DJSkyFoxx

I will say this again. I really really wish they would just have some visual meter of some sort that actually SHOWS you your count towards whatever thing you're trying to get. For example, show (number of visits) out of say 4 needed to redeem for said discount. Show an actual visual representation so people can actually have a grasp on what's happening. People have that hardwired pleasure/rewards part of their brain that LOVES that stuff. Physically seeing it would feel less like casting all hopes into the void. Just saying. The park app updates were nice but this easily could have been implemented!

I will be the first to admit that looking at those photos of the lines gives me so much anxiety I have become the person that will only ever have a pass with ASFL or no pass at all at this point. I love the park and I love the rides but I simply cannot deal with lines like that anymore.

That's actually what I like about it lol I like the out of my seat feeling on it. Makes it a bit more thrilling in relation to the size of the drop. But I can see how that might make some folks nervous. I keep saying, Make this whole area of the park spooky themed. Already have a Bat and a Banshee. Keep it going!

Depending on the part, depending on where the part is coming from and if it has to be a custom machined part, who really knows how long it will be down. Not to mention test cycles, etc. Hopefully it'll be up and roaring through the woods again soon, but in the mean time I am grateful they take such good care of this classic. SO many other parks have wooden coasters they neglect but The Beast and Racer get so much TLC. It does seem like a bumpy start to the year though for a lot of parks and their major attractions. Hopefully things smooth out sooner rather than later.

Looking forward to seeing it. Didn't go this past weekend as I was out of town, But nice to know that it's a decent show.

I thought the name of the show last year was "Adventure Awaits" ?

It'll be interesting to see how this show fares compared to last years. I felt like there was a lot to be desired, but I also know that stemmed from having been spoiled the previous year with the 14-minute long spectacular for the 50th Anniversary. I am hoping this one has a bit more of a refreshed feel to it instead of the sort of "leftovers" last years show felt like. I'm not bashing the show, I just didn't feel the "wow" factor like I did the previous year. I am always grateful to see fireworks and I'm glad the drones are here to stay. But I also know that there is so much more use of the technology they have at hand (ahem, the pyrotechnics) that really give that full-immersive experience.

KI could become the suspended coaster capitol of the world if they decided to give The Bat floorless trains much like Chessington's Vampire. Now I for one really love the old Arrow suspended cars, but if it meant saving the ride all-together by putting new trains on her, the floorless trains would be a nice option and might give it a whole new life/experience. I feel like at the speeds in which The Bat flies at some of those turns could be crazy feeling with feet dangling.

Glad to hear that it's a fun ride! I always think its important to go in with a blank slate mindset when riding a new ride/coaster. It's super easy to set yourself up to think a ride/coaster won't be good due to how it looks/POV/etc but I'm glad to hear that this new family coaster packs a little punch. I think if others feel the way you do about it, KI will have a winner on their hands and I think the relationship with Vekoma could be restored. I'm proud of them for re-inventing themselves and getting back in the game. I look forward to giving this a whirl and experiencing it for myself!

Eh. From my experience in my line of work, money ain't got nothin' to do with how proper a person acts. Whether you're choosing to spend $13-20 per drink or $2-5 a drink, drunk and stupid can be applicable to anyone regardless of financial status. Especially on a hot day in the summer sun. Alcohol can't replace water and some folks forget that.

"Drunk Uncle Brawls" will be occurring on the I-Street stage at the top of every hour. There will also be alcohol and side dishes served during this show so everyone can get in on the fun! ***The Park is not responsible for any injuries or the likes for participation

"Come to the Midwest's largest amusement park which will also be the Midwest's largest alcohol vendor! With the brand new addition of 21 and Colder joining our already ROBUST selection of alcohol stands and our Food and Wine Festival you'll have plenty of options to get blitzed! Caution: There may be higher amounts of temporary ride closures due to vomit from increased alcohol consumption during this time. Please show integrity and patience for your fellow park goer especially during this record-breaking time."

Apparently Good Gravy at Holiday World is already leaving a positive impression so I am hopeful that SBR will do the same for KI. I also see this as a good "welcome back" coaster for Vekoma to show CF that they have grown and advanced as a company and maybe bring a bigger installation to the park.

Would love to see a museum of sorts be placed in the park. I know CP had one and I don't believe it has been operational since COVID? I wish that would open back up. Love being able to see park history, artifacts and other various things that tell the story of how the park came to be. Something of that nature would be awesome for KI. I suppose in a way, Tower Gardens is kind of a small blip of history. But something on a grander scale would be cool.

Honestly this doesn't surprise me at all. This was quite an ambitious project if not a risky one all together. The bad press could have easily made it so the ride ceased to exist in any capacity at all, which while being sad, would have been understandable seeing the way things transpired. But they decided to make an effort to keep it around despite the easy way out. They took a chance on a company that was willing to put forth the effort to do something on a grand scale that would hopefully be more reliable and much safer than it's predecessor. Well here we are. It performed for its opening crowds and now that its made enough passes with fully loaded trains, the problems have shown themselves and of course they are going to look at and pick through every single detail with a fine comb. This is not only a huge deal for the investment made, but they do not need another similar incident occurring with a reimagined version of a popular ride. I'm glad they caught whatever the issues are now vs later on when it would be too late. I am of course disappointed, as I was planning to make a least one trip up this year to ride it as I am sure a lot of you were as well. And with the uncertainty of a re-opening date, if at all this year, that really stinks for both the park and fans of this ride who wish to try it out in its new phase of life. But I see it as, I would rather them take their time getting it right and ready than rush through it for it to never reopen again and ultimately meet the great scrap yard in the sky. Fingers crossed for a late summer opening, but again, if not, next year is better than not at all.

Honestly that was my first thought. The concept of having a "higher" tier set of food options for such an event sounds wonderful, but I can't imagine the execution living up to the hype due to your already stated reason. I know my fiancé and I were very disappointed with the Grand Carnivale food offerings. Most of it was lukewarm, somewhat flavorless and overall just left a lot to be desired. I fear that the same would be set forth for this event which is a shame seeing as you know the price point will be at a premium. I hope I am wrong though.

So just for funsies I decided to run a little experiment. Specifically in my Google search I typed in "Maverick roller coaster art" and did an image search. Guess what popped up? This exact image with it clearly stating it is being sold from RedBubble with the artist's name as well as their brand "Theme Park Collection". This was a conscious decision to steal this art. The artist even has their watermark in the lower righthand corner. I guess you could say I find this incredibly frustrating as someone who has done my fair share of art and music, I would simply be taken aback to have my work clearly stolen from me. Whether it be CF or whoever runs FunPix, someone made the effort to disregard a clear watermark and the ownership of this imagery. The image from RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/i/art-print/THE-WILD-ONE-Maverick-Roller-Coaster-Cedar-Point-Theme-Park-by-jfells/34415986.1G4ZT

I feel bad for the artist. Granted I have never heard of this individual artist, I know that typically when one conducts a Google image search, the image generates from a website more often than not and usually includes a watermark if it is copyrighted material. The fact that whoever stole this work just took it upon themselves to take it without ever contacting the artist is just pathetic and sad. Not to mention very tacky not to respond to the artist's correspondence in regards to said stolen work. This artist seems like a class act in how they are trying to handle this, but I also just feel so bad for them. Art is a gift to the world and stealing it is low and degrading. I would be very upset if someone stole my art or music and didn't ask permission. Chances are, if someone asked me to use any of my materials I would happily oblige so long as I was given the fair credit. That's why a lot of artists are broke when they are alive because they are usually just happy to be involved and be recognized. Money is nice and obviously a great bonus if a living can be made off of doing creative and fulfilling work. But I know a lot more artists who do it just for the fun of it without gaining much money and are just happy to be given credit when paired with other artists or in this case, a large company who EASILY could have either paid this creator or given them some kind of exchange. A season pass. A VIP experience. Literally anything, but moreover, CREDIT!!!!

I really wish they weren't so passive on this issue. I realize that its a double-edged sword with getting throughput on busy days and guest safety, but all day long I will say guest safety is paramount. Too many horror stories of folks getting injured and heck, even permanently blinded by other folk's negligence. No ride op wants to have to gear up to walk the lift hill to take a phone away, I get it. But take the phone away and then toss them out of the park once the ride is over. Period. Nothing will change until they start to lay down the gauntlet. Have to start making an example out of those who wish to break the rules.

And I mean, in a way, it makes sense for it to be over there with the antique autos. At least Orion's trains aren't done up in a wrap or you know, remember the days when The Bat was known as Top Gun and had Gillette Mach 3 ads on the trains themselves as well as over the intercom? Haha.

Probably. I make strong drinks. But they would fire me for using too much of their stock and not making Applebee's "dollarita" style drinks lol

Or another alcohol stand

I was an older teen in 2006. Crazy to think about that now. But I have fond memories of Nick U. I didn't think much of it at the time. Paramount was really all I knew for the most part as my first trip to the park was in/around '92 and I was very small. But post that, my formative years were spent with the Paramount Days and Nick U/HB still cohabitating the kids area. There was definitely an energy and magic to it that I miss. It's nice to see other folk's memories here

I think what needs to be noted here is this is a response to what happened in 2021. Its a reactive gesture, not a proactive one. The ability to have your cell phone and other "loose" articles secured in a pocket, sunglasses on the head with a strap, etc, were allowed before on the original ride because it was not deemed a direct issue so long as items small enough to fit in the person's pockets could be safely stored on said person. Anything bigger needed to be placed into a locker or left with a non-rider just like any other ride for the most part minus SV. And of course depending on the day, heck, even the hour, even certain fanny packs were not allowed past the line operator. Granted the accident happened due to a part of the train itself striking a guest waiting in line and not an item unsecured by a rider, this is just that reactive response to try and omit that possibility of any more bad press on this ride all together. They don't want another Son of Beast on their hands ( multiple complaints/accident/neutering-new trains and reopening/another massive complaint then closure=lots of lost money and not so favorable reputation ) That doesn't negate the fact that there absolutely needs to be a free locker system to ensure less fuss with guests and promote a more stress-free experience for all-and I will repeat that statement with my whole chest out.

And I just had a thought. They could even implement the same wristbands that Great Wolf uses. Or used last time I was there some years back. They are RFID, waterproof and they store information that could be useful such as credit card credentials so one doesn't need to carry around their wallet. Granted that makes a lot of sense in a water park setting, I definitely could see this being useful in any amusement park setting. Just flash the user's credentials onto a wristband such as season pass, tickets, add-ons to a disposable RFID wristband and call it a day. Flash the wristband at the FL kiosks, vendors and other such things. Just a thought. Might not be nearly as advanced as say a Flash Pass or Magic Band, but it doesn't really need to be in this case. It still gets the point across and streamlines a lot of things along.