bkroz

Which goes back to the discussion on themeing. Sorry to bring up Indiana Jones Adventure again, but that line is at least a half mile long, and every step of it tells the ride's story... Same with Radiator Springs Racers, Verbolten, Revenge of the Mummy... Even Space Mountain doesn't have much going on in line, but the setting and sounds around you keep you 100% engaged. A little goes a long way.

Music is a whole different animal, legally speaking. Paramount's infamous QTV (queue TV) system is still mocked on here. It didn't do much but irritate people and became a way to advertise more than entertain. They also showed Nickelodeon programming which, of course, is owned by Viacom.

The dinosaur exhibit self was and still is $5.00. Last year, the move alone was $4.00, but only $2.00 if added onto the the dinosaur exhibit (so you could do both for $7.00). This year, the movie is free.

1980s: "Anyone who's anyone has a suspended coaster." 1990s: "Anyone who's anyone has a stand-up coaster." 1990s: "Anyone who's anyone has an inverted roller coaster." 2000s: "Anyone who's anyone has a record breaker*." 2010s: "Anyone who's anyone has a hypercoaster." 2020s: "Anyone who's anyone has...?" * "Tallest, fastest looping blue** roller coaster in the Midwest for fifteen consecutive years!" ** with orange rails

That may be in part because Cedar Fair's roller coasters are massive undertakings with only one - maybe two - fitting into the budget in any given year. Given that, I'm sure they'd loose their "bundle discount." For example, if they ordered a clone of Maverick for Kings Island, I doubt they'd be given any special deals like they might've the year of! CBS had a knack for medium-sized additions that could fit twice or thrice into one year's budget. May sound insignificant, but what would the Paramount Park's be without their respective Drop Towers, giant flat rides, or Scooby Doo rides? ... In my review of Verbolten for Theme Park Tourist, I said I was glad that Busch Gardens had snagged the "free-fall" drop coaster concept in the U.S. As Thirteen and Verbolten have shown, the concept almost requires a "dark ride" portion to make it cool - seeing the little fifteen foot drop track from a midway wouldn't have the mystery and anticipation that the element requires to make it work to its highest potential. With that in mind, Six Flags won't be able to do it and Cedar Fair probably wouldn't even try. It's a little too intense for Disney. Perhaps you'll see it come alive again in Universal's Gringott's Bank coaster? Hmmm...

I haven't been to Kings Island this year. It may not be technological, but it's at least something! Tell me: have they found a balance between the ink that washes off with the slightest misting vs. the literal grease paint that stays on (and wet) for days?

The handstamp says VOID backwards so that if someone tries to do a press-and-transfer to a friend (and described above) the stamp (which would be mirror-imaged on the receiver's hand) says VOID forwards. Of course, in my experience most associates at the gates just quickly verify that there's some sort of ink on the person's skin, not if it's the right word in the right location... At parks that use the Touch 'n' Go fingerprint system, no handstamps are required except for single-day tickets because your ticket and fingerprint are required. At Disney Parks that still don't have the fingerprint system, you must use your park ticket and handstamp to get back in to a park. Funny that Cedar Fair likes redundancy in safety mechanisms, but not in park entry systems where we could really use it!

But the idea of purposefully abandoning theme in favor of generic amusement park atmosphere is the problem many of us had with Boomerang Bay becoming Soak City. The switch makes sense from a branding point of view in that particular example, but if you'd suggest doing the same thing to the theme park side, the question would have to be asked: why consciously, purposefully de-brand? Why intentionally remove props and facades just to make the place more generic? In other words, stop calling it "Oktoberfest" if you must and stop labeling it as that on the map if you think it would "help," but should we change the Festhaus' facade to a "soundstage" look like the Action Zone side? What reason is there to consciously remove the themed elements that are left in favor of a generic replacement? Theme doesn't have to be the company's specialty, but that doesn't mean it should be actively campaigned against.

Hate to break it to you, but in the past, Cedar Fair has always turned to log flumes when they need to free up space for a new attraction. I doubt they'd spend precious real estate on a water ride... But then again, that was then, and this is now!

Kings Island is still a local destination with some regional flair, but doesn't attract the number of people that a Disney park does. Consequently, the parking lot is nowhere near as large as a Disney lot, and on any given day doesn't get even close to capacity, so offering 5 - 10 stops (which means the first person on has to wait through 4 - 9 more?) is really superfluous and would make the tram take longer than walking in 90% of situations. At Busch Gardens Williamsburg or Disneyland, space requires that parking lots are scattered along and outside of the property, which necessitates the use of a tram. Kings Island doesn't have that same limitation (though the parking lot could definitely be made more pedestrian friendly, I think, and we might see that if an off-season re-pave ever happens). In other words, a tram at Kings Island would be a courtesy for many, but not a useful method of transportation or a quick way to the front gate. That said, I know there are people here who were unable to spend precious time at the park with family members dealing with mobility impairments, and a tram should be offered to help with situations like those... I just think that it's not something the park needs to offer to all guests, because it takes more time, money, manpower, and gas than it's worth. It kind of goes back to the VIP parking thing - is it really worth it to park yourself a hundred yards closer when you'll literally walk miles over the course of the day? But for mobility impairments, yes. I think it would be good of the park to offer transportation for that kind of situation.

(From the Interpreter's most recently posted article) Hart would accept Workman's call, but refuses to be the one to initiate. Workman would accept a call from Hart, but refuses to be the one to initiate. We're watching preschoolers pout here.

I'll tell you this much: in a park of 200+ foot B&M coasters, it's Verbolten whose riders always return to the station applauding. Why? The eighty foot drop? The 50 mile per hour launch? If that were the case, when why aren't Flight Deck riders or Backlot Stunt Coaster riders applauding madly? It's the story. The buildup. The anticipation. The detail. The immersion. Take the Mountain out of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and you've got... Well... the Cedar Creek Mine Ride. One is iconic, and the other is not. Theme doesn't have to be a pre-show, special effects, and a post-show. It's just that extra oomph that shows that they care. As I mentioned in my PTR of Busch Gardens, the theme can be a little background on mythology or a terrain ride with a few grand props and an effort to landscape.

The moment you ride it, you'll know! And don't even bother with an online POV video. It's way too dark.

I absolutely love Disneyland Park, but there's an energy and enthusiasm about California Adventure right now that I really enjoy. I'm a bit of a history buff, so I love the new time period appliques in the park, and the juxtaposition of Los Angeles' Buena Vista Street versus Missouri's Main Street U.S.A. I think the Carthay Circle Theater is the most physically beautiful icon at any Disney Park. Both of the parks in California are a "best of" amalgamation of the spread-out rides at other parks, but there's a great aura around California Adventure right now that I can't resist. Of course, Disneyland Park will regain its #1 spot eventually, especially with Indiana Jones Adventure...

Seasonal - Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Year-round - Disney California Adventure or Universal's Islands of Adventure.

All the better to loose your top, squeal with your girlfriends, pretend to be morbidly embarrassed, then tweet about it!

bedred, I used to be like you. I used to think Paramount was the best because of the themes and movie names. We always see the past through rosy glasses. Behind the scenes, things weren't so beautiful. All the owners of Kings Island have made great improvements and had great drawbacks. In particular, though, there are members here who believe that if Cedar Fair hadn't taken the parks off of CBS's hands, the parks would no longer be open for one reason or another.

And then there's that whole "inferior steel" issue we're all forgetting...?

That the ride is just Millennium Force made of wood.

I just think it's such a joke to imagine that two major, nationwide operators are suddenly getting googly eyes about this park that no one seems to be actively supporting anymore. One of the two previous lessees gave said it couldn't possibly be open until 2014, and that was contingent upon them taking control immediately. Any new suitor would have to travel the arduous paths of legal work and red-tape that took nearly a year apiece for each of the previous would-be tenants. The fair board have been so opaque about this process and the park condition and now they're trying to sell this as a sought-after property? In their dreams, I'd say...

Can we institue a short written essay graded by a moderator using an available rubric as a prerequisite for joining this forum? Also, what's the age limit, and how is that enforced?

I see you didn't assess the likelihood of Disney, Merlin, or Universal leasing the park? Disney's Kentucky Kingdom has quite a ring to it! Har har har indeed! "If you're thinking about buying this car, you better hurry! I've got another couple lined up at the door who will happily jump at the bit if you don't!" Seems like a pretty awful sales tactic at this point.

Awesome! Great job everyone!

And to think that, at the time, some fans of Cedar Point on other websites said "What's the point of Skyhawk! It's the same as maXair but without the spinning!" Turns out its different enough to earn a lot of praise here!

The fact that roller coasters are now designed on computers has done a number on the industry, I think. Programs can now tell us what kinds of forces the average rider will experience at any given inch along the course. The result, many would say, is that rides are no where near as forceful as they used to be. Last week, I rode Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens Virginia - those loops feel "too small" for the train and produce some crazy forces, even with trim brakes clutching on for dear life as you enter them. That used to be the standard. Now we're used to loops that are entered into at precisely the right degree and speed for a train of given size and weight, with the computer calculating every data point along the way. B&M, according to many, has suffered most from the use of computers. Their modern hypercoasters are fun, but not necessarily "thrilling" to the crowd like us who can appreciate and recognize forces and movements. Predictable? Maybe. You certainly can't predict what you'll feel on rides like Vortex, or Loch Ness Monster, where a piece was bent the wrong way upon delivery, melted, re-angled, and smoothed over during construction. Better yet, ride a Schwarzkopf! Even with computers, mistakes happen... We've seen at least two instances of that with Intamin in the last decade, both at Cedar Fair parks.