marlfox_21

At Epcot, you can buy a small drink and get free refills all day, for as long as you keep the cup. ( the drink does not have to be small ) Epcot also provides samples of soda from all over the world. At Busch Gardens you are allowed complimentary Beer for free in surprisingly large cups. At Kings Island, you can stop by the local Gas Station or Kroger and cram the cooler if you desire to have gas money for your drive back home. But in all seriousness, I remember Wings having pretty good food. Although I have honestly not ate at Wings in at least 4 years. Granted I have only visited K.I. about 3 times in the last 4 years. Not counting Winterfest. ( Which for the record, I always visited Ohio for Christmas, however in 95" I made an earlier trip than originally planned just for Winterfest. ) I certainly am glad that I decided to go now.

Of course. It could actually be a very interesting concept. Depending on the how the visuals were done.

That is all good. But I don't really think that the concept of animals wanting to attack and kill you would be a very comfortable one at a zoo. But it's interesting!

Muntjac ( Muntiacus reevesi ) A small deer from Asia. ( the smallest species in the world actually ) This animal has a very short flight distance. Meaning that they scare rather easily. I don't know how well they would cope with coasters and such. But come to think of it, Busch Gardens does house the animal relatively close to SheiKra. And the Santa Fe Zoo in Florida is right next to I-75, and they are housed in the back of the zoo, so I suppose that they would do fine in this environment.

Don't even worry about it. My ability to tongue twist took Tilly to town today to taste types of tuna ten times. Nobody says things quite the same way that I do.

The concept of turning The Racer around, does not really bother me at all. For one, at least the ride is still standing. And for two, it will, in an emotional way, be like seeing Kings Island history, and living it.

This is a poll that will be based exclusively on opinions. Not yes, or no, but biased or unbiased desires based on personal experiences and desired imagination. Imagine, if you will, that Kings Island has been sold by Cedar Fair, and the new owners desire to create an environment similar to Busch Gardens, or Disney's Animal Kingdom. And in order to make this work to ideal standards, K.I. serves with a partnership of a neighboring, or distant zoo to help manage all of the animals, which would be housed on the K.I. property. And the ideal environment yet to be developed would be one in part influenced by the general public through use of a vast number of polls and surveys. With this being said, what would you like to see? What kinds of animals would you like to experience up close? How would you describe your ideas for display, and for possible interaction? What are some of your favorite experiences from existing parks? What would you like to add or take away from zoological park management? And finally, how would you insist on intertwining animals, rides, food stands, and shops together? Go on, use your imaginations. m.f.

I haven't ate in the park very often, to be fair. I usually just leave the park, and go eat at a neighboring restaurant, either at the Kings Island exit, or at Kings Mills, and then go back to the park. Not that I would ever recommend that someone actually attempt this who is unfamiliar with the area. The Kings Mills exit, at the wrong time of day, can almost be as bad as Gainesville Florida. ( Almost )

Yes, the walkways are very hot. And it kinda looks a little bit unglamorous. The parking lot itself could do well with getting repaved. ( especially the associate lot ) The fountain where the Paramount Story was needs a little bit of T.L.C. I have always loved that fountain. My fiance and I always make it a point to sit next to it on every visit, to eat an icecream cone or something. But personally, I have never liked looking at the associate walkway behind the enchanted theatre. I think that it looks so out of place from atop of the Eiffel Tower. I know that there's not too much that could be done with it. But maybe some kind of a tarp between the buildings could hide it from the public. And it would help to shade the associates. A large tarp that read Kings Island across it, just for tower viewers. Hey, it's just an idea.

If you could give anything at Kings Island a little bit of T.L.C., what would it be? HA...LOL....I just misspelled LATTERS. LMAO

So, should we be expecting more out of the shows in 2008?

Silence your tongue, Opheophagu. You've spoken well, but you have abandoned this cause. And while I have your attention, answer my call sometime. I need for you to do something for me. King Cobra? Opheophagus hannah.. Interesting. Do you even remember why it is in it's own classification? (LOL) I'll bet not. Here's a hint. 2 chambers of rotting vegetation. 1 for the eggs, and 1 for itself. The only elapid to do this. Don't take offense to it, I'm just kidding. You seem passionate about this based on your response above. I respect that, but I honestly did not expect to hear a seminar about animals from you ever again. And just so that you know, personally, I'm referring to Akron. m.f.

Thank you Cory B. for all of your concern. I really do agree with a lot of what you say. But successfully putting it all together takes a lot of time, and a lot of money. And I'm sorry if my typing isn't up to par here. I'm having a stressful day. So I came on here to relax for a minute. I INVESTED IN A LAPTOP!!!! ( LOL-at myself ) You would be surprised at what these little things can do. I am so many years outdated..... Anyway's, you know, I would like to add another note referring back to the original topic of this forum. I do not know every little detail. In fact, to be honest, I know very far from every detail. However, when I spoke with Andrew yesterday, he mentioned the current zoo projects, and he also mentioned something else. He didn't go into any details at all, ( so for those of you who LOVE RUMORS, I can offer you no facts here ) but he was rather hysterical. He told me that "well, here in the near future, we will have new projects again." I did not dare to ask how, but he did offer this explanation on his own. "You'll notice" Typically, this could mean anything. He did not mind the idea of me sharing this with you, as long as I do not attempt to make up any explanation. And quite frankly, I do not have one. So basically, this is a lot of words for a very simple meaning, that I guess could be worded like this... More is coming, but it could be anything. ( a.k.a. I'm not claiming to officially confirm anything. ) I'm going to stop now, because this is even annoying me. have a good day

I usually look at this as being simple. It's just a forum page, so why express yourself to full potential. It's just not worth the effort. It's just a place that I visit to entertain myself. However, in this case, I took the seriousness of the situation to heart. As a result, today at about 5p.m., I made a phone call to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, and spoke with the Marketing Manager, Mr. Andrew S. and discussed with him the forum at hand. To be perfectly honest, he was quite surprised that the Zoo was even a topic on a Kings Island web address. Even an unofficial one, in which case his immediate response was.."Interesting". He had nothing against it, but he just found it to be unexpected. In this conversation, it was equally thought that to the general public, zoo's MAY come across as being competitive. Columbus vs. Cincinnati, for an example, might be thought of as being like N.Y. Mets vs. Cincy Reds. This is simply not the case. This is the point of an A.Z.A. accreditation. To have the highest quality in standards, and to know who is a partner. The reality of this does go into extremes to make it all work. ZIMS, ZIMES, and so many other advanced new programs have been taken into action to eliminate possible causes of failures in the past, especially with breeding programs, which are constantly showing improvement with advanced study methods, on a global scale. After all, the success in breeding high value species brings profit to zoo's. Any action that the Columbus Zoo takes now, is based on a constant study to see what people respond to in a positive attitude when visiting zoological parks. But, like any other, again I push the term A.Z.A. park, all of the rides, and attractions, and newly formed habitats still amount to a solid result. Funding for the animals in the facility, and funding for conservation efforts.. After all, zoos are a business, and their business is to entertain the public with unique experiences. If you are desiring to see roller coasters, Go to Busch Gardens, Go to Wild Adventures, Go to Disney's Animal Kingdom, Go to Sea World. These parks are designed specifically for the co-existence of the two attractions, and they work because the general public recognizes this pattern. And these parks, much like Kings Island was in the past, have worked in this manner with specific private owners. It seems to always be beneficial to an amusement park ( with the exception of the failed Kings Island ) to add animals to your list of attractions. But one does not simply add an amusement park to a zoo, and not expect to ruin the very principles and the values that which the zoo was founded and of which the zoo has evolved throughout the years. ( I would like to add that YES, the Columbus Zoo and Aqarium does have an exceptional list of things to do, but by no means are they an Amusement park, with large roller coasters such as the idea suggested in an earlier reply. ) Who on this page has the expertise of animal attractions? Who is in pursuit of a management position at an A.Z.A. accredited institution? I have both the experience and the knowledge for this. And as far as the director emeritus at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Jack Hanna. He is brilliant. I know more about Jack than I care to share here, simply based on the fact that I do not feel the need to do so. And lets just say that he knew me long before Aquatica. It is part of my job requirement to be knowledgeable about other parks accomplishments and failures. I apologize for seemingly lashing out. I do not usually do so. It goes against my nature.

Years ago, the zoo looked into the possibility of opening a safari, closer to Mason. I do not know the circumstances that led to the success or failure of the project. As far as rides go, yes the Cincinnati Zoo, like many other parks has a carousel with an animal theme. And they have their round the park train, and SpongeBob 4-D. But these rides, to a non-profit organization have 2 basic functions. One, they are pay rides designed to raise money for animal care and conservation efforts. Two, they obviously assist in families having a better time, which can bring people back to the zoo, and influence families to buy passes or become zoo members, ultimately resulting in more funds. As a city owned park, the Cincinnati Zoo, like many others will most likely never have roller coasters or anything even close to this level. It's not the business that they are in, and if a zoo's director was even willing to suggest a program to raise money for such an occurance, the director should be evaluated by advisors, etc. In my opinion ( and yes I feel that I am qualified to speak for zoological park management ) funds raised by city owned parks would be wasted if spent on such development. As far as the extension of land, under management of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, One location is currently used for conservation, and research. This land primarily houses "surplus" animals. Animals that cannot be housed at the actual Zoo Grounds due to lack of space and funds. I believe that one location is privately owned, but houses animals for the zoo such as Cheetahs, which in this manner obtain a habitat in which they can live out healthier lives with more room to engage in natural behaviors. This creates the ideal opportunity to research the given species. Due to this reason, such locations will probably not be open for the general public. But even still, I would not rule out the possibility of a massive expansion project a few years down the line. Not counting the new projects already in development at the zoo. ( giraffe feeding, extension of c.r.e.w., parking lot, education center, etc. ) m.f.

I would not be able to sleep at night if I did not add this part. To complete this ( in my mind ) perfect coaster ride, it would most certainly have another unique factor. The theme of the coaster would not be enough all by itself. Not by a longshot. To complete this vision, the building would also house the coasters entrance and maze, which itself would go through the aquarium. As would the exit to the ride. In my own little world, Kings Island is a place of nearly limitless potential for animals. I know that animals are probably not in Kings Island's immediate future, but I have always thought that what is now "The Crypt" would be an excellent place for a nocturnal house, which could line the maze for the rides line. This among other thoughts and ideas. But, alas, I wake up and realize that this is not going to happen. At least, probably not ever at Kings Island. m.f.

For those of you who have had the opportunity present itself, to allow you to go to either The Newport Aquarium, or The Georgia Aquarium, stop and think about the tunnels. You know what I am talking about. The walkways through the Shark encounters for example. Think to yourselves for a moment about that soothing glow that comes from those tanks that are all around you, and think of the animals within. Now think about "The Beast" at K.I. or "Magnum 200XL" at C.P., and consider what the image of what their tunnels look like. Are you ready. Use your imagination for just a moment and replace the tunnels on those coasters with those at the aquariums, and then place the coaster indoors. Now you have a glimpse into the future. This is what should go into Boomerang Bay, for the ultimate tropical getaway, close to home. On a side note, I thought that you might enjoy this. I was shown this story just earlier this morning..... There was a Peacock and a crow that were best friends, and had been all their lives At this time the Peacock, like the crow, was dull and most ignored all of his actions One day, high on a hill, a king was having his castle decorated beautifully it was being painted with the most elaborate of colors Both the peacock and the crow wanted to assist in this festive act, but neither dared to approach the kingdom looking so unfavorable to it's beauty So the crow suggested that they recreate themselves by secretly using some of his majesty's paint And the peacock agreed, thinking that this sounded wonderful So the crow painted the peacock with swirls, and circles, and stripes, and chose the most beautiful colors of all he even made the peacocks eyes glow fascinatingly like a dragons The peacock stopped for a moment when the crow had finished his work and he raised his feathers high into the air so that he could see their reflection in the water He was very impressed, but just before he could paint the crow workers recognized their activity and ran for them So the peacock and the crow had to run away and make their way towards the castle but the crow made a desperate attempt to match the beauty of the peacock in the last moment he jumped in a bucket of paint, alas, black, then ran after the peacock up the hill to this day, one is still majestic with a dragon's eyes and the beauty of a dragon's tail and the other is still dull, his attempt was regretably doomed to fail. m.f.

I really must say that I really agree with all previous statements that approve of the K.I. Museum. If this were to become a reality at the park, I am quite certain that it would be a hit. However, I am almost willing to bet that Cedar Fair's Plans for the area are already nothing short of being complete. Of course this is nothing more than an educated guess. So nobody quote me on it please. But with the way that rides are being renamed, it would not completely surprise me to walk in and find it being named "WalkThrough" or something else undesiringly unappreciated and stating the obvious. m.f.

Well, having just gotten back from the park on today ( My BIRTHDAY!!!! ) I just had to add a few more to this list. Kings Island: Bikini Bottom is Here!!!! Take your plunge today!!!! <--not serious Kings Island: What Would SpongeBob do? Kings Island: BIGGER, BETTER, SPONGIER!!!! Kings Island: It's Paramount!!!! Kings Island: Feel like Royalty! Kings Island: Our Tickets are cheaper than Driving Here. Kings Island: Need Gas Money?..APPLY TODAY! Kings Island: What will you do today?

There is no doubt in my mind that Aquatica will be one of the chart toppers in 2008. And that will just be with it's opening year. I know a lot of people who are going to be starting their careers at Aquatica and who have also been waiting a very long time for such a career opportunity to come along. <-- As animal trainers, caretakers, veterinarians, curators, educators, etc. The park will also bring a lot of employment for the local area in much of the same way that Kings Island does here for our local youth. Following my U.F. graduation, I had the opportunity to apply to work at Sea World and Aquatica if I so desired. And I would be lying if I said that it was not tempting, and that I do not often wonder what it would be like. But at the time, Disney's Animal Kingdom seemed like the best choice, and in the end my desire for a more simple lifestyle than that of Orlando's surroundings proved to be too overwhelming. Thus resulting in my more humbled return to Ohio. But the times do come when I miss it. Not to go too far astray, I think that Aquatica is going to offer something for everyone. And it is going to be unique in probably every possible aspect. Personally, I cannot wait to visit Sea World and Aquatica later in the year. It will be an experience worthy of an under water camera purchase. And coming from me, that really is saying something. m.f.

Who's to say that KI is not a vacation destination? To me it is. I live in South Bend, IN. It isn't a drive to make all the time. I took my family of 6 on vacation to KI to give them the enjoyment of my youth. I wanted to give them a part of what I enjoyed. KI was always an awesome vacation spot to me. I spent over $1500 to do this as I live on a limited income. Yes, my family enjoyed it, and want to go again. I just wanted to point out that back in the day KI was a much more awesome amusement park than it is today. I would have to say that K.I. is a vacation destination. For example, when I lived in Florida, Disney, Sea World, Universal, Busch Gardens, were the local norms. Everyone had been there, or had year passes to go there. However, people were always interested in hearing about Kings Island, Cedar Point, etc. from up north. These were the places that Florida natives wanted to go. In fact, in June of this year, I have some friends, Travis, Jeremy, and Stephanie whom I attended classes at the University of Florida with, coming up to spend about 2 weeks with me here to visit Kings Island, Cedar Point, and The Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. And let me tell you that they are very excited for the opportunity to get to experience these places that to them will be all brand new. And I don't think that they are alone.

The longest period of time that I have ever been stuck on a ride, was about 35 minutes, and occurred on "Expedition Everest" at Disney's Animal Kingdom last summer. We had gone through pretty much the entire ride, when it finally stopped just shy of reentering the loading station. This made for a great opportunity for photos of the ride, since I was in a unique location to take them. However, being stuck in the hot Florida sun on what was a 90+ degree day is not fun to say the very least. We sat on the ride for just over 30 minutes before associates came and manually unlocked our seats. We only had to walk up the track a small distance to exit the ride, however another train had to be manually unlocked as well, and the people on that train had to walk down from the inside of the mountain. This was not a total loss, everyone on the train recieved 2 fast passes each which were good at all 4 of the Disney Parks. We later used these fast passes on "Mission Space" in Epcot, saving us from having to stand in a massive line, and the other we used on Aerosmith's Rockin Roller Coaster in M.G.M. which again saved us from standing in quite a long line. So in this case, it was really more of a blessing than anything else, because it ended up saving us more time than we had lost. m.f.

Kings Island: How long has it been, since you've been to the Island? Cast Away to the Island What will you discover...On the Island? Kings Island: It's good to be King! Let yourself go Family fun for all your little Kings and Queens Isn't it time you went to the Island These are just a few ideas that popped into my head, to help bring an end to my current silent streak of boredom.

True. It would be pretty boring as a dictated place of happiness wouldn't it? In this case..... Kings Island: maroon yourself Kings Island: can you survive, the island Kings Island: a 1st time visitors haven Kings Island: we still have The Beast... Kings Island: Son of Beast is still over 200ft. Kings Island: Home of the Fairly Odd Coaster?!!

After reading all of these, I feel really bad for starting this topic. I know that everyone is clearly entitled to their own opinions, and since KICentral is susposed to be viewed closely by the company, it is a good place to let them hear your voice about disliking things. But somehow or another, I feel bad because I feel like I've started a hate trend in what is meant to be a Kings Island fan site. however, best regards to everyone and their opinions m.f.