TombRaiderFTW

In other news... I drove past the park yesterday evening and noticed that the new sign at the entrance to the parking lot has had both the Kings Island letters and the two Soak City signs removed. They appear to be in the process of painting it gray. I wonder if the project was behind schedule and they preemptively put the letters on so people would know where to turn.

Wow, I totally never knew that that was the song that was playing! I thought it was an original song all this time. You learn something new every day around these parts...

Especially since that's Bat at Canada's Wonderland. We already have one Vekoma Boomerang; I'm certainly not asking for another one. Why it showed up in the app, I'm not sure. Maybe a mistake on (I'm assuming) Accesso's behalf?

Is it still playing the same music in the station that it was playing on the passholder preview night? Because I have never been so happy to hear that music in the park. (Famous last words...?) Adventure Express's theming got a lot of love this off-season, and I am ecstatic about it. The snakes hiss in the first tunnel, the decorative lights are on in the second and third tunnels, and the "main tiki god's" lava actually lights up. This is the best the theming has been as far back as I can remember (which, granted, is basically limited to 2008 and later. I rode Adventure Express years before then, but almost always with my eyes shut out of fear.) I would agree that the second lift music needs to be turned up. It (and lights in the first tunnel) are really the only things in my mind that would take Adventure Express to the next level, compared to what it's been for the last several years. By itself, Adventure Express is a wonderful roller coaster, but it's meant to be more of an experience than just another roller coaster.

Consider also that Screamscape is reporting a "rumor" that Holiday World will get another coaster next year, and he "speculates" that there's a chance that either Raven or Voyage will be modified somehow into a new ride. For the record, I'm dubious of any rumor coming out of Screamscape concerning Holiday World. The "rumors" posted there seem like they're being fed to him via the park. A "reader" noticed an incredibly subtle clearing in the trees from the nearby road, and that clearing turned into Thunderbird. Another "reader" happened to be told that Legend, when it closed early last year, would "return better than ever next year." With one exception, I can't think of one rumor about the place that didn't come true--the exception being that Voyage would get RMC track, and even then it was supposedly something they had considered and decided against. Given the reduced maintenance costs improvements done to Legend this year, I think we know what to expect for 2017.

Objectively better? Food service and staff training across ALL departments, for starters. Especially compared to Kings Island. In general*, you can go to a Six Flags and get through line--with both season-long dining plan folks and regular paying folks both in line--without too many headaches or too much time spent in line. And when SIX offers something, it doesn't seem to suffer nearly as many issues with mistrained/untrained employees*. The staff know what they're doing when things like dining plans and limited-time promotional offers come around. This may be coincidence, but I've also had some of my better seasonal theme park customer service experiences in some Six Flags parks--every once in a while, someone will have a level of friendliness not unlike many employees at Dollywood. One of those was at Six Flags America. Really. (Of course, there have been several encounters with apathetic employees, too. But that's people.) (* As of this writer's personal experiences as of April 18, 2016, offer not valid in the states of Massachusetts or Maryland. More on that later.) Subjectively better? In my opinion: I like that they are willing to take a risk on new ideas. For better or worse, they'll try the new stuff that hasn't yet found a niche in any park (seasonal or year-round destination.) Sometimes that results in things like Rocky Mountain redos and the Justice League dark rides, and sometimes that results in things like capacity-crippling VR headsets. I'm not arguing that that is the best or worst idea from a financial perspective or customer service perspective; I just like it as a fan of creativity. I also vastly prefer THE FLASH Pass to Fast Lane, as it is much less prone to abuse and overwhelming front-of-the-line-people queues. I should add a disclaimer that I've basically never experienced Six Flags live entertainment (I saw one show at SFGAm three years ago, and that's it), so I can't contrast that with Cedar Fair. And there's a lot of stuff that SIX and FUN are evenly matched in, and there are some things that vary from park to park. Cedar Fair operations are much more consistent across all the parks; it's extremely ironic to me that Great Adventure's closest neighbors are SFNE and SFA, when SFGAdv has wonderful operations but SFNE and SFA have THE worst I've ever experienced. Cedar Fair's pass processing experience is much cleaner and consistent than SIX passes (I've processed at SFStL, SFGAm, SFA, and SFNE, and they all work differently) but SIX passes don't seem to have nearly as many issues as have been reported here with Cedar Fair Platinum passes. Some people have beef with Six Flags' in-park advertising, but honestly, it doesn't bother me too much. It's not that more noticeable than the advertisements on FunTV for me. Your mileage may vary. Six Flags also gets bonus points from me for having Schwarzkopfs, because the world needs more Schwarzkopf loopers. But that's beside the point. I think that's everything I meant to put in here... I'm sure I'll think of something later and swing by to edit this post.

Self-scan also seems like a surefire way of avoiding situations in those hours later in the day when there are no parking attendants at the booths, and people are driving straight through without paying for parking... TRFTW, observing.

I realize it's been 15 years, but the log flume was rebuilt by Hopkins Rides in 2001. That came after the ride was relocated from Coney Island and spent most of 29 years operating at KI. I don't know the extent of that rebuild, but I would hope that that project would have given that ride another 30 years at the park... ...Unless the ride would be removed just because of its location and not because of its age? Even then, I feel like this is primarily speculation based on the work next door. But I'm usually more wrong than I'm right about these things!

I am beyond excited to see that the Rivertown funnel cake building is really, truly thematically appropriate, even down to the sign. That is wonderful.

That someone is very happy about this! Thanks for sharing!

There are metal detectors at Kennywood. They are immediately after the point where your ticket is scanned. And then the bag check comes after. (EDIT: bkroz beat me to the punch.) I can't remember offhand how it works at Fiesta Texas, but SFStL has the ticket booths and front gate well after the metal detectors. Lines are to be expected at metal detectors--if people were flowing quickly through them, I'd question their effectiveness. The disorderly blob of people that forms between the ticket booths and the front gate from the maddeningly slow entry process, however, is unnecessary. As I now understand it, the technology isn't a bad idea... But if it's going to be as much of a problem as it is there, then its use needs to be reevaluated. It works well in Florida and, knowing what I know now, is acceptable enough at the Busch/SeaWorld parks, but it's a hassle at SIX.

That makes sense. I don't know why I didn't notice that the fingerprint parks don't take pictures... and I've been a Six Flags passholder for the last couple years (except for the year I got my pass at Six Flags America, where they don't have fingerprint scanners, so the passes have pictures. They also use the low-tech waterpark/wristband version of the Flash Pass technology for all applicable rides instead of the handheld device. I feel like there are reasons for these things.) I feel a little silly! In that case, I understand why parks use fingerprint scanners. I would just hope that Kings Island would aim more for the Busch Gardens-quality scanners instead of the Six Flags-quality ones. The time spent in line at the pass processing building would likely be replaced by time spent trying to get in the park, in that case.

That makes sense to me, anyway. If you already have a positive opinion of something, then (in my opinion, anyway) you're more likely to like anything that comes from it or forgive something you may dislike. If you already have a negative opinion of something or if you feel disenchanted, then you're less likely to see the good in something it does. That's why enthusiasts can, in one breath, condemn Six Flags in-park advertising and praise things like FunTV and Epcot. Or that's why some Disney Parks fans can look down on Universal parks (and vice versa), or why some Android fans cringe at the idea of using Apple technology (and vice versa)... The list goes on and on. You've indicated here several times how much you like BGW, so it makes sense to me that you'd be more accepting of Quick Queue and anything else they do over the Kings Island equivalent. Heck, I'm right there with you--I've purchased QQ before, but not Fast Lane. And I've been in crowds at both SeaWorld Parks and Resorts parks and Cedar Fair parks that warranted a front-of-the-line pass to ensure that everything got done that day. In the case of fingerprint scanners, the current technology does not seem terribly efficient. At the Six Flagses I mentioned, the plazas in front of the entry gates are SWAMPED with people waiting in line to enter the park. And the lines are incredibly slow, whether from fingers requiring rescanning or people not understanding what they're supposed to do or from the slow machines themselves. The BG and SW scanners are faster and simpler but still not as fast as what Kings Island does. The Universal and Disney parks handle it well, but should we consider them outliers because of the budget that went into them working as well as they do? I don't know. My hesitation (hopefully) isn't due to home park bias--just hesitation from what I've noticed at other seasonal parks. To be honest, I'm not sure I understand myself why fingerprint technology is becoming popular--is it a re-entry thing? What is being improved or prevented by scanning fingers? I feel like I'm missing something. Kings Island is my home park too, and if they can improve on the technology as it exists for seasonal parks, then I'd love for them to get it. Right now, it's mostly a bother. Not one that ruins my day or anything, but it's a little annoying. Again, I'm not sure I understand the benefits to know if they outweigh the inconveniences.

Kings Island, of course. Kennywood, because, like homestar92, it's one of my favorites. Plus, I want to see what happened to Noah's Ark this year. I was telling myself that Storm Chaser wasn't going to be enough for me to go back to Kentucky Kingdom, but I don't know if that's true anymore. The pull of an RMC this close to home is getting really hard to resist. And I keep thinking about how much I liked Lightning Run... If I play my cards right (and if flights stop being so stinking expensive), I'll be at Carowinds and/or Kings Dominion this year during their Cirque Imagines' runs with some really close friends I haven't seen in way too long. I really, really hope that works out, because I miss those people like crazy. (Coincidentally, they're also _NFPs.) I'm aiming for a visit to Knoebels and/or Great Adventure, too, but it's anyone's guess as to whether or not those will happen. EDIT: Whooooops! Apparently I already posted in this thread. I like to daydream. Sue me!

My family used to vacation in Pigeon Forge when I was younger, and we would always go up in helicopters like that one. I have many fond memories of those trips. It's incredibly tragic that one such experience ended in horror. My prayers and thoughts are with the families of those involved.

^ Case in point: Have you seen what this year's renovations have done to Legend's last turn? It's flat now. And the "four corners of death" are fairly flat and much more banked now. Photo: Holiday World's Facebook page. But don't look at that--there's a double-down to be enjoyed! Or something! I could have been excited about Legend being updated, but that's not what's happening here. This is reduction in maintenance cost while name-dropping Will's name and saying things like "Will always wanted to do something like this to Legend" to keep people at bay. I could say more, but I shouldn't. Diversions, indeed. The CCI fan in me and the Will Koch fan in me are both pretty tweaked.

Ugh. Please, no fingerprint scanners anywhere near here. It takes AGES to get into Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags St. Louis because of the things. (That's one of the few things I dislike about either place!)

I think you mean Legend there, Boss. Not Voyage. TRFTW, who knows that CCI train history can be a Pretty Tricky Category. Especially on media day. After that, your Gerst is as good as mine.

It would appear that the Tomb Raider: The Ride onride photo booth is now gone. I'd imagine that the crossing for the railroad tracks will be a fairly decent size because of it.

Wow! This is definitely a new step forward for Cedar Fair. The only thing kinda like this that they've tried before is the Dairy Queen on Cedar Point Drive and Knott's Marketplace. I really like CityWalk and Disney Springs, so I'm very excited to see (the new) Cedar Fair's take on the idea... and to see if Six Flags does something like it. It's been said before that CF was looking at ways of keeping people in the park later, which is where Luminosity at CP supposedly came from. I wonder if this is more of that, more of a way to capitalize on people leaving the nearby stadium(s), or both. I wonder how flashy and/or noisy it will be, given the park's cranky neighbors. I'm very interested in this project, along with the huge investment in CGA. This is truly going to be a fun one to watch. I've really enjoyed following the Carowinds investments, and this new focus on CGA looks like it will be just as interesting, if not more. And here I thought the biggest news that was going to come out of that park anytime soon was the rumored Vortex conversion.

That's pretty awesome! Did you happen to catch his name? Great pictures, too!

I'm a little dumbfounded that there is animosity between Disney fans and people who prefer non-Disney parks to the point that Disney fans are called "pixie dust snorters." We all are fans of an industry whose main purpose, outside of making money, is for people to have fun. Different people like different organizations' means of creating fun. Meanwhile, millions of people are too busy trying to not die each year from lack of clean water to argue over which park chain they like better. Have some perspective on what's worth getting that upset over. Goodness. Anyway, I'm unperturbed about a potential GotG redo on Tower of Terror. I've yet to ride a ToT, so it is what it is. I'm not particularly surprised--while I did enjoy the Disney parks I've visited, they seem to have more of a focus on their newest, most popular individual characters and properties than on unique experiences. And really, I can't fault them. How many people go to Disney with the kiddos for a ride on Haunted Mansion? Compare that to the number of people who post pictures of their kids with Elsa and/or Anna and/or Hiro (etc.) on social media. Given the crowds that Disney handles and the demand for meet-and-greet experiences, it's a matter of reputation for them to offer as many character- or film-specific experiences as possible. (And before someone accuses me of being a "pixie dust snorter" myself: Universal is just as guilty. See the Potter areas, Skull Island: Reign of Kong, the reopened Jurassic World dinosaur meet-and-greet, the rumored Nintendo area, and so on.) It's sad at times that that is the name of the game when experiences like Maelstrom and Merlin's Woods in The Lost Continent are lost in the process, but that's how it works. Guardians of the Galaxy did well at the box office, and I would assume that its characters are not available for use at Universal's parks. It only makes sense that Disney would make use of it. It's just unfortunate that an apparently beloved ride would get changed because of it.

bkroz: I have a bittersweet opinion of Tempesto. As a ride, I love it. It's the only shuttle-like coaster (although it's a complete circuit) I'd honestly wait an hour for. It's so much fun. I enjoyed the multiple launches way more than I thought I would, and there's airtime, hangtime, and quick banking. I wish Invertigo could have been something like that. As a component of Festa Italia... Nope. To me, Festa Italia was already BGW's weakest themed area, and adding a motorcycle stunt-themed coaster to it did no favors. What theming is there is brightly colored, which is what the sun-faded canopies of FI needed, but it is what it is for all the wrong reasons. Or so I think, anyway. Marco Polo didn't actually find an Italian motorcycle daredevil during his travels, right? It's been a while since I took a history class. I'd almost rather see San Marco and Festa Italia connected at the end near the bridge to Oktoberfest and have Festa Italia take on an old-world Italy look, not unlike Da Vinci's Garden of Inventions. Or make it into a Greek hamlet, even. Leave Apollo's Chariot as it is, theme Tempesto to Mercury (or Hermes), and make La Cucina into an intricate marble garden on Mount Olympus inset with hundreds of flowers, where you can taste the food of the gods (i.e., offer a variety of Greek food.) And also build a copy of Poseidon's Fury and get rid of that very out-of-place basketball game. The problem with theming an area to a party celebrating Marco Polo's return home, in my opinion, is that there has to be a party for it to seem like a party. Right now, there's an obviously Italian area (San Marco) and "that other" Italian area (Festa Italia) that is Italy but with... uh, tents and roller coasters. It feels like there could be some live entertainment aspect to the area like a parade or show that would actually be a celebration. (I don't know if that sort of thing is sustainable long-term, and Tempesto has a very different theme from the rest of the area. So, I'd rather see it get a different identity than just adding a parade to what's there.) It's not unlike trying to continually dedicate a section of a theme park to "the future"--it seems like it needs constant attention to keep its definition. But that's me. I feel like both Tempesto and Verbolten were Carl Lum's first steps in taking the park from The Old Country to something like a hip look at modern European culture. I feel towards those what I feel towards virtual reality goggles on coasters: the idea behind them is great--and I adore Verbolten--but I don't feel like they should be used where they are. Based on the fact that the park has allegedly cancelled London Rocks and planned a Three Musketeers nighttime show in France/Aquitaine, it sounds like the new park manager and entertainment manager have the right idea, as far as I'm concerned. Which does make me wonder what the final theme of this alleged wooden coaster would be. It's late enough in the game that it's obvious that this ride was planned under Carl Lum, but I don't know if it's too late to make a theme change. I suppose we'll find out this summer. Here's hoping it's not themed to Justin Trudeau eating poutine or something. Also, BGWFans has just confirmed that the new ride is, without a doubt, a Great Coasters International product. Yay!

If this is legitimate, I think Busch Gardens Williamsburg is officially officially my favorite park. The place was near perfect in my head, but it really needed a wooden coaster to contrast with all that steel. And now it will have that. The wood coaster purist in me hopes this isn't an RMC in disguise, but even then, it'll likely be a phenomenal ride. Fingers crossed for a GCI, though--I feel like they'd fit BGW's style better than any other wood coaster manufacturer out there right now. I'm hesitant to believe it will be a GCI because of the Gwazi saga, but I'm still hoping. Regardless of manufacturer, I'm especially excited to see how this ride will be themed. Of all the areas of the park to get a wooden coaster, New France is the absolute best choice, in my opinion. BGW is truly one of the only parks I've ever been to that has more or less remained true to its original vision from day one. And it's been done fairly well, too. I wish more parks were like that.

That is strange. A haunted house in May? I mean, I'll be there if I can help it. I'm definitely interested. I just wonder who they're going to get to staff it, unless there is a plan to make Blackout open year-round? Certainly they wouldn't hire scareactors for one night of the house being open for an hour and a half? They're not planning to open it without scareactors at all, right...? (This post was edited after The Interpreter quoted it. I edited unaware that he was typing a post.)