Gabe

Epcot doesnt need a massive face lift. The FW pavillions have mostly been updated and the food and wine festival is a major draw. Didn't the company just spend a huge chunk of money updating FL at MK? I don't see such updates out West. The notion that DL gets pref treatment is bunk. The company is doing far more things in FL than in CA. New Vacation Club units, a Four Seasons hotel, actual homesites on WDW proper (not Celebration), plus Disney Springs and Magic Bands. No park can afford to sit back, do nothing and expect crowds to come based on name recognition alone.

Also of note is the fact that TT2.0 and Radiator Springs racers out west use the same ride vehicle system, so that is a big reason why Disney, when/if they bring Cars land to WDW, will not incorporate the ride.

Club 33 members often get these opportunities, but for us common folk, about the only way to see that kind of stuff is when/if Disney offers a tour for purchase.

But Kings Island doesn't enforce it like Disney does. Trust me Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk We former Disney CMs surely remember that the 'Disney Way' of pointing requires the use of the fore and middle fingers. In some cultures, pointing with one finger is considered rude and offensive. If you want a MK tunnel tour, you can pay about $150 for one through Disney. Trust me when I say there's nothing worth seeing there that justifies the cost. Locker rooms, the cafeteria, the underground trash system, a costume staging area and the Ops center for the park.

The one here in downtown Indy opened last year and I've never seen it crowded-even during big events. My office window overlooks it, so I can see the trickle of people who go in/out of there on a daily basis.

UDF was the ice cream store in the park for years, in the spot that Graeter's occupies now. Once the deal with UDF expired, Graeters swooped in like a (dare I say it?) Banshee

This is why all the concrete footers were poured early in the offseason, so they wouldn't have to worry about this weather halting construction! If Don's timeline holds, another few weeks and all the track will be assembled.

Dark times ahead for Indiana Beach? http://www.ibj.com/concerns-grow-about-future-of-indiana-beach/PARAMS/article/45336

I saw it and liked it, despite the artistic license Disney took with it. In reality, Travers wasn't so nasty (the actual recording playing during the credits didn't make her out to be so nasty). Also, Disney wasn't that emotionally attached to the project; he simply championed it because he thought it would make a lot of money for the studio. I thought Tom Hanks was a very good Walt and I also liked Emma Thompson's performance as well. Also, the movie totally glossed over the fact that there were two screenwriters--the other one was Bill Walsh, who was from Cincy and went on to help produce the Mickey Mouse Club, among other things for Disney.

Just don't email the park. Even during the season, it often takes upwards of a week for an answer. Keep calling (they may be on a skeleton crew this and next wk) and then I would ask for a supervisor in season pass sales/admissions. The customer service rep likely wont have the authority to give you a refund.

Even though you're only going for a short time, leaving things unattended is at your own risk, no matter how insignificant you may deem them. (of course, the park will rent you lockers, but they are on the expensive side--around 10-15 bucks if I remember right, although you get some of it back when you return your key)The water park get crowded early on warm sunny days, so going first thing would be your best bet. The early entry may or may not be back for 2014..watch this space or the park's webpage for updates. As far as deferring your pass, you would need to call the park directly to get an answer.

Having helped in some small capacity some KICers attempt to purchase the Big Dipper from the current owner a few years ago, I can tell you that the owner has no interest in selling that ride in the near future to anyone, unless that purchaser comes calling with wads of cash and a reckless abandon.

It opens to the general public at 11am. Pass holders (just gold/platinum if I am not mistaken) get early entry. That was true last year. This year the perks and benefits of gold could be the same, different or nil. The park hasn't offically announced 2014 benefits yet, but usually does as the offseason draws to a close.

A partner in the ad agency is quoted as saying there's a lot of pent up demand for the park. Tell me again how many season passes they've sold thus far?

Yes but no name bands dont bring in the big crowds that the 1 Willie Nelson would. Think of it like this. A Willie Nelson fan would go "Oh look Nelson is playing lets go to see that at SW. We can make a day out of it." That is hundreds if not thousands of people in that area + the groupies who go to all shows. Now the no name bands may bring with them 10s of people. There was a time when Kings Island did that. I recall back in the late 90s they would bring big name bands to the park and charge a combo ticket of about 60-70 for the park and concert at timberwolf. However, that practice has since stopped, since they expect the park to stand on its own (spirtsong notwithstanding). Even your casual Willie fans would probably skip the show at SeaWorld after taking into consideration all the other expenses that going would incur.

I'd hardly call those acts that backed out "Big". Im sure the park will do just fine w/o them. For every willie nelson, there's prob a thousand bands that would play the festival for next to nothing on short notice just to get the pub. this could be a blessing in disguise.

The Children's Museum here in Indy within the past year repaired its original (from the same time frame but not to the actual carousel) organ to its former glory after using a recorded track for a few years. Having ridden the carousel off and on throughout my life, I also can attest that there is nothing like hearing an old fashioned reel as oppossed to a CD. I believe Indy's carousel turns 100 within the next year or two.

Considering those are the same terminals used when I first got a pass in 2003 I'm guessing the answer is No.

I was unaware that they had cut the "Blood on the Saddle" song at one time. It was actually a part of the show when I saw it last week. I guess they put it back in. Glad management listened to what were obvious complaints. Still, the christmas bear show was the best. The interior of the theatre smelled like hot chocolate and the bears all had funny versions of traditional xmas carols and were dressed in their holiday finest.

The tiki show was originally about 15 minutes long. They cut out the enchanted fountain song from the orig show (which was brought over from DL). It was basically an instrumental song so it didnt add much to the show. The bear jamboree cut out Big Al's song (Blood on the Saddle) because I guess in today's world its just not PC to talk about that lol. When I worked there the tikis oftten would break down, so instead of singing, youd hear a lot of hissing from the birds like their air tubes were broken lol! I was sad to see the bear jamboree xmas show go too as I always enjoyed that as well. Cost cutting move. Of course as Terpy would say, be glad WDW still has its Grizzly Hall, as DL razed theirs for the Winnie the Pooh ride some years back.

Great TR! Just a few things: 1. It's Country Bear Jamboree, not Jubilee (that's a topless show at Bally's in Vegas!). It has been edited down by about 5 minutes in recent years. 2. The Tikis too have been edited down by about 5 minutes since the original has been brought back. 3. Saratoga is offically a DVC resort, so it was never a part of the moderates. 4. As for BOG, you are most certainly welcome to walk in and look around even if you didn't have a reservation. It isn't Club 33 after all. 5. Did you go through the cemetery at the HM? It's a lot of fun before you actually enter the ride! 6. Disney Springs will be done in 2015. They are basically removing the surface lots, re-theming it, building two huge garages at the edge of the Disney Springs area and adding/subtracting some shops here/there. Now, about PI.... Glad you had fun!

One can make the argument that the highest and best use for a lot of land amusement parks sit on is not an amusement park. A stronger argument could be made that the the Fair Board, while happy to have the park back on the tax rolls, could have other plans in the works for the land should the park go under. In essence, they got Ed Hart to clean up the land for them (on his dime), thus making it easier to sell when/if the time comes.

but it is and the fair board is one if the reasons why this park has a very steep hill to climb.... If the Fair Board is interested in the park doing well, one would have thought that Ed Hart and the Board would have struck a deal to include parking in some of early pass sales as an incentive to come back. It's not like the land the fairgrounds sits on is in high demand, esp given the fact that having UL play their baskertball games downtown at YUM hurts Freedom Hall.

Notice parking isn't included in that season pass..at $8 per trip, that can add up in a hurry and actually make the pass less valuable than ones offered by KI and HW respectively.

Banshee has no G's in it! (though if you were buying vowels, you'd do alright!)