CoastersNSich

Agreed - when Boomerang Bay isn't open, the admisson should be $15-$20 less than in "regular season." Some parks, like Dorney, I remember having lower gate prices when Wildwater Kingddom wasn't open - maybe Geauga Lake did this too. Yeah, though if a passholder has multiple disappointing visits, this may hurt them as well. I've had some downright disgusting days, but I keep coming back, and have a nice time most visits. Of course, not all passholers live in the greater Cincinnati area - some live 2 or more hours away, and only visit 2-3 times...

Today was simply a great day at the park. I wanted to go first thing, along with ACE walkback, but because I got back home from St. Louis late last night, I postponed my arrival a bit, and got there just before 3pm, and made my way in quickly. Face/Off was testing, but never opened, but I don't do it often anyway. Took 2 rides on Top Gun, then 2 on Express, both Racer sides once, and Vortex. The Hanna-Barbera film in Action Theater was fun but not the most exciting. The Beast was good, but not very different from what it was before - not bad, but not much smoother like some said. Nickelodeon Universe just looks very nice. Some may disagree with me, but the designs, graphics, and colors look great! I spent most of my time there filming/taking pictures, but rode Avatar and Fairly Odd Coaster. The trains look cool, but the lack of tunnel is just weird. Some rides on Drop Zone, 2 more Adv Express, and the Eiffel Tower closed out the day. One question: I thought it was weird for the park to be open the Monday after Easter. Were any schools open?

I'm guessing ya ain't been to Six Flags recently? I was at Six Flags St. Louis on Saturday... I think the old Six Flags mentality is gone. Just about everything was open, the new Bugs Bunny National Park (kids area) was beautiful, and friendly staff all around. Crowds were light, but just a beautiful day. SF parks must be making a turnaround for the better! Is Paramount the flip-side of this?

I oddly don't consider any of the four rides to be truly scary, but went along with the majority. On the late afternoon/evening news, The Beast had a slight lead as the majority over Drop Zone. And don't get Rob Braun on any of them!

Today's Local 12 News Poll asks which PKI ride is scariest. (Slow news day?) You can call 513-345-1212 or go online to wkrc.com today to vote.

Now, while Cedar Fair parks may be lowering their admission prices, and selling cotton candy for 25¢, it doesn't necessarily mean parking prices and some food prices are going down. Parking at Cedar Point and Geauga Lake is still $9 (maybe $10). They may not offer trams, but they definitely have staff to direct drivers to the right spaces. Therefore, I wouldn't rule out Cedar Fair buying Paramount Parks. The Premium/Preferred parking sections are a good idea - parks like PKI and BGW (or BGE) have them. Kennywood also has pay parking areas closer to the gate - but the lots further away are free, and are serviced by the chair lift and escalators. I wouldn't mind if even Holiday World charged for a premium parking area that was paved, while keeping most of their parking free.

A "speed pass"/virtual queueing system would be nice, but honestly, the best way to move the lines and shorten waits is simply to make them efficient: - Placing a "greeter" at the entrance of the line, along with a test seat, so that guests who are either too short or too large know about their restriction before they get to the station. - A "line separator" before the loading gates, making sure all seats go full. - Implementing a single rider line: singles may not get to choose their seat or their riding partner, but they help out the capacity, and end up waiting very little if all. - Some recorded spiels, so people know what they're doing before riding. - Running all available, working trains/cars vehicles Supposedly, another reason why CP ditched FreeWay, is so they could staff the line separators better, rather than someone having to guard and manage the Merge Point. I thought FreeWay was a nice option, but when I was in the park, I had to alter my schedule to line up for the stamps.

It really looks like it'll be ready in just a week! I also appreciate the new concrete going in, it feels a litle more comfortable on those hot days, compared to the black asphalt surfaces found in most of the park.

I agree that it is easier to buy season passes at PKI, as they have more sales windows and processing stations. However, at CP, passholders can renew their passes by mail, having their IDs mailed to them, so they don't have to wait in line for next year's pass. You can reride coasters at Cedar Fair parks, though you have to go back around. It may be a pain in the ass, but at least they're being consistent. Some coasters at PKI, however, don't allow re-rides (without leaving the station), such as Son of Beast, Italian Job, and Flight of Fear. In addition, CP has greeters that check height at the ride entrance to all the major rides, as well as line separators of on coasters like Dragster and Millennium Force. Have you been to Racer on a normal day? They have to check height in the station so often - go to CP - you almost never see this happen, as their associates do this before guests enter the line. I'm willing to bet that people have had issues with Guest Relations at PKI as well. Back in 2002, when many of the rides were closed on an August Sunday, as well as a poorly-run concert at TimberWolf, I went to guest relations. I thought they could care less about my bad day. Yes, guest relations at some parks can be surly, but Cedar Point is not exclusive to this problem. Six Flags parks, in previous years, were the epitome of this B.S. I'm also curious why there's no sit down table-service restaurants at the Hollywood-style theme park, while the big amusement park on Lake Erie has several. Also at PKI, you don't see traffic control on the level that CP has. I really hate for this to become a CP vs. PKI thread, but if someone is going to question my points, I'll happily back them up with some counter-arguments and evidence.

If I were Cedar Fair, having acquired Paramount Parks, I would do different types of season passes. It might be like what the Busch parks do... 1) Specific-park pass, the cheapest, but least flexibility. If you buy the pass at Kings Island, it can only be used at Kings Island, but not Cedar Point, Geauga Lake, Dorney Park, Kings Dominion, etc. and vice versa. This pass could cost less than $100. 2) Gold pass. Access to all Cedar Fair amusement parks, except separate-gate water parks, like Soak City, though the Boomerang Bays and Wildwater Kingdoms would be included... CPt holders can get access to GL and KI at no additional charge. Cost, probably around $150. 3) Platinum pass, most expensive, most flexible. Access to all Cedar Fair parks, including water parks. Plus, an option to have a parking pass at more than one CF park. This year, Cedar Point is offering its passholders the chance to buy a parking pass to Geauga Lake, and vice versa. Cost, around $200 or more. I personally hope that CF becomes the new owner. It's likely that there will be less emphasis on theming, but more on overall quality, including landscaping, cleanliness, pathways, and service. While the loss of Paramount movie themes won't have a severe impact on the park, I honestly think CF should acquire the Nickelodeon licensing.

Wow, I hope Paramount isn't becoming more like old Six Flags - and I say "old" because they've made changes, and I had a great time at Kentucky Kingdom on Saturday.

A combination of going almost five months without coaster riding, great weather, and buzz created by new management, especially Six Flags' new CEO, Mark Shapiro, I chose to make the drive down to Louisville to check out Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom (SFKK) on April Fool's Day (Sat. 4/1/06). I bought my season pass online, and printed the vouchers at home, the night prior towards leaving. I took my friend Brian, who also followed the same procedure, and we left northern Cincinnati at around 9:30 am, arriving at the Kentucky Fair & Expo Center approximately at 11:30. There were a large amount of cars parked in front of the expo halls, as there was a Flea Market going on in the West Hall, but we ended up finding a space with a short walk to the park. Walking in, security seemed more strict than they were last year, doing a more thorough search, making me empty out all my pockets of electronic items, camera, phone, and iPod nano included. Beyond that, the area was very festive and inviting, with balloons and even the new Six Flags "theme song" playing, and people and signs saying "Have a great 45th Anniversary!" The chain is celebrating its 45th anniversary, since Six Flags over Texas opened in 1961. This, however makes guests think Kentucky Kingdom itself opened in 1961, and not really in 1987 (before closing for 2 seaons after a bad first year). BUT there have been FAR more misleading claims made... Brian and I soon made our way to the Season Pass processing center, which had a short line outside the door. Upon making our way, more were already in, while there were a LOT of employees working the cameras, so getting our passes was with little effort. Noting a short line, we went to Hellevator, which only had a one to two cycle wait, and only one of the 5 sections were out of order. Since I'm looking out on the vast Expo Center and the city beyond, I hardly notice wer're going to be dropped. Since I haven't been on a coaster since November, I wanted to start off on a good one, so I chose to go to Greezed Lightnin'. We got in the second to last row, when we noticed that our friends Adam and Darlene were waiting in the back! Not only did we notice that there is a "new" loop, but also a "new" train: they were parts of the former Tidal Wave/Greased Lightning that ran at Marriott's/Paramount's Great America in California. You may recall that after being dismantled, it was bought by Six Flags Marine World as parts, but never rebuilt whole again. I noticed the train looked different, not only by its colors, but also its headrests, and the yellow markings on the lapbars (something frequently seen on lapbars/restraints at Kings Island). The ride, however, was of the same quality as before, with some good airtime sitting in the back. The four of us went to ride Road Runner Express next, with a decent line. While it is a mouse with a lot of quick stops and lateral G's, it had some negative vertical G's as well. The frequently alternating view between Chang and Freedom Hall was fun, too. Right after our ride, we headed across the "darn Bridge" to the larger section of the park towards Chang. Earlier on, we learned that Chang was receiving a badly needed paint job, which would be of yellow track and blue supports. Some school children entered and won the contest to pick the colors. I'm glad they're going back to the original yellow color, the greenish yellow and purple scheme began fading before too long. The past week, we learned that a painter was injured after falling 25 feet from a ladder while repainting Chang. We ended up waiting about half an hour, into the large queue area, as only one train was operating - it's possible one was out of order, or not being used while the paint job is underway. We ended up in the very back row, which, while intense, was still a great ride. After getting off, we noticed 4-5 Army soldiers in full dress uniform, always nice to see. The temperature neared 70, but I guess still comfortable, whether in shorts or in full sleves and pants. Our next activity, T2, brught us one of the biggest surprises of the day: both trains in operation! While it is often a slow moving, low capacity ride, that really changes when another train is added, and we had little to no wait. This, however, should be expected, since new CEO Mark Shapiro had questioned the practice of ride vehicles being out of use, especially when there are long lines. This is possibly the second time I've ever seen T2 running... "T2." Next to T2, we notice that Chaos was removed. The ride had suffered a lot of downtime, and was replaced with benches and trees, as it is now a designated smoking area. New this year, Six Flags parks have gone "smoke free," with the use of designated areas. While it is hard for a park in Kentucky to kick the habit, they may be doing a better job, with signage, more visible areas, and public address announcements - eventually, more and more guests will get a hold of the policy. Walking towards the back of the park, to ride Twisted Twins, we noticed that the Penguin's Blizzard River was up and running, to our surprise. In addition, the pathway that goes by the Top Eliminator dragsters has been closed off, and according to the map, removed as an attraction. In the past few years, Top Eliminator was rarely open, as least to me. This then, took us underneath Thunder Run, which we'll come back to later. The other water ride, Mile High Falls, was also in operation. With the moderate temperatures, we chose not to get wet, as both water rides can get you drenched. Only one side of Twisted Twins was open, Stella - as Lola was said to be undergoing some work. The one side, however, delivered a great, smooth ride. While it is one of the lowest rated CCI coasters, I think it's honestly underrated. Since Darlene and Adam had ridden Thunder Run earlier on, and they needed to process their passes, Brian and I did Thunder Run, which had a line down to the stairs. While Thunder Run is a great fast, and airtime filled woodie, its operation needs to be redone. They need to build a transfer track for a second train, which I think can be done. Its capacity isn't too "swift." Roller Skater is a neatly designed Vekoma junior coaster, and we did that, mainly because I wanted to add it to my annual count. After that ride, I went in search for a good lunch-snack, which runs me to one of the biggest complaints of the day: food pricing has gone up. Yes, Papa John's (which started in Louisville over 20 years ago), is now the official pizza at Six Flags parks, but $6 is very pricey for a "large slice." Medium drinks cost close to $4. Even though I had a coupon with my Season Pass, it cost $7.50 for fried Oreos (which were good) and a medium drink. This seems to be going against what other parks have done for food and drink - Cedar Fair parks are charging 25¢ for cotton candy - and Holiday World, only 1-1/2 hours away, offers free unlimited soft drinks (and Voyage!). My problem is not with the gate pricing and season passes, but the overpriced parking (SFKK is exempt), food and drinks is a pain. Some welcome changes, however, were the placement of restroom attendants, ensuring clean facilities. This was one of the bigger complaints about Six Flags parks, and they have thus responded. Also new this year is expanded live entertainemnent. Many of the Looney Tunes characters were present, new shows have been added, and parades are planned for this season, as well. One thing I find emphasized a little too much was the "45th Anniversary" thing. It's nice to celebrate the anniversary of their first park, Six Flags over Texas, but still a little overdone for a park that is less than 20 years old. We also noticed that Thrill Park Theater is now showing "The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera," which the Paramount Parks, include Kings Island, is also showing. Unfortunately, the simulator ride was closed, which means I'll have to wait a couple weeks to see it. After eating, we an into Adam and Darlene again, as we headed to ride the Giant Wheel for a panoramic view of the park. Then, back over the "darn Bridge" to the front for another ride on Hellevator, and some flat rides. Himalaya was fun, because they play a good mix of rock and country (plus the Vengaboys song that Six Flags recently made famous with Mr. Six). We also rode Enterprise and the Rainbow, before deciding to go to the back of the park again for another ride on T2 and then Twisted Twin Stella. Darlene and Adam parted ways, and Brian and I got a second ride on Chang. Since I love B&M coasters, a ride on Chang at SFKK is mandatory for me. Before leaving for the day, Brian and I got two rides in on Greezed Lightnin', including one in the front car (I had the front row). I simply love this Schwarzkopf shuttle looper. This capped off a beautiful and exciting day at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, which is beginning to turn a new corner for the better - new experiences, and better guest service, even as we were leaving the park gate. I might head back to SFKK in May when I go to Holiday World, possibly for HoliWood Nights on Memorial Day weekend.

You don't have to be an ACE member, but I think you do have to have a CoasterBuzz screen name to register. You do get a discount ($4-5 less) by being a CoasterBuzz CLUB Member - it's $20 to join, and can get you into park-sponsored events such as HoliWood Nights (HW) and CoasterMania (CP). They haven't posted a flyer yet on CoasterBuzz, which will show what the costs are. You also get a discount if you have a Paramount Parks pass.

No, I mean that in the iTunes Music Store, they spelled it "Cincinnatti."

Mommy! Daddy! I wanna go outside and wait and enjoy the fresh air, just like at Kings Island!

There used to be a MARTA shuttle to Six Flags from the Hamilton E. Holmes rail station. Unfortunately, that was axed after last season, due to budget cuts, and before the Snyder/Shapiro takeover.

I remember meeting Craig Ross while in line for Delirium on Media Day 2003. I told him how it was a great ride and investment, I think I rode it at least once before running into him. He'll be missed around the park.

If so, Roseanne Barr just might spend a night there!

AAARRRGGGHHH!!! Why do so many people NOT know how to spell "Cincinnati?!" It's like saying that I'm passing through Indeeanapollis to get to St. Lewis to see the Cardenals play at Bush Stadiam!

BUT... right on the front page, under the "Rides and Attractions tab," a picture of the IJST splashdown is prominently shown. Maybe they justr haven't added it to either the category of Thrill Rides or Family Rides (where Adventure Express is located).

Wonderful and Entertaining. I got to see my fat ass walking around and taking pictures in the picnic grove!

Gemini, because it has some great airtime, and is run the way a racing coaster should be. Few other coasters involve rider participation, especially when the two trains pass each other on the turns. Very smooth throughout, yet intense right at the very end! Sure, Magnum XL-200, Millennium Force, Raptor, and Top Thrill Dragster are excellent coasters, and among the best of their "genres," but to me, Gemini is unique.

On 4/14, I'll most likely ride The Beast first thing as part of the ACE walkback (yes, it will be back), though I plan to leave at 11am or earlier, to head off to St. Louis to see baseball in the new Busch Stadium and go to Six Flags St. Louis that weekend. NOTE: To do the ACE walkback, you must meet at the old "Season Pass Entrance," located between Season Pass Processing/Sales and Group Sales. You MUST have your ACE membership card to participate.

I see they have one of those toilet bowl slides, which I've never done before, as well as a racing slide that ends just like the one at Boomerang Bay. I think it should do well, especially since it's in Columbus, which has a lot of year-round attractions. Of course, by the end of the year, it won't be the only Ohio indoor water park in a large metro area...

It would be a great idea, but as of now I don't have a video-capable iPod - only a monochrome 40GB one, and a 4GB nano.