TombRaiderFTW

^ May I ask why that matters, unless you're trying to prove what you wrote about KIC topics? Many topics derailed long before you started posting, and many of those topics managed to get back on track without much prodding. Most topics tend to derail because there isn't anything interesting else to say strictly about the main topic, so what's the point in mentioning it? Besides, you're the one posting about donkeys. By the by, here's what Ice Scream Zone looks like now. Notice the lack of menu, sign, etc.: Compare to On Location, also missing its sign: ...And then see Stunt Crew Grill, WITH sign (those boxes aren't the same boxes as the ones mentioned earlier): Coincidence?

^ I don't know how much faith I'd put into that date. According to Don on Saturday, they don't even have the date for opening day OR Banshee's media day decided yet, though they do have them narrowed down to two possibilities each.

Anyone else noticing that the park is gaining back some of the quirks it had from 1972 to the mid-90's, which is the last time anyone here typically says the park had its own non-movie, non-concrete personality? I'm very, very interested to see what's next. Wouldn't it be something if the Glockenspiel, Ferris wheel, or Phantom Theater made a return?

I was at the ACE event on Saturday. If those are the same things that were laying around in Action Zone on Saturday, those are not trash cans. Truthfully, I don't know what they actually are. It looked like crated pieces of unpainted or galvanized steel. No idea what it could be for; it didn't look like anything particularly coastery in the whole second and a half I took to look at them.

I'm glad someone else posted this, so I wasn't like HEY LOOK AT MY INTERVIEW WITH DON!!! lol.Anyway, to clarify the "gift shop" is in regards to the On Location Store. As that "gift shop will also house Banshee Merchandise. Now I'm not 100% positive that the other non-park merch will be gone next year, but I can figure that there will be more KI merch there with Banshee merch and other items.</p> Ah, okay. You did a great job! And thanks for clarifying.

Nope and nope. The I-box track is fully steel. The topper track may be partly wood, but the part that actually guides the train is still steel. Traditional wooden coasters have steel laminating the top and sides of the track, but that's more to preserve the wood than provide actual structure for the track. Coasters whose layouts are fully topper tracked are no more wooden coasters than any Arrow Mine Train with separated steel rails mounted on wooden ledgers. I've read that some classic Six Flags wooden coasters (namely American Eagle and Colossus) have the wood track for their lift hills mounted on steel I-beams. If the whole layout were like that, would we consider them steel coasters? That seems no different an argument to me than the one that says topper track makes wooden coasters.

^ I thought they did the actual construction of the ride. My bad. Nevermind!

^ In at least one user's opinion, RMC doesn't build any wooden coasters at all... Unless you're talking about El Toro. But that's another discussion entirely!

Welcome! Both Kings Dominion and Carowinds have typically opened between the end of March and the beginning of April. I'm not sure when Dorney typically opens--I want to say mid-May, but I could be confusing it with Valleyfair. If you're looking for the specific day they open, the parks unfortunately haven't made that info available yet. Sorry! In previous years, the operating calendars for Cedar Fair parks were usually released in January. If they continue that trend, you've only got a few weeks to go. Hope that helps!

I don't know if this has made rounds over here yet, so apologies if this is old news. For several years, people have posted about how they'd like to see Flight Deck renamed The Bat (which, of course, is now coming.) Other people have requested things like simple repainting and care-taking of the park's finer details. Don did an interview with the folks at KIFansite concerning next year, and it looks like these sorts of things are coming in 2014. Here's a link; it's really an interesting read. A few key points: The area under Banshee's station will mainly be the photo booth, with "some" souvenirs being sold there. The On Location building will have more Banshee merchandise. The KI maintenance team will do the actual assembly of the Banshee trains. Action Zone will have a new look. The park isn't saying any more than that until we're actually at the park next April. The "gift shop" (I don't understand if they mean Banshee's gift shop or the On Location store) and Stunt Crew Grill MAY have new names. That's still being finalized. Nothing new is happening with the International Street fountains at this time. The International Street buildings have been painted. The park is exploring options for improving communication concerning wait times and whether or not a ride is down. Food options in the park will be expanded. (Not a surprise since they just hired a new chef and all, but now they're actually confirming that new things are coming.) Gold and Platinum passholder benefits will be more defined and easier to use. Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular is gone. The Bat's station won't be drastically changing. The queue underneath was removed to clean that area up. (I was wrong after all!) We're definitely in the Ouimet era, folks. The future looks like a good one!

The videos are appreciated, as always! I'm looking forward to more webcam-visible construction progress.

I guess I'm a little more optimistic than you guys, though I admittedly have only about two to three years of serious industry-watching experience and haven't visited Kentucky Kingdom before. I think the way they're approaching reopening the rides is clever; they're stressing that they're taking time to make sure they're running well. Yes, they're only going to have the Runs (I have been waiting ages to make that joke), but they've made it clear they've spent a sum to make sure that Thunder Run is running in top form. For a region that's watched the place go downhill for four years, I think that's a wise move. And Lightning Run is nothing you can find anywhere remotely near the park--there really isn't anything nearby it even looks like that it could be confused with. The first year's offerings are marketable to both the local area and beyond, and that's what the park needs. Whether or not those will bring in the figures Hart was promising months ago remains to be seen, but I figure from a construction/renovation standpoint that that's how I'd do things right now. If there's something that I'd expect that would limit them in the future (apart from the weirdly limited capital plans), it's the park's location/height limit and lack of any major marketing. It doesn't look like the park has a ton of space to expand into. The typical response to that kind of concern is "look at Indiana Beach," but the place is literally surrounded by suburban Louisville and the airport. The place can't build tall rides--and that can be fine, depending on what they build in spite of that--but it looks like the land would quickly approach capacity if someone gets remotely aggressive with expansion. How many rides can you stack on top of other rides before cost and height become too restrictive? Also, like others have pointed out: it feels like they're being incredibly quiet about the whole thing. If I'm in Cedar Point's marketing sphere (and USED to be in Six Flags' circa the original Mr. Six commercial) and Columbus is in Kennywood's, why haven't I heard anything about the place besides the Facebook posts I'm already subscribed to? I mentioned all that stuff about bringing the old stuff back while providing unique new stuff, but if no one outside Louisville knows about it, what's the point? If a coaster is constructed and no one's around to take pictures, did it really happen?

Chance posted a video on their YouTube page featuring several new views of Lightning Run, including an on-ride POV:

The definites (as definite as definite can be when we're talking six months in the future): -Kings Island -Kentucky Kingdom The probablys: -Holiday World -Waldameer -Cedar Point The possibles: -With how this year went down, anything is possible. No, really--anything. The really-want-to-but-we'll-sees: -Six Flags St. Louis -Canada's Wonderland -Kings Dominion -Lake Compounce -A Busch Gardens Possible events: -Banshee media day -Holiwood Nights -The ACE event at Kentucky Kingdom -IAAPA

I do like that story. Makes me laugh every time.I also find it really funny that the posting of The Sinking of the S.S. Gator is becoming an annual holiday tradition around here. Like, normal forum communities probably just post wishes of safe travels for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We do that, and then it's like "Gather around, children, for it is time to tell that timeless tale of December past when Gator took a swim in The Beach's lazy river."

So basically, they told him his idea was Knotty?

When the "No Limits Discussion Thread" thread finally rears its lovely head. (Or at least that used to be the case... Seems I'm the only one left here who still uses NL!)

The flash for the camera is a strobe light.

It's an interesting idea, but I would think you'll need: 1.) More financial support than what this board can provide by itself, 2.) A way for Kings Island to legally accept the money with terms of use it would feel safe accepting, and 3.) Clearance with the maintenance folks, as at least one other park in the country cites improved inspectability as the reason why it doesn't paint it's wooden coaster. Not saying that's why KI hasn't painted Racer, but it's a possibility. Not meaning to rain on the parade, but it's stuff you'd have to consider. I'd absolutely love to see Racer in new red, white, and blue some opening day, but there may be reasons why it hasn't happened already. Given how much Cedar Fair has spent in the last 4 years on repainting rides, I don't know that lack of money is necessarily one reason.

Hit the "submit" button too soon. See post below.

D'oh! Don't I feel silly. Guess my post about the supports being repainted was wrong--it really was just the light that made them look gray. Thanks, Don!

It is. The track for the start of the first drop was painted orange today. It's a similar orange to the orange and tan crane that used to be used for Banshee.

Used to. King Kahuna has since been removed. According to Wikipedia (I know, I know), KK's last season was 2009.

Which infernal contraption are you talking about? (Not that I'm defending Indiana Beach; that whole park is an infernal contraption to me. )

Yes, they posted regular ticket prices. Prices are as follows: General admission: $44.95 Children under 48": $34.95 Seniors 55+: $34.95 Military with proper I.D.: $34.95 Parking is "currently" $8.00 per vehicle. I'm guessing that's one of the things the fair board's in charge of. EDIT: In terms of live entertainment, I thought this was interesting: there's going to be a live sea lion show in the new Aqua Theater. Live animals are certainly something none of the other parks in the area have to offer. Second EDIT after a like by LoraX: Here's the operating calendar: