Joshua

Somehow I've never noticed that.

For the record, this will include me. I just found out today I was permanently laid off from my store. It was such a great job and my coworkers were like family, so I'm crushed.

Here it is. Man, looks like we lost a bunch of rides.

I'm loving the Congo Falls love. Usually the conversation is about getting rid of it. If we're talking defunct rides, I can add King Cobra and Ghoster Coaster to my list, and even though I rode it as The Crypt, I never experienced Tomb Raider: The Ride in its original form.

Then they can bring it back as "Corona Classic."

Does that mean a certain beer company will have to change their name?

I believe the Skyflyer is it for me.

Keep in mind that the virus may not necessarily be deadly to a lot of people, but it could be to those with lower immune systems not quite capable of fighting off the illness, and those are who we are trying to protect by social distancing. Hopefully, when this is all said and done, the mortality rate will be low, but that wouldn't necessarily mean COVID-19 didn't pose a genuine threat. It would likely mean the self-isolating was effective.

Naturally, as there are still a lot of people who aren't grasping the magnitude of this situation, think it's overblown and get frustrated because they can no longer live their lives as if nothing has changed. It goes to show how privileged we are that through advancements in science and medicine, we no longer live have to live in fear of getting the common cold or yearly flu, and likewise, how quick people are to believe it is a "scam," as it was described to me a few weeks ago, when there is a virus that poses a genuine threat.

I went on one about 12 years ago and witnessed an employee make a tiny mistake. I don't even remember what it was, I think they might have almost dropped something, but what I do remember is the look on that poor guy's face, and that was pure fear.

Agreed on all points. Like you said, Disney will most likely be fine through all this, but they do have an another problem. As a movie studio, a lot of their major productions are on hold and the films that were going to be released within the next few months have been postponed. If things progress any further, they'll most likely have a difficult decision to make regarding the way they approach film distribution, as will the other major studios. While studios have been dipping their toes in the "straight to digital" market for years with smaller productions, it is not something that has really been tested with major tentpoles. (Note: Onward may be the biggest film out of the "In-Theater" VOD rentals, but it's also going to Disney Plus in mid-April. Other films, such as The Invisible Man and The Hunt weren't made with blockbuster budgets.) The obstacle with digital is that it is entirely different market than cinemas, and the price being asked for said "In Theater" rentals is both too pricey and not pricey enough, considering cinema tickets are purchased for each individual who sees the film while any given number of people could be viewing that stream. But at the same, consumers know they could permanently own a fairly recent title for that price, and if they wait it out, the price for renting Bloodshot will come down as it is no longer "in cinemas." Having said that, many would find that price justifiable to rent Black Widow, but the debate is whether it would be more profitable in the long run to wait for cinemas to re-open. (There's also the issue of piracy as releasing straight to digital means the film has to compete against a 1080p mkv file floating around on Pirate Bay and not some trashy handheld recording.) The impact COVID-19 will have on the movie industry is not quite known, but I think we can guarantee that a lot of films that were due out in 2021 (and probably even 2022) will be postponed, and potentially some even cancelled. This includes a new Jurassic Park film that had just begun filming and featured the return of the original film's cast. It is also possible that the industry may put a lid on those inflating budgets and rely more on modest productions, which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Another outcome could be that some of the local theaters may close permanently.

But Wally World is still open, right guys?

One reason to stay in, apparently in order to test for this thing they have to shove a swab really far through your nostrils.

(REDACTED) ...Err, I mean, how about that coronavirus, eh?

"Would you like a drink?" "Sure!" "Sorry, the Freestyle is closed."

Agreed. This was the year I finally got a meal plan.

Last week, I had a dream The Racer had a large metal turret that fired missiles and whoever sits in that row gets to fire it. Yeah, I don't know either...

As things progress and more cases appear, it could be extended.

There are also still people out there calling it a "hoax" and a "scam."

I wouldn't be surprised if whatever plans they had for the next few years have been changed/put on hold, tiny improvements such as this might be what we have to look forward to for the 50th.

I'm not sure if I had one for KI, but in my youth I had pennons from Cedar Point and Geauga Lake and I think I had one from Canada's Wonderland too. I wish I had held onto those.

Coincidentally, the King Island History page on Twitter posted a photo of it earlier today. I miss the original tunnel. It was so much grander in scale and a great place to find some shade or to hide from the rain. It included some benches and since it was not part of a ride's entrance, you can spend as much time as you wanted in there. The newer tunnel is tiny by comparison. I'm fairly certain you can fit two or three of them inside the older iteration. Would anyone be willing to elaborate on why the original tunnel was removed?

What was Diamondback's gift shop used for originally?

That is horrible. Some places are limiting toilet paper and bottled water to a certain amount per family, but they need to limit other items as well, such as pasta. Buying full cases should not be restricted. Unfortunately, it would probably remain crowded during those hours as well. I'm concerned that if people keep rushing the stores the way they have been, the "Shelter in Place" orders may have to be extended and that would be bad. The longer this goes on, the longer other businesses will suffer and potentially close permanently as a result.

If traveling is restricted, they're going to want to draw in as much of the local crowd as they can and I'm not sure raising prices is the best way to go about that, especially with the way things are going right now.