pki2005 Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 It the orgainal person who owned Kings Island put some major rides in do you think if he still owed the park PKI would be dominating the coaster record? Just put where you think the park will be like if he still owned it. I dissapointed that he sold to paramount my self Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Nah, I'm sure Paramount has poured more money in than Taft ever could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiSK Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 (edited) Paramounts fundings are virtually unlimited... Paramount is owned by viacom, who owns companies like Paramount Parks / Studio, BlockBuster, MTV, Nickelodeon, and many other large companies. Ill have to agree with BuddaH. Edited January 1, 1970 by PKILvr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRickster Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 personally I think it would be about the same as it is now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pki2005 Posted September 10, 2003 Author Share Posted September 10, 2003 But see Paramount has only added two big coasters since its been there The Son of Beast and Flight of Fear I dont consider Face/Off a major coaster cause it has a very short track and cheap to build. They also added TR and all of Action Zone but you have to rember that the organil onwer made alot of the record breakin coaster there today and also built water works. I think that PKI would be a much bigger place if he still owned it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SML828 Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 I actually think it would be better if Paramount hadn't stepped in...Don't get me wrong, they've done a lot for the park, but in my opinion they seem to be in it ONLY for the money. Before Paramount took over they seemed to care more about what the guests truly wanted (i.e. better shows, less pay-to-play 'rides', etc.) I think the park would be similar in layout that it is now, but I think the overall feel would be better without. I hope that makes some sense!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Pki Fan Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Why did he sell the park any way? Probably just to get rich quick. If he would have kept it I think that it would be much worse. As a park gets bigger it costs more and is harder to manage which a bigger company like paramount could do. I think that the park was building more big coasters 10-20 years ago because it had to to get to the size it is today. When a park first opens you have to build more coasters to get a nice collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRickster Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Paramount put in top gun also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pki2005 Posted September 11, 2003 Author Share Posted September 11, 2003 When did paramount take over I though it was 1996 when the put in Flight of Fear but im not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRickster Posted September 11, 2003 Share Posted September 11, 2003 1990 im thinking it was between like 1990 - 93 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SML828 Posted September 11, 2003 Share Posted September 11, 2003 OK, I was looking thru the info that I used for my PKI Project I did....One said that Paramount bought the park in the fall of 1991 and the other said it officially became Paramount's Kings Island when the 1993 season started. I know 1993 is when Top Gun opened. Anyone know for sure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
italianchef Posted September 11, 2003 Share Posted September 11, 2003 For starters, Kings Island was never owned by a "he" but by a corporate entity known as Taft Broadcasting, which has been defunct for years. Taft Broadcasting owned Hanna-Barbera (which is nowed owned by Warner Brothers) and bought Coney Island Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. Taft CEO Charles Mechem allowed Coney Island General Manager Gary Wachs (who was part-owner of the park) to keep his job. The two men planned to opene Kings Island Theme Park off Kings Mills to get away from the floods of the Ohio River. The park was influenced largely by Disneyland, which is why Hanna-Barbera characters were so influential in the park. In 1984 Taft Broadcasting sold Kings Island to Kings Entertainment Company (KECO). American Financial Corporation purchased Kings Island from KECO in 1987, but retained KECO to manage the park. Then in 1992 Paramount Communications purchased all of KECO’s amusement parks and Kings Island and established Paramounts Parks. The global media giant Viacom purchased Paramounts Communications in 1994 and ownership Paramount’s Kings Island has undergone much expansion since then. Now back to the original question.....if Taft still owned Kings Island, I'd say the following would most likely have happened: 1. There would be NO Nickelodeon Central. 2. Hanna-Barbera characters would still roam International Street and Hanna-Barbera Land - plus maybe some newer ones including Johhny Bravo and The Powerpuff Girls. 3. Paramount's Action Zone would not exist - it'd still be the Animal Safari. 4. There'd be more parades, a ferris wheel, and overall a traditional amusement park theming. My guess is that maybe there'd be 10 instead of 12 roller coasters in the park. Either way, if Taft still owned Kings Island there'd be no influence from Viacom or any of its affiliates including Nickelodeon, Paramount's Pictures, VH-1, CMT, etc. Sincerely, Italian Chef Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterrz Posted September 11, 2003 Share Posted September 11, 2003 Paramount bought Kings Entertainment Company (KECO) and Kings Island from American Financial, which is owned by business man Carl Lindner. Paramount bought the parks for $200 million on July 31, 1992. All the parks were then rechristined with the Paramount moniker for the next (1993) season. The Top Gun rides at Kings Island and Great America were already in the planning stages before Paramount purchased the parks, so they just added the Top Gun name. I probably included too much information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted September 11, 2003 Share Posted September 11, 2003 Taft CEO Charles Mechem allowed Coney Island General Manager Gary Wachs (who was part-owner of the park) to keep his job. The two men planned to opene Kings Island Theme Park off Kings Mills to get away from the floods of the Ohio River. The park was influenced largely by Disneyland, which is why Hanna-Barbera characters were so influential in the park. In 1984 Taft Broadcasting sold Kings Island to Kings Entertainment Company (KECO). American Financial Corporation purchased Kings Island from KECO in 1987, but retained KECO to manage the park. Then in 1992 Paramount Communications purchased all of KECO’s amusement parks and Kings Island and established Paramounts Parks. The global media giant Viacom purchased Paramounts Communications in 1994 and ownership Paramount’s Kings Island has undergone much expansion since then. Sincerely, Italian Chef Chef, I just thought of something. Since you quoted your own book, you were legally allowed to say what you did without a bibliography. Anyway, if Taft wasn't defunct and had the money that Paramount did, it would be arguable as to what would be better. A lot of you like themeing, which seems to be what Paramount is shooting for within the next few years. Of course, some of you would prefer a traditional admusement park, which is what Taft was going for. It's really a matter of what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted September 11, 2003 Share Posted September 11, 2003 Paramount bought Kings Entertainment Company (KECO) and Kings Island from American Financial, which is owned by business man Carl Lindner. Paramount bought the parks for $200 million on July 31, 1992. All the parks were then rechristined with the Paramount moniker for the next (1993) season. The Top Gun rides at Kings Island and Great America were already in the planning stages before Paramount purchased the parks, so they just added the Top Gun name. I probably included too much information. Not too much information by any means. Great post! Yes, Top Gun was in its planning stages between Kings Island and Arrow when Paramount bought the park. So reguardless, it would have been there. It was supposed to have a different name obviously, but I don't remember what it was of off the top of my head. Does anyone know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mars1825 Posted September 11, 2003 Share Posted September 11, 2003 If Taft still owned the park then I think the park would be better. Everything went bad when Carl Linder bought the park. PKI lost a lot of rides and the park wasn't as good as it is today between 1987 and 1992. As you can see with the Reds, Carl Linder doesn't like to spend money so the park got AE and TG, two low cost coasters, between the time that he owned the park. If you look before that, PKI got The Bat, KC, and Vortex. All were great coasters. I'm not saying that AE and TG are bad but PKI would have been in a better position if Carl Linder wouldn't have bought the park. Paramount is doing a terrific job at making PKI a great place like it used to be. PKI will return to its glory under Paramount rule in the upcoming years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mars1825 Posted September 11, 2003 Share Posted September 11, 2003 Yes, Top Gun was in its planning stages between Kings Island and Arrow when Paramount bought the park. So reguardless, it would have been there. It was supposed to have a different name obviously, but I don't remember what it was of off the top of my head. Does anyone know? Thunder Road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pki2005 Posted September 12, 2003 Author Share Posted September 12, 2003 Thunder Road. Cool where did you find that out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mars1825 Posted September 12, 2003 Share Posted September 12, 2003 I knew it when it was going to open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pki2005 Posted September 14, 2003 Author Share Posted September 14, 2003 I love PKI but I think Paramount could be putting more money into the park than they are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
italianchef Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 If Taft Broadcasting still existed and operated Kings Island, the following benefits would not exist: 1. A season pass that you can use at any other Paramount park. 2. TR:TR. 3. Nickelodeon Central with all its theming and characters. However, if Taft Broadcasting still operated Kings Island, I think we'd have the following benefits: 1. The Animal Safari would probably still exist. 2. All Hanna-Barbera characters, including the Flintstones & Jetsons, would still roam the park. So, I guess it's a trade-off. Sincerely, Italian Chef Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCat Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 Sorry chief, Hanna-Barbera was sold to Turner then The WB. So we would have that Hanna-Barbera. P.S. Hanna-Barbera doesn't own the Smurfs. Peyo, the creator did. They just licensed the characters. Viacon owns the Nick Toons and Paramount. Why did Taft sell the park in the frist place????????????????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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