BoddaH1994

Seriously people -- this topic seems to be ok, but I do personally know of employees who have said too much and gotten in trouble. Don't post anything in here that you wouldn't tell your best friend in front of your boss.

We'll put up the 2006 countdown soon enough.

Shaggy, I invite you to make a "little did you know" thread about the historical tidbits of the park. That would be interesting for us all. Ryan

Nah... Dane and I did the Maze Saturday night and waited from the Zephyr... I don't think it was any more than 20mins. Give it up for Scott and his people eating machine!!

I'm willing to say that no, your parking pass will not be good. They told us the price at the press release, but I can't remember what it was... I think it was $4, but I'm not sure. SERIOUSLY guys... I think you're missing the point of Winterfest. It's not so much about the skating or rides, but rather it's about the amazing show they're going to have going on. I bet you any amount of money that the event will be fantastic but you guys will still tear it to shreds for the littlest things.

I do agree that Fearfest kind of dropped off the last weekend, but it's a shame that you didn't get to see it the first couple of weeks. I agree the most of the houses were lame... but you're 40 years old... if a house scares you, that's just funny. You have to give credit to the setup and stuff of the houses. They were creative this year, but none of them would really classified as "scary" per se. I think we can both agree that the environment is fantastic. The creepy music, crazy fog, props everywhere... that's what really makes these events for me. At that, I think with the additions they've made, this is the best Fearfest.

Ha... it's not so much that we want to hold back information, PKIC just has a history of getting employees in trouble and we're trying to prevent that. But yes, from what I understand, everything that has to do with HBL next year will be diferent.

I think that's crowd control more than anything. They've been edgy about events selling out ever since the announcement, and if passholders were free, they'd have no idea how many people were going to show up. Plus they're making quite a bit of money on the side this way, of course.

According to RCDB, it's going to be the Kentucky Rumbler. LINK

More photos have been added including Swan Lake during the day as well as further fountain progress thanks to CoastersRZ. Click here for more!

Normally it's so dark so you can see the projection screens.

**UPDATE** New photos have been uploaded showing even more work done on International Street, the Royal Fountain and The Winter-Festhaus. Check them out by clicking right here! Enjoy! The regular season nears its end, but PKI will not sleep long. The magic of the holiday season is upon us. For such a spectacular event, preparations must begin long before the horrors of Fearfest are returned to their graves. Work on the fountain continues to progress as most of the fountain base has been covered with wood and the construction of small buildings has begun on the fountain base as well. Presumably these will be utilized as the sheds where people can either rent or don skates. Holiday Illuminations has begun to come alive on Rivertown's Swan Lake. Already visible is a large floating barge with several Christmas trees mounted on it. Saturday they had a few strings of light lit up, but nothing in comparison to the amazing show that is to come. The Winter Festhaus is starting to take shape. Decorations have been hung from the ceiling which give the building a classic red and green coloring. Wreathes are hung around the building, and now there is a circular stage constructed in the middle. Footers have also been placed at the base of the tower to anchor the lights that it will soon have. The countdown begins until the holidays are upon us, but until then enjoy the last week of the season! Click here to see the photos! Regards, Ryan PKICentral.com -- Where every day is a walk in the park.

Where they film TV tapings is a totally different story. If I remember correctly, Nickelodeon used to claim to be based out of Orlando when I was younger. Also, Paramount Parks is based out of Charlotte, NC and Paramount Pictures is based out of LA/Hollywood/whatever. Now, I know the designer that Ricky's talking about is based out of LA and they also mentioned that Paramount special effects guys work on a lot of the special concepts now, so it's quite possible that our rides, shows, and attractions could be coming straight from the badlands of Hollywood now.

Best Deal on 2006 Season Pass ends Sunday, Nov. 6th! With the introduction of Nickelodeon™ Universe next season, alongside favorites like Crocodile Dundee's Boomerang Bay™ and The Beast®, 2006 at PKI will be better than ever. The only way to enjoy everything PKI has to offer, as often as you like, at the lowest price of the season is to purchase a 2006 season pass now. And, if you have your photo ID made by Sunday November 6, 2005 you'll get great perks like FREE parking for the rest of '05 and all next season. Additionally, all 2006 Season Passholders will get an $8 discount on 2005 WinterFest admission, good any day that the 2005 event is open to the public, when they purchase their season passes and Winterfest admission by Sunday, November 6, 2005. Don't waste another day wondering what 2006 at PKI will have in store for you. Take advantage of this amazing offer packed with perks and privileges today…all for the same price or less than you paid last year! For more information on this limited time 2006 Season Pass offer click here. PKI Last Weekend of Operation Enjoy the Best of Hollywood Entertainment for one final weekend for FREE. Print out the Discount Coupon offer for free park admission on November 5th or November 6th and bring to the park to receive one free complimentary ticket for PKI's final weekend of operation. Bring a friend, a family member, or anyone you'd like to enjoy favorites like Delirium™, Drop Zone™, and Nickelodeon Central one last time this season before the park performs its magical transformation to Winterfest. See coupon for details! Last Weekend for Nick or Treat and FearFest PKI trick-or-treaters and fearfest enthusiasts have one last chance to participate in two of the Midwest’s largest Halloween events! ...fog too thick to see your own hand. Shrieks so blood curdling you tremble in fear. The park has given new meaning to its annual FearFest this year with six new spine-tingling attractions including R.L. Stine's Fear Street, Massacre Manor and CornSTALKERS. Shrieks of both excitement and horror will echo throughout the park from Action Zone™ Coney Maul and down through the new Curse of Sleepy Hollow located in Rivertown. FearFest will run Friday, Oct. 28th and and Saturday, Oct. 29th beginning at 8pm. This hauntingly ghoulish event is free and included with park admission, as well as free to season pass holders. PKI trick-or-treaters don’t have to wait until October 31st to don a costume and beg for candy. The region’s largest family-oriented Halloween event features kid-sized haunts and boo-rific Nickelodeon fun one last weekend Saturday, Oct. 29th and Sunday, Oct. 30th from 11am to 4pm. Parade over to the park and enjoy our special attractions such as the Funhouse Express, Wizard’s World of Wonder and the Pumpkin Patch Express. Join us for family-friendly fun throughout the day! Winterfest Job Fair - Oct. 29th and 30th Join the sleigh ride now and get in on welcoming our guests home for the holidays. If sugarplums are dancing in your head, or you just need a little holiday cash, PKI can keep from being a humbug this year. We are interviewing from 10am to 4pm for positions in our Exclusive Eateries, Snacks, and our charming holiday-inspired Gift Shops! Don’t just work anywhere, come to PKI and watch as we wrap the summer destination you have come to love, in holiday decoration and glittering lights. Learn more! Simple Plan at Timberwolf October 30th This Saturday, October 30th enjoy the music of Simple Plan as they close the concert season at Paramount's Kings Island. This 5 member group from Montreal, Canada brings a high-energy show packed with their unique, multi-genre sounds that are sure to satisfy. With a versatile format of music, Simple Plan crosses traditional boundaries typically associated with punk and pop music. Their emphasis on song-writing and delivering quality music to their fans is evident not only in the wide spectrum of bands they've toured with, but also in their new album, "MTV Hard Rock Live." From their beginnings touring in a beat up station wagon, to playing with bands like Rancid and Aerosmith, Simple Plan is sure to close the season in style at Timberwolf Amphitheatre. Tickets are on sale now! PKI Winterfest Memories Needed Paramount's Kings Island and the Cincinnati Enquirer are searching for one lucky family of PKI passholders to feature in a story in highlighting the return of Winterfest. If your family attended Winterfest at PKI before its 13 year absence, and plan to visit this holiday season we request that you email your family's names and ages, address, and contact information to pkiwinterfest@paramountparks.com to enter. You will be notified if your family has been selected to take part in this Cincinnati Enquirer story. The Bond with Kings Island and My Grandfather I can remember when Kings Island was just being initiated in our area. My grandfather was helping to establish the railroad and he used to take me with him when the park opened. His friend, my grandpa and I would go to lunch at Bill Knapps everyday. On the way back to work, he would always let me stop by the employee entrance and feed sugar to the horses in the field next to the park. The memory of my grandfather fulfilling a lifelong dream of running a steam engine and riding that train brings back so many memories. You now have a train named after him and when we go to Kings Island it makes me feel as though he is still with me. He passed a few years back. Every year at Easter he used to buy my brother and me a Kings Island Season Pass. It really is the greatest place on earth. The park has changed so much since then, alot for the better. Having the train in honor of him and knowing the excitement he had brings us a warm, family feeling. I had the privilege of volunteering with my church to work at Kings Island for a youth event we were sponsoring. It was so much fun and the park seemed as if it still had that family feel. I will always feel the bond with Kings Island and my grandfather. We will enjoy you for years to come! Shauna W. from Clarksville, OH will receive two tickets to Paramount's Kings Island. Winners are randomly selected. Submit your entry! Last chance to enter to win $1,000 Last chance for 2005! Tell us about your experience at the park this summer through our Guest Satisfaction Survey so we can raise the vbar for 2006. You'll be entered in a drawing to win two tickets to the park or one of a hundred prizes ranging in value from $25 to $1,000. See a list of past winners. Thank you! Stay tuned for our next issue in two weeks! Source: PKI e-newsletter

Isn't that so true? The sad part is, weekend operation seems like it takes a while, then in the blink of an eye it's the 4th of July, and not long after that they're setting up for Fearfest. On the other hand, we're only having a 3 month offseason this winter if you think about it and it'll feel like every day is a month.

Ha... come on! You have about two weeks left to check out IJ and see how the park's progressed in the past year. Come down for the last weekend... you get two days out of PKI and it would be worth the drive down from the motor city!

Eh... it's all about the marketing. The Beast is booked at 7,400ft when in all reality it's 7,359ft.

You have to be logged in to see those forums.

Cool poll, but some things seem to be neglected.. I'd say on this front, my favorite memory (as far as announcements go) would be opening an e-mail and finding a video clip in it that showed a dramatic animation of snow falling on the Eiffel Tower with the message "This holiday season the magic begins... again."

Eww... this is a difficult one... I'd say watching IJST launch with it's effects for the first time, or maybe the IJ rehersals. I remember me, Nathan, Dane, and Bill went to Chipolte and then got to the park about an hour and a half before the opened the parking lot gates assuming that there would be a mob of people wanting to ride (when they only had 1,000 tickets, I think) when in all reality, there were MAYBE a total of 30 of us who rode over and over. None of the effects were timed correctly, but hey... new toy...

Yeah! And the fact that Kings Island uses Carowind's Skytower in Winterfest descriptions is just fine. What do you mean?

Heh... couldn't have said it better myself.

Does any other park put yellow tape at the bottom of the OTSRs like we do?

^ Heck, the whole face of the industry is changing. I mean, I was playing RCT3 the other night (yes, after a year I finally got the darn thing to work on my computer) and I noticed that in several of the scenarios, you start off with the ability to build things like a slingshot-style ride and a 3D cinema, but the ability to build a wooden coaster comes later... I mean, I'm sure that it's just gameplay but where is the world coming to when the ability to build a woody is an afterthought..

Can we talk about things like this on here? So long as it stays tasteful.