SonofBaconator

I don't know why CP never opted for a double loading station with Valravn. From a capacity standpoint it would help out a lot. If KI ever got a dive, whether it be a 6 seater or 8, I'd like to see a double loading station utilized to increase capacity.

You mentioned how expensive SOB and TRTR were which ultimately hurt the park money wise. Personally, I don't see the need to invest in an experimental ride if the cost is going to be too high. Its one thing to invest more money in a tried and true model but both SOB and TRTR were pioneers in their own right when it came to pushing the limits of thrills. I think there has to be certain questions asked before a coaster or thrill ride can be qualified for a KI install in my opinion: Does the manufacturer have a solid track record? Will the ride operate with minimal downtime while providing a safe experience? Will the risk we take be worth the return on investment? Son of Beast was built from a manufacturer that didn't have a solid track record, the ride did not provide a safe experience, and the risk was certainly not worth the investment. Apply those earlier questions to the last 4 ground up installs we've gotten. Diamondback, Banshee, Mystic Timbers, and Orion all come from manufacturers with great track records, they operate with minimal downtime and are incredibly safe, and I'd say they got the return on investment (maybe not Orion just yet but I 100% attribute that to Covid). Unfortunately, SOB and TRTR ruined the chance for the park to take further risks. B&M and GCI are companies that manufacture roller coasters that have a very small risk of failure which is why we have them. I've stated somewhere else on here that taking risks isn't necessarily wise in this market anymore if you're trying to minimize downtime and boast reliability. Some people might criticize a park for not willing to take risks but at the end of the day, the less risks you take, the more money you make.

^I wouldn't necessarily mind if they painted over the yellow and kept the supports a consistent white/bone color

The Scary Farm part interests me. I know they go all out for Halloween but I didn't know that event was responsible for a good chunk of the park's profits Regarding Carowinds, do you see them going year round like they've mentioned? I don't think Charlotte is in the right climate to justify year round operations but then again I've never been to Charlotte in the winter. I personally feel like they lack some key components to make them year round: One would be lack of dark rides. When the weather gets bad, whether it be from rain or cold temperatures, you almost need a few dark rides that can operate independently from mother nature. Two would be lesser attendance. KI, CP, and CWL all pull in well over 3 million annually where as Carowinds pulls in over 2 million (according to Wikipedia anyway so take that how you will). I know Charlotte is experiencing a lot of growth and Cedar Fair wants to capitalize on that, but I personally don't see the urge to make a park year round if the attendance to beat is over 2 million. Three would be variety. Yes they have Fury, Copperhead Strike, Intimidator, and Afterburn but I still think they need to keep building in order to want people to come year round. They still have more dated coasters like Vortex, Nighthawk, and Hurler which don't seem to fit if they're trying to become the "Cedar Point of the South." I also think they need to focus more on family oriented attractions as well. Believe me I'm not bashing Carowinds at all and I hope they succeed on all fronts, but I don't see them as a year round park anytime soon. Maybe by the 2030s but they still have a lot to do in my opinion.

I didn't say anything about Intamin. You asked why people liked Macks so much and I said because they're reliable. Not necessarily, it could even go sooner. I googled "Sheikra" (which features a double train load station) and the 2nd train is about halfway up the lift by the time the 1st train is dropped. I think in reality the 2nd train can be dispatched once the 1st train crests the lift. I suggested to dispatch after the holding break to prevent stranding passengers. On Sheikra, there's no block between the lift and the holding break. If you look at the last picture you'll see the 2nd train stuck at the top because the 1st train didn't make it to the holding break.

Don't touch Adventure Express

Its okay! We don't really want Racer to be touched by RMC, or any of our wooden rides for that matter (its kind of like the 12th commandment on here). SOB is a touchy subject and I just think the park wants it to remain buried. Welcome to KIC!

While we're on the subject of Canada's Wonderland. If RMC was allowed to build in Canada do you think we'd see Minebuster or Wild Beast converted by now? Or you think Cedar Fair's current rocky relationship with RMC would've prevented it?

I wish that tent was somewhere else. There was potential for A72 expansion with that space

Knott's has been adding/refurbishing animation on their rides. Their raft ride just got a pretty big overhaul where you ride past bears, wolves, etc. If they didn't add all that stuff I'd say go for it but having a coaster built over the raft ride with its current animation would ruin the affect

I think BLSC doomed that future development behind the Eiffel Tower when it was built. It the original antique cars stayed they could've worked around them on the other paths. Now that BLSC uses about 2/3rd of that land, anything added would look out of proportion in my opinion.

F&B building?

I think for Vortex's land is to bare to not receive a coaster but that's just my opinion. That land isn't necessarily flat so it might be easier to just add a coaster vs bringing in equipment to flatten everything out.

Part of me feels like they won't touch anything along those paths because they might not always have Backlot Stunt Coaster. Maybe if that ride ever got removed we'd see the paths reworked to better accommodate more flats and a new coaster. That's the only excuse I can come up with since that land you mentioned is perfect for a few flats.

They could do a station like Maverick where they have two trains that they load at once. After a train clears the holding break, the second one could begin its ascent up the lift hill.

I agree I don't know what they could do. I always thought they could've installed a tall B&M dive and have it go over the pathways but Hangtime nixed that idea. Truth be told I don't know what else they could add without removing something else; and if they did, what would they remove?

@MrSourNinja I have a concept: a dive/floorless Imagine a dive that features 6 seats instead of the traditional 8. This would allow for regular B&M track which would same some money. You'd have the dive aspect with the 90° hang over the drop but with the standard spine you could incorporate more inversions. For example, imagine Kraken or Dominator but with 3 row 6 seater dive trains, a holding break and a 90° drop. Just an idea I had. Think Valkyria with twice as many inversions

I didn't feel like staring a new thread. These are two concepts Cedar Point should definitely look into this decade.

I wonder what parks will come out on top for the 2020s. We know the top 4 will be taken care of. I'm more interested in the mid tier parks. Will Kings Dominion get out of their little slump and add more reliable coasters to combat BGW? Will CGA ever get that hyper and emerge as a premier California park? Will Knotts get a larger scale coaster to keep them relevant in the southern California market? I think there's a lot of potential for these parks this coming decade.

They're reliable

I'm not an expert on Six Flags so take what I say with a grain of salt. I know they're not in the best financial shape yet I hear people say they're doing better than people give them credit for. All that being said, I don't know how they're going to look after this pandemic. I don't think any chain will be in the market to expand their park roster, however they might be given an opportunity that they can't pass up. As mentioned by @malem Adventureland has been offering free admission for Six Flags and Cedar Fair pass holders recently so they might be looking to sell in the future. Going back to Six Flags, I don't know what parks they'd be willing to give up that Cedar Fair would want. Parks like St. Louis and Georgia aren't too far from Worlds of Fun and Carowinds but the overlap might hurt attendance. (St. Louis and Kansas City are about 5 hours away so the overlap might not be as bad as Charlotte and Atlanta.) You can also throw Discovery Kingdom in that overlap discussion. To be honest, the parks that Cedar Fair would want would be the one's Six Flags would want to keep: Magic Mountain, Great Adventure, Great America, Mexico and Fiesta Texas. I don't see Cedar Fair having any interest in Six Flags America, La Ronde, Darien Lake, or Frontier City. Over Texas is a toss up but I don't see Six Flags wanting to get rid of their 1st park. The only park I could see both chains agreeing on would be Six Flags New England. The issue with acquiring any Six Flags property though would be the IPs. I'd argue any Six Flags park under Cedar Fair would look bad for the first few years because the transition from Warner Brothers to original IPs would take time; they'd pretty much have to start off with a blank slate and build off of the shell of an existing park. All this being said I think Cedar Fair might be more interested in a park that doesn't have all the IP's; something that would be an easy transition for them where they could incorporate their brand seamlessly. Parks like Adventureland, Mt. Olympus, and Silverwood would be more up Cedar Fair's alley than any Six Flags park in my opinion.

While Ferris wheels are cool, I don't know if one will necessarily work at our park. It looks great at Cedar Point but that's because you have the lake to view and it goes slow enough to allow people to get a good view. The only place in the park I think a ferris wheel would work would be if it was flushed up against Coney Mall. It would be nice for the older guests to have something new to enjoy but I just look at it from a capacity standpoint. The Ferris Wheel in Cincinnati worked great because it fits in well with the skyline in the background. I don't know, while they look nice I just don't see us getting one, especially one of CP's size but I'd like to be wrong.

On a slightly unrelated note, I have a nitpick for BLSC. Why have the trains remained one solid color after the rebrand/detheme? It would have been cool if each car was painted a different color. For example one train would have blue, silver, and purple cars, the 2nd should be red, purple, and black, and finally the 3rd would be teal, white, and orange. With the park repainting The Beast trains it would be cool if they expanded this with BLSC. Another small nitpick I have are the street signs. Since the ride was initially theme to The Italian Job stunt track you had a lot of billboards that said "Hollywood" and such. I think it would have been cool if they would have changed the Billboards to reflect the region. Heck maybe local companies could have paid to have their brands on the billboard like the Reds, P&G, etc. Imagine paying to have a billboard in an amusement park. I know I've pushed for a retheme of Backlot Stunt Coaster to something to reflect the wild west but I think seeming a ride to the region of Cincinnati would be just as cool

The boiler jacket, tender, and lamp look green to me

They could go back to KD but the original route is all Soak City, WindSeeker, and Apple Zapple land now. They'd have to build over the old Dinosaurs Alive area and go straight back. Unfortunately it wouldn't make sense. Its a shame Paramount left it go to waste but from what I've been told, it was losing popularity by the year since it didn't serve as a transport ride.