What ride did KI make the biggest mistake in getting ride of

[jbeast]

My vote goes for The Eagles with Phantom Theater a close second (of course, I still remember riding Enchanted Voyage too).

I agree that the scooters we have now pale in comparison to the original Eagles. The Eagles were by far my favorite non coaster ride because of the truly wild rides you could get. I rode them as a kid on and as I grew up they were still a favorite! They were such an adrenaline rush! As I've said before, it's tough walking past that 3 point challenge knowing what was once there.

[YOULLBEBACK]

Obvious answer being the antique cars, but man, this park needs some more dark rides. 

Action Theater all the way!  More traffic in a slower area of the park, fills the need for another dark ride, assuming it would be good capacity-wise, and the facility is still there.  Bring it back! 

[Imperial79]

I never been on them but I'd have to say The Flying Eagles as well,  I walked pass them in 2001, but didn't realize how great a ride it was till years later, and they was taken out.  Would have been nice if they was brought back home to KI, and North Carolina was given the new Scooters...  The ride that I have been on that I miss the most is the Antique Cars/Les Taxis,  never thought they'd ever remove that classic ride.  Second would be the Smurf ride, it was a great dark family boat ride!

[BeeastFarmer]

7 hours ago, Magenta Lizard said:

I think the Eagles were a bigger mistake, just from a cost/benefit point of view. The 'tiques required a lot more ride ops per rider, not to mention the cost of fuel to operate. 

I've heard several people say that Les Taxis were expensive to operate fuel wise, but how much gasoline do those cars run through in a day?  If they had both Lex Taxis and the Ohio Overland Auto Livery running, and let's say they maintained 20 cars on each side, and each car used 5 gallons per day, that 200 gallons of gas per day, and lets say 3.00/gallon.  That is 600/day and assuming 100 operating days, the yearly fuel cost would be 60,000.00 annually.  Not a terrible number.  Of course, my  numbers are assumptions, I am sure there are others here who could supply correct information.  But if a park like Kentucky Kingdom can run their Tin Lizzies, I am sure KI could do the same since they draw in so many more guests.   Kings Dominion still has there's, not as grand as LT/OOAL but they pay their fuel, and if I remember right had 4 ride ops compared to KK's 2.  And I could be wrong, but I think many of today's antique car rides have been modified for propane fuel.  

[Magenta Lizard]

I don't think the antique cars were prohibitively expensive. But I am sure the Eagles were much more fuel efficient in cost per rider/ride. Which is why I am making the argument removing Eagles was a /bigger/ mistake just from a monetary standpoint. Just one way of looking at it. 

This is why I usually don't bother ranking things tho  no one way of looking at it will be the be-all end-all reality. 

[KingsMills79]

Might be showing my age but anyone here remember Marathon Turnpike? 

My cousin and I absolutely LOVED having the Turnpike as well as "two" different Antique car rides. Oh, the smell those cars emitted, it was wonderful!!

 

Not sure it was the BIGGEST mistake they made in ride removal, but if CF can maintain these cars at "all" of their locations with exception of KI, Carowinds and Knott's, surely there's a way to revive them. 

Interesting note.....Michigan's Adventure has Be-Bop Blvd which has electrified 1950's cars, so it is possible to make them more efficient. 

The Hillbilly Jalopies at Carowinds were removed in 1988 by KEC (Kings Entertainment Company), Paramount removed both layouts at KI and I don't believe Knotts ever had an antique car ride but I could be mistaken.

[deidre1976]

Loved the Phantom Theater!

[Bpat1983]

Flying eagles for sure.

Son of Beast was just too early for its time...if only RMC was around back then, they could’ve been brought in to remake SoB into something truly awesome...while making the ride smooth and safe.

[whengodsaysgo]

For nostalgia reasons, I miss Phantom Theatre and Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal.  Fantastic memories on those two.

I think the biggest shame was not doing SOB right.  I rode it on it's opening year, and again later without the loop.  I was much younger and could handle rougher coasters much better - it was never smooth.  I'm with @Bpat1983 that it could have been done better.  

Edit: Also TR:TR/Crypt.  That's such a fantastic show building.  Although I love Madame Fatale's, it could be used for something epic, no?

[TombRaiderFTW]

It's been said before, but my vote is for the Antique Cars. I like Backlot quite a bit, but it's not something I would have made the centerpiece of the park. I would argue that the cars were a much more family-friendly ride that gave families more opportunity to experience the rest of the park outside the kids' area. And the trees, of course, are dearly missed. (I feel like post-Firehawk Kings Island has been very eager to take out trees without planting replacements, and to me, that's a shame. Parks that blend well with nature just have some extra charm to me that I can't quite describe. It's one of the reasons I prefer Kings Dominion.)

Of course, I LOVED Tomb Raider: The Ride, but I honestly don't feel like the park was prepared for its operating costs and complexity when they got it. It was literally a Universal-quality ride dropped into a seasonal park operating on a seasonal park budget. I'd just about kill to experience its early years again, but I don't think you could objectively accuse the park of making a mistake by removing it. Still never not going to miss it, though.

[King Ding Dong]

Skyride, no question about it. 

[Creed Bratton]

Actually, question about it @King Ding Dong what was the best part of it...the views you got from being up top or the ability to cross the park from the HB area to Oktoberfest area? 

 

[King Ding Dong]

@chugh43  Was never on the one at KI but I just like them.  Good ride the whole family can enjoy even grandparents, (except Ryan who gets extremely anxious after I told him about the SFSTL accident, big mistake), generally a nice breeze, moves the line quickly if operated well, and of course the view is great as well.  The tower is cool but is just static.    The utility of transportation is somewhat dubious but is a nice break for tired feet.  

[Joshua]

My biggest votes are for Phantom Theater and Antique Cars. However, I would like to suggest King Cobra for personal reasons. It intimidated me in my younger years and I didn't go to the park often between 1998 and 2007. So I never rode it, which I regret. (Naturally, I didn't get to ride Bavarian Beetle and Screamin' Demon, before they were long gone before I could ride them. If I had a time machine, I'd probably use it to visit the lost rides of Kings Island.  ) 

[WesReviews]

King Cobra.

[BlondyRidesOn]

Sometimes I sit and wonder what it would have been like if Son of Beast were built with really durable materials and didn't feature the loop. Had they not pushed the envelope as far, and only went for the wooden hyper coaster record, and did it properly, it probably would still be around today. It would have been a crazy RMC hybrid, too.

 

But the biggest mistake ever made when removing a ride was removing the Flying Eagles and sending them to Carowinds, as they were an original flat ride from Coney Island.

[NoTrims]

Backwards Racer

[silver2005]

Phantom Theater, Flying Eagles/Tiques, and KCKC. 

[Oldschool75]

Biggest mistake they made was getting rid of Enchanted Voyage/Smurfs and KCKC


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jimbo t]

On ‎1‎/‎14‎/‎2018 at 10:15 PM, Oldschool75 said:

Biggest mistake they made was getting rid of Enchanted Voyage/Smurfs and KCKC


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ABSOLUTLY a huge mistake .. I loved the enchanted voyage..

Edited January 17, 2018 by jimbo t
was a one word no no..sorry

[Dalefan]

On 12/30/2017 at 7:52 PM, jcgoble3 said:

Nope. The two can and did coexist. When they did, Action Theater was in the left half of the building (Blue Racer side), while Urgent Scare was and still is in the right half of the building (Red Racer side).

Only if they clean up the other side. 

  On 1/12/2018 at 5:30 PM, BlondyRidesOn said:

Sometimes I sit and wonder what it would have been like if Son of Beast were built with really durable materials and didn't feature the loop. Had they not pushed the envelope as far, and only went for the wooden hyper coaster record, and did it properly, it probably would still be around today. It would have been a crazy RMC hybrid, too.

 

But the biggest mistake ever made when removing a ride was removing the Flying Eagles and sending them to Carowinds, as they were an original flat ride from Coney Island.

The company who made the ride closed right after SOB opened. 

 

  On 1/12/2018 at 8:41 AM, whengodsaysgo said:

For nostalgia reasons, I miss Phantom Theatre and Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal.  Fantastic memories on those two.

I think the biggest shame was not doing SOB right.  I rode it on it's opening year, and again later without the loop.  I was much younger and could handle rougher coasters much better - it was never smooth.  I'm with @Bpat1983 that it could have been done better.  

Edit: Also TR:TR/Crypt.  That's such a fantastic show building.  Although I love Madame Fatale's, it could be used for something epic, no?

A few tall woodies never have been that way for some reason. 
 

  On 4/16/2016 at 11:55 PM, BB1 said:

Does Boomerang Bay count? If so, yes!

 

If not, the Flying Eagles/Antique Cars removal was the worst mistake ever, and I still believe that the replacement is garbage in comparison.

They never got rid of Boomerang Bay. Just changed the name due to licensing reasons. It was part of Paramount's branding for the movie Crocodile Dundee. 

 

  On 4/16/2016 at 11:11 PM, dtk1378 said:b

I think Phantom Theater, all other rides that have been removed were either removed for good reason (Son of Beast), replaced with a new even better ride (Banshee, Adventure Express, & Delirium > King Cobra), have been brought back already (Flying Eagles, although not in original form unfortunately), or was a shell of it's former self due to licensing (TR:TR).

 

But Phantom Theater had no reason to be removed other than maintenance costs as far as I know, it was replaced with a much more inferior ride, and I don't remember the quality of the ride degrading too much over time like Boo Blasters has.

I believe the main reason for TR leaving was due to the ride breaking down too much.

 

[SonofBaconator]

52 minutes ago, Dalefan said:

I believe the main reason for TR leaving was due to the ride breaking down too much.

 

57 minutes ago, Dalefan said:

They never got rid of Boomerang Bay. Just changed the name due to licensing reasons. It was part of Paramount's branding for the movie Crocodile Dundee. 

 

1 hour ago, Dalefan said:

A few tall woodies never have been that way for some reason. 

 

1 hour ago, Dalefan said:

The company who made the ride closed right after SOB opened. 

 

1 hour ago, Dalefan said:

Only if they clean up the other side. 

You know, you're allowed to use the multi-quote feature on here.

[Shaggy]

On 4/16/2016 at 11:11 PM, dtk1378 said:

I think Phantom Theater, all other rides that have been removed were either removed for good reason (Son of Beast), replaced with a new even better ride (Banshee, Adventure Express, & Delirium > King Cobra), have been brought back already (Flying Eagles, although not in original form unfortunately), or was a shell of it's former self due to licensing (TR:TR).

 

But Phantom Theater had no reason to be removed other than maintenance costs as far as I know, it was replaced with a much more inferior ride, and I don't remember the quality of the ride degrading too much over time like Boo Blasters has.

Many forget, and recall PT through rose-colored glasses... but by the time Phantom Theater closed, well over half the effects were no longer working.  The ride definitely showed its age.  Although I would have loved it if the ride had been upgraded using the same theme, the issue was that many of the animatronics would have needed to be completely replaced.  The change to SDATHC was largely due to the fact for less money than a refurbishment, the park could install a brand new, marketable experience.  Simply fixing Phantom Theater would not have allowed them to market it as a new attraction.  Interactive rides were HIGHLY popular, and the park saw the chance to add something that brought a new "twist" to the genre.

For instance, many do not know this, but the character faces/hands in Phantom Theater themselves were very thin rubber skins that had to regularly be replaced.  They stretched and melted with time and the park had to call the manufacturer to order new.... the manufacturer had to recreate them using the original molds, then have an artist paint them, then ship them, then they had to be re-installed.  It was just part of the cost in keeping the ride operational.  

When a ride loses it's marketability, the land/building on/in which it exists is viewed by parks as "real-estate." If an aged attraction escalates in upkeep and dwindles in ridership, then the value of the land on which it resides outweighs the revenue it's helping generate.  When it becomes expensive to maintain - much like a car - then the park pulls the plug for something new, marketable and cost effective.

[KImom]

Boo Blasters is a ton of fun when your gun actually works...and when it doesn't, all I do is sit and think about how much cooler the whole ride could be...the worst is when I'm on it with my two older children, both boys...and one of their guns works and the other one's doesn't. They bicker and fight the whole entire time. lol

[King Ding Dong]

Been there and done that a few times.   What really makes them mad is when Dad’s blaster works perfectly.  

[jcgoble3]

On 1/16/2018 at 0:34 PM, KImom said:

Boo Blasters is a ton of fun when your gun actually works...and when it doesn't, all I do is sit and think about how much cooler the whole ride could be...the worst is when I'm on it with my two older children, both boys...and one of their guns works and the other one's doesn't. They bicker and fight the whole entire time. lol

On 1/16/2018 at 11:14 PM, King Ding Dong said:

Been there and done that a few times.   What really makes them mad is when Dad’s blaster works perfectly.  

Good lesson on how life is not fair.

[SonofBaconator]

Boo Boo's Baggage Claim. The park will never be the same without it

[MDMC01]

To chime in on the Boo Blasters discussion, I don't shoot the targets anymore, but just sit there and treat it like a classic dark ride. Also, it was really cool that they went all out on the Winterfest decorations for Boo Blasters.

[Captain Nemo]

5 hours ago, MDMC01 said:

To chime in on the Boo Blasters discussion, I don't shoot the targets anymore, but just sit there and treat it like a classic dark ride. Also, it was really cool that they went all out on the Winterfest decorations for Boo Blasters.

I wouldn't say putting Santa hats on 1/3 of the animatronics counts as going "All out".

 

My vote is TRTR. While understandably the concept of the ride had to change with the selling of Paramount, I feel Cedar Fair took the cheap route with the retheme (if one can actually call 'Inception' music a theme). The Top Spin was a popular and great addition to the park. 

Durga (the goddess in the show building) is not intellectual property of Paramount. Durga is a actually Goddess in Hindi religion... No one owns the image, same as razor shard icy stalactites, or a red hot boiling lava pit.

[LoadAndGo]

1 hour ago, Captain Nemo said:

I wouldn't say putting Santa hats on 1/3 of the animatronics counts as going "All out".

I'd say the ride ops that decorated it did a pretty good job seeing that they had a $0 budget.