dr_humor

That's fair; I guess I was just expecting it to pop up on ABC Nightly News or something similar. I'm sure the park is relieved it hasn't. It's the lack of reporting from actual (local) news sources regarding the man's death that seems really weird. Then again, I know next to nothing (actually make that absolutely nothing) about what a news stations' guidelines are regarding that.

What has seemed strange is the almost complete lack of national coverage. From the park's perspective this probably isn't a bad thing, but it is weird. Even the park goers trapped upside down got a lot of play, and the Raptor incident was all over the national news for days. This incident only got a brief mention on our local news (we are in NE Ohio) the day after. Not denying this death via those family members (I'm not sure how anyone could survive), but it seems equally strange that local news hasn't picked up on it as far as I can see. Also, when you visit Patricia Thomas' (the woman consistently linked to the "news") actual Facebook page, there is no post about anyone related to her passing. He last post in on June 16th wishing her family members a happy fathers day. Maybe she took it down. Again, just strange. Maybe those of you who live closer to KI are experiencing different news.

And per the article I (and yes, others) linked above, Cedar Point exceeded state and industry standards with regards to what is needed (signage, fence heights, etc.), which is why nothing needed changed with regards to Raptor. I would assume (because, Cedar Fair) Kings Island also falls into the "above and beyond" category.

Not necessarily. After James Young died (Raptor) Cedar Point didn't make any changes. Family lives about 12 miles from my house; he actually taught at my daughter's elementary school. For a time the family was prepping to sue Cedar Point, but on what grounds I have absolutely no idea. Lots of articles and interviews around here just describe the family as "dumbfounded" as to why he would do such a thing. Sounds like the only change they might need to make would be to, you know, maybe lock the door that he allegedly walked through.

I totally get it now. The 10 pm presentation is a funeral....or perhaps burial...for the of Son of Beast...and the Banshee rises up. I'm sure this thought was mentioned somewhere in this thread already, but I have neither the time or courage to find it.

No wonder it had problems opening up on time.

I officially cannot keep up with this thread. One last post and I'll sit back and watch until the 8th. And then try to keep up with the new ride's dedicated thread. All I can say is this: what you are in the midst of is a time that does not come around every day (much less every year) for what you consider your home park. Up here at Cedar Point, it had been awhile since we had the fun of guessing, hinting, etc. with Gatekeeper's arrival. It's Christmas eve at your park, and it's the "big present" you've been waiting for. So be excellent to each other...and enjoy the moment. What a great time to be a fan of Kings Island.

Bear with me here, but imagine having not looked at the thread for a few days, and finding this explosion. I think I can sum up what I have missed like this: 1) Official announcement 8/8 at 10:00 in Action Zone. I like it. 2) It will be a world-breaking coaster of some sort 3) Looks like a creepy theme/feel to the ride based off the announcement 4) And now blueprints have been found? My question is with these blueprints. I'm not calling them fake at all...my question is, where did they come from?

A dark ride. They want a family, as it will be a family-oriented attraction.

I think the key to a lot of this is not to over-think it. It's not like the park is playing some deep-thinking game of intrigue here with clues and puzzles to solve. Two numbers between 1 and 31. That means a date. You can make any calendar date out of two numbers between 1 and 31. Don's thinking of the announcement date. What is it? Well what do you get when an elephant mates with a rhioncerous?

They've actually never fixed the problem (meaning, they're actually still too heavy and cumbersome). If a boat is not loaded just right, it's in danger of capsizing, or at the very least, taking on a lot of water and slowing down even more. The boats also move through the course much slower than envisioned, and there is a significant jarring (and sometimes painful) bump at the bottom of both hills if one is sitting in the right spot. I certainly do not pretend to be an insider, but from what I have gathered from being a part of various discussions about this ride, this was essentially the "last straw" between Cedar Point (note; not Cedar Fair) and Intamin, and a lot of bridges were burned. Those bridges were already at least toasted. Hence, you will often see boats leave with rows unfilled, and often be told exactly where to sit, etc...and it's a nearly 6-minute agonizingly long, slow ride. Considering what it was designed to replace, Shoot the Rapids is a strikeout in my opinion. It's certainly not a family ride by any stretch of the imagination (see height requirements). But don't mind me. I'm in a hotel in Newport News having spent the past 4 days visiting the great Busch Gardens Williamsburg; it always reminds me of everything Cedar Point is not with regards to the word "family". Speaking of which, TTD, I looked for you in France all week...but found no "ginger kid" in a yellow shirt. Sorry I missed you! Especially since you work at one of my favorite parks.

Ah I simply cannot wait. I'll be in Walt Disney World for the first time as a father with our 2 and 6 year old girls, arriving about a month after this coaster is scheduled to open. I have a very good friend who is an "imagineer" who is working on this ride, and according to him, they are a bit ahead of schedule. The "tilting" cars will provide a great experience...now we just need a "Temple of Doom Mine Ride" (sorry...boyhood fantasy). I honestly don't know who is more excited...myself our the kids.

The only, only reason more B & M inverts have not popped up in the USA is because nearly every major park that features roller coasters has one. Or two. Which tells you something.

The log flume! Yes, it is wonderful, especially since I am still in denial over White Water Landing being removed from Cedar Point (not that I don't love Maverick). It's the University of Mount Union. I must say I'm a bit surprised to hear that some of the effects aren't being kept up, especially on an attraction that is all about...well...the effects. I suppose I shouldn't be so harsh on Cedar Point for "letting things go" from time to time. Hopefully there is enough there to make it memorable. Of course we have our first rides on Griffon to look forward to as well. So where might I run into you TTD? Do they let you out to roam the park? The closer we get to the trip I'll know the days we'll be hanging around.

How is Curse of Darkastle? (sp?) My wife and I went to BGW as part of our honeymoon, and that was the year before this was built, so there is quite a bit new for us to explore. I'm very excited that our 1.5 and 5.5 year old girls will meet all of their Sesame Street friends. What I remember most about BGW is just how beautiful it is. To me, it's almost like Disney married to Cedar Point; a near-perfect blend of theme, charm, and thrills.

Grizzly is a highly underrated coaster in my opinion. From my perspective, anyway, I rarely hear anyone talk about it, but it's a great ride. I just had to chime in as in a couple weeks we are making our way to Williamsburg for a conference, and we plan on hitting up BGW at least a few times with the girls. I'll definitely be on the lookout for the (insert dramatic music here)...ginger kid.

Why would a woman that pregnant be in a line for Firehawk?

I've never met Don, but I like him.

I'm a professor of clinical and abnormal psychology, but my therapeutic degree is a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy...and during my training I specialized in child/adolescent psychopathology...so now I teach courses in that as well as therapy and general mental illness...although my favorite course to teach is the Psychology of Humor. (hence the name...my research is in...well...humor.) And you're correct; the idea was to make the diagnosis more inclusive, so when you hear that the rates of autism are skyrocketing, it does not mean that there is suddenly "more" of this disorder, there is simply more diagnosing going on for various reasons.

Depending on the degree of autism, of course. Currently, we cast a net that's way too wide (in my professional opinion...in case you're wondering, I'm a therapist and professor that specializes in child psychopathology, so I find this thread particularly interesting), For example, if you were ever diagnosed with Asperger's, guess what? "POOF", that has magically become autism in 2013, but it's a "better safe than sorry" approach, of course. In the past 5 years, I've actually been asked by at least half a dozen parents to switch their child's diagnosis of a learning disability to a diagnosis of autism. Why? They can get mandated support from the schools with that diagnosis that they can't get with others. This is not an uncommon situation doctors and therapists find themselves in. Frankly, I've never done it, so they move on until they find someone who will. One thing we know for sure is that early intervention is absolutely key, so part of this wave is so that kids that can benefit from early intervention can get it. It's such a broad, broad, spectrum, it's nearly impossible to have a blanket, catch-all policy in my opinion. What struck me was someone's comment about a ride e-stopping and everyone being forced to do a walk-down. If someone's autism is so severe that they honestly could not stand to be in a line for more than a few minutes, what on earth would you do in that situation? You could very easily be putting your child's life (and the life of others) in serious danger. I've never though twice about someone with a disability going ahead of me on a ride, or being put on a train in "my row". In fact, I typically make a point to smile and make a kind gesture, as I'm sure they get faced with their fair share of dirty looks throughout the day. I'm just relieved no one on here has said the word vaccine yet. I still meet parents who have more faith in Jenny McCarthy than medical science. And no, you absolutely cannot compare someone with autism to someone with ADHD or back issues. Such a statement reflects a misunderstanding of the issue at hand. An older child with a more severe case of autism could become a very real danger to him or herself and others in an emergency situation. note; part of this was cut/paste from my posts in our discussion at coasterbuzz of the same topic.

I actually enjoyed the diversion, upstop...it made me laugh. Even if it was just laughing on the inside.

Upstop...you just confused me. What did you just post?

I only rode Hercules once, but I often wonder if my memory is tainted...it was still new (1990) when we were there.

From a distance, yes. I think I saw a test dummy cry once.

But his corporation built Hercules But hey...you can't hit a home run if you're scared to strike out, right?