shark6495 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 So I was doing some research around our own SRR and then got curious to the current location of our own Zodiac. A Google search of that then lead to this... http://www.wonderlandhistory.net/ Maybe its just me. But I never knew Taft built a park in Australia modeled off of Canada's Wonderland and in some part KI. Interesting to see what happened to a park that closes. Also, helps put into perspective how lucky we are that KI has stayed open with good and bad owners. What would have happened to Paramount's Kings Island, if CF didnt buy the chain... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Google, as a registered trademark, is always capitalized here. Had not Cedar Fair bought Kings Island, any of several other operators would have. Had CBS kept Kings Island and operated it the way THEY were.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Paging Bill Mefford... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Google, as a registered trademark, is always capitalized here. Had not Cedar Fair bought Kings Island, any of several other operators would have. Had CBS kept Kings Island and operated it the way THEY were.... That is sort of where I was going with my original statement. Reading up on the park, its interesting to read that the company who bought it last sort of let it run on cruise control. Maybe more interested in the land versus the park. Was it during the CBS era that KI sold the camp ground? When did it lose the golf course land? Paging Bill Mefford... I did a Google search, but that name does not signal anything to me... I feel like it should though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 He was the VP of communications for Taft Broadcasting and helped to open and run Sydney's Wonderland. I actually just had lunch with him like an hour ago. I shot him an email linking to your post. He'll have all the answers. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faeriewench Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Google, as a registered trademark, is always capitalized here. Had not Cedar Fair bought Kings Island, any of several other operators would have. Had CBS kept Kings Island and operated it the way THEY were.... That is sort of where I was going with my original statement. Reading up on the park, its interesting to read that the company who bought it last sort of let it run on cruise control. Maybe more interested in the land versus the park. Was it during the CBS era that KI sold the camp ground? When did it lose the golf course land? Paging Bill Mefford... I did a Google search, but that name does not signal anything to me... I feel like it should though Construction for the Lodge began in 2004 or 2005 if I remember right. I wanna say just before CBS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBEASTunchained Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 As a brief explanation to tag along with Ryan's post........Posted by Ryan himself..... http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/24082-the-immortal-bill-mefford/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 CBS or Viacom sold the campground, retaining a 16 percent interest, which Cedar Fair refused to buy. Mr. Carl Lindner's Great American Financial bought all the lands that KECO could sell, including the golf course, and the other property across I-71. When Paramount bought the park, Lindner's affiliates retained that land across the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 CBS or Viacom sold the campground, retaining a 16 percent interest, which Cedar Fair refused to buy. Mr. Carl Lindner's Great American Financial bought all the lands that KECO could sell, including the golf course, and the other property across I-71. When Paramount bought the park, Lindner's affiliates retained that land across the road. I had completely forgotten about that post!Pics or it didn't happen, right? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Soooo I should have done a KIC search and not Google... Thanks for the info. Looks like I might be the only one who didnt know about the Wonderland downunder.... Follow up questions, why was Wonderland sold off away from the other Taft parks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieseltech20 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Taft only had a small stake in Wonderland Sydney and sold that to other Australian Investors rather than Viacom. Zodiacs current location is unknown. It was taken down, loaded into containers and vanished. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I remember Meff mentioning that the Americans had a three year commitment to Wonderland and then they sold it to the Aussies. Maybe that was the plan all along. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banshee Back VII Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 If Cedar Fair didn't buy KI, it'd be Six Flags Cincinnati. *shudder* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Why shudder? That day may still come, sooner than you think. Plus, Flags was NOT a bidder for Paramount Parks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Why shudder? That day may still come, sooner than you think. Plus, Flags was NOT a bidder for Paramount Parks. Flags was not in a position to buy anything in 2006. But if they were... you'd better believe they wanted Kings Island. From what I understand, that almost happened in like 1996. Terp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banshee Back VII Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Why shudder? That day may still come, sooner than you think. Plus, Flags was NOT a bidder for Paramount Parks. I want KI to stay Cedar Fair. Six Flags doesn't like to spend a boatload of money on coasters, like how Cedar Fair dropped $24,000,000 on Banshee this year. Though the prices would be cheaper, I couldn't stand to see it happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamondback96 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 If Cedar Fair didn't buy KI, it'd be Six Flags Cincinnati. *shudder* I actually feel like they'd attach the Six Flags name to the beginning of it. After all, it's Six Flags Magic Mountain, not Six Flags Los Angeles; or Six Flags Great Adventure, not Six Flags New Jersey. Or they could do "Kings Island: A Six Flags Park" like they did with Great Escape and La Ronde. Although I read that SIX is not allowed to use DC and Time Warner characters in parks that aren't branded "Six Flags _____." I would've loved to ride Zodiac. Why was it removed from KI in the first place? 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.