CoastersNSich

You can purchase tickets at the gate, and straight people are welcome... just expect to be kicked out if you're complaining and/or making a fuss. In other words, be tolerant. Of course, tickets can be purchased in advance for a lower price, and season passes are not accepted. IMO if money were not so tight, I'd go to Pride Night because there's practically no lines for the rides, and - may I say it - overall friendlier park guests.

I last visited Cedar Point for Coastermania this past June, and let me say that at times, especially later in the evening, and especially at the restroom next to Magnum... there might not have been feces on the floor, but still, conditions weren't much better. In short, Six Flags learned their lessons about restroom cleanliness, and Cedar Fair should follow suit.

The focus in the future will surely be on Wildwater Kingdom, but I still see a few coasters and several flat rides for guests' enjoyment being there, especially before and after they do the water park.

"Gee, I wonder if this restaurant serves pork-chaaps and applesauce!!!" - Alice, as played by Jeffrey B. Siebert

So now, you'll have Scareactors screaming obscenities at guests?

This is a concert, not a church service. I have a difficult time hearing the person next to me at a concert, so hearing a ride make noise 100' behind me is a non factor. Now throw in rides in like Firehawk and AE being closed and it just doesn't add up. Why would those rides have negatively affected the concert due to noise? Because if you've ever been in Timberwolf, the sounds of the park tend to echoe though the ampitheater. If it was something that was announced and there was legitimate reasoning behind the shut downs, I don't think there is a real issue. And if we're only talking from 8pm on..... That's not really that major. I was at the Sean Hannity Freedom Concert earlier this month, and Congo Falls, Drop Zone, Face/Off and Son of Beast continued to run, except for a short time when thunderstorms were in the distance.

Impressive... Open until 1am on many nights, and for 6 nights straight until Halloween. (and this is from someone who doesn't care for frightening Halloween blood/gore). I've also noticed the map on the Halloween Haunt page is missing Firehawk and Son of Beast (both are supposed to be operating during Haunt), partly because it's last years Fearfest map.

You spelled "TAER IT DOWN" wrong.

I doubt I'll make the 7:30 show, but most likely I'll do the 1:00 or 3:00 pm show. I also haven't seen "Twistin' to the 60's" yet, so I could go do that at 2pm.

I'm sure many would disagree with you about Magnum... however the severe airtime coming back makes up for it! Gemini, however, I don't have problems with it like others would. It's my favorite at CP because it's just so much fun! Maverick seems to be a close, CLOSE second though.

For the sake of competition, here's my "music video".... It was never announced, but there was indeed a Train Tour. It is included in this video.

I plan to be there to, riding coasters and sharing my latest train tour experience while riding the miniature train.

I think having the opportunity to sit not far from Rudy Giuliani made getting a concert ticket worthwhile. In fact, my concert ticket was for a seat that was pretty far back, so I admit the radio show was a bigger highlight for me. However, I've been into country music for the past few years and last night's show was very worthwhile, especially with Montgomery Gentry frequenting radio airwaves. And by "loud, sometimes crazy," when I characterize Bill Cunningham, I say so in a positive, fun way. The guy can get ****y, but most of the time I see him cracking a smile and being proud when he speaks.

I had planned for months to go to Kings Island for the long-awaited Hannity Freedom Concert. Yesterday, that time finally came. Because I've got a third shift job, I didn't get to the park until after 3:00 PM. I went into the park, with my concert ticket in possession, and showed it to revceive a wristband to gain entry to the 4:00 broadcast of the Sean Hannity radio show at the Paramount Theatre. Since it was about half and hour before I could get into the theatre, I checked out the scene of the Festhaus, where Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House; and Col. Oliver North, who heads the Freedom Alliance (beneficiary of the Freedom Concert), were signing books. Although I was not in the signing line, I was able to get close enough to get photos of Gingrich and North. Just before going in to the Theatre, I overheard "you guys are going to be in for a treat" from those who were leaving the 3PM broadcast. I did seem disappointed that I wouldn't see Bill Cunningham since he was on the last hour... but he did stay on for the 4pm hour. If you don't know, Bill Cunningham is a loud, sometimes crazy, radio guy from Cincinnati's 700 WLW-AM, who is known for constantly using the phrase "You're a Great American!" After Willie, was Lee Ann Rimes, and her husband - Lee Ann, of course, would be performing in the evening concert at TimberWolf. In the last half of the hour was Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of the City of New York 1993-2001, and 2008 Republican presidential candidate. Rudy made three appearances, including at the mid-day Reds game, prior to coming to Kings Island. He discussed with Sean how hard it may be to be a diehard Yankees fan, as well as his views on Iraq, and on domestic social issues. Even though the Hannity radio show airs 3-6 PM Eastern, there would be no 5PM live broadcast, as Sean announced that the 5PM part was taped at 2PM, as I guessed. Since the Concert started at 7PM, I had a couple of hours to do stuff, including go on some rides. I took a trip up the Eiffel Tower, where Cory Butcher was working, which provided me a view of TimberWolf Amphiteatre. I next did Adventure Express, which seems to have a crew that is actually on the ball, running three trains, even though I got in the front seat with no wait. Yes, the guy at the top of the enclosed lift is lit up again (should I have said this?). Also, Son of Beast was running, so I headed there as it's not always open. Like on AE, I was able to have a walk-on to one train wait for the second row, red train. As expected, rough in the "rose bowl," but hey, it's going up to 70 MPH, I guess. After leaving SOB, I noticed the line to get into the concert at TimberWolf was SO long, it went all the way on International Street towards the candy/fudge shop... but it did move reasonably quick, and I was in my seat just in time for Sean Hannity's introduction, with 550 WKRC's John Phillips and Brian Thomas. They were followed by singer Lee Greenwood, who had several songs, most notably his smash hit "God Bless the U.S.A." Greenwood was extremely patriotic, reflecting the mood of the Freedom Concert. After Greenwood, Sean Hannity went back on stage, with Rudy Giuliani. After Rudy, Lee Ann Rimes took the stage, singing hits like "Blue" and "How Do I Live" What a tremendous voice, not only when singing, but speaking, too! The second break featured impersonations of President Bush and Sen. Hillary Clinton, then Oliver North and Newt Gingrich. The evening was capped off with the country duo Montgomery Gentry (I think I saw Troy Gentry at SOB), who has hits like "My Town," "Some People Change," and "Lucky Man." At the end of the show, Hannity and Cunningham joined MG in singin "My Town." All in all, I had a memorable night.. Sorry if I missed some details, I'm TIRED!!!

I didn't make it to all parts of the event, but I must say that the time I did spend there was time well spent, and I wouldn't mind there being another one in the future. One serious problem, NO gravy at the buffet! BOOO!!!

I'm definitely coming tomorrow, but only for portions of the day. I'll be there in the beginning up until Firehawk ERT, then head home for a nap. I'll come back in time for Beast tour, and the Gravy Buffet, maybe even for the video in the Paramount Theater, then back home for a later nap before heading off to third shift work. I have to get my sleep sometime!

Having been to Six Flags America on Tuesday, I know where Todd is going. Staff was friendly, ESPECIALLY at concession stands where I asked for cups of ice water. Compare that to Sunday night at Kings Island, where I seemed to "inconvenience" the people at Coney Mall Skyline for the same thing. I had to go fill out a complaint for the first time in 5 years at Guest Relations that night. Another thing about Six Flags is that they are not only serious about cleanliness, but also being smoke-free. Employees wore buttons at the SFA front gate, and before the park opened officially, they made announcement that "smoking outside designated areas is cause for removal from the park." How well they enforced it, I'm not sure, but they have to be more serious than at Cedar Fair parks.

I don't think so far that Cedar Fair is hurting Kings Island. But for a few experiences I've had, particularly customer service and some ride operations, the place isn't getting too much better.

I took a trip the past few days to Washington, D.C., and on Tuesday, decided to go to Six Flags America - without a car! You might think that would be impossible, but the D.C. area has a great public transit system. The hotel I was staying in was a block from the Woodley Park/Zoo Metro station. I went down the LONG escalators, which took several minutes to descend. I caught the Red Line train toward the city center, where I transferred to a Blue Line train towards Largo at Metro Center. On the platform, I ran into a young lady wearing one of those distinctive Six Flags employee shirts that say "...Because my family goes here too!" on the back, also headed where I was going. Now in Largo, Marlyand at the end of the Blue Line, I wait for the metrobus, along with more SFA employees, and about 30 minutes later, I walk with many of them toward the park (and realizing I saved good money taking Metro because of the $15 parking fee). The front gate was playing the "We Like To Party!" song (the one in the Mr. Six commercials) along with "general announcements" and an ad for the Marines. Going in was a breeze, and the main gate plaza was open all the way down to the end by the theater, where the opening show was going on, featuring Bugs and Daffy. This is a sign that Six Flags is serious about family entertainment and having a good time. They are also serious about not only cleanliness, but having a smoke free park. Right at the front gate, employees were wearing buttons about the policy - and an announcement made prior to the park officially opening saying that smoking outside of designated areas is cause for removal from the park. I'd like to see my home park, Kings Island, try this! I last visited SFA in 2004, when Superman: Ride of Steel was closed due to the incident at SFNE, and Batwing broke down before I could ride. This time, Batwing was open, and S:ROS was almost ready. I grabbed a locker for my valuables next to ROS, and headed for Batwing, got the second train of the morning (1 train op), front row. It turned out to be good, even though I had ridden the relocated and repainted Firehawk two days earlier at KI. Coming back from Batwing, S:ROS was now open, and I got on the next train, sitting in the first row of the next to-last car of the one train they were running. Wow, did this coaster ever make the trek to SFA worthwhile! This IMO has better air than Millennium Force, though MF's layout is more impressive. Next, I hit Joker's Jinx, without any wait, and got in the third car (2 train op.). I actually like this a bit more than Flight of Fear, because it's outdoors, and lacks the mid-course brake. One ride I was hoping to do was the Typhoon Sea Coaster, and while the lifts were running, it was not open, possibly because of a stranded boat/malfunction. Walking past it, I headed for ROAR and the front seat, which delivered a fun, although a bit rough ride, as evidenced buy the passengers behind me. The SLC coaster was down, so I skipped that up. Instead, I did the third KI coaster clone, Two-Face, getting on an empty seat on the next available train, and while riding, thought that this coaster was smoother than Face/Off at KI. Wild One was shut down briefly, so I headed for the Drop Tower (forget the name, it's an Intamin 2nd gen freefall, like the one at SFKK), and got on quickly. Before dropping, I could see out to Landover and FedEx Field. Wild One reopened as I got off, and I got in the first row of the last car. This old woodie actually true to its name, especially in the final helix! Before heading back to the locker, and out of the park, I went on the Penguin's Blizzard River raft ride, which got me damp, as it was in the 90's that day. I should also note that when I asked for tap water in two occasions at concession stands, they happily gave it to me without hesitation or question. Compare that to an experience at KI two days earlier. The third time I needed water, I chose to buy a bottle of spring water on the way out of the park and to the metrobus stop. I like how SF parks sell real spring water rather than that Dasani/Aquafina stuff at Cedar Fair parks. Overall, my experience at SFA was very diferent from 3 years ago, and it is a sign that the park, and the chain, is getting better. Cedar Fair could do a few things that their big competitor is now doing. Whether you choose to drive, or take transit, SFA is a worthwhile place to visit for coaster thrills and fun.

Terra Mitica in Spain was briefly managed by Paramount Parks, sorta like Bonfante/Gilroy Gardens... the contract/management ended some time before Cedar Fair bought Par. Parks.

Did anyone else notice that the park's big marquee along I-71 and KI Drive was turned off tonight. The PKI logo was not lit up, and the message board was off as well...

What is PKI?

Improvements/Good so far in 2000: The Paramount name has disappeared/is disappearing. We all can just call it "Kings Island" again. Adventure Express seems to run three trains just fine, and the crew acts alive. Son of Beast - the loop is gone, but the Gerstlauers are an extreme improvement over the Premiers. No more pain and begging for the train to get released into the station because of the old trains' restraint pinching. A good flying steel coaster was moved from a declining park (GL) to another that doesn't have quite as much competition (KI). There are several decent live shows again! You can not under-estimate how much of the patronage desires entertainment that doesn't require getting thrown around and upside down, and waiting a long period of time to enjoy. What Needs Improvement/Poor so far in 2000: Courtesy seems to be an extra chore to some employees. The Racer crew could still care less about the main concept of the ride, let alone having fun. Vortex frequently stacks, despite the easy to use seat belts. Food prices, anyone? The last time I really ate at KI was a couple of slices of LaRosa's on Opening Day... sure it was good quality, but I've heard complaints about the quality of other foods in the park, on top of the high prices. I prayed for Cedar Fair to buy Kings Island for several years. I understand that getting the place upto their "standards" will take time, but so far, this year has been rough, and honestly, not much better than the last few seasons. As of now, I give Cedar Fair a B to C grade. As stated months ago in a prior topic, it's vital that we, fans of a business (a.k.a. Kings Island amusement park), speak up when something is undesirable and below expectations. You can't please everyone, but you must be efficient, provide value, be courteous, and above all, be safe. This means that a product that is over-priced, lazy, rude/indifferent, and unsafe has greater chances of failing. One series of pain for me: I needed change for the Firehawk locker. The change machine next to the lockers was broken. I didn't want to "inconvenience" the ride photo stand to get change. I lose my Cell Phone while riding. I come back several days later... they recovered the phone, but I felt I was treated like (human excrement) trying to get it back.

Honestly, scavenger hunts turned my day at the park on events like this into... work. If there were to be a scavenger hunt this year, I would have passed on it? And do you have an approximate time on when the Gravy Buffet will be?

It's closed again, but when it was open, Kings Island felt complete again.