Action Zone Re-theming for 2014

[Kat]

My cousin and her husband were stuck on Invertigo for an hour or more this summer. I believe they were stuck up at the top of the first drop.

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I saw it stuck I think the second to last Sunday

[Kat]

I wouldnt expect much. I mean really, they are buying a 24M rollercoaster and you're expecting more...

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Not expecting more but speculating and dreaming

[Kat]

I only hope that the area containing Banshee and The Bat will be cut off into a new section called "Spooky Hollow".

Thinking about that, would it be weird for Banshee to be in a separate area when it's so close to AZ's midway? Just a thought.

It is close but the queue line entrance is going to be down by the bathroom from what I understood, or at least I think that's what I understood.

[homestar92]

I only hope that the area containing Banshee and The Bat will be cut off into a new section called "Spooky Hollow".

Thinking about that, would it be weird for Banshee to be in a separate area when it's so close to AZ's midway? Just a thought.

It is close but the queue line entrance is going to be down by the bathroom from what I understood, or at least I think that's what I understood.

Judging by the blueprints and the off-ride video, the queue entrance will be almost exactly where the Thunder Alley entrance was.

Also, that wouldn't be THAT weird, since Adventure Express runs almost entirely behind Coney Mall, yet is located in Oktoberfest. Although AE is rather hidden, while Banshee is huge, purple mystic red, and screams "look at me!"

[Kat]

Purple? Where ya getting purple from, besides the WAY OFF Banshee Twist ice cream colors?

[TombRaiderFTW]

Screamscape is now reporting that Delirium may be repainted, too (insert grain of salt here):

(11/4/13) In addition to the name “The Bat” returning to Kings Island (how great is that?) in 2014, Screamscape sources tell us that contractors have been touring the park to go over their plans to not only repaint Flight Deck, but it seems that Delirium will also get a new coat of paint as well. No word on if it will get new colors, or if the current colors are just being redone.

If true (or, heck--even if not), is anyone else thinking that the park is spending an exceptionally large amount (for Cedar Fair) on rides/ride updates/park updates at Kings Island for 2014?

1. Banshee's set the record on how much the park has ever spent on a single ride. Heck, Banshee's got to be one of the more expensive rides Cedar Fair's ever installed in the past 10-20 years. The only ride that tops it that comes to mind at the moment is Leviathan.

2. On top of that, Flight Deck is being repainted, and its station--in some magnitude--is being changed, all to complete a new Bat theme. (It still feels really funny to think of Cedar Fair doing anything related to theming, even if it could only be in name. I truly thought that ride would be a blandly-colored Flight Deck for the rest of its life.)

3. Delirium may or may not be repainted.

4. Greg Scheid made a point at the Banshee announcement of mentioning that, under Cedar Fair, each area of the park has been updated when a ride has been added to it. Add in a mysteriously disappearing water tower, and I'd speculate Action Zone will receive some sort of change next year.

This is just too much for me. I really don't know what to expect next year at this point, apart from Banshee and The Bat (which is more than enough for me as it is.) And I'm loving it.

[fryoj]

Has it been said that the $24 million was only for Banshee? Could it be something like $20 million for Banshee and $4 million for repainting/retheming the rides around it?

[TombRaiderFTW]

Yeah, Greg specifically said the $24 million was for Banshee at the announcement.

[Creed Bratton]

Still wanna know why no one but me sees any potential in Invertigo being renamed Stinger

As others have pointed out, it doesn't really fit a "dark theme." Vertigo roughly means a dizziness sensation, so Invertigo could be seen as turning guests upside down into a dark world. Although I'm not a fan of the Invertigo name. I could see it as something like Vampire or some other "demon" type character.

Screamscape is now reporting that Delirium may be repainted, too (insert grain of salt here):

(11/4/13) In addition to the name “The Bat” returning to Kings Island (how great is that?) in 2014, Screamscape sources tell us that contractors have been touring the park to go over their plans to not only repaint Flight Deck, but it seems that Delirium will also get a new coat of paint as well. No word on if it will get new colors, or if the current colors are just being redone.

If true (or, heck--even if not), is anyone else thinking that the park is spending an exceptionally large amount (for Cedar Fair) on rides/ride updates/park updates at Kings Island for 2014?

1. Banshee's set the record on how much the park has ever spent on a single ride. Heck, Banshee's got to be one of the more expensive rides Cedar Fair's ever installed in the past 10-20 years. The only ride that tops it that comes to mind at the moment is Leviathan.

2. On top of that, Flight Deck is being repainted, and its station--in some magnitude--is being changed, all to complete a new Bat theme. (It still feels really funny to think of Cedar Fair doing anything related to theming, even if it could only be in name. I truly thought that ride would be a blandly-colored Flight Deck for the rest of its life.)

3. Delirium may or may not be repainted.

4. Greg Scheid made a point at the Banshee announcement of mentioning that, under Cedar Fair, each area of the park has been updated when a ride has been added to it. Add in a mysteriously disappearing water tower, and I'd speculate Action Zone will receive some sort of change next year.

This is just too much for me. I really don't know what to expect next year at this point, apart from Banshee and The Bat (which is more than enough for me as it is.) And I'm loving it.

Amen!

[purdude86]

I'm taking the painting with a grain fo salt as the colors seem fine, but if it does get repainted I really hope they do darker colors on it adn not jsut refresh the paint it currently has.

[The Interpreter]

A. After the Kentucky Kingdom experience with Vampire, ironically a Vekoma boomerang coaster, I highly doubt you'll see that name used at Kings Island anytime soon. That thing had so many evacuations a catwalk was built to make them easier, and lost so much ridership it was moved to the Northeast and quietly renamed, where it now peacefully lives by the riverside. Vampire at Kings Island would be way too much of a flashback.

B. Banshee's initial cost may well be Kings Island's highest in unadjusted dollars. Son of Beast, though, had far greater costs when adjusted to present value and when unanticipated extraordinary costs are factored in. Banshee doubtless will be a far better investment.

[upstop]

Hmmmm......Invertigo's name could be changed to something like Jekyll and Hyde, and have the queue line enclosed and made interactive with as a mad scientists lab. That would satisfy the dark atmosphere.

edit: Almost sounds like the area could be remamed something on the lines of an Edger Allen Poe theme.

Bat

Banshee

Pit and the Pendulum

Jekyll and Hyde

drop zone..."the tell tale heart" with a beating heart noise until the carriage drops.

What other names might be appropriate?

Then it really could become the Amusement Dark

[TombRaiderFTW]

B. Banshee's initial cost may well be Kings Island's highest in unadjusted dollars. Son of Beast, though, had far greater costs when adjusted to present value and when unanticipated extraordinary costs are factored in. Banshee doubtless will be a far better investment.

Sorry, I was talking about initial cost. I should have been clearer in my original post.

[The Interpreter]

No apology needed. Just pointing out what a collosdol cost and failure Paramount Parks' Y2K PKI investment was. Compare CF's CP MF.

[RailRider]

What I imagine for Action Zone this upcoming season would be midway refurbs running from The Bat over to Banshee and up to the entrance of the Action Zone. This area will receive the most love and attention this year. Next year 2015 I would expect the rest of AZ to receive a similar refurb and some possible name adjustments and possibly a new name for AZ. I wouldn't expect the park to take on everything this year, but more of a phased plan over the next few years.

[The Interpreter]

When was Invertigo painted?

Did they do the sign?

Terp, who likes to ask questions

Sign, sign everywhere a sign....

[Kat]

Terpy, If I recall correctly, Invertigo was re-named when Cedar Fair took over operation of the all the old Paramount parks. Not sure about painted.... I believe it was 2007, as I worked at the park from July 2004 to August 2006, and there were a lot of CF head honchos in the park over the summer of 2006 checking everything out and figuring out what direction they wanted to take the park. I know the first major change when Cedar Fair took over was stripping rides of their Paramount movie names and themes, which included all of the rides in Action Zone excluding Delirium, as well as Tomb Raider: The Ride (more recently known as The Crypt.)

I know when Cedar Fair took over, Face/Off became Invertigo, Drop Zone became Drop Tower, Top Gun became Flight Deck, and Tomb Raider: The Ride became The Crypt (and as a result lost nearly ALL popularity).

I'll do some research and see if I can provide a more solid answer for you. I don't know if Invertigo got painted in the off season between 2006 and 2007, thinking it may have been painted more recently but not sure. The sign is still the old red and yellow color, I think the operator stations are too.... which would also indicate a more recent paint change.... I'll go look into that.

[Kat]

Ok after some research here is what I found:

Cedar Fair did purchase Kings Island and the other four Paramount parks in 2006, and took over operation of them in 2007. During the 2007 season at Kings Island, all rides named/themed after Paramount movies kept their names and themes. During the 2007 off season, prior to the 2008 season, those rides were stripped of their Paramount names and themes and renamed.

Invertigo did not get its current paint job until February 2012, and I am positive that the sign is still red and yellow, as well as the operator stations, much to the annoyance of many people, including me.

Sources: RCDB and Wikipedia

[thedevariouseffect]

You expect them to think the GP notices these things...it's extra money for not really that big of an impact.

[LordSkippy]

You expect them to think the GP notices these things...it's extra money for not really that big of an impact.

I can guarantee you if those in charge of such decisions thought a lack of complete synchronization detracted from the general public's experience, we wouldn't have a whole topic dedicated to remnants from past attractions.

That being said, there is something to be said about looking concise. Thank the stars above the AZ Water Tower screamed its last scream...

[Kat]

You expect them to think the GP notices these things...it's extra money for not really that big of an impact.

most people don't give it a second thought but I'm very detail oriented and like things to "match" and it's always bugged me that the sign and ride op booths don't match I know it's not a big deal and they're not going to waste their money just to change the colors on a sign and two small buildings that you don't pay *that* much attention to, but it's still bugged me

[LoraX]

You expect them to think the GP notices these things...it's extra money for not really that big of an impact.

most people don't give it a second thought but I'm very detail oriented and like things to "match" and it's always bugged me that the sign and ride op booths don't match I know it's not a big deal and they're not going to waste their money just to change the colors on a sign and two small buildings that you don't pay *that* much attention to, but it's still bugged me

I think that it looks tacky to not have it all matching. It is an eye sore to others I am sure. I think if you are changing a scheme, change it all or leave it alone.

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[The Interpreter]

There is a method...

Terp, who sometimes asks questions he knows the answers to...something about Socrates.

[Diamondbacker]

So I just came up with this theory.

You know how in football a bad team will draft a young and exciting quarterback and then build around him to make the team better and grow in success and popularity?

With Banshee being the rookie QB, KI might be doing this strategy by re-theming some of that area's rides around it to ultimately bring more people to that section of the park.

I have three reasons to believe this theory. One is for all the unknowns and mysteries around SOB from June 2009-July 2012, and KI wanting to erase memories of that experiment. Second, it's been 10 years since a new ride has been added to AZ. Third, AZ always seems to be lifeless during the summer. Although hosting popular rides like Drop Tower and Invertigo, it's dead everywhere else, with Congo Falls looking like a barren wasteland and FD being a walk-on. The go-karts also had low ridership, and Xtreme Skyflyer didn't have much popularity because it was(still is) an upcharge..

[sheikra_rocks]

Kings Island does not have a ride called Delerium nor one that includes SkyFlier in it's name.

Pardon me, I spelled the darn names wrong.

Sheikra, who was totally NOT using the word "darn".

[fanofFirehawk]

We all seem to think that we would be the only one that would care for those changes, but I think if you went up to a member of the general public and took them by the hand and said:

"Okay the fence next year that will be replaced by a brand new roller coaster that hangs below the track like Flight Deck, it will be called Banshee. Now I have been thinking, what if they replaced that ugly concrete with bricks, wouldn't that make it a lot prettier. *Shows them Coney Mall and brings them back to site* Wouldn't it?"

So the response might be:

"Yeah sure..."

but maybe that would spark something in the mind, they might appreciate the time it takes to do such a thing.

I told my brother that Flight Deck was getting renamed and rethemed to The Bat, he asked:

"Why?"

I said so it can complement Banshee and make it's own little section.

He than said:" Does this mean no more walk ups for Flight Deck"

I told him "No, I wouldn't expect anymore of those"

Then after a few seconds, he said:

"Are they going to change the other rides there?"....

Oh, Jake you really are my brother.

EDIT: Jake is 7, so similar mind set of the General Public.

[ChaneLift]

Guess we just keep going out along the edges, always where I burn to be, but then again the further on the edge, the hotter the intensity.

[myklhicks]

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet or if they do this yearly but, the sign for the clothing store is gone.

[Kat]

^ research is your friend, buddy. Already been mentioned twice now in Banshee Construction. First mentioned yesterday.

[PKIVortex]

Yep I noticed it yesterday via webcam. I figure Action Zone will have to get a re theme, what does a Stunt Crew Grill, and On Location have to do with that area anymore? It's not like it's a backlot anymore as it was themed too when it was known at the Paramount Action Zone!