bkroz

And the Crypt! But alas, you'd have to have been to the park in the last eight years to truly appreciate - ... never mind.

Ugh! I hate the line for Flight of Fear. I know it has an alright hourly capacity, but I feel the same way about it that I do about Raptor - the line is not feng shui-ed or something. It feel like it goes on for hours. Only once have I waited down the incline only to find the line actually filling up the interior queue. I suppose the wait wasn't that long, but like I said, it's just one of those lines that feels like it lasts forever. Additionally, BLSC goes pretty fast, but wait more than 15 minutes and you'll feel like it wasn't worth it. BLSC is my favorite coaster at the park after dark - the flames, the street signs lit up, etc. and it's literally a walk-on. It's an incredible experience.

The Korean one, I think, is set up to be the much-awaited rival for Disney & Universal. The park looks incredible from the concept-art layouts that have been released. We're not talking a Ferris wheel with a Paramount logo, but an incredible, Universal-style park. The centerpiece of the park is the Paramountain (I should trademark that...) and a giant arch on the park's "main street" frames it to create the world's largest Paramount logo. Notice the fountain show around the Paramountain, the Tomb Raider-esque temple embedded in it, Titanic, what appears to be a HUSS Topple Tower, a HUSS Giant Frisbee, and a CityWalk-style entertainment center. It also appears as though this park may be the one chosen to finally recieve the long-lost Addam's Family Shriek Shack. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. The park honestly looks like a hybrid of Universal's Islands of Adventure and Tokyo DisneySea, two of the greatest parks on Earth in many opinions. My only fear is that, based only on these images, the park lacks a certain "charm." Many Paramount movies are beloved, but many more are sort of unrecognizable. (FACE/OFF? Drop Zone? Even Italian Job, to some extent, don't seem to resonate the way Jurassic Park does, and I'm not even a fan of Jurassic Park). It will be so odd - Kings Island will almost appear to be a cheap knockoff of Paramount Park. We'll have the unthemed, greatly-reduced-quality version of their Italian Job, and of their Tomb Raider, and of their MTV Soundwave, and of their 3-D rides... Very strange, indeed. But imagine, if you will, our original Italian Job: Stunt Track with Revenge-of-the-Mummy-quality darkride effects, etc. etc. That appears to be what is on the horizon for this park... let's hope so, at least. The following photos are from The Theme Park Guy. Could that be the long-rumored MTV Soundwave, our own Italian Job: Stunt Track, and a Tomb Raider flume ride with mysterious square building in background? I believe these three posters are showing off the "CityWalk" style shopping area, some sort of Titanic special effects show / dark ride, and even School of Rock - Live in Concert!

I, too, live about four hours away, so I know all the things you're having to figure into this trip! Though I've never been there on opening day, I bet it depends a lot on the year / weather. Last year was pretty full due to Diamondback. This year, it will probably not be near as bad. I'm going the second weekend its open (because my birthday is that Monday...) and I'm not expecting too much of a problem. But again, that time of year I think it depends on the weather. If it's drizzling, folks figure they'll just wait til the next weekend. Also, keep in mind that Kings Island is closed on Sunday, the 18th. You shouldn't have any issues. Last year, the machines weren't recognizing passes from other parks at the processing center, so they had to type in the code manually. But there was never any doubt in my mind that they would get it to work, and everyone there was well-informed and helpful. I didn't have to speak to multiple people or anything, they just took care of it. As far as how long it will take, if you go first thing in the morning opening day, we're talking a 45 minute wait or longer. Since you'll be down there on Friday, I suggest you pop in before the pass processing ends that evening (see the pass processing schedule here) and have it processed the night before. That's what I always do - the line is non-existent, and you can even drop into the park for an hour or so and just sample some favorites. If you can't do that, you will face a line on your first morning at the park, which no one wants to wait in. If you ask me, it's not worth it to wait. I've truly never seen the line for Diamondback extend past 30 minutes (save its first weekend last year) and it really averages more along 15 minutes every single time I've been there (which is always a weekend - I work during the week). The same can be said for The Beast. Getting in an hour early will allow you to ride them multiple multiple times in a short period, but if you're just looking to skip the line, there's really no reason. I imagine part of the reason that early entry doesn't start until May is because there won't be a significant enough crowd to justify the added man hours that early in the year... That could mean they're not really expecting a long line anyway... Again, keep in mind that the park is closed Sunday the 18th, so if you're making a trip out of it (like I am - I also live four hours away) you might as well wait until the second or third weekend... The first weekend, it's only open Saturday. After that, it's open Friday evenings, Saturday, and Sunday... Easy pick if you ask me.

Here are just a few images from other parks Planet Snoopys, released via their respective Facebook pages. I think these are very nice and would convince even the skeptics (myself included!) that while the source material may be old, the physical kids area looks brand new! CAROWINDS From Carowinds... I would guess that these "old-timey" Peanuts billboards are scattered throughout the car ride. We are most likely receiving this exact ride in place of Blue's Skidoo. GREAT AMERICA Yes, it does appear we'll be getting the much-maligned "creepy" costumes like Cedar Point has. Great America didn't get a "Boo Blasters on Boo Hill," but rather a "Kidzville River Adventure." As was already posted, this ride looks great! Didn't it used to be Wild Thornberry coconuts? Nice transition! This will likely be outside the "Peanuts Pirates" boat ride. Very cool to know they're investing in such large (and likely expensive) figures. Note that this is not simply a de-branding and removal of all things Nick - something I'm pleased to see. Inside the restaurant. A lot of thought went into the painting of this building! Again, lots of bright colors, and lots of characters. I'm glad! CANADA'S WONDERLAND The new "Lucy's Tugboat."

If anything, though, we can be very grateful that we can look back on those days knowing that they have passed, and that the parks are in the process of recovery! I've always said that if any one of the parks past owners hadn't happened, the park would be very different, or not even exist at all! So while some dislike Paramount (and CBS's) decisions, there's no telling if there would be a park at all today if it weren't for them. And yes, the same can be said of Cedar Fair.

I love that they point out that the "struggling" Terra Mitica mentioned once was called "Terra Mitica: A Paramount Park". It's only fair to point out their previous endeavors that would likely be "crushed" by their newest. I'd obviously love to see this come to fruition. Any grand park built anywhere in the world is something I would look forward to as a lover of the industry. This should also be interesting in that, had France not "raised its bid" so to speak, the Euro Disneyland project was intended for Spain. And in fact, might have fared better in its very lackluster opening years, some say. And I'm always scanning the horizon for a rebirth of Tomb Raider: The Ride!

I tend to think that, when Action Zone first "debuted," it was a much-appreciated change. Plus, you honestly can't deny: Son of Beast, Drop Zone, and FACE/OFF in two years? That was probably the largest investment over that short of the period ever in the parks history, and certainly has changed the park's lineup of attractions by leaps and bounds.

I seem to recall them planting about four in the Diamondback area... Not that I'm complaining about Diamondback, but my biggest complaint about it has been that Rivertown is now pretty much a big plaza with a concrete lake in the center. If they had planted more trees, than at least in a few years they would grow and create a beautiful shaded area.. But there's like, two dogwoods on each side of the splashdown. It sort of sucks up whatever image of being a forested town that Rivertown had left.

^ Well, no theme at all = KidWorkz, which is what every other Paramount Park has, as did Geauga Lake. Although I'm sure it makes no difference to kids (they'd probably rather have no character than a character they don't know), it certainly looks... cheap. To me, at least. In all fairness, I probably just think it looks cheap because the only one I've really bothered to explore is Geauga Lake's, which was comprised of Cedar Fair's half-hearted job of removing the Looney Tunes. Notice the giant carrots that make up the walls of the pathway? Even Bugs Bunny's House, held up by carrots, remained after the sale, generically themed to a carrot house... This tree was Sylvester chasing Tweety. It was generically themed after their dismissal from Aurora, and was later taken to Cedar Point where a smiley face was plastered on the tree and it was renamed "The Kite Eating Tree." Like with the Paramount Parks, they kept as much as they could, took away what they couldn't have, then didn't replace anything... Plus, the naming thing... Boomtown Water Works became Little Squirtz, etc. I would be apt to believe that the other KidWorkz at the former Paramount Parks were created with much more personality and attention to detail. Geauga Lake's KidWorkz is to Looney Tunes Boom Town as The Crypt is to Tomb Raider: The Ride - pretty much a last-minute "get rid of anything we can't have and make it as generic as possible" sort of transformation.

Their consistent claim (at least, in the 5@5) is that the International Restaurant is open... For character breakfasts. Why it would be so difficult to turn a restaurant into a restaurant is beyond me. But realistically looking at food prices within the park, they're smart to leave it closed if you ask me. The prices in the sit down restaurant would undoubtedly be astronomically high. Despite the amount of time I spend rallying for a sit-down restaurant, I can almost assure you that (should it open with the food prices one would expect based on the rest of the park) I wouldn't go. Mythos at Universal's Islands of Adventure is (appropriately or not) often considered the best restaurant in a theme park. There, entrees hover around $11. Certainly a respectable price in that sort of theme park environment, where entrees in generic food venues there are around $8 or $9 (and we're not talking tasteless hamburgers, but rather spaghetti and meatballs with breadsticks, two slices of pizza with a bag of chips, orange chicken and rice). And in many reviews I've read they say that the ability to sit in Mythos' air conditioning is worth the price alone, not to mention the incredible architecture and general atmosphere. But just to sit above the turnstiles and look out over the fountains isn't worth what would certainly be the outrageous prices, if you ask me.

So I guess the real question is, what is better - a kid's theme that admittedly does require occasional updating to stay current and relatable to kids, or one that won't ever need an upgrade of any kind? I'm not trying to pose either as good or bad, it's just something to consider... Personally, I loved Nick Universe but it is very true that something had to be done - an update or an overhaul. As much as I love Spongebob and Avatar, the fact is that three years from now, they'll be replaced by the "next big thing." It's not like when even I was a kid and shows were made to last for years... You'd be hard-pressed to find any Nick / Cartoon Network shows today that aren't disposable - they're all poorly animated, un-relatable shows that admittedly are not meant to last more than a few seasons (and that's all that kids attention spans can take, anyway). They've lost their heart, and they're all about flashy, jagged animation and wanting to be teenagers. Nick Universe captured some of the final "long-living" shows - Spongebob, Fairly Odd Parents, Dora, etc. but things like Lazytown, Danny Phantom, and others are over, and replacing them with more current Nick shows would only be relevant for 2 - 3 years before the next thing came out. So there comes a point where you say "We need to have this area branded with something that's consistent, or nothing at all." That's a problem most all theme parks are suffering from - look at Six Flags and Wiggles World... The Wiggles will be so irrelevant in five years that Six Flags will find itself between a rock and a hard place. It's only when they return to Thomas the Tank Engine (which I loved as a kid, and my three year old cousin is currently obsessed with) that they'll undoubtedly find more long-term success. Even Mickey Mouse is undergoing cosmetic and attitude changes with the new video game he's set to star in that will return him to his "original, mischievous" self from the first cartoons. Why? Because, while he's "ageless," he's more of a figurehead for the company than a relatable, fun, character anymore. Universal's Woody Woodpecker area seems useless, since very few kids know who he is. Only by turning to the works of Seuss did they find a kids area that will be timeless, and only grow more and more beloved with age. There's a very fine line that parks tread in their relatability to kids. Parks want to have trendy kids areas, but trends change. The "timeless beloved classic" may be less fun and less trendy, but that means it goes a lot further once the kids learn to relate. It's all about initial investment vs. upkeep. There's a lot more upkeep (and usually a lot more fees) when it comes to things like Nickelodeon, The Wiggles, etc. than there are with the classics.

Well my answer stands true for an adventure area, too. Haha! I'd love to see it, but rather than convincing someone to crack open the concrete and place trees everywhere, I think it'd be more realistic to do it back in the woods, which would also remove the two more bottlenecked pathways from the park. As far as an Action Zone re-theme, I think if all the rides were repainted to their original bright colors, some appropriate music, and maybe a few big comic-y explosions and some sleek sportscars and basically a generic super-hero look would be awesome.

Double post. Sorry!

I don't know if it would work at Kings Island (or, more specifically, with our current owner). Besides, everyone is always so against Action Zone. To be honest, I like Action Zone. I think it's kind of under-appreciated. It's "themed" to a studio backlot where an action movie might be filmed - there are very few trees, very bright rides (some have faded, yes...), giant bullseyes on the ground, etc. I imagine that, standing by the water tower, it really does feel like an action movie - people dropping from 300 feet in the air, spinning on Delirium, "airplanes" whizzing around in the distance (Flight Deck), and the giant Son of Beast with people screaming as they go down the drop... Invertigo was BRIGHT yellow and red, Delirium is bright yellow, blue, and red, Drop Zone is like, fifteen awesome colors... I like it! I would very much like a "horror" area to be added to the park, but not in place of Delirium. I like the way that Alton Towers "rethemed" their Rita roller coaster for Thirteen by having vines grow all over it, reaching up the supports, crawling across the logo, etc. But I can't see that being done with Delirium or Drop Zone... A "new" area could easily be built connecting X-Base and the "dead end" of Coney Mall (which would make a complete circle out of the two dead-ends in the park) taking advantage of all of the woods back in that area. Thirteen had the potential to be the steel version of The Beast and hopefully, when some of those trees return it recent years it will be. Should Universal or Merlin come into ownership of the park, I can see it happening long-term. With Cedar Fair, no. And that's not just my usual grudge against them - that's just fact.

After tying (yes, tying!) with Maverick, from 10AM this morning until noon, a special first-time-ever "overtime" vote is on over at Theme Park Insider. http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201003/1788/

^ I agree that, to me, The Crypt's nine-flip cycle was easily the most forceful and intense ride I have ever experienced. That may be a crock of crap for most of you, but truly, I have never felt dizzy or drained the way I did after our Giant Top Spin tried to accomplish those aerial maneuvers usually reserved for machines half its size. It dizzies me just thinking about it. I found that same cycle to be quite refreshing on Kings Dominion's Crypt, but on ours, it was literally like being plastered into your seat, face-flapping, stomach-churning... And not in an entertaining way. I much prefer the current two-flip cycle, and I don't even like it that much.... But something in the middle of the two would be ideal.

^ I didn't know I said it that loudly?!

And they're not the only ones... haha! As always, a valid and insightful point with a comedic facade, Terpy!

Think of it this way if you want - all new Peanuts materials were discontinued back when Schulz passed away... February 13th, 2000. And ironically, keep in mind that, while Warner owns the catalogue for home video, Viacom (Paramount) has the rights for all theatrical releases! What don't they own? Discovery Zone, Roseanne, Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1... Wow.

Today's 5@5! Sounds like the week of the 29th will be an important one - lots of new photos are promised for that week, and Scooby Doo's replacement will both be announced. Not to mention, the following week will likely be when we learn Spongebob's replacement (notice that there apparently will be a replacement... "Fly Me to the Moon"? )

I don't know anything about the legal side of this or whatever, but as Cory said in his last paragraph, I always found it incredibly strange that a season pass good for all Six Flags parks is, what, under $100? It's goofy to say the least. I think that, in marketing all of their parks together ("More flags, more fun!") the individual identities were lost. I know Cedar Fair doesn't aspire towards name recognition (it's not "Cedar Fair's Kings Island") but looking back on the Paramount Parks, I would much prefer a commercial showcasing Kings Island's specific ride lineup than flashy images of generic rides that just ended with the Paramount Parks logo. I'm not sure what (or if) that has to do with the financial problems, but I'd think that it does. It's a shame what used to go on at Six Flags parks, and it's spectacular that that's turning around - no more parking lot coasters, no more tremendous upfront investments with little follow-through, improved cleanliness, increased awareness of employee-customer relations... I'm happy for the way that the company has been changing on higher-up levels, and within each park. But I think it goes without saying that Six Flags owns too many parks for its own good. Remember the "Disney Decade," when Mr. Eisner decreed that each and every Disney resort on Earth would recieve a second gate? Now, see Disney's California Adventure (undergoing a $2 billion re-work), Walt Disney Studios Paris (opened with one E-Ticket attraction for the same price as neighboring Disneyland Park), even Disney's Animal Kingdom (with its Natahzhu promotion)... I think in many ways, the same can be said of Six Flags' untimely overexpansion. Yes, companies have flagship parks, but to have over twenty parks and give enormous capital investments to three or four of them while trying to leave the rest under the guise of "small, family parks" isn't a wise way to go if you ask me. Sure companies play favorites, but Great Adventure / Magic Mountain / Worlds of Adventure vs. Kentucky Kingdom? It's a joke. So to market them all under the same taglines, same commercials, etc. seems a little off to me. Here's something I wonder - I know that the Six Flags name is/was sort of synonymous with "low-quality" in the minds of enthusiasts... Does the general public agree?

Well, though I don't agree with this, it's like saying "Diamondback is being removed this year. And don't even complain - you had plenty of time to ride it." Even if Diamondback had been around for nine years, even if you road it once a week, it certainly doesn't mean you've had "enough" of it. It's just silly to say "you had your chance."

New photos. Good to see themeing! Love it! Lookin' goooo.

You mean, again? In other words, keeping with its history, we may indeed see it as a pile of rubble... Haha! And tggr, I agree 100% (this is where angels decend from heaven vocalizing at the impossibility of it all). I love(d) Son of Beast for what it was, but eventually, you have to say, "Wow, GCI could come in and build an incredible ride for the price of this repair." IF we really were facing a $15 million repair, GCI could create a pretty good-sized replacement, too... Maybe not the tallest and fastest, but certainly something unique! Imagine if all of the money spent on repairs had instead gone towards a replacement some six years ago. We could still have the world's tallest, fastest, and only looping wooden coaster - an Intamin pre-fab one... And one that would doubtlessly dominate top-ten lists across the industry. A proper Son to The Beast, and one that would still be a signature ride of our park.