Boo Blasters Overhall

[RaptorGuy]

I am not sure if anyone has mentioned this or not. Boo Blasters on Boo Hill has been completely renovated this year! Last year, I thought it was quite lack luster

and boring. They have done quite a bit of work on it this year, and it actually looks quite good. Although, today, the mist section was not working properly. I don't

know if they have discontinued that scene or not. They have done a lot of new paint and new things inside there. They have new pop ups in the que area. They have

quite a bit of new things in the scenes. If you have not rode that yet this year, check it out. It's a lot better than it was last year, for sure! Good job on the re-do of that,

Kings Island!

[markhudson17]

I have not ridden the ride since the very last day it was Scooby Doo...I'll have to give it a go the next time I'm at the park

[Bonks]

I will be there Saturday and will be sure to check this out. Thanks for the info RaptorGuy!

[bkroz]

I didn't notice a whole lot of changes, but I was happy to see that they did re-invigorate some of the things that had broken down by day 30 of last season... Of course, we still haven't made it to day 30 of this season, so keep your fingers crossed!

I was happy to see the fog wall effect return, but I think it's a little less effective with the still picture projected onto it instead of the film. But with our constantly-moving, relatively-slow omnimover ride system (compared to the other Boo Blasters, who all have individual track-guided carts with only one cart in a room at a time), our effects have to have much quicker reset time. For example, at Kings Dominion's Boo Blasters, the fog wall has time to flatten out, and the computer has time to restart the video since one car at a time experiences the effect, and moves into the next room before another car enters.

That's also why every other Boo Blaster's final scene (where the Phantom is standing in the well) has additional fog effects, the the big bad ghost actually sinks down, with the black lights turning down and the white lights turning up to reveal that the scene is actually a beautiful garden. Then, the car turns and the black lights and the animatronic can come back up.

At ours, there's a much much much smaller reset time between each vehicle experiencing the effects, which is why our finale is so much more... well... lackluster. He screams, his eyes flash, then he starts moving again as you turn away to do the same to the next car. Then the next room has the pretty garden scene.

See the 2:00 mark for their finale scene.

On ours, that level of personalization for each vehicle passing by isn't possible. In other words, I chalk many of the "problems" with our Boo Blasters up to the ride system (which, by the way, Paramount allegedly refused to upgrade when the ride went from Phantom Theater to Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle... See, I do admit that Paramount can make mistakes!).

[CoastersRZ]

But our ride system on Boo Blasters has a much higher capacity than the other Boo Blasters which utilize the Sally ride system.

[lopan]

theirs also seem to have laser aimers

[74Gibson]

...but Cedar Fair can't do dark rides or theming

David, lover of Boo Hill, SDTHC...and Gobbler's Getaway while we're at it!

EDIT: to add, I will be a CF theming advocate if they would kindly fix the train crossing and lighting effects on Maverick's launch tunnel. As good as Maverick is, it's much better with that effect and I miss it dearly.

[PhantomTheater]

^They also need to fix Magnums tunnel, DT, PWE...

[bkroz]

EDIT: to add, I will be a CF theming advocate if they would kindly fix the train crossing and lighting effects on Maverick's launch tunnel. As good as Maverick is, it's much better with that effect and I miss it dearly.

Are they actually broken? Or just usually unused? Honestly, that sort of thing bothers me more than anything about Cedar Fair, as unfair as it sounds. Like when the lights are on in Backlot's tunnel or Beast's tunnel, and when they're off on Maverick. It's like, just flip the @$*#& switch! It's not that difficult, and it improves the experience tremendously! If the lights in Maverick are broken, that's one thing. But how to dozens of individual lights all break at once? It's a neat effect that really is visually interesting and simple for the park to operate. Like the Interpreter saying he will ride Maverick in the front or not at all, I find the ride to be top 10 when those lights are on. I know that sounds like a foolish stipulation, but it's just something I really enjoy about that ride.

I asked a supervisor at The Beast on my trip a few weeks ago, and she told me that the light switches are in lockout areas that only maintenance crew can reach, and that since they come to check The Beast so early in the morning that it's still dark out, they probably just haven't gotten into the swing of turning off the lights once they're done yet. I imagined it was something like that, because if they were on for a safety reason or something, they'd always be on instead of it being so luck of the draw. One time I brought a friend from Ireland to Cedar Point, and obviously wanted her to have the best experience possible so I asked a ride operator if the lights were on in the tunnel on Maverick. She was like "Uh, let me check," and walked over to the ride operator then came back and told me that they were. So apparently, there is a way to see from the control panel, if not to turn them on from there. I don't know. Someone with more Cedar Point / maintenance knowledge than I can probably help out.

But I suppose that goes back to my ever-present resentment for parks that have something readily available (see, area-specific music broadcast systems, Tower Gardens, lava pits in the Crypt, darkness on Backlot Stunt Coaster, lights on Maverick) and for whatever reason just decide that the customer experience isn't worth utilizing it.

[MarketingExpress]

^what The Beast sup told you is correct...at least on most rides at KI

As for Maverick, I highly doubt that they have an indicator on the control panel that tell them if the lights are on. Perhaps that ride op test rode the ride earlier in the day and confirmed that the lights were on.

[kjkjkj]

I rode Boo Blasters on Sunday, May 15th and they did have the fog wall on, and it was the video and not just a still image.

[rotag]

But our ride system on Boo Blasters has a much higher capacity than the other Boo Blasters which utilize the Sally ride system.

with dark rides, it's not always about capacity. sometimes its about the experiance, which some seem to forget. as for the laser guns, that is something that is in most of todays dark rides that some feel should never be there. just imagine if enchanted voyage, smurf enchanted voyage, phantom theater, monster plantation, monster mansion, or even splash mountain had been equiped with laser guns.

[KIfan1980]

But how to dozens of individual lights all break at once?

This reminded me of my night ride on Shake Rattle & Roll on Friday. Here we are a few weeks into the season and the cars on that ride look like a padiddle convention. I love the park when all the lights are working - it just adds to the experience.

[rotag]

after reflecting, imagine "It's A Small World" having laser guns.

[RaptorGuy]

after reflecting, imagine "It's A Small World" having laser guns.

I wish it did have them. Real ones! I'd zap everyone of those annoying dolls and zap every speaker, and then No Mo annoying song! lol

[The Interpreter]

WHAT annoying song?

Terpy, also a huge fan of Monster Mansion

[CedarPointer]

I'd rather see the car in front of me than have to wait an hour like Boo Blasters at Canada's Wonderland...

[RaptorGuy]

WHAT annoying song?

Terpy, also a huge fan of Monster Mansion

Yes, I rode the upgraded version yesterday and really enjoyed it!

[windshawne]

That looks pretty awesome. I would like the laser pointers. Sometimes I can do very well at KI, and other days I can't hit anything. I guess it depends which gun you get.

[Scooby_Doo]

But our ride system on Boo Blasters has a much higher capacity than the other Boo Blasters which utilize the Sally ride system.

with dark rides, it's not always about capacity. sometimes its about the experiance, which some seem to forget. as for the laser guns, that is something that is in most of todays dark rides that some feel should never be there. just imagine if enchanted voyage, smurf enchanted voyage, phantom theater, monster plantation, monster mansion, or even splash mountain had been equiped with laser guns.

I agree with rotag!

[Jeorby Nanpa]

Piggybacking on the Boo Blasters topic...

I wondered how they fit the Haunt attraction in the Boo Blasters building? On the ride, you make the first big left turn and seem to be going along the south side of the building. Consulting the park PDF makes things a bit clearer:

The haunt is set up in the yellow area. This looks like an auditorium with a 45' stage?

[RingMaster]

Yes, indeed. That Haunt attraction (CarnEVIL) resides in the old Enchanted Theater that's inside the same building as Boo Blasters (there is a lot more inside that building than just a dark ride). It was last used in 2003, I believe, as a Scooby-Doo show, before going the way of the dodo. Although now I wish they took out the stage so they could give that maze some more square footage.

EDIT: Also, which park PDF did you get that from? o_0 I've been searching all over for one that kinda resembles a schematic so as I can finally get back to doing a KI recreation on Blender.

[The Interpreter]

I once saw perhaps the worst theme park show ever in that building. Not surprisingly during the Lindner era, it consisted, nearly in its entirety, of Fred Flintstone dancing with a gigantic carrot, of all things.

[Jeorby Nanpa]

Yes, indeed. That Haunt attraction (CarnEVIL) resides in the old Enchanted Theater that's inside the same building as Boo Blasters

Aha, that was built during a little hole of time between age 15 and 38 when I didn't visit KI. My classmate John Dillon was supposed to have recorded the voice used in the queue for the ride.

I found some pictures too: KI Central topic about Enchanted Theater

The PDF was in a KICentral thread about a 5K race held in the springtime. The document is an amazingly detailed map of every building in the park.

[qscott86]

Phantom Theater was far better than that stupid kiddie stuff they have in their now. What a shame that they got rid of such a great attraction.

[RaptorGuy]

Phantom Theater was far better than that stupid kiddie stuff they have in their now. What a shame that they got rid of such a great attraction.

I wouldn't necessarily call what's in there kiddie stuff. There's some pretty scary moments in there for smaller children. But, I do agree some previous

attractions were better. I for one miss very badly the original Enchanted Voyage! That was by far the best ride ever in that place. It was replaced by

Smurfs, which was an absolute INSULT! I wouldn't have minded if they would have put the smurfs in there, but just in one section and left the other

HB characters, too. NOT do a full Smurf ride. Phantom Theater was also great. The only complaint I had with the Scooby stuff, is way too much cardboard

cut outs. Phantom Theater was entirely a full life size character animated attraction. Then most of Scooby was just painted stuff. Boo Blasters encompassed

a lot of the painted stuff, but also added other life size characters, as well, and some nice special 3D effects. Boo Blasters is a nice ride, and I enjoy trying

to get the highest possible scores, but deep in my heart, I do miss Enchanted Voyage I a lot!

[ki4evr]

I rode it this past Monday and it was the first time I'd been in there since the Phantom days. It's a put together quite well I'd say! At times I thought the gun was either bogus or a few target sensors were jacked up. It was fun though and kids seem to get a kick out of it.

[Tanna]

I once saw perhaps the worst theme park show ever in that building. Not surprisingly during the Lindner era, it consisted, nearly in its entirety, of Fred Flintstone dancing with a gigantic carrot, of all things.

And Dammit, probably no video exists.

[TombRaiderFTW]

Thought I'd revive this to hear everyone's opinion...

I've yet to see the fog screen effect turned on this year; the closest it's been is just hearing the voice on opening day. However, the "car" always seemed to turn like it was going to feature the fog screen, i.e., it made a 90 degree left turn from the staircase scene, pointed that way for a bit, then made the rest of the left turn to point towards the flashing machines. When I was at KI on Friday, the ride lingered in pointing at the staircase scene, then made the full turn towards the flashing machines. The "trying to drive me from my home" audio hasn't played since opening day. Am I crazy, or has anyone else noticed this, too?

On that note, has anyone actually seen the fog screen this year? And if not, does anyone else think this is the last we've seen of the fog for the indefinite future?

[Cpt Crunch]

I have seen the fog screen once, and trust me, it isn't too exciting anyways. The first time I saw it I couldn't make out exactly what it was.