marlfox_21

This is just a topic for fun. If you could come up with a slogan for Kings Island to advertise the park for the 2008 season. Keeping in mind the dramatic changes between Paramount and Cedar Fair. What would you come up with? Here is mine. Kings Island: It Looks Better Than in the Movies!

I agree with this statement. I still believe that Cedar Fair has great plans for all of their newly acquired parks, as well as all of their old ones. This year, is going to be the year to obtain recognition as being the owner and operator of the parks. And I think that the rides in years yet to come, much like Firehawk, will be thrilling. And I feel the same way about the entertainment department. I have given this statement before, and I will certainly be happy to give it again. Just give the park some time. In the future, Cedar Fair will produce a generation of memories. And these new rides names, will be to todays children, the very heart and soul of the park that they got to grow up with. m.f.

Personally, I like "Crypt" It really does fit the theming. "Flight Deck" It does not really bother me. Imagine to yourselves for just one moment that Cedar Fair is building a brand new coaster. A suspended roller coaster similar to Iron Dragon, and Dueling Dragons. And they were going to introduce the new ride for the 2008 season. ( AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO PUSH THAT THIS IS JUST "IMAGINE IF" ) And in this imagined world, everyone knew that the ride was being built, but the official name had not yet been released to the general public or the press. And then, ( again in this imaginary place ) the name is finally released. -FLIGHT DECK-. And along with this ride came new colors to the park, and a new font style for the the attraction's sign, and pictures, etc. Everyone here knows the extent in which parks go to advertise their rides. In this imagined scenario, would "Flight Deck" be much less entriguing than "Firehawk" was a year ago? Because I think that it would be just as exciting. Backlot Stunt Coaster......the same scenario, but honestly, I just don't like the ride. I know that a lot of people disagree with me on this, ( and I truly do respect you all ) but I just never learned to like it. I finally decided to ride it a couple of times. Once the effects were working and once they were not, and on my 2nd ride, there was this hilarious guy actually yelling out "OK, now this....would totally be happening, and then there was like this BOOM, and ....etc. He was actually pretty funny. But, no, it just never grew on me. It's not to say that it never will, but as of right now, no. And at a park in Valdosta Georgia, "Wild Adventures" which actually reminded me of what Kings Island was like pre-paramount ( Wild Adventures is only going on 11 years of operation ) there is this coaster which is just like Face-Off, except for this coaster is not suspended. It's very fitting name is "Boomerang" which I actually enjoyed. This is a very nice park, and they are putting more money into each new project with each new year. Last year, for example, the park replaced their original amphitheatre with a new one,which was to be the largest amphitheatre in the country upon it's opening. ( I do not know if it still is or not...probably though. ) Anyways, "Wild Adventures"...check it out. m.f.

WHY THAT'S JUST BLOODY BRILLIANT anyways I don't think that this is over just yet. Something is pressuring these guys into admitting a little bit at a time all on their own. I have worked with a lot of animals, but granted I do not have the pleasure of calling myself a "tiger expert". Despite this, my assumption looks at a few factors. The tiger lived in captivity in a major city in California of all states. Clearly the animal is quite used to people yelling, children screaming, in some cases, probably adults screaming. It is probably used to children waving their hands at it, and screaming at it, and it is probably used to hearing parents talking loudly to quiet their children. ( the tiger is not really going to know the difference is it? After all its all noise to it ) The tiger is probably also used to vehicles moving throughout the park. I cannot say for certain, but the animal probably could hear traffic outside of the zoo as well. Many have golf carts, and trucks moving throughout ( trucks mostly after hours ) I can't speak for this zoo, but many have trains, and other various tour vehicles. The tiger is also going to hear sirens going off in the city, vehicles horns, etc. Decorations throughout the year, ( especially at Christmas time ) are going to be unique distractions for the animal, and animals in zoo's are also given what is called "Enrichments" which defined would be various activities and experiences that strengthen the animals natural curious behaviors. The point that I am getting at is that this tiger is used to noise and new experiences. These boys did more than just scream at it, while they were high on pot, and drunk. I would say that it could be a case against them that they were too high to even remember taunting the tiger at all. But I am 100% certain that they were doing more than just screaming at it. m.f.

I found the article below on screamscape. Go to their website to see pictures. News & Rumors Kings Island Cincinnati, Ohio Cedar Fair Entertainment Park News - (1/15/08) The local news has some pictures of the new Kings Island sign going up and mentions that the park will soon make an announcement about various new attraction names once they finalize all the details. It did mentions the rides that would be renamed however as: Tomb Raider, Top Gun, Face/Off and Italian Job. (1/11/08) If you haven’t been keeping up with the news for the other former Paramount Parks lately, then don’t be surprised when Kings Island suddenly changes the name of Top Gun to Flight Deck, a name change already posted to both the California’s Great America and Carowinds websites. This is in addition to the previously mentioned changes also on the way to turn Tomb Raider into The Crypt and Italian Job into the Backlot Stunt Coaster. I can’t imagine them keeping Face/Off any longer either at this point, but I suppose they can always slap the nearly identical Invertigo logo used for the California version on it. One final note… according to local news reports the new Kings Island sign is now up. If you happen to drive past the park, take a picture and send it in. just thought that I would share, m.f.

Happy Birthday Smurfs!!!!! May the upcoming Smurf Trilogy bring you to new glorious life.

I might be interested in that! At what point does your video start? It literally starts out with Jason, and the kids walking up to the "Vortex". From there, Jason playing games, and giving his advise about "girls", then it's off to "The Beast", followed by the closing of Coney Island, the opening of Kings Island, Kings Island and Miami Valley Railroad, Waterworks, it shows The Beastie somewhere in this order, and finally showing Phantom Theatre, and ending with the FireWorks at the Royal Fountain and Eiffel Tower. I would very much like to add, that all of this is in exceptional quality. And if anyone does have a good version of the 1st part of this show, which airs scenes of the Wild Animal Habitat, and the Seal or Dolphin Show, I would LOVE to have a copy of this.

I truly have no idea. But if it were up to me, I would paint it to glow in the dark.

I have 3/4 of it transferred to dvd, with good quality, but again, only Three Fourths. ( I never did catch the beginning of the show. )

As an associate of an A.Z.A. facility, I must respond to this. You see, honestly, I have not read the article from or about the former associate, and I have no intention to do so. All that I need to know about the individual is that they are a "FORMER ASSOCIATE." You see, I worked full time crap jobs to get through years of college which at times seemed doomed of all hope to pass the required courses, due mostly to lack of money and exhaustion, but the fact is that myself and countless other individuals did it. We finished our major. We moved on, and we have become a part of the conservation effort of the future. And may I add that I applaud anyone else who has accomplished their long term goal of graduating or is working on such a goal. But my point is that I wanted it. And I wanted it so very badly, that even when all seemed lost, I kept fighting for it. And now, after years of being involved with wildlife, I think that I can honestly say that I love the decision that I made to work with animals. And you know, it is a proven fact that a lot of people who work with animals live healthier lives than a lot of people. They have less stress, because most of them, like myself, love their jobs, and their jobs provide good excercise, and you always have to think, which is an enjoyable aspect of the nature of the job. My point is that Zoo's in nature are far from being like your average job with a massive turnover rate, ( take Wal-Mart for example...the company has a higher turnover rate than almost any other in this country ) To say the least, Zoo's have one of the smallest %ages for turnover rates. Most who work with the animals either keep their hire on positions, move up through the facility, desire to work a broader area, ( more areas ), and eventually retire from their careers with animals. Many, ( I know quite a few ) have actually chosen to hold off from retiring because they love their jobs so much. Others ( like myself ) often transfer from One park to another, for a chance to work with a broader variety of animals. And the demand is incredible. I had an official from the Jacksonville Zoo once tell me that they often get between 500-1000 resumes and applications for any One job posting available. This to me, is just incredible. What I am trying to get at, is that if you are a former associate of one zoo, and not working at another, then chances are you probably did not do your job very well, if you performed it accurately at all. Many people might get terminated from an A.Z.A. facility for failing to perform proper animal check-ups, resulting in animal deaths, or lazy or undetermined associates who foolishly fail to lock up an animals enclosure, or fail to count animals before entering an enclosure. ( on many occasions, new animals may be added to an enclosure, and not everyone necessarily has to be informed ) It is the keepers responsibility to count the animals before ever unlocking, and or opening a door to enter, or exit an animals habitat. ( Kings Island's Wild Animal Habitat and it's Lions are a good example of this ) My point is if this associate is "FORMER" and is trying to place blame on the zoo, then chances are the individual probably really screwed something up bigtime, and is still to stubborn to realize that they goofed up. But this is all just my guess, because again, I refuse to even read the article from this individual. I would feel to much like a principal wanting to discipline misbehaving school children in the 60's I think. thank you for your time m.f.

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If I may say so. If it comes to light that these individuals flung their "slingshot" it will become an eye for an eye. The tiger is after all a critically endangered animal, on a location where no weapons are permitted. And infliction of pain, or harrassment of such an animal is capable of resulting in fines and legal penalties that I don't think that any of the people in question are capable of affording. It is a violation of state and federal laws, and international treaties to harrass, injure, or kill such an animal. Not to mention that if it is found that they were performing such actions, it could be at the very least considered a misdemeanor, based on the fact that their actions brought about a life threatening, and life taking situation to themselves and others. I am not completely sure, but it possibly could even be considered manslaughter. And if they have performed such an act, I hope that they feel the full strength of possible legal action. my two cents. m.f. It actually is not an eye for an eye. Rest assured that there will be a pay out and that the zoo/liability carrier will pay some portion. There certainly will be made a case that the zoo did not do everything within reason to protect the patrons. Depending on how the facts play out, the surviving individuals could reep several thousand to several hundred thousand dollars. For right or wrong, that's simply the way it is. Actually, it is. There is more evidence against the two surviving boys than there will ever be against the zoo. If they were not involved in disorderly conduct, the event probably would have never happened. A zoo official, just recently said ( in an article released today ) that any statements made by the boys attorney are "unreliable" based on the fact that the San Francisco Police Department has not even finished their investigation yet. And zoo's do perform every reasonable procedure to protect any of their patrons. These boys and their attorneys will try everything that they can think of to stay out of trouble, but if it can be proven that they were harrassing the animal, the best that they will probably be able to hope for are medical bills being paid for. The reality of the seriousness of the charges that could be pressed against them is overwhelming. I cannot stretch how much evidence can be used against them. But I will start with all of the educated Experts who will testify that this animal probably would not take such an action without provacation. This is a common sense statement. But the A.Z.A. facilities are taking every action possible to ensure the strongest percentage of not having a chance of a repeat. I respect you Wooferbear, but my knowledge of the rising situation is academic. This is my speciality. This is my passion, it is my career, it is my life. And I have to believe that I am good at it. These impossible situations are planned for. And possible courses of action are also planned. I am sure that the zoo is going to very patient before making any final determinations. And only after the city's police investigation is complete ( which is likely to take a while ) will they decide how to respond. Unlike the boys attorney, who in a desperate plea for money, is already making claims in what sounds like a desperate attempt to make the boys sound like they are saints, and did no wrong. When you are majoring in Zoology at a major Universtiy, and you take courses in Zoological Park Management, and Animal Law these types of situations come into play as a real life scenario. All of which are based on state, federal, international laws, and international treaties ( there are some serious ones ) In some cases, the violation becomes more serious based on where the animal is, on private property, in a zoo, from county to county, city to city, township to township, local zoning codes, etc. And situations like this are imagined, and planned through. However, up until now, this has never happened before. So the actions have never been put into play. At least not for real. I hope that I am making sense. My point is to just be patient. As said in the statement above, depending on how things play out, this could be a very interesting case. Or it could almost become one sided. The boys in question, however, do not have the most favorable background. Public Intoxication, D.U.I.'s, previous arrests, I could go on, I just can't remember it all. But I know that there is a list. There empty bottle of vodka, and Sling Shot in this case certainly do not help them any. But, with today's judicial system, anything is possible. But in all reality, do not expect for these boys to not face serious charges, if they harrassed the animal in any way. m.f.

If I may say so. If it comes to light that these individuals flung their "slingshot" it will become an eye for an eye. The tiger is after all a critically endangered animal, on a location where no weapons are permitted. And infliction of pain, or harrassment of such an animal is capable of resulting in fines and legal penalties that I don't think that any of the people in question are capable of affording. It is a violation of state and federal laws, and international treaties to harrass, injure, or kill such an animal. Not to mention that if it is found that they were performing such actions, it could be at the very least considered a misdemeanor, based on the fact that their actions brought about a life threatening, and life taking situation to themselves and others. I am not completely sure, but it possibly could even be considered manslaughter. And if they have performed such an act, I hope that they feel the full strength of possible legal action. my two cents. m.f.

Thank You. Thank you so very much for that article, Interpreter. This is what I expected to hear eventually. It is just a shame that the tiger had to die as a result of their stupidity m.f.

To start out, I am in no way intending my statement towards the reply above this one. It's just about 1:30 in the morning, and I clicked on the 1st icon that I came to. I would like to say that up until this point, Zoo's would have had no realistic reason to believe the walls were not high enough to prevent something like this from happening to someone. This is, after all, the very first time that a guest has been killed in an A.Z.A. accredited facility by an animal. EVER!!!!! Yes, associates of zoo's have been killed by animals before, and goodness knows that they have been hospitalized before, but for a guest to get killed.....This could not be any more serious of a situation. Over the course of the next several months, this is going to be a contributing factor to every zoo housing potentially dangerous animals, especially the big cats. And will most likely bring about many changes, especially in policies, and procedures. I still believe that the animal had to be provoked to perform such an act. I do not believe that a well kept, and well fed tiger with a clearly marked, long term territory would randomly choose to maul 3 people without first being harrassed in some form or another. To back up this statement I would like to remind you of Shamu's attack of one of it's trainers, which I believe happened just over one year ago, in what I believe was the Sea World of San Diego. Yes, this killer whale did fiercely attack this trainer, but if it really wanted to kill him, it could have all too easily. What the media did not tell you is that this same whale attacked the very same trainer years before this. Clearly there is something about him that the animal did not like. And it even appeared as though, ....it remembered. The other factor that the media never told you about this animal attack was that the killer whale had been seperated from it's calf just the day before. Coincedence, I think not. I could not bring up this topic without introducing another one, with a polar opposite outcome. This involves the true story of a man who died in Sea World, Orlando, years ago. To be honest, I am not even sure what year this happened. Yes, this man died in the A.Z.A. approved facility, but not at the hands of an animal. Instead at the hands of his own ignorance. The man somehow managed to slip past security one night at Sea World, and apparently had a deep love for the Orca's. So deep in fact that he chose to get into a deep situation with them. That's right, he dove into the Orca's tank at Shamu Stadium. The man had died that night from neither animal attack or drowning. Here is what makes this story the polar opposite from my paragraph above: THE ORCA NEW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG, AND LIFTED THE MAN TO THE SURFACE AND PUSHED HIM TO THE STAGE OUT OF THE WATER. but Shamu was too late. The man had died from Hypothermia. These were Killer Whales, native to Icy Cold Waters, in which their habitat had been made as close to match as possible. And this man was not wearing a wet suit. He was wearing everyday Florida weather clothes. True story m.f.

It's been a while since I have really had a chance to read anything on this site. So this is my 1st 2008 possibilities forums to have visited. That being said, ( since maybe this has been said before, but if so I have not seen it ) Does anyone think that the park could be getting anything else from the the late G. Lake?

Wow, hatching roller coasters. That would be kinda fun to watch. But I would feel kinda sorry for the momma coaster laying the egg. sorry, very lame lame comedy I know. But Really, I could not resist.

Not necessarily insufficient. The guideline for the walls height was put into place in the mid 70's, as what was meant to be a safety precaution with the growing popularity of zoo's, wild places, and zoo's growing recognition for animal care and animal studies. The same guideline states that any A.Z.A. zoo containing a wall did not have to suffer the expense of raising the height if it was built before the new regulation was put into place. So based on this, the tigers habitat satisfies A.Z.A. Accreditation standards. Which is probable to be the reason why it was overlooked the last time the A.Z.A. went through the site to ensure the zoo was operating under strict codes and regulations. Let me assure everyone here that A.Z.A. Accreditation is not given lightly. It is earned, severely. These walks from Association of Zoo and Aquarium representatives are very strict. Measurements are taken on even the very smallest and unexpected of levels. For an example, at the Santa Fe Teaching Zoo, in Gainesville Florida, The zoo was made to shovel a simple pile of mulch over just a foot because it was too close to the public trail, and presented a possible tripping hazard, if someone walked OFF OF the trail. This list goes on and on. They inspect everything from space in the animals habitat, to keeper, vet, public, and animal safety, cleanliness for the public, the staff, and the animals, and so on. And on top of this, there is a mountain of paperwork, which includes a history of the animals daily behaviors, cause for change in behavior, and treatment, if any. This requirement of animal data is a big reason why A.Z.A. facilities will not perform animal exchanges, or loans with private owners. The information to protect the animal, staff, and public for the individual animal is just not there. In other words, they take these things, very, very seriously. I am completely convinced that this was a freak occurance, which probably will bring about the question, are the facilities barriers high enough?, and will probably bring about many other questions as well. keep posting what you find out about this topic. it is very interesting, and zoos all over the world are learning from it. m.f.

After all, the animals will always be wild. And they must be treated as such.

I know, I saw it on the news, That was terrible. It is cruel to keep animals locked up like that and when they get out we treat it like they've gone Loco! Animals in A.Z.A. accredited facilities are under no circumstance merely locked up. They are in fact housed in "Habitats" Settings that are made to be as natural for the animal as possible. When "Habitats" are constucted, it can often be a process of trial and error. In other words, all considerable factors are taken into consideration to provide what is best for the animal, what is best for the animal's keeper, and what is best for the guest. The very top priority for all 3 of these factors is safety. Sometimes, when an incident occurs, or is thought possible to occur, the animals habitat is altered. This does not just happen for safety issues. Sometimes it has to do with making the animal comfortable. In fact there are many variable factors that can be a reason for changing an animals habitat. A really good example of this actually involves this same tiger in an accident that occurred almost a year to the day of this one. The tiger managed to reach through and come into physical contact with one of it's trainers due to the bars in the animals enclosure being too wide apart. As a result the habitat was temporarily closed and altered. I would hate to imagine that someone would have been foolish enough to actually try to taunt or tease a tiger ( or any animal for that matter ) Especially when such an action results in the death of someone, and injuries to others. On top of which the death of an endangered animal which was one of a zoological facilities breeding pair. No matter how you look at it, the end result is tragic, and an incident which never should have occurred. Having my background with Zoological Facilities, ( for those who might want to know, Santa Fe Teaching Zoo, University of Florida Dept. of Animal Science, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Volunteering at Sea World, and now employment at The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden ) I have to be skeptical about this and I do not want to rush to any conclusions about what may have happened at this zoo with this tiger. The best thing to do is to wait and see what evidence is discovered, and pray for the full recovery of the 2 individuals who have been mauled by the animal. I would also like to point out that the investigation may bring about something unexpected. Were the victims simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? Were they taunting the animal? If so, how and why? Did they have the smell of another animal on their skin or on their clothes? It is possible that even a cologne, or soap, lotion, or other HBA product set the animal off. The possibility of the animal being on some type of medication at the time might be likely. My point is that the possibilities are likely endless, and the truth of the occurrance may never be fully known. But it's not likely that this has anything to do with the animals housing, or an animal "going loco" as a previous statement had suggested. I wanted to remain quiet, but I had a strong sense of urgency to respond to this topic. thank you m.f.

I for One, am not 13, I am 28 years of age. My 1st question is this. Where do you get off making fun of kids and teenagers? Children should bring you joy, not anger. 2nd of all, I agree with the statements being made against Paramount. I worked for Kings Island during the Paramount years. And it is not a topic of senior management. If you are trying to make yourself sound mature and "responsible" by referring to 13 year olds ego's, you come out sounding more like a 4 year old trying to imitate his parents behavior than being a responsible adult. my 3 cents worth m.f.

When me and my fiance went to the movies last night, I could not help but to notice that they must be removing the paramount logo from the street sign for the park. In fact, the entire top of the sign was not even there. If it's been like this prior to my entry, then I apologize, but this was the first time that I had been made aware of the fact.

!!!!!BOO!!!!! Iiiii'mmmmmmmmm BaaAAACCCCKKkkkkk!!!!! Wait'l they get a load o me.

My return to the state of Ohio is less than one month away now! And my return to Kings Island is confirmed. My 1st scheduled day should be my reintroduction to FearFest. As well as managing over merchandise maint. First scheduled day will probably be from 8a.m. until about 1a.m. I am greatly looking forward to my return, esp. to Merch. It should be an interesting impact....on me. I have not pulled an a.m. to a.m. in over 3 years. Not even at Disney's Animal Kingdom. But with my soon to be juggling between the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and Kings Island, I should be a busy boy. SEE YOU VERY SOON. ...marlfox_21......GLR