TombRaiderFTW

^ That's awesome! Thanks for sharing!

I'm just curious: has anyone here ever found/seen a 1991 non-Winterfest map or brochure for KI? I'd like to see one, as I was born that year, but I've yet to find one.

^ It's very close to FOF... S.O.B. who loves the red, white, and blue Am I the only one who thought "Backlot Stunt Coaster"? It's been a long day...

In reply to the OP: 1. Adventure Express 1. Beast (It's running really well this year!) 3. Flight Deck 4. Flight of Fear 5. Racer 6. Backlot Stunt Coaster 7. Vortex 8. Diamondback 9. Firehawk 10. Woodstock Express 11. Invertigo 12. Flying Ace Aerial Chase 13. Great Pumpkin Coaster In reply to The Beast conversation: I used to ride Beast expecting thrills, but I now approach it with the attitude of watching a 70's action movie. Jdawg is right--there are no real G's, save for the laterals just after the first drop and a few turns leading to the second lift. But that's entirely the thing with Beast. It's a strong start, then a bunch of straightaways and wide turns. The turns gradually increase in intensity, speed, and forces--and then they drop off the map entirely when you hit the second lift. It's about lulling you into a sense of security, then shattering it with the most intense portion of the ride. It's not the typical B&M progression of most to least intense elements during the ride, and that's a good thing--in my opinion, anyway. Beast is one of the few rides in the world that manages to theme itself without relying on props or a gimmick, and I think that's why it's as famous as it is.

^ When you talk about reducing the trims, do you mean they've actually been removed from the track, or they just didn't feel like they were grabbing as hard?

Bummed? Yeah. Definitely made use of Fun Perks a ton last year. I guarantee that I spent an order of magnitude more money in the park last year than in any other year. I'm sure the park has its reasons for ditching the program. While I'm sad to see FP go, the reduced admission is a great gesture. I've already got plans to make use of it.

Remember how some of us exclaimed about how cheaply the park purchased the Timberliners? I specifically remember one or two members noting how the ~$500k price tag for both trains would be an absolute steal for even one train. Anyone noticed how quiet the park has been about the trains since June 2010? It takes several people asking about the trains online to get a response. If I remember correctly, it took people discovering the new Voyage trains on PTC's website in early 2011 to reveal that the park would return to 7-car trains indefinitely. I think Holiday World had and has a good idea of what they've gotten into with these things. There's a reason Timberliners haven't even gotten so much as a dedicated Facebook status update since that November 2010 test run video with Mike Graham and the youngest Will Koch. Admittedly, I would likely be disappointed in how long it's taken if I were Holiday World, but The Gravity Group has to be providing legitimate reasons why the trains aren't ready yet. For as long as it's been, they simply can't be buying time with "hold on, we're almost there". The thing that I find curious is the fact that Hades is receiving a Timberliner train. It's not like Voyage, where they're just going to switch trains--they're literally adding an element to the ride that I'm guessing is not approved for/compatible with any other model. It has to work out without years of waiting, or else Mt. Olympus is down one of its star attractions due to failed promises, which sounds an awful lot like liability to me. I can't say I've ever heard Mt. Olympus's coaster maintenance praised--from what I understand, they're at the other end of the spectrum from HW's maintenance reputation. They don't do things like HW did in 2012 with footer realignments and entire structure replacements. The Hades 360 conversion apparently will include a massive retracking, but I don't understand how there can be that much of a difference between putting Timberliners on a retracked ride and putting them on one of the best maintained Gravity Group creations thus far. Voyage isn't flawless, but it could undeniably be a lot worse. I'm very curious to see where this is headed...

Amusement parks would be a target because of the high density of people in a comparatively small space. Yes, they are several acres, but people congregate in specific locations on the acreage (e.g. queue lines.) Think of where the terrorist attacks of the past twenty years have happened. And then think of how crowded places like the Magic Kingdom can be. NOTE: This post is commentary, and nothing more. I know nothing of any planned terrorist attacks, past, present, or future, targeting any facility or organization, amusement parks or otherwise.

I definitely understand the paranoia. I have several family members that feel similarly. I'd be one of them, except I keep thinking of how you're really at the mercy of other people no matter what you do. I don't say that negatively--it's just how the world works. Someone can make a wrong decision on the road and take you out while driving. Someone can accidentally switch medication and destroy one of your senses. Mistaken juries have had people executed for crimes they didn't commit. People will lie about you behind your back and keep you from getting the job, inspectors will shluff off a crack in the space shuttle heat shield, and both domestic and foreign terrorists will continue to do exactly what their name implies. If something bad is going to happen to you, is there really anything you can do to 100% prevent it? For me, I choose to be aware that these sorts of things can and will happen, but I don't see the point (except in extreme cases**) in letting it redirect my life. A close relative of mine would not see The Dark Knight Rises in theaters because of the Aurora shooting. I understand that there are things like copycats, but this relative specifically would not see TDKR, like it was cursed. Even if the shooter in that incident had some sort of obsession with The Joker, that doesn't mean that every other movie out there is safe. The same thing could happen whether you're watching The Dark Knight Rises or Gone With The Wind. So why let it stop you? Like others have said: if you let it stop you, the terrorists win. ** "Extreme cases" meaning that there is clear forewarning of something bad happening. Obviously, if a terrorist cell announces they're going to unleash something terrible at Amusement Park on May xx, I'm not going to visit Amusement Park on or around that date.

Pat Koch NOT in Holiday World commercials this year; new focus on ride offerings: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2013/apr/11/xcp/

Tweeted by Greg Scheid an hour ago: "Simple improvements can make major impacts. Back patio at Hanks." I'll miss the old wooden covering, but I like this, too. The old one felt like you were eating on a dock (appropriate for Outer Hanks' old menu), but this one will offer more interesting views of Viking Fury. I wonder what will become of Cut-Throat Cove during Haunt.

Ouimet officially started in January 2012, right? I wouldn't expect that he had much of anything to do with the Soak City retheme. That's mostly/all Kinzel. Replying to the original post: I would say, based on Gold Striker and the small atmosphere changes at KI and several other Cedar Fair parks, that Ouimet will do a little bit of both. Paramount-era theming it is not, but it's more than the concrete-and-trash-cans atmosphere of old management. For what the Cedar Fair parks had become under Kinzel (which wasn't bad--just not my preferred cup of tea), it's enough for me.

How sad. The Christmas Store in Santa Claus is one of my favorite non-HW things about that town. My prayers are with the Kochs.

Now, for the million-dollar question: What did you think of Tennessee Tornado?

I really hope all businesses are able to recover. Coney Island is one of my favorite places ever, for many reasons.

I find it cool in a park history-kind of way (like The Bat's and King Cobra's footers) that the station track still remains. It must be part of the structure supporting Wolf Pack.

My $.02: Firehawk was added because it's a low capacity ride. Beast was added for sheer demand. It has a decent capacity, but it's one of the most popular rides in the park. Combine the two and charge extra, and you've found a way to make more money and keep people from complaining about how Fast Laners are slowing the lines down. I'm not a big fan of Fast Lane, but if you're going to offer front-of-the-line passes in this format, Fast Lane Plus is, objectively, a really clever business idea. It seems like the park is trying to sap more money from the patrons--and really, the profit opportunity is part of it--but FLP is actually doing the naysayers a favor. And yes, I have used Fast Lane before. I only had a handful of hours on a Haunt Saturday last year to hit all the coasters with friends who hadn't been to KI since the 80's/90's. It worked, and we had a great time, although we got many stank eyes along the way. I just don't like the idea of being able to jump in front of other people. That, and I think I'm the only person in the world that finds anticipating a ride while waiting in line to be part of the experience at a park. (Then again, I've been known to ride rides I'm not in love with just to see how people react to the ride, so...)

Thank you for sharing! Love me some NYC. Happen to try any pizza, check out any cultural neighborhoods (Little Italy, Chinatown, etc.), or visit any of the other boroughs?

Certainly an interesting take on it. Both sides certainly come across far friendlier than earlier reports made it sound, but I still find it upsetting that things devolved to lawsuits within the family. I also find Dan's intent to have his kids succeed him a little odd. If he wanted his part of the family to be involved at that level, why become a lawyer 1,000 miles away from the park? And why can't both Will's and Dan's kids play parts in future park management the way Will, Dan, and Natalie did? I wonder if we'll see Pat Koch at the park at all this year--if it were me, I'd sure feel like the family dream's getting ruined by the power struggle.

This is awesome! Thanks for sharing!

^ I hope you can. Be sure to let us know what you think of Firehawk, Diamondback, and WindSeeker!

I really want to know what changed at B&M in the past two or three years. Out of nowhere, they're doing all the things you'd never expect out of B&M. I like the look of the Steel Dragon trains, but I don't expect to see them on many (if any) major new B&M installations. It cuts down on capacity, which is part of the draw of B&M rides. I do wonder if any other Morgan or Arrow megacoasters will receive them. Gotta admit that I don't know if Magnum would be the same for me without the hard lapbar. (Yeah, I'm weird. ) Until I rode Nitro last summer, I thought there would be a drastic difference between the staggered trains and the 4-across. Frankly, I didn't notice that much of a difference, except that you're freer on one (or both) sides to swing your arms and legs on the staggered trains. I don't mean that cynically; it just wasn't as different as I'd expected. In other words, I don't have that much of a preference.

Since closing day (October 28), so something like five months minus eleven days. It's been five months minus twelve days since I last went to Haunt.

One painfully bad picture of Vortex mid-corkscrew coming right up! Easy: Anything from Coney Mall. Hard: Viking Fury. Expert: Adventure Express' drop out of the station from the queue.

Let's try reviving this thread one more time. I like it too much just to let it go. Easy: Eiffel Tower Hard: Eiffel Tower at night Expert: Eiffel Tower at night during Halloween Haunt Just a suggestion that might help keep this going: try going a little bit easier on the categories. Think about what you would take a picture of when you're at the park. A kiddie ride might seem like an easy thing to take a picture of, but if you had a camera with you at the park, when would you really stop to take ride pictures in Planet Snoopy? Does anyone (except maybe BB1 ) take pictures of the slides in the water park? At least in my opinion, the 'easy' picture should be something fairly obvious or broad. The 'easy' one should be the one that any Joe Schmoe with a camera could feel comfortable jumping in with, because, well... It's supposed to be easy. I don't mean to call out specific people's ideas, but on their first visit to the park with a camera, how many people think to take a picture of the cannons on White Water Canyon or Diamondback's test seat? (Again, they're absolutely great ideas--I'm just suggesting that they might be more appropriate as 'hard' or 'expert' pictures.) Some really great examples from the thread: closed WindSeeker, Delirium, a picture in the park on a sunny day, etc. The 'hard' picture should up the ante a bit--but within reason. Make those pictures the type that someone who's taken several pictures at the park would take. Bring on the pictures of squid hats, Vortex mid-inversion, Alive Dinosaurs, obscure park signage/wind vanes, sculpted topiaries, etc. Don't go super over-the-top; that's what the 'expert' picture is for. This is where you ask for the not-so-obvious details of the park, like the bear on the way to Soak City, the Emporium, Backlot Stunt Coaster's 'splashdown', or SBNOSOB. For me, this is the easiest level at which I'll request Haunt photos, because apparently people just don't take many pictures during Haunt. The 'expert' picture is where you let your imagination fly. Make this your 'Don Helbig doing a handstand atop a blue ice cream cake' suggestion, assuming Don's ever been caught doing such a thing. This is where you ask for things that people wouldn't normally take photos of at all. It's also where you ask for pictures from special events, because not everyone's going to have been there. Ask for Soak City slides and pictures on the fences, Racer stopped on the lift hill, Planet Snoopy rides, Flight of Fear with the emergency lights on, or behind-the-scenes Beast photos. Again, these are only suggestions. I'm not trying to play moderator or change the rules; I'd just like to see this thread keep going because I love seeing people's photos!