Browntggrr

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

Discovery channel and the Travel Channel ran all the amusement park shows, and rollercoaster shows around Memorial Day, it was almost non-stop, with many repeats. The shows will probably not be back on till next year. You can go toDiscovery Channel and Travel Channel see their lineup. I know that "Worlds Best", and "Secrets" on the Travel Channel had alot of parks, and "Thrills, Chills and Spills" on Discovery had the same thing. There are probably more, I just can't think of them right now.

Ok, forget it. The site must have been shut down.

Weather or not you agree with beer or not, it is "Down under", and at PKI, but Aussie food would be great!

I am wondering, has anyone actually been to Australia, and what kind of food do they have?

You missed the point. Your comment is that you never had a rough ride, yet you know where to sit to get a smoother ride- It doesn't make sense. And then you go on to mention about sitting on top of the wheel s you will get "f'd" up, and still claim to have a smooth ride? Or am I confusing your form of sarcasim?

I'm not trying to be rude, so please don't take me the wrong way. Saying the park would "suck", in your opinion, I do have respect for, because it is your opinion. The problem that I have is, you were born in 1987, and Paramount's first full year was 1993. So the "truth" is when Paramount took over you were 6 years old, and you have kept the same opinion about KI? I am wondering, what did KI do that gave you such a negative opinion, at the age of 6, and why would it have "sucked" if Paramount did not take over? Kings Island and Kings Dominion started the parks you see today, so it could not have been that bad, and KI has been one of the biggest parks in the US since 1980, 13 years before Paramount. Just remember, just because it is bigger (Paramount), does not mean better.

The antique cars' area needs a major renovation. PKI could put in a new layout that could maximize the space that the ride is currently in and put other rides near it. I'm sure if the ride was changed, the popularity would increase drastically.

Well if Paramount did not buy the park, - International Restaurant would still be there -International Street would syill have unique shops, not the mall-type setting that it is today - the park would be cleaner. When it was just KI, it was by far the cleanest park that anyone had ever been to. -The rides would be original to KI. They did have The Beast, Bat than Vortex, Flight Commander, WAH, Enchanted Voyage than Smurf Ride than Phantom Theatre, WWC, WaterWorks and others BEFORE Paramount took over. I guess what I am saying is that when Paramount took over, KI was one of the most known parks in the world for the uniqueness of their rides. Today PKI does not have that same mystiqueness about it. I do like some of the additions that Paramount has done, but overall, the park has not advanced as much as I thought it would. At one time KI was the most visited seasonal park in the states, even ahead of CP and Disney for the months that it was open, it is just not like that anymore.

I think tunnels would also take the focus off the rough ride and put it into the surroundings of the ride. If they added the trees like everyone has suggested and either a tunnel just before the loop, or immdeiately after would certianly make a difference.

How do you know where to sit if you have never had a rough ride?

I understand the confidentiality clause and what it means, but for roll backs? I don't understand what PKI would be trying to hide, roll backs happen all the time at many parks.

SoB has not had the glaring success that PKI had it built for. I'm sure that after time, and many complaints, PKI will do something different to make the ride more enjoyable, like they did with the lap bars on FoF, because IMO SoB it is the most uncomfortable ride in the park. Unfortunatly some rides are not destined to be great rides. Like The Bat, Avalanche Run/ Disaster Transport at CP, and Drachen Fire at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. All are ok rides that had numerous problems; not necessarily mechanical, but how rough the ride is vs. how enjoyable the ride is. I would have to say that Drachen Fire and Sob are rides that had the same opinion of many park goers- it is too rough. Drachen Fire has been dismantled, and I would hope PKI would somehow change SoB so this does not happen. There will come a time when PKI will look at the cost of upkeep for SoB vs. how many people it attracts. Dick Kinzel- I think the GM for CP- said the worst mistake he has made in this business was enclosing Avalanche Run, which cost $10,000,000.

Just a few months till 30. But when I go to any park, it is still open to close!

PKI wants us to see what is going on in the off-season, it causes conversation which is virtually free advertising. Also considering all the construction pics that were taken of Delirium and SDatHC by PKI themselves and even when TR:TR was being built, I doubt that their attitude has changed for BB. Unless they put up "No Tresspassing" signs up for the parking lot, you could watch the construction on a daily basis.

The main reason why rides, mainly rollercoasters, close in windy conditions is because of rollbacks. PKI is unique where the park is set in a highly wooded area, which decreases wind speed, as opposed to parks that are very wide open like CP. If CP gets strong winds coming off Lake Erie; Raptor will definatly close, Magnum, Millenium Force and Mean Streak may close. I think that only Vortex could roll back due to windy conditions, but that would also be an extremely windy condition. The Beast is in a highly wooded area, and Top Gun is in a valley for the most part so I doubt either of those would roll back. SoB could roll back where the trains are coming back up the incline from the helixes, but that again would be a very windy condition. Perhaps any PKI workers could clue us in if and when roll backs have happened.

All coasters have a certain amount of sway in them, and they are designed to as well. If there was not a sway allowence, the structure of the ride would actually destroy itself, because it would be fighting the wind as opposed to blowing with the wind, and springing back. I would have to imagine SoB's sway for the first hill is probably 6-10 inches. This is probably how the sign fell over (if it was not a tornado), it was low enough to the ground that sway was factored into the original design, and after many years it was weakened and it took a violent storm to crack it near the base I was watching the Discovery Channel about the WTC, and when they designed the towers, they accounted for a sway of about 3 feet. And, I believe, the Sears Tower in Chicago can sway up to 6 feet.

CP is a resort. People go to CP for 2-3 days at a time because the park is very big and has the most rides over everyone else. PKI does not have this option since almost 95% of their guests do not stay on park property. A majority of the guests will go to PKI and ride the rides instead of BB if there was an extra charge since they are not staying on park property. After leaving any waterpark, I like to take a shower, and have a nice sit-down meal. Unfortunatly at PKI, you can take a shower, but it is not very private; and there are no sit-down restaurants in the park. This is probably the reason WaterWorks is on longer there, and Boomerang Bay is supposed to be more of a "resort" atmosphere. Disney World charges for their 3 waterparks. Are they "gay" as well?

Why start the pain BEFORE you get married?