bkroz

Radiator Springs Racers is a fantastic ride, but a good, healthy portion of its wow-factor are its setting and details, and how it fits into Disney California Adventure physically. A retro-fit of Test Track wouldn't make a second exemplary version of the ride. Can the same be said of Frozen? WILL this be a simple re-theme along the existing 4-minute route of Maelstrom? GYK, staying tuned!

Re: Cars, I'm not surprised. Disney's Hollywood Studios is in desperate need of a full, California Adventure style re-build from the ground up. Cars Land was at one point rumored to be the anchor of that renovation. Supposedly, Walt Disney World management didn't like the price tag, so they pared it down to just Radiator Springs Racers (the headlining ride) then got nervous about that cost and decided to copy the dark ride portion but leave out the race / Cadillac Range / mountain peaks. In other words, they'd reduced Cars Land to a 5 minute dark ride in a big boxy show-building. Because Hollywood Studios doesn't have enough of those. Back to Maelstrom, I think it's silly for either party to pretend it's black and white. Johnny has fantastic memories of Adventure Express. Adventure Express is the first ride he ever rode at a theme park that would become one of his favorites (so much so that he joined an online discussion board about the park) Adventure Express was the last ride he rode with his grandpa. Adventure Express is a fun ride that his whole family can ride together. Adventure Express reminds him of how Kings Island "used to be" back in its "glory days." Getting rid of Adventure Express would fundamentally change the feeling of Kings Island to Johnny. Sure it doesn't match up with the park's newest additions, but Adventure Express is special to Johnny. "My wife and I were planning a trip to [Kings Island] next month and when I found out [Adventure Express] was going to be closed, we changed our plans" "With it's removal, it was one less thing there that I liked to do." "It might not have been the BEST ride at [Kings Island], but it was rather unique in my opinion." - versus - Jack couldn't care less about Adventure Express. Adventure Express is the ride that scared him as a kid. Adventure Express always has a long wait and he just can't understand why. If you ask Jack, Adventure Express is a leftover remnant of a bygone era. Jack has seen was Paramount Parks and Cedar Fair can do, and Adventure Express is way below par. Adventure Express gives Kings Island a bad name, in Jack's opinion. The land Adventure Express sits on could be used by something much better that would make the park more money. "[Adventure Express] is a sub par ride, with horrible capacity and no real story." "Be honest: has anyone ever visited [Kings Island] solely to ride [Adventure Express]?" "Those of you that are so upset of the removal of [Adventure Express], have you ever ridden [Adventure Express]?" Who's right? Who's wrong? Replace "Adventure Express" and "Kings Island" with Maelstrom and Epcot and you'll find exact quotes from users here. It's overly simplistic to say "I don't care for this ride for x, y, and z so anyone who cares about its removal is dumb." It's equally simplistic to say "I have cherished memories of this ride and always loved it for a, b, and c so it should stay open forever." It's always upsetting to see a ride closed - even one I didn't personally enjoy - because I know there are Johnnys out there for each and every attraction from Son of Beast to "it's a small world," Geauga Lake to Conneaut. As for Maelstrom going Frozen, I maintain that I'm neither jumping with joy NOR inconsolably upset... yet. There were those who lamented the loss of the parking lot to Disney California Adventure. Were they right or wrong? Hmm...

Preventative maintenance in this case probably would've been repainting the track every few months. It would've been smarter to have just ensured that the track was designed to be practically submerged in water to begin with. Supposedly Paramount Parks opted NOT to weatherproof Tomb Raider: The Ride since it was going to be indoors anyway. Nevermind that they created a sub-tropical environment of fog, mist, running water, artificial dried cool air, and artificial hot air inside the building.

Like many of the rides in the era, mostly fog effects. Constantly being surrounded in misty water apparently doesn't bode well for certain fabrication styles... Adventure Express: Fog in valleys and tunnels, idol standing over final lift hill poured mist / water onto train as it passed. Top Gun: Mist along the track in the station to imitate jet carrier conditions. Tomb Raider: Mist, fog, fountain spray Backlot Stunt Coaster: Splash down pool, fog Diamondback: Splash down pool Banshee: Fog They just never learn... Literally. At least B&M track seems to stand up constant dousing in a way that the rest apparently didn't think to prepare for.

Norway thrilled? Uhhh... http://www.dailyfinance.com/2014/07/24/frozen-norway-disney-epcot/ (Turn CC to "ON")

An off-season. Universal Orlando went from empty lot to Transformers: The Ride - 3D grand opening in a bit under 11 months. I think a high-quality re-themed along the existing Maelstrom circuit could be done in 9 months. However, I trust that Disney in this case recognizes the benefit of speed and that they'll work to have a Frozen attraction as soon as possible. The fact that they've given themselves 16 months would, optimistically, indicate that the ride will be completely original and NOT simply a retrofit of the Maelstrom layout. Honestly, we should hope not... Maelstrom is a four-and-a-half minute ride... The alarmingly brief Little Mermaid dark ride at Magic Kingdom and Disney California Adventure is six-and-a-half. And thankfully, since it's an omnimover, it's a walk-on so it feels alright. Even if children are delighted, I think parents would have great distaste for a 2, 3, 4, 5 hour wait for a 4 minute boat ride... And capacity... Oh my. Cross-threading, a summer day at Epcot will produce 2-hour waits for Test Track, Mission: SPACE, Soarin', and this Frozen ride. "CHOOSE ONE." But don't worry! While you'll only get one tier-1 attraction, you'll have a reserved Fastpass+ window for Captain EO and Journey into YOUR Imagination... With Figment! Woohoo!

Actually I know that Disney was interested since they did make a bid but unfortunately the economy went bad so they dropped their bid. YES Cedar Fair tried to go with Apollo since they were in serious trouble, it had nothing to do with Kinzel. The companies that were interested in buying the Paramount Parks were Disney, Universal, Seaworld/Busch Gardens, Herschened, Six Flags, Merlin, and Parques Reunidos. I just wish that people could be more open minded about other companies owning KI and just use their imagination about what would KI look like under those companies! Is that too much to ask!? You've got to cool it, KIFan1. Realize that you don't have all the answers. None of us do. But some people here are much, much wiser and more well-versed in the industry than you or I. Given time and careful listening and a willingness to learn, you'll come to realize how silly some of this is. Disney owns and operates, owns, or licenses its likeness to world-class, international-destination parks in leading global cities: Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Paris, Los Angeles... Consider: do you really think that Disney considered - much less made an actual bid - for a chain of seasonal coaster thrill parks throughout the Midwest? Come on. Think about that. I'm sure you've heard from a friend of a friend whose cousin worked at Kings Island back then that Disney made an offer. You're being told now by those much wiser and more versed in the industry that it's not true. You don't have to believe it, but think about it. Universal, as the Interpreter mentioned, was at the time owned by a company eager to unload non-core business assets. They didn't want their own parks, much less to acquire more. Herschend couldn't have afforded the Paramount Parks... Not to buy them or to keep them running if they had. And you say Cedar Fair bit off more than it could chew, and you wish HERSCHEND FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT had bought the parks? Oh, my... Six Flags was under massive debt. In 2004, they unloaded all of their European parks and Ohio's Worlds of Adventure (selling it at a MASSIVE loss... tens of millions of dollars less than what they'd spent on the park in the five years prior). They next years, they closed or sold Six Flags AstroWorld, Frontier City and Whitewater Bay just to try to make some money to avoid bankruptcy as the company's stock plummeted. They sold an additional six parks in 2007... right about the time that you claim they made an offer to BUY Paramount Parks for a billion dollars! (By the way, Six Flags ended up filing for bankruptcy just two years later... And you think they were in a buying mood?!) Anheuser-Busch, like Universal, was eager to let go of the theme parks in its portfolio, not take on more. It was a time when companies were unloading their non-core assets. CBS / Paramount / Viacom was a production company. Even if the parks were nice, they were not part of their core business. Owning parks did not benefit their production company or studios. Same with Anheuser-Busch, whose business was beer. As nice as the parks were, they were NOT part of the core business, so they were to be unloaded. The point is that, to those of us who have been around / been in the industry / were here on Kings Island message boards before, during, and after the Paramount Parks sale, it sounds really silly for you to say, "The following companies were interested in buying the Paramount Parks:" then proceed to list every amusement park operator you can think of. No matter what you've heard from friends or what you've told your friends so many times it seems true, there are actual facts to consider, and people who actually have memories of that time. Similarly, some of us were around during the Apollo debacle. Some of us here are privy to the inside information, and have an intimate understanding of the ins-and-outs of that transaction. It's alright that you don't. I don't either. But trust the folks who do before you decide you know all of the information and go around spouting it. Your friends might blindly go, "Wow! I didn't know that!" But here, you're among folks who actually know their stuff. Herschend buying the Paramount Parks? Just... relax. You don't have to pretend to be an insider. We've all got a lot to learn. Sit back, relax, read, search, think, and ask questions. It's fun to imagine what a Disney's Kings Island could / could've looked like. It's another for you to tell us matter-of-factly that Disney made an offer to buy some roller coaster thrill park in Ohio. It's just not true. Sorry.

The truth is that if Maelstrom opened today, Disney Parks fans would decry it as a flop. They'd point out its non sequitur storytelling, its static figures, its "obvious money grab" by appealing to the government of Norway for sponsorship ("Oil derricks in Epcot? Really?!") and deride it as a waste of company resources, not living up to what Imagineering can do. But as the case happens to be, Epcot as it was in the 1980s really burrowed into Disney Parks fans' heads. Even many of my peers (born late 80s / early 90s) who can't even remember the "original" Epcot still cite it as the thing that got them interested in Imagineering. World of Motion, Journey into Imagination, Horizons... All gone. Maelstrom was a last hold-out of that era that they cling to so specifically. As it is now, the question is how much of Maelstrom (if any) will be reused. The Frozen ride is due to open in early 2016, which is, let's say, sixteen months from now. Given THAT timetable, my first instinct is that Maelstrom will be demolished, its showbuilding extended, and a brand new ride built in its place simply reusing some of the old showbuilding's footprint. Simply re-designing scenes and adding Anna / Elsa animatronics to the existing ride would NOT take sixteen months, would it? But it IS Walt Disney World, so...

I just keep telling myself it might be a surprise Ohio edition of Forbidden Journey.

Here's a question I have, though... If World Showcase's France pavilion was getting a copy of Disneyland Paris' Ratatouille ride, would people be this upset? It kind of occurs to me that they wouldn't be... Which is weird. Both Frozen and Ratatouille are incredibly received critically. Frozen earned many times what Ratatouille did. Is that the problem? Is it that Frozen is too mainstream? Is the problem that its princesses? Is it that Ratatouille would be a technologically advanced E-ticket ride in a French pavilion whereas this is assumed to be a quick fix to a C-ticket that will result in the entire pavilion going icy? While some here are saying Frozen is getting a ride too soon, I feel it's too late. That Disney is allegedly preparing Frozen-themed events for NEXT SUMMER seems a little out-of-touch to me. I get that it was an unexpected hit, but we're now approaching a full year post its release... I guess there's a sweet spot where a film gets a well-done attraction to coincide with its release, and another sweet spot 10 years later when you can call it a "classic." But now.... I don't know. It reads as hokey and forced. Especially if it's a simple re-theme of a short C-ticket boat ride. Alright, characters don't belong in World Showcase. Sure. But remember how when Epcot opened, it didn't have characters and folks revolted? They didn't want to take their kids to a science center... they wanted fantasy and to meet their favorite characters! Now, most EVERY World Showcase country has a meet-and-greet at LEAST. Aladdin and Jasmine in Morocco; Belle in France; Mulan in China... The Three Caballeros took over an entire ride in the Mexico pavilion. Is it that Frozen is the straw that broke the camel's back? Or is the Ratatouille vs. Frozen argument valid, where maybe there's more at play?

By the way, any guesses that this will be a repurposed Maelstrom are speculation. It's Walt Disney World, so it's a good hypothesis. But the official word is that a ride based on Disney's Frozen "replaces Maelstrom." For all we know, the showbuilding could be demolished and replaced with an entirely new ride. At this point, fans who held steadfast to their dreams of old Epcot are now entirely crushed. The "hardcore" Disney parks fans are already hating this idea and being very vocal about it. Me? I'm neither excited nor upset. Not yet.

Sounds like a place I want to visit! Amid lovely children who would otherwise be breaking into cars. Should they decide that the admission price is too steep, they could have a field day in the parking lot!

Hindsight is always 20/20, but this is a dang good era in Kings Island history. I think in 50 years people will remember this as a highlight. Not all of Cedar Fair's input, but definitely 2009 - 2015...

Works well with the idea I had of making The Grove into a real area of the park with a Ferris wheel, a couple classic flats, popcorn lighting, etc. Would be great to have Big Dipper there as an anchor for the land. How did I not think of that?! Brilliant.

^ Your URL links to the final page of the article. But yeah, that feature is getting a lot of folks nostalgic on Facebook and Twitter where it was recently posted. Geauga Lake is one of those things that locals will never forget. It may go from generation to generation and earn some legendary-type status at this rate.

I hope so. One surefire way to strengthen Kings Island's line-up and increase Cedar Fair's investment in the park would be a strong Kentucky Kingdom. A park that closes at 7 PM is not going to inspire investment and expansion in competitors. A park that closes at 7PM and ends the season in September is a doormat.

The similarities are stunning. And at least in my social circle, Apple Watch has been met with the same kinds of reactions: "Were people asking for this? Was this really needed? Isn't it redundant?" Did you catch, by the way, that an Apple Watch is practically useless unless you have an iPhone? And not just have it... have it on your person. Basically, wearable tech is a weird industry. Seems to impose more limits and nuances than groundbreaking universal usefulness. That's fine, and things like the MagicBand or Apple Watch are cool and trendy and fun, but they're not really MEANT for enormous audiences or universal use.

You have to wonder if those in power at Cedar Fair even understand. Yes, maintenance suffered (as most rides did during CBS's years). Yes, Tomb Raider was already more complex than any of the chain's other attractions at a time when maintenance suffered. Yes, it was an intense ride to keep in shape, I'm sure. Yes, the ride system was a piece of junk. But you really do have to wonder if today's Cedar Fair management thinks of the ride only as The Crypt, or if they realize that Tomb Raider truly met and exceeded Universal or Disney quality in terms of ride experience. Seriously! I mean, it was fantastic. Videos like this remind us that it was NOT rose colored glasses. The ride truly was so outstanding and miles away from anything else at a seasonal park. The next great revolutionary attempt at a dark ride in a seasonal park would be DarKastle. Arguably, Tomb Raider was more impressive.

This DOES bring up a good point though. Who at the park is the one giving an individual the ole up-down and determining, "Nope. Can't ride." SOME rider safety descriptions are specific: "must have two fully functioning arms." "Those with amputations below the knee cannot ride." But the rider must be able to "brace himself?" Hmmm...

There have been a few times I've ridden Mean Streak and promised it would be my last. But summer 2013 cemented it. I'm done. Ouch. Truly horrible, and I was sincerely off the rest of the day. Like any wooden coaster, the experience differs season to season, month to month, even day to day. But I'm done with Mean Streak. Seriously. Your experience may differ. And it did! But I know what I felt just like you know what you felt.

Wow! Looks like the response was swift and effective though! It could've been much worse!

Disney's Photo Spots were all Kodak. Kodak sponsored the park maps, too, and had a store on Main Street. Now all of the above is thanks to Nikon. Fuji Film has never been involved, which some learned insiders say was one factor (doubtlessly of many) that kept a Fuji coaster from opening in Epcot's World Showcase's Japan. Kodak (and now Nikon) probably wouldn't be thrilled about a competitor's name being plastered on a headlining ride. Fair enough! Branding happens when you least expect it!

I wouldn't be surprised if Cedar Point is still marketed as being "named the best amusement park in the world X years in a row." Doesn't have to be "years running," does it? The fact was, it WAS voted as such for X years. Same way Mythos still has banners that advertise it as being "voted best amusement park food three consecutive years." Never mind that those years were a decade ago...

Prioritizing quality over quantity is a hackneyed cliche? I'm not saying Magic Mountain OR Cedar Fair deserves or doesn't deserve a place among Amusement Today's "best" or among your own personal "best" list. To ME, coasters alone do not a great park make. I don't care if a park has 20 coasters and each is the best of its type in the whole world. If the park isn't clean, friendly, great for kids, packed with wonderful entertainment, offering high quality fairly priced food, and with at least one or two really well-done dark rides or themed attractions, I would never even begin to propose it might be the best in the world. Cedar Point and Magic Mountain are both good parks. Great even. Definitely among the best at what they do. But the best parks on Earth? Maybe in the top 10 to a specific demographic, but overall? In the whole world? Quality over quantity is not a hackneyed cliche. Have you been to a Busch Gardens?

Makes sense. Being able to advertise "The Best Kid's Area for 15 Consecutive Years!!" is something Kings Island can use. It's worth Cedar Fair's advertising investment to be able to have that title and plaster it all over brochures and commercials. Obviously the same is true of Cedar Point being the "Best Park in the World!!" There's mutual advertisement there. Kings Island gets its badge to share and can advertise itself with the superlative, and Amusement Today gets the Google searches and their name out there and the "thank you" tweet from Cedar Point and Kings Island and a few extra thousand clicks... It's symbiotic! Meanwhile, if Disneyland's Fantasyland won Best Kid's Area, guess what they'd do with the award? Nothing. A waste of an award ceremony. I bet that no one from Disney would show up to collect. I doubt that Disney would use it on a brochure. Smaller, regional parks can really use those awards and titles. Disney and Universal probably wouldn't even waste a tweet on acknowledging a win from Amusement Today.