Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal Topic

[Cormaster]

I liked the ride too. It was the bigger log flume. Its ashame it got replaced by a POS thats always broke down

[Riktor]

It seems like Kings Island has declined a bit since Paramount took over. It's almost like they are trying too hard to be like Six Flags, focusing all their attention of theming rides after marketable films. In passing hands between Paramount, then to Cedar, and now onto God knows who (yup, Cedar put the franchise up for sale already), they've demolished a number of memorable rides and totally killed the atmosphere of the old park.

My list of complaints is as follows:

1- They painted The Beastie PASTEL PURPLE???? WHAT THE HELL...

2- The proceeded to rename The Beastie the "Fairly Odd Coaster" and put two fairies on the front? Huh? Maybe the vulture standing guard over the entrance to the ride may have been a little frightening for kids, but come on! It's a roller coaster, for crying out loud! It's supposed to scare you!

3- The ripped out KCKC, which made its debut in the 1964 World's Fair, for what appears to be a derivative tumbler ride based on one of the worst movies I ever had the misfortune of seeing. Of all the adventure movies paramount produced, they went with what is by far the worst. They could have themed it after Indiana Jones. It would still be the same dysfunctional ride, but at least the source material would be Oscar quality....

4- King Cobra. OK, the thing was old. It was old, and it was also a prototype. There's no way it could have competed with the bigger, badder rides in the park, and I understand that. Still, I have fond memories of watching the grown-ups' faces contort as they hit that trick-track towards the end...

5- Phantom Theater was a good haunted house. Perhaps Disney World's is better, but not by much. Apparently, that ride was also just a little "too scary" for kiddie land, so they gutted it and turned it into an interactive ride similar to the Buzz Lightyear ride at Disney. It's more irritating than scary, and all the "special effects" consists of is neon paint and black lights. A travesty, I say.

6- What the hell is with the Beer Garden turning into "Bubba Gump Shrimp"? Don't get me wrong, the food was never "food" in the strictest sense of the word, but at least the Beer Garden had character. The park's in South Western Ohio, for crying out loud, we Krauts love our outdoor alcohol-peddling venues!

I realize times change and rides don't last forever, but it just seems to me that each successive owner of Kings Island treats its past with less and less concern. It's all about building bigger, faster, shinier. Just wait until it becomes "cost ineffective" to maintain The Beast...

[Gordon Bombay]

It seems like Kings Island has declined a bit since Paramount took over. It's almost like they are trying too hard to be like Six Flags, focusing all their attention of theming rides after marketable films. In passing hands between Paramount, then to Cedar, and now onto God knows who (yup, Cedar put the franchise up for sale already),

Actually Cedar Fair is not up for sale. Read this here: http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2007/07...port_of_sa.html

they've demolished a number of memorable rides and totally killed the atmosphere of the old park.

My list of complaints is as follows:

1- They painted The Beastie PASTEL PURPLE???? WHAT THE HELL...

2- The proceeded to rename The Beastie the "Fairly Odd Coaster" and put two fairies on the front? Huh? Maybe the vulture standing guard over the entrance to the ride may have been a little frightening for kids, but come on! It's a roller coaster, for crying out loud! It's supposed to scare you!

The ride was actually changed due to the whole kids area being re-themed from "Nickelodeon Central and Hannah Barbera Land" to "Nickelodeon Universe", not because The Beastie theme was "Too frightening". The Beastie became themed to a popular kids t.v. show on Nickelodeon known as "The Fairly Odd Parents". I know you may be upset that they got rid of the name "Beastie" but hey, some people were just as upset as when "Scooby Doo" became "Beastie".

3- The ripped out KCKC, which made its debut in the 1964 World's Fair, for what appears to be a derivative tumbler ride based on one of the worst movies I ever had the misfortune of seeing. Of all the adventure movies paramount produced, they went with what is by far the worst. They could have themed it after Indiana Jones. It would still be the same dysfunctional ride, but at least the source material would be Oscar quality....

Well KCKC, didn't make its debut at the worlds fair, but the Arrow hydroflume did. KCKC toward the end of its life was a maintenance nightmare as were many other hydroflume and most have them have been removed from parks. Six Flags Great Adventure suffered similar problems with their KCKC and it eventually left this world the same way KI's and CP's did. Theres a good article about it here.... http://www.amusementpics.com/Hydro%20Flume.htm

As for the Indiana Jones thing, Paramount couldn't theme any ride to Indiana Jones as since Speildberg and Lucas owned the rights and sold them to Disney. THis is why you have the Indiana Jones stunt show down at MGM. Adventure Express does play Indiana Jones music in line though, although not "officialy" themed to Indiana Jones.

4- King Cobra. OK, the thing was old. It was old, and it was also a prototype. There's no way it could have competed with the bigger, badder rides in the park, and I understand that. Still, I have fond memories of watching the grown-ups' faces contort as they hit that trick-track towards the end...

King Cobra wasn't removed because it couldn't "compete" with more modern stand up rollercoasters, in fact its clone and a similar model still operate at Kings Dominion and Canada's Wonderland. KC was made of a lower grade Japaneese steel that lead to sky rocketing maintenance costs towards the end of its life. During its final years it would often up late due to the fact that maintenance crews were out there performing welding work. It's cousins at Dominion and Wonderland were built of higher grades of steel and continue to operate today.

5- Phantom Theater was a good haunted house. Perhaps Disney World's is better, but not by much. Apparently, that ride was also just a little "too scary" for kiddie land, so they gutted it and turned it into an interactive ride similar to the Buzz Lightyear ride at Disney. It's more irritating than scary, and all the "special effects" consists of is neon paint and black lights. A travesty, I say.

I dont remember the park ever saying they removed Phantom Theatre because it was "too scary" but the attraction in that building traditonally changes about every 10 years. It was time for something new, of course as an adult, im assuming your an adult, you wont enjoy the scooby ride as much as younger kids were. I can see where you would be mad that PT got removed, i LOVED it too, but just as many people were made when the smurfs were given the boot for a Haunted Mansion rip off.

6- What the hell is with the Beer Garden turning into "Bubba Gump Shrimp"? Don't get me wrong, the food was never "food" in the strictest sense of the word, but at least the Beer Garden had character. The park's in South Western Ohio, for crying out loud, we Krauts love our outdoor alcohol-peddling venues!

Last time I checked even though the name and food changed slightly it is still an outdoor alcohol-peddling venue.

[Browntggrr]

^ Excellent points.

I despise some changes too.

King Cobra wasn't removed because it couldn't "compete" with more modern stand up rollercoasters, in fact its clone and a similar model still operate at Kings Dominion and Canada's Wonderland. KC was made of a lower grade Japaneese steel that lead to sky rocketing maintenance costs towards the end of its life.

I still question the whole "Japanese steel" theory.

Only because, if it was bad steel, then it was bad. But then how can you try and sell the ride WITH bad steel?

It just does not add up.

[Gordon Bombay]

I dont think it was necesarily "bad" but it was of a lower grade and didnt age as well as its cousins which were made of a different grade.

[Riktor]

I dont think it was necesarily "bad" but it was of a lower grade and didnt age as well as its cousins which were made of a different grade.

I may be tempted to believe the steel to be of inferior quality. KC was really just a prototype; I believe the clone at Kings Dominion is supposed to be the "final draft" of TOGO's stand-up.

However, one of the reasons cited for the removal of the Cobra was "lack of interest" by park-goers. It isn't that it was a bad ride, but it certainly didn't hold a candle to burn to The Beast or Vortex in terms of notoriety and drawing power. From what I heard, and again, this is just rumor, that management couldn't justify spending money on maintenance when not that many people were lining up to get on it. A better investment strategy would be to tear the thing down and get a "better" ride... Firehawk, for instance.

[Gordon Bombay]

Although, Firehawk is not what replaced King Cobra, Delirium now stands where King Cobra used to be.

[WooferBearATL]

I dont think it was necesarily "bad" but it was of a lower grade and didnt age as well as its cousins which were made of a different grade.

I may be tempted to believe the steel to be of inferior quality. KC was really just a prototype; I believe the clone at Kings Dominion is supposed to be the "final draft" of TOGO's stand-up.

However, one of the reasons cited for the removal of the Cobra was "lack of interest" by park-goers. It isn't that it was a bad ride, but it certainly didn't hold a candle to burn to The Beast or Vortex in terms of notoriety and drawing power. From what I heard, and again, this is just rumor, that management couldn't justify spending money on maintenance when not that many people were lining up to get on it. A better investment strategy would be to tear the thing down and get a "better" ride... Firehawk, for instance.

That theory has been blown to hell and back simply with maintenance and redesign costs associated for SOB and the fact that they continue to try.

[Gordon Bombay]

Up untill the 2006 accident SOB had relatively very good uptime where King Cobra towards the end of its life had quite a bit of downtime. KC and SOB are not the same rides so just because SOB is still around does not disprove the KC theory about its removal due to sky rocketing maintenance costs and iffy reliabilty, which was proven true by the man who contributed these photos of the ride who is a former steel coaster maintenance worker at the park. The maintenance done on SOB is not the same done on KC, different strokes for different folks so to speakl. If it was cheaper for CF to just give up and tear the good ol SOB down, than im sure the current debt loaded Cedar Fair would have already gone that route.

[Nate]

Okay guys, I read the topic link posted about hydroflumes but there is no information on them! It just says HYDROFLUME and has other links but nothing on topic, or at least I haven't been able to find it??

I'm still confused on the differences of log flumes and hydroflumes. The only difference I understand is that KCKC had water flowing down the hill while the Wild Thornberry's only had spritzers. Other than that I do not understand the hydroflume differences...

I get it that they are higher, but are all of them being ripped out now? How are they inferior to log flumes (I still see log flumes up...)

[Nate]

Oops the thing posted it twice. And nobody was able to find a better vid other than the low grade one I came across?

[The Interpreter]

Ummm, if you actually read the text down the center of the page between the photos, there is a very complete discussion of what distinguishes hydroflumes from regular flumes....

http://www.amusementpics.com/Hydro%20Flume.htm

[Gordon Bombay]

Okay guys, I read the topic link posted about hydroflumes but there is no information on them!

You obviously didn't read very thouroughly then. Try again.

[Nate]

my computer was being stupid, sorry. I got it all downloaded and understand the hydroflume now:)

So, are there any hydroflumes like/as tall as KCKC ?) (Arrowthat are still running or are they all gone?

I heard about Coal Cracker but it looks shorter heightwise and I'm not sure it's still up.

[The Interpreter]

There's one at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, that rumor has it will be removed after this season....

[Nate]

Do you know what it's called? I sure hope they don't remove it... last one

[The Interpreter]

It's called Yankee Clipper...more likely the Hopkins Shoot The Chutes ride, Splashwater Falls, will be removed. But Six Flags is looking at maintenance costs on all their attractions. And I don't think Yankee Clipper is the last one.

[Nate]

Okay, so somebody said that ridership for KCKC was low it's final years. Why would KCKC's ridership be "supposedly" lower than King's mill (Wild Thornberry's)?

KCKC was both taller and faster. The only thing I could understand was how nasty the water was although when I was riding it I was young enough not to care.

I guess they had it in a freaking pond or something?

[flightoffear1996]

Well you can look at it this way. They wanted to add a new ride there Tomb Raider and the other one could be more into kiddie land and they saw that with a re theming they could bring some life back into the ride.

[Dvo]

^What? I don't understand what you're trying to say. English please.

[KIfan73]

I kind of fell back in love with the older water rides at KI this summer. I think it would be neat to get a newer version of a water ride in the park. I would think it would be a lot cheaper than a roller coaster (maybe not). It would steal a little thunder, maybe, away from the Columbus Zoo's new park opening...

[flightoffear1996]

Yea but why not have both like a supersized version of Roller Soaker.

[KIfan73]

That does look like fun. It would definitely be something unique!

[Browntggrr]

Okay, so somebody said that ridership for KCKC was low it's final years. Why would KCKC's ridership be "supposedly" lower than King's mill (Wild Thornberry's)?

The decision was made by multiple factors, not just one.

High maintenance + low ridership + land already developed (flat) = removal

[Browntggrr]

That does look like fun. It would definitely be something unique!

The thing is, 15 years ago, flumes like this were at many parks.

And boy, they were terrific family rides!

I'm just glad that the park near me just installed one a couple years ago.

[The Interpreter]

And one of the nicest flumes I have ever seen or been on it is.

And no, before someone asks, it is NOT a hydroflume. And, sadly, IT replaced a Shoot the Chutes ride, if we are talking Waldameer. . .

[Browntggrr]

^ Yes I am.

The old Mill Run was a rather intresting ride.

Kids would constantly dump in a couple bottles of Mr. Bubble causing mass chaos.

[The Interpreter]

Yep...the last Shoot the Chutes in the USA is now at Lake Winnie. There, kids occasionally jam up the logs in the tunnel with a stick stuck out one of the tunnel windows or something, and the nice old gentlemen who run it have to go in and get them out.

[Nate]

Crap, why was ridership so low? Was the water just too disgusting to warrent the nice ride?

[The Interpreter]

To be fair, and we've said this again and again, the people chose not to ride the ride as much as would be expected. Could be anything from boredom to other, more exciting choices, etc. Whatever. What was, was. And it almost certainly isn't coming back.