bkroz

You will! Rain or shine! I'm confident that, at least one of the three days, the park will be open.

I could be wrong, but I don't think the box was added - rather, it just wasn't removed. I imagine it was the foundation for the giant Avatar figure, hidden beneath the plastic "cloud" he was standing on. It may be structurally important to the ride. Though I do agree they should've added a surfing Snoopy... Why not just have a giant printout version of the exact same figure on the facade of the Snoopy's Snack Shack? In all honesty, Surf Dog was probably the only Planet Snoopy ride to be downgraded from its Nickelodeon Days. But it still got a lot of attention. Those swirling water things that this post is all about were certainly not necessary or cheap - it was just a nice touch.

And again I say, these weather forecasts are often incorrect even when forecasting an hour or two in advance. You're wasting your time (and coming across as very ridiculous) to reload the weather page every hour and look at rain percentages and such... If it rains, it rains. Knowing about it five days in advance will make absolutely no difference in the way you handle it. Whether you check the weather every hour, or check it as you walk out the door, bring a jacket and an umbrella and voila - you're all set and ready for each and every situation that could realistically present itself.

Yes! I loved HRRR. If Cedar Point or Kings Island got the same ride, it would be a MASSIVE hit. It's admittedly a medium sized coaster with a fun twist. Kind of a large-scale version of Backlot Stunt Coaster, and with the same issue - the "park puritans" and enthusiasts hate it just because of where it is and what it replaced and how it 'ruins the atmosphere and look of the park.' Meanwhile, people who don't visit the park every single day find it to be a great addition and couldn't care less what used to be there or how it [hoity-toity-British-accent]"absolutely and abhorrently ruins the skyline!"[/accent] My friend listened to "I Will Survive" and still says that it's got to be the best song to listen to on a roller coaster - upbeat & dancy. I listened to "Don't Phunk With My Heart." It was incredibly fun either way! But honestly, The Revenge of the Mummy is in my top three rides. Not necessarily coasters, but rides. It's an amazing experience.

My favorite part:

I'm sure it is. Hahha. It has to be! I posted it with the feeling that it was intentionally hilarious.

http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/article.aspx?id=86277 Originally posted by PKIDelirium on KIExtreme. I don't want to take the credit. But really, this had to be posted.

And as the answerer said, "Okay to state an opinion. Not okay to do it this way. Not here."

I would guess you're right in saying it was HUSS' idea to remove the front row. Why? Because soon after, on their official website, the "tech specs" of a Giant Top Spin changed from "77 Theater Seats" to "56 Theater Seats." In effect, they had inadvertantly proven that they'd "failed" to make the 77-seat Top Spin work. If (by some hand of God event) someplace were to buy a Giant Top Spin, 56 seats is the largest they could get. Still, you must look at the picture they've posted and really feel a sense of awe: While it's certainly exaggerated, there's no denying that our Top Spin is really impressive to look at. It's the only one I'd been on for years, but now that I've experience a Top Spin 2 and a Suspended Top Spin, it's really very intimidating how physically large ours is, and how high it lifts you up. Our center bar is only a little lower that most Top Spin's full height. It's hard to say the relationship between Huss & Paramount - there were a lot of issues from the beginning. For example, the ride is supposedly unable to be exposed to the elements, but all three concept drawings of the Giant Top Spin (see the first, above) show it diving face first into water, and placed outdoors. Did Paramount get the downgraded one that can't do those things? And if so, why is that even an option?! On the other side of the equation, Huss suggested pneumatic breaks - Paramount opted for the cheaper friction breaks (or is the other way around?). Either way, we simply don't know how well the ride might've worked if it had the recommended breaks installed. After all, most of its breakdowns appear to simply stem from the tough time it has during the homing period, where it returns to its load / unload position. Like many of Disney's newer dark rides (the first that comes to mind is Winnie the Pooh...), if the computer senses that the car is even an inch ahead of where it should be, or that the breaks are being strained, it E-stops. More than once, I'd been on Tomb Raider (typically right before the lava) and it would happen, and literally the ride would just swing back and forth like a pendulum for 4 to 5 minutes until gravity brought it to a stop. At first it was huge swoops the size of the room, and minutes later, it was literally just an inch forward, and inch back... Until finally it came to a compete stop due to gravity. Thrilling, eh? That's just some of the things I've heard from various sources. Take them for a grain of salt.

Notably, Kings Island has not yet posted a note for Wednesday's 5@5 as they typically do as soon as they've finished answering the days questions. Whether they end up doing so or not, I hope this is sort of a wake up to people. Even when protected by a computer screen, common manners & decency are still required.

I think this is a prudent time to remind everyone that the park is doing this 5@5 thing on their own time, and generously so. It is neither required, nor is it typical of a theme park. It goes without saying that this 5@5 period is mostly for us, the enthusiasts. I doubt many casual parkgoers traverse Kings Island's Facebook often enough to even find the 5@5. So in effect, they've asked for questions from their biggest (and, as the biggest typically are, most critical) fans. But what it really comes down to in my opinion is the park's willingness to do this 5@5. As he said, he is not a computer answering these questions, he is a person. And it would be very difficult for any of us to show a willingness to sacrifice our personal time just to have to constantly "ignore" some of the obnoxious, redundant, and plain old rude way that questions are asked. That would weigh heavily on your spirits after a while. If you have a point to prove about prices, Son of Beast, or personal complaints, do them here where they can be sorted out - don't bring them directly to the park and muss up one of the most generous and inviting things they've done in years. I'm not sure the person who asked that question is on here or not, and don't mean to single them out - it's not that. It's just time to check into reality for all of us and keep the questions for 5@5 courteous and respectful. Ask the questions no differently than you would if you were face to face with the answerer. Please & thank you.

Does anyone else get the feeling that they're having trouble not only coming up with a tagline, but with a core demographic? The Where Else thing never really caught on. Ride On seems to be the new thing for teens. But change the channel and you hear "The Fun and Only!" with kids bopping around and dancing... I understand that there's not a real good way to target both groups, but at what point is there a completely different, completely unrelated commercial for every single age group? "Kings Island! The rides are too fast for someone my age - So I just ride the train!" Someone put that to a melody and I'll be impressed.

Better yet, we could use that same musical track in The Crypt! No kidding!

I wouldn`t go that far to say that the program they are running is the only one that is safe to run the ride. The other programs were safe too. Its just that the other programs resulted in a LOT of downtime. And I wouldn`t anticipate Cedar Fair or any other amusement park buying a Giant Top Spin in the near future. Some things just don`t work as good when they are built bigger. I`ve heard that Kings Dominion`s Top Spin, which is not a Giant version, has operated with minimal down time since it opened, and its running the more intense program that the Crypt briefly had. I also have heard that Kings Dominion`s ride still fetures its original music. Absolutely true, I didn't mean "safe," and even thought of that when I typed it. I meant more to emphasize that if our ride were functionally able to have another flip, it would. But yes, HUSS' Giant models are, to say the least, plagued with downtime. Delirium? Crypt? Rides such as these have resulted in HUSS getting a bad name. Many of their newer rides are the same. But there was a time when HUSS (under a different owner) created really simple & effective rides. Anyways, yes, The Crypt at Kings Dominion is in fine working order. I've never seen it have any significant downtime, and the ride is well-synchronized to its original Tomb Raider score. It's still flanked by the monkey-warrior statue movie props, still has fire & fountains, and still uses the head of Durga, the goddess who attacked you in Tomb Raider: The Ride. And it still features its original nine-flip program (which is actually the exact same program ours had for a while, it just felt much much more forceful on our giant model). It's so funny and unimaginable that a park out there has a ride called The Crypt that is in absolutely no way under consideration for removal and is truly one of the more popular and fun rides in the park. It's crazy. In fact, nearly all of Cedar Fair's parks contain either a Top Spin 2 or a Suspended Top Spin - a majority of which are synchronized to water and/or fire effects, and two of which play the Tomb Raider: Firefall score from Kings Dominion... Notably, one of the top spins playing said music, the one at Great America, was not, is not, and likely will never be affiliated with or themed to a tomb or crypt in any way. But ours, which is still among the most tomb-related, does not get said music. If I had my way, we'd get a Suspended Top Spin identical to Kings Dominions placed inside our building - their ride with our darkness would be incredible. Either that, or a Zamperla Windshear, which can perform the same motions as a Top Spin, and then surprisingly do... Well... Something unique.

Recall that the ride changed from the nine-flip program to the two-flip program because it was allegedly "tearing itself apart." The ride was never made to do much more than be a moving theater capable of holding riders in "thrilling" positions. In 2003 when the ride starting flipping four times, it was doing more than it was designed to. Add that to the eventual removal of the front row (changing the ride's center of gravity) and the new owners attempt to make it "more thrilling." The two flip program is extremely, extremely mild. There's a reason. If the ride was capable of having even one more flip, don't you think there would be? It's no secret to CFHQ that The Crypt isn't doing well. Numerous first-day trip reports from first-time visitors show a picture of the cave entrance and say "I opted to skip this ride - friends told me it was far too short, whatever that means." The ride's ridership is up, thanks to severely decreased downtime (from the mild program), significantly shorter ride time (which means more riders go through in a day), and if you ask me, sheer interest: People want to know what all the fuss is about. That won't last long. The ride is currently running the only cycle they have found that it's safe to run. That won't change unless the park orders a new Giant Top Spin (or a different kind of Top Spin). In other words, the only aspect of the ride that can change is the theme. The thrill is a constant. The theme is a variable. Let's hope they act on that variable.

When a friend and I went to Disneyland, we made really good friends with the team working Indiana Jones Adventure, Disneyland's most popular (and most prone-to-breakdowns) ride. For those who don't know, it's located right in between the mega-popular Fantasmic and the park's exit, so everyone bum-rushes it after Fantasmic just to get a ride on it before they leave. As you can imagine, it's pandemonium. Factor into that that, on one particular night that we stood with the operators, the ride (as usual) broke down just as Fantastic let out. What followed was all of the operators (plus my friend and I) literally making a human wall to keep people out after a number of folks literally tried to run past them & into the queue! What ride did they think was waiting for them!? I know Disneyland is slightly different from Kings Island, but just from that experience I can tell you that it requires a lot of patience. You get a lot (and I mean a lot) of people asking "What's wrong with it?" "When will it open?" "How long is it going to be closed?" As many of you know, there are no answers to those questions. People would try to coerce the cast members into telling them, almost like they were trying to bribe them: "Hey buddy... Uhhh... You know, I've got some cash here and... Look, my kid just wants to know when Indiana Jones will be open." So yes, I would assume that being a ride operator doesn't afford you a break. Not during operation, or during closure...

I agree 100% with what your dad said ( Get it? GrandsonofBeast? TheSonOfBeast?!). Kings Island's rain policy is much, much more lenient than that of Cedar Point, who's famous for their rides closing down even before a single sprinkle hits the ground. At Kings Island, some of the rides switch to one train operation (though they technically don't need to, I suppose it's a better-safe-than-sorry kind of thing). Other than that, as was said, it keeps the crowds away. Recall that much of Kings Island's clientele are locals & area high schoolers who get season passes every year for their birthday, no questions asked, because Kings Island is where they hangout (this, as you may have experienced is not necessarily a good thing). When the forecast calls for a weekend of rain, that large chunk of people (locals) all say "Why would I go if it's going to rain? I'll just go next weekend, and the weekend after, and the weekend after," etc. They have no reason to brave the rain like the ones who travel (myself included). The rain is really not an issue - it's killer on Millennium. Not so much on Backlot Stunt Coaster. Rain may feel like knives on Top Thrill Dragster, but on Top Gun, it's sort of a non-issue. Not to mention Kings Island has fantastic indoor rides (Flight of Fear, The Crypt, Boo Blasters), unique, much-overlooked shows (you can spend a while in Festhaus and never see the same thing twice!) and some unique food opportunities indoors. And as was said, we're talking a 10 minute wait, tops! And by time you reach a certain level of wetness (see, Elephant on Wildthornberries) you decide "who cares?!" and just ignore the wetness & have fun (see, "Well, we might as well ride White Water Canyon!") Also know that, at the Florida parks, it rains like clockwork each day during the summer around 2:00 or 3:00 - people deal. And as Kennywood so brilliantly put it, a 30% chance of rain is a 100% chance of fun.

And then (as always, leading the pack) is Universal, whose lockers are free for the first hour(?) and a dollar per hour thereafter. In other words, having to put something in a locker just so you can ride a ride is, essentially, free. As PhantomTheater pointed out, that increases guests willingness to buy something during the day. Not to mention, paying $2.00 for a locker will quickly lead one to decide against spending money in the park. Though it doesn't make financial sense, it's psychologically true that if you pay $2.00 for a locker, you feel less willing to spend money on food later.

Same here!

I expected that The Crypt would take the longest time to come out of hibernation and into solid operation. I know it opened eventually on opening day, as there were comments made about it in trip reports. More trouble than its worth? I should say so, at this point. As far as any differences, I've heard that there are none. It flipped two times for most of last year, and continues to do so this year. Don't expect them to ever change that ride cycle. It won't happen. On the other side of the equation, many of us have suggested both on here and on the Kings Island Facebook simple, cheap (if not free) remedies for the ride's theme problem - utilizing different (and very much available) music, cleaning up the ride chamber, running a simple but effective pre-show... Thus far, these suggestions have not been utilized. Would it be fair to say, "Don't expect them to ever change that," as well...? Time will tell.

Caution! Thinking big has burned us before! Well, so has thinking small...

I bet they are for Aquatica... I doubt that they'd TM this project in their real name (most operators have "outside" names they use to hold Trademarks to protect secrecy). That, and I can't see them using an Austrailian theme, it just doesn't fit with the rest of the park. I'd say that the popular "Cheetah"-themed rumor is likely correct here. Especially because Busch Gardens is themed to Africa and Aquatica is themed to Australia... It's not even an option that the new coaster would be kangaroo themed.

$138 > $0.

I think my question goes without saying: What is your reasoning behind this?

I couldn't be there for opening day (though i'll be there next weekend!) and have a few questions for those who could! Flight of Fear - red & purple spotlights on, or not? The Crypt - changes? new music? bat operating? Boo Blasters - beats Scooby? any surprises to look forward to? Diamondback - how does the splashdown look? Backlot Stunt Coaster - how do the cars look? do we still have flames?