bkroz

Is Carowinds' Hurler a twin of Kings Dominion's? That ride is literally like a bat out of hell. Just standing in line you can see a place where the track is banked nearly ninety degrees... I have never ever ridden a roller coaster with a more out of control helix. And yes, that is a commentary on one of our own rides... If you haven't ridden Hurler... Oh man... You haven't lived (I mean that in the worst possible way).

Do they ever? Look at Disaster Transport... The fact that they even try to swindle first-time riders out of $2 - $3 for 3-D glasses honestly should be criminal. There is not a single "3-D" effect in the queue (which had been reduced due to the haunted house set up inside), and the ride is quite literally in pitch black darkness. It's the equivalent to selling 3-D glasses for The Crypt. I'm very, very happy that Boo Blasters on Boo Hill seems to be a hit. It sounds as if it is simply Ghost Blasters, just with a different name. Unfortunately, it's the name that's so very embarrassing... Based on what's being said about other parks dark rides (and the secrecy around ours), I assume ours will be quite nice. But even if it's the best dark ride in Ohio (oh, wait...), if it's called "Boo Blasters on Boo Hill," then to me it will always be half of what it deserves to be... And all because someone working at CFHQ can't be brave enough to say "Look, we are terrible at naming, so let's have a naming contest and whoever writes the winner gets a season pass." It costs them nothing, and our ride gets an adequate re-name.

And I replied! Haha. I'm glad people are engaging. I was afraid it was just going to be me. There are times when it feels as if the ride has been given up on, and my point is, if there are cheap and effective ways to bring back even a HINT of its original excitement, why not try it? There are many who had said that 2009 was most certainly The Crypt's last season. They were wrong. Hopefully, 2009 will be recalled as the "low point" in the Crypt's lifetime. It can only go up from here (knock on wood), and thankfully there are many many cheap ways for it to improve.

I personally feel as if a choir of angels has descended from the sky. 5@5 is incredible, but no where near as much as those who have been answering it! At first the answers were short and very "by the book." And while the answerers have not "crossed the line" set down by corporate, their answers are now much more involved, much more personal, and very fun to read. I'm so grateful!

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=155893938367&topic=15651 There's a Facebook discussion I started on Kings Island's page about how exactly the Crypt can be improved (cheap or free solutions, not "replace the gondola," "put it outside," "demolish it," etc.) Feel free to join / critique, etc, just so long as the word gets across to the park that there are things that can be done.

For what it's worth, over at Carowinds Connection they're discussing Boo Blasters (and it appears it is VERY similar to Ghost Blasters...) and mention that there are 3-D glasses for sale in the queue line (*cough* Disaster Transport *cough*)... I just love nickels, don't you?!

I am of the persuasion that the Hanna-Barbera characters would still work well - off the top of my head, even I don't know who Pixie and Dixie are, and I'm not that familiar with Quick Draw McGraw and others, but to me it feels like that would make them feel like a "Kings Island exclusive." Like, if there were life-sized cutouts of Pixie and Dixie outside their ride (which there might've been?) and they played Pixie and Dixie cartoons in line, kids wouldn't go "I'VE NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE." They'd probably just assume that Pixie and Dixie were characters created specifically for Kings Island, and they'd grow to love them. I suppose the same can be said of Peanuts...?

Just to follow up, according to Screamscape:

As one might (and many did) expect, the problems have begun. SPOILERS (but I don't think you can even glance at this thread without seeing the 'secret weapon' of Thirteen.) According to Screamscape:

As I said, in my opinion contacts are much better. But when secured properly, glasses are a fine alternative to contacts, despite what some other Cedar Fair parks say... But, you'll hear more about that later, and I wouldn't want to steal his thunder...

Welcome!! I wear contacts, but because I always wear contacts... I don't have them special for theme parks. But, I'm very glad I have them... I can recall not enjoying rides near as much (see, Tomb Raider: The Ride, Drop Zone, Son of Beast) back when I wore glasses... You spend most of your time hanging onto them! So yeah, I would say contacts.

Very true. The only thing I'm afraid of (as someone who tentatively has a trip scheduled for late May) is that The Forbidden Journey actually will open near or around the grand opening proper. Probably not because it would be senseless and unorthodox to have less than a month of "soft opening" for such a technologically advanced ride (as you said), but then again... maybe they want it to be that secret... :\ It would be alarming to think that the ride would be done and ready to open, but that it would remain closed for the sake of a grand opening... They wouldn't do that, would they? And they certainly shouldn't go the way of Alton Towers... Build up secrets and hype and unbelievable whispers of what a secret weapon might be and when everyone is alllllll ready for it and pumped --- have a ride-through, with the lights on, on the news, three days before opening... Whoever directed their marketing really should have their head examined. So let's hope there will be no official, lights-on, on-rides of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey til well after people get a chance to experience it.

Some may say this doesn't necessarily deserve a new topic, but I really think it does. I just want to take a moment to thank all of the folks at Kings Island and specifically their public relations department for all the incredible hard work that they do. I know there are so many parks out there that are little more than an absent voice in the minds of the parks followers and fans. We are so unbelievably lucky to have such wonderful PR folks who take the time to do the 5@5 (imagine how fans of other parks would kill for such an opportunity!), to post relevant and insider information to Twitter and Facebook and on blogs... And even today, someone suggested via 5@5 that they ought to share historical photos of the park, and only two and a half hours later (probably earlier, but I just logged on), a photo album entitled "Old Stuff" appeared on the Facebook page, as well as a discussion prompting fans to post what aspects of "old" Kings Island they'd like to see photos of! And it's not just on the digital level - I have never in my life visited Kings Island's Guest Relations office and left feeling unfulfilled or dissatisfied. There are truly commendable people working behind that desk who probably deal with a lot more negativity than any of us on a given day, but they're always smiling, always helpful, and even as the day winds down, are as energetic as ever. From the very "least" of the workers to the higher-ups, I just want to take a moment to thank all of those who work at Kings Island. We as fans visit, we enjoy ourselves, we meet friends and family, but it's only possible (and enjoyable) because of the people who work there. You guys are the ones who keep us happy during the summer, and at least appeased during the off-season! So a big thanks to everyone. I suppose this is just a thread for me to get that out there, but I'm sure lots of people have stories of great experiences, or maybe just agree...!

I have heard rumblings (that are likely true) that Mickey Mouse is nearly always played by a girl, due to their (on average at least) smaller build. But what a good point, Terp! Who isn't in those costumes? You, sexy Dora, even Greg Brady!

Well, no you won't, considering it opens in June... You'll be greeted with large, gray construction walls blocking the entrance. However, you can get some nice pictures of the entry arch rising up behind those walls, and of the castle from Jurassic Park.

Why? Do you know how much that costs? Top thrill dragster was 25 million (according to rcdb) Something even taller then both of them would be over 30 million. Is that the only reason you can think of why we shouldn't get an Intamin stratacoaster?! Haha!

And even then, not to a ridiculous extent - I doubt people rushed out to buy Drop Zone after their 300+ foot plunge. In fact, I imagine that a majority of folks didn't know it was a film until / unless they saw the poster in the Action Zone plaza. But I wanted to slip that comment in before the hawks start swooping down to prey on you for saying "It seems they had more money to spend and the great themes were endless."

For parks like Disney, at least, teaching a young child a script of pre-approved statements and questions takes a lot more work than buying a silent character costume. Besides, I think cartoons don't translate well into "real life." Take a look at the new Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. The kid playing Aang may be dead-on the most perfect person in the world to play the character but it's like... Avatar is a cartoon... Not a person. So no person will ever look right to me until I've seen the movie and added that actor to my mental list of who Aang is. ^ If that kid was walking around Kings Island, I certainly wouldn't equate him with being Aang. Would you?

Something tells me that, if they do, they will be quite different than the former Paramount Parks. And there are certain rides I feel almost certain wouldn't make a comeback. At least, not in the same form they were found in back then... While I, of course, would be overjoyed to see Paramount return (notice, PARAMOUNT, not, CBS), I don't think it would happen. But imagine the reaction from the public if Flight Deck was renamed Top Gun, or The Crypt into Tomb Raider? Even if nothing changed about the physical ride experience except the re-implementation of the Tomb Raider soundtrack or "Danger Zone" in the queue, folks just have name recognition with those series or at the very least, those ride.

Universal's marketing team is on crack. I mean, think about it: They have one of if not the best themed amusement park in the United States, even in the Americas, with Universal's Islands of Adventure. When it first opened, they really screwed up the marketing with "Universal Studios Escape." No one understood that it was a resort, and that Islands of Adventure was a second gate (they went to the other end of the marketing spectrum when they "inadvertantly" advertised the Wizarding World as a third gate). But ever since it opened in 1999, what have you heard about Islands of Adventure? Likely, nothing. The only new attractions it opened in a decade were a teacups ride (Storm Force Acceleration) and a Vekoma kids coaster (The Flying Unicorn). In over a decade, that's literally all. The marketing halted. And for a while, the park continued to glide on its own merits. Spiderman, The Hulk, etc. drew folks in. But now, the park's "grandeur" has fallen; Hulk is, by most accounts, unridable but for the front row; Poseidon's Fury's water Vortex (the thing that made it stand out) is gone; the paint was (until recently, thanks to Potter re-invigorating the park) chipping and fading across the park... Sure you might say "Well they didn't really add anything because they were saving up for Potter!" While the restaurants and shops and all will be fantastic, once its all said and done there's only one more attraction in the park: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Dragon Challenge (Dueling Dragons) and Flight of the Hippogriph (Flying Unicorn) both already existed in the park... I am SO excited for The Wizarding World and very pumped for the new ride, don't get me wrong - I'm just pointing out how ridiculously the park was marketed and handled. It reminds me of Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. The only difference is, Six Flags could only "coast" for so long after it's massive expansion (X-Flight, Batman: Knight Flight, Superman: Ultimate Escape, and The Villain all in two years) and Universal's larger initial investment (Spiderman, Dueling Dragons, incredible themeing, Seuss) has allowed it a longer period. When I went in January, the park closed at 5, and everything was a walk-on by 2. I know that's sort of typical for January, but in a park like Islands, it shouldn't be.

You ought to do standup. Really!

To me, the photo isn't even necessary - if a strobe light were placed there it would be enough. I love the experience of the bright flash and then as soon as your eyes adjust, you're surrounded in supports and track on all sides... Definitely a cool experience.

Diamondback is like, soooo 2009. PS is where it's atttt!

How right you are! From Kings Island's Facebook page: Also, congratulations on your parenthood!

"Lucy" at Great America. The 'Other Mother' from Coraline.