I had no idea what I was talking about and I was useless. My post quality has remained the same; only my quantity has increased. And now, I'm no longer treated like an idiot (and a few lost souls out there may actually respect some of the things I have to say). So was it just because I was new? Not fair, and not conducive to creating a lively, fresh, interesting discussion board. There are little details that simply come with time as you grow and adapt to a new board - for example, if Miss Molly hangs around til she gets 500 posts, her topic titles will not be as long; she will bump a thread instead of starting a new one; these are things that one must learn (and be taught) and do not come naturally. I plead with you all to be accepting of new members and to try to make them feel welcome. Everyone (yes, everyone) started with 1 post. And how different would this place be had The Interpreter, or coaster_junky, or CincyMan98, or Beast1979, or standbyme been so offended by their intial treatment, that they did not return? Who knows if we've lost incredible contributors just because we were not welcoming? It's a shame... To answer your question (as others have, but I'll verify), yes, your pass will get you into Halloween Haunt. At Kings Island, the Halloween event is not a separately ticketed event - you can come during the day, and stay into the evening when the "festivities" begin at no extra charge. Not all Cedar Fair parks offer that, but Kings Island's does.

And notice that Walt Disney Parks & Resorts works almost exclusively with Vekoma when they need roller coasters... Space Mountain, Everest, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster... Take that for what it's worth to you.

Has anyone seen a larger, clearer version of this image? It's awesome!