8/23 Park Visit

[italianchef]

Today I visited PKI - and hadn't been there in a month! Book signings (which are over thank God), television production (for a Thai restaurant), and other personal obligations kept me busy.

PKI was overwhelmingly crowded! I got on The Beast around 11 AM and the lines were relatively short. Within 30 minutes, I rode it twice. However, the crowds soared in population. I waited over 10 minutes for Adventure Express which I usually practically walk on to.

I don't know about the rest of you, but for me The Beast is the creme de la creme. It's my # 1 favorite ride at PKI. It gets my adrenilin pumping.

Have a groovy day!

Sincerely,

Italian Chef

Edited January 1, 1970 by italianchef

[Chatter]

My wife and I rode The Beast with the kids yesterday and we agree that The Beast is still much better than SOB by a landslide. She said she even got nervous going down into the helix...........and I have to admit, after waiting 10 years to ride it again.....it still is it.

[BoddaH1994]

Yeah, it just seems like he Beast has something that SOB can't offer... It probably has something to do with how spread out it is.

[Mr. Fusion]

And how you don't get any headaches going into any huge rosebowl helixes...

[BoddaH1994]

Well, I've had good and bad rides on SOB... I guess it's determined more by where I sit than anything else. It also seems like you have more speed on The Beast (although technically you don't). You can't tell me that when you through those helixes at night, you don't feel like you're going 100mph.

[DragonLord]

It was Aarcon Carter's concert day, what did you expect?

I LOVE The Beast. It's the best, and will always be the best!

[BoddaH1994]

To be honest with you guys, I've never been to PKI on a day when they had a concert. Are they busy all day, or does it drop off once the concert start? Also, how late do they go? Do they try to make them end as the park's closing? If they ran over, would they still do the Fireworks Spectacular?

Edited January 1, 1970 by BoddaH1994

[Chatter]

In terms of intensity, comfortability, creativity, etc., etc........The Beast has it by far over SOB. I've ridden both recently and The Beast is more enjoyable, yet more intense, than SOB.

SOB has that big first drop, but after that it's just alot of speed and normal rollercoaster hills with alot of bumpiness for your riding displeasure! Sure, it has a teardrop loop in it, but big deal......you can get that stuff on The Vortex. The fact remains that SOB is one of the most uncomfortable rides I've ever ridden, and now that I've ridden it, I really have no desire to ride it again.

The Beast's first hill, while not as far a drop as SOB, is still very good, and the scenery and panoramic view is awesome. When going up SOB, you can look to your left and see the drop of the first hill.......YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON The Beast which makes it even that more scary. Going down and then curving through those tunnels and dropping down into the valley is really cool and can't be duplicated. And honestly, I feel like I'm going as fast on The Beast as I am on SOB......I know the statistics say otherwise, but I may only be going 65 mph on The Beast but it feels like 85 mph! Then going up the second hill by conveyor and looking to your left at the tunnelled helix, wow. Then you start down the hill and the track angles down on the left so you're going into it on a slant (that is the coolest, most scariest wooden rollercoaster moment in the World!). You feel like you're going to get your head cutoff, and then the roar of the tunnel is awesome! Twice! Cannot be duplicated.......it is flat out the funnest and scariest wooden rollercoaster in the World! Way better than SOB.

As for SOB, I was reading on Intamin's site about some new wooden rollercoaster technology that combines steel with wooden veneer which allows for a smoother ride. I know it would remove SOB from the Wooden coaster category and they'd relinquish the lead in certain top 10 categories, but maybe they could encorporate some new technology to give it a smoother ride. If they don't do something about the comfortability of SOB, I fear that ride gets torn down in the next 10 years when the short lines won't pay for it's existence anymore. Everytime I go up there, you can nearly walk right on........no more than a 10-15 minute wait.......and it's only a few years old!!! Wow, what a great drawing card for PKI??????

The Beast still rules!

I hope they never tear down The Vortex. I think it is a classic ride that encompasses every twist and turn known to man. Please don't remove it.

I never understand how then can have so much land, but decide to tear down old rides and replace with new ones. Alot of the classic rides need to be left alone and PKI needs to spread out (expand into new land) and build new ones. I miss alot of these old rides.

After riding the Scooby-Doo ride where you shoot for points.......I had an idea about the Old Train ride............why not have toy rifles on it and give people shooting targets that allow them to score points! That would be fun. Or even if there's no points.......give them rifles that hit targets that fall down and spring back up one they've been hit? I'm sure they can come up with a creative idea for the Train. I'd love to see actors again, but I know that costs money, so maybe put some mechanical people or items in place and give us something to shoot at!

I still think Whitewater Canyon needs to have more of a thoroughfair that goes by it. Being able to stand up on the path and watch people get soaked is a pleasure. If there were more traffic going through there, I think it would be a viewing sensation. Rivertown needs some rethinking. I enjoy it's atmosphere, it just seems like it needs to be redesigned. The Train needs some action to it, and WW Canyon needs to be less secluded and more open for viewing (as in "on the way" to somewhere).

I also think behind the Eiffel Tower where the Antique Cars are........they could eliminate one of the car stations and put another ride in......most likely the station near the pond. I rarely see both stations open anyway. Personally, I'd love to see the theatre by the Eiffel Tower eliminated and a coaster put in that starts by the Eiffel Tower and goes over the pond towards the Larosa Pizza place down below The Vortex between The Beast, and then back again. That is alot of wasted space and needs to be more than just scenery. I thought years ago you could take canoe rides on that pond? I thought when the park first opened, canoe riding was available there?

Just alot of wasted space, IMO, in that area.

I also think they could take a new street/thoroughfare from where the line of The Beast is to around the back of The Vortex and connect it back into the Coney Mall Street just past The Vortex, which would give them another area to fill in. It would also give The Beast and The Vortex more exposure. The could also do the same where you go to Flight of Fear. They could loop a street around the back of The Racer and connect up near Adventure Express and eliminate those silly games (Virtual Reality - Simon Says, rope ladders).....put a street in there that takes you down behind The Racer and connects at Flight of Fear.

There are lots of ideas for expansion and remodeling that I can think of........but they continue to tear down classic rides, which really upsets me. There is not reason PKI can't be a classic park, a family-type park, and a thrill park, all at the same time. I believe they can fill the needs of different genres.

Just my opinions. If they want to hire me for ideas, just e-mail me.....lol.