Colonel_SoB_fan Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 They explained the brick issue in their own comment section Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamondback96 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 They explained the brick issue in their own comment section Yeah, I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Pepper Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Thursday's 5@5 mailbag answers below. Ross Musick - Is there any chance you would be able to share some photos of "lost" areas of the park? The lower level of Flight Deck's station? Any barns or outbuildings left from Lion Country Safari? In Scooby Doo's show building, are there any hidden parts left of the Enchanted Voyage? Many of us are history buffs and would love to see some hidden pieces of park history! This is a great suggestion and one we have been kicking around quite a bit. You will see a more focused effort to these historical changes being added to our FB page and official site moving forward. We will be making this a regular feature. There are so many cool treasures around our offices that can be posted to this "online history museum". From pictures to ride renderings to sounds that might take you back. Why not start a thread on our discussions page and fire off some ideas. ------------------------------ Nicholas Himes - Actually it was concluded that straight-line winds were what caused the sign to topple over. The news said straight line winds – probably because they didn't predict a tornado! Either way it was a very ugly storm in September of 2003. Fortunately it was overnight and early in the morning. The former marquee stood in this place since 1978. I'll place a pic in our wall photos of the old sign. I think you'll the wind may have done us a favor. ------------------------------ Jeffrey Schoenstra - I've been a big fan since opening day 1972, My question is The first year after KI removed The olde Time Cars, One of the managers, I think has name was Jeff, Told a group of us that The cars will make a return, is that still something we can look forward to, or did Cedar Fair nix that project, Not sure who told you that but I'm afraid that was probably wishful thinking on someone's part. That decision had nothing to do with Cedar Fair. There is always hope it could return. There were lots of upkeep issues, especially with that particular attraction but it was also very popular with a wide age range. I think you know my vote. ------------------------------ Tom Short - I really liked the way the path going back toward The Beast used to be marked with the "paws" painted on the ground leading to the queue. Also done with twisted metal for Vortex, and other rides as well. A small thing that I kind of miss. Are there small bits and bobs to the park that have changed over the years, that you would like to bring back? I too have fond memories of the paw prints. Faded and crumbling paw prints don't look great though. These do make nice anniversary celebrations. Personally, I loved the "world's largest hanging basket" that used to be on display here. What's better is hearing the landscape folks talk about how they came up with the idea one (late) night. They stayed even later, put their welding skills to work and had it in the park the next day as a surprise to most everyone else that worked here. That's pretty cool. How many other things happen that way around here I wonder? ------------------------------ Austin Benton - How often does the Eiffel Tower get painted...and how much maintenance is spent on restoring it..cause it still looks amazing and it was built sooooooooo long ago!!! The tower was last painted in 2005 and required more than 2,200 gallons of paint for the one-third scale replica. There was talk at that time of changing the color and we saw renderings of light and dark blue, a purplish thing, and bronze. Here are a few more fun facts about the tower: - 450-ton structure designed and fabricated by Intamin - Installation and equipment costs exceeded $1 million - It took just over 30 days to build in the spring of 1971 - Average elevator speed is 10 feet per second. - Elevator riding time is 30 seconds. - There are 15,000 bolts holding the structure firm. - There are 410 steps that lead to the top of the tower. - On a clear day you can see 18 miles from the top. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- They have also put on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Thursday's 5@5 mailbag answers below. Ross Musick - Is there any chance you would be able to share some photos of "lost" areas of the park? The lower level of Flight Deck's station? Any barns or outbuildings left from Lion Country Safari? In Scooby Doo's show building, are there any hidden parts left of the Enchanted Voyage? Many of us are history buffs and would love to see some hidden pieces of park history! This is a great suggestion and one we have been kicking around quite a bit. You will see a more focused effort to these historical changes being added to our FB page and official site moving forward. We will be making this a regular feature. There are so many cool treasures around our offices that can be posted to this online history museum. From pictures to ride renderings to sounds that might take you back. Why not start a thread on our discussions page and fire off some ideas. Woohoo! They answered my question. I love the answer, too. I started a discussion on the Facebook page for suggestions as to what you'd like to see. Weigh in with your ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAHill Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Jeffrey Schoenstra - I've been a big fan since opening day 1972, My question is The first year after KI removed The olde Time Cars, One of the managers, I think has name was Jeff, Told a group of us that The cars will make a return, is that still something we can look forward to, or did Cedar Fair nix that project, Not sure who told you that but I'm afraid that was probably wishful thinking on someone's part. That decision had nothing to do with Cedar Fair. There is always hope it could return. There were lots of upkeep issues, especially with that particular attraction but it was also very popular with a wide age range. I think you know my vote. The Dippin Dots guy must have told him this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhimes90 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Nicholas Himes - Actually it was concluded that straight-line winds were what caused the sign to topple over.The news said straight line winds – probably because they didn't predict a tornado! Either way it was a very ugly storm in September of 2003. Fortunately it was overnight and early in the morning. The former marquee stood in this place since 1978. I'll place a pic in our wall photos of the old sign. I think you'll the wind may have done us a favor. I really don't get why they answered this. I was just replying to a comment made by someone else, it wasn't really a question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBEW_Sparky Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 I Love the statement about the paw prints making "nice anniversary celebrations", yet they (IMHO) blew a huge opportunity last year with how The Beasts 30th was "celebrated". I mean, a cake at RWCW and a sign on the fence next to the queue entrance that very few members of the GP even noticed, really? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Jeffrey Schoenstra - I've been a big fan since opening day 1972, My question is The first year after KI removed The olde Time Cars, One of the managers, I think has name was Jeff, Told a group of us that The cars will make a return, is that still something we can look forward to, or did Cedar Fair nix that project, Not sure who told you that but I'm afraid that was probably wishful thinking on someone's part. That decision had nothing to do with Cedar Fair. There is always hope it could return. There were lots of upkeep issues, especially with that particular attraction but it was also very popular with a wide age range. I think you know my vote. The Dippin Dots guy must have told him this. Nope. I think it was some guy who now does marketing for a waterpark chain in Texas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 For what it's worth, KI has already created a "Historical Album on their Facebook page with a photo of the old sign, and started a discussion asking for what you'd like to see. That was fast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast1979 Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 Friday's 6@5 mailbag answers below. You've been so good this week, you got a bonus answer today!Bret Shroats - Any chance that sometime guests will be able to be out on the 50 foot platform on the Eiffel Tower We’ve looked at this a couple of times in the past few years. It would have been great for the Action Sports and Wallenda events. It would also make a really nice area to just hang out. It is problematic though in terms of access and would take a lot more work than you think in order to get it to the point where people could be there. Lots of building code rules have changed since it was built. I was surprised by how much would need to be done to make it work again. Believe me, I’ve tried! ------------------------------ Travis Nuss - i have seen rumors about king cobra cars are in the Flight of Fear building? is this true? Someone in our rides department confirmed for me (and you) that this is TRUE. Nice work. ------------------------------ Ben Craighead - How did you get your start in the amusement industry? And what would you reccomend a current seasonal employee do to eventually make a career out of it as well? Most people here got their start as seasonal employees. I think that’s true of most parks. Many work here seasonally, go off to “real jobs” but come back to the parks in the end. I would suggest working hard, making friends, and learning as many different things as you can. Someone told me a long time ago that this industry is starving for hard working people that love the business. They were right. My grandma still can’t understand what I do all day. She always asks what I do when the park is closed at night and all winter? She can’t believe it’s a real job. I love her anyway. ------------------------------ Joey Baldacchino - At Cedar Point, Planet Snoopy plays a loop of music from popular music artists for the younger age group that it is targeted toward. Will Kings Island's Planet Snoopy also feature a different music loop from the rest of the park? Another example of something you caused me to learn. Found out today that Planet Snoopy will be on a separate sound system from the rest of the park. ------------------------------ David McPeak - I've heard that The Beast was originally going to be named "The Champion", of course The Beast is the perfect name for the coaster, but who decided to change it from "The Champion" to "The Beast"? Checked with the folks that were here at the time and they don’t recall any “Champion” name. All of the planning documents, contracts for tunnels, station and ride refer to it as “KI Coaster”, “Coaster Project” or “Proposed Coaster”. These would make great additions to the new ARCHIVE section! I’ll see if I can get my hands on these. The Beast name was released soon before the ride opened and originated in the Marketing department at KI. ------------------------------ Daniel Bruington - Now that the Crypt is much more reliable, will the "rising door" that separates the ride chamber from the queue line be operational again this season? (This, as well as some of the other theming elements, is one of my favorite parts about the ride experience!) The doors were neat at first but they were not very reliable and they didn’t help much with the ride’s capacity. Not sure I’d want to stand outside the ride and say “sorry, ride is down because the door won’t come down”. It did not have anything to do with a license agreement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braves0511 Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 Woooo my question got answered...kinda...not that it was really an answerable question to start with. But it looks like I'm on the right track to being a full time park employee, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBru Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 Well, I'm glad my question about the Crypt was answered...but I'm sad to hear that the doors wont be returning again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjkjkj Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 Even if those doors were returned, it wouldn't help the ride experience very much, since it still has no good theming, and the program sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedarPointer Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 My question got answered- cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyGuy4KI Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 Saturday's 5@5 mailbag answers below. Sorry they didn't get posted sooner! David McPeak - I know that Kings Island has a 5 year plan for what shows/attractions to bring to the park each year and that it's confidential, but what type of coaster do you think Kings Island needs? It seems like to me there are enough wooden coasters, enough air time coasters, quite a few coasters that go upside down, and plenty of family and kid coasters. Is it hard to decide what Kings Island needs, or does it come pretty easily? You're right David. There is a long term planning strategy for new capital improvements. Sometimes things change this plan a bit but all-in-all it holds pretty true. Kings Island has a great collection. We are lucky to have such variety of wood, steel, thrills, kid's product, a huge waterpark, etc. I think we could use more flat rides, the waterpark is due, and I'd add a B&M hyper every year if it were up to me. These decisions are not easy at all but it is very fun to see how they are made. ------------------------------ Tony Douglass - Could you foresee the park ever adding an additional dark ride? Kings Island had great themed adventures, and so many parks around have the Wood Cut out rides with shooting that are used today- Many, myself included, love just the ride throughs. Phantom Theater for example was perfect, and I was sad I never got to ride 'Museum of Horrors' What was ... See More I really like these too and you're right, they are not just for kiddies. Not sure I'd add another dark ride. I should say, there are other things on my wish list before a second dark ride. From what I've seen and heard you are really going to like the new dark ride experience. Enchanted Voyage was great, so was Phantom Theater. Scooby took a different spin on it and turned out to be a hit. The quote "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is very true here. People forget that these rides needed a facelift when they got one. Each version has gotten better and this one will be no exception. ------------------------------ Asa McCormick - Why isn't Kings Island opening this weekend or next with Carowinds and Kings Dominion? Weather. KI's opening date has varied greatly over the years. We've tried early April, even late March once. Remember closing at noon due to snow? I do. Spring in Cincinnati is unpredictable to say the least. Look no further than snow on the ground when you woke up this past Friday! Opening in May has also been an option. Where we are now (April 17) is probably the ideal spot. ------------------------------ Brad Perdue - How often do you get to visit other CF parks, and is it part of your job or do you have to take vacation days to do so? It is fun to visit the other parks. Sometimes for work. Sometimes for play. I look forward to a regular Cedar Point visit and I love Knott's – especially in October during The Haunt. Some of the smaller parks really surprised me. For example, Worlds of Fun in Kansas City is a great park and if not for this job I may never have seen it. We do get busy in our own little world but it is good to see the others. Sometimes these visits are work related – for example, our PR Manager was in Charlotte for a week helping open Carowinds new Intimidator coaster. Talk about a perk. Other times we visit other parks with our family and friends as vacation time. ------------------------------ Travis Nuss - if you had no other option but to close a ride so you can build a differt one in its place what ride would you close and what ride would you put in? Luckily we don't have to make that choice often. We have plenty of space to build on unlike a lot of parks. Many parks do have to take something away to add something new. We don't. There is not a ride in our park that I would take away. Many of us would gladly add a new B&M coaster anyday though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTD-120-420 Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 This guy seems like a B&M lover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedarPointer Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 Each version has gotten better Ha. Someone has a sense of humor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Pepper Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 I think we could use more flat rides True. , the waterpark is due True. ,and I'd add a B&M hyper every year if it were up to me I would too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBEW_Sparky Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 Im just glad to see someone give WoF some Love. it really is a great park with a good mix of rides. The only time WoF EVER upset me at all is when they removed Orient Express for that turd Spinning Dragons, but its all good, Ive still got Mamba and also Prowler, which I will be riding the very first time on April 17th with Kat and dare-to-fly. EDIT: How could I forget Patriot!! That B&M invert just ROCKS, and more than appeases me for the loss of Orient Express LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 What? No mention of Zambezi Zinger? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBEW_Sparky Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, OK you definitely have a good point there!! Id be more than happy to give Vekoma back their boomerang to get the Zinger back!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Leave a question for Sunday's 5@5 mailbag below. Travis Nuss - who is it up to for saying the name of a new ride? ( like tells you how long to wait before saying word about a new ride). have you ever had a ride(s) that were supposed to be open on opening day but the ride(s) was open like a week later or longer? For the most part Travis, its up to the PR and Marketing team. We work hard to maximize the buzz around our new attractions. A lot of factors: construction timeline, best times for news coverage and how long we can keep guys like you at bay! Even the best plans usually dont go exactly as planned. Diamondback was the exception. It was ready early. Often times new rides have unexpected issues that many times lead to delay. ------------------------------ Brad Perdue - It was mentioned the other day that the King Cobra's trains are kept in the Flight of Fear building. Just out of curiosity, why are they being kept? Props for Haunt possibly? Not for Haunt. Some are here for storage. Others could be used for parts at our parks that have similar rides. ------------------------------ David McPeak - I know that Kings Island has a policy on loose articles but can you bring a small video camera on with you on the coasters if they are properly strapped to your hand? No way. You should see the number of items that Diamondback collected last year. People do it but if they are caught they wont be happy with our response. Theres really no reason to take that kind of chance. ------------------------------ Brian Krosnick - I've also started a discussion HERE about cheap (mostly free) ways to improve The Crypt... If you end up answering my question, please feel free to promote this link!! http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=15651&post=105748&uid=155893938367#post105748 Hard to answer the questions by 5pm when some people give me so much homework reading! That and the checkout line at Costco was nuts. Brian you have some really passionate feelings about The Crypt and thats a good thing. I did visit your site and the youtube link. Your ideas are good, your comments are well organized and your suggestions seem very reasonable. I will personally take your comments to the right places tomorrow. Why would we openly solicit feedback and do nothing with it when we get it? Trust me when I say I will forward this I will. ------------------------------ Ty Mullins - A runway was painted in X-Base in 2007 with the addition of Firehawk. It looked fantastic that year, but it has since faded to the point where it's barely noticeable. Are there any plans to give it some new paint? Much like the comment above this seems to be an easy thing to fix. Also underscores my point the other day about why we dont often paint on the ground. You might find it interesting that each year every department collects photos of things in the park that need to be addressed. We also visit the park each year with our families and take detailed notes of our experience. These are good processes that get a lot of things taken care of but as you point out, some things slip through. ------------------------------ David McPeak - Will Kings Island have the extra large free refillable drinking cups this year like they did for Diamondback last year? If so, what will the theme be for them? Snoopy? A question that I wanted to answer on Friday but didnt get a chance to….In 2010 the food department will feature 3 souvenir bottles: 1st the 46 oz bottle introduced in 2009 featuring a new Diamondback Design on a burning orange cup. 2nd the Fear of the Four cup. 3rd a new Snoopy collectable bottle, with the Kings Island Logo on the bill of the cap. All 3 can be refilled all season long for 1.99. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedarPointer Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Hard to answer the questions by 5pm when some people give me so much homework reading! That and the checkout line at Costco was nuts. Brian you have some really passionate feelings about The Crypt and that’s a good thing. I did visit your site and the youtube link. Your ideas are good, your comments are well organized and your suggestions seem very reasonable. I will personally take your comments to the right places tomorrow. Why would we openly solicit feedback and do nothing with it when we get it? Trust me when I say I will forward this – I will. I have a new level of respect for whoever is answering these questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast1979 Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 *Clap Clap* Lately these answers are making me actually feel there's someone else on the other line. Very nice job, way to go KI PR! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjkjkj Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 I really like how the quality of the answers has improved a lot. It actually gives me a little hope for a slight improvement to The Crypt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted March 29, 2010 Author Share Posted March 29, 2010 I personally feel as if a choir of angels has descended from the sky. 5@5 is incredible, but no where near as much as those who have been answering it! At first the answers were short and very "by the book." And while the answerers have not "crossed the line" set down by corporate, their answers are now much more involved, much more personal, and very fun to read. I'm so grateful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast Rider Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 ^ I agree. The way that they are answering the questions is excellent! They are very enjoyable to read, and the questions are great too! It is fantastic that they are even taking the time to do the 5@5! Keep up the excellent work, KI PR!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamondback96 Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 All 3 can be refilled all season long for 1.99. Weren't they able to be refilled for free last year? The question mentions that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjkjkj Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 No, they were 1.99 last year..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIfan1980 Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Regarding the 5@5. I too am very happy with the whole concept and how well they are answering questions. The cynic in me wonders if the answers getting better and more free with information had anything to do with the PR Manager helping out at Carrowinds recently Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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.