dionmarx

I posted it back in October about a new CG for 2007, but someone thought I was on drugs. Nothing for 2006... But with Seibert gone, and the CBS fiasco, who knows what will happen. I know for sure that 2006 is the first year that our group will not be at PKI, but at CP. ( 45-60 people)None of us bought PKI Season passes this year, the first time since SP were available. Our trip in June has been my family tradition every year since 1987. When th CG is ready, we will be back. Rick

Interesting note, last week, our local paper ran an article in the business section about buying stocks, CBS was the target. Paramount Parks was not listed in its portfolio.. Rick Note: not being picky, but PGA is south of Frisco... ?, how many people on this site have ridden both Stealth and Borg Assimilator at their original park??

Last time there was in June. Usually come down for FFest, purchase SPass for the next year, but next year, we will be at PKD. Will get passes for PKD, spend the bulk of our vacation there, then will stop by PKI on the way home for a day.No GWLodge for us... When they bring back the CGround, (in 2007?) we will be back... Rick

Not from the Cinci Enq., but reliable, source has never been wrong before.. RK

Just informed, reliable inside source, the Camground will be back for 2007, will be open year round, will have cabins (other details n/a) ... Camping is a total expirience at PKI, not just a room.. I did the tent, my wife did not enjoy it, used a camper, but the cabins were the best. 2006 we will be at PKD, 'cause they have cabins, and so will the rest of our group.. Will just visit pki for the day in 2006, on our way to pkd for 10 days.. 2007, we will return.. When you have a large group, like ours, hotels don't work very well. Tried it this year, and tried the other Campgrounds. Rick

I have not been on this for a while, but I cannot believe that anyone has not figured out how to ride SOB w/out pain. I've posted it many times, but apparently no takers. SOB beat the daylaights out of me, to the point that only the front seat/car was enjoyable. Now I can ride any seat or car and enjoy the ride. It is a shame that we have to resort to such tactics, but it works, and you are able to enjoy the ride. Rick No campground, no season pass for 2006. I'm not supporting the organization...

GWL will do well for most of the year. It was really a no brainer as GWL is taking most of the risk... I only have a problem with no campground in the plans. This year we tried the local C/G, it did not work out.. My kids have no desire to visit PKI again until a new C/G is built... So this year. no Fear Fest for us, which is when we get new S/Pass for next year, and for the 1st time since 1988, we will not have S/P for 2006. Rick

Been to B/G on Maui before the one at PKD.. Went to Ohau, and stumped the mgr.. they did not not know , at that time, that PKD had a B/G, got a free drink. The atmosphere at the full restaraunt is completely different than at the cafeteria style amusement park versions.. Ex; if you order sea food sampler, they come out and put a newspaper on the table, then throw your sampler platter on it, quite amusing! This doesn't happen at the parks.. We hope that B/G stays at PKI, but we won't be back until they put a campground back in.. Rick

If you were wearing earings, chances were good that you would come off the ride bleeding.. A helmet should have been required riding apparel when the otsr's were in use... I would only ride it once during our weekly stay, but now it is an everday ride.. Only wish that they did not slow it down in the middle.. Rick

You are right! But do you see a Ritz, or Hilton at PKI? I think more like Waikiki or Miami Beach.. I have no problem with the addition of the GWL to PKI, it will definitely be welcome, but what mgmt did was wrong... The PKI C/G was in bad repair and needed to be updated.. Tearing it down and starting over would not have been unrealistic, but they had to maintain it this year untill construction began, which is right now.. It could have been open.. Now look at our figures.. Instead of 50-60 people, with season passes, staying 10 days, you had less than 20 for 5days.. So if they count each 1st entrance to the park, that means at least 500, but this year less than 100... How many other groups, business or family outings lost out? Camping out we saw numerous $500K+ motorhomes park at the sites, and stay multiple days.. I'm sure that they dropped a bundle of cash there.. My point is that mgmt should have had a plan in place for the camping segment, instead they have alienated a large group of long time guests. Like I said before, no C/G for 2006, no S/Pass .. Might stop by for a day, on our way to Carowinds, or PKD... Rick

I forgot that I left a post here, have not been on for a while..I have no knowledge of why Skylab broke down, or even Delirium..Point fingers anyway you want, but the fact remains, when buy a product from overseas, it will take awhile to get replacement parts.( remember the phrase "slow boat from China" now it's from Germany, or Holland) In this business, time is critical 'cause you don't have all summer. But I can say, when Skylab wasn't running, it was because they were waiting for parts,from I believe Germany.. Looking at the pics of Delirium, looks like a gear or bearing went bad, for what ever reason... The question is, was the delay caused by delivery problems from Huss, or did it just take that long to disassemble and replace the parts? Rick

I've been to all 5 parks, and all the perks work, including parking, because once you are in the park, the passes are not park specific. They only drawback,if you got your S/P at Carowinds, and used it primarily at PKI, you would have to go to guest relations to get a pass every time you enter the park the 1st time each day... And at PKI, they scan your pass for parking, at Carowinds, when I was there in June, they did not.. So I do not know if it would work at PKI.. If they do not have a campground in place for 2006, I won't be back anyways.. Rick

As far as th GWL is concerned, I live within 1.5 hours of the one in T/C Mich. Rooms are terribly expensive, and over a certain amount of occupants, you pay extra to use the W/P.. They offer weekday specials, but it is far out my reach.. you can purchase a Family S/Pass for PKI for about the same as 1 night at GWL.. So what would you rather do?? They will have trouble filling the rooms most of the year.. Rick

After 18 years of using the PKI Campground, staying at the others was not the same this year.. My kids do not want to go back next year if there is not a new campground at PKI.. As for the rest of our group, usually 50-60 season pass holders, in 2005 only 16 of us got S/P's , and only spent 5 days(normally 10) at the park this year.. Next year , if there is no C/G, then there will be no Paramount S/P's for our group.. We should have recieved a refund on our passes this year, but we gave it a try. Staying 12 miles away was not good.. I understand that a few other groups where not happy either... PKD has a real nice C/G, and so does Carowinds.. Someone in upper Mgmt has their head where the sun doesn't shine.. Rick

If I'm not mistaken, I believe that it was manufactured by HUSS, which also made Skylab, which was always broken down. You would think that they would have learned from previous expirience with them. Rick

I have ridden it in pouring rain. 2 years ago, while camping at the PKI CG, it started storming at 3:30, ended at around 7PM. Park was emptied, hopped a tram back to the park.. Got on DZ (only about 10 of us) as we approached the top, we could see rain pouring across the parking lot, but as luck would have it, it passed us by.. But we could see 1 person on SOB.. So off to SOB, and our choice of seats.. The front seat is great, but as soon as we appraoched the top of the lift, a torrential downpour started.. What else can you do except enjoy the ride.. We laughed so hard we were crying, or was it from pain of rain drops in the face.. It was still a great time.. As far as taking the pain out of SOB, when there in June, 05/19-24th, we tried our method of pain reduction again.. This really does work, we made believers out of a few people, some wouldn't try it.. Garb the head rest in front of you, lift your but off the seat a little bit, when in the rough spots.. You will see a big difference.... On a last note, if they don't open a campground next year, our group will not be back.. This year w/out the CG really sucked.. I hope attendance figures reflect this. Rick

Like I've said before, grab hold of the head rest in front of you, lift your butt off the seat just a bit, smooths the ride out..( you don't have to do this the whole ride, only the rough spots) This does work!! I too was at Paw Print nights, rode every car, beat my brains out. Now, after trying this , I can ride anywhere that I can grab a headrest.. What have you got to lose? Try it the next ride... Rick

GWL is a plus, giving the park year round service.. However, doing it at the expense of not having the campground is really intelligent.. It is a given that the old campground was in disrepair, but they could have started construction on a new one earlier this year, opening up the old one until construction (on the GWL) was to begin this summer... I live within 90 minutes of GWL Traverse City, never been there yet, too expensive.. We have been using the PKI Campground for 18 years (when it was a Yogi and before) every June for 10 days at a time.. This year will be the 1st time that we will not be at PKI for any length of time..We will spend 1 day at PKI and the other 9 at PKD, and the PKD Campground...There are other campgrounds around the area, but none have cabins to accomodate us..Hopefully a new campground will be in the works for next year, if not, we( and the rest of our group) will not be buying season passes for 2006.. Rick

Want to enjoy SOB w/out rattling your brains?? When you get to a rough spot, grab hold of the head rest, (not the grab bar!) pull your butt up a little off the seat. It works quite well, I was amazed the 1st time I tried it last summer... Before doing this, I could only ride front seat, now I can ride any seat... Rick

When did you receive this notice about hotel discounts??Who sent them?? Rick

We have been camping as a group ( between 30to 60 people) each year, for 10 days at a time in June for the past 15 years, using the campgrounds. This year will be the first time that we will not going to PKI because of it.. Most of our group already has passes for next year, so we will be going to PKD instead, as they have a campground.. Some of our group need cabins, and the local campgrounds do not have any, but PKD does... Staying for 10 days my family drops over 2000$ at the park and local stores. Now multiply that by 6-10 other families in our group, and that is a chunk of change that will go to PKD this year.. The CG was in bad shape last year, why bother making improvements when you are going to tear it down... I have no problem with the GWL, living in northern Michigan, I have one within a 90 minute drive.. Do we go there? No... Too expensive... Will we go to the PKI GWL, No... Will we return to PKI if there isn't a campground? Yes, but instead of spending a week or more, it would be for a day or two.. So a season pass would no longer be needed, and instead of dropping 2000$+ at PKI, we would spend maybe a couple hundred... Hopefully a new campground is in the works, for 2006.. Rick

Hey, I'm not that smart, but I am getting older.. Can't take the bumps as well as I used to... Outer Limits was bad before the otsr was removed, gave me a headache.Now I love it! Here goes, No matter which car you are in, sit in the middle or rear seat. When the rough spots start, grab hold of the head rest in front of you, not the grab bar, pull yourself slightly off the seat, I was surprised, It works really well, and you can still put your hands out in other paerts of the ride.. Before we found this out, only the front seat in the front car was acceptable.. Now you have to wait till April to try it out... Rick

For me, early ride time in the Action Zone rocks!! I can ride everything twice in 1 hour..(except Delruim, I don't care for it..)Two for Tuesday was useless, and WOW was a waste as well.. This , of course, not including early water park entrance.....My kids love the water....To change the subject for a minute, we have figured out how to enjoy the SOB without getting beat to death... Rick

Back to the campground issue, has anyone heard anything about what is happening with it? Rick

Glad to see that everyone is alive in here. Ive been to all 5 Paramount Parks, each one has its'good points and bad.. But overall they do a fairly nice job.. Having a season pass works really well at all five.. I don't knock CP, it is a good park, but my family has a better expirience at PKI. We camp out for 9-10days at a time, which gives us plenty of time to take it easy all week. (some of you ride ops know us as the KI Annual Party Crew).. Having the tram to the park is great for the older kids so that they can come and go as they please.. So being there day after day, we got to know a few of you.... I also understand the nature of working at a park day after day, it is a job.. It could get boring after awhile... Rick