bkroz

Are you suggesting that the best things to do at Kings Dominion are the Eiffel Tower, Backlot Stunt Coaster, and Flight of Fear?

That is not a coincidence! Perhaps the things we're most frightened of as kids become things we embrace most as adults... GYK, who also cried his way through roller coaster queues for years.

When I was a kid, it was well known in my family that anything with glowing eyes terrified me. In many Disney films, the scene fades out with only the villains eyes left, and I would cry and cry. I was afraid of Big Thunder Mountain because of the glowing bat eyes, and of The Little Mermaid show at the Disney-MGM Studios because of Ursula's glowing eyes. I couldn't look at the Cave of Wonders for the same reason. Something about Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye still makes me delightfully uneasy. Throughout the whole line, you see paintings, murals, and frescos of the ancient god Mara, but all depictions show him with his eyes closed. As the ride begins, one of three doors unlocks to give you one of three gifts: eternal life, visions of the future, or earthly riches. But if you look into the eye of Mara, you're cursed to the Gates of Doom. I think I usually do try to avoid looking into the eye of Mara for some stupid reason, and I know many people who grew up in the area and say that throughout their childhoods, they walked very uneasily through Adventureland, truly afraid they might accidentally look into Mara's eyes from the pathway. See the first few terrifying seconds here:

TDO is not The Walt Disney Company. Orlando's resort has long been seen by the industry as a somewhat "knuckle headed," slow to change, sterile breeding ground for corporate pride and cost-cutting. It's The Walt Disney Company that owns Marvel, and the Walt Disney Company that would make that sort of legal decision. Like Terpy said, they'll do what they want and incur the related costs. If Disney greenlights a massive KUKA Robo-arm Avengers ride for Disney's Hollywood Studios, they'll do so because they believe the revenue generated by it will overcome the cost incurred.

I can 100% guarantee that you're right: 45% or less or more of the Hanna Barbera scenery is still in the park. GYK, math whiz?

Do you really think so? I mean, legally? I don't know any better than the most naive-to-law person here, but I don't think the rights are different... Disney owns Marvel. Universal allegedly contracted Marvel at a time when Marvel was desperate for money, and the powers at Universal probably wouldn't have guessed in a million years that the Walt Disney Company would purchase Marvel in a multi-billion dollar transaction. And so, I doubt that in the Marvel-Universal contract, it somewhere stated "in case of purchase by competitor in the amusement park industry, no attractions can be made containing Marvel characters, but Marvel character appliques can be administered to pre-existing attractions." The thing said in this conversation that I imagine as being the most true is the idea that Disney can use any characters not employed at Universal's park. That being said, the monorail wrap contains Hulk, who is the basis of Universal's Incredible Hulk coaster, so even that may be iffy (unless Universal's is based on the "comic character" Hulk and Disney's is on the "film character" Hulk, who may be seen as two separate legal entities...). I sort of imagine that there's a "gentlemen's agreement" in there, too (which may be 100% off base). It occurs to me that Disney probably could legally build a Spider-Man ride, but why would they? Brand confusion would be off the charts, and Spider-Man at Universal is wildly popular and groundbreaking even thirteen years later. Even then, Disney certainly didn't buy Marvel with the sole or even main intention of using the characters in parks. They wanted the movie rights, the profits from the millions and millions and millions of action figures, play sets, costumes, etc., the TV shows, the "little boy" demographic that they were having such trouble with. I imagine that the ability to build Marvel attractions was definitely a factor, but if it had been a selling point then we'd already see Marvel attractions announced, and we haven't (compare that to the Avatar announcement made 4 years before expected opening and with no concept art, concrete ride descriptions, etc).

The I-X Center is a convention center that hosts boat shows, flower festivals, gem shows, etc. The giant Ferris Wheel you see in the video is the only permanent ride, which operates no matter what convention is currently occupying the building. It's about an hour from me. I'll say that it's well known for its less-than-desirable teen attendees these days, especially if you go on a weekend or after school lets out. Every day I've ever been, that parking lot has been nearly full, so I wouldn't necessarily expect that the short lines shown here are typical. It's a sight to see. That's for sure.

During the time when Las Vegas was doing the "family" thing, I was in love with the city. Like one theme park after another... Treasure Island, Caesars Palace, Circus Circus, The Mirage, New York New York... Each one was like a theme park in and of itself, even without rides! But that time has passed. It's a shame, too. I would love to have seen the MGM Grand Adventures...

One thing is (so far) certain: Canada's Wonderland's film will be a $1 upcharge when added on to the Dinosaurs Alive exhibit ticket. The impression I got in the park last season is that the $2.00 add-on (much less the $4.00 single ticket) went over pretty poorly. If that's to be believed, then perhaps KD is trying out a free film and Wonderland is trying out a $1.00 ticket so that the parks can adjust in future years to what they believe customers will pay. I've made the case since the beginning that that dinosaur film wouldn't play to a full house even if it were free. At Kings Dominion at least, we'll find out if I was right or not...

It's an unfortunate situation all the way around, but the truth of the matter is that the owners of the Beach appear to have taken the money and run (or else they've already spent it on debt reduction or something). The impression I get is that these businesses stepped in for nothing (albeit, expecting it would benefit them in the end), which means that the money given to the Beach for passes will stay with the parties who originally received it. Sort of scheisty sounding, right?

Psychologists would probably have a lot to say about that. In particular, I bet clinical psychologists would say that premium parking is foolish, while industrial/organization psychologists probably invented it!

I will forever be at a loss to explain the fascination with cabanas. People are apparently willing to pay quite a premium for reserved chairs and shade. To me, it's almost a joke how they typically list "four chairs," "a table," and "food service*" as amenities. I suppose others find value in that and are willing to pay, or else these parks wouldn't continue to build cabanas and call it an "expansion." At Geauga Lake, the $65 rate ($85 on weekends) provides: "lounge chairs, a dining table with umbrella, and full food and beverage service brought right to your cabana. You even get two inner tubes and a locker with your cabana rental!" The fan, lounge chairs, and Wi-fi at least make Holiday World's a step above most I've seen before, but really. * You must pay for the food, of course, but they'll bring it to you on a luxurious brown tray from the quick service stand fifteen feet from the wave pool.

You heard correctly! Is this a Terpy answer? I can't tell...

Especially in May, you won't find too many issues with crowds. That will be the second day that the park is open, and I've never attended during that time so I can't say for sure what you'll experience. Others here probably have a better idea. Overall, though, Kings Island isn't a busy park. There are plenty of rides to absorb crowds. You'll undoubtedly find the longest waits at Firehawk and nearby Flight of Fear, with Invertigo also being a slow-loader. Your best bet is to ride them as early as possible. If it's a more moderately-busy day, you'll also find a reasonable wait on Backlot Stunt Coaster. The Beast and Diamondback can collect lines when the park's busy, but both lines move very fast. As far as food, you unfortunately won't find many proponents of eating in the park on here. The park is very publicly improving its food offerings for 2012, so there may well be a lot of good things to discover. In the past, the unfortunate best bet was to get a hand-stamp and drive to a nearby fast-food joint for lunch. If you're in need of a real, air-conditioned, unlimited-refill place for lunch, there's Big Boy nearby, too. It's a nice break from the park's hustle and bustle and better quality food for the price if the past is any indication. Have a good trip!

Funny enough, the currently-circulating rumor is that Disney proposed a little too much of "Soarin'" style technology for Pandora and that Cameron was put-off by the amount of his world that would be relegated to screens (which is almost humorously ironic). If there's truth to that, than it goes back to what I said in this thread in September: legacy of the film and the appropriateness of an Animal Kingdom location aside, the world of Pandora is far too massive to translate well into a physical space... Even Disney has its limits, and the floating mountains, grandness, and the overwhelming, breathtaking nature of the film's setting is (almost exclusively) what it'll be remembered for (do you remember the names of the lead characters?). If that can't be fully duplicated (which I argue that it can't) then what's the point? As painful as it is to hear, part of what Disney has created in its theme parks is an amalgamation of other studios' intellectual properties. Their financial position allows for tremendous acquisitions like that. Off the top of my head, three of their most groundbreaking, innovative, and well-loved attractions are themed to stories owned by other movie studios: Indiana Jones Adventure (Paramount), Star Tours (20th Century Fox), and The Twilight Zone (CBS). For me (and from what I gather, others), the problem is that Avatar so far does not have the lasting pop-culture influence of the other three properties. And indeed, it appears that Disney simply sought to get their hands on the biggest property they could, then rushed an announcement of acquisition without any real, solid plans having been worked out. Now there are two sequels ahead, but remember, there's no guarantee they'll be well-received. I am of the belief that Universal Studios MIGHT have given a second or third thought to constructing the Transformers ride in the light of two terribly received sequels if it weren't already too late to back track. But then again, despite critical lambasting, both sequels did very well financially. In that way, the notion of building a ride based on the franchise does capture the 21st century view of films very well. As for Epcot, give it time. The Walt Disney Company just afforded $1.2 billion to a single park's progress. Once they've recouped from that, the rumor is that both of the American Tomorrowland's will be worked on. Meanwhile, Project Gemini at Epcot never came to full fruition, and I think that the general consensus is that something must be done there... And in the original Disney park (the only one Walt Disney had a piece in building, mind you), two of those intellectual properties you listed are represented by attractions in the park with the castle, not in the "not as legacy-oriented" second gate. That's not to say I'm excited, thrilled, or happy that this Avatar project is allegedly still on track, just that the non-Disney-fication of Disney parks is hardly the first issue with it.

Is it a meal designed for the age group (a kids' meal) or a meal fit for a kid (a kid's meal)? I'd say either works.

Crush's Coaster is more like the Seven Dwarves Coaster than Goofy's Sky School. It's an indoor spinning family coaster with a few classic dark ride scenes throughout. It's a really nicely done ride. Another long-running rumor for DHS in Florida is a family suspended coaster (like Flying Ace) themed to Monsters Inc.

Very rarely is the stuff of menu's edible. Really. And even when it's edible... Mashed potatoes are much simpler to photograph than ice cream...

The only thing remotely German about Oktoberfest is the Festhaus' German name. There's an "adventure" themed ride and a Viking themed ride outside, and inside the building it's Asian food, American food, Mexican food, a country show, and now a British Invasion show.

They have planning and marketing people, but I think you're asking more along the line of imagineers and creative teams, not necessarily graphic designers. From what I recall the Interpreter saying, Paramount Parks had their own version of "Imagineers" / "Universal Creative" / the people who sit down and envision what new possibilities they can find and work them up into attractions. That department was cut even before Cedar Fair bought the parks.

I don't mind the name Invertigo. Just a thought.

But it still looks nice!

That brings up a good point. Considering a new sign is almost certainly going to have to be made, I can imagine that it'll become Stinger. If they're having a new sign made, might as well... But we'll see.

And even "family park"s are not the same. If they were, The Magic Kingdom and Idlewild would be the same, and they're not even comparable (which isn't to say The Magic Kingdom is the clear-cut winner in all or even most categories!). There's so much at play here. Amusement park vs. theme park. Family park vs. thrill park. Pricing strategies. Location. Operations. Intellectual properties. Ownership. Budgets. Pop culture. Advertising. Reach. Entertainment. Amenities. Accommodations. Ease of access. Target demographic. Pricing strategies. The Magic Kingdom and Epcot are identical in admission and pricing strategies. Their advertising and target demographic may be worlds apart... Same for The Magic Kingdom and Disneyland. Same for Kings Island and Cedar Point. Same for Cedar Point and Epcot. Disney World's parks are "better" than Kings Islands in some people's opinions in some ways, but that isn't always the case. Like I said, it's a different ball game.

You are making good points.