bkroz

I also enjoyed the coincidence that, soon after Paramount's Kings Island dropped the prefix, Showplace(?) Cinemas became simply Cinemas! I may not be the biggest fan of Cedar Fair's coverup job, but at least they managed to re-brand the park decently!

Re-read my post. I carefully explained that Cedar Fair Entertainment Company pays big bucks to advertise in Amusement Today. Coincidentally, of course, their parks take home many honors. Six Flags does not pay money to the magazine, and typically is lucky to nab a couple and no more. I also must state again - year after year, Cedar Point is crowned "best amusement park in the world" by the magazine who Cedar Fair pays exorbitant amounts of money to advertise in without taking home the award for best food, best entertainment, best new ride, cleanest park, friendliest staff, most beautiful park, etc. Now, how can a park not be recognized in ANY of those areas, but be crowned the best overall? Shouldn't the "best" completely sweep those categories and be named #1 in them all? There are true, valid, representative, statistically-arrived-at ways to determine 'best of' lists. See Mitch Hawker's coaster poll. Then there is Amusement Today's method. The powers that be (or maybe, were) at Cedar Fair obviously saw great value in marketing that Cedar Point is "the best amusement park in the world," and thus continued to assure - by any means necessary - that it retains that "honor." Cedar Fair is NOT Disney. But things are going to change. My instinct is that Mr. Ouimet DOES understand that a world class park requires world class foods, shows, shops, environments, landscaping, and family rides.

The insinuation there is that most or even many Platinum Pass holders actually make it to more than a few parks. At Cedar Point, the Platinum Pass is the ONLY choice if you want parking included, and I'd wager that many Cedar Point Platinum Pass holders know that as the main perk, NOT access to a few seasonal amusement parks scattered around the country. The average Platinum Passholder at Kings Island probably gets up to Cedar Point one or two times a year, but I don't think the average holder makes it to Carowinds, Kings Dominion, Canada's Wonderland, Cedar Point, Worlds of Fun, Valleyfair, and Dorney Park, then jetsets off to Great America and again in the winter for Knotts. If we really have to compare, then I don't think Knott's Berry Farm in California being open year round makes the Platinum Pass any more "valuable." Really, they can't be compared. Some of us here would doubtlessly say that the two parks of Disneyland Resort together offer a better experience in every single way than all of the Cedar Fair parks combined. Amusement Today disagrees. But then again, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts doesn't usually feel the need to pay for advertising space to win awards - their parks speak for themselves. (Not the best food + not the cleanest + not the most friendly employees + not the best entertainment = best theme park?) My point was, the crazy, out of this world figures people get into their head about Disney Parks and how expensive they are to visit is such a shame. It's just not true, as I think I proved pretty well above, whether or not it feels comparable to the lush, luxurious experience of Cedar Point. I went with the same assumptions. I got a 3-day park hopper and then found that the price to upgrade to an annual pass was (I kid you not) $165.00. And just that simply, my plans for the summer changed drastically.

A ticket to Disneyland is $80 (not more than a Gold Pass, which is $84.99). A six day ticket to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure (which is NOT an unusual choice) is $236.00, or $39.33 per day. Keep in mind that face value for a one-day Kings Island ticket is $52.99 (not too much less than Disneyland's $80.00) and does not include use of a virtual queuing system, nor any rides that are in any way remotely comparable to The Haunted Mansion or Indiana Jones Adventure. At least, not anymore. An annual pass to Disneyland is $379.00 and good for 315 days of admission, or about $1.20 per eligible day. (If it cost five times what a Platinum Pass costs, it would be $825.00). A Platinum Pass is $165.00, and with Cedar Point being open 170 days last year, the Platinum Pass has a value of 97 cents per eligible day. A Disneyland Annual Pass provides 10% off all dining and merchandise purchases in the park and discounts at Disneyland and area hotels. A Platinum Pass includes different benefits at each park, but usually centers around a free large pizza when you buy three large pizzas and a buffet that includes a souvenir Snoopy sipper cup. Southern California residents can also purchase a low-level Disneyland Pass good for (coincidentally) 170 days of admission that costs $199.00 - it's only good for the off-season, but that's the only time Southern California residents would want to go, anyway. It, too, provides a flat 10% discount and discounted hotel rates. Did you know that the number one reason people don't take Disney vacations is because they assume they can't afford Disney vacations without bothering to research? The More You Know! GYK, who is taking a reprieve from the .97 cents per day and opting for that $1.20 a day in 2012.

My interpretation is that it's expected to be open when (or shortly after) the park opens, though "spring" is still the only real timeline. It's also got multiple launch areas and an element that is the first of its kind in America, so even that is "subject to change."

Or like "Burger King is not Outback Steakhouse," unless you really, really, really like Burger King!

http://www.cedarfair.com/ir/company/directors/ The website has been updated with Mr. Ouimet's position at the top of the list. And who is number two...?

Besides that, Disney World isn't a theme park. It's a resort with four theme parks within it. Islands of Adventure is definitely a theme park (just one, though). Universal Studios Florida is a theme park, too. In my opinion, an amusement park is something like Cedar Point (sans Frontier Trail) where rides without a storyline or setting are placed along a midway (see, Raptor. What relates it to a bird of prey? Why is the raptor in question sitting next to a "blue streak" or across from a "wicked twister?"). Indiana Beach is an amusement park. Disney California Adventure's Paradise Pier was a replica of an amusement park until very recently. The idea being that, more and more, people are associating Kings Island with being an amusement park, too. What signage is left to differentiate Rivertown from Coney Mall? Action Zone from Oktoberfest? They're not differentiated on the map... How do we know Oktoberfest even exists anymore when the area's twos rides are "adventure" themed and "Viking" themed, and its dining establishment offers American and Asian food with a "country" show? Diamondback is a fine ride, but it incites the same question that Raptor does. What relates it to a snake? Is it different than the story told on, say, Son of Beast (the child of the park's original Beast is captured and placed in a high-tech security area in the futuristic Action Zone, guests enter an outpost and board Perimeter Surveillance Vehicles to monitor the creature's behavior amid red warning lights and government alerts)? There's nothing wrong with being an amusement park or a theme park. And there's nothing wrong with being a mix of the two (which, I would offer, Kings Island is). Sometimes it creates interesting clashes and combinations. And kingsrattler, I think you'd be hard pressed to convince people who saw the original International Street (with International food), Adventure Village, the original Oktobestfest, the original Coney Mall and the original Rivertown that Kings Island was an amusement park before Paramount. Theme doesn't have to be an overriding theme that covers the whole park (like "riding the movies"). It's about immersive enviornments, storylines, rides that engage visitors visually, and appropriate choices in food and shopping for those areas (ex. a woodcarver in Rivertown instead of a basketball game). That's my opinion.

Yes... And it happened once in the 2000's, was lightly attended, and never happened again. I believe it's because Kings Island is viewed as (and operated as) primarily a ride park, and that the idea of visiting a "Kings Island without the rides" is perplexing to many people. I know that the show was fantastic, but it doesn't change my point: that people didn't come (and wouldn't come next year) because when people think Kings Island, most don't think about the shows or food or landscaping first. Most think about the rides. That's not right or wrong, it's just the kind of park Kings Island of the 2000's is. In that way, the idea of an "entertainment based Christmas event" is far less marketable to Kings Island's typical visitors than the same idea at Busch Gardens, where the closing of their "big" rides (three coasters) doesn't have much of an impact on the park's lineup. There' the focus is on entertainment, dining, landscaping, scenery, animals, and music all year round.

I don't think it will happen. Busch Gardens and Dollywood and Hershey are three prime examples of parks that have much to offer besides rides. Even during their summer, daytime operation, especially the first two cater to families and even adults traveling alone who simply want to take in the park's ambiance, shows, restaurants, scenery, gardens, etc. Go to Kings Dominion one day and Busch Gardens the next. The two are maybe 75 minutes apart, but the clientele are day and night. It's not just location (though that does have to do with it). Busch Gardens is a theme park. Kings Dominion is a ride park. In the 1980's, Kings Island was a theme park, with wonderful entertainment, noteworthy food, vendors, craftsmen, culture, beauty, and scenery that was worth taking in. That made the transition to a "Christmas park" very natural and tasteful. For better or worse, it is a ride park today. Its clientele are thrill seekers, and families who come to ride rides. What is Busch Gardens' Christmas Town? Busch Gardens without the rides. Still leaves plenty to do and plenty to see. Expertly cultivated gardens, decorated European villages, vendors, train rides, completely new and outstanding shows... What would Kings Island's Winterfest be? Kings Island without the rides. Many season pass holders and locals would say, "Huh? Then what's the point?" To enjoy a lukewarm burger patty? To see the dying, sparse Christmas lights of Starlight Spectacular? To watch the shows, "90's Christmas!" "Rockin' to the 1980's Yuletide!" "Good Ole Country Christmas!" and "Hippie Holiday: The 1960s with Snoopy and Friends!"? Kings Island caters to a different crowd. And I think it's on-topic enough: Cedar Fair is not Disney, and they know it. That's why I'd never expect Winterfest again.

In my simple and probably flawed reasoning, I imagine there were other buyers (though probably not Disney or Universal caliber). Again, my instinct tells me that since Cedar Fair paid a lot for them. It occurs to me that if there were "haggling" room, it would've happened to a greater degree. Instead, it seems like Cedar Fair was out-bidding someone, or at least that they expected others to bid and thus placed a high offer right away. I could be wrong, but it seems almost everyone in the industry was absolutely staggered at what Cedar Fair was willing to pay (and, by the way, is still paying) to acquire the parks. The impression of much of the community that I witnessed was that they were paying more than the parks were worth. If that's true, then I can't imagine them doing it unless they had to. Another thing to consider is that CBS said all or nothing. Either take all of the "Paramount" Parks off their hands, or they were uninterested. If that weren't the case, I feel like Cedar Fair would've ended up with Kings Island and Canada's Wonderland, but no more. As it was, the all-or-nothing deal made any acquisition of any of the Paramount Parks by a smaller, more family-oriented company like Palace or Herschend unimaginable. If they were sold separately, those smaller companies might've showed an interest in Carowinds or Great America. Maybe there would even be a Six Flags Kings Dominion! As Terpy says, what is, is. But with all-or-nothing, only large corporations need apply.

Even if Son of Beast were demolished, that seems like a pretty far distance to me. If the entire added pathway contained new rides, buildings, bathrooms, restaurants, and a cohesive theme it could be done. But as is, that seems like an expensive nightmare of sorts to extend the park out into that terrain to connect the two.

I'd chalk it up to the fact that manufacturer recommendations change from time to time, and place to place. Perhaps Cedar Fair - in its ongoing hunt for redundant safety features - decided to opt for the over-the-shoulder restraints on their own. See also Kingda Ka, which features rigid over-the-shoulder restraints despite being nearly identical to Top Thrill Dragster, which has only a seatbelt and lap bar.

Carousel of Progress is probably my favorite attraction at The Magic Kingdom, and if not for Tower of Terror, maybe my favorite in all of Walt Disney World. Tomorrowland, by its very nature, does require updating quite frequently. The sad financial reality of that has turned Florida's Tomorrowland into Pixarland, California's into Discoveryland, and Japan's into Sci-Fi-Land. That same reality is why Tomorrowland 2055 never made it off the drawing board at either U.S. resort. Carousel of Progress is one of the few remaining attractions at any of the parks' Tomorrowlands that actually bothers to carry on Walt's original idea behind the land: that there's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow. Even though it's "up to date" (as in, not outdated, and not representative of the future, either), it still shows just how quickly our world has changed. And say what you want about the show itself, but none of the other occupants of the Carousel Theaters have had near as much impact or longevity. It's a cool show.

I can specifically point to two parties who have visited Kings Island on opening days in the past two years and have very explicity said that they won't go out of their way to visit again (and we live in Northeast Ohio... If you don't go out of your way, you won't get to Kings Island). "What's the point," they say, "when half of the rides are closed and no one seems to be in any rush to fix it?" Employees (God bless them all) don't know what to do at that point, and maintenance is so overwhelmed by these rides all freaking out after feeling human passengers for the first time in six months, and management seems unaffected or unwilling to take notice... Maybe that's a practice that will change in the future. We're already expected a "passholder preview" of Soak City, after all... Plus, at least one person here has a birthday on the 26th of April, which he celebrated at the park for four years in a row before Kings Island decided not to open until that date had passed. I sense a conspiracy!

Believe it or not, one of the reasons I decided against Christmas Town this year is because the Curse of DarKastle was closed. May seem counterintuitive, but that is absolutely one of my favorite rides on Earth, and such a fun, warm reprieve from the winter weather. I do understand that it needs its off-season though. Glad you had a good time!

The only difference between the addition or removal of brakes was the first helix (labeled "C" above). When the ride first opened (which is what the above picture represents) the 300 foot hill lead directly into a 270 degree helix that was very low against the ground and very highly banked and tightly curved. You may have experienced "graying out" on Backlot Stunt Coaster's helix, or even Diamondbacks. The positive g's (the pushed-into-your-seat) feeling make that happen, and on Intimidator, you were going 90 miles per hour after screaming your head off on a 300 foot hill. That's what caused many people to gray out, and a good number to blackout momentarily. Their first way to fix it was to add magnetic brakes down the entire first drop to slow the train from 90 miles per hour to like, 78 or something around there. It helped, but it was obviously no permanent fix. The difference made this year was that the helix was widened quite a bit (as far as I noticed) and isn't so tight to the ground. It's more of a rising helix, and it begins the jump up into the first airtime hill much more quickly. BEFORE AFTER You can see in the picture above how the jump into the first airtime hill is much more prolonged and less intense, because the entire helix now curves upward toward it. It's still a very intense ride (some say the most intense coaster on earth in terms of sensation) but the new first helix alleviates a lot of the issue.

It might be cool... Then again, according to the Disneyland website, that day is not a blockout date for any season pass. Not even the value, SoCal select pass. Even at Disneyland, I can't imagine more than eight hours without going back to the hotel for a break, and given the blockout calendar (which, I suppose, would be subject to change at any time), that day may be one wherein the park is closed for capacity reasons. As they say: There's always Disney California Adventure [though never, ever for quite as large a window, as remains the case here]. I think this is a unique and fun idea, but it lacks the draw of past years' promotions. With the "Year of a Million Dreams," there was a sense of fun and excitement and mystery about bumping into an employee and being given anything. Even if it were just a Fastpass to any attraction of your choosing, that was fun. To an extent, the same can be said of the Give A Day, Get a Day program. Even this years Memories promotion allowed guests to see their own images projected on the castle / it's a small world. The 2012 promotion doesn't seem like it will do much to boost attendance any other day of the year than February 29. But what do I know?

Thankfully, it seems he is truly bringing as much "Disney" to the table as we'd all hoped. In his quotes, I can literally hear the Disney. Talking about more characters poppping up, using your smartphone to see where you can meet [Mickey] Snoopy, and most of all, making all of the parks an accessible, two-day visit. That is precisely what Disneyland sought for so long.

People have returned season after season to Kings Island with far less incentive as far as "new attractions," and they'll continue to do so next year. Instead of considering 2012's new Soak City and wave pool to be a huge attraction addition year (comparing to 2007, 2009, etc) consider it an infrastructure year that just so happens to include a medium-sized addition (2010, 2011, etc). Very few of us would argue that the water park was fine the way it was and that it could sustain another five or six years with its then-current offerings. In fact, many people here said that the water park needed major updating and upgrading. So just like last year, when we saw many, many small improvements throughout the park and a few medium expenditure attractions (WindSeeker and Dinosaurs Alive), this is yet another year of much-needed small scale updates and refurbishments with a fair sized attraction thrown in for marketing purposes. There's nothing wrong with years like 2011 or 2012. Remember that for a very long time, that's how Viacom ran the parks. A handful of parks got clones of the same medium-sized ride or received their own medium-sized attraction with general park improvements thrown in. Years like that allow every park to get something new (which every park is next year, as far as I've seen) as opposed to two or three parks getting huge coasters while the other parks receive virtually nothing and sit stagnant, waiting for their "turn." Many people here were absolutely enamored with last year's way of doing this. We enjoyed the repainting, the attention-to-detail, the ride soundtracks, the returning effects, the small details that indicate at least an interest in maintaining the train and Backlot and the Crypt... 2012 looks to be shaping up similarly. No $25 million addition, maybe, but a refreshed, revitalized change or two with a nice attraction that was needed.

It shouldn't scare you any more than the reign of the former CEO, who in hindsight made little attempt to show any interest whatsoever in a decision. In other words, Kinzel seemed completely disinterested in Son of Beast, and unwilling to spend much time pondering its future much less making real, concrete decisions. I agree that the new CEO probably wouldn't want to put his first signature as head of Cedar Fair on such a risky or controvertial document. His resumé also doesn't do much to make one believe that Son of Beast (or any big, oversized, overkill coaster) would be a priority of his. But throw enough capitol in SOB's direction and something can come of it. That might mean reusing one board of the original structure and investing $50+ million in constructing an all new coaster with a related name, though. And if such an investment were decided upon (which, by the way, I don't think it ever would be) then he'd certainly have an almost-guaranteed success on his hands, and a dedicated and appreciative group of enthusiasts. But what would the investors think, and really, who is Cedar Fair and Mr. Ouimet out to please at the end of the day?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=son+of+beast I hope that didn't come across as mean. I've just always wanted to use it.

I find his candid nature refreshing. ... Imagine how different things might be, for better or worse.

I guess some of us just don't like slamming from side to side on unbanked turns, with brakes continually kicking in and slamming me forward and back.

Plus, have all these people who consistantly ask for a wild mouse coaster ever ridden one? Ricochet at Kings Dominion, anyone? Goofy's Sky School? The cartoon dinosaur one at Animal Kingdom? These rides are not exactly reknowned for their comfort, fun, or themeing. Especially if you place one indoors, expect people to line up just to see what it is (see, Tomb Raider, The Dark Knight Coaster), thereby making its poor throughput really shine!