CoastersNSich

At least somebody is using the Google on the . Too bad that maps on .

In no particular order: Flying Eagles - for obvious reasons King Cobra - just a great stand-up coaster Wild Animal Habitat Monorail - a truly family-friendly attraction Antique Cars - beautifully landscaped family attraction Phantom Theater - just a great dark ride, great music and theming! Son of Beast with the loop - one of a kind

Before going to The Beach Waterpark's Holiday Fest, I decided to get a closer look at Son of Beast as possible. I first stopped at the passenger drop-off, but couldn't see much there. (As a side note, there's a sign on the north parking lot exit gates, which were reconfigured as part of the Great Wolf Lodge project, that said "Kings Island CLOSED" - no "Paramount" on it.) Next, I drove on the road near the Kings High School compex and GWL, getting as close to the park as possible without trespassing. From this angle, I tried looking as hard as possible for the Son of Beast loop - or lack thereof. This loop has to have had some height to it - the fact that I couldn't see it is either because of the trees or that this loop is indeed gone. I could see some sort of circular object sticking out in that questionable area, but it looked far more like The Racer's lift hill. Is this simply a rebuilding project, or are they doing that so better trains that can't handle inversions could be installed?

...Unless someone were to fly over the park and see if anything was happening...

Here's my honest yet controversial statement: This was probably around the time when Kings Island looked its best, IMHO.

"Now Six Flags knows how it feels to be robbed at the toll booths."

Of course, don't forget that King Cobra was the first North American coaster designed as a stand-up. In 1983, Worlds of Fun's Screamroller, an Arrow Corkscrew, was the first American coaster with stand-up trains. This concept, named EXT, or Extremeroller, lasted about a year, when the coaster returned to standard sit-down trains. Extremeroller was removed after the 1988 season for the installation of the TimberWolf wooden coaster. http://rcdb.com/qs.htm?quicksearch=extremeroller http://worldsoffun.org/history/index.htm The next year, Six Flags Over Mid-America added the same kind of stand-up train to one side of its River King Mine Train, renamed it Rail Blazer. Just like the one at Worlds of Fun, this concept only lasted for a season before going back to standard trains. Also, someone fell out of the stand-up train and was killed here, likely resulting in the end of Arrow stand-ups. In 1988, one side of River King Mine Train was removed, later to be installed at two parks, the latter now being Big Bad John at Magic Springs in Arkansas. (SFOMA is now known as Six Flags St. Louis) http://rcdb.com/id125.htm

This may be a shock to many of you, but when I pass by a game, and the guy at the mic calls me out, I almost always... politely pass by, say "no thanks", or even smile or chuckle.

I request that we return to the original topic at hand - What you would like to see at Kings Island.

I think that pretty much describes their job. Annoy people, and challenge them that they couldn't win at the games. Works on some people, but, definetly not on others. Sorry that I tried to call a friend, whom I temporarily separated from while in the park. I guess next time I'll have him come with me into the bathroom... I just got a little upset and aggravated. I thought there was a difference between getting guests to play their game and spend money, and outright p!ssing them off. I stand behind my opinion that the latter happened.

Here's what I said: "I'M ON THE PHONE!!" Yes, I'm shouting. I'm p!ssed. Wouldn't you be?

I'm not saying the loud microphones should be done away with, but the people using them could use a little more common sense and courtesy. Walking the main midway at Cedar Point on a Friday in October, I was on my cell phone when the guy at an Age & Weight game verbally jumps all over me because I'm wearing a STL Cardinals jacket*. Needless to say, I chewed him out (because he interrupted my call attempt). *The Cardinals were playing the Detroit Tigers in this year's World Series, the team many guests and employees at CP were rooting for. This was on the night before WS Game 1.

I've heard things that it will cost CF A LOT to get out of the Paramount theming and name - it's more a question of "Will they?" but "Can they?" Sounds a little ass-backwards to me.

Obviously this. I wouldn't mind seeing a Screaming Swing, some sort of Ferris Wheel, some other flats, and some enclosed innertube slides for the water park.

Whether Cedar Fair chooses to use those options is up to it. I doubt seriously your first clue as to what PKD will be named next year would be an employment brochure. The parks will NOT change any marketing materials until they are ready to make an announcement...if they are changing the name, they won't tip their hat in an employment brochure....potential employees do care about who they will be working for, but what the name of the company is is probably near the very bottom of their concerns. Very good point. They're still operating the parks like normal, even if that gives them the look of the old regime. It's possible, even, that a possible name change might not happen until March or April. BUT now we DO know what one of the Paramount Parks is getting. They might not be calling it Boomerang Bay, but they are expanding a water park.

Looks like they've switched the online sales of passes over to the Paramount Parks IT system, including for CP and GL, as Dick Kinzel stated in the 3Q conference call. While they're not doing parking on the season pass ID, this is definitely a logical move to offer an all-Ohio parking pass.

One sign that this change in 2004 was more of a PTC mandate and not a Paramount Parks move could be Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL. I first visited this park in 2003, and neither Viper nor American Eagle had seat belts in the park's PTCs. I returned the following year, to find seatbelts were added. These belts, however, were the one-across style that both riders share, and put on before lowering the lap bar. This is the seat belt type also found on Gemini and Mine Ride trains at CP, and in the wood coasters at GL.

I was browsing the forums of PKD Place, where there was discussion about what our Virginia counterpart will be getting in 2007. They came across this brochure listed on the park's website for 2007 Career Days: http://www3.paramountparks.com/kingsdomini...d_career_07.pdf This may be a sign of how Cedar Fair will market, advertise, add to, and deal with the Paramount Parks in 2007. The park is still referred to heavily as Paramount's Kings Dominion. The 2006 motif, including the filmstrips, fonts, and graphic design is present in this brochure. The Cedar Fair Entertainment Company logo is located next to the Virginia/DC region map, on the right side of Page 3. What's new? WaterWorks expansion! Contrary to popular belief, they are not retheming WaterWorks to Boomerang Bay. Surf City Splash House, similar to the family play structure/slide/bucket complexes found at other Cedar Fair water parks like CP Soak City and GL Wildwater Kingdom. "Two Huge Wave Pools." This means that they must be adding a wave pool, since WW currently has one. Dorney added a second pool in 2006 to their WWK. ProSlide Tornado? Not specifically mentioned, but there's a graphic of what looks like PKI or GL's ProSlide Tornado funnel slide.

A couple of other things about the UC campus: I read that the Teacher's College building is getting a major renovation, starting January 2007, and to be completed mid 2008. It's had some remodeling not too long ago, but a lot of the building as things that date back to the 1930s, including the stairwells, as well as men's restrooms where half the stalls don't have doors. Not surprised that the 1 year construction hiatus is coming to an end. Sawyer Hall, one of the three similar high-rise apartment towers, was demolished over the 2005-06 year. It was originally supposed to be renovated, but I guess during the project, they ended up destroying it altogether. Does anyone know why it was torn down?

The PTC lapbars at KI are stricter than those at other parks... I can put mine down at other parks' PTCS close to me and still feel comfortable on those. Could Big be able to fit on Voyage?

What about those of us that have ridden X-Flight, like myself, who neither loves nor hates the ride. I like X-Flight to a moderate degree. I'd feel neutral that Kings Island may be getting a previously used coaster - that I've been on in its original location (and under that coaster's original ownership, btw). Moving a large Vekoma flying coaster from one park to another isn't cheap. Remember when Paramount Parks did such a cross-country move with Stealth?

Why didn't they get "kingsisland.com" in the first place? They have have carowinds.com, canadaswonderland.com, EVEN kingsdominion.com...

"The Paramount's Kings Island parks are located near Cincinnati, OH and Richmond, VA." - some web editor that knows little about theme parks

Interesting that they quoted Lance Hart of Screamscape... I'd agree with him - Coolangatta Racer at Boomerang Bay, and Splashin' Safari's Jungle Racer are a couple of great, fast, competitive slides families and friends can do together!

I don't necessarily like the men's room on International Street.