italianchef

I concur with you 1,000%!!!! James Bond was my favorite one - and H-B is very close as second.

Amen! I much prefer the H-B film and have seen SpongeBob more than enough.

Only 12 times AND COUNTING so far. It's been hard to find friends to go with and I can only take my family so many times. I hope to hit there again before the end of the summer....and at least twice in October. Have a great day! Italian Chef

Yes - we broke down and bought a Thomas the Toy Engine for Toddler Chef. He watches Thomas on TV almost every and yells "choo choo".

Was Mr. Bradford in Marketing? His name sounds familiar. Who is he? PS - I hope he finds new and better employment soon.

I prefer Forwards because I like to see where I'm going.

Here's my question. 15 people have been laid off from PKI and judging by the last post and common sense, other folks were let go at the other parks. What about the former Paramount Parks Corporate HQ in Charlotte? Were those folks laid off, too, or can they keep their jobs? As a middle class American, it always breaks my heart to see someone laid off. I hope that those folks will find new and hopefully better jobs soon. And I hope that CF drops the "Paramount" name from the parks soon as it's now obsolete. Plus with the money they would save, they could invest in something else. Have a great day! Italian Chef

Today I visited Kings Island with Mrs. Chef and Toddler Chef. First we visited the shops at International Street. Toddler Chef became fascinated with a Thomas the Toy Engine playset and didn't want to leave it. So I ran off and rode Adventure Express and the Forwards Race alone. After I was done, I met up with my family and we went to Nickelodeon Universe, where we spent most of the day. Before we left the park, we rode the Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad - and I noticed something NEW...........music! Old-fashioned Country or Folk music played from Losantville to Crocodile Dundee's Boomerang Bay. Then when we took off, Australian Music (Man Down Under from Men at Work) played. As we appoached the station, Country music. Mrs. Chef and I thought the variety of music styles enhanced the train experience. Has anyone else noticed the music on the Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad?? Have a great day! Italian Chef

I am wondering whether those 15 people came from Kings Island or from Paramount Parks Corporate HQ in Noth Carolina. If there is any overlap, it is surely at PP HQ and not at the individual parks. And I hope to no longer see the name "Paramount" next season. Dropping the Paramount name would in my mind cement the transition in park ownership.

Nah! The Italian Job is VERY easy to re-name. It is based on a real location in Los Angeles. They can come up with a variety L.A.-inspired rides, such as L.A. Speedway. I think that getting rid of the Paramount theming is a good way to save money and signal to the public that CF is he owner. However, I very much hope that they drop the name "Paramount" from the park for the same reasons. And I feel very sorry for the 15 managers who are losing their jobs. I hope that they will find new and better paying jobs soon. Have a great weekend! Italian Chef

I am confused. If they won't rename the park....does that mean they will keep the "Paramount" or drop it in the Kings Island name. Does anyone have an idea? Have a great weekend! Italian Chef

I was surprised that Cedar Fair paid $1.24 billion for Paramount Parks because I remember reading that Viacom/CBS was willing to sell it as low as $900 million. That must mean that there was stiff competition - or that CBS charged CF more than it should have. I really don't know.

Is Coney Island worth the trip? Heck yeah! If PKI went out of business, I'd buy a season pass to Coney Island the same day. It has charm, atmosphere, and flat rides. Sadly, it only has one coaster - and that coaster is very SHAKY. I do love Coney Island. But I love PKI more because it has more to offer. Have a great day! Italian Chef

Rather than invest more money into SOB, I think it should be torn down. The beginning of its demolition can be marked by a media "funeral" like that of a jazz musician in New Orleans with jazz music. After SOB, which received more complains than any other ride at KI, would be gone -a smooth B&M or other large steel coaster could be built in its place. That's just my opinion. Have a great day! Italian Chef

My guess is that CF will bring it back in the future after they have assimulated the new parks - and I think that CF will have the wisdom to charge a low enough price to make WinterFest a success. Have a great day! Italian Chef

Phantom Theater was the greatest non-roller coaster ride in the history of Kings Island. Though I like, SDATHC, it is two or three classes below what Phantom Theater was. To this day, I still miss the sight, the sound, and even the smell of the ride. Not only did I love the music in the ride, but the sound of the wind and wolves outside of the ride. Here are links that may help: http://www.dafe.org/attractions/darkrides/...tom/phantom.htm http://www.dafe.org/attractions/darkrides/...l/pharewell.htm Have a great day! Italian Chef

I've been to Six Flags Great Adventure three times in my life and I think that it is an AWESOME park. It offers: 1. An amusement park with awesome, record breaking coasters and rides. 2. Awesome DC Comics and Looney Toons characters and themed attractions. 3. A water park. 4. An amazing animal safari. 5. Great shows. Need I say more??? It's the best amusement park in the northeast - and one of the best in the entire United States. I hope to visit it again someday. Sincerely, Italian Chef

I guarantee you 100% Cedar Fair will change the names of ALL rides and attractions related to Paramount, Nickelodeon, and all other Viacom/CBS affiliates. The question is not "WILL" they change the names.....but WHEN????? According to the contract, CF has up to 10 years to change Paramount named and 4 years to change Nickelodeon named attractions. So, it's not if but when. Have a great day! Italian Chef

I understand that some of us are upset because WinterFest was canceled. But PLEASE realize that Cedar Fair just purchased Kings Island and needs to make changes. CF desperately needs the down time to assimulate Kings Island, the other 4 former Paramount Parks, Bonfante Gardens, and Star Trek: The Experience into their company. The decision was not made to be mean spirited or cheap, but to be practical. Changes must be made to Kings Island and the other parks and the off-season is the only time to do it. Have a great day! Italian Chef

I must admit that the high cost of WinterFest did keep crowds away. The Beach had a similar event, Holiday Fest for around $10 vs. approximately $25 for WinterFest. That's lots of money to charge for an outdoor event in the cold with few rides operating. In the future, I hope that WinterFest will come back at a reasonable price that draws crowds in. I did enjoy it last year - but I got a HUGE discount. If I had to pay full-price, I would have been less jolly. Best of luck to the staff and fans of Kings Island. Thanks to PKIC and the KI staff - especially Maureen Kaiser - for keeping the enthusiasts informed. Have a great day! Italian Chef

I personally commend CF's decision to cancel WinterFest. It took courage and was necessary. CF just bought 5 new parks greatly increasing the size of its company. CF needs time and resources to de-Paramount the five parks and integrate them into the CF corporate culture. WinterFest would have taken at least 2 months and precious resources away from it. And hey - one never knows if WinterFest comes back in the future. Have a great day! Italian Chef

I have noticed the very first change to www.pki.com. When you click on other parks, it takes you to Cedar Fair's homepage. Also, when you type in http://www3.paramountparks.com, you also end up at http://www.cedarfair.com. No big deal. I just thought I'd share. Have a great day! Italian Chef

Today Mrs. Chef, Toddler Chef, and I visited CDBB. We got there before 11 am so I was able to hit a couple of water slides without any lines. Hooray! Other than that, I just ran around with Toddler Chef at Kangaroo Lagoon. It was a nice visit. Have a great day! Italian Chef

Until an "official" announcement is made, rumors will fly back and forth. It's best that we just wait to learn the the truth. And my guess is that CF hasn't even "officially" made up its mind yet. Hence, we have this speculation. Have a great day! Italian Chef

Actually seven theaters. You forgot about the Backstage Porch in Rivertown and the Nickelodeon Theater. Have a great day! Italian Chef