JIMMY JAMZ

I think tunnels would be a good idea.If I was the designer of the ride I think I would of changed a few things.First I like the drop out of the station the lift the first little TEASER drop the, big drop is awsome.But after that I think I would of maybe changed the route.After the top of the Swoop and you drop into the first helix I would of maybe lowered that and then had the thing dissapear into the woods instead of doint the helix so soon.Maybe a few bunny hops a couple turns and near misses with the trees in the woods.(LIKE FATHER LIKE SON) then had it reapear on an upwards kinda thingthen have it do the helix thing then up to the top and then the loop.I still think the loop should of been positioned so a part of the track could of went through it.The problems I see with these ideas are they would of added substantially to the legnth of the ride and I think they were definatley concerned with that when they built it.If you think about it they could of added alot to the end of the ride after it leaves the second helix and before it turns around and heads back to the station.It still has lots of speed at that point.But they wanted to preserve The BeastS record which I agree with.But hey its still a great ride(even if its a little rough)I will ride it no matter what they do to it.

Well I was there both sat. and sun. and I have to say "WHERE THE H@#$ DID ALL THE PEOPLE COME FROM" It was way to crowded. And yes I also had one bad experience with one park employee.She gave me an additude.Oh well I guess it was a long year and a very busy day on sunday.Overall with how busy it was I was surprized and very pleased with how pleasent the employees were.

OK I have another "dumb" question about sat. and sun. Will all the scary atractions still be open for the last weekend. I will be there reguardless but I am just curious?

10 am You guys like to be early...LOL. will their be any other times for the meetings? I will try to be there at 10 but with the other half with me(she takes forever to get motivated in the morning) who knows. I'm sure I'll be there for the last ride at 10 pm.(she might be motivated by then...LOL)

Chef Here is a strange request. I'm from Pittsburgh,and I can't make it to the off season meeting but I would love a copy of the Brady Bunch,and The Partridge Family.Even the other videos containig PKI.Would you be able to make me a VHS copy of them? I will pay for the tapes and postage.Or better yet if you are going to the last day nov 2nd, I could meet up with you there and get them.I have a really cool dvd of our local park (Kennywood its not a comercial copy it was made by a friend who is an enthusiast) I could make you a copy of that if you want. Let me know either on here or you can e-mail me. JIMMYJAMZITH@aol.com

As I said before I will be there on nov. 1st and 2nd and I am looking forward to meeting with you people on here. Its not as easy for me to make it to these events because I live in Pittsburgh. (6 hr drive) But You just so happen to have this meet on a day I am planning on being at the park. I'm really hyped about the last ride on The Beast, and hopefully meeting with Jeff. See you guys there.

I'm with you guys on the "Big vs. Little" thing. I grew up in Pittsburgh (still live there) and I frequent Kennywood. Its a small park very traditional and from growing up with it all my life it seems thats what I compare other parks to. I remember going to Geauga Lake from time to time and felt it was a good small traditional park.(Its only 2.5 hrs from home so its not to far)I was very excited when 6 flaggs took over and couldn't wait to go. WOW what a big dissapointment.They(6 Flaggs) sucked every bit of traditional out of the park.So much so,I will never return to the park.(well maybe I will if they put in a new coaster LOL) Thats why this summer when I was researcing what amusement park to visit this summer I looked at all aspects of the parks. I chose to try Paramont I went there on the 3ed of July.for a small 2 day trip to see what it was like.(I was planning the 4 day take all the kids in August, i was really thinking I was going to go to a different park with them) I was really impressed with the small park charm, appeal, cleanliness, park employee friendliness so much so that I purchassed season passes for the rest of 2003and 2004 for the whole family.I've been back twice(6 days total)and I am returning on nov.1st and 2nd. with the whole crew. They put together a very nice park.It seems it hasn't lost the whole traditional park feel.I'm sure a lot of you people on here who have been going there all your life would say"it was so much better 10 maybe20 years ago" but I cant say it was or not. Also I would like to send a shout out to Chef.I wasn't aware you were the person who put out the book about Kings Island. I bought the book the first day I was there.Very good and informative Thanks.

Here is a pic of the drop http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery123.htm

As a guess I would have to say it wouldnt have to be 420 ft high to acheive 120 mph. Steel Dragon is 318 ft high and it goes 95 mph Millenium is 300 ft drop and goes 93 mph I'm sure their is somekind of formula for figuring this out. I guess the angle of decent would have something to do with it. Im sure 125 mph could be acheived with a lift height of 350 with a drop height of about 400 ft maybe a 50 ft ravine or tunnel could be the answer. And yes the Steel Phantom/Phantoms Revenges lift hill is only 160 ft with a first drop of 155 ft.But the second drop is 228 ft into a ravine and the angle is quite steep(You can feel it when you first start down that the train is experiencing that weightlessness,kinda like its off the top running wheels ands relying on the up-stop wheels below the track) im guessing it to be about an 80 degree angle.It starts the second drop already moving(guessing about 15 mph) unlike being droped off of a lift hill from like 3 mph.So I'm guessing that has to factor into why it acheives the speed it does 85mph as opossed to starting from 3 mph off the lift.So there is another possibility for them to acheive 120 mph plus without a large lift. Who knows maybe we will have to wait and see what they do.I'm sure whatever they do it will be great.

Well Chef I guess its us "OLD FOLKS" who keep returning every year. I'm 38 and still love the coasters (well maybe I don't run from one to the next like I use to).But thats the reason I keep coming back. I've got my kids into the coaster thing they all look forward to going.Even the 7 year old she loves coasters been riding them since she was 2. Her new favorite is The Beast.

This is in reply to PKI HOMEY from Oct.2 I live in Pittsburgh and Kennywood is the park I Grew up with and still frequent. And yes they have 3 wooden coasters there and The Jack Rabbit has a bar in front of you and a belt that goes across both people in the car with 2 eyehook type things on the strap no seat dividers (doesn't really hold you in your seat at all) and that ride is somewhat scarry.It has a double dip in the middle that really gives you great air.Even better there height for it is only 36 inches.My daughter was 2 and a half years old the first time I took her on it(I didn't want to but she wanted to go on)She has no fear and here I was on the ride with my left leg over her legs my left arm over her shoulder Practically standing on the way down the double dip. Me I was somewhat scared meanwhile she loved it and wanted to ride it again.Shes 7 now and is adidcted to coasters her favorite being Top Gun and The Beast. Even the Thunderbolt at Kennywood has a cheesy seatbelt no seat dividersand a bar in front of you.Yeah It does add to the thrill factor some.

OK so maybe what I said was a little harsh. But... We as people dont feel sorry for the drunk driver who goes out and kills himself."he deserved it" is the most common reply. But if he goes out and kills a whole family then we all feel bad for the family. and "he should have died for doing it"is the common reply. Yes she made a bad decission and paid the ultimate price and given a second chance im sure she would rethink her decission.Just as the drunk driver would. And yes I feel sorry for her family,friends,and the people who were unfortunate enough to be on the coaster at the same time the incident occured.and witnessed the terribe tragedy. Im sure that the park made that statement bassed on all the investigations and lost money bad publicity ETC that it has caused. To single out an enthusiast group based on one incident is not being very fair to the group.I'm sure that 98% of there members always obey the rules.Just as 98% of the general public obeys rules. But as in life itself their are people who make bad decisions all the time. If it were a perfect world with no bad decissions we would need no Armys,Police,government, rules ETC. OK enough said.

I have to agree with you on that one.Scooter4ever. Yeah they are cheesy but its still a ride that a "family" can all ride along with the grandparents,little kids.although i think maybe they should relocate them to a different location.The place where they are at is "prime location" for a major attraction.

I agree with you on that.I consider myself an enthusiast.(I don't belong to any club or anything)But I also value my life a little too much to disobey the rules.Obviously they put these lap bars /seatbelt on these rides for a reason.If someone is stupid enough not to follow the rules and the person gets injured or killed then hey....They deserve it. Its just so unfortunate that automatically they or there family want to sue the park for there own stupidity. Like I tell my kids" I don't take you to the hospital for stupidity"

Well I will be there on the 1st and 2nd reguardless. Already made hotel reservations. Hopefully you will do both days.

I think if they do add tunnels the logical place would be at the bottom of the first helix and second for that matter.Its close to the ground so it wouldn't take all that much lumber or construction.And with it being so close to the ground with a little landscaping they may even be able to make it look like its part of the terrain and its cutting into the ground instead of just a wooden encosure over top of the track. ...Just my thoughts

I think I understand what Inraider is saying. Drachen Fire was a very expensive and experamental ride for Busch Gardens and it was only there for a short time They tried fixing it by removing one of the inversions but it still didn't help.Each year ridership declined and people were complaining about it being rough.The park tried to sell it and no one wanted it so they scrapped it. I live in Pittsburgh near Kennywood park. Back in 1991 they put in a new coaster Steel Phantom.At the time it was the fastest coaster with the longest drop.And the only Hyper Coaster with inversions.It was rough People were getting whiplash. A month after it opened they installed trim brakes But it really didnt help much. Each year ridership kept falling. (practically a walk on most of the time) So Kennywood did the un-thinkable and removed the ride after 10 short years.Actually they removed the whole end of it and had a new company(morgan) come in and change the ride.No more inversions.But the reason for it being reworked was it was to rough. So with that said dont be surprised if 10 years from now (with decling ridership and high matainance cost) they would remove it. I like SOB it is very rough though.And Im sure i'm not alone on those thoughts. and I think everyone rides it but how many people consider it re-ridable.

I will definatly be there I have already made my plans for the last 2 days of the year(They gave out free tickets for those days if you bought a season pass so I'm bringing a few friends not to mention the family) But I will be there and I always try to make The Beast one of the last rides I ride in the park.It will be really cool to be on the last ride of 2003. Im calling this week for hotel reservations. count me in! I will wear some Steeler stuff so you won't miss me. LOL

Well I would call it "JAMZ-LAND" And I would retheme it to a musical kind of thing. Maybe try and get one of the major record labels to let me use the rights to some of there bands and such. FOF would become a PINK FLOTD based ride maybe like darkside of the moon.Have Floyd playing the whole time on the ride . I will have to think of some other ones but hey you get the Idea.

I have to agree with you on that one. That said. The measures that PKI takes in checking and making sure that everyones lap bars, belts are properly fasten really impressed me this summer.(that being the first time there) and is probably one of the reasons I decided to come back and bring my kids there. They seem very concerned with patrons safety. My hats off to all the ride opperators and teams for all there hard work. A thankless job but without them we wouldn't be riding at all.

Well for smoothest its gotta be Top Gun. And for the roughest Drum roll please... Son of Beast hands down has to be the roughest coaster in the park.Although there was a few times where the ride seems rougher than other times not to mention how uncomfortabe the trains are.For how big the trains appear thats how tiny they are inside. SOB is the second most roughest coaster I have ever rode next to Raging Wolf Bobs at Six Flaggs.

Well after reading all the posts in this subject I figured I would give my opinion. I'm from Pittsburgh and I grew up with Kennywood Park.(very small parkwith lots of good traditional rides nice coasters etc. gets voted every year as one of the best traditional parks in the country)and I hear this same argument on there web site all the time. Well this summer I had a choice to go to any park I wanted to go and I chose PKI and I was very impressed with there park (so much so that I purchaced season passes for 2004) it Has a very traditional feel lots of nice rides great coasters appeals to all people.I did all my research based on peoples opinions internet and what ive heard and decided not to go to Cedar Point (3 hour waits in lines more people and crowds just doesent work for me) They are in two different classes of parks its like comparing apples and oranges.But time will tell what the future holds for both parks.Seems like CP is running out of land and PKI still has lots of land left to expand .They are just growing at different paces and I would be real curious to see where they are at 25 years from now. Putting in a coaster just to say you have more than anyone else just seems so childish.I think Quality is more important than Quanity PKi may not have as many but I think what they have are all well thought out with good theming and locations.

I think more places to sit (in the shade nontheless) would be a great improvement.I went there for the first time this summer and felt everything was so far away from everything else and no place to sit in the shade so i'm looking forward to that part of it.

Well Dan my next trip to the park will not be until the last weekend Nov.1st n 2nd although the Im really tempted to go for the Third Eye Blind show I probably won't though. Its a 6 hr. drive for me and I D J almost every weekend so its sometimes kinda hard to take off for the weekend. but hey if you can arange it for nov. Ill be there.

Italian Chef... I hope that your not going to change your sence of humor. You busted my stones one time and I mistook it,But you came back and said"You were busting my stones" and I respect you for that.I think we still need to mantain some sort of humor on this site for the sake of sanity Its gonna be a long winter and we need something to keep us going. At least here in Pittsburgh where I am at we have The Steelers.