Action Theater 2012

[Snowman]

Snow-woman and I were melting at the park Saturday around noon so we decided to give the Dinosaur 3D movie a shot. As we walked back to Action Theater We saw Vortex line all the way out of the que. A lot of people were heading to WS but turned around after seeing it was closed. We headed back and we were suddenly all alone. It was amazing to go from a packed park to a completely deserted area. The girl working there let us pick from a small tray of glasses(a far cry from the barrels needed for the Sponge) and we were the only ones sitting on the very uncomfortable benches watching the 10 minute commercial that had maybe 4 minutes of actual dino 3D action. After we left there was no one waiting to get in to the next show. We went by DA entrance and no one was selling or buying tickets, and no one was walking toward the exhibit.

I am not trying to hate, second guess, or flame KI about anything.

I'm just curious if other people here have noticed the same lack of attendance to action theater, and the exhibit. I hope it was just a temporary lull.

Please share any observations you've had.

[medford]

I mentioned this on another thread, not sure that it was ever responded to, but here we go again, as like you, I'm interested in how long the shelf life is for something like DA.

We typically go once a week, usually on a tuesday or wednesday night, which doesn't exactly strike me as primetime for a DA alive type exhibit, but who knows. We have a son who just turned 4. Last year he was kind of into Dinos, but we held off taking him back to DA until the haunt. Didn't want to have the "but I want to see the dino's (at $5 a pop) battle" each time. He enjoyed the walk thru back there last year, loved the dig area, etc... Overall, I thought it was pretty nice, but kind of a "see it once, not much need to go back" type exhibit. We've been prepared to go a few times this year, thinking we'd have the dino battle a few times, but also taking him back there to enjoy it a few times. Thankfully (for the pocket book anyways) he's been pretty well satisified just seeing the dino out in front of international street, and after doing shake, rattle & roll or heading towards the scrambler or monster, he wants to go over and see the T-Rex and Velociraptor (?) that sit out in front of the entrance to the exhibit. As I said, Tuesdays, Wednesday or thursday evenings are likely not the best time to gauge a crowd for that type of event, but I don't believe I've ever noticed anyone coming out of the gift shop (except us once when we took him in to get him a dino T-shirt), nor coming out of or trying to get into the exhibit. We're typically in that area for 5 minutes or so before we move along, so its certainly a small sample size in any given day, but extend it over 4-6 times in that area this year and a pattern is showing up.

Last year, we had the same typical pattern as this year, middle of the week after work once a week. We usually started off either on Viking Express or kiddie land and eventually worked out way back to Shake, Rattle & Roll (when he hit 42"), the scrambler and monster. I can't say I remember the crowds in the area looking back to last year, my memory tells me the area was more active, but I can't say for sure.

I read somewhere on here that they have a contract for DA thru 2018. As with any contract, I'm sure there are out clauses, but in any rate, if the intrest in DA has fallen off either now or in the future, I'd love to know what happens with the Dinosaurs. I'd love to see some sort of indoor water ride, using the dinos as part of the theme using a similar setup to Pirates of the Carribean at Disney. Not quote high action ride, but definently a step up from the old smurf ride.

[A.S.Coasters]

I think it's because both of them are one-time things, you go in it once, you never come back.

[Balloondoggle]

When we finally realized in June that the movie had been separated from DA and didn't require extra fees, we figured we'd check it out. Our first attempt was a dismal failure because we didn't realize the entrance was behind WS. We got as far as WS, thought it was the end of the mall and gave up. After studying the map I discovered our mistake and we gave it another shot on an exceedingly rare Friday night without kids.

I hadn't seen the building since the Spongebob days and had a vague memory of there being a large plaza that connected directly with the Coney Mall, but given the position between The Racer turnarounds, this is clearly wrong. Once we walked all the way back in a tour reminiscent of the cue for Flight Deck, we woke the attendant who struck me as a good stand-in for the Maytag Repair Man. We chit-chatted with him until the doors opened and we were admitted to the surprise absence of any seats. We were the only 2 people there to see a movie I would describe as "forgettable". Had I paid extra for it I would have been disappointed. We have since suggested it to the kids, but they have no interest.

As for the rest of the DA exhibit, I don't care to spend extra money on it after having seen the same sort of thing already when Dinosaurs In Motion was at the Museum Center. How many times can you look at the same animatronic dinos?

[TheBEASTunchained]

In my opinion, Dinosaurs Alive has been a children's attraction from the very announcement of the exhibit. I only went in Dinosaurs Alive once, just so that I could say that I walked through it. The majority of people that go in DA are parents who are taking there young children to see a robotic dinosaurs. They don't seem very realistic and to me a waste of space. From many points of view, It looks like DA doesn't get very many visitors. Most people and children don't go to Kings Island to walk through a Dinosaur exhibit, they go for thrills, live shows, entertainment, great times, and with all respect to KI, Dinosaurs Alive provides none of that.

[Creed Bratton]

When I went to see the movie on Saturday, there were 3 total in my group, we were the only ones waiting as the doors closed. While we waited for our viewing, more people started to show. Now by more I mean 15 tops. Part of the reason I don't think this is high attended aside from the movie subject and it being a DA attraction is the route you have to go. You have to pass by WindSeeker, travel down the old exit and through the queue (which seems way out of the way).

[westcoaster]

Bring back action in Days of Thunder!

[Titan]

I haven't been to Action Theater since 2008. I've gone through DA once this year and wasn't too impressed. I like the concept, but I wish that it was a little longer and had a more variety of dinosaurs. I didn't even bother with the movie because of the reviews I heard.

[16gwoods]

I have been to the Dino movie 4 times (Only to get out of the heat) and the most people i have seen in line is 3.

[KI FANATIC 37]

Ive never paid for it, but I did walk through it at a walk at Kings Island. It was part of the trail along with back be hind FS, SoB, and Adventure Express.

It stricked me as odd that they would let all those people walk through there for free.

Its kinda like they want to let people know its there. It is kind of hidden by The Racer and WindSeeker.

[Snowman]

If it's the same movie they up charged for last year, I would've felt really cheated to have paid to see that. It's free now and other than getting out of the heat for 15 minutes, barely worth the walk back there. I'm real bummed that we didn't enjoy the motion seats and Spongebob more often. We never got to experience Days of Thunder. Maybe KI isn't under contract to show it thru 2018 and has something new and exciting planned for the venue. I hope.

[Gordon Bombay]

I hadn't seen the building since the Spongebob days and had a vague memory of there being a large plaza that connected directly with the Coney Mall, but given the position between The Racer turnarounds, this is clearly wrong.

What may have given you that impression is how things used to be. When the ride opened up as Days of Thunder, that whole back section was themed/spruced up to reflect the new attraction. Instead of asphalt, there were multi colored pavers in the ground that formed a checkered flag (since Days of Thunder was a racing film). In the center of the midway, there were concrete benches around planters that also held signs with information about the ride technology/the film. The entrance beneath The Racer South turnaround even sported a large Days of Thunder sign and sound effects/music from the film played on the midway. It was a pretty grand area. As you walked under The Racer (the path has since been converted to a maintenance area for WindSeeker), you came out in between the turn arounds and there were all kinds of props. They had a few stock cars sitting about in paint schemes from the film (however, the car models were different from the cars in the film and were manufactured specifically to be on display at the attraction) and there was a truck with a replica camera on it and a Paramount logo showing how they filmed the movie.

In the Days of Thunder years, both theatres ran the same film and had a small "scoreboard" in the middle that had ride information and Days of Thunder graphics.

When James Bond took Days of Thunder's place, the props in the grassy plaza were gone and the center area between the theatres had a motorcyle from one of the films and other props that spun on the rotating platform.

I don't remember when the "B Side" became a rotating film, but it may have been during James Bond.

When 7th Portal debuted, the other side was almost always a different movie that rotated between some adventure film and "Smash Factory." The center prop area held cardboard signs of the super heroes from 7th Portal and the theatres were converted to 3D.

When it became Spongebob, the whole thing got an overhaul, but that quickly faded after so many years of that same movie being repeated. Days of Thunder made a short return at the beginning of the 2004 season as well.

When Dino's 3D rolled around, WindSeeker was built in what had once been the Action Theatre plaza, its original path repurposed as WS maintenance access and a new path was rerouted through the AT exit. The queue line was reconfigured and shortened, but if you look left when you enter the Dino 3D line you can still see the streetlights and the faded outline of the queue. They re-painted the building, side B was already a "haunt," and they installed a new projector and better 3D system while removing the motion seats.

Dino's Alive 3D may not be the best movie, but you have to admit the quality is fantastic.

Sorry for that tangent down Action Theatre memory lane.

[Beastie1980]

While we were at the park last Monday we went back to the movie just to get out of the heat for a little while. At that point and time all the lanes were full except for the top one. We've done the movie a few times this year, but we usually use it to get out of the heat for a little while.

[Balloondoggle]

Gordon, thanks for assuring me I'm not yet losing my mind. I was an infrequent visitor during the Paramount days and most of my memories of the park are from the mid-late '80s.

Google maps picture is old enough that it shows pretty much what I remember. That makes a lot more sense now.

[khaoskat]

Whenever we have been back that way this year (on Sundays), I have not seen anyone in line or walking back to the Action Theater, nor have I seen people walk into Dino Alive.

Now for all that being said and done. The only reason we went through it last year, is it was the only way for the kids to participate in the trick or treating in the park. I am sure we will see a huge crowd at it this fall during Haunt for the exact same reason.

[medford]

Gordon, thanks for assuring me I'm not yet losing my mind. I was an infrequent visitor during the Paramount days and most of my memories of the park are from the mid-late '80s.

Google maps picture is old enough that it shows pretty much what I remember. That makes a lot more sense now.

Bing has a fairly new map (it was sometime this winter prior to Invertigo being painted, but after the new wave pool was being dug up if you want a nice comparision of changes from today to however old the overhead on google is (5-6 years?)

[medford]

Whenever we have been back that way this year (on Sundays), I have not seen anyone in line or walking back to the Action Theater, nor have I seen people walk into Dino Alive.

Now for all that being said and done. The only reason we went through it last year, is it was the only way for the kids to participate in the trick or treating in the park. I am sure we will see a huge crowd at it this fall during Haunt for the exact same reason.

Thats when we went last year as well, it was a nice combo of the dinos and a very solid trick or treat path for little kids. It was done nicely, we would have gone anyways in the fall just to see it once, however they made the decision easy by combining the two. We'll probably do the same this fall as well.

[jcgoble3]

Google's current satellite imagery was taken on July 1, 2010, so it's not real old.

[medford]

Google's current satellite imagery was taken on July 1, 2010, so it's not real old.

Thanks, much later than I would have guessed.

[jdawg1998]

You can see Diamondback but WindSeeker isn't there so yeah, it has to be 2010.

Cedar Point just got a new satellite image on Saturday or Sunday, and it looks great! Hopefully KI will get one soon.

[jcgoble3]

^ CP's new imagery was taken on May 18 of this year.