coasterrz

I`m sure the park could get things ready for Winterfest in a month if they wanted to have it. I don`t foresee them closing early in October to prepare for it though. From last year, I would say they raked in pretty good money in October. I think Winterfest would be popular if they decided to bring it back. We`ll just have to wait and see what happens.

I think a haunted attraction themed to Sleepy Hollow would not only be a scary haunt, but it would also provide a nice tie in to the Hollywood push by the park.

Well, for starters, as far as I know there is not an official deal with Great Wolf lodges yet to build a resort on the campground, but I have heard the campground will not return for next season. I hope that the Flying Eagles are operating somewhere in the park in 2005. Whether that be in their existing location or at a different location such as where the Eurobungee was at I don`t care. As long as this classic ride returns next season I will be happy. Especially since we are also getting a new roller coaster that looks to have a wonderfully fun experience. I think that Coney Mall will recieve some TLC around the Dodgems area where the new ride will be rebuilt. I wouldn`t expect much more than Stunt Track and maybe a new location for the Flying Eagles, if they have to vacate their current location.

1. I would be surprised if there is no parade next year. To me, it seems to have been a big hit at the parks. It is a wonderful opportunity for kids to see their favorite cartoon characters come to life. 2. I would be surprised, based on the poor performance I witnessed when I attended Magic of the Movies if it returned in the same form next season. 3. Additionally, I would be surprised if FearFest ended after this season. Last season with free admission, the park was packed. I would imagine that they had large food and games profits last season during Fear Fest and I bet they will have similar results this season with free admission to Fear Fest. I for one would not like it if they make jeans part of the uniform. It would not seem very professional to have workers running rides wearing jeans and a t-shirt. While it may fit the theme of stagehands, I think it would lower the professionalism of the workers to have a uniform of that nature. I certainly hope that you are not infering that themed areas at PKI may be no more and that the entire park will just be one giant area. While it may happen, especially with the theming and recent push of the park as a Hollywood entertainment park. The park might be turning into a Disney MGM studios type park, where the entire park is themed to movies. I would not like that to happen as the park would be forgetting about part of their past. Also, if that happens, the park would loose a part of its individuality that it had and all five Paramount parks would really begin to feel the same way. I do forsee International Street becoming Hollywood Boulevard at some point in the future. Besides the Eiffel Tower, and Mandarin Cuisine, there is nothing International about International Street anymore. It is not like they still refer to the buildings as the Swiss building, the German building, etc. Overall I think, the only rumor that will come to fruition would be the last two. Especially the Hollywood Boulevard rumor. I would be disapointed if the park removed the "zones" and had just one big themed park. Although, there is no congruent theming to the themed areas anymore like there used to be. Times change and the park will never be what it used to be. The park is changing and will be different in 10 years. Just like the park today is different than it was 10 years ago. We are finally seeing the push toward movie based attractions that were imagined when Paramount purchased the parks back in 1993. Like it or not this is the direction the park is going in. I`m sure modern thrill rides and large coasters will still be a part of the package, but they will be farther apart and more heavily themed. I think I`ve said enough for now.

The reason that the original houses are gone, is I believe that they sent them to Kings Dominion. Kings Island was the first to have Fear Fest in 2000. Then in 2001, Kings Dominion added it. Kings Island got new haunts in 2001 when KD got the original haunts from PKI`s inaguaral season.

After riding Top Thrill Dragster yesterday, I don`t know how much taller and faster roller coasters can/should go. While it was a fun ride, it was also a very intense launch. I highly doubt Cedar Point is building another prototype ride 100' taller. Even in its second season TTD is having mechanical problems. It broked down twice yesterday and two empty trains rolled back.

The hotel with the indoor waterpark in Sandusky is the Great Wolf Lodge. This is the same company that wants to build on the Kings Island campground. Last I heard, Great Wolf Lodge and Kings Island were still negotiating the deal and it wasn`t quite finalized. The Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky looks very nice (I just got back around 1 today after visiting Cedar Point and Ohio`s Roller Coast.) However, it only had a couple of water slides. I stayed at the Radisson Inn, which is being transformed into Castaway Bay. Castaway Bay looks like it will be better (at least in terms of the indoor waterpark) than Great Wolf. I have mixed feelings about a Great Wolf opening on the Campground. I don`t want to see PKI loose its campground, because it provides some what of a buffer between Top Gun and the "outside" That is one thing I dislike about Cedar Point is that many of their rides are located near roads for their on property resorts, marinas and beaches. While the lake setting is beautiful, it is hindered some what, IMO, by cars driving by Millenium Force`s station. Besides loosing some green space near Top Gun, I don`t have any objections to it. I think the lodege would fit in with PKI push for themed attractions. However, I wander how much of an impact the indoor waterpark will have on Boomberang Bay.

Correct. The Pepsi Python is not the Bavarian Beetle from KI. It was manuactured as Sobrider said, by Preston. It was manufactured in 1996 for an amusement pier in New Jersey. The ride was then moved to Coney in 1999 where it continues to operate.

I think he is refering to the August 12 date as the day of the announcement, not June or July 26.

So did they change the parade route? In the park maps, it still has the parade route going from The Beastie to The Beast. I was also at the park today and noticed that structure. Also, if you walked through the entrance of Coney Mall, you will notice that they have removed the Coney Mall sign which went above the entrance. I`m assuming this is for clearance for the floats. I noticed this when I was up in the Eiffel Tower and spotted the sign out by the maintenance buildings at the front of the park. You rode the Eagles today? When I got up there around 7:30 they were closed.

If they added some live effects to the Spongebob ride, it could be made even more enjoyable. I believe several Six Flags parks added the Spongebob ride this season along with live affects in the theater. Having just returned from four days at Disney World, live special affects can make the show a lot more thrilling. A Bugs Life, Honey I Shrunk the Audience, Muppet Vision 3D and Mickey`s PhilharMagic are all 3D movies. They don`t utilize the Iwerks seats like Spongebob, but they feature live affects like wind, fog, water, smells, bubbles and sometimes live actors. These special affects really make one feel as if they are experiencing an attraction instead of just watching a movie. I know PKI will never be on the same caliber as Disney (there attention to detail in theming is unbelievable and makes TR:TR and FoF look pathetic). But since it is going for the Hollywood theming it would be nice to get the ride experiences similar to Disney. Theming does add a lot to the overall ride experience, IMO. I am a little sad that DoT is closing as I haven`t riden it again. I really wanted to ride this classic ride again. I am actually a little surprised they closed it down this early in the season. Also, like others have said, the park missed an opportunity to advertise this ride. They could have gotten people interested about the ride, but they didn`t. I wouldn`t have even known it was returning to the park from my visits to the park this year, had I not visited this website. Oh well, it won`t be that big of a loss to me. It`s not like they are closing a ride that has been operating since the park opened more than three decades ago.

I would assume that the concrete has cured by now. Additionally, the wet weather shouldn`t have that much of an impact on how fast it cures. Once the top is solid, it is pretty much an internal process. My hunch would be that they are waiting for the arrival of the actual sign parts to start construction.

Nope, I won`t be back from vacation on the 19. My first day to work will be next Tuesday. 5/3 day is usually a very busy day, when the rides stay open until 10. Last year I operated the Ferris Wheel on that day and there was a line all day of about 30-40 minutes in length.

Yeah, I might see you tomorrow. Just for your information, based on the weather forescat, most rides should be running if it is raining. The only ride that closes because of rain is Super Slide. If there is lightning, then Bumper Boats, Pedal Boats, Round Up, Trabant, Ferris Wheel, Python, and Frog Hopper close. If it is raining hard enough/enough lightning, all the rides will close down until it clears up. I hope you have a great day at Coney tomorrow (well now it is later today).

This sounds like a question right up my alley. I just got done working a double there today on the coaster and then the Super Round Up. The Pepsi Python is the only coaster at the park and has a decent first drop with some air. The ride overall is a little on the rough side and the brakes hit hard, especially at the end. There is also a Flying Bobs, which has a cover over it and woould be good for the forecast tomorrow. There are other classic midway rides like a Super Slide, Dodgems, Tilt-a-Whirl, Carousel, Trabant, Super Round Up, Ferris Wheel, Bumper Boats, Scrambler and Tempest. If the lines are anything like they were today, you could probably ride all the adult rides in an hour. I don`t know how many picnics are scheduled tomorrow though. The park is really looking sharp this years with Tempest, Helicopters, Bobs, Round Up, Lakeside Pavilion, and other buildings receiving paint jobs. In fact, today the President of the park, Vic Nolting, and the VP of Operations, Keith Henize, were replacing the ride signs with spify new ones. If yoou have any more questions feel free to respond. I will be working another double tomorrow, 10:30-9, weather permitting (tomorrow is my last day before I head down to Florida for Disney World). I do not know what rides I will be running though.

Well, the park has somewhat already done that. On the Boomerang Bay Construction tours, they took us past the Admin. offices, and the HVAC departments as well as several maintenance buildings including the signs building, for free. Now it would be cool to actually go inside the maintenance buidlings, such as the parts crib where they keep all the spare wheels and parts. It would be cool to go through the behind the scenes areas like the show on SFMM did. However, I don`t know if I would pay $150 to go behind the scenes. As far as going to the front of the line, if you have a gold pass and get to the park for ERT, you can already go to the head of the line. Additionally, if the park were to offer this tour, I highly doubt that Jeff Siebert has the time to give a tour everyday the park is open. He is a pretty busy guy.

They only recently got rid of the shuttle then. I believe that they still had it last year, but I`m not certain. Yeah, I believe McDonald`s might have a deal going on now too, but I`m not certain.

I highly doubt that they would offer a free parking pass, especially since I believe they have a shuttle that drops you off right at the front gate. In a sense, this eliminates the need to cough up parking money. Additionally, I am sure most hotels around Kings Island have some sort of discounted PKI tickets. If not, currently you can save $5 with a Coke can. Or if you are an ACE member you can get 50% off of the admission price. Additionally, AAA usually offers a pretty big discount as well. Try calling the hotel to see if they offer any discounts since their website, which is not the link I provided above, although it contains all the same information as their official site.

In case you are still interested in the Holiday Inn Express Kings Island, here is a link to their website.

I would imagine that like the past several years of movies on side B, that DoT will only be around for this season. In addition, it most likely will not be around for Fear Fest, as the park has shown Elvira`s Supersitition in one side of the Action theater (B side) since I`ve attended Fear Fest (I didn`t go in the inagural season in 2000).

I know they used to have a bus that went to the park. I don`t know if they still do. It used to drop off guests at the same spot as the Kings Island Inn bus, in front of the handicapped spots on the right side of the entrance.

Just curious (and a little off topic) CoasterBilly, but in your signature is the CI refering to Coney Island in New York or the Coney Island in Anderson Township, Cincinnati?

The Kings Island Police Department is probably like the UC Police Department. UC`s Police Department has jurisdiction of all police matters on campus. If for some reason they need assistance, they call in the City of Cincinnati Cops. I`m sure PKI has some sort of mutual relationship similar to the UC/Cincinnati Police.

Well, there is an on ride photo on the Wild Thornberrys River Adventure and Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle. Those are both "flats" with on ride photos, although those attractions are more geared to families and not thrill seekers like TR:TR. Remember that Adventure Express used to have an onride photo as well. It used to be located right before the turn into the first tunnel and the photo booth was located where the remote control cars are. They removed AE`s because it old technology (black and white pictures). TR:TR`s photo booth was removed because they weren`t selling enough and making enough money. Rather than tear down the building, it is cheaper to just have it closed until they decide they can make some money off of it.

That is true. However, I have seen, on several times, days when there are Mason city cops patroling the parking lot or riding on the maintenance road back by The Beast. While PKI has its own police force, Mason city Cops are the backup force, and I think they have some sort of deal in which Mason assists in some of the surveillance of the parking lot. Anyone know for sure?