coasterrz

Actually Coaster-King, PKI`s last new roller coaster was Rugrats Runaway Reptar, although it is geared towards children. Yes, PKI does have quite a bit of land to expand upon. If they are recieving a new coaster in 2005 I would assume the announcement would be made to explain a large clearing of trees that would be present when the park opens like there was with Son of Beast. Also, most likely if they make an anouncement in March, they will probably start construction before the end of the season, which means that it would be a rather large ride. Only time will tell.

Last I heard, B&M did not want to build a giga coaster becuase they think that 300 feet is too tall. But of course that could be a mere rumor. We`ll have to wait and see.

Unfortunatly, I will not be able to be up at the park early on opening day, April 9 because it is Good Friday and UC still has classes which mean I`ll be in class until 5. Bummer. However, I hope they have a season pass preview day the weekend before, but I`m not setting my sights on that either. I don`t really care what ride I ride first, Beast would be nice, but it will be good to be back up at PKI riding any of their rides.

I do believe that the announcement which is to come AROUND March as Jeff Siebert stated on the BB tour, will not be about any new attractions for the 2004 summer season. My guess is that the announcement will be about a possible return of Winterfest this coming December or a new major coaster in 2005 which will require major construction during this operating season.

I don`t know if PKI will add a floorless coaster since there is one located to the north at SFWoA. I do think that 2005 we MIGHT see a major new steel coaster from either Intamin or B&M. I wonder if the March announcement will have anything to do with the 2005 addition or a possible addition later in the year, aka Winterfest. Only two more months until March!

As far as the best investment for the park, it would depend on how much they want to spend on the ride and how much of a return they want to see a the gate. Obviously, us enthusiasts want to see a new, large steel coaster. That might actually be a good investment for the park since the last steel coaster was added in 2001 (Runaway Reptar), the last adult steel coaster in `99 (Face Off) and the last major steel coaster with more than one train all the way back in 1996 and Flight of Fear. I definantly think a new steel coaster could be a wise investment. But then again PKI has proven that great themed kiddie rides and huge modern flat rides can also be excellent expansions.

As far as having cups and sanitary issue, the park already allows for souvenir cups that guests bought from prior visits or earlier in the day to be refilled for, I think, $1.39 a cup/refill.

Good luck with the new kid Italianchef! I know you probably will want to experience PKI in April, but you will be able to do so soon enough. And then, maybe not this year, but next year and the following couple of years, you will be able to take your son to the Island and make memorable memories with him at PKI and in the park`s world class kiddie area.

Well, lately the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are making a comeback, so maybe some of the older cartoons can make a comeback. The Flinstones, Jetsons and Yogi Bear are classics and it is ashame that only Scooby is present in the park today. Since going to UC I haven`t caught much television, and what I have caught has not been cartoons. I will remember those days where Fred, Barney, Dino as well as Scooby could be spotted on International Street or Hanna Barbera Land. I think more Spongebob characters would be popular seeing as how popular that show has become.

Ay, yes Coasterdime, George, or as you called him "that wacky old man" that worked the Eiffel Tower this season and the train the year before. It`s sad when you know some of the ride ops names and you don`t even work in the park. He really makes the rides enjoyable with his stories and bad jokes and puns, like the snail on a ship one. I hope he is back this year and on a ride like those two where he gets to talk to the guests because he really makes me, and I think others, enjoy themselves at the park.

Actually, I believ you can currently buy passes online, or by telephone. I think that they will go on sale at the park and at Meijer locations a couple of weeks before the park opens on April 9, 2004.

I have not heard any news that Paramount manages this park though. Obviously, there is some connection as they have the exact same ride as KI (Reptar) with the same name, theme and almost identical color scheme. I`ve just never heard of a connection to a park in Australia and only stumbled across this information as the Runaway Reptar coaster at Waqnderland was featured on Coasterbuzz as one of the random pictures on the homepage. It seems that Paramount has started to enter into a lot of management deals as of late.

I have seen the parking lot overflow. It was one day in 1997 and my family only went to purchase and process our season passes. They had parked cars in the grass to the south of the deep south parking lot. Needless to say, we processed our passes, rode Phantom Theater after a half hour wait and left.

Dreamworld amusement park is located at the Gold Coast in Australia. I was wandering if Paramount Parks managed this park because they have a Runaway Reptar (Vekoma junior inverted). Also, on the park`s website, they have a promotion for Tomb Raider. However, after i searched there site, I found nothing that dealt with Paramount or Paramount Parks. The only thing I found out, which I already knew, is that Paramount Parks does not own this park. I know PP manages Terra Mitica in Spain, and Bonfante Gardens in Gilroy, California. However, do they also manage this park, or does the park have some sort of agreement with Paramount to use some of its licensing franchises?

As they have done in the past, they will probably include the gold upgrade free to those who buy their passes in the spring. I do not know if Meijer will be selling passes again this year. Normally, they have a sign hanging up near Guest Services with the PKI logo mentioning that PKI season passes are on sale. I was at Meijer today, and I did not see any signs near guest services. However, it is a little early for PKI to start its marketing campaign for season passes and thus they might not be on sale at Meijer locations just yet.

Are you sure that the figures used on the KI&MVRR were indeed the ones from the Coney Island and Lake Como Railroad? I did hear a while back that the train operating at the Cincinnati Zoo is in fact one of the trains from Coney which were manufactured by Mack, I believe. However, I had not heard that they moved the old theming to be incorporated at KI. Interesting if that is indeed true.

What happens to the park and ride on days when the park and parking lot is filled to capacity? Do they just park people in the huge expanse of grass to the south? I do realize that most people who use the park and ride will have already parked and departed by the time the parking lot nears capacity. However, it seems odd that some of PKI`s spaces are used for this free (other than the bus fare) service.

I thought that last year they announced the perks in January or February. From what I`ve heard from a past survey, they might be considering some pretty interesting perks for gold pass holders this year in addition to the ERT and two for Tuesdays and the private party. The survey I took mentioned the possibility of gaining free, unlimited soft drinks for the entire season with a special cup, as well as possibly free sunscreen in BB. I wander where they got the novel idea to add those as a perk? Any Indiana enthusiasts from Santa Claus wish to guess? If they do add those benefits, that will make the $5 upgrade in the fall well worth it. I dislike how they offer the gold upgrade free to every new pass holder who processes in the spring, becuase then there are a ton of people who go to the Gold pass private party. However, the days I`ve gone, the ERts have been really empty.

Even Carowinds once had a train ride, which I believe was removed so that they could built Thunder Road and that section of the park.

There is a Metro Park and Ride stop at the south end of the Deep South Parking lot. When you come off of 71 north, and are on Kings Island Drive, the entrance to the park and ride is the first set of traffic lights after you pass Western Row Road (the first intersection after exiting the highway.

There is always that winter construction tour that Jeff Siebert mentioned on the first construction tour on the last day of the season. However, he said that there might be a tour after the holidays, so there could be one, or there might not be one. I hope that there is one, but if not oh well. We`ll all see BB finished soon enough, when there is water on the rides and we can actually experience them.

Yes, I believe that it was indeed Captain Caveman who chased me and the other people in my group through Hanna Barbera Land. Good memories.

I`d have to second TheRickster, I miss everything. I actually miss Delirium a lot, but I mostly miss The Beast. Nothing beats flying through the woods at 55 mph, with 35 other people screaming like their hair is on fire. The smell of the grease as you clank up the lift hills on a warm sunny afternoon. Sorry, I started daydreaming about a ride on The Beast. Hurry up offseason, I miss my Beast rides, LOL.

I`ll always remember being chased through Hanna Barbera Land by a character, I don`t remember or know his name. I think maybe it was Snagglepuss. The character had tan legs and the rest of it was covered with tan and brown hair. Well, when I was up there, maybe in 1999 or 2000, this character chased us all the way from The Beastie to the restroom near the Busytown Grill. Good times and memories, unfortunatly memories like that can`t be made with only Scooby!

I have to somewhat agree with you on the Pepsi Python. That ride has a first drop that looks innocent, but the cars can really whip over the top causing a good old whip/airtime. That is one reason why we are not allowed to load the last row of the train. Also, the breaks are applied hard on that ride as well. I`ve had numerous people comment to me as they got off of the Python this year that "You need to tone down on the breaks", or "Go easy on the b reaks, buddy." Unfortunatly, those people think that the ride operators control how hard the breaks are turned on. Unfortunatly, we only control when the breaks are released. Overall, I find the Python to be an enjoyable, rerideable ride, which is more than I got from Son of Beast during some rides this season. The Pyhton does little justice to Coney`s history as being a fine amusement park with excellent roller coasters. However, I have heard rumors that there be plans for another coaster to grace Coney in the near future. On a side note, I heard that they were tearing down the tennis courts next to the Python. Could this be room for another ride, possibly a coaster? Maybe. However, a more likely scenario is that the space will be used for some additional parking spaces.