bkroz

It's too bad, because suspended coasters are honestly perfect family coasters. That covers a range, of course (in their case, Iron Dragon -> Flight Deck), but they're definitely family friendly. Perhaps back when they were the new fad they were extreme thrill machines... And though it may not have been Arrow's intention at the time, they have turned out to be great for riders of all ages.

It's really a shame, too... Geauga Lake's "Villain," while certainly not award winning, was a unique concept, and it was so funny to see trick track make a modern day comeback! "Raging Wolf Bobs" was always a great coaster. Even if all of the other coasters had been removed, I feel like Geauga Lake could've continued to operate primarily as a water park with three or four coasters (maybe, the three wooden coasters and the Double Loop). But that's a discussion best suited for elsewhere. I know this is probably blasphemy for some, but I can't see Vortex lasting another 10 - 15 years. It's painful. You really can't deny it. In certain seats its entertaining, but the fact of the matter is, the layout is odd, the pacing seems off to me, and (as with all Arrow coasters) the transitions are awful. It's just too much for me. My friends and I literally get off and just feel drained. It's rough, but it's also long. Perhaps some new Vekoma replacement trains would help, as they have on Vekoma Boomerangs? But the biggest problem is the track transitions. If it didn't have over-the-shoulder restraints it would be a different story. Rides that probably are here to stay for the foreseeable future: Beast, Racer, Backlot (pending effect maintence - if all the effects go, there's very little reason to keep it around), Diamondback, the kid's coasters, Drop Zone, Delirium. Rides that I can see being removed / majorly overhauled in the foreseeable future (even a decade or two from now): Son of Beast, Invertigo, Vortex, Adventure Express, The Crypt.

If i'm not mistaken (I may be), three of the four (or five) remaining Arrow suspended coasters are owned by Cedar Fair. That might be great - perhaps it's their intention to whatever is necessary to keep them operating. On the other hand, it gives me a bad feeling in the pit of stomach: if it's true, and parts are harder and harder to come by, we'd be fooling ourselves to think they wouldn't dismantle Flight Deck and Vortex as spare parts for Iron Dragon. Flight Deck and Vortex are superior coasters in most every way, but in the end Cedar Point needs its coaster count. That's not an Islander dissing the Pointees; it's just a thought.

http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/news/news.cfm It is cancelled. Sorry!

Yes! I hear that the underwater heartline roll was really doing some damage on the test dummies...

When I read this I was like "Wow this person is really just a downer..." Then I looked at who wrote it... No offense. I agree with much of what you say about The Crypt, but it is certainly still unique, fun, and forceful; Boo Blasters is the same as Scooby Doo (same target sizes, same sets, same robotics for the most part), but with better effects; it's not Firehawk's fault that you didn't zip up your phone. I hesitate to say more, because it's extraordinarily clear in only 50 some posts that you thrive on attention, which you receive primarily through negativity.

A question for those who are far more knowledgable than myself (most of the people here): Is Son of Beast the only wooden roller coaster on Earth with such wide track? I know its exceptionally wide, and that the Gerstlauer trains had to be re-crafted to fit(?). If so... why? What benefit does it provide to have wider track?

Agreed. Islands of Adventure opened as "the most technologically advanced park on Earth." It might not be considered that anymore, but even ten years later with virtually no additions besides a kid's coaster and a teacup ride, it's still above-average in technology, and the paramount of American theme parks. Again, quality over quantity.

Comparatively, Islands of Adventure: 1999 - Park opens 2000 - Flying Unicorn & Storm Force Acceleration 2001 - Nothing 2002 - Nothing 2003 - Nothing 2004 - Nothing 2005 - Nothing 2006 - High in the Sky Seuss Trolly Train Ride (existed from park opening, but actually began operation in 2006) 2007 - Nothing 2008 - Nothing 2009 - Nothing 2010 - Harry Potter & The Forbidden Journey So 2010 is the first time in 10 years that Islands has gotten something brand new... Just sayin'!

Exactly. It would be a stretch to think that a new ride would be added to Coney Mall and the physical area left in its current state - peeling paint, broken lightbulbs, and sizzling hot pavement. Today, the area is very reminiscent of a broken down, slightly-creepy carnival come nightfall. If a new ride were added to that area, it's almost guaranteed that that would turn around.

Well it's probably about the best indicator of popularity...

So, Kings Dominion is the only name that actually fits well into the song? The rest of the parks are awkwardly trying to stretch / squeeze into four syllables: Kee-eengs Is-land. Cee-Dar Poooi-oiinnt. Can-a-da's Wonnnn-der-land Car-o-wih-inds I don't even WANT to hear California's Great America's... Kings Island: Fun of Many

Tomb Raider: The Ride in my garage? Or, thereabouts...

But that list also isn't incredibly fair... Coasters aren't all that count, even in the "big" rides to compete with Cedar Point. For example, both Tomb Raider, Drop Zone, & Delirium were milestones, and just added to our impressive collection of flats that Cedar Point just couldn't beat... Or, so it seemed... So if you had a comparison between everything except coasters, Kings Island would've blown Cedar Point out of the water! It's all in the wording.

Bins would greatly slow down the loading process, and let's be honest: If you owned a theme park, you'd probably want at least one ride that required lockers. Really!

In all fairness, the ride is located in the middle of no where. It's hardly a "striking" visual draw the way Vortex is. The ride being gray instead of red isn't a huge deal. It would look great if it were returned to its original colors, but when it comes for paint, Flight Deck is only a little more visible to the public than Flight of Fear... It's certainly not a priority in the paint department. Not only that, but it's got to be difficult to paint due to its location. Of course, at this point, the lack of paint is causing the ride to rust, which is structurally questionable...

Then came the Paramount Action Zone...

But be careful! Some of the menus are television screens... No telling if they bump the prices by a few cents on busy days.

I have contacted the park via a number I was provided by the 5@5 answerer who said he would love to discuss it in person and set up a meeting. I called a few times in the weeks leading up to my visit, have reminded the answerer of 5@5 by bringing it up there, and have yet to receive a reply. At this point, I have begun to think that they may have "passed" on the idea... Besides, I was careful to call in the weeks leading up to my visit because I live four hours from the park, and cannot simply skip over there some evening the way some people here can - I wanted to have a meeting on the weekend that I was there. That weekend has passed. I'm usually there four days a month or so, but I do not know when my next trip will be, and sort of don't expect a call back from the park at this point anyway. Sorry for getting everyone drummed up... I will, of course, continue to try to get in contact with the park until I hear a straight answer one way or the other!

Rest assured, the park has been contacted...

Terp, I have a hard time believing you don't have some pull in the park... Have you mentioned your opinions to anyone of importance? I'm sure you have the connections, and the delivery, to really bring this to someone's attention.

This may be so oversimplified, but I feel that music would literally solve nearly every single problem with the park's "themeing." Honestly. The pop songs that currently play? They're fine. It's honestly a good playlist of nice music (and far superior to Cedar Point's, where one might assume they simply google the words "summer" and "sun" and download any and all songs that come up). But leave it in Action Zone. That's where it belongs. Save the orchestral works (like I said in another thread, even things like by Kelly Clarkson) for International Street.For Oktoberfest, play the old Glockenspiel music! Even on a loop, who cares?! How long do people actually spend in Oktoberfest that they'd get annoyed? And it would be so pleasant to hear on the Outer Hanks deck or hanging around outside of Festhaus. Leave Coney Mall with, as you said, classic pop-rock, or even just broadcast generic carousel-organ music throughout the area. X-Base doesn't need music. I think it would be awesome to just hear occasional beeps like a radar circling and announcements (like what plays in Flight of Fear's outdoor queue) saying "Please report to hanger 18 immediately for employee inspection." "Code blue in hanger 18. All personnel please report to loading bay." In Rivertown, you could literally just bring over the exact mix-CD that plays in line for Maverick - the generic, adventurous Western music. Does it fit perfectly? No. Is it better than Black Eyed Peas and Kelly Clarkson? You bet. And, I've expressed time and time again how the rides can be saved by music. Turn up the music in Flight of Fear! It's synchronized to the ride even today, but you can only hear it start over for the next train when you're on the final breaks. Bring Kings Dominion's Tomb Raider music to our Crypt - it runs the same length as our Crypt ride, and would enhance the experience tenfold. Not to mention, they play the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider film score in their Congo area, and it would do wonders if it played in our Crypt's queue... Evidently, it's available for use, so why isn't it being used? For Backlot Stunt Coaster, I say play "Bad Boys." Like, the theme song from Cops. Honestly, what harm would it do? The cars have built-in speakers and I'm sure an audio selection could be added in a few minutes. Even generic cop-chase music (like something that might play in the background of a video game) would just add a fun element to the ride, and I'm sure its cheap if it's not covered by the parks music fees. I would think completely differently of all three of those rides and all areas of the park if they just played the right music. It would be dirt cheap if not free. The only thing, as always, is that it takes someone getting off their butt and doing it. Not saying the people at Kings Island don't get off their butts, because they definitely do. It's just that re-configuring the park's music is hardly something that most people feel enthusiastic enough that they want to get off their butts.

It's not.

What an awkward [half?] quote, in more ways than one!