Browntggrr

If CP is competing with anybody for the indoor waterpark, it is Great Bear Lodge, which is also in Sandusky off of Rt. 2 (less than 10 miles for CP). With all the coasters that CP builds, and the claim that PKI does not want to be in a coaster race and is trying to be more of a family park, I don't think PKI had any influence on CP's decision to put additions to Soak City. By each park's own definition, they are 2 different types of parks. CP is also expanding Lighthouse Point (cabins along the Sandusky Bay channel) for 2004.

I keep heaing of the deeper pockets, yet I can't see where the money is being spent. The park is not even close to being as clean as it was under KI. Rides do not operate because of lack of operators. No sit-down restaurant, or resort tied in with PKI. With Viacom-type money, you would have to think that some of the "little" things would be done to make the PKI experiance that much more enjoyable.

People can say that Vortex could becoming rougher than usual, but if PKI would get rid of a rough ride it would be SoB, and we know that is out of the question. There is absolutly no reason to dismantle Vortex for any other ride. If you look at the land Vortex sits on, it is obvious that it is not close to being flat, and the only thing that could go in it's place would be another coaster, or a ride like a coaster (a log flume type of ride). Vortex is one of the signature rides at PKI, whereas KC was great in it's day but with the new technology of stand-up coasters, it did out-date itself. Vortex is going to be at PKI for many more years to come.

At least The Beastie has a tunnel...

Not to insult your opinion of SF, but I think putting a coaster in a parking lot just looks bad. PKI has some of the best scenery of any park, a coaster of any size,in a parking lot, would destroy that. When I went to SF Ohio, I first saw Batman and was at awe at how the ride operated, and then I started to look around of how it was laid out and thought it could have been put in a better place. I would hate to see PKI be compared to SF.

PKI finally did get back to me about the color of The Beast trains. They actually called me at home! In the pics that show the train being green, it really is green. That was also at media day, before the park opened to the GP in 1979. The trains were shipped and tested in the green color and than painted to the origional color as they are today. This also explains why the train color is in the 1979 souvenier edition, media day was the day that all the pics and advertising were done to promote The Beast. From what most of the HR department can remember, the color was not decided until after that day, something to do with that green clashing with the forest color. Debbie in the HR department thought that it was really funny that the pic is still around, and was even more surprised that someone in the office even knew as to why it was green since that was under KI not PKI. Even more intresting was that the name "The Beast" was not decided until the upper brass of KI rode it for the first time, and they all agreed that when the train goes through the tunnels, it sounds like a roar.

Maybe fake was a wrong way to put it, just a bad pic (it was 1979). I did put in the question to PKI's customer service at the website. They will hopefully get back to me soon.

My referral to the trees had nothing to do with new trees being planted, but, had to do with the trees' maturity. If you look in the helix in the pics from theme park insider, there are no trees in the helix. In the pics from Thrill Ride, there are trees that are obviously much taller. Even in the pics from PKICONNECTION the trees are taller in the helix. The pic does state that there was a color change from red to green which is an obvious fake. Even in Trill Ride! all the cars on the train are pictured going down the hill, twice, and all are red.

Your wrong. Read my post above. No I am not wrong, the only color has been the deep red. Please show us another color to support yourself. As a matter of fact, if you look at the link for thrill ride it will show the trains even before Paramount (Kings Island on the front of the train) took over, and before the trains were changed from 4 rows to 3 (3rd to last pic). And another link from when the ride first opened (look at the trees not full grown in yet) Beast Have a nice day!

That pic is VERY faded (probablt just a bad scan). The color of the trains have been the same since day one with the exception of the claw marks on the side of the train which, I believe, came in '99 for the 20 year anniversary . They have never been yellow or orange

For how long people have been making up the rumor that ANY coaster is sinking, you think one would have sunk by now. The question everyone has to ask themselves is: "Why would PKI get rid of one of it's signature rides?", before even believing it. BTW the Magnum "sinking" story started on April 1st, some years ago...

A very intresting site about rollercoaster injuries etc. Coaster injuries

The "fountain" on KC was in the middle of the double helix, there used to also be a small pond there. When the train went into the helix, the water shot up. It didn't get you wet (except for a windy day), but it was neat.

The ticket prices are ok, it is the parking, food, drink. etc. that are outrageous. If you break it down, a one day ticket is $30 and if you divide that by 12 hours, it is only $2.50 per hour- not too bad. Parking is $9.00, a water is $2.50 out of a machine, a burger is $7.00 etc- yikes. PKI's prices are not high if you compare them to other parks, they are average, it is just that all the parks are high. But it is just not the amusement industry, sporting events, places of histrorical intrest all have very high prices. I used to own a business that dealt with food and drink and it is not that expensive (a case of 40 1/4 lbs burgers was only $45, and the buns were $3.50 for 18). Like the old saying goes; "you have to pay to play", if I hated the prices that much I wouldn't go, yet I still do. You just have to find ways to cut corners and save money like: bring your own food and drink and leave it in your car, refill plastic bottles with water, etc.

BGW does have two of my favorite B & M's- Apollo's Chairiot and Alpengeist. PKI could put in a coaster like AC to go with the terrain and nobody will be disappointed! Park capacity would also benefit because each train sits 4 across.

From what I can remember, the guy was intoxicated, which is one of the major reasons why the ride was not closed permanently. He passed out during the ride and slipped out of the harnesses.

My wife and I were disappointed with PKD. The only rides that had a significant difference that PKD had were Volcano, and Hypersonic, other than that it was like being at PKI. The nice part was that we got in for free with our season pass and Busch Gardens Williamsburg is less than an hour away. If you are thinking of going to PKD, definatly take an extra day and go to BGW- you will not be disappointed!

Yes you are right. I don't know the equation behind it but, TTD reaches a height of 420ft. and goes approximatly 30 mph over the top hat, and then reaches 120 mph on it's descent. What I don't know how to figure out is how the angle affects the descent (which is 90 degrees). If PKI could find a large gully of some type, like how Phantom's Revenge at Kennywood is designed, that would solve the height problem.

I'm shocked that the USA Today article did not mention all the cuts that IoA have made over the past year. Like all the employees have to take out their own garbage from the front office etc. As far as the coaster is concerned, it is possible to build a non-launched coaster with a lift hill of at least 420 ft. that did have a descent of 120 mph, but the real question is why would you want to make it cost more (materials,labor) and take up more space. Viacom gets a certain percentage of PKI's profits, not all of them. In any business you are not going to take money from one entity and give it to another like you suggested. Hypothetically if PKI had $1000 in profits and PKD had $500, Viacom is not going to give each park $750. That would not be fair to PKI, PKD would be getting more money at PKI's expense. Viacom takes, say 10% of every park's profits, and the individual park will keep the rest for park improvments. Where the advantage of having a parent company like Viacom is; PKI could "borrow" money for a ride that costs a substancial amount and the park would pay Viacom back. Even at the parks website, it states that Paramount Parks LLC. is an affiliate of Viacom.

TTD does reach a speed of 120 mph coming down from 400ft at a 90 degree angle. And to reach the top of 420 ft, it needs to be launched at least 120 mph. It would be the same thing as TTD. PKI wants either bigger than 420 ft, which also means faster or a different concept. Millenium Force is 300 ft, and goes 93 mph at a 80 degree angle. Steel Dragon 2000 is 318ft and goes 95 mph. Even a normal lift hill would need to be taller than 420 ft for the coaster to be faster than TTD, and probably would also need an elevator lift like MF. SD2000 has two separate chain lifts, imagine how long it takes to get to the top? Rickster- I would like to see the information that PKI has more money than CP. PKI is a division of Paramount, and it is also a separate entity. PKI has to pay Viacom a certain percentage of it's profits for the right to use the name Paramount. The entire entity of Viacom would have more money than Cedar Fair, but if PKI cannot survive on it's own, Viacom will not give them money to survive and the park will be sold. The same thing is currently happening with IoA, which is on the market.

I really can't imagine it being taller than 420 ft., especially since PKI claims not to be in the coaster war. And the only way for it to be over 120 mph, is for it to be launched. The plans for PKI's next project are probably already finalized, and for something like this, It is a good bet that they would already have some land cleared and stakes in the ground. There is also the cost issue. CP spent $25 million on TTD, and if PKI is going to build it bigger and faster, it is going to cost more. With the country in the mild recession that it is in presently, and the horrendous summer weather that we had this year, I can't see the money being there. I really hope that your information is correct, but with PKI claiming not to be in the "coaster war" as they have put it, I seriously doubt it.

I'm not exatly sure about the cost issue. I know that at CP the Mean Streak has close to a $1,000,000 operating budget each year, and you would have to believe that most woodies that size would have close to the same yearly costs. When a steel coasters' metal would fatigue, it would not be every piece at the same time, so the cost would not be one big hit, but broken up over time. (kind of like a car does not have all the quarter panals rust at the same time) I would have to think that a woodie's expense would be much more over time. Also, didn't PKI say that the reason KC was dismantled is because parts for the trains were becoming difficult to get?

Vortex never has had any problems. KC did have a accident shortly after it first opened, one of the train's rear wheels did come off the track, but nobody was killed.

Neither do launched coasters. Hershey Park is building a new coaster next year. It is a launched coaster with inversions, made by Intamin. I really like the concept, there are many things that could be done with it! Hershey's 2004 coaster

There are many parks that are cancelling scheduled dates for coaster enthusiasts, because they are the people that break the rules the most. On ride pics are really great, also really dangerous, and the laws are very direct about taking camers on almost every ride. I have taken on ride pics, but never thought about the ramifications of "what could happen". I would suggest to the moderators not to post on ride pics, or let the members post on ride pics, or even link to a sight for on ride pics, just for the plain fact that PKI does look at these sites and if they see that there is rule breaking going on, invitations for exclusive ride times, advertising pics for new rides may stop. Coasterbuzz Editorial