Jump to content

A question for the SERIOUS old skool KIers


fbama73
 Share

Recommended Posts

I was at the park on Saturday, August 19th (when everything was broken down)

We took my daughter on the Eurobungy waste of too much time and money. It's the bungy trampoline deal in Coney mall up against The Racer (just after the first drop). It is on a raised round concrete platform, and just to the left (North) of it is a covered queue line that looks like it hasn't been used in decades (queue bars are in various states of disassembly)

My question is what was this concrete pad (and the queue) originally used for? I'm sure it was some sort of flat ride from back before they ripped out all of the flats. I've racked my brain's inventory of 32 years of KI memories.

The most likely thing that I can come up with is Halley's Comet. Can anyone substantiate or correct me?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 62
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Zodiac was there when the park opened...

Zodiac was not even a glimmer in a designers eye when the park opened.

I'm pretty sure that Zodiac and Flight Commander were further down than this pad. I'm also pretty sure they had a bigger footprint than this. One wheel of Zodiac would have been about the size of this pad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was at the park on Saturday for the Weird Al concert. When I arrived at the park around 3ish Tomb Raider, Firehawk, Adventure Express, Drop Zone, Son of Beast and Face/Off were all down. It is also true that by 4 or 4:30 most of those were back up and running.

Interestingly enough, the rides that were marked as closing early due to concert, did NOT close for the concert. (They posted large signs at the queue entrances for those affected rides). It was a rock show for crying out loud, very loud. I heard from someone else that they could hear the concert plain as day on parts of International Street. The only way I know the rides were running is you could hear them wen there were pauses between the songs.

They may have intended to close those rides for the concert, but with the very large crowd they had Saturday, and with the volume of the concert sound system, they may have decided to take a chance and run them anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the pics, guys, they clear up a couple of things, and make a couple even more muddy. The EuroBungy is a bit further North than where Zodiac and FC were. The Eurobungy is located right next to the point on The Racer right after the small bunny after the first drop (where the return bunny is higher than the outbound low spot)

But, these pics clearly show the abandoned queue and the eurobungy platform not there. So, this must have been for something more recent. In addition, the platform seems to have what was once an operator's station. This platform has older concrete around the edges, but newer concrete in the middle (like a hole was filled)

So, there's no way it could have been for Halley's Comet, and its' position isn't quite right for FC or Zodiac. It's not that big of a deal, I was just wondering. There may have been something that came and went during my KI absence.

Add Beast to the list of things that were broken down at some point on Saturday. That wasn't a long period of downtime at all, though.

As it happens, this was my first visit to KI in almost ten years, and it actually WAS my family's one trip to KI for the year. I work factory maintenance, so I know that things break. One or two major attractions with problems?- hey that sucks, but nobody knows ebtter than I do that things happen. But, if you have problems with 6 or 7 major attractions, you have a maintenance issue. Add to that the serious need for paint on things like Top Gun, Vortex, Racer, and Zephyr, and it just gave me a bit of a bad taste.

We still had a good time. No, we had a great time. It could (and should) have been better, though. The two major things I wanted to ride were Firehawk and SoB. We got our ride on Firehawk (beyond awesome) but every time we went to try SoB, it was down.

I'm not bashing the park- I LOVE the park. I made my first trip there at 5 years old, and I was in my late twenties before I could bring myself to go somewhere else. (KI was so good, why mess with any other place?) There's no need for anyone to get defensive, I'm not bashing, just reporting on the facts. I love KI, and Always will. I'd have to say that I believe i qualify as an oldskool KIer myself- With the exception of Face off and SoB, I've ridden every adult coaster they've ever had.

I'm going to (someday) go through all of my father's old pictures of KI in the 70's and early 80's. When I get them scanned, I'll share them. He's even got a couple of pics of the Bavarian Beetle- my first coaster ever.

And, we'll come back next year (or maybe for Frightfest) and I'll get my chance with Face Off and (most importantly) SoB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On Flight Commander, guests in line would enter the ride area from the inside via a set of stairs in the center of the ride area. This opening in the center and in the queue line was recently filled in when they added the Eurobungee. Here is a picture from the History Section that shows the filled in portion of Flight Commander`s old queue. That is why if you are on the Eurobungee ride area, you will see newer concrete in the center, and older concrete along the exterior.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As Boddah indicated, the affected rides were slated to close at 8PM due to concerns about the noise from the rides interfering with the concert.

This is a concert, not a church service.

I have a difficult time hearing the person next to me at a concert, so hearing a ride make noise 100' behind me is a non factor.

Now throw in rides in like Firehawk and AE being closed and it just doesn't add up. Why would those rides have negatively affected the concert due to noise?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As Boddah indicated, the affected rides were slated to close at 8PM due to concerns about the noise from the rides interfering with the concert.

This is a concert, not a church service.

I have a difficult time hearing the person next to me at a concert, so hearing a ride make noise 100' behind me is a non factor.

Now throw in rides in like Firehawk and AE being closed and it just doesn't add up. Why would those rides have negatively affected the concert due to noise?

Because if you've ever been in Timberwolf, the sounds of the park tend to echoe though the ampitheater. If it was something that was announced and there was legitimate reasoning behind the shut downs, I don't think there is a real issue. And if we're only talking from 8pm on..... That's not really that major.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have never been in Timberwolf for a concert, so I really have no way of knowing. So my opinion, well it sucks. :)

Perhaps the screaming from the rides in Action Zone would echo into the Ampitheatre. But shutting down AE and FH? It seems shutting those rides down would be a stretch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is the same exact spot where Flight Commander was located, I promise. I have been down in the old queue (I used to work at Eurobungy, so I was allowed) and you can see where they filled in the center of the platform. The old queue is in utter disarray. I believe that the booth that you see may have been the operators booth. The entrance and exit of Eurobungy were the exit for Flight Commander.

I believe Drop Zone was originally going to go where Eurobungy is now, I remember seeing a sign advertising it back in 1997 or 1998.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^ Yes, you're right. I saw a couple of pictures that showed what you're saying, and I also figured out why I was thinking the location was a bit different from where it actually is.

As far as noise and concerts, I can say this from painful experience- when there are no rides running, you can sure hear the concert from outside the amphitheater.

The problems I saw Saturday were not due to a concert. The problems I saw were breakdowns, pure and simple. I don't think I've ever seen more than one ride broken down in any given day at KI ever until Saturday. Sure, with no doubt- today's rides are more complex, but I still think they need some tweaking in their preventive maintenance program.

And I still love the place- that's probably why I was so disappointed with Saturday- I know it can and should be better than that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those jokes are horrible...but also horribly funny.

I've been at Timberwolf for concerts several times and they've never shut down the rides when I was there. And the only thing I ever remember hearing from inside Timberwolf was people screaming on Drop Zone...and that was still not enough to distract from the concert.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ahh, Flight Commander. I remember the first day it re-opened after the accident. Me and my buddy road in EVERY single seat (as you could guess there was NO line) to make SHURE we rode in the same one she did. Ahh, the Twisted perversion of youth.

And yes, it did re-open for a short time before it was removed.

Out with Nickelodeon, Back in with HB. Vote, don't renew!!!!

OLD SKOOL KI'er.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ahh, Flight Commander. I remember the first day it re-opened after the accident. Me and my buddy road in EVERY single seat (as you could guess there was NO line) to make SHURE we rode in the same one she did. Ahh, the Twisted perversion of youth.

And yes, it did re-open for a short time before it was removed.

Out with Nickelodeon, Back in with HB. Vote, don't renew!!!!

OLD SKOOL KI'er.

Flight Commander was one of the scariest rides in the park. Those pods rotated kind of slowly, so you always had the feeling you were going to fall out. Of course after the accident, it had even more of a scare factor when riding. darn noisy ride though. You could hear that thing all the way down Coney Mall.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ahh, Flight Commander. I remember the first day it re-opened after the accident. Me and my buddy road in EVERY single seat (as you could guess there was NO line) to make SHURE we rode in the same one she did. Ahh, the Twisted perversion of youth.

And yes, it did re-open for a short time before it was removed.

Out with Nickelodeon, Back in with HB. Vote, don't renew!!!!

OLD SKOOL KI'er.

Flight Commander was one of the scariest rides in the park. Those pods rotated kind of slowly, so you always had the feeling you were going to fall out. Of course after the accident, it had even more of a scare factor when riding. darn noisy ride though. You could hear that thing all the way down Coney Mall.

Not only did you have the feeling you were going to fall out but there was the added bonus of sometimes actually doing so!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ahh, Flight Commander. I remember the first day it re-opened after the accident. Me and my buddy road in EVERY single seat (as you could guess there was NO line) to make SHURE we rode in the same one she did. Ahh, the Twisted perversion of youth.

And yes, it did re-open for a short time before it was removed.

Out with Nickelodeon, Back in with HB. Vote, don't renew!!!!

OLD SKOOL KI'er.

Flight Commander was one of the scariest rides in the park. Those pods rotated kind of slowly, so you always had the feeling you were going to fall out. Of course after the accident, it had even more of a scare factor when riding. darn noisy ride though. You could hear that thing all the way down Coney Mall.

Not only did you have the feeling you were going to fall out but there was the added bonus of sometimes actually doing so!!!!

What a thrill. <_<

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...