italianchef

My favorite FX film was Bond, James Bond 007. It really was the best as far as I'm concerned! When I rode it, I motioned like my body as if I really were riding a motor cycle, firing a pistol, etc. And guess what y'all???? It was Mrs. Chef's favorite FX film too. Have a great weekend! Italian Chef

I think mine was opening day 2003 because I saw my book (The Unofficial Guidebook to Paramount's Kings Island) selling at PKI for the first time. It made me feel like a was truly part of the park. Have a great day! Italain Chef

I can easily see PKI being themed into a park similar to IOA. For example: Paramount Action Zone changes to Marvel Super Hero Island. Then the following changes would be made: Drop Zone becomes Doctor Doom's Fearfall Delirium becomes Storm (She is an X-man) Son of Beast becomes Mighty Thor Face/Off becomes Iron Man Congo Falls becomes The Submariner Top Gun becomes Flight of Nick Fury Nickelodeon Central and Hanna-Barbera Land could stay the same because Universal Studios has rights to them. We'll have to wait and see what will happen. However, my money is on the former Viacom employee buying Paramounts Parks and very little changing. Have a great off season! Italian Chef

According to The New York Post "Tom McGrath, who stepped down as head of Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Enterprises last summer, has lined up investment firms Spectrum Equity Partners and GS Capital Partners, Goldman Sachs' private equity arm, to back him in his efforts to acquire the theme parks business, sources familiar with the situation said." If Mr. McGrath and his associates manage to purchase Paramounts Parks, I am very cusious about: 1. Will the new company still be called Paramounts Parks or something else? If the new company maintains the same name, one would assume that the Paramount and Nickelodeon licensing agreements are part of the sale. Hence, nothing would really change. 2. If the name of the company will NOT be Paramounts Parks, how different will the new company be? Will it still have Paramount theming (TR:TR, TG, etc.) and Nickelodeon? We'll have to wait and see. Considering the $1 billion price tag, I think that Viacom would have an easier time selling the parks individually rather than as a package. Though a bargain, we are not in a strong economy and $1 billion is a steep investment for a mature market. That's my opinion. Have a great off season! Italian Chef

I'd like to see Kings Island become more of a Hollywood Park, regardless of who owns it. I want to go there and see actors who resemble the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Crocodile Dundee, etc. EVERY DAY! I want to get on rides, such as TR:TR, that have props from REAL Hollywood movies. I want Hollywood! I want stars - or at least their imposters. I want to RIDE the movies like I have at Disney MGM Studios and Universal Studios. And I want EVERYONE at PKI to keep their jobs. They are a great crew. May the Force be with us! Italian Chef

It's official. Viacom is THINKING about selling off Paramount's Parks. To our knowledge, they haven't signed contracts....so they can always changes their minds. As far as your preference is concerned, who would you like to purchase Paramount's Parks?

If we are to have change, I hope that it's BIG change, and not an accounting change that doesn't affect the way daily operations are conducted. Have a great off season! Italian Chef

PKICentral is very good site - and folks are generally very civil to one another. I've noticed some name calling on this thread - and thankfully, none of it aimed at me. I realize that people on this site are VERY passionate about PKI - as am I. But please, let's not get so passionate about our opinions that we bash one another. By the end of the year - which seems like an eternity from now - we ought to know what will happen to Paramount's Parks. Maybe Viacom will keep it. Maybe they'll spin it off as a quasi-independent company. Perhaps they'll sell them all off to Universal Studios - or Cedar Fair. Maybe they'll sell different parks to different concerns. I don't know - and I doubt that anyone else on this site does. PATIENCE. We must have patience. Let's remember that first and foremost, we are fans of Kings Island. When I ride The Beast, I am not thinking about the names Paramount, Universal Studios, or Cedar Fair. Nope. I'm just thinking about the thrill that I am experiencing. One way or another, Kings Island will re-open in 2005 and 2006, regardless of who owns it and what it's legal name is. Let's speculate. Let's fantasize. Let's even argue. But PLEASE OH PLEASE, let's keep it civil. your truly, Charles Infosino aka Italian Chef

Any company purchasing PKI would have to re-name: Top Gun, Face/Off, Congo Falls, Days of Thunder, Paramount Action Zone, Wings Diner, Preston T. Tucker's Roadside Cafe (or whatever is supposed to replace it), Crocodile Dundee's Boomerang Bay, Bubba Gump Shrimp Shack, and quite possibly all Nickelodeon related rides and attractions as well. Since TR:TR is so perfectly correlated to the movie - it would have to go completely. That's my guess anyway. This much I'll say, no matter who buys PKI, The Beast is in no danger of being removed or re-named. Oddly, I'm also thinking that it might be easier for Viacom to sell off the Paramount's Parks individually than as a group due to the huge cost. That's just my opinion anyway. Have a great off season! Italian Chef

Wow! This is potentially big news. If Viacom were to sell off Paramount's Parks, here is my analysis: Universal Studios: - Advantages: 1. They are already licensed with Nickelodeon and Hanna-Barbera in thier other parks. Hence, the kiddie parks can stay the same. 2. It is the ultimate movie park group! It would be able to tweek the movie theming of the parks from Paramount to Universal Studios. 3. It would improve the parks by getting actors to walk around that look like Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplain, etc. 4. People in those areas would flock to the parks to feel the atmosphere of Hollywood at home. - Disadvantages: 1. It would cost them a LOT of money to build some of the rides at Paramount's Parks that they offer at their parks, such as Terminator 3D, Men in Black, etc. Cedar Fair: - Advantages 1. Their parks are similar to Paramount's Parks in ride offerings. It would be relatively easy to absorb the parks and assimulate them to the corporate culture. Disadvantages: 1. They would have to replace Nickelodeon and Hanna-Barbera (which is expiring soon anyway) with Peanuts or pay to have the Nickelodeon license. Six Flags * As far as I can see, they have no desire for the purchase. Busch Group * As far as I can see, they have no desire for the purchase. Anyway, that's just my opinion. Regardless of who purchases the parks - assuming that Paramount even sells them, they will still be awesome. And quite frankly, if Paramount sells, I hope that Universal Studios buys PKI and transforms it to a Universal Studios in Mason. But that would be too good to be true. Terminator 3D, Back to the Future, ET, and so on in Mason. Nah! Just wishful thinking. Have a great day! Italian Chef

How do you know that PKI's market value is $1 billion? Did you read it or assume it? Cedar Fair bought SSWOA for less than $250 million, so I wonder how much PKI is worth. Have a great off season! Italian Chef

There ain't nothing like Theater. The best show I ever saw at PKI was Graveyard Shift. It is LONG gone. What can I do...nada! Believe me when I say to you that writers are the unsung heroes of the art world. Sincerely, Charles Infosino aka Italian Chef

Personally, I found it interesting that Soundwave is similar to Rockin Roller Coaster at Disney Studios....and the survey did ask if we ever visited Disney World and Disneyland. Rather than trying to compete with CP, PKI is trying to model itself after Disney - the world theme park leader. I think that is a brilliant strategy. Have a great weekend! Italian Chef

I have heard nothing lately, but most of my writing has been in Kentucky these days. My guess is that the Great Wolf Lodge will prevail. But hey, I can be wrong. Have a groovy day! Italian Chef

If PKI was to put their own, smaller version of a major Broadway musical at the Paramount Theater...which would you choose? Do tell. I am very interested as I just wrote my very first theater review article. It was in The Sunday Challenger about "Come Blow Your Horn" - and I got more coming. Let the good times roll! Sincerely, Italian Chef

I read the article in today's CiN Weekly today. Nicely done. Perhaps sometime this dynamic duo can give me a ride to PKI - I live in NKY too. Have a great day! Charles Infosino - Italian Chef

My guess is "no", PKI won't get a fast pass type system because of the cost associated with setting it up. Have a great off season! Italian Chef

Since neither ride is a roller coaster, they are both flat rides. Have a great day! Italian Chef

When H-B Land is phased out around 2008, I reckon that most of the H-B rides will be re-themed and some will surely leave the park. We'll wait and see. Have a great day! Italian Chef

I think the next rides removed will be in Hanna-Barbera Land to make room for Nickelodeon Central's expansion. Hence, I'd say Dick Dastardly's Biplanes and Scooby's Ghoster Coaster are next. We'll have to wait and see. Have a great off season! Italian Chef

When did PKI annouce that it was expanding NC? I didn't read or hear about this? Have a great day! Italian Chef

The Nickelodeon Parade will be awesome...especially for folks like me who want to see Disney's parades (which I have in years past) and cannot afford the trip to Florida or California. Have a great off season! Italian Chef

Probably the dummest rumor that I heard was that PKI was subsidizing The Beach Water Park to keep them in business. Why would any business spend money to help its competition? That was a dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb rumor. Have a great off season! Italian Chef

It would be awesome if PKI's employees dressed up for the rides, the way Disney does. Perhaps archeologists at Buddhist monks at TR:TR, military personnel at FoF, cast members from Scooby Doo at SDATHC, etc. However, I thinks that the odds of it happening are zilch. Have a great off season!] Italian Chef

Oh gosh am I ready! I really do miss roller coasters and wish that PKI would allow me to ride FoF this weekend since it's an indoor coaster. And while I'm at it, why not The Paramount FX Theater and Scooby Doo and The Haunted Castle too. They are also indoor. Have a great off season! Italian Chef