Somebody must like The Crypt

[The Interpreter]

They could have kept it? Why, then, do you think they got rid of it?

The terms of the acquisition contract, which have not been made public, doubtless required the actions that were taken. And yes, I do know what was and was not done at Kings Dominion. I sincerely doubt that Cedar Fair removed any theming from Tomb Raider: The Ride at Kings Island that it was not required so to do.

[CedarPointer]

The goddess carving is still in place, along with many TRTR-themed carvings, including a triangle of light, in the holding area (you can only see them when the lights are all the way up). I can't imagine Paramount would have required them to remove the ride theming but not the other theming that was left... although, I guess anything's possible.

[AgentSoB]

Hey... I like The Crypt, so I guess that makes me a somebody. I don't have any beef with any one here for not liking it. I realize it was most likely a much more immersive experience in the past. I never got to experience that experience before because I'm not much for flipping and flopping. However, with it's improvment in downtown and ridership (for whatever reason) I would say the ride will live for a while longer. While something could go there it most likely will not, so why have vacant space. Also, even with the removal of theme it still is one of the better decorated rides in the park. I found the queue to be awesome... not on the level that I saw at BGT, but pretty good. Plus the light package inside the ride area is nice, and the music is not bad especially outside. Finally, I just really like the name. It is one of the better names that Cedar Fair given us.

[CedarPointer]

Just to be clear, you have ridden the "new" Crypt, right? With the "improved" ride experience?

[bkroz]

In Cedar Fair's defense (what am I saying?!) the goddess hasn't been removed from The Crypt's wall because... Well.. The goddess is the wall. The catwalks up the back of the building that lead to three hatches at the top? Those three hatches are where the lightbulbs for the fire, ice, and eyes go, respectively. It's not as if it's just some ornamental plaque hanging on the wall. It's far too large to be "removed."

Again, though, I don't think it's possible for Paramount to raise a fuss about Kings Island tearing out the current top spin and replacing it with a suspended top spin surrounded in fake rockwork and waterfalls. Honestly, that's no different than what Cedar Fair commissioned for Great America's Firefall.

Trust me, when the ride operated at Geauga Lake it had no fire, water, music, or rockwork. The fact that it was all added after its transplant (and further still, the ride cycle was synchronized to these new effects and music) leads one to believe that Cedar Fair actually is capable of theme. Perhaps if Great America is closed, FireFall will be shipped to Kings Island and placed inside our Crypt's building with its water and fire effects in tact. Of course, a suspended top spin would be much more notable, and afford Kings Island the marketing oppurtunity of "The Crypt is now floorless, and more thrilling!" Trying to explain a Top Spin I and a Giant Top Spin and a Suspended Top Spin would likely be right over their head - but saying its floorless? People know what that means, and they'd love it!

In fact, putting a duplicate of KD's Crypt inside our ride building would please fans of Tomb Raider (themeing returns - not as great as it used to be, but it returns copyright-free none the less) and of The Crypt I (intense ride cycle). Virtually all of the Crypt's current problems would be avoided, while creating an incredible new ride experience for Kings Island... Why hadn't I ever thought of this before?

Imagine that exact ride ^ placed inside our building, with the current volcano and goddess carving in tact, all lighting up as the flames erupt and our ride's current lights pulsate... ahhhhhhhhh... Again, if someone at Cedar Fair / Kings Island reads this - I will help to pay for this. Weekly installments! I promise.

[AgentSoB]

Yes... I'm talking about the famed Ferris Wheel in a box version in my above. I really just try to look at the positives. Yes it could be better, but some stuff is done well.

[kjkjkj]

In Cedar Fair's defense (what am I saying?!) the goddess hasn't been removed from The Crypt's wall because... Well.. The goddess is the wall............................

That really is a great idea. A new topspin to put in place of the Giant Top Spin, would be great, as well as the addition of the fire and the rocks, and the water. I would even be happy if they tore down just the ride section of the building, but kept the line enclosed. That way they could face this new topspin toward the midway, and it would provide a great way for people to watch the ride in action and draw guests in.

[coaster_junky]

not to mention some amazing views of fire shooting up from the mid-course brake run on Diamondback, and The Beast's que.

[Dvo]

I got on it a few times. When I rode on opening day it had a pretty intense cycle. And then a few months later I got on and it was changed to basically a slightly intense ferris wheel. So... Congrats on the added ridership? But I ask you this, Kings Island...

AT WHAT COST?!

On a side note, I rode the top spin at Knott's when I was out there, and while it wasn't really "themed," the ride operator kind of narrated the ride as you went along, and it was really funny. Not to mention the several-in-a-row backflips that conclude the ride. It was pretty fun.

[coaster_junky]

i miss the crypt 1.0:(, when you were lifted up to the highest position and then flipped numerous times backward towards the ground.

[bkroz]

Should our current ride be replaced with a suspended top spin as I suggested, that same ride cycle would most likely return. Cedar Fair* chopped the front row off the gondola, assuming that gave the ride the capability of performing the ride cycles used by the smaller, more agile top spins. Obviously, that was not the case, as it left the ride closed at most times and lead to the installation of the current (at last operation) two-flip cycle.

The more intense "Crypt 1" program that the ride had was a flip-for-flip copy of Kings Dominion's Crypt cycle, just not set to the same music and (because of our ride's massive size) more forceful.

*certainly with the approval of the ride's manufacturers. I don't mean it to sound like they randomly decided to give this a go.

[Diamondback FOF]

I thought it was the back row that was removed?

[coaster_junky]

no it was the front, when standing in the pre-show room, the far left line is roped off, follow it with your eyes into the ride room, you'll fall off onto the garage floor.

[KingCobra]

I would definately enjoy if they had just a normal top spin in, having ridden the one at Dominion. Though there they could get some grease on their brakes, you could hear from a good distance away. (Kind of reminded me of the days with King Cobra's brake run.) It seems that the giant top spin model (the one KI has) was built in a way not for the intense ride cycle but more to have a ride cycle that would mesh perfectly with the theming of the ride compared to the normal top spin that can do about anything. It is unfortunate in a way that things happened with The Crypt over the years, but hopefully it can be somehow salvaged.

[Diamondback FOF]

If they greased the brakes, they would be slick on not stop the ride.

[bkroz]

It seems that the giant top spin model (the one KI has) was built in a way not for the intense ride cycle but more to have a ride cycle that would mesh perfectly with the theming of the ride compared to the normal top spin that can do about anything. It is unfortunate in a way that things happened with The Crypt over the years, but hopefully it can be somehow salvaged.

It's very true - Tomb Raider: The Ride was the only Giant Top Spin in the world (I say was because, while the structure is still larger than any other, it contains a capacity almost equal to a typical top spin, and isn't really the "giant" proper it started out as). The stadium-style, tiered seating and huge capacity was very intentionally designed as more of a "theater" than a "thrill ride" proper. Remember that, in its inaugural season, Tomb Raider: The Ride only flipped once (and had the "hang time" over lava). It was the high demand for more bang-for-the-buck (thrill for the wait time) that caused the ride be to reprogrammed to follow the same path, but include three more flips. (Though it should be noted, there is a reason they only made one...)

That's why the transformation to The Crypt required the gondola to be downsized - the Giant Top Spin is simply incapable of performing the agile flips and spins of a typical top spin. Though I'm not sure this is entirely to blame, removing the front row certainly threw off the ride's center of gravity - the axels went from supporting the center of the gondola, to supporting the front half, which certainly misaligned things internally. Thus, (ironically) Cedar Fair's bid to overcompensate for the lack of theme by making the ride more thrilling actually caused the ride to become less thrilling than it had been during its main run as Tomb Raider and have only two-thirds its original capacity, seemingly for no reason (the ride could've performed its current cycle with all 77 seats in tact, so they essentially cut the ride's capacity for nothing).

A suspended top spin with the same themeing, music, and ride cycle as Kings Dominion's would be a hit from a theme perspective, a thrill perspective, and as a one-more-great-flat-for-Kings-Island perspective... Imagine having Rivertown re-invigorated with what's inside that cavern! Imagine the fake rockwork climbing up the backwall, and upon boarding the ride, hearing waterfalls flowing around you. That's what Kings Dominion's is like, and mixed with our dark, disorienting building, it would be, as the website still touts, an all-out war on the senses! The heat, the mist, the lights, the music... Again I must finish this post: If Cedar Fair were to do this, I would personally do whatever is necessary to help. Anything.

[The Interpreter]

There were other reasons that the gondola was reduced in size as well. Again, if Cedar Fair had not HAD to do what they did, they would not have done it.

[coaster_junky]

i'm still crossing my fingers for huss to pull an arrow, doubt it will happen, but hey i can dream can't i.

[The Interpreter]

And sell out to S and S Power?

That's what Arrow did..(in effect).

[coaster_junky]

no, thinking more along the lines of the sometimes forgotten about dead end in coney mall

[bkroz]

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=155893938367&topic=15651

There's a Facebook discussion I started on Kings Island's page about how exactly the Crypt can be improved (cheap or free solutions, not "replace the gondola," "put it outside," "demolish it," etc.) Feel free to join / critique, etc, just so long as the word gets across to the park that there are things that can be done.

[PREMiERdrum]

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=155893938367&topic=15651

There's a Facebook discussion I started on Kings Island's page about how exactly the Crypt can be improved (cheap or free solutions, not "replace the gondola," "put it outside," "demolish it," etc.) Feel free to join / critique, etc, just so long as the word gets across to the park that there are things that can be done.

I just added to your post...

I'll add one more...

I understand the reasoning for removing the door between the final preshow room and the show building (nobody wants to see a ride go down because a door won't open!), but the door did serve an important purpose in the ride experience.

One of the best parts of The Crypt is a rider's inability to describe exactly what the ride is. There is (was) a great deal of mystery to the whole experience when you're not sure exactly what's going to happen once you're seated.

A theatrical lighting fixture (ellipsoidal) mounted at the top of the doorway between the preshow room and the show building, pointed back at the queue and down at a slight angle, would make it impossible for people waiting in line to see the ride in motion, although they would still be able to hear the swoops and screams.

This would also add a neat psychologic trick on the riders, having to walk "into the light" to get into the "The Crypt". I can't imagine that there isn't an unused fixture around (especially considering the dramatic lighting in the queue and preshow for "Tomb Raider: The Ride"), so all that's stopping this from happening is about an hour's work.

[bkroz]

And I replied! Haha. I'm glad people are engaging. I was afraid it was just going to be me. There are times when it feels as if the ride has been given up on, and my point is, if there are cheap and effective ways to bring back even a HINT of its original excitement, why not try it? There are many who had said that 2009 was most certainly The Crypt's last season. They were wrong. Hopefully, 2009 will be recalled as the "low point" in the Crypt's lifetime. It can only go up from here (knock on wood), and thankfully there are many many cheap ways for it to improve.

[DBru]

Added my thoughts:

Great, ideas, Brian. I echo each and every one of them.

Ever since the ride debuted as Tomb Raider back in 2002, it has been one of my favorite experiences in the park. Now that the cycle (while much tamer) allows the ride to be more reliable, adding just a few extra touches to bring out some of its hidden potential should probably be the next move.

I completely understand that the door separating the queue lines and the ride chamber was a maintenance issue, so why not, as Brain suggested, replace the door with something much more simple and reliable? Simply placing a black curtain here seems like it would be very cost efficient solution that would keep that sense of "mystery" for oncoming riders.

Regarding adding a bit of audio/storyline to the preshow room: does this area not already have some sort of speaker, or intercom system installed? I know that operators already use something like this to give instructions to guests, so could a CD not be used by these same speakers to emit a story, seemingly being provided by The Bat creature?

Even in its current state, I know of many Kings Island guests who still have faith in the Crypt. It just seems that, with a little black paint (to cover the concrete floor and walls of the ride chamber), a curtain, a few lighting/fog effects (that are already in place), and some recycled audio, the ride could reclaim some of that potential that has been wasted for the past few seasons.

Thank you for taking our ideas into consideration!