XGatorHead 8904

I was thrilled that KI got the ice show back after it being gone for so many years. I always loved seeing it way back in the day and then again in recent years, and now Mrs. Gator & GatorGirl did too. While I like the idea of a magic show (again), I hate to see it come at the expense of the ice show.

That is from our Beastie. I remember that sign being there when I was a kid. 1980 was the first year I rode The Beast ( I was too short in '79) and I thought it was cool that The Beastie had a similar logo, with younger looking claws.

Just like the New York Jets, who actually play in New Jersey... a completely different state than the city in their name.

I had to Google what Kresge's is, and yes, La Patisserie Francaise (or, The French Bakery for those not familiar with French) at KI beats it!

Why am I reminded of Milton? "I swear if they move my desk one more time..."

Thanks for posting this topic, standbyme! 1989 was my first year working in the park, so this brought back some nice memories. Life was simpler back then, when I was a 16 year old at my first job...

Then I can finally say "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot." in complete context! Saying it while pouring water into a mug with a tea bag in it is just not the same.

Thanks! I'm not sure if I'll go yet, but I'll keep an eye out for discounts in a few months. I typically only go to CP late in the season, after I've gotten my KI associate ID for Haunt. And this topic has reminded me that I need to renew my GOCC membership which expires later this month.

Titanic (the movie) was released on December 19th, 1997, so the the touring exhibit would have been 1998.

No mention of how much it costs for us non-Platinum Pass holders, not even on the flier.

There was a Star Trek exhibit in Cinema 180, but then a few years later, after the success of the Titanic exhibit that toured all of the Paramount parks, they did another, bigger Star Trek exhibit in the temporary structure in the admin lot. There was also a Congo exhibit at one point in Cinema 180.

The last time I rode it, it was at Marriott's Great America (which is also the last time I visited that park). I think I'm overdue for a return trip to Gurnee. Amen!

I loved Condor! When I went to HP the first time, I had no idea that it even existed. I saw it and instantly said "We HAVE to ride that!" It did not disappoint. Both times I went (in '09 with the family & last year with friends), we stayed at the Red Roof Inn in Harrisburg. It's certainly nothing fancy (my only requirement is that it be clean and cheap; I just need a place to lay my head for the night), and the hotels in the Harrisburg area are cheaper than the ones in Hershey. Plus, Harrisburg is just a short drive from Hershey. HP is a very hilly park, so be prepared for that. Lightning Racer is very nice (my 100th coaster credit), especially at night with the chasing lights on it. I agree with others about the monorail & ZooAmerica, they're nice breaks from the action. As Terpy pointed out, make sure to stop by the World of Chocolate right outside the park's gate. They have a dark ride there explaining the chocolate making process, and at the end they give out samples, usually of a new product. In '08 we got a new kind of Hershey Kiss, and last year we got the new Hershey Chocolate Drops (which had not hit stores yet). I also recommend the sea lion show and The Milkmen, which is a good band (and the Hershey characters are in the crowd to dance with the kids). Also, The Chocolate Covered Band puts on a good show. They are very similar to KI's old Clown Band.

In the video on the Orlando Sentinal website, the father makes the comment that you can't just put a blanket requirement on everyone, that you need to look at everyone on a case by case basis and determine what each individual is capable of. While that idea is very noble and I kind of agree with it from a guest standpoint, from a theme park business standpoint I would have to disagree. Who would make that determination for each individual whether they could ride or not? And if said person were allowed to ride and something were to happen that resulted in injury or death, the park would open themselves up to all sorts of legal problems. You MUST keep your hands on the restraints on Dollywood's Dizzy Disk, as Mrs. Gator found out. She rode while I waited with GatorGirl, and while on the ride she waved to us. The ride op announced over the speaker to keep all hands on the handles. Apparently Mrs. Gator didn't hear/understand, as she continued to wave. The ride op made the announcement again, saying that he would stop the ride. She still didn't hear/understand, but I was able to yell over to her "He's talking to you! Stop waving and hold on!" When she got off the ride she was embarrassed by it, but now it's a joke between us every time we go. Whenever she says she wants to ride Dizzy Disk, I always tell her "Make sure to hold on!"

Love Coney but hate the jingle. It's the nasally "Yeah, yeah, yeah" at the end that really gets to me.

Nope. Bayern Kerve was not a coaster, and neither was Tumblebug, which also ran on a track.

If it is a stunt, it's in poor taste. I wonder what B&M thinks of it? On a positive note, I love the look of the trains!

It doesn't even take a full face prosthetic to hurt. I've had a little latex from "wounds" get in my goatee, and even my eyebrows. That wasn't fun peeling off.

I have no problem with Disney allowing beards/goatees. It doesn't show a lack of professionalism to me at all, as long as they are neat & trimmed, which it appears that the guidelines are going to require. I had worked at KI for 16 straight years, and in that time facial hair was not allowed. I then went back a few years later to work Haunt, and my second year of doing that I decided to grow a goatee. I'll let my geekdom show here: the original idea was inspired by Star Trek; evil Spock had a goatee, so evil Gator would have a goatee too. I soon began to get an odd sense of pleasure working at KI with facial hair, since for so long it was forbidden (and still is for non-Haunt associates).

I was 14 when Vortex first opened. I of course rode it that year. I had too... it was the first coaster to go upside down 6 times! One of my favorite t-shirts was my Vortex shirt, which had the old triangle logo with the metal hand holding the twisted track. I wore that shirt the last day of my sophomore year in high school (1989). I was walking down the stairwell and some idiot came running down the stairs with a black permanent marker in his hand and purposely drew a line across the back of my shirt as he was running by me. He got several other people on his way past them too. I didn't know who he was, and he got away before we were able to catch up with him. That was lucky for him, because he would have received a beat down from all of us if we had caught him. I went home and threw it in the washer right away, but no amount of washing would get that marker out.

Thanks, Terpy! It's still not ironic though. Coincidental, yes. Ironic, no.

I don't get how Cedarbrook Campground's name is ironic.

Under the leadership of Will, I would agree with you. But with Dan, who knows? I would rather the Kochs not take over KK. I'm sure they'd do an excellent job with it, but Terpy has already covered a lot of my concerns three posts above htis one. I just don't see it as a sound financial investment for them (or anyone else for that matter).

In 2010 (or it could have been '09) they discontinued the practice of only one lap, so you could then stay in as long as you wanted. Whether they will still let you stay in or if they will go back to the one lap policy remains to be seen.

Note to self for Sept/Oct: Scare the bejeezus out of pkiboy!