Ryan's Commentary: What was the best era for The World's Best Kids' Area?

[BoddaH1994]

With the addition of two new rides into Planet Snoopy, Kings Island also announced that Snoopy's Splash Dance had engulfed its last kids in gallons of water in an out-of-place splash park a quarter mile from the water park. My first thought was, "Good riddance! That thing was stupid." But after a little bit of time to think about it, a big part of my childhood was lost to the bulldozer a few days ago.

Kings Island Webcam Image

I'm going to go ahead and say it: Nickelodeon Splat City (not Universe) was the greatest era for Kings Island's kids' area. Before you throw stones, let me explain why.

I was a kid of the 90's. Growing up, there was but one way that you can entertain yourself as a kid in front of the television: by watching Nickelodeon. The thing that I remember about Nickelodeon growing up was that the programming was completely irrelevant, it was the promos at the beginning and end of the commercial breaks that really created the spirit and atmosphere of the network. Simply put, you were sitting in front of your TV on a cold day in February. You were in that small TV-watching break between the turmoils of school, and the unnecessarily large mound of homework that you were going to "get to" after dinner. This wasn't what a kid was being about. It was about being carefree, messy, and even wildly irresponsible at times. There was a place like this. It was Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando, FL.

Wikipedia

Nickelodeon's production was brilliant. Even as a kid sitting in my living room in Edgewood, KY, I felt like, in a small way, I was sitting right beside those kids who were (for some reason) not in school that day, getting covered in slime, and basking in the sunshine of a kids' utopia.

I remember visiting (Paramount's Kings Island) in 1995. This was before the day and age of the Internet, so I really had no idea if or when a ride or attraction was added or removed. I walked into Splat City and instantly recognized it. I was there. I was old enough to know that it wasn't where they "really" filmed the Nickelodeon shows (not that many of the shows were really filmed in Orlando, anyway) but I really felt like it was a perfect recreation of the world that I had seen on television throughout my childhood. Not only did it have the signature bright orange and "Gak" green, but it promoted a feeling of true kid-friendly chaos. The Green Slime Zone (later Snoopy's Splashdance) was the centerpiece. Kids today probably don't realize that the original intention of the Zone was to NOT get wet. You would traverse through leaking pipes and dumping buckets while spinning valves and pivoting levers in an attempt to turn off the water that was ahead of you. The challenge: every time you would turn off a set of water spouts others would turn on - thus soaking the person in front of or behind you. Onlookers weren't safe either. The "pressure" from all of these water valves being turned off would cause a giant green tower to spew water dozens of feet into the air periodically (about every 20 minutes). The whole setup was truly brilliant. As the pressure gauge on the tower started reaching a critical point, the sound of failed pipeworks was pumped into the immediate area. The large nuts and bolts holding the tower together would start to spring leaks until BAM! The tower ERUPTS onto the unsuspecting crowd! This level of unpredictable chaos and insane fun was perfectly in line with what the kids on TV were experiencing.

As time went on, it lost a lot of its allure. As opposed to creating a Nickelodeon-like experience, elements of the "Nickelodeon Studios feel" began to disappear. Most of it was simply replaced with rides that had some random character's name slapped on it. I remember thinking that this sort of thing was kind of insulting to me as a child, and I imagine that kids today (if they knew how it COULD be) would feel the same way. Not everything can or should be Disney, but removing someone from certain elements of their day-to-day lives and putting them in a somewhat augmented reality is a real jackpot when it comes to park experiences.

Now, for the dozen or so of you who bothered to read this far into my rant, I'm sure you're asking: Ryan, what do you think about Peanuts?

I hate everything about Peanuts.

As far as I'm concerned, there are four main characters: Snoopy - a mute dog that really adds nothing to the storyline, Charlie Brown - an antisocial outcast who suffers from chronic depression, Linus - the only one in the group who still carries a security blanket and suffers from apparent developmental issues, and Lucy - a sociopath who will sacrifice the well-being of her friends and loved ones for minimal personal gain.

I suppose the problem with the Peanuts comics is that I don't think they were ever intended to be for kids. They were intended for adults reading the Sunday paper. The characters were intended to be laughed at. When it comes to childrens' programming, the real winners are the ones that feature a hero - one who can overcome adversity to achieve a personal or altruistic goal. These characters embody none of this.

But hey - I suppose you could say that 14 Golden Tickets later I'm putting nostalgia over progress. Maybe you're right. I suppose the fair thing to say that the Kings Island we know now is, in almost all regards, better than the Kings Island I knew in 1995. I believe that statement would be entirely accurate, but I still feel like the kids are missing out on some of the magic that I knew.

What iteration of the World's Best Kids' Area do you think was the best? Do you feel the same way about anything else at Kings Island? I'd love to hear from you.

[TTD-120-420]

Surprisingly, I only have memories of it when it was Hanna Barbera themed. This is weird to me, because Nickelodeon was there for most of my childhood, but I guess that my family had switched to taking me to Cedar Point by the time Nick came in. I remember one time being present in the Nick area, and a vaguely remember a show that involved "dirty" diapers from Rugrats and someone from the audience getting slimed. That is it.

I remember a lot from the HB days. Pictures with Scooby, the Flinstones themed bumper cars (this is probably where my bumper car intensity started!), and riding on JaberJaw every single time on the character carousel. I don't even know about that show, I just knew it was a feakin' shark! It was awesome to me.

Anyways, I can't really say what the best era was. I guess we could chalk this up to "Whatever you grew up with."

I agree about hating the Peanuts, though.

EDIT:

I remember this more than anything and I don't know why:

from http://www.negative-g.com/kings-island/2002/paramounts-kings-island-2002-4.html

[The Interpreter]

The world's best kids area? It has a fine wild mouse, Rollo Coaster, a covered Caterpillar and an owner not known for using gold to buy tickets. Then again, perhaps Matt Ouimet doesn't either. Witness Cedar Point.

[Vortex]

The second version of Hanna Barbera was the best of the bunch. Had a little farm house you could play in. Also had a fun house and stag show.

[NoChickens]

Anyways, I can't really say what the best era was. I guess we could chalk this up to "Whatever you grew up with."

This by far will probably be the greatest influence for most. As for myself, no different. Hanna Barbera Land, was there in my childhood, and is what I remember so fondly. My kids on the other hand would surely say Nickelodeon.

[MDMC01]

Ryan, I'd like to both agree and disagree with you. First off, I loved the Nick Central/Hanna Barbara incarnation of the kid's area and I definitely remember crawling through the tubes in that maze thing (not the water maze, the one like they have at McDonalds) when it was Splat City. I actually remember wondering where it went when they took it out one day. On the other hand, I am finally used to Planet Snoopy and actually think it's great for kids as every attraction is unified under one banner. For those who know me well, I usually don't do well with change (hence why I only took 5 rides on The Bat this year, and it was only thanks to a little help and encouragement from two KICers (and Banshee being down) that I took more than 1 ride on it this season), and it took me a while to get used to Planet Snoopy, but I think it's pretty good. As for Splash Dance, I've done it a few times and have gotten even more soaked than I have riding White Water Canyon. On the other hand, I think I'll only miss it a little bit because I'm excited for the Eagles (yes, I know they are called Woodstock's Gliders, but I think I'll refer to them as the Eagles ). Also, I never knew the point of the original Green Slime Zone was to avoid getting wet. Overall, good stuff Ryan, but I think we'll agree to disagree about Planet Snoopy.

[KIBeast]

For me, I grew up in the Hanna Barbera era. I liked the Flintstone Boulder Bumpers, Enchanted Voyage (pre Smurfs), the Jabber Jaw on the Carousel. I actually watched Jabber Jaw on Saturdays along with a lot of other classic cartoons like Speed Buggy, Looney Tunes, Buford Files, Scooby Doo, and many more. I loved Jabber Jaw because his voice over characterization sounded just like Curly of the 3 Stooges (I'm sure intentionally).

Also, I love watching Peanuts on TV as well. I've always loved the holiday specials like A Charlie Brown Christmas. Yes, Charlie Brown is wishy washy, but it always made me want to pull for him because he's like the really nice kid that is in fact too nice. I thought the things that Snoopy did were hilarious like taking on the Red Baron and preparing the Thanksgiving Dinner of popcorn and toast. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite books from then was Snoopy vs. the Red Baron. I know I read it numerous times. I thought Lucy was kinda funny in that she always managed to trick Charlie Brown in attempting to kick the football, much like the running joke on Family Guy about various characters falling and injuring their knee. Linus was very insecure and I think we can all relate to having insecurities, even though Linus was extreme. And Sally's infatuation with him is something we can all relate to. Who hasn't had a crush on a boy/girl at that age and thought we were in love? It's like when you finally got the courage to send her/him a note asking, "Do you like me? Yes or No?" Circle one.

I also miss the Kenton Cove Keelboat Canal. I loved the way it wound through the trees at a nice, slow pace and then you had a pretty thrilling drop at the end which got me pretty wet.

Edited November 13, 2014 by KIBeast

[dtk1378]

Criticizing Peanuts for the characters not being so innocent is kinda hard to use as an argument, most cartoons have a little bit of a darkness to some of the characters. Take Nickelodeons most popular TV show at the time of the Nickelodeon Universe years, SpongeBob Squarepants. SpongeBob was obviously ADHD with no real sense of reality, Patrick was a lazy sloth, Mr. Krabs was a greedy penny pincher, and Squidward was an egotistical self-centered pompous jerk.

With all that said though, as others have already said, most people are going to find a children's area that is themed around what they grew up watching as the best theme'd kid's area. For me, I grew up watching Saved by the Bell, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and I would think any one of those three shows theme'd as a kids area would be my favorite, but of course most children in today's universe wouldn't enjoy these.

What would be a good theme for today's children? Hard saying, my daughter's favorite shows currently are Monster High, Sanjay and Craig, and My Little Pony. Two of those shows are geared directly towards girls, and Sanjay and Craig would fall under the Nickelodeon banner. But will those shows hold any relevance 2-5 years down the line? Maybe (obviously My Little Pony will), but if you are going to theme your children's area, it needs to be something that has lasting value, which Peanuts provides as it's been around decades upon decades with very little changing. Sure, if we were still under the Paramount banner we would have Nickelodeon Universe who could re-theme rides as new TV shows come relevant, but then are we going to have people complaining that they changed the name of the Fairly Odd Coaster (since Fairly Odd Parents is starting to lose it's relevance to today's kids) to the Bubble Guppies Bubble Coaster because they used to be big fans of the Fairly Odd Parents even though they never watch it anymore.

I truly feel Peanuts is a good brand to be under, is there a few other children's themes I would prefer? Sure, of course there is but there is also worse. But I'm sure the licensing for Peanuts is much less than something under the Nickelodeon banner.

I'm kinda 50/50 on how I feel about the Splash Dance being removed though, on one side it was totally out of place and did not need to be on the dry side of the park, on the other hand though I totally think it would fit in perfectly over in the water park and I wish the decision was to move it instead of remove it.

[shark6495]

I loved the era I grew up in which was the Nick/HB hybrid area. However, taking nostalgia out of it, the theme of the land was what I enjoyed the most and looking back on miss the most.

The kid bumper cars were themed to look like Flintstones cars, the carousel had actual characters you could ride with or sit next to, the music played matched the area, and each ride had a different characters "theme".

I enjoy the peanuts area and can see the theme coming through in places (Snoopy vs the Red Baron versus Dick Dasterdly's biPlanes) but in others it lacks (carousel and bumper cars). Put a Snoopy statue for the kids to ride on the carousel, have a fiberglass Charlie Brown, Linus, etc to sit next to on the ride. For the bumper cars, you could theme them a few ways (great pumpkins that bump into each other, doghouses, etc.).

Thats what I miss, is the little nods to each cartoon. The Jetson Orbiters was one of my favorites....

[medford]

Nice post. I think its all relative to your experience, we all long for things of the past, often overlooking the downsides while focusing in on the good things.

As a kid, I adored The Smurfs Enchanted Voyage, I could have ridden that thing 5 times a trip, I often remember riding it at least twice. The little hill at the very end and the set of teeth ready to "chomp" down on you was always a highlight as a kid. I remember being scared of The Beastie, then loving the tunnel and hills. Aside from that I don't remember much.

As a parent, I have many, many more memories of experiencing that part of the park with my kids. In my opinion, the kids are isn't really for the kids, its for the parents. Many young kids are going to be thrilled by even the tamest of rides in that area, so as a parent, quick lines, good variety and varying level of thrills are a huge bonus. The way it is set up today (and perhaps has always been setup this way) the area is very much tiered. My 6 year old son will likely hit 54" next season and its a shame much of this area will be closed off to him, but on the days my wife splits up and takes him over to Banshee, The Beast, The Bat, Racer, etc...I'm very much looking forward to progressing thru kiddie area with our now 2 year old daughter, much in the same way we progressed thru the area with our son when he was that age and beyond. First its the things she could ride before hitting 36", Tumble Bugs, Boo Blasters, small train, etc... next season we'll get to add in The Great Pumpkin Coaster, swings, Snoopy vs Baron (or whatever its called) while getting to look forward to the day she can get on Woodstock Express, then eventually FAAC and Surf Dog before graduating to the rest of the park (save Viking Fury, SRR and Scrambler, etc..) The anticipation of my son growing up into the next set of rides was as much fun for my wife and I as it was for him. The times where he was "on the cusp" and one week he'd hit 42" (yeah SRR) and the next week he'd be just shy (how the heck did that happen) were always interesting adventures at the measuring booth. The excitement of not knowing for sure if he'd hit that mark, or the hopes that he'd finally reach the next mark as he approached were sources of conversation on the walk to the front gate. The current kids area not only gives kids a great area to play, it gives parents a measuring stick of growth and achievement, something to mark the season with as new rides are added to the possibilities.

In short, there is no wrong answer, every stage of the kids area has been great.

[Voicetek]

Gosh, nostalgia is rough isn't it? I look back and remember fondly the days of visiting Kings Island as a kid. My dad would pick my sister and me up on Saturdays (my mom and dad were divorced), and we'd swing by the breakfast buffet at Frishes and then head out to the park. My sister and I were pretty young, so the 3 of us would spend the day in Hanna-Barbera Land. I sure loved that place! I remember riding the Flinstone Bumper Cars, and several other rides. I used to love riding the little trains that you powered by turning a handle with your hands. There were also different colored trains that went round a track (can't remember for the life of me what they were called) and we always took a ride on those. After a while of rides, it was time to sit down, relax, and catch a puppet show by the Puppet Tree. I can still remember walking around that area and hearing theme songs from some of my favorite shows. You'd hear the lyrics over the speakers, "Scooby, Scoobidy Doo..." or "...just because he's smarter than the average bear!" Thinking back on things like this just gives me warm fuzzies inside. It reminds me of being a carefree child, experiencing certain rides for the first time, or just spending a Saturday with my dad. Did I think it was that great while I was experiencing it at the time? It's hard to say. I did know I was having fun though, and that's what was important when I was a kid. I was having great fun! I didn't care about anything else as long as I got to ride Scooby Doo on the carousel.

Looking back now though, it's clear to see that these types of things hold more meaning now then they did when I was a kid. Yeah they meant a lot to me then, but over time the meaning changes. It's not about going to the park and having a good time, it's looking back and reliving those times in your memories and knowing that you'll never experience them again. There is something a bit sad about it, but also you're happy because you got to experience those things. So for me, well, I'd probably say that Hanna-Barbera was the best era at the park. Why? Because of the memories I carry with me from that era. The characters, the rides, the attractions, the music. It gets all rolled together into one big memory.

20 years from now, find someone who was a kid during this era and ask him about his memories of visiting KI as a child. I bet you it'll sound the same as my description above, except the names of the rides and attractions will vary slightly. When it really comes down to it, the characters on the signs, or the paint schemes of the rides have nothing to do with it. It's the people you're with and the experiences you share together that cement those memories in your mind. The other things are just secondary. Things change, memories are forever.

[Thrill_Biscuit]

From a purely observational perspective, it had to be the season in which Avatar was introduced into Nickelodeon Universe. The area seemed to be running on all possible cylinders at that moment. Then the Peanuts came along and everyone was like, "Huh, what?" ...but not necessarily "Who?" To Ryan's point, the Peanuts have really always been a comic strip more than a cartoon.

I remember reading a book of Peanuts comics by Charles Schulz. It bored the snot out of me, because I was 13 and it was aimed at people who were more like 33. Like, in one series of strips, Snoopy was a judge (powdered wig and all), conducting some kind of courtroom hearing and saying a bunch of Latin stuff (Ipso Facto...). Maybe it was funny, but to theme a giant kids area out of the franchise seemed a bit of a stretch when it happened. It seemed... thrifty.

[medford]

^^^

to Thrill-Biscuit's comment I say, take note of who spends money inside of the kids area. 33 year old (and older/slightly younger) people with 3-6 year old kids/grandkids. That is why I've always felt that Peanuts is a perfect tie in for Cedar Fair.

[Thrill_Biscuit]

That's fair. It's not themed after "The Lockhorns" afterall. Touché!

[kingsislandfan1972]

Kings Island should bring back the Bannana Splits, now that would be very unique.

[electricsun]

Voicetek - I agree! I think it is those memories and experiences that we hold dear as we get older. If I don't look at pictures, what I remember of our visits to KI as a child is how those experiences made me feel. The talking tree, riding in the antique cars with an aunt or grandma, my nervousness of getting into the boat every single time as we headed into Smurf's Enchanted Voyage and how much I loved the ride, both carousels, riding The Beastie and the slight fear of going through the tunnel, the sheer joy I felt on rides and waving to my mom and grandma as I rode past them, having a very unique way of navigating the very friendly wall of characters as we entered Kings Island, and the sheer exhaustion and happiness as we drove away after a visit and I tried to keep sight of the Eiffel Tower as long as possible.

There was a good 11 years between my visit as a child and as a high school senior. The shock of the changes (from my memory) of the children's area was overwhelming. I was so excited to ride the Smurf ride and...well...it didn't exist. I was so sad! I have pictures of us in a long line for 007, in line for The Beast, on the Eiffel Tower - and all I can remember was no Smurf ride and that I had fun with my friends.

Our perception of things as a child is hard to beat as an adult. It will never meet the expectations that we have from what we remember. Seeing how much fun that my niece and nephews have in Planet Snoopy now is probably pretty close to how I was when it was Hanna-Barbara then. I'm sure that in 20 years when they visit, whatever theme is there will not match the happiness in their memories.

[stashua123]

To me, Nickelodeon Universe and Hanna Barbera Land(You know the Scooby Ride) were the best!

[The Interpreter]

Kings Island should bring back the Bannana Splits, now that would be very unique.

Now owned by Time Warner, who licenses its characters to Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.

[Thrill_Biscuit]

And their theme song belongs to La Quinta Inns, I think

Tb, half-joking.

[BoddaH1994]

^^^

to Thrill-Biscuit's comment I say, take note of who spends money inside of the kids area. 33 year old (and older/slightly younger) people with 3-6 year old kids/grandkids. That is why I've always felt that Peanuts is a perfect tie in for Cedar Fair.

I guess that poses the real question: are kids' areas themed for the kids or for their parents?

But regardless, I'm 31, so I'm close to the age you mentioned and even I knew about Snoopy and Co. but really had to look them up to figure out what the heck is going on.

[freaks76]

I loved Hanna Barbera land when i was a kid, even though i only got to go a few times, Never went when it was Nick themed at all. I'd love to be able to go back and ride some of the stuff they had there when i was a kid, but this is coming from a guy who still wants to ride the little hand cars at Camden Park whenever we go there.....................

[KIfan73]

Except for one visit when I was too little to remember, I've only visited Kings Island as an adult. I really feel, though, for all those people who have memories of a certain era. I definitely would have been in the H-B era, and know how much the child version of myself would have liked to have seen it during the '70's and '80's.

I think this thread brings up a good point. Look at Disney. I'm sure you can still see things there that you would have seen as a child 40 years ago. I think parks like Kings Island are missing the boat when they trash so much of their past, although I understand much of the trashing is due to legal reasons.

[Pagoda Gift Shop]

Kings Island's kids area has always been top of the line, so you could really argue that any era since the park opened has been a great one.

I might vote for 2006 and Nick Universe. That was the year they had the parade every day. I can't remember if they did that again in 2007 or it was a one year deal.

[BoddaH1994]

The Nickelodeon Celebration Parade was in 2005 and 2006, I think.

[MDMC01]

I know the parade at least occurred in '06 because it was my first year working in Food and I remember the parade passed by on our stand (It's Fried/Midway Treats and Eats, now known as Coney Potato Works) often.

EDIT: "We're kickin' it all over town, this party's getting out of bounds..."

[KIBeast]

Best Kids Area for how many years running now?

I'd say that no matter what era we like best, KI has a tendency to know what the General Public likes.

[disco2000]

^^^

to Thrill-Biscuit's comment I say, take note of who spends money inside of the kids area. 33 year old (and older/slightly younger) people with 3-6 year old kids/grandkids. That is why I've always felt that Peanuts is a perfect tie in for Cedar Fair.

I guess that poses the real question: are kids' areas themed for the kids or for their parents?

But regardless, I'm 31, so I'm close to the age you mentioned and even I knew about Snoopy and Co. but really had to look them up to figure out what the heck is going on.

And keep in mind that The Flintstones was originally intended for adult audiences. The cartoon first aired on a Friday night at 8:30pm in 1960 - and was sponsored by Winston cigarettes and commercials ran with Fred and Wilma smoking Winston's during its first two seasons.

[upstop]

The second version of Hanna Barbera was the best of the bunch. Had a little farm house you could play in. Also had a fun house and stag show.

Wow must have missed that....Something for everyone in the kids area!

[The Interpreter]

I suppose the show was called Hoosier Daddy?

[calakapepe]

I completely agree with you. I genuinely find the Peanuts experience to be fairly bland and kind of sad. I never liked it as a kid, and still don't see its appeal, but many others must have, given their continuing success. (to a degree)

The first installment of a Nickelodeon themed kid's area was definitely my favorite. Once Universe hit and Phantom left (I know it's not Nickelodeon) and the shows like Slime Time Live left, I didn't feel like it was as immersive of an area and the rides were the only thing left.
I very much enjoyed the Hannah Barbara land a lot too though, with Boomerang still showing the old classics on TV, I too was able to come and relive those characters! And that's also when Scooby Doo was in the Enchanted Theater and hadn't taken over Phantom Theater.

I would go on to say that the biggest factor to make me love those renditions is the fact that I grew up with them and they were themes that I enjoyed as a kid watching TV.

--

That said. I think kids will love whatever you put in there, and there's a chance they would prefer their upbringing's kid's area over the others.. However, I think it's a good investment to theme after characters that are regularly on TV that kids regularly enjoy, and as far as what I can see through my siblings, cousins, and friend's kids.. The Peanuts are not such characters. I only know of them watching Peanuts episodes while at school, for some reason.