XGatorHead 8904

But they are exposed to Peanuts in commercials. Snoopy's in commercials... although it's for MetLife! GatorGirl likes those ads, even if Snoopy is in them very briefly. When she hears the Linus & Lucy music, her head whips around to the screen! And BTW, I kind of like your ideas! Yeah, I saw that... I'm surprised it took someone this long to bring that up!

That's why I created this topic that advised when the Peanuts Holiday specials would be on. As a parent, I completely agree with CoastersRZ, Browntggrr and Indyguy. Like I said here, we've been to parks with and without characters, from WDW to KI to Coney, and it never really mattered if they were there or not to GatorGirl. Sure it's nice, but kids will enjoy the rides, and kids will hug any character whether it be Dora, Snoopy or a giant piece of candy (Hersheypark). I think it's more of an issue for the parents than it is the kids. Kids are adaptable, whereas parents aren't always so.

OK, I take back the comment I made in the 5 @ 5 topic yesterday, which is suddenly no longer in that topic... I think that's the first time I've ever had a post of mine deleted! I must have p***ed someone off. Actually, upon further review, the posts that I was complaining about seem to have been deleted too, making mine no longer needed. I like the names, I'll have to tell GatorGirl what they are tonight. She's been looking forward to them as much as I have. I actually tortured her a little bit over this past weekend by showing her the picture of Snoopy out in the snow in the parking lot. She loved it! Still no name for SD&THC...

That's what I'm thinking, especially since it's looking like Mrs. Gator & GatorGirl won't be joining me until the afternoon (GatorGirl has a birthday party to go to that day). But I plan on being there when the park opens!

Actually, you have that backwards. KI named Scooby Doo "Beastie". The ride was Scooby Doo from 1972 - 1979, then it was Beastie 1980 - 2005.

I just commented to Mrs. Gator about pcc's Opening Day is close, so I measured the kiddos topic, and how I had put on here that I don't measure GatorGirl so it builds the anticipation for opening day. And what does she say? "Oh, she was 42 1/2 inches at the doctor's this week." I swear she doesn't listen to half of what I say... Unfortunately we just decided yesterday to not go on our Texas trip this year. The airline prices are just too high for us right now. Maybe next year when we're not paying for daycare... but then that would cut out WDW for that year...ugh!

I can't narrow it down to just one, so here they are... My first ride on Beast, which was in 1980. I had waited with my grandma for hours the year before for my mom and my uncle to ride it (I was too short in 1979). But the 2nd year it was open I was finally tall enough. We waited for hours, but it was totally worth it rushing through the woods, in and out of the tunnels. And it flew back then... My first ride on Screamin' Demon. It was my first looping coaster (this was before Vortex was built, so it was the only looping one at the park at the time), and I was quite young. We went through that loop, and when we got to the other side, I was close to tears. I asked "We have to go through that again?", and my uncle, sitting next to me, said "YEAH!!!! BACKWARDS!!!!" with joy in his voice. I ended up loving it. My first ride on Skyflyer (and pretty much every one since). I'm afraid of "unsupported heights" such as tall ladders, etc. This is one of the ultimate experiences in unsupported heights. My first (and only) ride on Stealth at Paramount's Great America the year it opened, 2000. As soon as I heard about this coaster, I knew I had to ride it. The fact that Mrs. Gator wanted to go to CA anyway helped me get this trip approved... I was a little disappointed because when we got to the park it looked like it might not open that day. But as soon as we saw it testing, we were there! It was the first coaster of it's kind at the time, and what an experience flying throught the air like that. And that flip at the top of the hill... My first ride on Millenium Force in 2001. The speed and the setting right next to the lake are excellent. Now to get back down to a size where I can ride it again... My first ride on Voyage. It was at dusk, and I knew next to nothing about the ride. As I said in my trip report, I learned the true meaning of "catch my breath", because I forgot (or was unable) to breath towards the end of the ride. And now that's why it's tied for #1 woodie with The Beast. My first ride on Diamondback, opening day 2009. Like a lot of people here, I had been following the construction of this, and that just built up the anticipation. I was in row 15, and what a great ride. As we entered the splashdown, my friends in row 16 and I turned around to see the rooster tail, which just seemed massive from that angle. My first ride on Thunderhead, November 14th 2009. It was a night ride, and like Voyage, I knew very little about the coaster. It's now my #3 woodie.

I like the Breakfast with the Characters deal, that doesn't seem too bad. Now if only I could wake a sleepyheaded little girl up early enough to go to that... Besides the Backyard BBQ, there's once again no other meal deals for single people or groups smaller than 4. Sigh...

^Hmm... exactly what I've been saying! But who's this "Snoppy" character?

And what are people to do with these items once the park opens? i was wandering that myself. Put them back in your car. After I posted my question, I thought of that same answer. But then, I noticed this from your post: Is your car considered "the general area", and if so, couldn't you just sleep in your car to be better protected from the elements? Hopefully they allow you all to put your things in your cars and not lose your place in line. Just something to think about...

And what are people to do with these items once the park opens?

When we saw the trailer for it at the theater a few months ago, we asked GatorGirl if it looked good to her and she said no. But since they've been showing the commercials on tv, she now wants to see it. Hopefully it's better than Where the Wild Things Are, which is the last movie I saw that I was pretty ambivalent beforehand about seeing.

The old Enchanted Theater is in the same building as (the former) SD&THC. Carn-Evil is in that space during Haunt.

You mean these options aren't available in the kids' section of the park? When did they take those out? Yet another reason to have a parking lot picnic... we can pack healthier options than what's available in the park! I'm just glad that GatorGirl has better eating habits than I do...

I can not wait to ride that again! One of my favorite woodies.. so underrated, and SO much air! Great coaster, and that's why I marathoned it 6 times while Mrs. Gator went to ride Raptor (which I don't fit on anymore) when we were up there for Halloweekends... the fog added a nice atmosphere to that ride too! The things I'm looking forward to are (in somewhat chronological order, not order of anticipation level): 1. KI Opening Day: I'll probably start this like last year's by going up before Mrs. Gator & GatorGirl to get some "big rides" in, then meet up with them at the gate. First order of business: the official measuring of GatorGirl to see how big she's gotten over the off-season, and seeing what new rides she can ride this year (I don't measure her at all at home, it builds the anticipation for opening day!). Then seeing her reaction to Planet Snoopy, and the smile on her face while we ride our old favorites and any new ones she can get this year. 2. A possible trip to DW on 4/24 (leave 4/23, drive back 4/25) with some KIC friends??? I'm just kind of tossing around this idea in my head right now, Mrs. Gator and GatorGirl are in Florida that week and I might need something to do... I need to visit my #3 woodie again, since I'll be riding my two #1's (they're tied) the weekends before and after 4/24. 3. Holiday World opening day!!! And Timberliners on Voyage!!! 4. Holliwood Nights! 5. Going to Texas and visiting the #1 waterpark, Schlitterbahn, for the first time. Also going to Kemah Boardwalk and riding Boardwalk Bullet. 6. Once again going to Coney Island for our company picnic. 7. Maybe, just maybe, I'll actually get to Stricker's Grove for the first time ever... 8. GatorGirl starts kindergarten this year! 9. Cedar Point for Halloweekends again? 10. I can't wait for Halloween Haunt! It's exhausting work, but it sure is worth it! I wonder where I'll be working this year? 11. The last night ride on The Beast on closing day... 12. Visiting Dollywood with the family for Smoky Mountain Christmas again? We had such a great time there last year!

The call center is located at the park. I filled in there one day years and years ago, and had almost daily interaction with them for years when I worked at the park on a regular basis. A few of the same people are still there, and they are a good group of people. It's a good department to work in (or at least it was in the Paramount days... hopefully it hasn't changed much under CF). Good luck, and welcome to the site!

Uh oh, a joke topic? We'll be talking about this back at the Trailer Tower tonight!

I had to laugh when I saw this quote from the article Terpy posted in post #182: Now granted Cantor is a Louisville bankruptcy attorney so I don't expect him to know about ride longevity, and I'm no expert myself, but just how long has The Flying Dutchman lasted?

KI has had several laser shows over the years. They had one on International Street at Winterfest in 1990 (I remember because I worked in the Bakery that year, and all of the lights in our building were turned off during the show). They also had one in the then-Paramount Theater in 1995 and a year or two before/after that. And then they also had a special laser show for one or two nights in Timberwolf (it was either '02, '03 or '04) that was a separately ticketed event, which matched up Dark Side of the Moon and The Wizard of Oz.

And what is this "PKI" that you speak of, pacotechguy?

The Mystery Machine was not used as an on-ride photo booth while the ride was named Scooby Doo. On-ride photos came later than 1980, although the Mystery Machine was used eventually for that purpose while it was Beastie.

That's true, plus the animals were not at Slaughter House for very long. They were removed before the attraction ever opened to the public. The smell eventually dissipated, and was hardly evident by the end of Haunt. Plus with the tearing down of the walls where the animals were, there you go... no more smell! -Sam the Butcher actually, didnt the attraction first enter thru the area where you pick-up the food? The queue/register/counter area was not part of the attraction, nor was the kitchen. Only the outdoor covered areas as TOPGUN1993 illustrated. I'm glad I'm not the only to notice that... As speculated in this thread, it looks like it may replace I-Street BBQ. I don't remember it being like that when I was Scooby Doo. When did it originally get its blue paint? If I remember correctly, it was first painted blue when it became Beastie. I could be wrong, that's many years to remember back!

You know if you really think about this, it makes you wonder. Do you really want to eat at Stunt Crew Grill after the horrendous smell and all the live animals that were once in there? Actually the animals were never in the restaurant, nor was the attraction, it just went through the patios and never into the location. That's true, plus the animals were not at Slaughter House for very long. They were removed before the attraction ever opened to the public. The smell eventually dissipated, and was hardly evident by the end of Haunt. Plus with the tearing down of the walls where the animals were, there you go... no more smell! -Sam the Butcher

Bingo! We have a winner! I know from personal experience that a large number of people think the park is open on these dates. Fortunately, that large number of people is in the minority of those that have their passes processed those days, most people know what to expect. But there's always those exceptions... It's better to make it as clear as possible.

I have a 5 year old daughter who loves Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the gang. She's been watching the specials every time they're on since she was two, and she gets excited whenever they come on. She also likes the Nick characters and Scooby. Now I'm sure there are kids out there who can't stand the Peanuts gang, that's understandable as all people's (even kids') tastes are different. But as I've said many times on here, I don't think it really matters to kids what characters are at a park, or even if there are characters at a park; it matters more to the parents. We've been to parks that have characters that are seen on TV (KI, Disney, Sesame Place), parks that have their own characters (Holiday World, Hersheypark), and parks that don't have any characters at all (Dollywood, Coney Island). And at each, my daughter has had the time of her life. Kids will go up and hug any large, plushy character with an oversized head, whether it be Mickey Mouse, Holidog, or giant pieces of Hershey candy... or Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus and Lucy. I say take your kids this year. See how they react. Most likely, they won't care who is painted on the ride signs. They might even enjoy the two Peanuts themed shows (Snoopy Rocks On Ice & Charlie Brown's Hoedown). Will there be kids who miss the Nick characters? Of course there will, just as I'll miss Scooby. But I've seen planty of cases, not just my own kid, who will like any character at a park. On a related note, just last night, out of the blue, GatorGirl said "I think the Scooby ride will be called Charlie Brown's Fun House this year". I think that sounds better than Boo Blasters on Boo Hill! And then she asked me when Kings Island will be open again. I've created a monster... but the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!