Magenta Lizard

I'm not sure one new option makes up for two others being removed, but we'll see if that's for sure or not. I asked on twitter if Red's and RPW were really being removed and after a week they gave me the non-answer that full details would be coming... not the resounding denial I hoped for.

Oh, my memory is total crap, make no mistake. I was just saying that since I don't really have any memories before '81, and Shaggy's pics went back to '81, maybe this house I remembered would be in his pics somewhere. I certainly would make no claim as to what year specifically my memory of the Fool House came from: my brain just doesn't work that way. Unless there was a major difference in my life at the time (like my earliest memories that mainly center around being in the hospital for open heart surgery at 4 1/2 years old) they all kind of run together into a hazy ball. I barely have been able to find the name of the place on previous web searches, so your added background info (along with the actual pic upthread) are extremely valuable to me.

^I know I will make a point to ride it more often.

I would assume Home for the Holidays is the name of a show at Winterfest. I can't imagine what would need to be built this early for Winterfest, though. Definitely curious.

^I love you! I didn't remember the cards had Hanna Barbera characters dressed as the royalty on face cards! Even cooler than I thought! OMG if only I could find one of those in an antique store somewhere....

I seem to remember a turning barrel room (like the one they have in Carnevil now) and possibly a shaky floor were also in there. It was very exciting for a five-or-so-year-old, what can I say? I loved the life-size toy barn and animals, too, since I had that toy. Still do, come to think of it! I don't remember the puppet tree at all, but I might if I saw it again.

Fingers crossed you happened to capture the Fool House at some point, then. 1981 is the first year I really have any memories of, so chances are...

We're going to need to add "Chewy" to the ever-growing list of your nicknames. I think I pronounced your username "Chew" in my head before I learned your first name.

Welcome to KIC, ILOVEKI!

I'm glad it seems unlikely the gift shop will be in the exit. I understand the assumed psychology of an exit shop (still excited from the ride, riders will see our merchandise and have to have it!) but I just don't think it works. Especially in Banshee's shop, where there is not much room and no possible bypass for riders. There is nothing that takes away my urge to stop, look, and shop, more than having a small room flooded by thirty people at once. I just want to get out ASAP! I occasionally will look around in Diamondback Trading Post, but mostly I prefer the shops that are just shops, so there isn't constant flow of people who are disinterested in shopping that I need to avoid.

That is an awesome project! I've always been interested in advertising/marketing but never took any classes. Looking forward to what you show us! As far as ideas, as you know KI employed a lot of early teasing when it came to Mystic Timbers. I know that this worked very well on me personally. I love to solve puzzles, and having this season-long mystery to work on really invested me in the project.

I guess now that I donated $100 to be a first rider of Mr. T, I need to change my answer. I'm not sure what I'll ride first opening day (or preview night if there is one) but it probably won't be Mr. T, and I won't be getting to the park quite so early. I think maybe I'll start with FoF and Firehawk, then Backlot, Beast, Diamondback. Maybe my friends will be through Mr. T's line by then to meet up with. If not, I'll probably move on to Banshee, Bat, Adventure Express, Racer, and Vortex.

Welcome to KIC!

I don't know if we do or not, but I don't plan to be the one to spoil it. I couldn't resist, I'll be there!

Wow, Finding Dory (my life story) on my birthday! I might have to check it out.

I think it looks fantastic. Although I haven't seen any public statement about it yet, I have to assume they will be touching up the station as well (if not the track).

You only need to check in one time. You will get your lanyard, schedule, t-shirt, etc at that time.

Soak City doesn't open as early in the season as the rest of the park, so it made sense to wait a little later, when there is less chance of poor winter weather interrupting construction. Although this particular winter did turn out to be mild.

I'm feeling pretty rankled by the removal of Rivertown Potato Works from the dining plans. I'm still hoping it is just an oversight, but from what I remember of how the website was last season, it would take an effort to remove rather than it accidentally not being added. Red's removal makes actual sense, with as much trouble as they have getting and keeping good servers (or any servers at all). It is a hard job to fill seasonally unless the park is willing to pay more than other restaurants and/or the tips are really good. And although I was always careful to tip well on the listed price of my meals when I ate there, I suspect many (with or without meal plans) don't. I've noticed that neither Tom + Chee or the new as-yet-unnamed restaurant in Soak City seem to be listed (Rivertown Hot Dog is still listed) so I'm holding out hope that the site just isn't finalized and at least Rivertown Potato Works will be added back on.

^Heh, one time I was given an extensive Myers-Briggs personality test during an on-site interview for a job as a mechanical engineer and it irritated me so much I made no further attempts to follow up with the company. I guess sometimes HR feels the need to justify their department's existence. To me, it signified they had too much time on their hands in a manufacturing company.

I haven't tried any of those taffy flavors that I absolutely didn't like. I was a little disappointed by chicken and waffles, though: I thought I would like it better than I did. It was just ok. If you like sweet and salty combinations, you'll definitely like the maple bacon. You can get four or five pieces for a buck so it's a pretty cheap treat, and not expensive to try any flavors you might be curious about.

^there are quite a number of different styles of Eiffel Tower souvenirs in the KI shops these days. They don't have saltwater taffy, but in the Sweet Spot they do have a large variety of pick-a-mix taffy in different flavors (rough estimate 30-40), some quite unusual. My absolute favorite is the maple bacon.

If I may be so forward as to make a request: do you have any pics or information about the giant card house that was in Hanna Barbera Land sometime in the late 70s or early 80s? For a long time I thought maybe I was imagining it because it was so difficult to find anything about it online. I have since run into it on the wiki page about retired attractions and a drawing on one old map. So, I know it was officially called the Fool House. You would think a funhouse "made" from cards the size of people would spark more people's imaginations, but I feel sometimes I'm the only one who remembers it.

Food places generally open about an hour after the park does (not including ERT). I like to go right then before the lines get too long. Around 3-4 is another fairly low time. Be aware they also tend to close an hour before the park closes. Exceptions in the past have been on International Street. That La Rosa's is usually open until the park close time, and as far as I know, the Skyline there is as well. Don't take any visit before, say, June, as representative of how the lines will be all season, either. At least last year, they weren't fully staffed with their seasonal help nor apparently fully trained, and things were slow with exceptionally long lines. A line length that usually meant a half hour wait at Panda Express would take an hour, and one to two hour lines at all the food places were not uncommon the first few weeks. It got a lot better.

Once Cirque starts, I typically tried to plan my visits on days other than their day off. Last year that was Tuesday (I think it was in previous seasons as well but my memory is crap). I kind of hope they have a different day off now, but the late Mr. T ERT is probably going to be enough to bring me on Tuesdays while it is going on, regardless.