Outdoor Man Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 Wife and I made a last minute decision to head to the park around 4pm on Monday. When we got there the lot seemed pretty full, but wasn't so bad once we got inside the gate. coulnd't help but notice that a month before it begins, Halloween Haunt items were aplenty. Once there we headed over to AZ where I figured to ride Delirium. ehh.... line too long, we noticed that SOB was running (actually I think EVERYTHING was running with the exception of TR:TR)- so we reluctantly/cautiously headed to the SOB line. This was the first ride for me since June of 2006 and probably since 2003 for my wife. I have to say I give the park staff an A+ on the refurbishing of the coaster. Granted, without the loop, it's just a tall/fast coaster, but with the exception of some bumpiness in the "rose bowl" it was for the most part.... dare I say enjoyable. The park should do a "re-launch" of the ride to let people know "it's OK to come back "into the water". Because it's still a record holder, and on a pretty full afternoon, it was a "walk on" line. It will never be one of my favorites, but it is remarkably smoother than it was. Next rode Top Gun. Noticed the new building for HH going up.... it is sad what years of neglect have done to TP. It's still a wicked ride but just looks terrible. Over to Fort Cooper/Kinzel. Uh- lines too long, will come back. Onto Vortex. Middle of the train- still a great coaster. Was able to spot a ton of vacant cement footings that once held The Bat. Perhaps they can re-theme Top Gun to The Bat.... in the woods- still works. No line, so stayed on and hopped to the front car. Again- still a great coaster- though i find as I am getting older it makes me light-headed moreso. Onto The Beast. 1st car, second row. Picture pose: knocking back a refreshment. No original description of The Beast can be made. Classic coaster. noticed while waiting for train to leave.... what is going on with TR:TR? the theme elements were stacked behind the building. IJST: about a 25 minute wait. Will be a constant reminder of all that was the Paramount years.... good concept and idea..... just way too short to be considered great. nothing was working in the action scene.... btw- when the Paramount facades change.... what will this be rethemed to? back over to Firehawk for first ride. 40 minute wait- but worth it for a first ride. It was an amazing ride; unlike any coaster experience. It would be nice if they could theme something to the ground so that when you are flying towards the ground there is something other than mud, grass, or gravel to look at... water would be a decent element. overall a great night at the park. 7 coaster rides in just under 3 hours. just a few questions/observations: - I heard a rumor tonight that the line que's for Top Gun and SOB were getting removed until past the concrete tunnel... anything to that? - While climbing the hill for SOB noticed the abandoned parking lot trams. Funny how the park attracts more people that before... and they have ceased to use them.... as part of this "notice"- the park has a lot of abandoned junk strewn behind the scenes. - there are a lot of people that assume the "smoking ONLY in designated areas" applies to everyone but them. - maybe a ride op can answer this... just because a person is handicapped or otherwise disabled of sorts automatically jump them to the front of the line with no waiting.... and in the front seat. example: we were in line for The Beast.... it was pretty much "walk on"- and a ride op told the people in line for the front car that they would need to wait and that some "other guests" would be on the next train. My wife and I were in line for the #2 seat so it didn't affect us... but I would have been pretty upset if I were in the 7-ride deep line for the front.... and to be honest- this couple could have walked through the line.... and if you truly have a leg injury- your Dr. probably would not approve you to ride a bumpy, rough wooden coaster.... anyone have a comment to that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?...amp;hl=Handicap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoor Man Posted September 4, 2007 Author Share Posted September 4, 2007 this lady wasn't in a wheel chair and walked up the exit ramp... and proceeded to walk back.... not doubting the integrity of her "limp"- but it seemed that if she could walk the exit... she could have walked the entrance and waited like everyone else... or at least taken a seat in the middle that had no wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 Elmer, Hank says it well HERE: http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?...st&p=175061 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoor Man Posted September 4, 2007 Author Share Posted September 4, 2007 The question on the line wasn't the point of my post, just a question. The only issue I had with it was there was no line for rows 2-whatever.... it just seemed like a request for the front seat which was 7-rides deep was- anyway, just thoughts from the balcony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 I too was at the park yesterday from about 2:15 until close. Had a fun time, including getting three consecutive rides on Drop Zone (which was not rotating on the way up). Son of Beast was a walk on, but I bypassed it as I didn`t want to ruin the rest of my day with a headache. I also found it kind of odd that the park decided to put out two cars of the old SoB cars with skeletons in it. With retrospect to the accident that happened on the ride last year, they almost seem to be in bad taste. With regards to the Top Gun queue, see my post here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigellinus Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 To respond to your TR.... The park should do a "re-launch" of the ride to let people know "it's OK to come back "into the water". Nahhh....we need something with a short line when Firehawk, Delirium, and Face/Off all have hour long waits!! IJST: about a 25 minute wait. Will be a constant reminder of all that was the Paramount years.... good concept and idea..... just way too short to be considered great. nothing was working in the action scene.... btw- when the Paramount facades change.... what will this be rethemed to? I heard "Cincinnati Rush"....but I like your idea about re-naming/themeing Top Gun as The Bat!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James78 Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I too made it to the park yesterday, and had a great time. First ride was Drop Zone, which I ended up doing twice with hardly any wait at all. I then hit all the usual rides including all the coasters. I also finally caught the Twistin' to the 60's show. There were really two standouts of my day though. The first being that I went to ride the backwards Racer. I occasionally like the backseat. I don't know I just think it's cool to see the track that way. Anyway I walked through the line and by the time I got to the back some people from the previous train switched seats and I'm sure you can all guess which one they took. I wasn't really upset about it too much as there wasn't any line and I would have waited through another cycle. Then the ride-op asks me if I walked through the line. I say yes I did. And then she proceeded to tell them that since I walked through the line and they were just staying on that they had to move and let me have that seat. I thought that was very nice of her to do and on my way out I stopped at Guest Relations and left a compliment for her. I've had people do this to me on slow days before and it is a little frustrating when you're getting ready to walk on and someone else is there. The second was being able to ride Flight of Fear and getting out just in time to get in Firehawk's line right before they cut the line off for closing. All in all it was a fine day to go and I had a blast like always. On a side note I'm sure this has been brought up before, but I have to ask. Why is it that if you buy a Coke from a vending machine it's $3.00 but if you go to a stand or a shop it's $3.50? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoor Man Posted September 5, 2007 Author Share Posted September 5, 2007 actually Coasters... i feel that A LOT of things in the Fear Fest / HH are in particular bad taste.... most notably in my opinion is having people take pictures in a casket. That's just plain poor judgment of a responsible adult making a decision for an attraction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hauntguy Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I have about 12 casket photos... the whole family got them! They're cool and a nice little "novelty photo". Also, who can really say they've laid down in a REAL casket! -Hauntguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 With retrospect to the accident that happened on the ride last year, they almost seem to be in bad taste. Yes there was an accident on SoB. But the issue has since been fixed. You make it sound like people died on SoB. Now if they would have used an old FC car, or put skeletons in the Beer Garden pond, now THAT would be in bad taste. Not to mention, how many people (besides us geeks ) are actually going to even know (or care) that those are SoB's old cars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKIVortex Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 The whole smoking thing has been a problem at KI the last few years. I am a smoker but I have no problems using the designated areas. But what I see is the problem is, the people not using the areas will walk by employees of the park, and they won't say a word to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cormaster Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 so anyway why's tomb raider always broke now? How can they have so many problems with a simple rotating platform? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKIVortex Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 It's not a simple rotating platform. The ride is a giant top spin. It uses powerful motors to lift the gondola and make it spin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cormaster Posted September 6, 2007 Share Posted September 6, 2007 Anyway the ride's a couple years old now... if they can't get it running smoothly they need to buldoze it. All 3 visits to KI this summer it was broke down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted September 6, 2007 Share Posted September 6, 2007 Ok, because a ride is a couple of years old and has had some mechanical difficulties, they should just give up on it? Keep in mind that the park spent millions of dollars building the ride back in 2002. Yes, I agree, those casket picture taking opportunities were terrible taste last year as well. I just think that with all the negative publicity that Son of Beast has received over its lifetime, between the accident, the roughness and all the downtime, that the park would not want to be using the old trains. While they are there simply for decoration, in my opinion, they seem out of place. I wonder if they will bring back several of the Phantom Theater characters to the Phantom Theater cars like they did last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted September 6, 2007 Share Posted September 6, 2007 It wouldn't surprise me even a little bit if certain attorneys representing those injured last year take or have taken pictures of those trains. I can hear it now: "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Cedar Fair was so sympathetic to my clients' plight that they mocked their bone injuries by putting skeletons in the trains and put them on public display. I ask you look at Plaintiff's Exhibit 32B...." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TombraiderTy Posted September 6, 2007 Share Posted September 6, 2007 ^LOL! Well, I for one thought the casket pictures were cleaver and not at all in bad taste. And I love the Son of Beast cars being use, made my day to see they weren't scrap metal by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 It wouldn't surprise me even a little bit if certain attorneys representing those injured last year take or have taken pictures of those trains. I can hear it now: "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Cedar Fair was so sympathetic to my clients' plight that they mocked their bone injuries by putting skeletons in the trains and put them on public display. I ask you look at Plaintiff's Exhibit 32B...." Excellent point of showing exactly what is wrong with today's "sue happy" society. It is things like that that increase height limits on rides that are 15+ years old with perfect safety records. Or shortening/ adding seatbelts on rides that are virtually impossible of getting out of the restraints to begin with. Only an attorney looking for a payday would try and spin what is considered a halloween prop into an insult of guests that were injured as result of a piece of the coaster framing breaking as opposed to the train itself, which is exactly what the prop is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 And it is certainly easily foreseeable that an attorney WILL do that.... Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 And not all of the increases in the height requirements and additional seat belts is purely motivated by trying to avoid lawsuits. More likely, it is in response to try and keep insurance costs (including liability insurance) for the park down. More stringent safety requirements equates to less chance of injuries occurring and insurance having to be used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 More likely, it is in response to try and keep insurance costs (including liability insurance) for the park down. And what increases insurance costs? Lawsuits. It is just a big, ugly wheel that keeps going in circles. The same applies to medical costs. When a patient sues the doctor for an infected hangnail, it is money out of the doctor's pocket to his insurance company, which increases his malpractice insurance, which increases our medical costs. Now if those who are guilty of filing frivoulus lawsuits could be held responsible for all the court costs and defense attorney costs, then, and only then, will you see costs go down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 And we all KNOW the lawsuits filed by those injured on Son of Beast are all frivolous, now don't we? Anyone want to step right up and volunteer to have THEIR sternum broken? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 ^ Those would be a small handful of lawsuits that are legitimate. Now the guy who was struck by lightning in the parking lot..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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