erniebald57

I would have to go with a B&M. Vortex isn't getting any younger, SOB is a rib and knee breaker, Top Gun and Face Off are too short, and most of the others fall in the tame category. Beast, FOF, and Racer are all good coasters, but as much as I love PKI, I still think that they fall a little short in the coaster quality category. I have yet to ride a bad or even a mediocre Beemer, and I don't understand why PKI has chosen to pass on B&M year after year, despite their impeccable track record. No invert, no floorless, no megacoaster. Now B&M has the dive machine and flyer technology that few have tapped into yet. It couldn't be a better time for PKI to buy one. Honestly, I think that any B&M can stand on it's own without any theming whatsoever, but since when is it not an option to theme a big coaster. A little park called Islands of Adventure themed two Beemers (very well I might add). Hulk and Dueling Dragons are held in high regard in theme park circles. Spend some of that moldy money and buy us a themed Beemer. Guaranteed attendance booster and people mover.

Yeah, I was comparing it to a B&M, not calling it one. Vekoma inverts aren't even in the same league as Beemers are. On second thought, if you are going to have a Vekoma invert, make it as short as possible so it's over quickly. A ride on Face Off is better than a ride on Thunderhawk in my book.

You might be a PKI addict if you went to the park on April 23, 2005....in the 45 degree rainy windy weather.

It's about 45 degrees and raining, not to mention the wind is blowing pretty hard. I don't want to even go outside, much less go to the park. You people who are going today are certifiable nutjobs. I love the place as much as anybody, but It can't possibly be fun riding in this kind of weather. I feel sorry for those who had to work today.

I waited a couple hours in the blazing sun for SOB it's opening year. The ride kept going down, and the girl next to us in line, who we actually knew by chance, collapsed from the heat. A quick question to go with this. Would it be the end of the world if PKI put some shade somewhere in the Action Zone?

To tell you the truth, I couldn't care less about it. First of all, its a shuttle coaster, which is short for we don't want to spend the money to put in a full circuit one. Having been on the best B&M inverts in the country, I think this ride is pretty small time. The capacity is lousy and the lines can get long. I don't ride it unless the lines are short. It could be worse though. It could run like Deja Vu and always be broken down.

I don't have to pay any attention to advertisement at PKI, because they have for the most part done a good job of making advertisement a non intrusive thing at the park. It isn't much of a problem for me now. I just don't want to see it get out of hand like it has at places like Disney. I fully understand the need for sponsors and advertisement because they help to pay the bills and make money for the park (there has been a laundry list of official sponsors for years). Outside ticket deals with local business are important, and promotion and marketing is imperative to park success However when it comes to the inside of the park, I think there is something to be said for providing a environment of escape that is pure, original, and free of intrusive crass commercialism. I think that having the local brands around the park is great. It gives them exposure to those who aren't from the area, and provides great food, but does the world really need another McDonalds or Subway? Does Gillette really need to have another gigantic billboard? Does anyone here really like four minutes of commercials every ten minutes on TV and the radio? I guess I view the theme park experience as sacred, and something that doesn't need to be invaded by excessive commercials, billboards, and chain fast food restaurants.

I can live with the local brands being around. They have always been a part of KI, and they are good, so who can argue with KI supporting the local businesses. There have always been corporate sponsors to help pay the bills, so as long as promotion is done in a tasteful manner, it's no big deal. I really don't care to see Subway in the park, or even Starbucks for that matter. The reason for that is this. I have always thought that amusement/theme parks were supposed to be another world, and bringing in giant corporate chains like Subway, Starbucks or God forbid....McDonalds, is what I would call compromising the originality and personality of the park for the sake of money. In other words, it's called selling out. If you want a sub place, than create one yourself. Coffee is a little different, so the Starbucks deal can slide a little. Theme parks are one of the ultimate forms of escapism, and nothing brings me back down to the real world faster than a giant billboard advertisement or a corporate fast food joint. We are bombarded with products and ads every day, and the last thing Kings Island needs to be is a giant commercial. I understand the need to make money, but in a world of too many commercials and shameless plugs, it's nice to go somewhere where those things don't exist.

I know that they aren't just going to leave it like that. If they do, that's pretty pathetic. The patio and 50's cars is a cool idea, but please don't just put grass there. The idea of the Eagles being replaced with grass makes me kind of sick.

I say keep it. It is a nice quiet area of the park. However, it does need some updating and care. It looks exactly the same as it did 10 years ago. I think it needs a lot more props and set pieces. The Kings Island Story would be cool too, but they could put it somewhere else in the park...maybe even indoors to provide some much needed air conditioned space. If done right, it could be successful.

Man whatever happened to good ol' Nick. When I was a kid they had the classics like Pinwheel and You Can't Do That on Television...the originator of green slime. I'm waiting for a You Can't Do That marathon one day.

huh??? sorry I would have to disagree with you there. Cedar Point has changed a lot over it's 120 plus years. I wouldn't be so quick to say PKI has changed more.

So what now are all the new restaurants/eateries coming in this year? Are there any more on the way? I've heard about the Happy Days Diner, Chik Fila, Starbucks, and Graeter Ice Cream...anything I've missed?

I doubt that IJST will be ready by then. My vote goes to The Beast. The only reason Face Off will see a line is because it's in the front of the park. Everyone wants to ride The Beast.

I hope they have something up their sleeve. Those trains weren't ordinary coaster cars. It does seem a bit overly optimistic that the ride will open as intended with all three coaster trains ready to go. Opening with just one would create ungodly lines. To be honest, I'd rather it open late with all the trains than open on May 19th with one. Tough luck for the park, but hopefully they can overcome the setback without losing anything on the ride.

Kings Island Cedar Point Geauga Lake Holiday World Universal Studios?? Dollywood?? Maybe more depending on where the road takes my production company this summer. There's always a Six Flags around somewhere. The only question is whether or not it's worth my time.

Geez I hope that School of Rock is better than Tuned In. The question is have the performers of the upcoming show gone to the School themselves. School of Rock performers need to rock themselves you know.

9 1/2 hours....way way way too far to travel for a Six Flags park. Kingda Ka has all the makings of a make or break ride for Six Flags. If it runs properly and they can move lines, than it makes them. That's if, because if the opposite happens (which it very well could) than Six Flags could be in some trouble. There is pretty much no difference between KK and TTD, except for a bunny hill that has a brake run on it. The extra 20 or so feet of height and few miles an hour that KK has really makes no difference when it comes to the ride experience.

The ride is rough, but it's not really the roughness that gets me. It's the size of the trains. I'm about 6'3, and it doesn't feel good to have my knees pushed up against bare metal handles, especially when the trains run so harsh. I do believe that they are the smallest cars I've ever sat in. While the design has it's flaws, the whole lot of people....the park, the construction crews, the materials company, the designer....etc etc are collectively at fault for one of the the biggest disappointments in amusement history. Staining the wood darker was the least of their worries. Hopefully the rehabbing that they have done will go a long way to help out the ride.

What about those overworked stressed out PKI security guards who need a light now and again....no more smoke breaks eh? Maybe they shouldn't carry stun guns after all. Someone running around with a stun gun and a nic fix could be extremely dangerous.

Happy Days diner it is. did someone say Chik Fila???...what ever happened to parks developing their own restaurants. A Chik Fila isn't exactly a step toward the theming direction. If PKI is in fact banning smoking, hopefully they are prepared to enforce the rules. Queue smokers have been around forever despite the rules. I've smelled all kinds of smoke in the lines...including smoke of the "Cheech and Chong" variety in the Flight of Fear queue. It may take Eco a few more minutes to sweep up the butts, but if PKI wants to seriously enforce, than it's going to take more security. As far as money goes, it seems like it would cost them more to fully ban smoking. I suppose it comes down to who they want to pay the overtime to....Eco or Security.

good idea to have designated smoking areas.....bad idea to have a total ban on smoking. I don't smoke, but those people have families and spend money too. The fun part will be enforcing the policy. I can't stand queue smokers. At the IJST tour, I noticed that Preston Tuckers was looking a little bare. I know that there was construction, but all the signs were down on the other side as well. This led me to believe that Preston Tuckers may see a retheme. Would I be off in saying this?

How bored we have all gotten in here....talking about a Huss Giant Frisbee vs. a Huss Giant Frisbee. Actually I favor PKI's paint scheme. It's a fairly simple scheme but CP's looks a little gaudy and cheesy to me. I don't think that the colors compliment each other as well as PKI's colors do. To be honest though, I could care less, because it's the exact same ride.

Here's an idea for QTV's. How about a detailed film about the building and history of Kings Island. They did the one about The Beast, how about one for the park. I realize that the place is only 33 years old, but hey it's better than bank commercials. I remember QTV being much better back in the day, but now it actually worsens the line for me at times. Park improvements...I always thought that the OC strip would look good with a couple of fountains in the middle of the walkway. There are a few places down the middle with average looking landscaping that would come alive with some moving water. Also, the Action Zone needs some shade in the worst way. That big slab of concrete gets pretty hot in the summer. The water tower helps, but sometimes people don't want to get wet.

It would be a pain on FOF and TRTR because they are indoor attractions, and it would be difficult to put a freeway line in. It would work well on most other rides though. I've yet to encounter any kind of big "traffic jam" on even the most popular of rides at Cedar Point. Fastpass systems, if run properly, help both the customer and the park. Waiting in long lines is wearing on the customer, and reducing line time gives the patron more time for riding, and also more time for them to spend money.